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While in graduate school, a close friend asked me how I became an entrepreneur. As I reflected on the question, I was embarrassed to confess that I had never identified the influential factors that led me to start two companies in my twenties. How did I grow so comfortable with risk? Where did my view of, and passion for, business come from? When did I gain the confidence that I could beat the odds?

As a child, I saw both the power and perils of striking out on your own. My father’s printing company in Menlo Park, American Printing & Copy, was the engine that propelled our family from survival mode to economic stability. Our family’s humble beginnings and unpredictable household income meant that my parents had many sleepless nights spent worrying about how they would pay rent. But over time, their financial conversations shifted from meeting basic needs to giving their kids better educational opportunities and achieving other shared aspirations. While I will always celebrate my mother, this article is a Father’s Day tribute to my dad, whose love and example empowered me to become an entrepreneur. Here's how he did it:

  1. My father cultivated my identity. Independent thinking and action are essential to winning as an entrepreneur. Throughout my childhood, the only words I remember hearing more than "We can’t afford it," are "I love you." My dad expressed affection profusely with words, hugs, and quality time. Unconditional love gave me the confidence to choose the roads less traveled, whether it meant refusing typical adolescent distractions or starting a company during college, when all my peers were seeking stable career paths. As Andy Rachleff, cofounder of Benchmark Capital, says to his strategy students at Stanford GSB, “To win, you can’t just be right, you also have to be non-consensus.”
  2. My father modeled the hustle. Most days, I woke up to my dad kissing me on the cheek before dashing off to work. Every Sunday, my dad went to the office for a few hours to get ready for the coming week. Summer Saturdays and Sundays our whole family awoke before dawn to set up shop at the San Jose flea market, where we hawked personalized stationery under the hot sun. My dad saw his skills and company as ways to serve people, care for his family and express his gifts, and I saw our family’s quality of life improve with each year of his inspired labor.
  3. My father seized teachable moments. Like many kids, "what I wanted to be when I grew up" changed faster than the seasons. During grade school, I came home one day after serving food at a soup kitchen and announced that I wanted to become a professional soup kitchen server. My dad said, "How much would you get paid to serve food at a soup kitchen? Let’s say $40,000 per year. How many more people could you serve if you made an extra $120,000 per year doing business and gave that money to a soup kitchen?” I never forgot the lesson that business and money can accelerate good intentions, and appreciated how he took the time to teach me those things.
  4. My father developed my confidence. A few months later, I asked my parents if I could attend tennis camp. Without missing a beat, my dad said, “Let’s go to Costco to buy some candy bars.” We then analyzed the margin per bar before loading up the grocery cart with various kinds of bars to raise money for my new adventure. With each sale, and every day at tennis camp, my sense of agency grew. This confidence has helped me raise millions of dollars of startup capital, recruit key team members and partner with billion-dollar companies.

American Printing & Copy was not the engine that transformed my family’s standard of living. The real engine was my dad, Kamron Saber Motamedi. His love for his family and relentless determination empowered me, and all of my siblings, to pursue our  dreams. Daddy, thank you for your affection and example. We are blessed to be your children.

Fellow entrepreneurs: how did YOUR parents influence the choices you've made? Does your career path influence how you raise your own children? Share your story in the comments!

Courtesy of YEC


Courtesy of YEC
