Degrees Don’t Guarantee Success, But Failure Just Might
Why I’d rather see my kids start a business and fail than chase a degree that makes them miserable.
Every parent wants to see their kids succeed.
But somewhere along the way, society rewired what that word even means. We started measuring success by framed papers and job titles instead of fulfillment, purpose, and peace of mind.
Not me, I’d rather my kids fall flat on their face trying to build something of their own than spend four years and forty grand chasing someone else’s definition of success.
I put a post on Facebook asking for parents following me to share the websites or pages of young entrepreneurs (under 23) running businesses of their own in the Beaufort County area of North Carolina, and only two were submitted: Sewn||By Sophia and Rolling In Dough, owned by Zoe.
I have a large following, and in 6 hours, only two could submit a page or website, which is a part of the problem.
On the positive side of the discussion, these girls are doing what many adults never dared to do, bet on themselves…
No safety net, no corporate ladder, just creativity, courage, and work ethic, and that’s where real-world education is found.
The Lie We Were Sold
We tell kids: “Go to college, get the degree, get the job, and you’ll be set.”
But how many adults do you know who followed that path and are miserable?
They wake up hating Mondays, live for weekends, and call it “stability.” That’s not success, that’s survival dressed in a suit.
The world changed, but the script didn’t.
College can still serve a purpose if it aligns with the student’s goals, not their parents’ expectations, but for many, it’s a detour disguised as a destination.
If my kids come to me and say, “Dad, I want to start something,” I’ll tell them, “Do it.”
Not because I want them to fail, but because if they do fail, they will have learned from it, and the next time they start something, they’ll be smarter; I want them wondering, “What will I build next?”, not “What if I had tried?”.
Failure is a hell of a teacher that all kids need to meet.
The lessons learned through creation, risk, and ownership are ones no classroom can replicate.
Let Them Define Success
My friend Coach Garcia said something powerful (As I was writing this article, I actually added this section for him)that stuck with me:
“Kids need to define what success looks like for them, not chase what adults told them it’s supposed to be.”
That’s it right there.
Most adults never ask themselves that question; they just run the play society handed them and end up wondering why they feel lost, and have now passed on that advice to their kids, without ever asking “Were they right?”.
We can’t keep passing that same script to the next generation.
Kids today have every tool imaginable at their fingertips:
AI
E-commerce
Social Media
Content creation
Free access to College Level Courses
Endless access to knowledge on any subject
What they need isn’t permission; it’s perspective; they need to step back and ask, “What do I want from life?”, not, “What is wanted of me by others?”
Why I’ll Cheer for the Entrepreneurs
When Sophia sells a custom piece or Zoe moves another batch of baked goods, I see more than small businesses; I see proof that youth entrepreneurship deserves as much applause as athletic scholarships or college acceptances.
These kids are building something tangible, learning skills that compound, and developing resilience most adults don’t find until midlife.
I want more people cheering for them.
I want more communities supporting them.
And I want more parents to realize that college isn’t the only path to becoming something great.
Because if the choice is between failing at your dream or succeeding in someone else’s system, I’ll choose the failure that builds a fighter every time, and that is what my wife and I have done, and what we are passing to our children.
Support these young entrepreneurs:
🧵 Sewn||By Sophia — Handcrafted designs with heart and precision
🍪 Rolling In Dough — Homemade treats from passion to profit
Let’s make their kind of courage the new standard.
- Zac Small