kaitlin howitt

Youth Entrepreneurship: Why Our Kids Wanted to Attend Green SuperCamp

Enterprise For KidsTeam Family Adventure & Real-World Learning, Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments
Jai and Kaitlin with students at Green SuperCamp Bali learning leadership and youth entrepreneurship skills

Youth entrepreneurship often begins with confidence, leadership and real-world learning experiences. We were delighted that our three eldest children were able to attend Green SuperCamp Bali, where they had life-changing experiences that gave them new understandings and beliefs about themselves.

These experiences will stay with them forever. For Kaitlin, Jai and Flynn, Green SuperCamp was a chance to step outside their comfort zones, meet new people and begin thinking differently about their future.

youth entrepreneurship at Green SuperCamp Bali with Kaitlin in a crowd
Kaitlin attending Green SuperCamp Bali.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Green SuperCamp Bali

Each of our kids applied for a Green SuperCamp scholarship. The scholarships would help us cover the cost of the camp. Kaitlin, Jai and Flynn each wrote why they wanted to attend.

We were very inspired by the passionate words they wrote in their applications. Their writing showed us how much they wanted to grow, learn and take hold of new opportunities.

Below we have some words from Kaitlin. We are very proud of her passion and talent in getting her message across to the organisers of the SuperCamp.

You may also enjoy reading Amber’s Green SuperCamp reflection, where she shares what she learnt from her own camp experience.

Kaitlin’s Green SuperCamp Scholarship Application

Here’s what Kaitlin wrote:

“I am the eldest of seven children in my family. We have been brought up to strive for excellence and to aim as high as we can. My parents have always been determined to give us kids the best opportunities possible to get the best out of life.

This year I have started year 11, and have found it quite difficult. I have been held up by limitations of my time and motivation. I would love to attend the “Green Super Camp” in order to break these barriers. I want a life where I can be a role model and inspiration for my siblings and others. I want to be able to contribute to the world and show so many people a way to be free, but I’m still trying to work out how to get there.

youth entrepreneurship and confidence building at Green SuperCamp Bali
Kaitlin taking part in confidence-building activities at Green SuperCamp Bali.

I’m so keen to develop a mindset for success. I want to meet new people from around the world, and absorb their confidence and energy. My goal is to become a school prefect or Head Girl and to be accepted into University.

To do this I need to understand and learn about myself. I want to know what it takes to be a leader and to be confident in myself to be one.

If I receive this Scholarship, I would be determined, open and ready, to absorb all the information possible for me to be the best person I can and to motivate others to be the same. This is an experience of a lifetime, and I’m ready for it now.”

Why Youth Entrepreneurship Starts with Confidence

Kaitlin’s words show that youth entrepreneurship is not only about starting a business. It is also about confidence, leadership, courage and the willingness to grow.

Before children can step into real-world opportunities, they often need to believe they are capable. Experiences like Green SuperCamp can help young people see themselves differently.

For Kaitlin, the camp offered a chance to break through barriers, meet inspiring people and learn tools that could help her become a stronger leader.

Real-World Learning for Young Entrepreneurs

Green SuperCamp gave our kids the opportunity to learn outside the normal classroom. They were challenged physically, emotionally and socially.

These kinds of experiences matter because young entrepreneurs need more than ideas. They need confidence, communication skills, resilience and the ability to take action.

For more information about the broader Green School Bali philosophy, you can read our earlier post on Green School Bali Leading the Way.

You can also visit Green School Bali to learn more about their approach to education and sustainability.

Youth Entrepreneurship Through Leadership and Action

When children attend camps, join projects, speak up, set goals and work with others, they are building many of the same skills needed for youth entrepreneurship.

They learn to take responsibility. They practise courage. Most importantly, they begin to see that their actions can make a difference.

Kaitlin wanted to be a role model for her siblings and others. That desire to contribute, lead and grow is a powerful foundation for future enterprise.

Key takeaway: Youth entrepreneurship begins long before a child starts a business. Confidence, leadership, goal setting and real-world learning all help children believe they can create opportunities and contribute to the world around them.

Where to Next?

If you enjoyed this post about youth entrepreneurship and Green SuperCamp Bali, you may also like:

You will have to wait for the next blog to discover what each of them learnt from their camp experience! Until then…

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How to Avoid Distractions for Students: Kaitlin’s Enterprise Lesson

Enterprise For KidsTeam Family Enterprise Stories, Mindset, Confidence & Leadership , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
How to avoid distractions for students shown through Kaitlin balancing friends, camps and enterprise

How to avoid distractions for students is one of the biggest lessons that came out of Kaitlin’s portrait drawing enterprise.

Kaitlin had a strong creative idea, real customers and the talent to make it work. But like many students, she also had school, friends, sport, camps, work, family and plenty of other distractions pulling her focus away.

How to avoid distractions for students with Kaitlin revisiting her portrait drawing enterprise
Kait with that winning smile!

How to Avoid Distractions for Students: Kaitlin’s Enterprise Lesson

How to avoid distractions for students is the practical lesson behind this follow-up to Kaitlin’s portrait artist enterprise. Before we revisit her progress, it is worth looking at the idea of focusing on what you truly want to bring into reality.

At the time, we had been learning a lot about goals, values, mindset and the importance of making what you want a genuine priority. Whatever language people use — goals, vision, manifestation, values or focus — there is a practical lesson underneath it.

If something matters to you, it needs time, attention and action.

That sounds pretty easy, but I will be frank: it is easier said than done.

If you are anything like us, you will have very busy, complicated lives and are overrun with distractions. Work, family, social life, worries, school, sport, friends and commitments can all pull your focus away from what you say you want.

This is exactly what happened with Kaitlin’s portrait drawing enterprise.


Kaitlin procrastinating while learning how to avoid distractions for students
Kaitlin procrastinating!

Of course, not all distractions are bad. Some are part of life, family, travel, friendships and growing up. The problem is when those distractions quietly take over and push important goals further and further into the background.

For Kaitlin, learning how to avoid distractions for students was not about removing every fun or social activity. It was about recognising when her enterprise idea needed protected time, focus and follow-through.

How to Avoid Distractions for Students with a Real Goal

Kaitlin’s enterprise plan that she shared in her home video was a very good one, but it required time management, focus and diligence.

Once the article about her enterprise was posted on Enterprise for Kids, Kaitlin received two customers requesting her to do portrait drawings of their families.

Kaitlin was delighted that people had actually appreciated her talents and were willing to pay for her service. This was a real opportunity for Kaitlin to follow a passion of hers and she was motivated to get started.

Sliding into Action

Kaitlin sliding into action while learning how to avoid distractions for students
Kaitlin sliding into action.

She had bought half a dozen quality timber and glass frames from a garage sale, which would beautifully show the portraits if her customers wanted them framed.

She also had the $100 loan from me to buy the art materials required for her to run her enterprise.

So what has happened so far?

Distractions, distractions and more distractions!

Why Distractions Can Stop a Good Student Business Idea

Kaitlin, being a popular teenager, had many demands put upon her and she certainly didn’t have her focus set on attending to portrait drawings yet.

It had not become her highest value to develop an enterprise, despite the fact that she really did want to have her own enterprise doing something that she had passion for.

The list of distractions could almost fill a blog on their own!

Kaitlin at Bali Green SuperCamp while balancing distractions and enterprise goals
Kaitlin on the Bali Green SuperCamp.

Kaitlin had been on the Country Week camp, had sleepovers, caught up with friends, and was currently on the Bali Supercamp.

She had work commitments, babysitting, sporting commitments, school, boyfriends, homework, modelling classes and family commitments that had all stolen her focus away.

How to Avoid Distractions for Students with Big Goals

To do portrait drawings, Kaitlin needed a lot of concentration, patience and most importantly, a distraction-free amount of time where she could get her head around it.

Kaitlin understood that she needed to establish a time management plan where she could devote her focus to what she wanted to achieve.

Admittedly, Kaitlin didn’t need to complete the drawings straight away. She had a few months. But you could see how easily those few months could whittle away to nothing without a plan of attack, followed by action to bring that plan to fruition.

This is a useful lesson in how to avoid distractions for students. It is not enough to simply want something. Students need a simple structure that helps protect time and attention.

A few practical steps could include:

  • choosing one clear goal to focus on;
  • setting aside a specific time each week to work on it;
  • breaking the goal into smaller tasks;
  • creating a quiet, distraction-free space;
  • removing easy distractions during work time;
  • using short blocks of focused time rather than waiting for a perfect long stretch;
  • asking someone to help keep them accountable.

For families, how to avoid distractions for students becomes a practical conversation about priorities, routines and gentle accountability. The goal is not to remove every distraction, but to help children notice when distractions are stopping them from doing something they genuinely want to achieve.

ReachOut has some useful advice for parents helping teenagers manage distractions, including encouraging teens to work in short chunks of focused time and then take regular short breaks. You can read more here: How to help your teenager avoid distractions while studying.

How to Avoid Distractions for Students with a Simple Plan

That being said, we all must do the same with our dreams and desires in life.

Without making what we want a high value, writing down a plan, and then focusing our energy on it, those dreams are unlikely to come about very easily.

This is why children’s enterprise projects are so valuable. They teach more than business. They teach responsibility, time management, problem-solving and follow-through.

Kaitlin’s portrait drawing idea was still a good one. The challenge was not the idea. The challenge was protecting enough time and focus to bring the idea to life.

That is a powerful lesson for mindset, confidence and leadership.

What Kaitlin’s Distractions Teach Us

Kaitlin’s story reminds us that students can have talent, opportunity and encouragement, and still struggle to follow through if distractions take over.

For parents, the lesson is not to criticise the child for being distracted. The better lesson is to help them notice what is happening and gently guide them back to structure.

Questions like these can help:

  • What do you really want to achieve?
  • Why does it matter to you?
  • What is distracting you most?
  • When could you set aside time for this?
  • What is the next small step?
  • Who could help keep you on track?

This is how raising entrepreneurial kids can become part of everyday family life. It is not always about big wins. Sometimes it is about helping children learn what stops them from moving forward.

Key Takeaway: How to Avoid Distractions for Students

Key takeaway: Learning how to avoid distractions for students is an important part of helping children and teens follow through on their goals. Kaitlin had talent, customers and a strong enterprise idea, but she also needed time, focus and a plan to protect her attention.

Where to Next?

If you enjoyed this follow-up on Kaitlin’s enterprise journey, you may also like:


Kaitlin’s Portrait Drawing Enterprise
Read the original post where Kaitlin planned her creative student business idea.


Mindset, Confidence & Leadership
Explore more stories about focus, confidence and learning through real-world challenges.


Kids Business Ideas
Find more practical enterprise ideas for children and teens.

We will keep you in the loop with Kaitlin in coming Enterprise for Kids blog articles.

For my next post or two, we will have a break from following our kids’ journeys and discuss understandings about developing a mindset for success. We’ll be looking at how we, and many other people, are conditioned to think in a certain way about money and how this conditioning may prevent us and our children from achieving success — and we are not just talking about the financial kind either.

Until then, we would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.

Small Business Ideas for Students: Kaitlin’s Portrait Drawing Enterprise

Enterprise For KidsTeam Family Enterprise Stories, Kids Business Ideas , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment
Small business ideas for students shown through Kaitlin's portrait drawing enterprise

Small business ideas for students often begin with a skill they already love using. For Kaitlin, that skill was drawing — especially pencil portrait sketches.

This is Kaitlin’s creative enterprise idea: using her artistic talent to draw portraits from photos and turn that skill into a simple student business.

Small business ideas for students with Kaitlin planning her portrait drawing enterprise
Kaitlin loves drawing.

Small Business Ideas for Students: Kaitlin’s Portrait Drawing Enterprise

I admire those very creative people who can draw!

Sadly, I am not one of those people, although there are some very artistic people in my family.

My sister won first prize in one of Australia’s richest art prizes, a $250,000 prize for an artwork she entered into “The Signature of Sydney”, which really kicked off her painting career. Also, my grandparents and aunt on my Dad’s side were respected artists.

So it is not surprising that our eldest daughter Kaitlin has an exceptional skill with drawing, and in particular pencil portrait sketches. From when she was very little, she would draw for hours and, over the years, has honed her skill.

Her Mum, Cathy, also has exceptional drawing skills and has encouraged and taught Kaitlin many of the skills she has today.

Looking at Skills as Enterprise Opportunities

When looking for an enterprise opportunity, it makes sense to look at what someone is already skilled at, then see if there is a need or problem in the community where that skill could be put to use.

This is one of the best ways to find kids business ideas. Rather than starting with the question, “How can I make money?”, children can start by asking:

  • What am I good at?
  • What do I enjoy doing?
  • Who might need this skill?
  • How could I help someone with it?
  • Would someone be willing to pay for that help?

For Kaitlin, the answer was clear. She loved drawing, she was good at portrait sketches, and people often like having personal artwork created from family photos.

That made portrait drawing a natural enterprise idea for her.

Small Business Ideas for Students Can Grow from Creative Skills

Kaitlin's mermaid drawing showing creative small business ideas for students
Kaitlin’s mermaid drawing.

Up-skilling yourself in your area of interest and becoming the best there is in that field will likely increase the demand for your kind of talent and services.

As a result, customers may choose you over your competitors and may be more likely to pay a premium.

I wrote an Enterprise for Kids post on this very topic a number of blogs ago. If you would like to learn more about how up-skilling can create enterprise for kids opportunities, then visit Finding Enterprise Ideas.

Kaitlin’s talent with drawing became the basis of her enterprising idea, and she explains her business plan in this short video.

Kaitlin’s Portrait Drawing Business Plan

Kaitlin's portrait drawing as a creative business idea for students
Kaitlin’s portrait drawing.

Kaitlin planned on spending $70 to buy the drawing and framing materials she required to run her business.

Her idea was to draw people’s portraits from a photo and sell the finished artwork either framed or unframed.

She planned to market her service on Facebook. In our local area, there was a classified Facebook Buy and Sell group for Bunbury, and this gave her a place to start showing people what she could offer.

Her aim was to complete one drawing a week with a sale value of about $30.

In her video, Kaitlin also considers the roadblocks with her business and looks at possible solutions. That is an important part of planning any student enterprise idea.

What Kaitlin’s Idea Teaches About Student Enterprise

This is a good example of how small business ideas for students do not always need stock, tools, complicated technology or large amounts of money to get started.

Sometimes the starting point is a skill.

For Kaitlin, the important business lessons included:

  • recognising a personal talent;
  • turning that talent into a service;
  • working out the cost of materials;
  • deciding whether to sell framed or unframed drawings;
  • thinking about how to find customers;
  • considering roadblocks before starting.

Those are valuable money lessons for kids, because they show that earning money is not only about doing chores or receiving pocket money. It can also come from creating value for someone else.

Creative Enterprise and Real-World Learning

One of the things I love about Kaitlin’s idea is that it connects creativity with real-world learning.

She was not just drawing for fun. She was thinking about how her drawings could become useful or meaningful to someone else.

That is an important shift. It helps children see that their skills can be assets. Their interests can become opportunities. Their creativity can serve other people.

This is also why we believe so strongly in raising entrepreneurial kids. The goal is not simply to make children business-minded. The deeper goal is to help them become observant, confident, capable and willing to try.

The Australian Government’s business planning guidance also highlights the value of thinking through customers, marketing and planning before starting a business. Even though Kaitlin’s idea was small, these same basic principles still applied. Developing a business plan helps clarify what you want to offer and how you plan to make it work.

Key Takeaway: Small Business Ideas for Students Can Begin with Talent

Key takeaway: Small business ideas for students can begin with the skills they already have. Kaitlin’s portrait drawing enterprise shows how creativity, practice, planning and confidence can turn a personal talent into a real business idea.

Where to Next?

If you enjoyed Kaitlin’s portrait drawing enterprise idea, you may also like:


Finding Enterprise Ideas
Learn how children can look for problems, skills and opportunities when choosing an enterprise idea.

Chayse Plans a Candy Business
See another child’s simple business idea begin with a plan and a small amount of start-up money.

Kids Business Ideas
Explore more practical business ideas children can try through real-world learning.

So we have covered all our kids’ enterprising ideas except for one. In our next post, we share Jai’s passion for electronics and gaming and how he plans to turn this interest into a money-making enterprise.

We would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.

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