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.

Eyezc Haze

Lol, To be honest I think the did almost everything right looking back on it. It’s my responsibility to find my way as an adult goin through life doing whatever task at hand. Both my Father and Mother were a big impact on my music career early. I’ve been playing piano since 6-7 years old. My Dads love and extremely knowledgeable about various genre of music though he’s never played an instrument and my Mom making me take lessons until i graduated high school played a major role into what I’m doing today. Read more>>

Lyss Conway

My parents have been my greatest supporters, consistently championing and challenging me in every season of life. Growing up, my sisters and I were taught to work hard as unto the Lord, to go out and be the light we were called to be, to be the change we wanted to see in the world, to love others with the love of Jesus, and to faithfully step into what we were made to do. Read more>>

Toluwalase Awolaja

The best thing that happened to me in my decision to study art and pursue a career as an artist was my parents immense support in nurturing my talent. At the time in 2012/2013 most of my contemporaries didn’t really have the support of parents or family in their decision to pursue an art career, some even funded themselves through art school. I couldn’t really blame parents who couldn’t see the vision because my country’s creative economy at the time wasn’t encouraging and anyone who claims to be an artist or decided to study art wasn’t taken as a serious person. Read more>>

Alberto Perez-Crossland

My parents taught me to be the best I can be. They taught me to keep following my dreams no matter what especially when life gets you down. To always stay motivated. Read more>>

Kathryn

Who we are and what we become in life is set by a series of times and events that we will never know in places we will never visit.

I can’t tell you exactly how or who this lovely lady standing in a cotton peach dress on a gravel road by drooping bushy mounds of rose bushes is…..But I know somewhere in the course of time and family events she is related to my grandmother, Dorthy, who was born in 1922…..Whether gardening was a venture she was taught by generations before her. Or one made and traveled by her own…..I cannot tell you. Read more>>

Luna Ora

My mother gave me one of the most transformative gifts a parent can offer: the ability to inhabit my own body with confidence and speak my truth without shame. From an early age, she approached conversations about sexuality with openness, reverence, and complete naturalness. There was no awkwardness, no hushed tones, no sense that we were discussing something forbidden. Instead, she framed sexuality as sacred—as a fundamental part of being human that deserved respect and understanding. Read more>>

Sam Rathbun

My parents taught me to work hard, think differently, and stay close to the earth.

My dad demonstrates love through labor. He is a farmer and works tirelessly to make sure that his crops are cared for. As a kid, I barely saw him during the planting and harvesting seasons—he’d be out before we woke up and home after we were asleep. But even with that kind of schedule, he found time to care for us too. One Father’s Day, instead of resting, he spent the entire day hauling an old milk house from a neighbor’s property, fixing it up, and turning it into a playhouse for my brother and me. I find his passion for hard work and laborious expression of care a driving force within my own artistic practice. Read more>>

Oyku Unver

My career began very early—without me even realizing it. I was in kindergarten when I started drawing. My parents were amazed to see a five-year-old sketch little princesses when, as my dad used to say, they couldn’t even draw a flower. He would jokingly accuse me of tracing images, but soon he realized I had both a talent and a passion for drawing. Read more>>

Bunga Vidanska

One thing I’m deeply grateful for is that my parents always believed in me. They trusted that I could succeed in whatever path I chose—as long as I chose it with intention. Growing up in a typical Asian household, especially where I’m from, that kind of freedom isn’t something everyone gets. Many parents I knew limited their children’s dreams with fixed expectations: “Just become a civil servant,” or “It’s better to be a lawyer, doctor, police officer, or soldier.” But my parents never imposed their will on me. Instead, they would simply ask: “So, what’s your plan? What do you want to become?” Read more>>

Bianca Dara Benhaim

Growing up as the daughter of two entrepreneurs who built and operated a successful boutique marketing firm in Miami, I was surrounded by the hum of creativity, discipline, and resilience from a young age. For over 30 years, my parents carved out a respected name for themselves in the real estate and healthcare industries—two highly competitive and ever-evolving sectors. Their ability to sustain a thriving business for decades wasn’t a stroke of luck—it was the result of consistency, strong values, and a deep commitment to relationships. What they did right has shaped not only who I am personally, but also how I navigate the world professionally. Read more>>

Catherine Mendoza

My mother has always been the most powerful example in my life. She taught me the value of hard work, resilience, and showing up with love, no matter the circumstances. She showed me that no job is ever beneath you, and that even with little, you can create something meaningful. Read more>>

Mary Kathryn Decker

Growing up my mom encouraged me to be an outside of the box thinker- she gave me freedom to create, design, and dream. she let me design my own room and choose the theme, paint colors, and furniture arrangement.
I watched her paint commercial murals, decorate other people’s homes, and sell antiques. I worked alongside her but had no idea it would be setting me up for a future working as a full time creative. Read more>>

Michael Von Ohlen

They taught me manners and how to treat other people with respect. The words, “Please,” and “Thank you,” go a long way in today’s world. Although nobody’s perfect, you should treat other people how you would like to be treated. Read more>>

Jordyn Jackson

I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without my parents. They grew up together and everyday for them has been just hustle and work. As I got older, my parents had always tried to guide me and figure out my interests so they can help me get started early. I discovered my passion at a fairly young age, my mom would drive my brother and I to school everyday, and in the morning we would listen to our favorite local hip hop station. I was 12 when I told my mom that I wanted to work in radio someday. Ever since that day my mom and dad were there beside me to help me make that dream come true. It’s funny because this dream of mine was something I thought was just going to be a dream- I wanted to be in that studio, sitting next to Big Boy on REAL 92.3 interviewing guests, and talking to the community. Read more>>

Max Bartos

I honestly owe everything I have to my parents. They have been nothing but supportive of my career and have given me nothing but the best advice and kindness. My parents rock. Both my Mom and my Dad are Lawyers, and my sister is an Archaeologist, so I’m a bit of a black sheep in the family. However, they know it’s my dream to be a musician, so they’ve supported me. When I was doing Sing Street, one parent had to stay in NYC with me because I was 16, but my sister was still in school in PA, so one parent had to be home in PA. Read more>>

Brittany Merida
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My parents, Harvey and Lestelle, have played the most vital role in my success. Being raised in a God-fearing household, I was always taught to concentrate, follow the rules, and do my very best—three words I heard every single day of my life. It’s safe to say those words became the foundation of who I am. They weren’t just phrases; they were a lifestyle, a mindset, and a daily reminder of the standard of excellence my parents saw in me. Read more>>

Alice Magnusson

My parents did a lot that was wrong, and that is exactly what they did right. I was an only child, so many people speculate that I was “spoiled,” and the truth is that I had what I needed materialistically but nothing else. I was never enough to my father who also sexually molested me. I was unpredictably perfect to my mother. Some days she showered me with love and attention, and other days I did not exist no matter what my needs were, one of which was being believed and protected from my father. Read more>>

Yameng Lee Thorp

It was in the early 90s, my parents left their stable teaching jobs and moved to South Africa- still during Apartheid then, to work in factories. Why they did that I would never understand, but I have to think that it was driven by a desire to live a very different life to the one they knew. After apartheid ended, they brought me over to live with them in Durban – a tropical beachside city in the eastern part of the country in an area called Kwazulu-Natal. Being a pre-teen, I hated moving there. I really struggled to integrate into a completely foreign society, struck both by its troubled history and stark natural beauty. It was just sheer shock to the system for me compared to the world I had left behind. Read more>>

WALT-LEON

My parents dont make excuses and they don’t allow excuses. Even if something is difficult or if something scares you, they always taught us to do it scared. They also taught us that, just because something doesnt exist doesn’t mean it can’t exist. When my mother first transferred to Christopher Newport University, they didn’t have a women’s track team. Track was her passion so the first year there, she was the women’s track program. She was the only athlete and was able to break national records and make history. She is now in the Hall of Fame at that school for believing in something even when it didn’t exist. Now there is an extensive history of great women track runners due to her not making an excuse. Read more>>