Raising Entrepreneurial Kids | enterpriseforkids.com

Skills Learned from Video Games: What Jai and Chayse Took Into Business

Enterprise For KidsTeam Chayse's Stories, Jai's Stories, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids August 15, 2026business skills for kids, entrepreneurship for kids, gaming skills, leadership skills, learning through play, Minecraft, problem solving skills, raising entrepreneurial kids, skills learned from video games, video games and learning 0 Comment

Akaisha playing a video game in the lounge room

The skills learned from video games are not always obvious to parents while their children are playing.

Akaisha using a controller while playing a video game — Like many children, Akaisha enjoys the challenge, concentration and enjoyment that can come through gaming.

All seven of our children grew up with some exposure to computer and online games. It was never completely over the top, although there were certainly times when a couple of them devoted quite a few hours to it. Gaming was only one small part of the broader family enterprise and real-world learning journey we were sharing with them.

Like many parents, we sometimes wondered whether that time could be better spent elsewhere.

Looking back, however, Jai and Chayse both believe that some of the skills learned from video games helped shape the way they later approached business. They were not intentionally learning entrepreneurship at the time. They were playing games, competing with other people, trying to improve and becoming absorbed in challenges that interested them.

It was only later that they began to recognise the connection.

The Skills Learned from Video Games Were Not Obvious at the Time

Gaming is an interesting subject for parents because it is easy to see the time being spent, but not always the learning taking place.

We can see a child sitting at a computer for several hours. What we may not see is that they are solving problems, managing resources, communicating with other players, making quick decisions or trying to understand why a particular strategy has failed.

That does not mean all gaming is beneficial. There is a big difference between playing with purpose and simply remaining glued to a screen because a game is difficult to put down.

However, I also do not think it is helpful to assume that every hour spent gaming has been wasted.

The skills learned from video games were different for each of them. Chayse’s experience was largely about Minecraft, online economies and managing people. Jai’s experience was more about competition, focused practice and learning through immersion. Both examples fit with our wider approach to raising entrepreneurial kids through everyday experiences rather than formal business lessons alone.

Both later recognised elements of those experiences in the way they worked and built businesses.

Games have also been part of our family’s money learning in a more deliberate way. In our refreshed article about Cashflow 101 and games about entrepreneurship, we explore how board games can make ideas such as assets, liabilities, risk and cash flow easier for children to discuss.

Chayse Was Running a Minecraft Business at Twelve

Chayse Howitt at 12 years old when he was playing Minecraft online — At 12, Chayse was unknowingly practising business and management skills through an online Minecraft community.

In 2019, Chayse was spending up to four hours a day playing Minecraft.

This was not the ordinary version of Minecraft where a player quietly builds a house or explores a private world. He was playing on large online servers with thousands of other people.

Many of these servers had their own economies. Players could earn in-game money, buy and sell items, trade resources, own land and negotiate with one another.

At one point, twelve-year-old Chayse owned an area of approximately 1,000 by 1,000 Minecraft blocks. He began dividing the land and renting sections to other players.

As the project grew, he recruited more than ten people to help build and expand it. Eventually, he began paying his brother to supervise the workers.

He had effectively hired a manager.

Chayse also sold property to some of the wealthiest players on the server, hosted events and minigames, and negotiated a server rank that would normally have required real money.

His username became well known among the regular players.

At the time, he did not think of it as running a business. He was simply trying to become successful within the game. Looking back, though, he can see that he was dealing with many of the same things he would later encounter in real work. It also adds another layer to his earlier childhood enterprise story, Chayse the Candy Man, where selling to real customers began building confidence long before he understood the language of business.

Skills Learned from Video Games Through Minecraft

One of the main things Minecraft taught Chayse was that a large project cannot be completed by one person.

Minecraft world used to develop creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills — Minecraft can involve far more than building. Players may also plan, trade, collaborate, solve problems and manage shared projects.

He needed other players to help him expand the property, but simply recruiting people was not enough. He had to explain what he wanted built, provide the materials and make sure everyone understood their role.

Years later, when he began working with user-generated content creators, the connection between those early experiences and the skills learned from video games became clear.

Managing creators also involves giving people the resources and direction they need. Instead of supplying Minecraft blocks and land, he may provide a campaign strategy, information about a product, examples of useful content and feedback on what needs to change.

The setting is completely different, but the management principle is much the same.

Chayse also learned that people work more effectively when there is some sort of system in place. Paying his brother to supervise the Minecraft workers allowed him to focus on other parts of the project.

Chayse Howitt working online as a UGC campaign-management intern at age 18 — At 18, Chayse is applying many of the skills he first practised through online gaming, including teamwork, delegation, communication and problem-solving.

Today, he thinks about how software, processes and delegation can make managing creators easier.

Minecraft also exposed him to ideas around buying and selling, pricing, rent, scarcity and negotiation. The money and property were virtual, but the people he was dealing with were real. They could accept an offer, reject it, misunderstand him, compete with him or decide to go elsewhere. It was a very different setting, but it connected with the same basic ideas we explore in our article on financial education for kids, assets and liabilities.

That gave him a surprisingly practical introduction to how people behave within a marketplace.

Jai’s Gaming Experience Taught Him Something Different

Jai’s strongest lesson did not come from Minecraft.

Jai Howitt as a teenager when online games became part of his learning — Jai believes gaming helped teach him the value of immersion, practice, strategy and learning from people who were better than him.

For him, one of the most influential games was Toribash, an online fighting game in which players control the individual joints of their character.

The game pauses briefly while each player decides how their character will move. The characters then act according to those instructions before the game pauses again.

It requires players to anticipate what an opponent might do and adjust their decisions as the match develops.

When Jai first began playing, he recalls being ranked somewhere in the 400,000s.

He became determined to improve, so he started studying one of his favourite players. He watched how the player approached each match, paid attention to the game mode he used and tried to understand the thinking behind his decisions.

Jai then concentrated heavily on one particular mode rather than moving between lots of different ones.

Within about four months, he says he had reached number three in the world.

What stayed with him was not the ranking itself. One of the most valuable skills learned from video games was the ability to improve quickly when he became deeply interested in something and deliberately surrounded himself with it.

Immersion Became Jai’s Bigger Lesson

Jai later had a conversation with his uncle, who had played professional online poker against some of the best players in the world.

Toribash strategy game used by Jai to practise decision-making and problem-solving — Toribash required Jai to study each move, make quick decisions and continually adjust his strategy.

His uncle explained that poker had become part of almost everything he did. He played it, watched it, studied it and spent time with people who were better than he was.

Jai recognised the same pattern in his Toribash experience.

He had not improved by occasionally playing a game when he felt like it. He improved because he became completely immersed in understanding it.

That idea later carried into his business life.

When Jai wanted to become better at creating video advertisements for brands, he joined communities, connected with agency owners, studied other businesses and created content constantly. He also co-founded a product brand, Naming This Later, which helped him understand what it was like to be the customer purchasing advertising and creative services.

His agency later grew from no revenue to approximately $1 million in eighteen months. More recently, Jai shared the same practical thinking while helping Chayse map out a million dollar business plan during their Geraldton road trip.

Jai does not claim that playing Toribash created that business. The connection is more subtle than that.

Gaming helped him recognise the way he learns best. When he finds something that genuinely interests him, he studies it closely, spends time with people who understand it and keeps working at it until he becomes capable.

As Jai wrote to his email audience:

“I just liked playing video games and they taught me a powerful lesson in life: immersion is how you succeed.”

How the Skills Learned from Video Games Appeared in Their Businesses

The skills learned from video games did not transfer neatly from a screen into a business. There was no moment where either of them simply copied what they had done in a game.

Instead, certain ways of thinking began to reappear.

Chayse had already experienced what it felt like to organise people, delegate work and develop systems. Jai had experienced the value of studying successful players, concentrating on one area and continuing through repeated losses.

Both had become comfortable with trying something, seeing what happened and adjusting their approach.

That is a very useful habit in entrepreneurship.

A business idea rarely works perfectly the first time. There are customers who say no, offers that do not sell and plans that need to be changed. People who are used to treating failure as information are often more willing to keep experimenting. This is closely connected to the way we help children move through limiting beliefs and setbacks without allowing one result to become a fixed story about who they are.

Other skills learned from video games can include collaboration and quick decision-making. Players may need to share responsibilities, communicate under pressure and respond to events they did not expect.

Again, none of this means that every gamer will become an entrepreneur. It simply shows that some gaming environments can expose children to skills that later become useful elsewhere. The willingness to act, learn and adjust also appears in our refreshed Justin Herald entrepreneur story, which has always been one of our stronger examples of attitude shaping opportunity.

What I Have Seen Through Minecraft as a Teacher

My interest in this subject also comes from being a school teacher.

As a teacher, I have also seen how the skills learned from video games can be directed into classroom learning through Minecraft. Students who may be reluctant to engage with an ordinary worksheet can become extremely motivated when they are asked to solve a similar problem through Minecraft.

They can work together to recreate historical locations, plan sustainable communities, demonstrate mathematical ideas, build working structures and explain the reasoning behind their designs.

The benefit is not just that the activity feels fun.

Students have to communicate, share decisions and solve problems together. A group may have plenty of ideas but still struggle if nobody listens, responsibilities are unclear or one person tries to control the entire project.

Those are real collaboration lessons.

Minecraft Education has been designed specifically for classroom use and provides teachers with structured lessons and tools across subjects such as coding, science, history and mathematics.

The official Minecraft Education site provides classroom resources, ready-to-use lessons and learning activities across a range of subjects.

The teacher still plays an important role. Giving students access to Minecraft does not automatically make an activity educational. There needs to be a clear purpose, some guidance and an opportunity for students to explain what they have learned. This is the same principle behind our wider focus on real-world learning that builds confidence and initiative.

The Risks of Gaming Still Matter

A balanced discussion also needs to acknowledge the negatives.

Online games can consume a great deal of time. Because many games are open-ended, there is always something else to build, improve, earn or complete.

Gaming becomes a concern when it regularly takes the place of sleep, exercise, schoolwork, family interaction or real-world friendships.

Public multiplayer servers can also expose children to toxic conversations, bullying, scams and inappropriate behaviour. Chayse’s Minecraft experience involved real people in a public environment, so there were risks alongside the valuable lessons.

Parents still need to know which games their children are playing, who they are communicating with and whether appropriate safety settings are being used.

We also need to watch for the difference between enthusiasm and unhealthy dependence.

A child can be deeply interested in a game without it becoming harmful. The warning signs usually appear when the gaming begins to negatively affect other important areas of life.

Helping Children Recognise the Skills Learned from Video Games

One of the useful things parents can do is take an interest in what is happening inside the game.

Rather than only asking how long they have been playing, we might ask what they are trying to achieve, what has gone wrong or whether they are working with anyone else. It is another practical way to encourage entrepreneurial thinking in children without turning every interest into a formal lesson.

Akaisha playing a video game at home and developing skills learned from video games — Akaisha enjoying a video game at home, a reminder that gaming continues to be part of many children’s everyday lives.

A child may explain that they are building something for other players, organising a team, collecting resources or trying to understand why a particular strategy keeps failing.

Those conversations can help us see whether genuine learning is taking place and help children name the skills learned from video games. They may also help the child recognise skills they had not previously thought about.

At twelve, Chayse did not use words such as delegation, property management or business systems. Jai did not describe his Toribash experience as deliberate practice or competitive analysis.

They understood those ideas later because they had something practical to connect them to.

Parents could also ask:

What is the hardest part of the game?
How did you work out what to do?
Are you helping or managing other players?
What did you try that did not work?
Is there someone in the game you are learning from?
Does anything you are doing remind you of something outside the game?

These questions create a discussion rather than turning gaming into another formal lesson.

Gaming Was Only One Part of Their Development

It is important not to give video games all the credit.

The skills learned from video games were only one part of our children’s development. They also played sport, travelled, went to school, tried small businesses and had many real-world experiences. Our enterprising dinner table conversations and the practical projects collected in our family enterprise stories gave them many other places to test ideas and build confidence. Gaming was only one influence among many.

What it did provide was another place where certain interests and abilities could develop.

Chayse enjoyed building systems, managing people and finding opportunities inside an economy.

Jai enjoyed analysing how people became successful and then immersing himself in improving.

Those traits may have found another outlet even if they had never played online games. Gaming simply provided an early environment in which they could practise them.

The Bigger Lesson About Skills Learned from Video Games

The skills learned from video games can extend well beyond the games themselves, but that does not happen automatically.

It depends on the game, the child, the way they play and whether they eventually recognise how those experiences might apply elsewhere.

For Chayse, Minecraft offered early lessons in buying, selling, leadership, delegation and creating systems.

For Jai, Toribash demonstrated the power of immersion, focused practice and learning from people who were already highly skilled.

Neither of them knew at the time that these experiences would later influence their approach to business. Their wider journeys are shared in our update on what happened to our seven enterprising kids, and the Our Enterprising Kids Today page connects many of those childhood experiences with the paths they are following now.

They were simply following interests that captured their attention.

As parents and teachers, perhaps the lesson is not that children should spend more time gaming. It is that we should remain curious about where their interests might be leading them.

Sometimes useful learning is taking place in places we did not think to look.

Games About Entrepreneurship: What Cashflow 101 Taught Our Family

Enterprise For KidsTeam Money Lessons for Kids, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids August 5, 2026August 15, 2026Cashflow 101, entrepreneurial mindset, financial education for kids, games about entrepreneurship, kids and investing, money lessons for kids, teaching kids about money 0 Comment

Trevor, Jai, Chayse and Flizzy playing the Cashflow 101 board game together

Games about entrepreneurship can make money, investing and business ideas easier for children to understand because they turn abstract concepts into decisions, consequences and family conversations.

I bet many of us have played a game of Monopoly. As a child, it was one of my favourite board games. I did not realise it at the time, but it was probably teaching me early lessons about real estate, rent, development, passive income and the power of owning assets.

Years later, another board game became a favourite in our family. This one went much deeper: Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow 101.

Akaisha holding Monopoly and Cashflow 101 as games about entrepreneurship — Monopoly and Cashflow 101 can both open the door to family conversations about money, property and enterprise.

When people talk about games about entrepreneurship, they often imagine something that teaches business in a neat, classroom-style way. Cashflow 101 was different. It did not just tell our children about money. It placed them inside a money story. They had to make decisions, keep records, take risks, miss opportunities, make mistakes and try again.

For around 20 years, our family has had many conversations about business, investing, work, risk, assets, liabilities and entrepreneurship. Some were planned, but many happened naturally around the dinner table, in the car, through small family projects, while travelling, or while following our children’s different enterprise journeys.

One of the most useful tools we used as a family was not a formal curriculum. It was a board game.

The photographs and video in this article are recent. Our children are now teenagers and adults, but Cashflow 101 still brings us back to the table. That continuing interest is one reason I believe games about entrepreneurship can have a lasting influence.

Important note: This article shares our family and teaching experiences for general education. It is not personal financial advice. Children should not operate real trading, investment or cryptocurrency accounts without appropriate adult supervision and professional guidance where needed.

Why Games About Entrepreneurship Matter

I was reminded of Cashflow 101 recently when I saw a mother in a homeschooling group ask how to support her 12-year-old son. He wanted to start learning about trading, including traditional markets and crypto. Her question was also a reminder that games about entrepreneurship can provide a safer first step than rushing a child towards real markets.

She made it clear that he would not be in charge of operating any real trading accounts, but she wanted to know what apps, platforms or resources might help him learn. She also asked to hear from other families whose children were learning about investing as part of their homeschooling.

I thought it was an excellent question.

Children today are growing up in a world full of investing apps, crypto, online business, influencers, financial headlines and constant money talk. It can be difficult for parents to know what is legitimate, what is hype, and what may even be a scam.

It is easy to fall into one of two extremes.

We can shut the conversation down completely because it feels too risky or too adult. Or we can rush too quickly into real markets before a child understands risk, emotion, research, patience or consequences.

I think there is a better middle path.

When children show interest in trading, crypto or investing, we do not need to shut the conversation down. But we also do not need to rush them into real markets.

The first step is to help them understand how money works, how risk works, how emotions affect decisions, and how investors think.

This is where games about entrepreneurship can be so valuable. They give children a way to practise financial thinking before real money is on the line.

Games About Entrepreneurship Can Teach Through Experience

Cashflow 101 is a board game designed by Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad.

In the game, each player is given a career, a wage, expenses, assets and liabilities. Each person chooses a coloured rat and enters what the game calls the “Rat Race”.

Rat-shaped player piece used on the Cashflow 101 Rat Race board — Players begin in the Rat Race and aim to build enough passive income to reach the Fast Track.

That part of the game is very clever.

Players go around and around a circular track earning wages, paying expenses, buying doodads, dealing with unexpected costs, and looking for business or investment opportunities. Some opportunities are good. Some are not. Some carry more risk. Some need more cash. Some require patience. Some should be left alone.

The aim is to build enough passive income from assets so that your passive income becomes greater than your expenses. When that happens, you leave the Rat Race and move into the Fast Track, where bigger business and investment opportunities become available.

The game can take anywhere from one to three hours to play. In my view, it is suitable for older children, teenagers and adults. There is also a junior version for younger children.

As games about entrepreneurship go, Cashflow 101 asks a lot of its players. It expects them to read, calculate, keep records, weigh up risk and understand the difference between assets and liabilities.

Learning Through Decisions and Financial Records

What I loved about the game was that it taught financial concepts through experience, not just explanation.

Our children learnt about assets and liabilities, income and expenses, cashflow, record keeping, passive income, risk, debt, business opportunities, investing, negotiation, patience and knowing when to walk away.

Players using an app to manage financial transactions during a game of Cashflow 101 — Each player tracks income, expenses, assets, liabilities and cashflow throughout the game using an app.

Each player had to keep their own financial records. That alone was a powerful exercise. They had to track income, expenses, assets, liabilities and cashflow. They had to work out whether they could afford an opportunity, whether it was worth the risk, and whether it would actually move them closer to getting out of the Rat Race.

At the end of a game, we would often stop and talk about how everyone played. We would look at what worked, what did not work, what risks paid off, and which opportunities probably should have been left alone.

Those conversations were often just as valuable as the game itself. This is where games about entrepreneurship become more than entertainment: the choices made during play create genuine discussion afterwards.

Watch Cashflow 101 Being Played

In this recent video, Jai explains how Cashflow 101 works while Chayse, Flizzy and I play alongside him. The short sequence shows the game progressing, the financial decisions being discussed and the family conversation happening around the table.

<br />

Cashflow 101 Was More Than a Money Management Board Game

Cashflow 101 taught financial concepts, but for our family, I think the deeper lesson was about identity.

It helped our children see themselves as people who could understand money. They could read a basic financial statement. They could think about assets and liabilities. They could weigh up risk. They could look at an opportunity and ask whether it made sense.

That inner belief matters.

Family members gathered around a table playing Cashflow 101 — Cashflow 101 creates opportunities to discuss money, risk and investing while decisions are being made.

Building the Identity of a Business Builder

As a school teacher, I have often felt that the curriculum does not properly expose students to the career pathway of the entrepreneur. Children hear a lot about getting a job, choosing a career, going to university or learning a trade. All of those pathways can be valuable.

But many students do not hear enough about building something of their own.

They do not always learn that they can create value, solve problems, build assets, start small projects, develop business skills, or become investors and business builders over time.

That is something we wanted our own children to understand early.

We did not want them to grow up thinking money was mysterious, investing was only for wealthy people, or business was something other people did. We wanted them to feel that these ideas were learnable. They could have a go. They could make mistakes. They could build something. They could become more capable through experience.

Looking back now, with our children grown or growing into adulthood, it is interesting how often they still mention the Cashflow game. They remember the lessons. They remember the conversations. They remember the feeling of trying to get out of the Rat Race.

Amber and Blake making financial decisions while playing Cashflow 101 — Amber and Blake working through the opportunities, expenses and financial decisions in Cashflow 101.

I believe those experiences helped shape their understanding of the fundamentals of being a business builder and investor. They also show that games about entrepreneurship can remain useful well beyond childhood.

Not because the game gave them every answer. It definitely did not. But it gave them a way of thinking.

That is why I think games about entrepreneurship can be so powerful. A good game does not just give information. It helps a child step into a role and practise thinking from that position.

Using Games About Entrepreneurship in the Classroom

I also used Cashflow 101 in a school setting. It showed me that games about entrepreneurship can reach students who may not respond to a conventional lesson about money or career pathways.

People gathered around a table playing the Cashflow 101 board game — Playing Cashflow 101 together encourages discussion, strategic thinking and practical financial decision-making.

At the time, I was working with Year 9 and 10 students in a country high school. Many of the students were disengaged with school, and many had very little direction about their future career pathways.

I saw an opportunity to expose them to entrepreneurship in a practical way, so I ordered four Cashflow 101 games for the school.

We set the games up and grouped the students to play. The games ran over several weeks, with students playing twice a week.

The response was remarkable.

The students embraced it. The game was fun, competitive and strategic. It required focus, thinking, record keeping and decision-making. Students who were often disengaged began to light up as they discovered the world of business, investing and entrepreneurship.

The game opened up questions and discussions about money, risk, work, income, opportunity and business. It also gave students a practical introduction to the kind of entrepreneurial thinking that is often difficult to teach through explanation alone.

I do not know what seeds were planted in those students, but I do know that many of them were exposed to ideas they may not have encountered otherwise.

Sometimes one experience, one conversation, one game or one idea can open a door.

Games About Entrepreneurship and Real-World Exposure

Board games were not the only way we exposed our children to business and investing ideas. The foundation created by games about entrepreneurship was strengthened through real people, real places and real learning experiences.

Over the years, we also took them to different seminars, courses and learning events. Some of these were probably well beyond what most people would consider normal for children, but I have always believed that exposure matters.

Exposure Can Shift What a Child Believes Is Possible

One example that stands out is Jai.

When he was only 12, he flew with me to the other side of Australia to attend a week-long program on trading using CFDs. CFDs, or Contracts for Difference, are leveraged derivatives that can be traded in Australia. They are complex and risky, and I am certainly not suggesting them as something children should trade.

But the learning experience itself was valuable.

Jai was the youngest participant in a room of more than 100 people. Did he understand the content? Yes, he did. Did he become a CFD trader? No, he did not.

But that was never really the point.

The experience opened his eyes to the world of finance. He saw adults learning serious financial skills. He saw that markets, trading, risk and investing were real areas of study. He also saw that there are opportunities available to people who build the confidence, discipline and know-how to understand them.

That kind of exposure can shift a child’s view of what is possible.

A child does not need to fully master every idea at 12 for the experience to matter. Sometimes the value is simply in being in the room, hearing the language, seeing people take learning seriously, and realising that these pathways exist.

That is why I see games, conversations, seminars, courses and real-world experiences as part of the same bigger picture. They all help build financial awareness and inner belief.

Should a 12-Year-Old Learn About Trading?

In answer to the mother’s question, I would say yes, but with care. I would begin with conversations, simulations and games about entrepreneurship before moving anywhere near a live trading account.

Players considering an opportunity during a family game of Cashflow 101 — The game challenges players to consider whether an opportunity is affordable, worthwhile and consistent with their financial goals.

A 12-year-old who is interested in trading or investing does not necessarily need to start by placing trades. There is plenty to learn before real money is involved.

The first thing I would want a child to understand is the difference between investing, trading and speculating.

Investing usually means buying quality assets with a longer-term view. It involves research, patience and the ability to sit through ups and downs without being ruled by emotion.

Trading is more active. It involves reading charts, choosing entries and exits, managing risk carefully and making decisions under pressure. That can be exciting, but it can also become emotional very quickly.

Speculating is different again. It usually means taking a risk on something that may rise in value, but where the outcome is much less certain. Sometimes speculation pays off. Sometimes it does not.

These are not easy distinctions for many adults, let alone children. But a child can begin to understand the basics through games, conversations, simulations and simple examples.

They can learn what an asset is. They can learn what a liability is. They can learn why compound interest matters. They can watch how markets move. They can learn about scams, hype and emotional decision-making. They can practise making decisions without the pressure of real money.

To me, that is the best starting point.

What Other Parents Suggested

The discussion that followed the mother’s question was very interesting. There were many thoughtful suggestions from other parents.

One strong theme was to honour the child’s interest but keep it age-appropriate. If a child is curious about money, markets or investing, that interest can become a powerful learning pathway. It can connect with maths, research, economics, technology, psychology, current events and even writing.

Simulated Investing and Compound Interest

Several people suggested simulated investing or paper trading. Dummy accounts, pretend portfolios and the ASX Schools Sharemarket Game were mentioned as ways for children to practise making decisions without real financial consequences.

That principle fits perfectly with Cashflow 101. Let children practise decision-making before real money is on the line. Both simulations and games about entrepreneurship allow mistakes to become lessons rather than financial losses.

Some parents also talked about teaching the language of markets. Terms like candlesticks, bullish, bearish, trends and technical analysis were mentioned. I do not think children need to become traders immediately, but they can certainly begin learning how markets move and how people interpret that movement.

Compound interest was another important idea raised. One person pointed out that children have a huge advantage when it comes to investing because they have time. A compound interest calculator can help children see how small regular amounts can grow over many years.

That is a powerful lesson because it shifts the conversation away from quick wins and towards patience, consistency and long-term thinking.

Other resources mentioned included books, podcasts, budgeting systems, investment apps, dummy trading accounts, cybersecurity resources and financial education websites. The Australian Government’s MoneySmart guide to teaching kids about money is also a useful starting point for everyday family conversations.

I do not think the main question is simply, “Which app should we use?” A better question might be, “What kind of thinking does this tool teach?”

Some tools encourage patience, research and responsibility. Others can make investing feel like a fast-moving game of excitement and reward. Parents need to be aware of that difference.

Why Crypto Needs Careful but Serious Attention

Crypto came up a lot in the discussion, and understandably so. Games about entrepreneurship can teach broad financial principles, but crypto introduces additional questions about technology, custody, volatility, scams and speculation.

Some parents were enthusiastic about children learning about crypto, blockchain, decentralised finance and digital assets. Others were much more cautious and warned about volatility, scams, tax issues, hype and the risk of children being pulled into something they do not fully understand.

I can see both sides.

Bitcoin image representing cryptocurrency and digital financial education — Bitcoin introduces another layer of discussion about digital money, investment risk and the changing financial world.

Understanding Both the Potential and the Risk

Personally, I do believe crypto is a very real asset class, and I think blockchain technology is likely to become more integrated into our world over time. It already appears that more and more assets, systems and services may eventually be tokenised or connected to blockchain in some way.

For that reason, I think families benefit from understanding it.

However, crypto is not one thing.

There are strong projects and weak projects. There are serious technologies and hype coins. Some projects are trying to solve real problems. Others are built almost entirely on attention, speculation and emotion.

The volatility can also be extreme. A coin can fall dramatically and later recover strongly. Another coin can fall and never come back. This is why I do not think it is helpful to say, “crypto is good” or “crypto is bad”.

The better question is: what exactly are we looking at?

A proper discussion should include the problem the project is trying to solve, the team behind it, the technology or service it provides, whether it has genuine use, and whether the long-term case makes sense. Families also need to understand the risks, including scams, hype cycles, security, tax and emotional decision-making.

The Ethereum Christmas Present

I exposed all of my children to crypto when they were younger in a very simple way.

Ethereum given as a Christmas present to encourage learning about digital assets — A Christmas gift of Ethereum created an opportunity to discuss cryptocurrency, investing, risk and changing forms of money.

For Christmas one year, I gave each of them $100 worth of Ethereum.

This was back in December 2020, before the crypto bull run. At the time, they had very little understanding of crypto and, to be honest, they were not particularly interested in it. The Ethereum sat in my crypto wallet, with a promise to each of them that it was actually theirs.

Over the next 12 months, that Ethereum grew significantly in value.

When the children saw their $100 worth of ETH grow to around $500, they suddenly became much more interested. They wanted to know what had happened. They wanted to understand crypto. Some wanted custody of their Ethereum in their own wallets.

That small Christmas gift created a real-life learning moment.

For Flynn in particular, it became much more than a passing interest. He took crypto seriously, grew his learning, built his crypto portfolio and became both a crypto investor and trader.

Would he have gone down that path if I had not given him Ethereum back in 2020?

I do not know.

But I do know that a small, real experience opened the door to curiosity. And curiosity is often where deep learning begins.

Learning About Crypto as a Family

For families who want to explore crypto, I would not suggest rushing in through social media tips, influencers or random online advice. I would be far more comfortable learning through a professional crypto education organisation with a good track record, proper support, and personalised coaching or mentoring.

That is the path I chose myself through Digital Wealth Group, headed up by Sydel Sierra. For me, having structured education and support was important because crypto can be confusing, fast-moving and risky if you do not understand what you are doing. That experience also connects with our earlier reflections on money mindset and financial education.

I am not a supporter of trading crypto with leverage. That is a very different level of risk.

But I do believe carefully chosen crypto assets may have a place in a broader portfolio alongside other asset classes, provided people understand the risks, do proper research, and seek appropriate advice for their own circumstances.

For children and teenagers, I would treat crypto first as an education topic. It can open up valuable conversations about technology, digital assets, risk, research, scams, hype and the difference between genuine innovation and speculation.

But it should never be presented as easy money.

Financial Education Should Include Danger Literacy

One of the strongest cautions in the discussion was around scams, hype and gambling-like behaviour.

I think this is essential.

If we only teach children about opportunity, we leave them exposed. Financial education should also include danger literacy.

Children need to learn that not every confident person online knows what they are talking about. Not every exciting opportunity is wise. Not every investment story is honest. Not every fast-moving asset is worth chasing.

The Emotional Side of Financial Decisions

They also need to understand the emotional side of money.

Fear of missing out can make people rush in. Greed can make people overcommit. Pride can stop people from admitting they were wrong. Hope can make people hold onto something long after the evidence has changed.

These are not just investing lessons. They are life lessons.

A child or teenager can start with simple questions. What problem does this solve? Where does the value come from? Who benefits if I buy this? What could go wrong? Is this investing, trading, speculating or gambling? What would make me enter, and what would make me exit?

Those questions are valuable for children, teenagers and adults.

It Is Okay to Be Cautious

Not every parent in the discussion agreed that trading was appropriate for a 12-year-old.

That is a fair concern.

Trading involves risk, emotion, probability, psychology, economics, statistics, current events and sometimes complex financial products. A child may not be ready to understand all of that.

But even if a child never places a real trade, their interest can still become a doorway into valuable learning.

A curiosity about trading can lead into maths, research, patience, emotional control, business, technology, economics, cybersecurity, world events and financial literacy.

That is the opportunity.

The aim is not necessarily to create a child trader. The aim is to raise a young person who can think clearly about money, risk, opportunity and value.

Where I Would Start with Games About Entrepreneurship

If a child showed interest in trading or investing, I would probably begin with family learning before real money.

I would start with conversations and games about entrepreneurship such as Cashflow 101. From there, a simulated investing account or sharemarket game could be useful. Compound interest calculators are also excellent because they help children see the power of time, consistency and patience.

I would also encourage a simple journal. Nothing complicated. Just a place to write down why they chose something, what they thought might happen, what actually happened, and what they learnt from the result.

Over time, that journal would reveal a lot.

Did they follow their plan? Did they act on emotion? Did they chase something because it was exciting? Did they ignore risk? Did they become impatient? Did they learn from mistakes?

Those reflections matter.

I would also talk openly about scams, hype, influencers, tax, risk, volatility and the danger of thinking you are smarter than the market.

Not to scare them, but to prepare them.

Games About Entrepreneurship Can Build Inner Belief

For our family, Cashflow 101 was never just a game.

It was a way to practise thinking.

It taught our children that money can be understood. Assets and liabilities matter. Cashflow matters. Opportunities need to be assessed. Risk is part of the game, but not every risk is worth taking.

Most importantly, it helped build an inner belief.

Our children grew up with the idea that business and investing were not mysterious worlds reserved for other people. They were things that could be learned. They could ask questions, make mistakes, read the numbers, assess an opportunity, and build their confidence over time.

That belief has mattered far more than any single financial lesson.

So, when a child asks about trading, investing or crypto, perhaps the best response is not to rush straight to an app or platform.

Maybe the better response is to start learning together.

Play the game. Ask the questions. Practise without real money. Talk about opportunity and danger. Build the understanding first. Used thoughtfully, games about entrepreneurship can become one practical part of a much broader family education.

Because if children learn how to think about money before they start risking money, they will be far better prepared for whatever financial world they step into as adults.

Key takeaway: Games about entrepreneurship such as Cashflow 101 can help families teach children about money, investing, assets, liabilities, risk and business thinking before real money is involved.

Games are only one part of the journey. Family conversations, real-world exposure, seminars, courses and small lived experiences can all help children build the inner belief that they can learn, create value and become capable financial decision-makers.

Million Dollar Business Plan: Jai Coaches Chayse on a Road Trip

Enterprise For KidsTeam Chayse's Stories, Jai's Stories, Our Enterprising Kids Today, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids July 25, 2026July 31, 2026Art of Mondays, business advice for young entrepreneurs, business growth, Chayse Howitt, family entrepreneurship, Founder Sports Club, Jai Howitt, million dollar business plan, minimum viable product, real-world learning, startup business ideas, young entrepreneur mentor 0 Comment

Jai Howitt coaching Chayse on a million dollar business plan during their Geraldton road trip

A million dollar business plan sounds like something created in a boardroom, but this one unfolded during a ten-hour road trip to Geraldton in Jai’s much-loved Land Rover.

Jai was travelling with his younger brother Chayse and their friend Flizzy to visit the boys’ grandparents. Along the way, Jai began coaching Chayse through a practical question: what would a realistic million dollar business plan look like for someone starting with limited money and experience?

It became much more than a business conversation. One brother’s experiences, successes and mistakes became a guide for another brother who is just beginning his own entrepreneurial journey.

The purpose of this million dollar business plan was not to promise overnight wealth. It was to help Chayse make better decisions, test ideas carefully and build evidence before investing too much time or money.

Editor’s note: This article shares Jai’s personal business framework and our family’s reflections on his journey. It is educational rather than financial advice, and no business plan can guarantee a particular result.

A Road Trip, Two Brothers and a Million Dollar Business Plan

Jai is nine years older than Chayse. He remembers clearly what it felt like to be Chayse’s age: ambitious, curious and convinced that there had to be a way to create a life on his own terms.

Chayse is now at that same stage. He has taught himself how to build websites and apps, work with artificial intelligence, create digital products, run marketing campaigns and pitch his skills to online businesses. He has experimented with NFTs and cryptocurrency, completed paid work for clients and recently secured an internship in digital content and user-generated content marketing.

He looks up to Jai, not because everything Jai has tried has worked, but because Jai has built, failed, adapted and built again.

That made the Geraldton trip an ideal opportunity for a longer conversation. There were no formal desks, presentation slides or classrooms. There was a long road, plenty of time and a younger brother ready to listen.

Jai’s Early Enterprise Lessons Began Long Before the Million Dollar Businesses

For us, one of the most meaningful parts of this story is seeing how Jai’s current business thinking connects with the small enterprise experiences he had as a child.

Readers who followed Enterprise for Kids in the early years may remember Jai exploring technology, vlogging, media creation and app development. At around thirteen, he was already fascinated by the idea that technology could be used to create something valuable. His early Apple app enterprise idea did not become an instant success, but it taught him to think in terms of problems, products, technology and possibility.

Those childhood ideas were not wasted just because they did not immediately become profitable businesses. They were rehearsals. Jai was learning how to imagine an outcome, find information, ask for help, deal with roadblocks and keep moving.

This is one of the recurring themes in our family enterprise stories. The small experiments children try today may become the foundations of the work they do years later.

How Jai Learned the Lessons Behind His Million Dollar Business Plan

One of Jai’s most valuable early opportunities came when a successful businessman employed him to follow his work and family life with a camera.

Jai travelled with him, filmed his daily activities and recorded the business courses he delivered to clients in places including Bali and the Hunter Valley. He then spent hours editing the footage for social media and online course content.

On the surface, Jai was being paid to film and edit. In reality, he was receiving an unusually close education in business.

That kind of exposure is one reason we believe young entrepreneurs and business mentors can have such a powerful influence on children. Seeing how someone thinks, works and makes decisions can expand what a young person believes is possible.

He observed how the businessman communicated, taught, made decisions, served clients, structured offers and presented ideas. Jai was learning through proximity. He could see what business looked like from the inside rather than only reading about it from the outside.

Years later, the pattern came full circle. Flizzy was working with Jai, filming and creating content during the Geraldton trip, much as Jai had once done for his own mentor. Flizzy then shaped that footage into the YouTube video embedded below.

One young person had once learnt by carrying the camera. Now another young creator was doing the same while Jai passed his lessons to Chayse.

Watch Jai Coach Chayse Through His Million Dollar Business Plan

You can also watch Jai’s full video on YouTube.

What the Million Dollar Business Plan Teaches About Success and Failure

Jai’s advice did not come from theory alone. By the time of this conversation, he had already experienced several very different businesses.

One of his early ventures was a media agency called Brand Boostr. It grew quickly and, at one point, employed more than a dozen people. The business generated significant revenue, but rapid growth also exposed weaknesses. Jai discovered that sales and profit are not the same thing, and that poor cashflow management can place even a busy, successful-looking business under pressure.

These experiences also reinforce why financial education for kids needs to include more than earning money. Young people also need to understand value, expenses, assets, liabilities and the consequences of financial decisions.

That experience was painful, but it became one of his most important lessons.

Jai later built Naming This Later with a business partner. They designed a versatile woven throw that could be used at the beach or in the home, had it manufactured in India and marketed it internationally through Facebook advertising. The business achieved more than one million dollars in sales. Jai eventually gifted his share to his business partner after recognising that his enthusiasm had moved elsewhere.

He also helped build Founder Sports Club, a membership community designed to help active entrepreneurs meet other founders through sport and real conversation. It now operates as part of Art of Mondays’ Founder Sports Club.

Today, Jai is building Art of Mondays with his business partner Evan. The business creates spaces and communities for ambitious people who want to build meaningful work while also creating a life they enjoy.

Across these businesses, Jai has experienced growth, pressure, excitement, loss of motivation, mistakes, reinvention and the consequences of moving too quickly. That is why his advice to Chayse is practical. He knows a good idea is not enough. A business must solve a meaningful problem, attract paying customers, manage money, deliver value and fit the life of the person building it.

Jai’s One-Page Million Dollar Business Plan

Jai describes this as the one-page playbook he has used when taking businesses from an idea towards the one-million-dollar-a-year level. His million dollar business plan is designed to keep the founder focused on evidence, customers and practical action rather than complicated forecasts or guesswork.

It is not a traditional business plan filled with lengthy forecasts and formal documents. It is a decision-making framework. It helps a founder choose a worthwhile problem, test a solution quickly and build evidence before investing too much time or money.

For a simpler introduction suitable for younger students, our article on business plan ideas for students explores how training, tools, teamwork, time and clear goals can help turn an idea into action.

The strength of this million dollar business plan is that it begins with decisions and evidence rather than complicated forecasts or guesswork.

1. Begin With the Life You Want

Before choosing a business, Jai asks a bigger question:

What do you want your life to look like twelve months from now?

The answer should include more than an income target. It might include where you want to live, how you want to work, the people you want around you, the amount of freedom you want and the experiences you hope to create.

Jai also encourages Chayse to identify his anti-goals: the things he does not want his success to cost him.

I do not want to work twelve-hour days indefinitely.
I do not want to sacrifice my physical or mental health.
I do not want to build a business that makes travel impossible.
I do not want success to leave me isolated or lonely.

This is an important distinction. A business can look successful from the outside while creating a life the founder does not enjoy.

2. Solve a Problem You Understand

Jai’s next step is to carry a notebook for thirty days and record problems as they appear in everyday life.

Each problem can then be scored using two scales:

PAIN: How frustrating, expensive or difficult is this problem for the person experiencing it?
PLAY: How enjoyable and natural would solving this problem feel to you?

The most promising opportunities score highly on both. The customer genuinely wants relief from the problem, and the founder is interested enough in the solution to remain engaged when the work becomes difficult.

This is excellent advice for young entrepreneurs. Instead of beginning with, “How can I make money?”, begin with, “What problem can I solve well?”

This connects closely with our lesson on entrepreneurship for students, where we explore how young people can learn to notice opportunities, solve problems, create value and take action.

3. Find a Reference Point

A completely original idea is not always an advantage.

Jai advises looking for another business that is already solving a similar problem. Its existence can provide evidence that customers recognise the problem and are willing to pay for a solution.

The goal is not to copy someone else. It is to understand the market, learn what customers already value and then create a clear difference.

4. Test the Business Model Before Falling in Love With the Idea

Jai uses a simple checklist when assessing a possible business model:

Does it have a clear difference in the market?
Can it produce recurring revenue?
Can it achieve strong margins?
Can it scale without requiring an equally large increase in staff?
Can it be started without raising a large amount of outside capital?
Does it suit the founder’s desired way of living?

Not every worthwhile small business will meet every item perfectly. However, the checklist forces a young founder to think beyond whether the idea sounds exciting.

A strong business must work for both the customer and the person building it.

5. Build a Minimum Viable Product Quickly

Instead of spending months making a polished product in private, Jai encourages Chayse to build a minimum viable product, or MVP, within about three days.

The first version only needs to solve the central problem well enough for real people to try it.

His advice is:

Use the 80/20 rule.
Focus on the few features that create most of the value.
Aim to be meaningfully different rather than marginally better.
Offer the early version free when useful so people will test it.

This reduces the cost of being wrong. A founder learns from users before investing heavily in a product people may not want.

Within Jai’s million dollar business plan, speed matters because early testing can prevent months of work being invested in the wrong solution.

6. Ask for Feedback and Improve Relentlessly

Once people begin using the product, Jai recommends asking direct questions:

What do you love about this idea?
What would you change or improve?
What is confusing or unnecessary?
How much would you realistically pay for it?

He suggests watching customers use the product, creating a simple group chat for suggestions and studying competitors’ one-star reviews. Complaints often reveal gaps that a new business can solve better.

At the same time, Jai warns against adding every requested feature. More does not always mean better. If removing a feature does not break the core solution, it may be noise rather than value.

7. Find the First Paying Customer

A compliment is encouraging, but a paying customer is evidence.

This is a crucial point in the million dollar business plan: interest is useful, but a real sale provides much stronger evidence that the business is solving something valuable.

The first sale proves that someone values the solution enough to exchange real money for it. If people like the idea but will not pay, the founder may need to improve the product, solve a more painful problem or communicate the value more clearly.

This stage is not failure. It is information.

8. Build a Predictable Path to $100,000 a Year

Once the product works and customers are willing to pay, the next challenge is creating a repeatable way to attract more of them.

Jai encourages choosing two lead-generation methods rather than trying everything at once. Options include:

direct outreach through email, messages or calls;
organic content across social media platforms;
referrals from happy customers;
networking and events;
paid advertising;
partnerships;
lead magnets, webinars and workshops; and
email marketing and customer retention.

His advice when growth slows is often to do more of what has already worked before abandoning it for a completely new strategy.

More volume, better execution, then something new.

9. Scale Towards One Million Dollars With More Focus, Not More Chaos

At this stage, Jai’s advice becomes surprisingly simple: do less, but do it with greater focus.

He encourages founders to increase the value they provide and create a logical pathway for customers:

give away something genuinely useful to attract the right people;
offer an affordable first paid product;
develop a recurring product or membership;
create a higher-value offer for customers who need deeper support.

He also emphasises content. Strong businesses need demand, and useful content can educate customers, build trust and show people why the solution matters.

Finally, founders need to decide what should be automated, delegated or eliminated. Growth becomes difficult when the founder remains responsible for every small task.

This stage of the million dollar business plan is about creating focused, repeatable growth rather than simply adding more work for the founder.

10. Choose Your Work, Environment and People Carefully

Jai’s final lesson is not really about revenue.

He tells Chayse to spend more time deciding:

what he wants to do;
where he wants to live; and
who he wants to spend his time with.

Those three choices shape far more than a business. They shape a life.

“When I was young, a few people believed in me, and it changed what I believed was possible.”

This also connects with our article on limiting beliefs in children. Encouragement does not guarantee success, but it can help a young person believe they are capable of learning, trying and recovering when an idea does not work.

That belief is something Jai now wants to pass on.

Chayse Is Not Starting From Nothing

Although the video frames the challenge as building a business from scratch, Chayse is not beginning empty-handed.

He already has years of self-directed learning behind him. He has built and sold digital assets, developed websites and apps, completed projects for paying clients and invested his own money in learning marketing skills. He understands online communities, content, artificial intelligence and the speed at which digital opportunities change.

Just as importantly, he has older siblings who can show him what success and failure actually look like.

When Chayse was four, we wrote about his little lolly business and the excitement of turning a small amount of start-up money into something more. Today, the products and platforms are different, but the foundation is familiar: notice an opportunity, make a plan, test the idea and learn through action.

You can follow more of his earlier and current journey through our Chayse Howitt stories.

The Mentorship Circle Comes Back Around

There is something especially powerful about the way this story connects three young men.

Jai once learnt by filming a businessman, listening to his teaching and observing how he worked. Flizzy was now working with Jai in a similar creative role. At the same time, Jai was mentoring Chayse and turning his own difficult business lessons into a clearer pathway for his younger brother.

This is how practical knowledge often moves between generations and peers. Someone opens a door, shares what they know and gives another person the confidence to begin.

It also reinforces why we continue to believe in raising entrepreneurial kids through real-world learning. We cannot predict which childhood project, family conversation, mentor or early failure will matter most. We can only create opportunities, encourage curiosity and help young people learn how to think.

Key Takeaway: A Million Dollar Business Plan Begins With Better Decisions

Key takeaway: Jai’s million dollar business plan is not a promise of quick wealth. It is a framework for making better decisions: choose the life you want, solve a painful problem, test the solution quickly, listen to customers, find a repeatable path to growth and stay focused on what creates real value.

For Chayse, the greatest advantage may not be the plan itself. It may be having a brother willing to share the wins, mistakes and hard-earned lessons behind it.

What is one problem you notice in your own life that could become the beginning of a useful business idea? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Limiting Beliefs in Children: 4 Simple Tools to Help Kids Know They Are Enough

Enterprise For KidsTeam Kit's Stories, Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids July 11, 2026July 21, 2026confidence in children, enterprising kids, entrepreneurial mindset for kids, growth mindset for kids, helping kids believe in themselves, I am enough, kit howitt, leadership for kids, limiting beliefs in children, Marisa Peer, outdoor education, positive self image, self belief, self confidence for kids 0 Comment

Kit as a young adult standing confidently with folded arms while working as a summer camp facilitator and team leader

Limiting beliefs in children can quietly shape the way they learn, take risks, make friends, handle failure and see their own future.

I was reminded of this recently while listening to Stephen Bartlett interview Marisa Peer on The Diary of a CEO. It made me think again about children, confidence, school, enterprise, and the stories young people quietly carry about themselves.

Limiting beliefs in children can shift through confidence, leadership and real responsibility as Kit leads a summer camp activity — Confidence often grows through real responsibility, leadership opportunities and the chance to step forward, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Marisa Peer has spent many years working with people around the subconscious mind, self-worth and the inner stories that shape behaviour. What fascinated me most was not only how this applies to adults, but how powerfully it applies to children, especially children we want to raise with confidence, creativity, resilience and an entrepreneurial mindset.

As a teacher, a parent, and someone who has spent years thinking about what helps children become capable and free-thinking, I found myself listening to that interview and thinking: this matters. This is not just personal development. This is family life. This is school life. This is enterprise education. This is the inner foundation that helps children believe they can have a go.

Important note: This article is a parent and teacher reflection, not medical or therapeutic advice. Hypnosis and clinical therapies should only be used by properly trained professionals with appropriate consent. The toolkit below is deliberately simple, practical and suitable for everyday family or classroom encouragement.

The Three Beliefs Behind Limiting Beliefs in Children

One of the ideas that stayed with me was Marisa Peer’s explanation that many adult struggles are connected to a few deep beliefs formed early in life. In the interview, she described three common inner patterns:

I am different, so I do not truly belong or connect.
What I want is not available to me, or in everyday language, I do not deserve it or it is not for people like me.
I am not enough: not smart enough, good enough, organised enough, attractive enough, capable enough or worthy enough.

Those words are simple, but they are powerful. I have seen versions of them in children. A student who says, “I’m just bad at maths.” A child who avoids trying because they believe others are naturally better. A teenager who studies hard, does the homework, then performs below where they hoped and begins to think, “Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought.”

When we notice limiting beliefs in children, we can begin to help them separate a result from their identity. A disappointing mark, a mistake, a failed attempt or an awkward moment does not have to become a story about who they are.

I have also seen versions of this in myself. In futures day trading, for example, I can be disciplined and successful in practice mode. Yet when real money is involved, and I am in a live room with a professional trader and other traders around me, different behaviours can appear: fear of missing out, impatience, greed, revenge trading, the need to take action, or a lack of trust in the plan.

On the surface, that looks like a trading problem. But underneath, it may also be an identity and belief problem. If something in the subconscious is trying to prove I am not enough, escape discomfort, or force action so I feel in control, then no strategy will work properly until that inner pattern is addressed.

That links strongly with what we have written about before on Enterprise for Kids: success is never only about the external strategy. It is also about the inner story.

In our earlier article Money Mastery: Lessons from Paul Counsel’s Program, we reflected that financial freedom is not only about numbers. It is also about beliefs, choices, habits, values and identity. In Sean Rasmussen… Developing Self Esteem, we explored how self-image shapes behaviour, and how children can begin to act from the story they hold about themselves. And in Entrepreneurship for Students: How Entrepreneurs Think, we wrote about the conditioning young people receive around money, work and what is possible.

How Limiting Beliefs in Children Are Strengthened by Repetition

Another idea from Marisa Peer that struck me was her point that the mind learns by repetition. A belief is often just a thought we have thought over and over until it feels true.

Marisa Peer being interviewed by Steven Bartlett in a discussion that prompted reflection on limiting beliefs in children — Marisa Peer’s conversation with Steven Bartlett prompted this reflection on how beliefs, repetition and self-worth can shape children and adults.

That is a confronting idea, because children repeat thoughts all the time:

I can’t do this.
I’m not good at school.
Everyone else finds this easier than me.
I always mess things up.
I am shy.
I am not a maths person.
I am not creative.
People like them succeed. People like me do not.

When a child repeats those thoughts, the thoughts become familiar. Then familiarity starts to feel like truth. From there, the child may act in ways that confirm the belief. They avoid the task, perform nervously, give up early, or stop putting themselves forward. The result then becomes more “proof” that the belief was right.

This is where limiting beliefs in children can become a quiet pattern. The child is not trying to be difficult. They may simply be repeating a story that has started to feel true.

This is why the language we use around children matters so much. It is also why the language children use about themselves matters. If the subconscious mind responds strongly to repetition, then we need to be deliberate about the repeated words, repeated experiences and repeated identities we allow children to practise.

Limiting Beliefs in Children and the “I Am Enough” Message

At the end of the interview, Marisa Peer returned to a very simple phrase: “I am enough.”

I have been saying it often since listening to the podcast. I have also encouraged Akaisha, our fifteen-year-old daughter, to say it as well. She has had some recent assessment disappointments at school, despite doing homework and studying, and that can become a real knock to confidence.

When a child starts to come in below where they hoped, the danger is that the assessment result becomes an identity statement. Instead of “I did not get the result I wanted this time,” the child starts to hear, “I am not good enough.”

That is where “I am enough” is so important. It does not mean “I do not need to try.” It does not mean “I am perfect.” It means:

I am enough to learn.
I am enough to try again.
I am enough even when I get feedback.
I am enough before the result arrives.
My worth is not determined by one mark, one trade, one business attempt, one friendship problem, or one mistake.

For me, this phrase is one simple way to soften limiting beliefs in children. It gives them somewhere steadier to stand before they try again.

Children who know they are enough can still aim high. In fact, they are often more able to aim high because they are not paralysed by the fear that failure will prove something terrible about who they are.

Why Limiting Beliefs in Children Matter for Enterprising Kids

Enterprise is not only about starting a business. It is about taking initiative, spotting opportunities, solving problems, serving people, handling money, communicating, recovering from setbacks and creating something useful in the world.

That kind of learning requires confidence. It requires a child to walk up to a customer, try a new idea, ask a question, receive a “no”, count money, make mistakes, adjust the plan and keep going.

We saw this with Kit and Chayse in their lolly business. In Kit and Chayse and a Lesson on Self Efficacy, we wrote about how repeated action helped build confidence. Kit was shy at first, but by putting himself out there over time, he began to develop self-efficacy: the belief that he could take action and influence the result.

That is what we want for children. Not fake confidence. Not empty praise. We want the deep inner belief that says, “I can learn. I can improve. I can solve problems. I can handle discomfort. I am enough to have a go.”

Seeing Limiting Beliefs Shift in Kit’s Journey

Looking at Kit now, I can see how much confidence can grow when a young person is given real responsibility and the chance to step into uncomfortable but meaningful experiences.

Limiting beliefs in children can shift through real responsibility as Kit leads outdoor group games at summer camp — Kit leading outdoor group games at summer camp — a real example of confidence, responsibility and leadership growing through experience.

Kit is currently in the USA for the second time working at a summer camp for three to four months. He has been placed in a leadership role, responsible for a large group of children and teenagers. He has also been involved in trekking camps into the wilderness, helping facilitate a leadership program for 16 and 17 year olds through a range of practical activities and challenges.

That did not appear out of nowhere. Before these summer camp roles, Kit completed outdoor education courses, worked as an intern at Margaret River Senior High School, and facilitated school groups through camp activities with Dare Adventures in Dwellingup.

Kit loves travel, people and new experiences. He also loves helping children build confidence and step into leadership. To me, that is a beautiful example of what can happen when children grow through responsibility, self-belief and repeated chances to have a go.

You can read more of Kit’s earlier Enterprise for Kids journey in Kit’s Stories.

A Simple Toolkit for Limiting Beliefs in Children

Toolbox for limiting beliefs in children with four tools to help kids know they are enough — A simple toolbox for helping children notice limiting beliefs, practise helpful words, take responsibility, reframe thoughts and celebrate small wins.

The following toolkit is not therapy. It is a practical set of family and classroom strategies inspired by Marisa Peer’s ideas, our own parenting journey, and the Enterprise for Kids philosophy.

These tools are not about pretending limiting beliefs in children do not exist. They are about helping children notice the old story, question it gently, and practise something more useful.

1. Become a Belief Detective

When a child says something limiting, do not rush too quickly to correct it. First, help them notice it.

You might ask:

Where did that belief come from?
Is it definitely true?
Who told you that?
Is it true all the time, or only sometimes?
What would be a more useful belief?

For example, if a child says, “I’m just bad at writing,” we can gently reframe it: “You are learning to organise your ideas. That is different from being bad at writing.”

The aim is to help children separate the event from the identity. A result is feedback. It is not a life sentence.

2. Replace the Old Script With an “I Am Enough” Script

Children need simple words they can repeat until the new belief starts to feel familiar. The phrase “I am enough” is a powerful beginning, but it can be linked to the exact challenge the child is facing.

For assessments:

I am enough, and I can learn this step by step.
Everything I have studied is stored in my mind, and I can access it calmly.
This test is a chance to show what I know, not a threat to who I am.

For enterprise:

I am enough to speak to a customer.
I am enough to receive a no and keep going.
I am enough to solve problems and improve my idea.

For sport or performance:

I am enough to have a go.
My body knows what to do because I have practised.
I can stay calm, focused and ready.

For parents, including myself, the same principle applies. A trader might say, “I am enough without needing to force the next trade. I can wait for my setup. I can follow my plan. Missing one trade does not mean missing my future.”

3. Build an Evidence Bank

The subconscious loves familiar evidence. If a child has practised looking for failure, they will keep finding it. So we can help children practise looking for evidence of capability.

Create an “evidence bank” with your child. This could be a notebook, a jar, a poster, a notes app or a small card on the fridge. Add evidence such as:

A time they kept trying.
A time they solved a problem.
A time they were brave.
A time they asked for help.
A time they improved after feedback.
A time they made a sale, spoke to someone, performed, finished a task or recovered from disappointment.

This connects beautifully with our earlier writing about self-image. Children need to dwell on successes, not only mistakes. They need repeated proof that they are capable.

4. Rehearse the Identity Before the Event

Before a test, performance, market stall, sports game or difficult conversation, help the child mentally rehearse who they are going to be.

This is not about pretending in a shallow way. It is about giving the mind a useful blueprint. Marisa Peer talks about the mind responding to the pictures and words we give it. We have also used similar ideas in earlier Enterprise for Kids articles around intention, vision boards and goal setting.

A simple three-step rehearsal might be:

Close your eyes and see yourself walking into the situation calmly.
Say the identity statement: “I am enough. I am calm. I am prepared. I can handle this.”
Picture one small successful action: answering the first question, greeting the first customer, waiting for the right trade, serving the ball, or asking for help.

Children do not need long visualisations. Two calm minutes can be enough to shift their emotional state and give the subconscious a better script to follow.

Helping Children Move Beyond Limiting Beliefs at School

As a primary school teacher, I can see huge potential for this work in schools. Again, I am not suggesting hypnosis in classrooms. I am talking about simple, age-appropriate belief and confidence tools that support learning and wellbeing.

Imagine a class routine like this:

Morning belief check: “What is one useful thought I want to practise today?”
Before assessments: “I am prepared. I can stay calm. I can show what I know.”
After feedback: “This is information. It helps me know what to practise next.”
Weekly evidence bank: students write one example of effort, courage or improvement.
Enterprise challenge reflection: “What problem did I solve? What did I learn about myself?”

Over time, students can begin to understand that their thoughts are not always facts. A thought can be questioned. A belief can be upgraded. A result can be learned from. A child can be more than the story they inherited.

Why “Fake It Until You Make It” Needs Careful Language

One part of Marisa Peer’s message that intrigued me was the idea of telling your mind a better story before you fully believe it. Some people call this “fake it until you make it”.

I understand what she means. If a child keeps saying, “I am going to fail,” the mind and body may begin to respond as if failure is already happening. If the child practises saying, “I can stay calm and remember what I have learned,” the body may respond differently.

However, with children, I would be careful not to make it feel false or forced. Instead of asking a child to say something they completely reject, we can build bridge statements:

I am learning to believe I can do this.
I am becoming more confident with practice.
I do not know it yet, but I can learn it.
This is hard, and I can take the next step.
I am enough, even while I am still learning.

Bridge statements are powerful because they are believable enough for the conscious mind and useful enough for the subconscious mind.

The Enterprising Kids Mindset Starts Inside

The more I reflect on Marisa Peer’s interview, the more I see how closely it connects with the Enterprise for Kids message.

We can give children market stalls, money lessons, leadership camps, business ideas, mentors and opportunities. Those things matter. But if a child carries the belief “I am not enough,” they may still hold back from the very opportunities that could help them grow.

If a child believes they are different and cannot connect, they may avoid customers, teams and friendships. If they believe success is not available to them, they may not even try. If they believe they are not enough, they may interpret every mistake as proof they should stop.

Our job as parents and teachers is not to remove every struggle. It is to help children build the inner foundation that allows them to face struggle without losing themselves.

That foundation can begin with three words:

I am enough.

When children know that, they can learn, risk, create, fail, adjust, serve, sell, study, trade, perform and try again from a stronger place.

Key takeaway: Limiting beliefs in children can quietly shape confidence, learning and enterprise. When we help children notice the old story, repeat a better one, collect evidence of capability and rehearse who they are becoming, we give them a stronger foundation for success.

What limiting belief did you have to outgrow as a child? And what belief would you love your own children to grow up knowing? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Kids Mindset for Success: Planning and Goal Setting

Enterprise For KidsTeam Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids July 29, 2013May 20, 2026entrepreneurial kids, goal setting for kids, kids mindset for success, mindset for success, natalie cook, planning for kids, positive affirmations for kids, raising entrepreneurial kids, success mindset, vision board for kids 0 Comment

Young kids in suits showing a determined kids mindset for success

Kids mindset for success begins with helping children turn their dreams, ideas and intentions into a clear plan they can actually follow.

During my career-path conversation with my son Jai, he was able to visualise himself, his surroundings and the companions he wanted in his adult future. The final step was to solidify the pathway that would take him to his version of a successful life: a plan, Natalie Cook’s fifth P.

Natalie Cook with Cathy showing a kids mindset for success — Natalie Cook stood on a chair for this photo!

Kids Mindset for Success Starts With a Plan

It is always a good idea to sit down and plot out short-term and long-term goals, especially for entrepreneurial kids who are cultivating a kids mindset for success.

On an adult level, well-made plans should be a natural component of what you perceive as your life’s purpose — your “Why” in life. Of course, children who are entrepreneurial may not have solidified their life purpose to this extent yet. But they can still begin learning how to set meaningful goals, create intentions and take practical steps forward.

A plan helps children move from vague wishing into purposeful action.

Helping Kids Set Clear Intentions

Sean Rasmussen, our internet marketing mentor, taught me a trick that can be successful with kids as well.

Write an intention on a small piece of paper, but do not use the future tense.

For instance, an adult might write:

“I have attracted a healthy, motivated business person to my business this month.”

That is much stronger than writing:

“I will attract…”

A child might write:

“I have kicked two goals at this Saturday’s soccer match.”

Place the written intention under your pillow, in your wallet, or somewhere you will view it regularly. The idea is to set a specific and realistic goal, then see it, believe it and feel it.

People who practise this mindset for success technique can go on to set bigger and grander intentions over time.

For children, this is not about pressure. It is about learning to direct their thoughts, language and energy toward something positive and achievable.

Having a Defined Goal Builds a Kids Mindset for Success

My friend Michael Clouse says that not having a clearly defined plan is like an archer who aims at a target with a blindfold on.

There is no chance of hitting the bullseye if you are unable to see it.

That image is a wonderful one for children. If they cannot see what they are aiming for, how can they know which direction to move? A clearly defined goal helps children understand what they are working toward and why their daily actions matter.

This is especially important for entrepreneurial kids, because business ideas can easily remain just ideas unless they are supported by a plan.

Vision Boards and a Kids Mindset for Success

Another technique is visualising goals using a vision board.

Select the experiences, goals and things that you would like to have in your life. Then make a poster board using images, words and graphics. Place the vision board somewhere you will see it daily.

The important part is not just making the board. The important part is seeing it often, visualising the items on the board, and imagining them as if they were real and already present in your life.

Child facing fears and building a mindset for success — Facing your fears! Walking on broken glass!

A vision board can help children begin to connect their imagination with action. It gives them a visual reminder of what they care about and where they are heading.

For some kids, this might include sport, travel, family, creativity, business ideas, friendships, learning goals or ways they want to contribute to the world.

Positive Affirmations Lead to a Success Mindset in Kids

Speaking positive affirmations aloud two or three times a day is another way of setting your intention and belief. Again, these should be in the present tense.

Natalie Cook likes to declare her intentions and plans before a public audience, making herself accountable to a lot of people for achieving her aims. Her Olympic journey is a strong example of discipline, planning and follow-through. You can read more about her work and speaking through Natalie Cook’s official website.

So be bold.

Change your way of thinking.

Get rid of the negatives.

Affirm the positives.

Make sure that your plans are well aligned with your life vision. Set grand goals and follow your plan. This is a kids mindset for success.

Natalie Cook’s Five Ps Series

This article is Part 4 in our series on Natalie Cook’s Five Ps for helping entrepreneurial kids and enterprising teens develop purpose, people, passion, perseverance, planning and a mindset for success.

Part 1: Purpose
Part 2: People and Passion
Part 3: Perseverance
Part 4: Plan and a Kids Mindset for Success — you are here

Where to Next?

How do you help your children set goals and follow a plan? Leave a comment and share one strategy that has helped build a mindset for success in your family.

Teaching Perseverance to Kids: Natalie Cook’s Five Ps

Enterprise For KidsTeam Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids July 23, 2013May 20, 2026Enterprising teens, entrepreneurial kids, goal setting for kids, kids success mindset, mindset for success, natalie cook, perseverance for kids, raising entrepreneurial kids, resilience for kids, teaching perseverance to kids 4 Comments

Cathy Howitt with Natalie Cook in a lesson about teaching perseverance to kids

Teaching perseverance to kids is one of the most important parts of helping them develop a mindset for success, because every child will face setbacks, rejection and moments when things feel too hard.

A baby learns to walk by falling over many times. An entrepreneur learns to succeed after stumbling along the way. In this third part of Natalie Cook’s Five Ps series, we look at her fourth P: Perseverance — perseverance on our children’s part, and perseverance on ours as parents too.

Kids working together on a computer while learning perseverance and problem solving — Perseverance grows when children work through challenges, solve problems together and keep going when learning gets difficult.

Teaching Perseverance to Kids Through Real-Life Setbacks

One of the best ways to teach children perseverance is to let them see adults handle setbacks in a healthy way.

For example, Cathy and I have learned that in the business of referring people to an opportunity, many people will simply not be interested. With enterprising teens watching, how do parents set an example to persevere when people say “No”?

The mindset for success is to celebrate the “No.”

After enough “No” responses, a “Yes” will inevitably follow. One of my mentors, David Wood, says to do the Happy Dance whenever you get a “No,” because the rejection has only moved you one step closer to the “Yes.”

Perseverance for Kids Means Learning to Handle Rejection

Your kids, whether entrepreneurial or not, are going to like seeing that Happy Dance.

It becomes a practical, memorable way to help seal the behavioural pattern of success in their mindsets. Being able to overcome rejection in business, rejection from friends and even rejection from family is paramount when teaching perseverance to kids.

The lesson is simple but powerful: rejection is not the end of the road. It is part of the road.

For entrepreneurial kids and enterprising teens, this matters. A child who can hear “No” and still keep going has a much stronger foundation than a child who believes every “No” means they have failed.

Changing the Language Children Use About Perseverance

Our vocabulary also plays a huge part in our ability to persevere.

In our family, “Can’t” is a swear word and is not allowed to be used at any time. “Can” is encouraged.

Many people, including kids, are quick to give up when the going gets tough. They say, “I can’t,” rather than “I can.” The little kids in my family actually believe “can’t” is a swear word, right up there with the other big four-letter words!

This might sound funny, but it is also a powerful family rule.

When children repeatedly say “I can’t,” they begin training themselves to stop. When they learn to say “I can try,” “I can learn,” or “I can have another go,” they begin building the internal language of perseverance.

Teaching Perseverance to Kids With “That Was Easy”

Another phrase to abandon is, “It’s too hard.”

Natalie Cook showed us a little trick she used to change her perception of what is hard. She bought a toy button that calls out, “That was easy!” when you press it. Natalie would strap this toy button to her volleyball net pole.

Whenever she did something very well that was also very difficult, she would run up to press the button:

“That was easy!”

Try it for yourself. Press the button below.

Being the best in the world at your sport certainly has its challenges, and my kids would love to try out one of those buttons.

But whether or not you have the button, the point is not to keep telling yourself, “That was hard.”

A child’s brain listens carefully to repeated language. If the phrase is always “too hard,” the child begins to expect defeat. If the phrase becomes “I can try,” “I can learn,” or even “that was easy,” the child begins to rehearse a different identity.

Natalie Cook’s Example of Perseverance

Natalie Cook’s Olympic journey is a strong example of perseverance in action. Her official Olympic profile describes her as a five-time Olympian and Olympic gold and bronze medallist in beach volleyball, which makes her a powerful role model when teaching children about commitment, setbacks and long-term success. Read more about Natalie Cook’s Olympic journey here.

Children often see the medal, the success or the final moment of victory.

What they do not always see are the early mornings, the missed shots, the injuries, the disappointments, the training sessions and the moments when an athlete has to choose whether to keep going.

That is why perseverance is such an important lesson for kids. It teaches them that success is not just about talent. It is also about what they do after things become difficult.

Why Perseverance Belongs in the Mindset for Success

These tactics — celebrating the “No,” changing our language, and reframing hard things as achievable — can all increase the level of perseverance in kids and help keep them on a successful track.

But perseverance becomes easier when children also have direction.

That is where the next P comes in: Plan.

A plan gives perseverance somewhere to go. It helps children understand the next step, not just the final dream. Without a plan, perseverance can feel like pushing in the dark. With a plan, children can see that each effort is moving them forward.

Make sure you have a look at the short video above that we made of Natalie Cook giving a special message to our kids. Can you spot the blooper?

Natalie Cook’s Five Ps Series

This article is Part 3 in our series on Natalie Cook’s Five Ps for helping entrepreneurial kids and enterprising teens develop purpose, people, passion, perseverance, planning and a mindset for success.

Part 1: Purpose
Part 2: People and Passion
Part 3: Perseverance — you are here
Part 4: Plan and a Kids Mindset for Success

Where to Next?

How do you help your children persevere when things get tough? Leave us a comment and share one strategy that has worked in your family.

← Previous