Laura Berg, founder of My Smart Hands and author, shares her journey from teaching baby sign language to becoming an entrepreneur and professor. She discusses the impact of COVID-19 on education and the importance of embracing failures as teaching moments. Laura emphasizes that success is personal and encourages listeners to define it for themselves. She advocates for vulnerability in sharing struggles and highlights the transformative power of viewing setbacks as growth opportunities, reminding everyone that bad experiences can lead to valuable lessons.
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Quick takeaways
Recognizing and learning from failures is crucial for growth, allowing entrepreneurs to connect authentically with their audience and students.
Defining personal success beyond societal expectations empowers individuals to seek fulfillment and happiness in their unique entrepreneurial journeys.
Deep dives
The Journey to Entrepreneurship
The transition from a conventional job to entrepreneurship can stem from personal necessity, as seen in the story of founding a baby sign language company. Initially motivated by the desire to stay home with her newborn, the entrepreneur began teaching classes from her living room, never intending to start a business. The breakthrough occurred when a YouTube video sparked interest, revealing the potential for a larger enterprise that involved enlisting other instructors. This illustrates how unexpected moments can pave the way for successful pathways, often driven by both need and passion.
Defining Personal Success
The concept of success varies significantly among individuals, and it is essential to establish a personal definition that aligns with one’s lifestyle and values. Rather than conforming to societal pressures or traditional measures of success, it is vital to identify what truly brings happiness and fulfillment. For instance, the entrepreneur mentioned prioritizing family time and the freedom to explore personal interests over accumulating wealth. This perspective encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to determine their own benchmarks for success rather than blindly adhering to external expectations.
Embracing Failures as Learning Opportunities
Facing setbacks is an inevitable aspect of the entrepreneurial journey, and reframing these experiences as learning opportunities can foster resilience. Accepting that mistakes and challenges occur allows individuals to grow and evolve, ultimately leading to better decision-making in the future. The reminder that all experiences—both good and bad—are transient emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and appreciating successes while remaining aware that difficult times will also pass. This perspective not only helps in navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship but also nurtures a healthy mindset towards personal and professional growth.
Laura Berg founded My Smart Hands, a baby sign language company, and authored two books: The Baby Signing Bible and Thriving Life. She’s also a professor in the Professional Writing and Communications Program at Humber College.
Top 3 Value Bombs
1. Knowing your failures is very important. You can translate those failures in teaching and relating as a real person to your students.
2. Define what success is to you. People grow up with the idea of what success looks like to others but success is different from each person.
3. Mistakes and bad things happen but don’t let those things take you down because it’s a learning experience. Take that label away and turn it around. Bad things will happen and that is okay.
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