Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too (Paperback)

INTRODUCTION
My eight-year old daughter, Misha, wants to be a YouTuber when grows up. That probably comes as no surprise-many young kids find out what their parents do and decide that's their ambition, too (in addition to becoming a firefighter and zoo keeper). My daughter sees me using online platforms to talk to people and build businesses, and she knows how much I love it. Of course she thinks she wants to do what I do.
What might be more surprising is that if you ask other school-age children what they want to be when they grow up, many will reply that they, too, want to be YouTubers. Personal branding may not be an elementary school Career Day staple yet, but kids today know that making videos on YouTube, post- ing on Instagram, tweeting 280 characters, and snapping on Snapchat is a valid career path and that for some it can even bring fame and fortune. They dream of creating a popular online presence the way kids used to dream of becoming Hollywood stars. Unfortunately, unless they're entrepreneurs themselves or deeply in the know, most parents will respond to this career aspiration with, "Huh?" or worse, narrow-minded cynicism: "That's not a real job." Even the few who smile uncomprehendingly and offer a mild, "Great, honey! Go for it!" will likely secretly shake their heads at the sweet naïveté of youth.