09/18/2026
The summer had been busy. But out of every single thing we accomplished, one moment stood above the rest.
Whenever we attended local market days, my kids’ eyes would light up. They had a genuine desire to run their own business and earn their own money. I’d been planning to help them set up a lemonade stand for a long time, and this summer, we finally brought that vision to life, not just once, but twice.
My daughter took complete charge of the manual marketing. She designed their flyers, wrote the text, printed them, cut every single page, and set off with her brother to do good old fashioned door-to-door canvassing in our neighborhood.
By the end of the day, she was completely worn out, but her face was beaming. She has a natural gift for talking to people, she's a people person, and she sank into the couch with a proud sigh.
"Mom, we’re going to have many customers tomorrow!" she said, eyes wide with excitement. "So many people I talked to in the village promised they were coming by. It’s going to be great!"
I just smiled, nodded, and kept my thoughts to myself. Then I looked at her and said, "Do me a favor. Tomorrow, when customers come to buy juice, ask them how they heard about your stand."
She looked at me, puzzled. "Okay, but why?"
"Because I'm going to help advertise your business, too, just not door-to-door," I replied. The online marketer in me had kicked into full gear. I wanted to give them a real world lesson in leverage and show them what it looks like to work smarter, not just harder, so they could compare the results for themselves.
When the days arrived, the kids gave it everything they had. They worked two long days, from early morning until six in the evening, pouring cup after cup. It was a success, and they had the time of their lives, but the real plot twist came when they started asking where everyone was coming from.
My daughter stopped, looked at me, and busted out laughing. "Oh my goodness, I wasted so much time talking to people on their porches, all friendly and nice and they swore they’d support us!"
Then she shook her head as customer after customer told her the same story: "We saw the post in the local social media groups!"
"I knew right then that you were bringing in most of our customers," she laughed, wrapping her arms around me. "Thank you, Mom! And you didn't even have to leave the house, except for your morning walk!"
When we first set out on this journey, my main goal was simple: I wanted to teach them entrepreneurship, a real life lesson about business and marketing. But sitting back later that night, watching them count their tips and earnings with giant smiles, I realized the students had actually become the teachers. I was the one who learned a lesson.
They never hesitated for a single second to jump into something they've never done before, something new to them. There was no anxiety, no overthinking, and not a single ounce of fear, just pure excitement, unstoppable positivity, and full blast effort.
It made me stop and wonder: what on earth happens to us between childhood and adulting? Somewhere along the way, adults trade that fearless energy for overthinking and worry.
Watching my kids put themselves out there with full confidence was the best reminder I've had in a long time to lead with that same child like excitement in life! 😄🤔❤️
