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. 

Louboutin Kendoll

Something that my mother did right, was instilling a strong work ethic in me. My mom taught me that you can have anything in life as long as you work for it. Read more>>

Jordon Williams

When I was younger, I wanted to go to school to become an esthetician. My mother encouraged me to pursue nursing instead, explaining that esthetics could remain a passion while nursing would provide more opportunities. I followed her advice and now have been a nurse for 26 years. Last year, I finally went back to school to become an esthetician. Read more>>

Brad Kolowich Jr

One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was teaching me the value of hard work and personal responsibility. Growing up, there was never an expectation that success would simply be handed to me. They taught me that if something was worth having, it was worth working for. Read more>>

Tal Ziv

My parents taught me the value of hard work, integrity and following through on commitments. Growing up, I watched my father, Noam Ziv, bring development projects from concept to completion. What stood out most was not just the finished product, but the dedication, patience and attention to detail required throughout the process. Read more>>

Sic Owens

They allowed me to figure my self out at a young age and showed me it’s okay to make mistakes as long as I tried to better my self. I can say for sure my pops made me everything that I am and everything that im not, and one thing I can never be is a bitch. Read more>>

Jeff Willie

My parents didn’t leave me with wealth, they left me values. And those values became my greatest inheritance. They taught dignity despite poverty. My father’s words have become one of your life’s guiding principles: ‘Just because you are poor, you don’t have to look poor or act poor.’ That wasn’t about clothing. It was about self-respect. Read more>>

Crystal Tamar

When I was about 9 years old my father recognized the love and enjoyment my sisters and I had for singing and dancing.In the summertime we’d always watched tons of music video shows like ‘video soul’ on BET back to back and record the ones we liked like Envogue, Ex-girlfriend and B Angie B for example (I’m aging myself here lol). Read more>>

John Jackson

My parents always taught me never to lose hope. They also taught me to never lose faith since life is a sacred and divine gift. Read more>>

Jenna Ricciardi

I grew up thinking my home was pretty normal. 2 married parents. My mom stayed at home and as we got older she went back to work. My dad worked very hard to make sure we wanted for nothing & they both set us up for success in life. We had family dinner every night. Read more>>

Melva LaJoy Legrand

Is it possible to say my parents used every aspect of love and poured it into me. From my view, my parents did everything right. From my mother, because of her relentless love and in spite of some very serious childhood insecurities, I knew I was beautiful, smart and belonged. Read more>>

Maria Ananieva

I give a lot of credit to my parents. My dad is a business owner and I have always witnessed that entrepreneurial spirit in him. I have learned the resilience, sacrifice and hardships of being your own boss all through observing my dad since I was a child. Read more>>

Ka’imi KUOHA

One of the most important things my parents did right was model grit and determination. Growing up, I watched them work hard, push through challenges, and stay committed even when things were difficult. Seeing that firsthand taught me that success isn’t about avoiding obstacles, it’s about continuing to move forward despite them. Read more>>

Mi’Lynn Tomasini

My mother did a lot of things right, but I feel like something that i’m extremely grateful for is her investing money for my brother and I. She made sure that from a young age, we had savings accounts, money in stocks, bitcoin and whatever else. I’m grateful for that, because my brother and I never had to worry about a thing. Read more>>

John Richards

Teach me to only pay cash for things that depreciate and only take out debt for things that appreciate. Read more>>

Alia Miller

Growing up with such a loving and artistic mom, I was always encouraged to express myself and try new things. Whether that be through make shift fashion shows in our living room, to learning dance routines all night long. Because of her encouragement, it led to my confidence growing at such a young age and continuing into my adult years. Read more>>

Cheryl McColgan

The things my parents got right started with exposing me to healthy habits at a young age. Coming from a family of farmers, it was easy to see where real food came from. We were raised knowing that fresh vegetables, some meat in the house, and a few eggs were all you needed for a great meal. Read more>>

Sydney Mitton

I credit my parents for bringing both my brother and I to the chiropractor from a young age. I believed this shaped my wellness lifestyle and allowed me to grow up healthy, compete in sports, and stay resilient to life’s stressors and illnesses along the way. Read more>>

Cai Janelle

I lost my father when I was three months old, so my mother took on the responsibilities of both parents. One of the most impactful things she did was introduce me to dance at the age of three. From the beginning, we had an agreement: I could take any dance classes I wanted as long as I also took ballet and jazz. Read more>>

Erin Survilas

My parents never had a doubt in their mind that I could be a full time professional painter and artist. Knowing that, they pushed me to be the best that I could even when I thought it was impossible. Read more>>

Jihan Basyah

I love this question. Solely because I wouldn’t be where I am today, or quite frankly WHO I am today, if it weren’t for the parents and grandparents before me. And so what my parents and grandparents did right? Well, they knew what it means to instill character in me. The values I hold, the character I stand by highly, it’s all thanks to them. Read more>>

David Lvov

At the beginning of my career, I worked as a high school teacher for a few years. I learned that these days a lot of parents don’t read books to their children anymore. I was shocked when I found out and it made me realize something that I took for granted all my life. Read more>>

Amaka Zazzy Uche Ra

My mother’s story is one of resilience, faith, and determination. She immigrated from Nigeria to the United States in her early twenties with very little money and built a life through hard work, education, and unwavering faith. She eventually became a Certified Nursing Assistant and later a Licensed Vocational Nurse, raising three daughters along the way. Read more>>

Sascha K.

I grew up in a fairly poor family in Russia. My parents couldn’t give me much—not in terms of money, and not always in terms of attention either. Those were difficult times: political instability, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and constant challenges that people had to navigate every day. Read more>>

Cody Sheski

I was extremely fortunate to have parents who have always pushed me to explore my creative talents. If there was anything I wanted to do in regards to music they made sure I had the opportunity to try it out and provided me with the tools to do so. Read more>>

Christie Baez

My mother taught me to remain humble always. To remember no one’s greater than God especially oneself. To always be compassionate but also firm. Read more>>

Julia Gates

I took after my dad in personality, which includes a love for spooky things. As a kid we would stroll cemeteries on Sunday evenings, sometimes looking for owl pellets to dissect for bones. Halloween was always the biggest holiday growing up. Both of my parents have always been supportive in all of my endeavors, even if they may not align with witchcraft. Read more>>

Maeve Thompson Osgood

My parents and I have always had a very supportive and equal relationship with one another. Growing up, I thought this was how every family operated. The more I spoke to friends and other families, however, the more I realized just how rare it is to have complete mutual respect and trust between a child and their parent. Read more>>

Jacob Grimes

Looking back, I see that a lot of why I turned out the way I did was because of my parents, obviously. I have people and friends in my life, talking about our childhood together, and they struggle to wrap their heads around how creative my household was. Thinking about it now, it’s kind of funny. Read more>>

Jamie Ray

My parents always made me feel like anything was possible. My dad especially shaped how I see the world — he believed it was more valuable to know a little about everything than to know everything about one thing. That curiosity he instilled taught me that people are genuinely willing to share their stories and knowledge if you just take the time to ask. Read more>>

D-Win

My mother had the biggest impact on my life. She raised me in church and taught me both the love of God and the fear of God, which became the foundation for how I approach life, business, and relationships. She also believed in me before I believed in myself. Read more>>

Travis Ware

Shoutout to my mother Sonya Irby and to my father, who I’m named after, Travis Ware, Sr. who often tells me who is the original and I’m just a carbon copy of him hahaha. But my parents knew at a very young age that I was gifted and talented. Read more>>

Rachel Wager

Unfortunately, both my parents have passed away. This makes this question bittersweet. My mom fought ovarian cancer for 6 years before she gained her angel wings. She was SO strong, resilient, funny, kind. She taught me how to be strong, especially in dark times. She taught me how to make the best of life and try to find the light in dark situations/times in life. Read more>>

Keonche Hines

My Mother Raised Me And My Two Siblings. She Made Sure Even If She Was Broke She Always Made A Way. Her Name Is “Tonia Hines” And She Is The Woman That Made Me Who I Am Today. She Even Bought My First Camera, And Thats The Camera That Made Me Viral. Read more>>

Jorge Gonzalez

My parents instilled two values that have shaped my entire life: the importance of education and the value of persistence. From an early age, they taught me that education is one of the few assets no one can take away from you. They believed that a strong, reputable education creates opportunities and provides a lasting competitive advantage. Read more>>

Sumayyah Bilal

My parents are an integral part of my journey as a person, woman, Muslim, creative, entrepreneur, and chef. Ever since I was very small, both of my parents encouraged me to do what I wanted to do. I credit them for my curious approach to my endeavors. Read more>>