
Why Teens Should Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset
Teen entrepreneurship often gets reduced to viral success stories: young CEOs raising millions, app creators selling to tech giants, or social media stars monetizing their following. These narratives create a dangerous misconception that entrepreneurial success equals rapid financial gain, when the real foundation lies in developing an entrepreneurial mindset that shapes how young people approach challenges, relationships, and life itself.
Sarah Hernholm, founder of WIT (Whatever It Takes), has spent 15 years working with more than 10,000 young entrepreneurs. Through this experience, she observed a troubling pattern: Teens often burn out if they are chasing dollar signs or using entrepreneurship as a resume for college applications . However, those who focus on developing an entrepreneurial mindset build sustainable success.
Nashville, TN, Sarah Hernholm on local Channel 2 news
"At WIT, we've learned that the students who succeed long-term aren't the ones chasing the biggest profit margins," Hernholm explains. "They're the ones who develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and genuine curiosity about the world around them. Those are the capabilities that create lasting success, whether they become business owners or choose completely different career paths."
Why Money-First Thinking Undermines Entrepreneurial Mindset
Consider the typical teen entrepreneur journey: They identify a trendy business opportunity, focus on potential revenue, and measure success through immediate financial returns. When the business requires more time and effort than expected—which it always does—they abandon the project.
"If you're solely driven by the prospect of making money, you're likely to miss out on the deeper joy that comes from pursuing something that truly matters to you," Hernholm says. "It's easy to get caught up in the idea of creating something big and profitable, but if your heart isn't in it, you're not going to enjoy the process, and the business will likely fall short of your expectations."
This money-first approach creates several problems:
Misaligned motivation: Teens choose opportunities based on profit potential rather than personal interest or market need.
Unsustainable effort: Without genuine passion, maintaining the energy required for business growth becomes impossible.
Shallow learning: Focusing on financial outcomes prevents deeper skill development in problem-solving, leadership, and resilience.
What Entrepreneurial Mindset Actually Means
Entrepreneurial mindset encompasses specific cognitive and emotional capabilities that extend far beyond business creation:
Problem identification and solution development: Entrepreneurs spot inefficiencies and imagine better systems. This skill applies to academic challenges, relationship conflicts, and community issues.
Resilience through setbacks: Business ventures involve inevitable failures. Learning to separate personal worth from failed business outcomes builds emotional strength applicable to all life areas.
Resource optimization: Entrepreneurs maximize limited resources. This translates to better time management, creative project approaches, and strategic thinking in academic and personal contexts.
Customer empathy: Understanding others' needs and perspectives improves communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities.
"At WIT, we focus on building character and a mindset that will help teens thrive no matter what path they choose," Hernholm explains. "We want teens to understand that entrepreneurship is about a journey of growth. If your mindset is rooted in learning, resilience, and passion, you're going to find success, no matter how long it takes or what shape it takes."
These abilities matter beyond business creation. According to the World Economic Forum, creativity, critical thinking, and resilience rank among the top 10 skills employers will prioritize—all components of entrepreneurial thinking.
WIT Coach Dr. Erin Rhae Biller and WIT founder Sarah Hernholm present a check to winners of a ... More California WIT Hackathon.
How Entrepreneurial Mindset Applies Beyond Business
Entrepreneurial mindset shapes how teens approach challenges across all life domains:
Academic performance: Instead of viewing difficult assignments as burdens, teens with entrepreneurial thinking see them as problems requiring creative solutions. They break large projects into manageable components, seek resources proactively, and adapt when initial approaches don't work.
Social relationships: Entrepreneurial teens develop communication skills through customer interactions, team management, and conflict resolution. These experiences enhance their ability to build meaningful relationships and navigate social dynamics.
Personal development: The entrepreneurial process requires self-awareness, goal-setting, and continuous learning—skills that support personal growth throughout life.
"The entrepreneurial mindset isn't just about becoming a business owner—it's about approaching life with a mindset that empowers you to face challenges, solve problems, and pursue what truly excites you," Hernholm notes. "Whether it's learning to pivot when a business idea doesn't work, or staying calm under pressure during a difficult situation, these skills can enhance every part of a teen's experience."
Building Entrepreneurial Mindset Through Daily Practice
Parents and educators can foster entrepreneurial thinking through specific approaches:
Ask different questions: Instead of "How was school?" try "What problem did you notice today?" or "What would you improve if you could?" This trains teens to spot opportunities, rather than just complete assignments.
Change the attitude to failure: Create family discussions around setbacks and lessons learned. When teens understand that failure is how you learn and grow – that it provides valuable data, rather than reflecting personal inadequacy, they develop resilience.
Provide real responsibility: Assign teens genuine decision-making authority for family projects, from vacation planning to budget management to financial planning. Autonomous experience builds confidence and problem-solving skills.
Encourage unstructured exploration: Resist over-scheduling. Creative solutions often emerge during unstructured time when minds can make unexpected connections.
Hernholm emphasizes the importance of authentic engagement: "We create an environment where teens can explore what they truly care about, whether that's addressing environmental challenges, developing new technologies, or building social enterprises. We help teens develop the confidence to pursue these ideas, not for the sake of profit, but because they are genuinely passionate about the change they want to see in the world."
Sarah Hernholm with students at Westwood Elementary School.
The Career Benefits of Entrepreneurial Mindset
Teens who develop entrepreneurial mindset early gain lasting advantages regardless of their eventual career paths:
Career adaptability: As automation transforms job markets, entrepreneurial skills become increasingly valuable. Teens who think creatively and adapt to change will thrive in uncertain environments.
Leadership readiness: Organizations seek employees who take initiative, solve problems independently, and communicate effectively—all entrepreneurial abilities.
Life satisfaction: People with an entrepreneurial mindset tend to create more fulfilling careers and personal lives because they actively shape their circumstances rather than simply reacting to them.
"If you're building something that excites you, you'll naturally find the energy, creativity, and persistence to keep going—even when things get tough," Hernholm explains. 'That's the kind of success that truly lasts.'
Why Entrepreneurial Mindset Matters More Than Headlines
I've seen this principal confirmed through my own research for my book, Raising an Entrepreneur, where I interviewed 70 successful entrepreneurs and their parents to see how they were raised. Time again, I discovered that parental support of children's authentic interests and strengths serves the foundation for entrepreneurial success, and that supporting your child's genuine passion matters more than pushing traditional markers of achievement. When parents encourage curiosity and problem-solving, while allowing self directed learning, they help teens develop the confidence to take calculated risks and overcome setbacks. They become resilient problem solvers and creators.
While the media celebrates teenage millionaires and unicorn startups, the real entrepreneurial success stories often look different. They involve teens who identified problems they cared about, developed solutions with grit and persistence, and built skills that serve them throughout their life.
These stories don't generate viral content, but they create lasting impact. Teens who develop an entrepreneurial mindset through authentic interest and sustained effort build foundations for lifelong success—whether they become entrepreneurs, employees, or community leaders.
Hernholm concludes, "Entrepreneurship is about building a life you can be proud of, one that aligns with your values and passions. When teens learn to embrace failure, adapt, and keep moving forward, they build emotional resilience that carries them through life's ups and downs."
For teens considering entrepreneurship, the question shouldn't be "How quickly can I make money?" but rather 'What problems do I want to solve?' and "What do I want to improve?" The answer to those questions will determine not just business outcomes, but the trajectory of their entire lives. Because an entrepreneurial mindset shapes not only how we build businesses, but how we navigate every challenge and opportunity that comes our way.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fast Company
10 minutes ago
- Fast Company
5 job search habits young job seekers should ditch immediately
After nearly four decades on Wall Street and over 15 years mentoring students and young adults, I've witnessed countless young professionals struggle with their job searches —not because they lack talent, but because they're trapped in counterproductive habits that sabotage their success before they even begin. The job market has never been more competitive. With AI tools and vast information resources now available to every applicant, the baseline for what constitutes a 'good' application has skyrocketed. Today's job seekers have access to sophisticated résumé optimization tools, interview prep platforms, and industry insights that previous generations could never have imagined. And that means that simply having a polished resume or knowing basic company facts no longer differentiates you from the competition. A saturated job market The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this competition exponentially. Economic disruptions created a massive pool of highly competent applicants—seasoned professionals who were laid off, recent graduates whose traditional entry points disappeared, and career changers seeking more stable industries—all competing for fewer available positions. What we're witnessing is an unprecedented bottleneck, where exceptional candidates are struggling to get through recruiting filters just because the volume of qualified applicants has overwhelmed traditional hiring processes. This saturation means that even talented individuals with strong credentials are facing rejection after rejection, not due to inadequacy, but due to sheer numbers. Employers who once received dozens of applications for a position now receive hundreds, forcing them to rely on increasingly narrow filtering criteria that can eliminate excellent candidates for arbitrary reasons. In this new landscape, it's the candidates who go above and beyond—who demonstrate genuine initiative, build real relationships, and create tangible value—who separate themselves from the pack. The tools are available to everyone, but it's how strategically and creatively you use them that determines your success. The reality is that most new job seekers are their own worst enemies, repeating the same ineffective strategies that virtually guarantee disappointment. If you're serious about launching your career, it's time to break these five destructive habits immediately. Stop the Spray-and-Pray Approach I see this mistake constantly: talented graduates treating job applications like a numbers game, firing off identical résumés to every posting they find. During my years at one of the largest banks in the United States, I reviewed countless résumés. The generic submissions were easy to spot and equally easy to dismiss. Employers aren't looking for someone who can fill any role—they want someone who genuinely understands (and is passionate about) their specific position. Every application should tell a story about why you and this particular company are a perfect match. Research the organization, understand their challenges, and demonstrate how your skills address their specific needs. Yes, this takes more time—but would you rather send 50 thoughtless applications that get ignored, or 10 targeted ones that actually generate interviews? Embrace LinkedIn as Your Career Command Center I'm amazed by how many job seekers still treat LinkedIn as an afterthought. In today's digital world, your LinkedIn profile is often your first chance to make an impression. Worse yet, many young professionals create a profile and then abandon it, missing countless opportunities for meaningful connections. Your LinkedIn presence should be as polished and strategic as your résumé. More importantly, it should be active. Share insights about your industry, comment thoughtfully on posts from professionals you admire, and regularly update your network on your career journey. We encourage young adults to view LinkedIn as a relationship-building platform, not just a digital résumé. The connections you make today become the foundation for opportunities in the future. Many of our most successful clients have landed positions through LinkedIn relationships they cultivated months before they even began their formal job search. Abandon the Perfect Role Fantasy One of the most career-limiting beliefs I encounter is the idea that you should wait for the perfect opportunity. Young professionals often turn down roles that don't match their exact vision, convinced that holding out will yield something better. This perfectionist mindset ignores a fundamental truth: careers are built through progression. Some of the most successful individuals I've mentored started in positions that seemed unrelated to their ultimate goals but provided invaluable experience and connections. Early in your career, prioritize learning and growth over title and salary. A role with exceptional mentorship, challenging projects, or exposure to senior leadership can be far more valuable than a prestigious position where you'll be isolated or underutilized. The goal is forward momentum, not immediate arrival at your destination. I often tell my mentees that your first job is rarely your last job, but it's always your launching pad. Choose roles that accelerate your trajectory, even if they don't perfectly align with your original vision. Master the Art of Strategic Follow-Up The job search doesn't end when you walk out of the interview room: that's when the real work begins. Yet countless candidates don't take full advantage of promising opportunities by failing to follow up appropriately. A thoughtful follow-up message accomplishes several critical objectives: it demonstrates your genuine interest, reinforces key points from your conversation, and keeps you visible during the decision-making process. More importantly, it shows that you understand professional norms and can manage relationships effectively. Your follow-up should be personalized, referencing specific moments from your conversation and reiterating how you can contribute to their team's success. This isn't about being pushy—it's about being professional and maintaining momentum. I've seen talented candidates lose opportunities to less-qualified competitors simply because they assumed their interview performance would speak for itself. In a competitive market, every advantage matters, and strategic follow-up can be the difference between getting the offer or being forgotten Stop Waiting Until Your Senior Year to Think About Career Strategy One of the most limiting mistakes I see is students who coast through their first few years of college without any career planning, suddenly panicking during junior or senior year when they realize competitive roles require years of preparation. Today's job market rewards those who think strategically early. The most coveted positions, whether in finance, consulting, technology, or other competitive fields, increasingly expect candidates to have meaningful internship experience, relevant projects, and established industry connections. Students who wait until their final years find themselves competing against peers who've been building their credentials since freshman year. But let me be clear: starting later doesn't doom your prospects. I've mentored countless students who discovered their career direction during their junior or senior years and still achieved remarkable success. The key is understanding that you'll need to accelerate your efforts and be more strategic about your approach. The real mistake isn't starting late; it's continuing to delay action once you recognize the importance of career planning. Whether you're a freshman or a senior, the best time to start building your professional foundation is right now. The Path Forward Throughout my career mentoring young professionals, I've watched talented individuals gain access to opportunities they never thought possible by simply approaching their job search with the same intelligence and intention they bring to other aspects of their lives. Remember, your job search can be a demonstration of your professional capabilities. Employers are evaluating not just what you've accomplished, but how you approach challenges, manage relationships, and execute strategies. The job market may be competitive, but it's not impenetrable. With the right approach, persistence, and strategic thinking, you can transform your job search from a source of frustration into a launching pad for the career you truly want.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Newest Stock in the S&P 500 Has Soared 510% Since Its 2015 IPO, and It's a Buy Right Now, According to Wall Street
Key Points Block has been added to the S&P 500, one of just six companies to make the cut so far in 2025. The company is a fintech pioneer and continues to expand its market. Despite some hiccups earlier this year, Wall Street remains convinced the stock is a buy. 10 stocks we like better than Block › The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is generally recognized as the most comprehensive measure of the U.S. stock market, made up of the 500 leading publicly traded companies in the country. Given the broad reach of the businesses that make up the index, it is regarded as the most reliable benchmark of overall stock market performance. To be considered for admission to the S&P 500, a company must meet the following criteria: Be a U.S. company Its market cap must be at least $20.5 billion Shares must be highly liquid Have at least 50% of its outstanding shares available for trading Must be profitable based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the most recent quarter Must be profitable during the previous four quarters in aggregate Block (NYSE: XYZ) is the latest addition to the S&P 500, added to its ranks on July 23. That makes it one of only six companies to make the grade so far this year. Since its IPO in late 2015, Block has easily outpaced the market, generating gains of 510%, compared to a 206% increase for the S&P 500 (as of market close on Wednesday). The stock price gains have been fueled by an ever-expanding fintech ecosystem, as its revenue has soared 1,640%, while net income has jumped 867%. Yet, despite the stock's market-beating gains and the company's strong track record navigating the fluid fintech space it helped pioneer, many believe Block is just getting started. Let's examine the opportunity ahead and why Wall Street believes the stock is a buy. A Square peg in a round hole Block, formerly Square, made a name for itself by pioneering mobile payment processing solutions and point-of-sale systems for small businesses. From those humble beginnings, the company now offers a growing suite of tools for entrepreneurs and consumers alike, including payment processing, point-of-sale systems, business loans, digital retail, loyalty programs, marketing, digital wallet, and -- mostly recently -- consumer loans. At the heart of Block's expanding ecosystem is its two-pronged approach: Square Business, which provides services to merchants, and Cash App, which caters to consumers. The seamless integration between the two segments helps spin the flywheel that has been key to Block's success. It was also among the first major public companies to add Bitcoin to its balance sheet, making its initial purchase in October 2020. Block has thus far spent roughly $261 million and currently holds 8,584 Bitcoin, worth roughly $1.03 billion. The company also announced plans to begin accepting Bitcoin as a payment method later this year. Despite a highly competitive landscape, Block continues to expand its role as one of the leading fintech providers. Paint by numbers You don't have to take my word for it. Despite a backdrop of economic uncertainty caused by persistent inflation and tariffs, Block's recent results tell the story. In the first quarter (excluding Bitcoin), revenue of $3.47 billion grew 8% year over year, while gross profit of $2.29 billion climbed 9%. Operating income of $329 million rose 32%, resulting in adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.56, an increase of 19%. Unfortunately, investors were looking for better gross profit, which sent the stock lower -- but the results were solid nonetheless. Block's performance was fueled by gross payment volume (GPV) that grew 7.2% (8.2% in constant currency). Cash App did its part, increasing user engagement, as gross profit per monthly active user grew 9%. Wall Street is bullish Block lowered its guidance earlier this year in response to the continuing uncertainty, but Wall Street remains bullish. Of the 47 analysts who covered the stock thus far in July, 35 -- or an impressive 75% -- rate it a buy or strong buy. TD Cowen analyst Bryan Bergin is a longtime Block bull, maintaining a buy rating and a $115 price target on the stock, which represents potential upside of 44% compared to the stock's closing price on Wednesday. While he acknowledged the macroeconomic headwinds and a slow start in 2025, he believes that the company is on track for continued improvement in the back half of the year. Bergin also points to improvements toward achieving the Rule of 40. The oft-cited metric evaluates growth in relation to profits, and Block is looking to make the grade by the end of 2025 or early 2026. Despite all that potential, Block is remarkably cheap. The stock is currently selling for just 19 times trailing-12-month earnings and 2 times sales. Block's inclusion in the S&P 500 is an important milestone. It's not only a testament to the company's position in an evolving industry, but also the growing adoption of Bitcoin into the mainstream. Given its long track record, strong secular tailwinds, and Wall Street's bullish take, I would submit that Block is a buy. Should you invest $1,000 in Block right now? Before you buy stock in Block, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Block wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,774!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,942!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,040% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Danny Vena has positions in Bitcoin and Block. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Block. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Newest Stock in the S&P 500 Has Soared 510% Since Its 2015 IPO, and It's a Buy Right Now, According to Wall Street was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


CNN
22 minutes ago
- CNN
‘Revenge dress for a party in Sicily': This platform is using AI to make online shopping hyper-personal
As anyone who's scoured the internet for a bridesmaid dress knows, online shopping can be a pain. Among almost unlimited options, it can be a difficult task to find just the right style, color, size and price point. A tech startup called Daydream is now looking to fix that by letting users search for a product online in the same way they'd describe it to a friend. A user could say they're looking for a 'revenge dress to wear to a party in Sicily in July,' for example, or 'a summer bag to carry to work and to cocktails after.' Daydream, which has staff in the New York and San Francisco areas, is just the latest tech company using artificial intelligence to try to make online shopping simpler and more personalized. The demand is already there — a survey of 5,000 American consumers published by Adobe Analytics showed that 39% of respondents had used a generative AI tool for online shopping last year and that 53% planned to do so this year. It's competing with tech giants that have already launched AI tools for online shopping. Meta is using AI to make it easier for sellers to list items for sale on its apps, and to show users ads for products they're more likely to buy. OpenAI launched an AI agent that can shop for users across the web, and Amazon is testing a similar feature. And Google has rolled out a range of AI shopping tools, including automated price tracking, a 'circle to search' feature that lets users search for a product in a photo or on social media, and virtual try-on for clothes. But Daydream has a deeper understanding of the fashion and retail industries than those bigger players, CEO Julie Bornstein told CNN. Bornstein helped build Nordstrom's website as its vice president of e-commerce in the early 2000s and worked in the C-suite for Sephora and Stitch Fix. In 2018, she co-founded her first AI-powered shopping startup The Yes, which sold to Pinterest in 2022. 'They don't have the people, the mindset, the passion to do what needs to be done to make a category like fashion work for (AI) recommendations,' Bornstein said. 'Because I've been in this space my whole career, what I know is that having the catalogue that has everything and being able to show the right person the right stuff is what makes shopping easier.' Already, Daydream has raised $50 million in its first round of funding from investors including Google Ventures and model and Kode With Klossy founder Karlie Kloss. The free platform operates sort of like a digital personal stylist. Users can type in what they're looking for in natural language — no Boolean search terms required, thanks to its AI text recognition technology — or upload an inspiration photo. Then, Daydream will surface recommendations from more than 8,000 brand partners, ranging from Uniqlo to Gucci. Users can then continue chatting, just like they would with a chatbot, to refine the search; for instance, by asking for more casual or less expensive options. As users spend more time on the platform, it will start to tailor recommendations based on what they've searched for, clicked on and saved. When they're ready to buy, shoppers are directed to the brand's website to complete their purchase, and Daydream will take a cut of the sale. Unlike many of the other big players in e-commerce, Bornstein is eschewing ads-based rankings — she wants products to show up on recommendation pages because they're a likely fit for the customer, not because brands have paid for them to be there. 'As soon as Amazon started doing paid sponsorships, I'm like, 'How can I find what the real good product is?'' she said. 'We want this to be a thing where we get paid when we show the customer the right thing.' On a recent CNN test of Daydream, a search for 'white, fitted button-up shirt for the office with no pockets' led to a $145 cotton long-sleeve from Theory that fit the bill. But the recommendations aren't always perfect — a search for 'mother of the bride dress for a summer wedding in California' returned, among more formal styles, several slinky slip dresses, including in white, that seemed more suited to a bachelorette party. Bornstein said the company continues to refine its AI models and collect user feedback. 'We want data on what people are doing so we can focus and learn where we do well and where we don't,' she said. Part of that work, she added, is training the AI model to understand what it means when users say, for example, they're looking for a dress for a trip to Greece in August (it's going to be hot) or that it's for a black-tie wedding (it should be formal). Daydream launched its web version to the public last month, although it remains in beta testing, and plans to release an app this fall. In the future, Bornstein said she expects people to use AI not just for shopping but for a range of fashion needs, such as pairing items they're shopping for with existing pieces in their closet. 'This was one of my earliest ideas, but I didn't know the term (generative AI) and I didn't know a large language model was going to be the unlock,' she said.