Are You Raising an Entrepreneur?

Ten years ago, my second son was born.

In the postnatal ward, the nurses often remarked, “He chirps like a bird when he cries.”
He had his own unique personality from the very beginning.

When he was two years old, I left my career in accounting to pursue coaching. That change came from many things—but what followed opened my eyes to something I hadn’t expected: a deep dive into the research on entrepreneurial attitudes and motivations.

It helped me understand him—his energy, his resistance, his fire—and it helped me see his behaviours not as problems, but as clues to the person he was becoming.

Here are just a few of the ways that lens has helped me nurture (rather than shut down) his entrepreneurial abilities:

1. He’s Internally Referenced

He backs himself in his decisions and often puts his needs first. I, on the other hand, was always externally referenced—focused on what others needed and thought.

At first, it would have been easy to label him selfish.
But what I’ve learned is this: in relationships, we help him understand the importance of flexibility (no one wants to be around someone who only thinks of themselves).
In business? That internal referencing is a superpower. Entrepreneurs need to back their ideas, especially when no one else sees what they see yet.

2. He’s Creative and Needs Variety

He chops and changes activities, wanting all the options.

I preferred a step-by-step process: finish one thing, then move on.
He could’ve easily been labelled as unfocused.

But in entrepreneurship, adaptability is key. A founder must pivot quickly, respond to change, and think creatively to seize opportunities. His constant shifting? That’s his brain doing what it’s naturally does.

3. He’s Indifferent to Rules

He doesn’t view the world through a rules-first lens.

I was the opposite—rigid with rules in our home, at work, in society.
Of course, some rules matter. We’ve supported him to understand the importance of safety and kindness. But the other rules? Like how you’re “supposed” to do the dishes? He challenges them.

And maybe that’s a good thing.
In entrepreneurship, a disregard for convention is often what drives innovation and disrupts industries.

4. He’s an Initiator

He takes action on ideas fast. No overthinking, just doing.

That could be misread as impulsive or impatient.... but I see it.
I’ve got a bit of that in me too.

And the research backs it up—successful entrepreneurs are initiators. They get up and make it happen.

Embracing the Difference

It’s not always easy to appreciate our children’s differences, especially when they reflect back the parts of ourselves we never learned to honour—or the ones we don’t understand.

But when we lead ourselves to become more flexible, curious and present, we give our children something powerful: permission to be fully themselves.

And isn’t that what we all want?

To feel OK.... just being who we are.

Want to nurture your child’s uniqueness without losing yourself in the process?
Inside the Stressed to Best Parent Method , I’ll show you how to lead your child with clarity and compassion—especially when they’re wired a little differently. You’ll learn how to decode your child’s personality, manage power struggles, and raise a visionary without dampening their spark.