Time for one of my favorite days of the year: Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. I go to work with my dad, 4 a.m. wake-up call and all, and it's an experience my younger brother and I truly look forward to each April.
And apparently, we're not the only ones. The program was founded 21 years ago, and today more than 37 million kids and adults participate at over 3.5 million workplaces. This year's theme is "Plant a Seed, Grow A Future."
There are a number of reasons why I think it's such a great day: a TV network, dad's colleagues and their kids, learning new things, meeting new people, and a guilt-free day off from school. But the best thing about going to Take Your Kids to Work Day is seeing my dad do something he truly loves to do. And that's inspirational.
My dad found "it" and he's lucky he did. "It" is figuring out what you really want to do in life, going for it and doing it. It's earned success, finding out what makes you happy, working at it, and achieving it. Earned success can be anything you want it to be -- writing beautiful stories, making music, painting, being a doctor, helping others, bankers, lawyers -- something that brings value to your life, and other people's lives. For many people, earned success is one of the most gratifying and satisfying feelings in the world.
Entrepreneurs and innovators already know this. And, it's really not all about how much money they make, or even how many times they fail before making any money. The average entrepreneur makes under $45,000 per year, and fails 3.8 times before succeeding. It's their desire for earned success, doing something that they love, and the satisfaction and happiness that come with it, that keeps them motivated.
I hate to say it but my days of attending Take Your Kids to Work Day are probably numbered. At 14 years-old with working papers and a parent's signature, I can look for my own job, and if I land one, I'll get minimum wage (that's $8.25 an hour in my state), which sounds pretty great to me. In reality, it sounds even better to the 6.7 percent of Americans (10.5 million people) who are currently unemployed.
I'm hoping my dream job is out there somewhere, someday, but for right now, I'll settle for another great day at the office with my dad.
Peace Love Profits,
Blake