Ten years ago in 2009, our then 10-year-old daughter had a vision to one day enroll in the Running Start (accelerated post-secondary education) program while still in high school, spend a year studying abroad and graduate early so that she can enter the “Real World” two years ahead of her peers. In 2017, Cara graduated with honors from both high school and Bellevue College with an AA in Business; in 2018 studied International Business in Europe and on this upcoming Saturday, will graduate from Washington State University with a degree in Marketing and a 3.9+ GPA. To say she pursued a vision and “over-performed” relative to her parents is a huge understatement. What does a parent do when their child has high aspirations? #SmileAndSupport!
You cannot teach “HUNGRY”, but you can support it!
Carrie and I have never pushed our kids to achieve but we always did our best to provide support and encouragement. From Day 1, our goal was to raise three happy, healthy and self-sufficient adults who hopefully would develop a purpose for their life. We never talked about how food ended up on the dinner table, so it is surprising that all three kids chose to follow their father’s path and pursue a degree in Business. While somewhat similar, each child had their own educational path; Cara an undergraduate degree two years after graduating high school, Alex an undergraduate degree with a double major in four years, and Carl an undergraduate and master’s degree in four years.
Lessons learned from Cara that apply in the real world of business
- A little support goes a long way. While attending Bellevue College, Cara struggled with writing for class projects. Carrie and I provided a lot of help during the first year and Cara hasn’t looked back since. Her writing skills have blossomed, and her GPA is but one measure of progress.
- Letting go pays huge dividends. It’s not easy watching your 18-year-old daughter leave home and spend a year studying oversees. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a 19-year-old young woman return home with the experience of studying in a foreign country while also traveling throughout half of Europe.
- Micro-managing is a lost cause. As parents, we began with infant Cara and essentially controlled 100% of her life. Today, we happily support where we can but mostly stand back and marvel at how awesome Cara has become!
What business owners and leaders would benefit from thinking about…
A good friend, Todd Morton, explained to me 16 years ago, that a youth sports coach never fully appreciates the impact they have on the lives of the kids they coach. That conversation happened 1 month before beginning a 10-year journey of coaching 28 teams and over 300 kids; and I never forgot that piece of advice. The reality is that this same advice applies to a business owner or leader who decides to make a personal commitment to help employees reach their potential and find meaning in their work.