May 5, 2011
In Home,interview with the author
by Tara Pringle Jefferson
When Kenrya Rankin-Naasel was an undergraduate at a particular HBCU on the East Coast, she had a ton of friends in the School of Business, or as she likes to call it, “a middle management machine.”
“Basically, they were training them to go work for someone else,” she says. “There was no emphasis on figuring out what you wanted to do with your life and giving you the tools to make that happen.”
As she noticed this pattern, she kept her eyes on her own prize. Majoring in PR at the time, and taking internships at PR firms at every possible opportunity, she noticed something was missing: passion for the job.
“I realized I really didn’t want to do this for a career so I made the switch,” she says. Writing and editing is where she yearned to be. Cut to a few years later and she is truly living her dream. She has worked for Reader’s Digest, Latina, ShopSmart magazine, Redbook and countless others. She’s able to fully support herself and her family through her writing income. “I’m living every writer’s dream,” she tells us. “Being able to do what I love – from the couch!”
When asked what made her decide to write a book for teens, her answer is simple. Rankin-Naasel has been active in youth-oriented organizations for years now – from serving as a Big Sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, to teaching financial literary workshops in New York.
“I truly believe that we’d be much happier if we focused on what we’re passionate about and how to make that a career,” she says. “And why not start before they accept the message that the only way to be successful is to go work for somebody else?”
Although the book is geared toward teens, Rankin-Naasel discusses what role parents should play in their kids’ entrepreneurial effort.
She breaks it down into three parts:
1) Walk the walk
How can your kids learn to follow their passions if they don’t see you do it? Even if you can’t afford to just quit your job and run off to be an artist or a chef, Rankin-Naasel encourages parents to at least take a class or start a small side hustle to show your kids that it’s perfectly okay to pursue your dreams.
2) Be supportive
Ask your teens what their dreams are. What can you do, as a parent to help them? If your teen wants to start a lawn care business, lend them your lawnmower and some garden tools. If they want to create jewelry, get them some craft magazines to start.
3) Connect them with resources
Maybe you don’t have money laying around for your child’s entrepreneurial ambitions. But could you help them get the cash in another way? Rankin-Naasel tells how one mom wanted to give her child financial support, so she helped her daughter throw a party to raise funds for the business venture. There is a way to make any dream happen if you put your mind to it.
In Rankin’s book, she takes teens step-by-step through the process of creating their own company: from finding their passion, to raising money, to hiring employees and marketing. It is truly a one-stop shop for any teen (or adult!) looking to create something out of nothing.
To get a copy of Rankin-Naasel’s new book for your teen (or for yourself!), head over to Amazon.com now.
BMWK family, how are you helping your child learn to live their dream?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer, blogger and PR professional living in Ohio with her husband and two kids. She’s also Managing Editor of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. She’s also the author of Make It Happen: The Young Mommy Guide To Creating The Career You Crave. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for her insights on what it means to be a mom, wife, student, writer, and about three other labels she’s too tired to remember.
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Thursday, May 5th 2011 at 7:00PM
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