This week, I want to share some lessons I’ve learned from my 15-year-old son, Lucas, as he created his own vision, of becoming an exchange student in Japan.
These insights are especially fresh to me. As I write this, on Monday, he has just arrived after an almost 48-hour journey complete with an unexpected overnight hotel stay in Canada.
Did I mention he’s 15?
Honoring Your Dream
Lucas had a dream—a dream his mom and I didn’t even know about until he told us in November 2023. I had just gotten back from a coaching event in Santa Monica when he announced that he wanted to become an exchange student and go to Japan. While my wife had been an exchange student in Sweden years ago, this was a surprise to us. But Lucas had done his research. When he approached us, he already had the online application process figured out and had talked to his school counselor about the logic of going at 15 rather than when he was older.
I’m not sure that Lucas even knows exactly why he wanted to go—he will say things that food and the culture and manga and anime, but it seems like it is something deeper that is calling him.
Do you see something like this in you?
Honor that dream. There is something within you that you know you want to do. The question is, are you going to honor that? Are you going to trust yourself enough to pursue it? Even if you don’t exactly know how?
One Step at a Time
Lucas didn’t try to tackle everything at once. He focused on one step at a time. First, he submitted the application. Then, he went through an introductory interview, followed by a more significant interview, and finally, a finalist weekend that we attended with him about 90 minutes away.
In each stage, he focused on what was in front of him without worrying too much about the final outcome. He knew he was drawn to this path, and he trusted the process. By the end of January, he learned that he was accepted as an exchange student, as one of the youngest to apply, and that he had gotten his first choice, Japan.
For founders, this teaches us the importance of focusing on the next step and trusting the process. You may not know exactly where the journey will take you, but if you commit to each step, you’ll move closer to your goal.
Accepting Limitations
Another critical lesson Lucas taught me is the importance of accepting limitations. He realized that he couldn’t become fluent in Japanese in just six months, especially before ever being in the country. However, he didn’t let this deter him. He did what he could and acknowledged that there was much more to learn once he arrived in Japan.
As founders, we need to accept our limitations and work within them while still pushing forward. It’s crucial to understand that some things take time, and we can’t control every aspect of our journey.
Navigating the Unexpected
Lucas’s travel to Japan didn’t go as planned. He missed his connection in Vancouver, had to figure out how to spend the night there, and then ended up flying through Korea instead of directly to Japan. Despite these challenges, he kept moving forward, solving each problem as it arose.
For founders, this is perhaps the most powerful lesson: Expect the unexpected. Things will not always go as you expect, but you will figure it out. Keep in motion, adapt, and find solutions to the challenges that come your way.
The Power of a Supportive Team
This was Lucas’s dream, and of course it required support from his parents. But we worried that when he got to Japan, he would be on his own.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
When Lucas arrived in Japan, after nearly 48 hours of travel, he was greeted by his exchange parents, teachers, and Rotary members—a whole team ready to support him in realizing his dream.
Thanks to a supportive teamLucas is going to have an amazing year. And his team is going to learn from supporting him as well.
As founders, we must recognize that we don’t need to be alone. Employees, customers, and eventually investors, board members, advisors, and even coaches are ready to support you.
Each member of Lucas’s team had supported other kids like him and were ready to bring that support to him. Don’t forget that on your journey. There are experienced people ready to support us in realizing our dreams, and the more we can lean on them, the better our chances for success.
Does This Resonate?
Getting support as early as you can will ease and shorten the journey to having a profitable startup.
If you are closer to exit, though, you may be more interested in an event I am having for founders on September 17—
The Other Side of the Exit: Is There Happiness Beyond the Deal?
I’ve recruited an all star panel with dozens of exits among them to answer all your questions about how to get to and thought the exit not only more successfully, but with more ease and less work in the process.
If you’d like to be in a small virtual event with founders just like you, please DM me and we can set up a time to talk to make the event as valuable for you as possible.
#founder #founders #exit
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