What do Microsoft, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Whole Foods, Uber, Dell and Apple all have in common?

If you guessed that each of their founders were the class Valedictorian - you’re wrong.

If you guessed that each of their founders dropped out of school - you’re right.

For an institution that is (pretty much!!) socially and professionally required, the school system has catastrophically failed those with an entrepreneurial spirit. 

Seems kind of ironic, since most of those who hold the economic power are those who have not worked for someone, but built something themselves. See the list above…

Some even make a case for the idea that the American Dream is, in its essence, entrepreneurship. 

So why does the public school system actually discourage (at best!) and punish (at worst!) the very qualities that almost all successful entrepreneurs have?

Think about it…

School wants you to arrive at a specific answer in a very specific way. Even if your answer is correct, you can lose points for not getting there in a certain way.

WHAT? Why do y’all even care how we came up with it?! I SHOULD GET BONUS POINTS IF I FIND A WAY THAT’S DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE NO???

Disruption in school will get you sent to the principal’s office.

Disruption in entrepreneurship will get you featured in Forbes.

Getting a little too much attention from those around you? You might be moved to the back of the classroom.

Meanwhile, entrepreneurs are paying the big bucks to find NEW ways to get MORE attention. The more outlandish the better!

Oh you’re not good at science so you recruit the help and partnership of someone who is amazing at it? CHEATER! Expelled!

You know what recruiting help and partnership is as an entrepreneur? Brilliant! Essential to success!

Misspell a few words and put the page numbers in the wrong spot? Big red F.

All the while, a self-published book with grammatical errors changed many women’s businesses and made ours 6-figures last year. 

Don’t get us started on typos.

(Or do… enjoy this 5 min read on why we don’t care that much about typos…)

Am I okay today? Is this me snapping?

The bottom line is that to be successful in entrepreneurship, you’ll be required to unlearn a lot of what you’ve been taught. 

What we can’t do is a full overhaul of the education system today…

What we can do is be intentional about finding other ways to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in the people we love.

3 ways to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in your kids and yourself:

#1. Encourage Growth Mindset

The sooner you (or your kids!) can start understanding that real learning begins after traditional schooling ends, the better. It’s hard to believe that no one cares what I made on my AP Psych exam, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

#2. Encourage Creativity

There is no greater breeding ground for creativity than boredom. Allow yourself (and your kids!) to be bored. This is harder in adulthood than it is in childhood, TBH. Staying playful and imaginative is the hardest work you’ll do all day as a busy woman. That’s saying a lot because I’m sorry but women out here doing the most. I’m proud of us.

#3. Encourage Connections

If THE most inspiring part of all the high-caliber events we’ve attended lately hasn’t been the amount of entrepreneurs who bring their kids… it’s awfully close to being the most inspiring part. It won’t always be possible, but when it is, we can’t wait to show them the ropes by actually showing them the ropes.

Stay in school! Or don’t! … there’s definitely more than one way to do long division and also to change the world.

We believe in that and you.

Xo, The Salesgirls