What’s Your Problem?

Developing solutions IS a skill and something that we are not born with. It is a muscle that we need to exercise or else we just become complainers and that person who calls the cops because the music from the Ice Cream Mans truck is disruptive.  We ask them to invent a solution to this problem that can be as elaborate as a robot that will make their bed and clean their room on command to a simple clip that will keep their shoes tied and stop them from coming undone. We love their uninhibited imagination and we are consistently inspired by the depth of ingenuity a 7-12 year old possesses. At that age, they don't think in terms of limits, logistics and "reality". They just think what would be cool and how it could work. It may sound silly and cute but when you look at someone like Elon Musk, he still holds this type of solution oriented thinking. A skill that NASA, Ford and Toyota lost...

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Let Your Kids Impress You

Assumptions have always been my weakness. I make too many. I try to predict other peoples reactions or how a scenario might play out so I can prepare for whatever the next steps are ahead of time. When I am correct, I save time and effort, plus experience internal satisfaction, as we all do, that I got it right!  But for the times I am wrong, sometimes there is frustration or annoyance because my plans have fallen apart and I have to reorganize "the game plan". A simple example is planning how much food to make when company comes over. Too much or too little. Rarely my assumptions are correct. 

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KidPreneur Graduate Wins 1st Place in Inventor Competition!

Congratulations Isaac! This Inventor/KidPreneur is continuing to take his skills to greater heights and challenging himself by innovating new products for market.  His latest creation, The Marble Run! It's so fun! Not only is it a marble race or a maze, but it is one you build yourself and can change over and over again!  Inventors are great at making new inventions, whether they are fun or solving a problem. But Isaac is also a KidPreneur because he has learned how to package and sell his inventions as well. In fact, when I first saw his Marble Run, I thought he was ReSelling them! They looked so professional! 

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The Slimers! Meet Nate, Miranda & Vince!

"That problem is already solved", "I already have something like that", "No one needs another one of those on the market"..... Yup, we have all found ourselves saying something like that before, I'm sure. Another onion chopping thingy or a new kind of water bottle, there seem to be so many products that all solve the same problem.... or is there? Meet Nate, Miranda and Vince who I am calling our 2019 Slimers!  Slime is nothing new. We had it as kids and now our kids have it too. Kids love it and for many, they can find relaxation and therapeutic relief from holding it. 

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Meet Alexa! This Weeks KidPreneur Profile!!

Alexa started with us at just 10 years old in our Lemonade Stand Challenge Summer Camp with her brother. Her camp worked hard and was divided girls against the boys. Together, both teams created their own business strategies and launch their businesses to raise funds for the great local Charity, Starfish Pack! Altogether, these students raised a HUGE $490 in their 1 week camp!!! WOW! 

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Resiliency is a Skill. Here’s How to Develop Theirs

But what about this? What if they do not manifest in these serious ways? What if instead, they simply fear asking for what they want and settle for complacency? What if they fear rejection so much that they decide that it isn't worth asking for a raise? Or applying for their dream job or auditioning for a headliner role? Maybe they just stick with what is safe and feel unfulfilled for the rest of their life, never really seeing their full potential.... No one wants that for their child, when they are any age. But how can you build resiliency without causing harm? Won't that be a risk for their young, fragile egos? What if they get hurt?

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Solving Problems, 1 At a Time Isn’t Enough

If you have a long "To Do" list like I do, then perhaps you have a tendency to tackle the easier ones first; build that momentum up and hopefully take on the bigger ones "Later", whenever that is.... When looking at the world around us, listening to the news or scrolling through my Facebook feed, I can't help but think that the world can sometimes takes this approach as well. I can buy blinds with a remote that makes them go up and down automatically, buy booties for my dog's paws and even have the luxurious option of sitting in my car while it runs on a track and a machines washes my car **touchless**, yet we haven't figured out a way to get clean water to 3rd world countries, and in some cases, even in parts of North America such as Flint, MI. It seems off balanced, no? All of these incredible minds and millions of dollars in spending are being utilized to make our every days lives even more enjoyable, easier and certainly more fashionable.

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Teamwork Makes the World Work

Yes, learning entrepreneurship holds so many key skills that are critical to help any person excel in life these days, such as public speaking (often done alone), innovation & problem solving (often starts alone), and Resiliency (so important to have this within each and every person). But if you truly want to bring ideas to light, create a movement or have people around the world utilize your innovation, you must also learn how to work within a team; Not an easy task for many of us.  So how do you become "good" at teamwork? How do you learn how to play well with others and utilize a team to run faster and jump higher? The same way we do everything. Exposure, Practice, Reflection, and Practice some more.

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