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. 

Gary Spickes

I grew up in a modest home in South Little Rock. My dad was a commercial painter Mom worked for the state of Arkansas. We grew up in a Christian home that valued spending time together and hard work. I could remember growing up joking around saying my dad was raising farm hands because I was constantly busy doing things around the house. Read More>>

Brenda Pottinger

A small brown-toned image of my grandparents on their wedding day reminds me that photography has always been a way to document history. Never having met my grandfather, this image is a timeless treasure. My best pen pal was my Grandmother in Wisconsin. In college, I would look forward to calling her and telling her about my adventures in the woods and art classes. Read More>>

Dot Ridenour

My parents adopted me from age 3 and have always been so supportive of my artistic endeavors. When I was little, and even too small to know how to write I would sit with my mom and tell her stories to write down for me. Read More>>

Carolyn Ripp

My family comes from a long line of small business ownership. They encouraged me to be an independent thinker, have a strong work ethic, and be the best I can at what I love. When I decided to open my own fitness/yoga studio, my Mom shared all she could about book keeping and managing a small business. Read More>>

Dale Majors

I’m the fourth of nine kids, and my parents were both very supportive. When I was in 6th grade I wanted to build a half pipe in my backyard, my 7th grade summer I saved up $500 dollars to build one and my Dad lent me the other 500 in prepaid allowance so we could make it happen. Read More>>

Gerald White

I feel blessed to have had wonderful parents who were so disciplined and who set an example for me and my siblings by the way they lived their lives. Read More>>

Zephyrin Victor

Great Question! My parents motivated me to be a leader and not a follower. When I was in elementary school and my music teacher gave me a lead role for the first time in a play, my parents pushed me to take the role. I studied hard for it. Read More>>

Nigel Marshall

My parents gave me a solid foundation and raised me right. We all have our struggles but my parents taught me how to be resilient in the face of them. They also taught me that family above all else is one of the most important things in life. They always knew I would find my own path to being someone great. Read More>>

Jonathan Greene

What my parents did right was simple, but rare: they treated me like a person, not a kid. My dad never “sat me down” to teach me about money or made it some mysterious adult topic. He just brought me along. I went to house viewings, garage sales, and walked rental properties. Read More>>

Myah Keller

Growing up, I had the privilege of being raised by two successful entrepreneurs who instilled valuable and memorable wisdom in me from as early as I can remember. My mom demonstrated that you must work hard for everything you want and that things must be earned and are not simply handed to you. Read More>>

Kim Somers Egelsee

My parents always taught me to look for the good in every situation. They led by example, and took me traveling, to concerts and shows, and made me a leader in their video rental store business as a child and teen, which helped me develop people and business skills. Read More>>

Eki Asemota

My parents truly did everything right. They showed me what real love looks like, not just in words, but in action. I grew up watching a true partnership, both in marriage and in business. They built together, supported each other, and stayed aligned through everything. That example shaped how I view relationships, leadership, and collaboration in my own life. Read More>>