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.

Jasmin Dice

My parents are great leaders and great people. Through the way they carried themselves and modeled hard work, it was embedded in me from the very beginning. Both of my parents are retired military so I seen first hand the sacrifices they had to make in order for our families to succeed. I also learned that in most cases, sacrifice is a prerequisite to success.. Read More>>

Monika Balmer

One of the greatest things my parents did right was giving me the kind of childhood that required me to become strong, adaptable, and independent early on. They weren’t traditional or overly structured, but they gave me freedom, and that freedom allowed me to learn who I was, what I wanted, and how to navigate the world with confidence. Read More>>

Shanley Melody

Sometimes what parents—and even the parents who raised them—do right is shown through the things they did wrong. It’s easy to recognize a parent’s strengths, but there is profound value in witnessing their humanity, their imperfections, and their struggles. It teaches us how to change, how to break patterns, and how to approach our own lives with intention. Read More>>

Eduardo Contreras

One thing my parents did right was instill the idea in me that if I worked hard enough I could have anything I wanted. My parent’s never verbally told me this but they showed me it everyday. They taught me the value of a good work ethic and to work with what I had. Read More>>

Ravynn Stringfield

My parents always managed to operate in a way where I felt completely supported but also they gave me enough space to try out things creatively without interference. Read More>>

Cristina Vasquez

My parents did a lot of things right, but the foundation was this: they worked incredibly hard, and they loved me and my brother with everything they had. They showed up for us, not just physically, but emotionally. That consistency became an anchor in my life, the kind of steady, reliable presence I now try to offer my clients. Read More>>

Sara Mulder

Growing up, I was an incredibly shy kid. I struggled to make new friends, was very uncomfortable meeting new people, and had a lot of anxiety in public places. I wanted to go to community college so that I could stay home, but my parents encouraged me to go to a university two hours away on the others side of the state. Read More>>

Lina Lopez

What my parents got right was giving me the freedom to explore, truly explore. They let my curiosity run wild. When I was little and started taking apart my toys just to see how they worked, they didn’t stop me. They encouraged it. They saw that spark and let it grow. Read More>>

Jennifer Johnson

When I think about what my parents did right, I see two people who refused to fit neatly into anyone’s expectations. I grew up splitting time between them, watching each of them navigate life in their own unconventional ways, and that was the greatest gift they could have given me. My mom was a single parent who built her own cleaning business from scratch. Read More>>

Bill Dorfschmidt

My mother and father bought me a cheap bass guitar thinking that it was ‘just a phase’ My father noticed that I was always in my room practicing and using all my money from mowing lawns on parts for my guitar to make it less ‘cheap’ One day, they asked me if I wanted a new bass that I didn’t need to modify. Read More>>

Ally Montana

My parents did right. Ever since I was a little girl they supported all of my artistic endeavors. From 6 years old until now there is not a day that’s gone by where they haven’t supported my creativity. I owe my willingness to take risks, be unapologetically myself, and create to them. When I was a little girl I started off in an art camp. Read More>>

James Lorello

Growing up, my dad was a butcher in New York City and later in Pennsylvania. I used to go with him to the shop at 4 a.m., helping cut meat and get the case ready before customers arrived. By the time most people were just starting their day, he was already heading home. Read More>>

Lorraine Portman

My mother was a visual artist and art teacher. When I started writing, and sending work out, she talked with me about rejection and art being subjective. That a magazine or particular outlet might not like something I write, because art is subjective. That even a teacher might not like my writing, but I would find other teachers. Read More>>

ANGELA GLEZMAN

What our parents did right was teaching us the timeless values that now show up in Bar B Boot Company. integrity, honesty, and hard work without cutting corners. They taught us that a promise matters and that your effort shows in the craftsmanship of anything you touch. Read More>>

Sajaa.

I truly have the best supporters the world has seen in my parents. As an independent artist, every step I take is built on their love, belief, and sacrifice. No one believes in my dream more fiercely than they do. My dad has taken a huge risk investing in my dream. Not just financially but with his time, his energy and his whole heart. Read More>>

Dioneshia Johnson

I can easily speak on the “things” I’ve accomplished in my life, but the truth is this: had it not been for my parents giving me a solid foundation, the road I’ve traveled would have been much harder. Read More>>

Patricia Santomasso

My parents are both creatives and that had a huge impact on my decision to pursue an artistic life. My mother is a classically trained lyric coloratura soprano, and my father is a rock n’ roll drummer. Throughout my childhood, though they had two kids and other obligations, they found a way to continue living their dreams. Read More>>

Anais Owens

Some of the things my parents did right was keep me mentally active as well as physically active. When I was younger, I had various experiences, from tap dance class, ballet, art classes, sports and theatrical opportunities in school, and a great head start in many music genres. They did not have much to offer me, but the good experiences I did have, I treasured. Read More>>