For context, Pops is Kaden’s grandfather — and Kaden is our 9-year-old young entrepreneur who turned 9 on Mother’s Day.
Today, I watched a sixth-generation entrepreneur negotiate his first wellness contract.
A couple days ago, Kaden had his eye on something in the toy department at Walmart.
Today, Pops came in the room and said, “I found something Kaden can do to make some extra money.”
And not only would it help him earn toward what he wants, it would also give him responsibility: teaching his younger cousins something he has already learned.
Kaden has been doing yoga for the last year and a half.
So now he has three students: his two younger cousins and Pops.
One cousin is about to turn four in a couple of weeks.
The other is two.
And Pops is officially enrolled, too. 😂
So Pops told him to talk to Granna (that’s what Kaden calls me) and see how much extra money he could make teaching yoga.
Kaden started the negotiation at $10 a day.
I said, “Whoa, now. That sounds like certified instructor pricing. Let’s start with the young entrepreneur rate.”
He said, “Okay, $10 a week.”
I said, “You’re driving a hard bargain.”
Then we landed at $5 a week.
When I went back and told Pops, he said, “What? Just $5? He should be getting $10 a week.”
So somehow, Kaden ended up right back at the second number he wanted.
And then the part that took me completely out?
After we agreed, Kaden walked out of the room and came back with a piece of paper and an ink pen.
He said, “Hold on. Let me grab this so I can get you to sign it.”
I believe it’s because we hired him once before to stretch us out, and we only actually let him render the service two or three times.
So I guess this time, Kaden wanted to build in some continuity.
In his own way, he said:
Verbal agreements are cute.
Paper is better. 😂
And I sat with that.
Because children are always watching.
They are watching how we talk about money.
They are watching how we honor agreements.
They are watching how we price our work.
They are watching how we negotiate.
They are watching how we steward opportunity.
Kaden had a desire.
Pops helped him see responsibility.
He created an offer.
He negotiated his rate.
He accepted feedback.
He secured his students.
And then he protected the agreement.
That is not just cute.
That is legacy in motion.
Entrepreneurship is often caught before it is taught.
And it reminded me of something I believe deeply:
We do not only build wealth for the next generation.
We build patterns in front of them.
We model ownership.
We model stewardship.
We model the courage to ask, the wisdom to negotiate, and the discipline to put things in writing.
That is part of the empowered pathway too.
Not just making more money.
Becoming the kind of woman, mother, leader, and steward who teaches the next generation how to value their gifts, honor their work, and move with responsibility.
Legacy is not only what we leave behind.
Sometimes legacy is a 9-year-old walking back into the room with paper, a pen, and the confidence to say:
“Let’s make this official.”
So today I want to ask you:
What are the children, family members, clients, or people connected to you learning by watching how you steward your Energy, Money, and Time?
Because they are watching.
And the next generation may be catching more than we realize.
Angela Nichole 🦋
