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.

Danielle Anderson

First and foremost, This is by far the coolest interview question I have ever answered, haha. But my parents raised me to be my own womxn and to never hold back. My parents are total opposites, astrologically and in every other way possible but that’s what makes them an amazing team. My mother, the caring Cancer, taught me to always love and love without limits in all that I want. She taught me to truly wear my heart on my sleeve but my dad, the courageous Capricorn, taught me to wear that heart with style, class and have a pretty glass casing around it. Read more>>

Dana Mack

Some of the values my parents instilled in me as a child have impacted me greatly as an adult and as a parent. My dad always worked hard to provide for our family and my mom stayed home with my sister and me. My mom taught us early on to make our own beds, put away our toys when we were done playing with them and when she was cleaning the house, she would put on music and give us a dust rag and let us help. It wasn’t a chore, she made it fun. When I was too little to reach the sink, she would give me a cloth to wipe down the fridge after dinner. Read more>>

Felicia Jordan

What my parents did right was listen and allowed me to pursue any and all things I wanted to. My parents were makers, with my dad being a carpenter and my mom drawing and working with textiles. My dad would encourage me to write and draw on sidewalks when we would take walks. My mother would listen still and listen as I explained how I saw shapes and colors different. They never said no when it was something that would expand my horizon. In middle school, Read more>>

Alison Spanner

My parents always fostered and supported my creative ideas as a child. Boxes of craft supplies, paper scraps, painting sets, and coloring books were never in short supply. My mother in particular encouraged me to hand make greeting cards to send to family, and supported my love of sewing very early on. She taught me to cross stich, helped me make paper, and showed me how to dry flowers.. I was given my great grandmothers quilling and tatting supplies, and was never admonished when half finished projects were covering the entire dining room table. Read more>>

Paige Robertson

Growing up my dad was in the hospitality industry. From as early as I can remember he worked in the Hotel Industry. We would travel a lot to visit his properties, take vacations. Each place we’d go my brothers and I would hear “you’re representing your father here, be on your best behavior.” My brothers and I got to experience a lot of things and saw a lot of the behind the scenes from a young age. Hosting was instilled in my upbringing as I was always attending a function or hosting something. It’s because of this background and influence, I’ve said my dad raised employees. Read more>>

Sarah Porter

When I look back on my life, I’m incredibly grateful how my parents challenged us to do hard things. My upbringing was fairly nontraditional. As one of seven children, my parents took the unpopular route of homeschooling me and my siblings so that they could mix life experience with academics and provide extracurriculars that other children didn’t have as easy access to. Read more>>

Charles Baldwin

One thing I will say about my parents is that they both held heavy beliefs in discipline and focus. Once you begin a journey, you should always “see it through” and not sell yourself short by giving up. It’s one thing to “hear” your parents speak to you about working hard and doing the right things in life, but it’s another to actually “see” it. I was always taught that doing right by people goes further than you think; especially in business as I encounter clients from all walks of life who’ll usually pay the upmost compliments to CHB Photography and my professionalism. Read more>>

Samyria Spriggs

My mother supported my career when I started doing pageants which lead to me modeling. My mom went out and above to make sure that I achieved my goals. Sometimes she will drive almost two days to make sure that I make to my events. My mom sometimes don’t sleep for days because she wants to make sure that my career is going to make it. Most parents live their dreams through their kids but my mom will ask me if I want to continue down this career or to just stop altogether. My mom will always be my biggest supporter and I will always be truly grateful for her for going on this journey for me. Read more>>

Kristen Hawkinson

My parents and the way they raised me has had a HUGE impact in my life and career. My core values of Integrity, Fun and Health are deep seeded from my upbringing. Early on, I knew if I chose to do an activity, I had to do it 100%. There was no option to skip a softball practice, a student council meeting, a shift at work or a volleyball tournament. Operating with integrity has allowed me to build trust with my clients as well as my personal relationships. They know that I will be where I say I will be. I will do what I say I will do by when I say I will do it… AND I will be present and give my best – every time. Read more>>