Who Do You Think You Are?

7Do You Want to Work in Business or Be in Business?

I (Shaun) have never been a fan of the word business and especially the term business major. It sounds so ordinary and boring. Yet there are businesses today that are curing diseases, delivering supplies to the International Space Station, and helping wounded veterans walk again. Even if your work is in marketing, finance, public relations, or sales, it's no less exciting to be involved in something like that and do your special part to help it succeed. On the flip side, the terms entrepreneur and start-up sound sexy. They convey a vision of hustle, big dreams, and money. But I've been an entrepreneur and met hundreds more of them over the years, and the reality can be more like grueling work that cuts deeply into your personal life, dark days when you're not sure how you will pay your employees, and no guarantee of success even if you're lucky enough to raise money from investors. Today more than any other time in our history, the idea of entrepreneurship has become a prestigious pursuit, so much so that magazines love to write sensationalized articles about entrepreneurs who dropped out of Harvard or Stanford to pursue their dreams.

In this chapter we explore business, entrepreneurship, and the kinds of experiences and educational programs that can prepare someone for these pathways. We also discuss some of the misconceptions about entrepreneurship and how to help your child explore entrepreneurship as a potential pathway. ...