Our community is comprised of entrepreneurs and artists and creatives – folks who have chosen incredibly difficult professional paths that often don’t offer any safety nets or guarantees. Nonetheless, we regularly hear that being a parent is a far greater challenge and so we asked some of these folks to open up to us about the things they’ve done as parents that they feel will have a meaningful and positive impact on their child.

Eddie Lee | Founder, Funktronic Labs

Quarantine has really taught me the importance of family and home. When all has been removed from your life, you realize what is what is truly valuable and you should really care about. Although this pandemic has been rough in general, the blessing for me personally has been the ability to spend time with my daughter. Read more>>

Michelle MaliZaki | Maruman Evangelist, Standup Comedian, Japanese Teacher & a Mom

The most important thing as a parent is to be the role model for the kids. I’ve done a lot of stupid things because I didn’t know better. But I’’ve also done many things “right” because my parents show me how. My kids used to do things in a way I don’t want them to, and I was asking myself “why are they doing that?” Then I realized I was showing them how to do it wrong! Now, I try to (“try to” is the key words here…) think what can I do to help my kids, and I try to do it better. Read more>>

McLean McGown | Motherhood Coach, Host of The “Mother The Mother”

Parenting is a wild journey that continues to evolve as our children reach new ages and stages of development. As a Mother of two daughters, I feel a great responsibility to do my own inner work consistently to be able to show up fully and authentically with and for them. As Mothers, everything comes from us. If the Mother is healthy and thriving, so will the family. And vice versa. This impacts all of the work that I do with women and mothers. My intention is to help all of my clients empower themselves with education and trust in their own innate knowing. Our kids are spiritually and emotionally connected to us and are modeling our behavior, even when we don’t think they are watching. I think that the most important aspects that I have brought to my kids is to help foster their joy, love for life, courage, connection with nature and I support their interests. I do not have an agenda in who I think they should be. Read more>>

Brenda Fisher | Talent and Literary Manager

There are so many things that have been important as a parent, but the most important thing I have done, is putting my son first. Things have come full circle and I am doing something I love. My son and I are really close and he has turned out to be a great young adult. Read more>>

Yunnie Kim-Morena | Food Content Creator and Restaruanteur

When I decided to start my brand Kimchi Avocado, I started by filming my first set of cooking videos. It was a huge leap of faith in myself into unchartered waters. I worked 15 hours for 3 days straight and when we wrapped the last video my team all cheered and clapped. My older son had tears in his eyes and ran to me and gave me a huge hug and said, I’m proud of you, Mommy. What a reminder that even though I never had a formal conversation about this new endeavor that they see and feel the impacts of our decisions. In this case, my heart never felt more full knowing I had shown my kids to take a risk and to find something you absolutely love doing and make a career out of it. Read more>>

Emeroy Bernardo | Entrepreneur & Professional Dancer

Being a parent, I think the most important thing I’ve done as a parent in terms of impact on my son is allowing him to communicate how he feels honestly without feeling judged and also without me being a doormat. I think the best way he can become the person I see him to be is the be the example for him. Read more>>

Kristen Cramer | Artist & Owner of Global Eye Shop & Studio

I decided early on to not yell or punish my daughter, instead I use an award based parenting approach. I stay calm. I explain things in excruciating detail. I hand out treats, screen time and fun outings as incentive to good behavior. I know that my daughter appreciates being spoken to with kindness even when things are hard and when she understands what I am asking for and why, she makes better and better decisions as she continues to grow. I was thrilled to read Michaeleen Doucleff’s new book Hunt, Gather, Parent about ancient cultures approaches to parenting in which parents remain calm and kids respond with cooperation. I think this instills a sense of responsibility in kids, gives them confidence and teaches them through example to use kindness instead of anger. Read more>>

Reinhard Denke | Screenwriter, Co-Owner of Music and Sound Company RNDM ORDR

I always felt that the best thing I could do as a parent for both of our boys was expose them to as much of the world as humanly possible . Life is absolutely fascinating – every aspect, and I wanted them to know as much as I could. My wife and me kept them supplied with books about nature, ancient history, dinosaurs, human anatomy, astronomy, Greek myths – we did everything we could within reason. We also took them on trips to places like Rome and Paris, as opposed to the more standard Hawaii (although we did that, too) and it was a joy for us to see them utterly fascinated with the Boca De Veritas, the Colosseum, the myriad of museums in both cities. One episode stuck with me – our visit to the Sistine Chapel, spending hours just staring at the ceiling. I could see its grandeur sweeping over both of them, and I can say with certainty that trip still sticks with them. Read more>>

Rachel Daggett | Therapist, Supervisor, Professor

If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children? Well, I am a very new parent of an incredibly sweet and wild 14-month old little man. So, my experience is limited to this first year and change and the bulk of my parenting journey lies ahead. However, both my husband and I have been blown away by how much parenthood has already challenged and changed us. With the beauty and excitement of newness also comes fear, discomfort, and frustration, and we have felt it all. Becoming a first time mother has shook me to the core. I know that there are going to be so many ways that I will both positively and negatively impact my children, but I feel certain that the single most important thing I have already done as a parent is millions of little things amounting to what I’ll call “doing my own work”. Read more>>