Teens Who Become Entrepreneurs with Leigh Nguyen

The Homeschool Highschool Podcast

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Teens Who Become Entrepreneurs with Leigh Nguyen.

Teens Who Become Entrepreneurs with Leigh Nguyen

Teens have the potential to be anything they want to be and do anything they want to do. It’s incredible how many opportunities are available for homeschool high schoolers in today’s age. One popular path many young adults are taking nowadays is entrepreneurship.

Leigh Nguyen, of the Little by Little Homeschool podcast, is a homeschool mom who’s raising entrepreneurial teens. Leigh joins Vicki to not only share her experience homeschooling her children but also the remarkable journey of her son. He turned a simple lawn mowing gig into a thriving business. Leigh’s story will encourage you to embrace their individuality and help you to guide your them on their unique paths!

About Leigh Nguyen

Leigh Nguyen’s homeschool journey began, as many do, unexpectedly. She did not initially plan to homeschool her children. Like most of us, she thought the public school route was a given.

However, halfway through her daughter’s 2nd grade year, Leigh felt a calling, a nudge from God, encouraging her to homeschool. What started as a leap of faith led to years of dedication, growth, and some incredible achievements, including raising teens with a passion for entrepreneurship.

Leigh’s story highlights that homeschool is not just about academics, it’s about nurturing your child’s unique gifts and potential… even if that means stepping into the unknown world of entrepreneurship.

Leigh’s homeschool high school entrepreneur

Leigh’s 19-year-old son, who once ran a humble firewood stand, now owns a full-fledged landscaping business with multiple employees, trucks, and a snow-plowing operation.

His entrepreneurial spark was first noticed when he expressed a desire to split and sell firewood. Fast forward to today, and that small venture has grown into something much bigger, fueled by his interest in business and the freedom that homeschooling allows.

Homeschooling gave Leigh’s son the time and flexibility to pursue his interests, even incorporating business principles into his elective credits. By weaving entrepreneurship into his homeschool curriculum, he pursued his passion while ensuring he met academic requirements.

Business books, hands-on learning, and mentorship all counted toward his education, and as Leigh wisely notes, “We learn best by failure.”

Leigh believes in giving kids room to fail, encouraging them to learn from mistakes without the fear of drastic consequences. It’s this balance of guidance and freedom that has allowed her son to grow into a confident and capable young entrepreneur.

Tips For Raising Teenage Entrepreneurs

For homeschool moms looking to foster entrepreneurial minds in their teens, Leigh offers a few key insights.

Allow Them To Make Mistakes

Encourage them to pursue their passions by allowing room for mistakes, provide opportunities to learn through real-world experience, and find mentors who can guide them.

Entrepreneurship helps start a business, yes, but it also involves cultivating soft skills like resilience, networking, and problem-solving. By doing this, Leigh has helped her son—and now her younger children—turn their interests into potential careers.

Use Entrepreneurship as Elective Credits

One of the unique opportunities in homeschooling high schoolers who are pursuing entrepreneurial ventures is capturing these experiences as elective Career Exploration credits on a transcript. Leigh found creative ways to do this by blending traditional courses, like accounting, with practical business experience.

Her son took online accounting courses and read business books to help him better understand his company’s finances. These studies, combined with hours spent running his business, counted toward elective credits in his homeschool curriculum.

Leigh emphasizes the importance of finding balance. Her son may not be on a college track, but that does not mean his education lacks depth or rigor. He is fulfilling state requirements for graduation while gaining real-world business experience. After all, as we always say:

There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school…we help our teens develop their interests and goals in the way the is right for each unique capability.

For other homeschool moms, Leigh suggests naming courses creatively. If your child is passionate about entrepreneurship, credits could be given in areas like business management, finance, or marketing.

The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility to tailor education to your homeschool high schooler’s interests and gifts.

Encouraging Future Entrepreneurs

Leigh’s younger son is also showing signs of entrepreneurial ambition, though his interests are entirely different. He is currently working on getting his drone pilot license, a passion that started years ago with a small toy drone.

Leigh’s approach with her youngest is similar to how she guided her older son:

1. Encourage curiosity
2. Provide resources
3. Let them lead

Whether it’s mowing lawns, selling firewood, or piloting drones, homeschooling offers the flexibility to nurture these unique interests, allowing teens to grow into entrepreneurs in their own right.

Teens Who Become Entrepreneurs with Leigh Nguyen

Leigh’s journey with her children reminds us that homeschooling is about more than textbooks and tests – it’s about fostering independence, creativity, and self-confidence. Her teens are not following the traditional college path. Rather, they are fulfilling their potentials and interests as they are gaining skills and experiences that will serve them for a lifetime.

For all the homeschool moms out there, remember this:

Your teen’s education is a journey, and it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

Whether your teen is destined to be an entrepreneur or follow a more conventional path, homeschooling gives you the freedom to help them become who they were meant to be – little by little.

Hear more from Leigh Nguyen: check out her podcast, Little by Little Homeschool, where she shares practical tips for homeschooling moms, encouraging us all to embrace this unique and rewarding journey.

For more from homeschool high school entrepreneurs, check out these Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes:

• How to be a Homeschool High School Entrepreneur: Samantha Shank
• Homeschool Graduate and Entrepreneur: Lydia Smith
• Homeschool Grad Becomes Entrepreneur: Suzanna Fitzgerald

Thank you for Seth Tillman for editing this podcast and for Richie Soares with Homeschool and Humor for writing this blog post!

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The post Teens Who Become Entrepreneurs with Leigh Nguyen appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

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