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.

Tiffany Bynum

I was raised in a healthy, two parent home; keyword “Healthy.” My parents were always present at any and all events or activities that my brother and I were involved in; cheering us on loudly. We ate dinner as a family, traveled as a family, faithfully attended church as a family and would also have TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Friday) fun; i.e. wathing all the good sitcoms on TV and/or movie night as a family. Read more>>

Yasmine Payton

I love this question! My parents did a lot of things right, one of the most important things though might have been emphasizing the importance of loving yourself, flaws, and all. It’s funny, my dad is a Leo, my mom was a Leo rising (Rest In Peace) and I am a Leo rising and one thing we all love is me (and ourselves LOL) Their teaching me to love myself has impacted my life and career because from them I learned how to dress and how to strut through life with confidence. Read more>>

Mocha Mocha2.0

My parents allowed me to be me. I went through many changes and phases throughout my life and my parents never judged me. I was allowed to be who I was and feel what I felt. Having that kind of freedom as a child was the best because outside ridicule didn’t hurt as much, my parents accepted me and that’s all that mattered. They gave me the confidence that I have today. My parents were very body positive and they took great care of themselves, they loved to look good. Read more>>

Akira Lee Watanabe

I believe my parents defyed gender norms by being themselves; My mother was successful in her buisness and was the main breadwinner of our family. She was ambitious and outspoken, which was ahead of her time in Japan. My father was supportive of her and her talents, and he often took on the role of caring for me. They worked together as a team and that really impacted me to defy societal expectations and the importance of finding the right people in your life. Read more>>

Joseph Sinapi

Throughout building my business from inception to today and beyond, I consistently turn to my parents for advice or use them to vent about something that has happened with the company. I will say my parent are probably the most educated people in the cruise industry while having absolutely no professional association with the industry. My parents are why my business can grow and succeed from emotional, mental, and financial assistance. Read more>>

Chrissy Barlahan

This is probably one of the most loaded questions you can ask a therapist. What did your parents do right? Ha! Most of us became therapists specifically because of all the things our parents did completely wrong! Because our job is rooted in the depths of understanding others, we have done quite a bit of work on ourselves, and that work is heavily geared towards working out our “mommy and daddy issues.” Read more>>

d Carrie

Growing up, my parents (my mother especially) always supported my curiosities and encouraged my creativity. Whether it was my magician phase, my comic book, sticker, baseball card, pog collecting phase, my spy/detective phase, or my scientist phase, they paid for everything and sat through all of my long winded explanations and stories about it all. My mom still talks about short stories I wrote in elementary school. Read more>>

Kate Boatright

When my mom was a child, she wanted to be a veterinarian, but at the time, she was discouraged from that career path because she was a woman. Instead, she became a pastor (which at the time was also a male dominated profession). When I expressed my desire to become a veterinarian, she worked hard to show me that it could be done. Our dogs growing up were only taken to female veterinarians because my mom wanted me to see a woman doing the job I wanted to do. Representation matters. Seeing yourself in someone who is in the field you desire to go into is a huge asset. Read more>>

Jonathan Morse

I could not have dreamed of two better people than my parents to raise me into the man I am today. My mother has been working overnights as a nurse for longer than I have been alive to provide for her family, and my father also owned his own business and was still able to be home to help raise me and my two older brothers. Read more>>

Anita Bates

Both my mother and father allowed space for creativity. In the beginning, we did not possess a great deal of financial capital; what we lacked economically, my parents more than made up for with a large infusion of cultural capital. My mother was a municipal employee and my father worked for one of the Big Three automotive companies. Read more>>

Nicole Spracale

My parents were truly incredible people, and the older I get the more I’m able to reflect back and recognize all they taught me and the impact they made on those around them. One of the greatest lessons they taught me was grit. They instilled in me a true spirit to fight for my dreams, and keep going even when it seemed like the chances of success we at their lowest. I can’t recall a single time when either of my parents said the word quit. Read more>>

Tiana and Brandon Dottin

We both have a similar upbringing, with extremely supportive and present parents. The most important thing they ever did for us was making us believe in ourselves. They gave us the tools we needed to take on the risk of entrepreneurship and small business ownership, the most important of which is the confidence to bet on ourselves. They instilled the values of hard work, consistency, and accountability. They made us. believe that the world is at our fingertips, and so far it has been. Read more>>

Katherine Franco

The best thing my mother did for myself as well as my siblings was understanding and accept, she was not ready to be a mother and allow my grandmother to raise us instead. We hear many stories about children growing up in “broken”, unstable homes where the parents were not fully capable of providing a safe environment due to their substance use or just a lack of readiness to be a parent. Read more>>

Kristy Greenway-August

Ever since I was a little kid, my parents did all that they could to expose me to the arts. I took dance classes since I was 3 years old. When I told my mom that I wanted to major in Dance in college she was 100% supportive, even though she was afraid of how I would make a living. Back when I was dancing it was not as popular as it is now so having a career in dance meant it was going to be rough. My mom never once doubted my choice to major in dance. Read more>>

Chandra Peterson

I feel incredibly fortunate to say that I have the most supportive parents in the world who never put me in a box based on what society thinks about how a girl should act or present herself. Because of this I ended up in the sport of wrestling and in Iowa there were no girls teams at the time so I wrestled the boys. My parents always supported me 110% – driving me across the country to compete in tournaments and never missing a match. Read more>>

Bria Harris

My mother has always been the most holistic person I know. She has always been conscious of the food she fed us and what she’d allow in the house. We didn’t grow up with junk food, especially food dyes. She didn’t like cleaners and sprays with heavy chemicals. She always incorporated fresh fruits and vegetables into our meals while also teaching us about a variety of cuisines. Read more>>

Dolapo Balogun

My parents are my biggest role-models. I don’t know anything else but entrepreneurship thanks to them. My father created a cargo business based out of New Jersey that ships goods to Nigeria and West Africa, while my mother and her mom own fashion boutiques in Nigeria and New Jersey that sell different African textiles and laces that are traditionally worn at special events. Read more>>

Tiarra Abu-Bakr

I was raised by a single parent, my mother. I was one of nine children, I am the third oldest. Now that I am fully immersed in my journey as a parent, I often think about the hardships and the sacrifice that was required to raise nine children. There are so many things that my mother did right but if I was forced to chose one, I would say that I utterly grateful for the fact that she trusted me with myself. Read more>>

Max Schneider

When I started first grade, I remember not being included in games during recess. After it happened a few times, I shared with my parents how I felt being on the outside and watching everyone else have fun. They shared with me one of the most influential lessons of my life. Read more>>

Denese Sanders

My mother was a homemaker and my father was a prominent figure through his career as a political cartoonist. Both were highly instrumental to who I have become and the work in which I excel. My mother modeled living life with kindness, warmth, and acceptance which has inspired my way of teaching and being in the world. I have come to realize that this is the bedrock of my path as a community builder. Read more>>

Emeka Ukaga

Since I was young my parents always pushed two things on my siblings and me. First, was to strive to be excellent in anything we did. They were Nigerian immigrants to the US, and with that came a strong work ethic and a sense of duty that they sought to instill in my siblings and me. Whether it was homework or chores, learning to drive or sports, my parents pushed us to not only do our best but to continually challenge ourselves to get better. Read more>>

Lauren Tilden

My parents always encouraged me in the arts. Our childhood included numerous visits to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Even if money was tight, art supplies were always readily available. My mother never complained about the numerous messes made around the house by paper cuttings, glitter, paint, etc. We had numerous art books at our disposal and were encouraged and supported in any of our artistic ventures. Read more>>

Ashley Payne

Growing up the philosophy in our house was “find what you love to do, then find a way to get paid doing it”. It was never about the most successful career path, the most money or stability, it was always about what was going to bring you the most happiness and fulfillment in this lifetime. So, I went to college as a dance major instead of the “practical” choice which was pre-law…and my parents supported decision and were always available for guidance and emotional suppport. Read more>>

Deena Goldstein

My parents infused me with strength, confidence and the ability to go for what I wanted in life. There is no licensing body to become a parent. We are all products of how we were raised and in turn how our parents were raised…everything trickles down. I owe my free-joyful-spirit to my parents. I was blessed with unconditional love, freedom of self expression (running round the house singing at the top of my lungs, untimed laughter outbursts during dinner, family room violin performances, etc.). Read more>>

Jarry Lee

I consider myself fortunate that my parents not only invested in my education but also in nurturing my artistic skills. From a young age, I received classical training in piano, violin, and art, which laid the foundation for my life-long passion for music and creative expression. Moreover, my parents instilled in me a set of core values that have been instrumental in my journey. They impressed upon me the significance of perseverance and determination, instilling in me a hard-working mindset that has fueled all the successes in my career. Read more>>

Andrew Noll

My parents have taught me so much and gave me an incredible foundation to be successful. They taught me how to work hard, be kind to others and keep my priorities straight. They helped me start my first business (landscaping) before I was 12yrs old. This business grew to eventually help pay my way through college and taught me how to be independent. Read more>>

Callie Longenecker

I have a lot of gratitude for my parents and how much love they poured into me and my siblings. I am one of 7 and we were all homeschooled through high school. I loved it. It gave me the opportunity to learn at my own pace while having the freedom to pursue other creative passions and experience everyday life alongside the rest of my family. At a young age, I had to learn how to manage my own time to make room for other endeavors like music, cooking and horsemanship. Read more>>

Allison Sims

Abraham Lincoln said…” all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother” I agree with this quote and attribute much of my success to both of my parents, especially my mother. My parents are entrepreneurs, since before I was born my parents have owned their own health business…educating people on nutritional health and how the body works. Growing up I saw my parents create their own business hours, bring my siblings and I to work with them and get up each and everyday doing something they love. Read more>>

Tyneka Pack

Had me as their daughter! Hah! In all seriousness, my parents have given me the opportunity to explore things I truly wanted to do. Whether it was joining a figure skating team or getting into bodybuilding, I was never limited in what I wanted to do. I also believe it takes a village. Along with my parents, my grandmother and godfather played a huge role in my life and my career. Read more>>

Jacqueline Soboti

I really appreciate that my parents prioritized education. My mom is an immigrant and she always talked about having to learn English as a second language and working really hard for her education. My dad has been a business owner himself and I remember watching him work really long days and putting in whatever it took to make things come together. Both of my parents are really hard working and have instilled a strong educational mindset in me. Read more>>

Tasha Mack

Growing up , my parents seemed strict compared to other parents. There were tasks /chores I had to do. There were responsibilities daily around the house. School was extremely important and the way you present yourself and treat others was as well. My mom would say treat people the way you want to be treated and never leave home looking horrible because you never know whom you may see lol. My father is one of the hardest working people I know and even now retired.. he works hard on whatever his new project is and stays focused.. steadfast. Read more>>

Becky Peavy

While my parents have shaped the very being that I am, one thing they did that impacted my life the most- they allowed me the freedom to be me. My mom knew the minute I was born that I was going to be a handful. She never resisted me choosing my own path, but yet she encouraged me to be whoever I wanted to be. She would go onto say that she didn’t realize I would take it quite so far, but I am grateful I didn’t get stuck in a tunnel of societal expectations because she was strong enough to raise a strong woman. Read more>>

Ashley DeLarge

My parents instilled in me from a young age that I could be anything I wanted, with the asterisk attached to it that it would take hard work, some sacrifice here and there, and learning to handle disappointment/rejection with grace when things didn’t go my way or go according to plan. They also taught me that whatever I wanted to be can evolve and change over the years, and that I should do that as a person, too. Read more>>

Optulie Heriveaux

One of the things my mother did right that I value the most was instilling resilience in me. In my very first interview with Voyage ATL, I spoke about the rocky relationship I had with my mother. A year later, however, I can look back and look at things with a different lens due to being out in the world. Read more>>

Justyce Maylo

I’ve always had a passion for storytelling. My journey began in a household with two progressive parents who decided to break free and follow God’s will for our family. As entrepreneurs, we moved to South Central LA and my parents opened our family’s barbershop. My parents chose to homeschool me, providing me with a holistic education that included true Black History, a deeper understanding of the Bible as well as Spiritual concepts. Read more>>

Melo

My parents taught me to be a hard worker with relentless determination. Neither of my parents have stopped learning at any point in their lives. It is inspiring to witness my elders valuing expanding their perspective and knowledge despite growing older and becoming more settled in their careers. As I shifted towards desiring a more creative path for myself, they never told me I couldn’t do it – they have always encouraged me to find the most lucrative and sustainable way to live a life I love. Read more>>

Jada Zellner

One of the things that my parents did right is instill independence in me. This has impacted me in several ways throughout my life. I have never been easily persuaded to follow the crowd. I make my own decisions in what I want to learn, to explore, and what to be. Independence is what made me want to start my business. Growing up in a big family I was always a part of a unit. We mostly did everything together. Read more>>

Ilana Brit Mechoullam

Honestly when my parents got divorced, I saw how hard my mum worked. I was so lucky to have a very strong, female figure in my life. We really didn’t have money growing up. I was on scholarship at private school. I was surrounded by kids that were very affluent, and I always said that one day I would make sure that I never had to feel financially uncomfortable again. Read more>>

Maggie Clarke

My parents were always so supportive when it came to hobbies, school, and sports. They both put a lot of energy and money into helping my sister and I do what brought us joy. Whether it was traveling across the country to gymnastics meets or taking us to singing lessons, they both encouraged us to do what we loved. My mom’s famous quote is, “Be scared, and do it anyway”. I’ve really held on to that my whole life. It’s normal to feel nervous and insecure when jumping into something new, Read more>>

Karen (SiriAtma) Abel (Kaur)

I always felt loved by both of my parents. Things were not perfect by any means, and yet I always felt loved. I am so very very grateful for that. I felt like I belonged with them, I felt at home. I believe that experience of love showed me how to love others, and has helped me to love myself too. Read more>>

Matthew Shelton

I had the mixed blessing of growing up in South Carolina, first in Gaffney, then high school way down in the low country of Allendale County. (Gaffney is where Frank Underwood was from on “House of Cards”……And Allendale is just 20 minutes up the road from the Murdaugh Murders, if that gives any point of reference for people). Read more>>

Hannah Le

My mom does sewing alterations in Houston, and she taught me at a very young age how to sew. Watching her make use out of every piece of fabric or scrap of material is how I got introduced to upcycling. Upcycling is using unwanted materials as part of a new product. Because repurposing or reworking fashion was always a part of my life, it’s how I founded RE.STATEMENT, the online marketplace of upcycled clothing. Read more>>

Dr. Ryan Warner

I have been fortunate to have many positive social supports in my life and I would not be where I am today without their encouragement. However, one person who specifically stands out to me is my mother. She has been by my side since day one and has always helped me overcome various challenges throughout my life. Growing up in a single parent household, she managed taking care of my brother and I, despite working multiple jobs. Read more>>

Kathy Konzen

My parents taught me to never give up and try new things that interest me. My mom used to say I would get knocked down but I would always get up again. I will try almost anything, both career related and in life to see if it brings me joy. If it doesn’t, I move on to the next thing. Read more>>

Tricia Kashnicki

My parents bought an old farm house in a rural area of Pennsylvania when I was a young girl. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we did have a lot of land so they took on the task of starting a small farm. We had a large field where we grew vegetables and also raised chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits and goats. It was a lot of work and I was expected to do my fair share by feeding the animals daily and working in the fields during the growing season. I remember not being able to play with my friends until all my chores were done and there were times I really hated it. Read more>>

leslie Hernandez

Leslie Hernandez is an entrepreneur of a True Latin Flavor Seasonings line product. She is the owner of De Mi Madre Aprendi, LLC. Her specialty is authentic Puerto Rican foods that she learned how to cook from her mother in Puerto Rico. Her mother was passionate about pleasing those close to her with her famous Puerto Rican “Pasteles” and other simple foods made with simple natural ingredients. Her mother also had the ability to multiply the little she got and share it with others. . Read more>>