Parents teach us many things including how to be a parent. We can learn from their mistakes, sure, but we can also learn a lot from the things they got right. We asked successful entrepreneurs and creatives to open up to us about their parents and what they felt their parents got right.

Noemy Alonzo

I will say my parents raised me with a lot of values. I will forever be thankful for inspiring me and motivating me to keep going in life. It wasn’t easy for me at certain points in my life especially in college after high school . I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was clueless or maybe I was having an ADHD moment in wanting to do many things. At one point after trying to pursue photography then animal sciences, my mom had a thought one day and asked me why don’t you go to cosmetology school since she would watch me watch a lot of beauty gurus in YouTube back in the day. Read more>>

Maranda Pell

My parents never bought me a lot. They provided me with what I needed, outside of that I had to work for what I wanted. It taught me to work hard and budget my money. I learned that going to a beautiful boutique and buying something nice with your own money was such a great feeling. But also that thrifting and going to garage sales was sometimes more rewarding. This lesson helped me get my businesses going and taught me to improvise. I started out with mismatched salon chairs and now I am selling repurposed clothing in my own boutique. Read more>>

Teanna Bass

My mother’s strength was never just something I heard about—it was something I witnessed every single day. As a single mother, she balanced work, school, and raising me and my twin sister with a resilience that, at the time, I didn’t fully understand. But now, standing in my own journey—navigating a competitive job market with two degrees in hand—I see her sacrifices with new clarity. Read more>>

Suzanne Tick

My mother and father put me in every art program she could find from the age of 3 on. There was never a summer break that i was not taking art classes of all kinds.
On weekends, my father would take me to all the local artist that lived and worked in warehouses around my hometown and introduce me to them and have them show me their work that they made from my fathers scrap metal junk yard. Read more>>

Chad Van Wye

Growing up, my parents always said I had a habit of taking things apart just to figure out how to put them back together. My dad was a painter and a car guy, so he introduced me to the artistic and mechanical side of things early on. He encouraged creativity and hands-on problem-solving, which definitely shaped the way I work today. Read more>>

Dawn Wink

My parents’ own creative professional journeys influence my life and career every day. Both of my parents have had multiple chapters within their lives. What they lived and modeled for me throughout each chapter was a dedication to pursing their passion, while also taking care of the family. Both started a new chapter of their professional lives in their 50’s. What I witnessed was their boundless energy, dedication, hard work, and passion. This influenced my own professional creative life in profound ways. These experiences with my parents shape my interpretation of age and expectations. Read more>>

Bhavini Bhargava

My parents are both doctors and I am actively playing cricket and have written a book Unheard,which has become international best seller. The best thing my parents did, was to let me pursue my dreams and never let the urge to force their wishes on myself. In India, it is common that a doctor’s son or daughter would pursue the same carrier, but they let me set my own goals and follow them. Read more>>

Dr. Chinonso Abisogun

They came to America alone, with nothing but work ethic, faith, and a dream they were willing to chase without a map. I watched them build from the ground up. No shortcuts. No safety nets. Just **grit, perseverance, and an unshakable belief** that whatever you desire in life can unfold for you if you believe for it and work for it. Read more>>

Savanna Mincy

When I think of my parents, specifically my mom, I feel wildly blessed that I’ve never had to wonder if she is proud of me. I know that sounds cliche, but let me explain further. My mom is in awe of us three kids and we feel that wherever we go and in whatever we do. She built into us a confidence that is steel proof, both confidence in ourselves and knowing we have her full confidence in us. Often I get asked, “What did your Mom do to make all three of you turn out like this?” and to that I always answer: she was honest with us. Not in the way some parents tell stories of their past to instill a fear in their children to avoid making their same mistakes, but she spent a lot of TIME with us, both talking and listening. Read more>>

Arris’ Cohen

My parents always let me see their authentic selves. They were deeply in love and married young, but they divorced when I was 7. Although they are different, they love my brother and I so much, that they showed us unconditional love. My Dad showed me how to be strong willed and how to stay positive even in strife. My Mom nurtured us and took care of us. She showed me what a strong does, and how important its is to focus on one’s responsibilities and they both taught me to work hard. Read more>>

Vilma Montoliu

My mother introduced me to meditation when I was six years old, and it has been a part of my life ever since. In elementary school, I even guided a meditation session for my classmates.

At 20, I faced a personal crisis where I felt lost and uncertain about my future. In searching for direction, I reflected on the things I once loved as a child. That was when I reconnected with meditation and began developing my personal project, which I continue to nurture to this day. Read more>>

Charmaine Amey

I love this question because it allows me to show appreciation for my family. It was a collective effort by many parents that helped me reach this point in my entrepreneurial journey. My biggest influencers are my mother and my maternal grandfather. They have instilled in me the spirit to make business happen with purpose. Read more>>

Alexis Jones

My mother has always been a huge influence in my life. As I kid if I ever showed interest in a creative practice my mother always encourage me and provided me with the resources to explore. She gave me the space the learn but also gave me the space to fail and learn what worked best for me. Though she was very driven in her own career as a writer turned email systems engineer, she never pressured be one thing or the other. What was most important to her was that I kind and respectful not only to others but to myself. Read more>>

Ashley Wallace

I’ve spent countless hours sifting through my family’s old boxes of photographs learning about who they were in their younger days. The photos from the 70s have always been my favorite. The color, clothes, nostalgic film quality – you can step back in time and feel the lives they lived. Read more>>

Jennifer Jimenez

The thing I think my parents did right was to tell me I couldn’t do it . I know it sounds cliche, but that helped me trust and believe in myself a little more harder. Also it was just in my personality that if someone says no I can’t do it , I want to prove that I can . I got a lot of unbelief from my parents but I understand coming from an immigrant family and being the first American generation , you tell them you can follow your dreams here but they might not believe it. Read more>>

Channing Rion

This question sticks out to me because I am currently speaking to you from my parents’ wildly artsy kitchen in the beautiful hills of Missouri, where I’m hiding out for the month on a self-induced writer’s retreat. My view is of an antique coffee mill grinder circa 1890s, a six-foot wooden sculpture of an ostrich from Utah, a French clock that has never worked, and a cottage-shaped vase of daffodils. The soaring ceilings are held by timber frames and twinkle lights, summoning images of Professor Potts’ windmill in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” or Bilbo Baggins cozy den in “The Hobbit.” Read more>>

Fedoria Rugless

My parents ensured that I had a very structured upbringing.
I was initially homeschooled, and then attended private schools.
Started playing an instrument at the age of 3.
Was not exposed to a lot of television.
Became an avid reader.
Traveled all over the country. Read more>>

Makenna Meehan

As early as I could understand, my parents taught me the value of hard work and independence. I would say I definitely come from a tough love family, which wasn’t always easy, but it made me who I am today.
My parents always pushed me to work harder and do better, because they believed I had the potential to do amazing things. There were no shortcuts in our household. If I wanted something, I had to work for it. At just fifteen years old, it was up to me to get a job, save money, and purchase my own car at sixteen (which was so rewarding!). Read more>>

Andre Writer

One of the things I’d say my parents did right—well, two things, lol—was encourage me to be creative and to operate in my purpose… and they scared me a little which kept mean the right path, lol. My parents always spoke LIFE into me.

My mother is an actress—her name is Dwan Smith—and she’s best known for playing Deloris in the hit movie Sparkle. My father was a producer and songwriter. I grew up in a very creative environment. My dad always had a studio in our home. Read more>>

Keisha Miller

I am grateful to my parents for allowing free space for me to discover and explore spirituality. I am not sure if this act was intentional on their part but it has had a major impact on my life and discovery of my own spirituality. My parents were never religious people, they did not practice any form of religion, however, they believed in God and treated people well and with respect. Good character, integrity, honesty and kindness were modeled in my home. My parents were friends with and kept the company of people of various religious beliefs and practices. In turn, I was able to observe, investigate and even practice the customs and rituals of Christian, Muslim and even Rastafarian family friends without discrimination or bias. My parents also encouraged my curiosity by allowing me to attend, ask questions and engage in some religious practices with friends of my choice. Read more>>

Maz Louise

My parents were quite supportive of every expressive avenue I wanted to explore growing up. I feel lucky for that aspect of their parenting when looking back. Piano, guitar, horseback riding, roller skating, pogo sticking, motorcycle riding, any creative pursuit I could think up as a young person- they found a way to help make happen. Read more>>

Janet Jurado

My parents never once doubted my capability of having a successful career within the arts. Since I was a kid, this is the category I fell in love with right away and never let go of since. Drawing, painting, photography, crafts, I loved doing it all. It was an entire grouping of hobbies that I became good at so naturally since I was young. Throughout middle and high school and even now while I finish college, I never stop hearing stories about how my friend’s parents don’t support their career path within the arts because it’s too “financially risky” and isn’t seen as a guaranteed success; in other words, alluding to the “starving artist” concept. This has never been the case within my relationship with my parents and I have always received the strongest support, and for that I am forever grateful. Read more>>

Alejandra Ramos

There is a section from Christina Sharp’s Ordinary Notes in which she describes the abundance of books she would receive from her mother. I’d like to share Sharp’s quote, which is in relation to the significance of mothers.

“One of those books was Toni Cade Bambara’s The Salt Eaters in which Bambara, in the dedication, thanks her mother, “who in 1948, having come upon me daydreaming in the middle of the kitchen floor, mopped around me.” In that dedication, I saw something that my mother would do; I saw something that she had done. Read more>>

Suchi Sairam

Where do I start about my parents? If I had to sum it up, they built the foundation for who I’ve become.

I immigrated from India to the United States as a toddler with my parents in 1972. They came to the US at a time when there was no cultural “infrastructure” for Indian families. Their generation of Indian immigrants worked tirelessly to create the footings for all the Indian cultural institutions that exist today, from grocery stores and arts schools to community centers and houses of worship. Read more>>

Roni Aviv

Growing up, my parents never pushed me to conform to what others considered “practical.” Instead, they insisted that I pursue my passions, trusting that fulfillment comes from doing what truly resonates with me. I remember them encouraging me to follow my artistic instincts —”follow your passions, you will figure out your financial path as you go”. That belief in my ability to find my own way has been a guiding force in my life and career, and I remain deeply grateful for their unwavering support. Read more>>

Leslie Johansen

They made me feel loved. My mother was an alcoholic, mentally ill nurse who worked in a hospital her entire life. My father was an abusive, overpowering, and belittling adventurer. They got divorced when I was seven, but somehow I survived my crazy family feeling loved. I was grounded in it. I felt special, like the moon was following me, because my last name was Johansen. It happened like this: My father used every opportunity to teach me everything he knew. He took me on sailing adventures halfway around the world, taught me to navigate and captain a ship, and how to recover a stolen boat while working undercover, all the while believing in me and my abilities, yet degrading and belittling me. Read more>>

Shannon Kelley

My parents instilled in myself and two older brothers an amazing work ethic. We all had part time jobs in high school. If we were scheduled to work and a party or event arose that conflicted with our work schedule we were taught that our commitment to our job came first. Our parents paid for college classes/boarding/books but we still worked part time for our fun money. I hope to pass those same values to my son. Read more>>

Ramon Somoza

They did a lot of things right. I am truly and deeply grateful for both of my parents. They each shaped my life and my journey in their unique ways, imparting invaluable lessons and nurturing critical character traits that have been instrumental in my success up to this point. My parents are wonderfully different people, and I treasure the distinctive gifts each of them has given me. Read more>>

Ryando Smithman

I grew up with only my mother to raise me, and despite everything we went through, she always supported me in my doing whatever I enjoyed doing as long as it made me happy, and told me that I will do things when the time is right. That may sound cliché, but to not have parents lording over, telling me that I should go to college or I should be married by a certain age gave me a degree of freedom to pursue what interested me, to take chances on things that might not work out, but are worth chancing just for the experience alone. Read more>>

Tiffany Jones – McGinnis

My mother raised me, she didn’t simply watch me grow up or just be present in my life. My mother guided me. My mother was the best mom I could ever ask for. Growing up she was very strict. My mother would not allow me to do the things my friends did. I did not have the freedom to party as a teenager, have boyfriends or sleepovers. From her strictness I stayed focus in my studies, I took all of the decisions I made seriously. I learned to love school as it gave me freedom. From this I became responsible for my actions and more focused on my education. I found joy in going to school and learning since in my youth my mother didn’t allow me to do much else. Anytime I wanted to start a new career or change employers, I would always get my mothers advice. Read more>>

Cade Rosenberger

To start with some context: My parents are both very religious, whereas I am not. So on many things, we do not always see eye to eye. I have always felt a pushback on my spirituality. But my parents did teach me to follow the Golden Rule; to consider the impact that my actions have on others. With this, came an overwhelming need to empathize and support those in my life. Read more>>

Chitra Rochlani

My parents moved to Dubai from India for better opportunities when I was 2 or 3 years old. They were middle-class people trying hard to provide the best for their three kids. Trying to adjust to a new country and its ways, my Dad worked hard at his job, and my mother stayed home to take care of us. Read more>>