It started with boredom and a curious kid who had nothing better to do.
My son was 13, it was summer break, and like most teenagers, he was wandering around the house complaining about being bored. I was working from my home office, running my digital marketing and branding agency, when he appeared in my doorway for the third time that morning.
“What are you actually doing in here all day?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Instead of shooing him away like I normally would, something made me pause. “Want to see?” I asked, patting the chair next to my desk.
That simple invitation changed everything.
My son showed a real interest in what I was doing
I was in the middle of building a website for a client, and my son watched intently as I explained how I was creating the layout, choosing colors, and writing copy. His questions were surprisingly insightful. “Why did you pick that font?” “What makes people want to click that button?” “How do you know what looks good?”
What started as a way to keep him occupied for an hour turned into daily sessions. Every morning, he’d pull up that chair and watch me work. I’d explain what I was doing and why, and he’d ask more questions. Before I knew it, he was offering suggestions that were actually good.
“What if you made that logo bigger?” he’d say, or “That color doesn’t really match the vibe they’re going for.”
After about two weeks of this, I decided to give him a real project. I had a simple logo design that needed to be done, and I figured it would be good practice for him. I showed him the design software, taught him the basics, and let him experiment.
The logo he created was better than what I would have made. It was clean, creative, and perfectly captured what the client was looking for. When I showed it to them, they were thrilled. They had no idea it was designed by a 13-year-old.
That’s when my son got an idea that honestly hadn’t occurred to me. “Can I try to find my own clients?” he asked.
He started working with his own clients
I was hesitant at first. He was just a kid, after all. But he was persistent, and I figured the worst that could happen was he’d get some good practice and maybe learn that running a business isn’t as easy as it looks.
He started by reaching out to two small local businesses, offering to work on their projects for free to build his portfolio. Both said yes. Within a week, he had created social media graphics for a beauty brand and a simple website for a local author.
The quality of his work was impressive, but what really surprised me was his natural understanding of what clients wanted. He’d ask the right questions, listen carefully to their answers, and somehow translate their vague ideas into exactly what they had envisioned.
Word spread quickly in our small community. One business owner recommended him to another business. The beauty brand posted about her new website on social media. Suddenly, my son’s phone was ringing with people wanting to hire him.
By the end of that summer, he had completed projects for eight different clients and earned $5,000. One of his designs was even featured on a billboard advertising hair care. I remember him taking a picture in front of it and watching his face light up with pride.
But the money wasn’t even the most important part. What I witnessed that summer was my son discovering his passion and natural talent. He wasn’t just learning technical skills; he was developing an eye for design, learning how to communicate with clients, and understanding how businesses work.
Years later, he’s still running his design business
Now, at 20, he’s in college studying film and marketing, but he’s still running his design business on the side. What started as summer boredom has become his career path. He’s already talking about expanding his services and has plans to launch a creative agency after graduation.
Looking back, I realize that the best career guidance I ever gave my son wasn’t a lecture about following his dreams or finding his passion. It was simply letting him into my world and showing him what I actually did for work.
So many parents keep their work lives separate from their family lives, but that summer taught me there’s real value in letting our kids see us in action. They get to witness problem-solving, creativity, and professionalism in real time. They see that work can be fulfilling and that success comes from combining talent with effort.
The rise of remote work has created unprecedented opportunities for this kind of organic learning. Our kids can watch us navigate client calls, see how we handle challenges, and observe the day-to-day reality of running a business or excelling in a career.
My son didn’t find his career path through a guidance counselor or a career aptitude test. He found it by pulling up a chair next to my desk and paying attention. Sometimes the best education happens when we’re not even trying to teach.
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