Business Education - A New Way

I love being an entrepreneur! I love talking to business owners and finding out why and how they got their start. We never talked about such things when I was growing up. Yet, my brother had many books on sales, marketing and having the right attitude. I remember reading a book at his house called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This was the first book that taught me the idea that our thinking can determine our actions. Unfortunately, I never discussed the fact that I read that book with my brother, nor any other ideas about business or entrepreneurship.

I have a great desire to have my children read such books because I know how much they have assisted me in my journey. One day, I read on an ezine about how someone had encouraged their teenager begin this journey of personal development by actually paying the teen after he read and discussed the books. I loved the idea and decided to implement that with my own children.

So, yesterday was my son's 14th birthday! We discussed this idea a few days before. I told him that there were a number of books I thought would assist him in his personal development and his desire to become an entrepreneur. Here's what we came up with: a list of 25 books to be read in order. One book, with a 500 word essay of what the book was about and what he learned, would be turned into me before the 18th of each month. After our discussion, I would then place a set amount of money in an account to begin building the nest egg for the purchase of his own car. But here's the deal: it's all 25 books or nothing! If he doesn't finish the list, the money has to sit there and be used for college. If he finishes all the books, he will have a nice nest egg to purchase a car of his choice- once he gets his license and after achieving his eagle scout.

"Great!," he said," I have to get my eagle scout AND do all this reading before I can drive."

"Yes, but think of it," I replied," You still win. If you finish all these books you will be way ahead of most college students. Maybe you will have figured out what business you want to start. And you will be able to have enough money to buy a new car of your choice. If you don't read all of them, you'll have a nice nest egg for college, and you will have been exposed to some of the ideas that have made other entrepreneurs successful. So, either way, you'll have more money and will have expanded your mind as well."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed, "and it'll help me in my writing as well"

Later, I started thinking, "what if everyone challenged themselves to read a book a month? How would our society change?"

Are you ready for a change? Are you ready to start your journey of personal development?
If you want the list of books I'm giving to my son, email me at: janeinlpaso@gmail.com