Tips from Janita Pavelka: Music teacher & Homeschooling mom of 4 CEO Kids!

You will not believe how much Janita gets done!  She is a fabulous music teacher as well dynamic homeschooling mom of 4 CEO Kids!  When I was interviewing her I was so amazed by her passion and her commitment to her family! I think you will be as impressed as I was with the tips she shares!

Here’s her interview.  Click on her name to listen to the interview in the Audio Section for Members:

Sarah:            Well, hello I’m here with Janita Pavelka and I’m Sarah Cook with Raising CEO Kids.  And Janita, I’m so excited because you have four kids and all of them are in business and you are doing an amazing job.  You’ve taught entrepreneurship and business skills as a class and you have a lot of other things that you do plus you have your own business.  So what would you tell if you could tell parents five or ten tips?  What would be the things that you really would love to tell parents about helping to kids to be in business and why it’s so important?

JP -      Number one, it’s going to take time.  So, but what you are giving up in the short term, you’re going to gain in the long term.  So number one it does take time and you just have to invest that time in your child.  And number two, allow them to dream.  Of course they’re going to have some wild dreams or they’ll have practical dreams.  But it’s very important to allow them to dream because that’s where the ideas are generated.  And just let them go with their ideas as far as talking and brainstorming.  There’s not a bad idea.  And then of course, it will always come down through the wash, the ones that will pan out are the more practical ones, doable ones and the ones that you can get into practice now at their age.  Number three is it’s important for them to take risks because at a young age, they’re not as fearful as us as adults.  Plus they don’t have as much to lose.  Say $20.00 or $200.00 versus $200,000.00 as adults.  There’s a big difference there.  But say they want to invest in a candy company or say they want to invest selling flowers around the neighborhood.  There’s just not as a big of an investment and they seem to take loss and risk better than adults.  They don’t have as much fear.

Sarah – That’s so true.  That’s so true.  So you’re saying, number one, you got to make sure you’re willing to invest in the time, let them dream as wild and crazy as they want to and the be sure that it’s okay for them to take risks and encourage that.  That’s awesome.

JP -      Right.  And you know what, just do it.  Us as adults we can think, oh my goodness, what about this, what about this, what about this.  You know what, just do it.  As an adult, as a parent, put your fears away and don’t talk about it or don’t act on them and just allow your child to go ahead.  Sure, they’re going to have some rejections or what if they’re business doesn’t make money.  That’s okay; it’s a whole learning process.  If they can learn to get out there and meet the public and be confident and learn how to treat their fellow man properly, how to be fair, how to be ethical, how to be honest, how to make change, how to think of that next idea, how to give 10% to others, how to do a social entrepreneurship project.  They have so much to gain in doing their business that you just have to allow them to do it and not worry about your own fears, about the “what if.”  Don’t worry about the “what if’s.”

Sarah – That’s so true.  And I love that you, I love that all your kids donate to charity or they do a tithe to a church or something like that because I think investing, research has shown not only is it great practice.  But research has shown that the people that do that are happier, they’re healthier, they often will make more money.  But it’s just the right thing to do.  It helps them to understand that it’s okay to, that it’s important to live below their means and to help other people.  And I just love that you’re doing that.  It’s so, so critically important.  I know we’ve taught our kids the same thing.  So of all the different ventures, has there been something that amongst your kids has been really, really successful?  What has been their biggest success as far as their businesses go?

JP -      Let’s see, their biggest success, probably for Rachele right now is her jewelry.  I mean, she can go and sell $200.00 with no problem.  And for her as a child, as a 14 year old young lady, that’s a lot of money.  And so for her, it has been the jewelry.  Christian’s soap has sold really well.  Hannah is very creative and she’s an idea person and she is going to, she’s always thinking about the ideas or creating things and Amanya has no fear as an eight year old.  Even as a six year old, she’ll talk to anyone anywhere, anytime with confidence and I think that’s really important.

You know when I think about, they talked about their paper routes.  Now we’ve moved to rural area so they really miss their paper routes.  I think that’s important to, to have regular income coming in so they have that weekly paycheck.  And then from that, that’s their seed money for their businesses and so I didn’t have to foot the bill, my husband didn’t have to foot the bill but they had their own seed money so they’d always save that 80%.  They’d tithe 10% and spend 10% and then they’d save 80%.  So they always had seed money for the next businesses or they also have a family fund.  So say they babysat together or they dog sat together or they did something together.  That would go into the family fund.  And then from the family fund, they could decide, okay what’s our next investment together as a family of four children.  So that’s important.

Even Warren Buffett, he’s from the Omaha area and he started out with a paper route.  He started out with a paper route and then he started selling pop to his friends.  And so then when he got a little older, he went into the investments, even as a teenager.  And I think it grows.  So as a mom and even as an entrepreneurship educator, I wasn’t looking for that next big idea or that next Warren Buffett.  I was looking for, you know what, you’re going to take this, say they’re in a 12 week class.  You’re going to take this class and you’re going to have a business by the time you’re done.  And it doesn’t matter if it’s baking cookies and selling them.  It doesn’t matter if it’s already been done.  The fact that you actually have a business, do it and follow through and learn from it whether you make money or not; I mean that’s a bonus to make money.

The fact that you actually did it is an accomplishment and that’s where you’re going to start.  And so I think it’s really important to start small and then they’re businesses will grow and get bigger and bigger.  My daughter for instance with the jewelry company.  Now she’s invested in four Maltese’s and one Yorkie because now she’s going to start breeding dogs.  And so investing in jewelry versus investing in dogs, we’re talking a large money amount.  There’s a difference in the amount of investment.  But because she has started small and she’s eight years of experience in other businesses, now she can start thinking, okay, how about some other bigger, grander businesses that she can invest in.

Sarah – That’s awesome.  I love that you said that that you’re rolling the money and I think that’s, I’m just so glad to hear that you’re saying that because it means that the, I think of lot of parents think, “Oh, gosh, I couldn’t help my kids start a business because we don’t have any extra money to help them start that business.”  But what you’re talking about is saying let them go earn some money doing little odd jobs or having a smaller business and then they roll it and they turn that investment and turn that investment and turn that investment and then eventually they’ll have great incomes and be able to be completely self sufficient and it all was something that you educated them along the way and they worked through it.  And I just love what you’re doing.  That’s really brilliant.

So what are some of the roles, besides parent obviously and obvious you’re educating them on entrepreneurship. What are some of the roles that you’ve had to play before they kind of got the idea that this was all of their own?  Did you have to do cosigning on accounts?  Did you, have they had to set things up legally?  What are some things that you’ve had to do as a parent that have to help them?

JP -      Right, the accounts set up.  My husband does our taxes, that’s his area.  The legalities of sales tax, the buying a license; all of that.  I think the biggest thing is the mentoring.  Mentoring as a parent, coaching as a parent, finding them other mentors.  Saying, “Hey, you know what, this guy is really reputable, he has integrity.  Why don’t you meet him?”  We were just down in Florida, we met Team Hoyt, the father who pushes his 47 year old son and does triathlons.  I mean it’s amazing story.  To look at him and meet him and talk to him.

Neil Moore, the Australian who developed Simply Music.  He has this dream, he has this idea, he is changing the face of music education, for one man, which is spreading out worldwide.  We know him, he’s been in our house, they have a relationship with him.  And so I think it’s very important.  Warren Buffett, they haven’t met him but I invited him to come to our e-ship club when we were in Omaha.  I actually ran into him in an elevator in Omaha, which was a funny encounter.  But yeah, so introducing them and letting them have a relationship with people who are successful and who are, but you know what, they’re very ordinary.  And just thinking, hey if they can do it, I can do it too.

Sarah – Got it.  I think your right.  your absolutely right on that introducing them to people other than yourself because sometimes they listen to other people maybe more than they listen to their parents.  And so I love that you did that because I know that’s at least a way with my kids.  They come home and they’ll say something and I’m like, “But I told you that two weeks ago or a month ago.”  I usually don’t say that.  I don’t say anything about it.  I say, “That’s so great that you learned that.”

JP -      That’s right.

Sarah – So, is there anything else that you’d like to share with the parents and with kids that want to have a business or that already are in business that you’d like to share that you can say as a word of encouragement or as in business tips or some parenting tips?  Is there anything else you’d like to close with?

JP -      You know the biggest thing like I said before it takes time.  It takes time for the parents to help their child and it takes time to allow the child to dream and to think about his ideas.  It takes time maybe for the child even to build their self confidence to do it.  But again, what we give up in the short term, we gain in the long term.  So it’s just very important to invest that time in your child in helping them set up a business.

Sarah – Yeah, definitely.  Definitely, definitely.  And I could see because you’ve done this.  When do you think you started?  Like eight years ago with your kids?

JP -      Yes, eight years.

Sarah – Yeah.  So eight years ago, you had a six year old and you had a one year old and gosh I’m trying to do the math here, five year old and – anyway, three year old.

JP -      A three year old, right.

Sarah – You had very small kids and that undertaking because that’s kind of where we’re at right now.  I have a 13 year old now and a 10 year old and a six year old and we started a couple years ago doing this whole process of getting them into business and helping them with their ideas and things like that.  It started to take a lot of, a lot of time.  Did you ever want to throw in the towel with it?

JP -      Sometimes.  Except that we home school so I just make it part of the homeschooling curriculum.  Academics, work in service; it’s just worked right into one.  If anything would happen, I have my own business.  So teach Simply Music which would, a (inaudible) piano program and so I’ve had my own piano business for ten years.  But six years it’s also been a large studio with teaching the simply music program; anywhere from 60 to 80 students.

And so they’ve lived it.  They’ve been part of my life.  And so as I taught, whether it’s media or marketing or finances or budget.  I’ll just talk to them and let them live it through me or setting up a recital or customer service or teaching.  They come into my lessons and they there, they’re watching, they’re listening and sometimes they’re even doing.  And so I think that that helps to if they can live and be part of a family business, then that gives them more confidence in saying, “Oh okay, well this is just really normal.  This is what you do with your life.  You have your own business.”

Sarah – That’s exactly right.  And I think don’t you believe that it helps you as a parent too to teach them?  If you already have your own business, then as a parent it’s much more, it’s not so complicated to tell them about customer service because you’ve already lived that, it’s already something that you’ve done.  And so definitely what you’re saying.  You’ve lived this for ten years.  And so when you started teaching it to your children, you had lived it and breathed it and were able to pass that on.  So that’s really great that you’re doing that.  So and I love how you’ve been able to get the media involved too.  You’ve done a great job in showcasing not only your own business but your kids businesses also.

JP -      Right, right.  That’s fun.  That’s a fun challenge.

Sarah – Well, all right.  Thank you so much Janita for being with us on the call today and thank you to your kids as well.  And I know that we didn’t get to talk to your husband but it sounds like he does a lot of support in the kid’s businesses as well as probably as supporting you in your own business.  Does he have his own business also?

JP -      Currently he is working in the corporate world.  But yes, he has, he has in the past for three years, he had his own business which allowed him to come home and he had his business, I had my business and then of course the children had all their businesses.  One thing I want to say at the end, it’s important for the children to have a want, to not give them everything.  So in the beginning, way back in the beginning when they started asking for things or my daughter got into clothes, we’d say, “Okay, that’s great.  Figure out how to get it.”  So if you give them reason with I’m not getting everything they want, of course you cover their basic needs.  But then they’ll have to start figuring out a way, okay, if I want this bass guitar, how am I going to get this bass guitar?  Of if I want these new clothes, how am I going to get these new clothes?  So that’s a good thing too that they should have a reason for making their money.

Sarah – They’re highly motivated to get some cash flow.

JP -      Exactly.

Sarah – Yeah, I love that you said that.  It makes me feel good that I’m not the only parent that does that.  Because my kids have often said, “Well, why do we have to work for these things?”  I said, “Mom and dad take care of all of these other things and we know that you’re capable.”

JP -      Exactly.  Because that’s real life.

Sarah – Real life, exactly.  Well, congratulations on all of your success and thank you for being willing to spend time with us on Raising CEO Kids and I just appreciate you and I look forward to hearing about all the success of you as well as your kids.  So thank you for being with us today and I hope you have a fabulous day.

JP -      Thank you Sarah.