Because my birthday is in November, my parents had the option of sending me to kindergarten at age five or having me be in a pre-K class. I was smart enough to go into kindergarten at that age but they weren’t sure if they wanted me to start that early and be on the younger side of the class. So Mom asked the advice of my preschool teacher.

She had one simple piece of advice: “When you’re in doubt, give your kids the gift of time.” So instead of starting kindergarten right after my year of preschool, I went into the pre-K class.

So how does this relate to being on hiatus?

It’s August 28 and in three days, I’ll be starting 9th grade. I am really excited! Everyone says high school is going to be very different. Homework is going to be more and probably harder. There will be more extra activities. Lots of things will change. As I’ve learned, time is the one thing you can’t get back so it’s important to make the most of what you have.

Even though I’ve had my business since fourth grade, school has always come first and my parents have made sure I still had time to be a normal kid and enjoy childhood. So for the time being, I am going on hiatus with my blog posts and also with the BizKid2BizKid feature. My business will still continue and I will always make time to speak at schools, businesses, conferences and other events because in addition to believing in education, I also think there is value in practical experience and being able to share what I’ve learned with other people.

Please visit my website, Pencil Bugs, which will continue to have the latest updates and you can always follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

See you later.

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BIZ KID

BUSINESS: Salut World

AGE: 18

WEBSITE: www.salutworld.com

TWITTER: @Stevenhaggerty

Steven Haggerty is the mastermind behind Salut World. Salut World is a hub for the other Salut companies — Salut Designs and Salut Hosting. Salut World is a perfect one-stop shop for all your website needs. Steven has designed websites since he was twelve using Dreamweaver. When he turned fifteen, he decided to take his hobby and turn it into a business.

Steven chose the name Salut World for his company because in French, Salut means “Hello” so it translates to “Hello World.” Websites connect people from anywhere in the world so his business name is very appropriate.

A musician knows all about music. An architect knows about buildings and structure. Steven knows all about websites. He loves to take on projects where the customer wants a “more daring and radical design” as he puts it. He says that websites have advanced so much that instead of the old boring HTML, he uses the newer PHP and CSS.  He currently works solo but has other resources to call upon if needed. Steven is looking for a young sales person for the hosting side of his business. So if you’re interested, contact him.

Steven is a big dreamer in that he is looking to expand into real estate which he would purchase and rent out. He is also looking into yachting which is a big source of income in southern France where he lives. In addition to those plans, he is always open to helping with other projects and likes to keep things exciting.

People are choosing lots of different options for their education here in the United States as well as in other countries. Some stay with traditional schools, others choose home school and some do it on their own like Steven did by taking the GCSE which is somewhat similar to our GED. Although he stopped school two years ago when he was only sixteen to focus on his business, he hasn’t regretted his decision. It’s important to know that he is not telling others to do the same because he thought long and hard about the decision before he made it.

“I would love to be like Richard Branson, [Founder of the Virgin Group]” Steven says. “He has inspired me a lot since reading his autobiography.  Steven believes that people need to take risks in business.  He added, “If you don’t take a risk, nothing will happen in life!”

Steven isn’t all about business though. As he says, he still does the “usual 18-year-old stuff” like going to the beach, although some of his friends say he has a hard time turning off his business brain.

For more information on BIZKID 2 BIZKID or if you know of a young entrepreneur that you would like to see featured please visit Pencil Bugs.

Note: At the time I interviewed Steven for this article, he was still seventeen which qualified him as a BizKid for my blog.

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But setting a goal or being stuck on one goal can also be a bad thing.

You have probably heard at one point in your life that life is full of possibilities; you just need to take them. Sometimes when people set a goal, they get too focused on that one goal. While they are working toward their goal, many other opportunities may come up but they ignore them since they were focused on the goal. Or maybe they didn’t even see the opportunities at all because of their narrow focus on that one goal.

I am the first episode of the third season of PBS BizKid$ which coincidentally talks about different types of goals.  It is an entire episode devoted to goals.  I am fine with goals and I have had goals, but I believe that a plan is better.  Some may say it is just a change of a word but most people think a plan is not set in stone. If you said, “I PLAN to go to the mall tomorrow,” it’s probably not too big of deal if your PLAN changed. But if you said, “My GOAL is to go shopping tomorrow,” all of a sudden it changes the importance for some reason.

Goals are good to have because it gives people some direction. But make sure you keep your eyes open for opportunities that may be right beside you and be willing to change or make revisions to your goals if necessary. Just because you may not achieve your original goal does not mean you failed. It could actually mean you were smarter and took other opportunities that were much better than your goal.

In my new book, “Bitten by the Business Bug: Common Sense Tips for Business and Life from a Teen Entrepreneur” I have topics like this and many other things that are easily overlooked when people of all ages forget about the basics.

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Just like most things, this ship had its pros and cons. Depending on how you are and what you like to do is whether you would think each feature was a positive or negative.

It had seven separate neighborhoods to simulate things you might find if you were visiting major cities like New York. It had a boardwalk, complete with a full-size merry-go-round and a Zoltar machine like the one in the movie “Big.” A scaled-down version of Central Park which was open air and had lots of different trees, plants, and flowers so you can imagine how humid that section was. A Royal Promenade for shopping and specialty restaurants. If you liked different types of entertainment, there was a comedy club, a karaoke bar, a full featured casino, an ice skating rink, a theatre for Broadway shows, a night club with resident DJ, an Aqua theatre which had water and light shows, a surfing simulator, rock climbing wall, zipline, and much more. The Broadway play during our week was Hairspray. They also have special programs for kids from six months to seventeen years old. For the teenagers, we even had our own night club and hang out room.

The maximum double occupancy is 5400, but our week has 6200 guests. There was also 2200 staff. That’s a LOT of people in one place. The thing is, with so many people you hardly ran into them more than a few times.

For people that want variety, there are twenty-one dining options and over twenty bars but some of the restaurants cost extra.

There are a lot of activities and entertainment options but many times they overlap, so you might not be able to do some things that you want. Because they had multiple entertainment areas you had to reserve your seat for shows which wasn’t always a good thing.

We sailed from Fort Lauderdale, FL and stopped in Labadee, Haiti which is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Costa Maya, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico. We had planned on parasailing in Labadee but the reservations were full so we just hung out on the beach for the day. In Costa Maya we did our own touring and bought souvenirs and did a snorkeling excursion in Cozumel. They took us from the beach and swam out a ways so we saw some cool fish and coral. About the time we were almost done, a big rain storm hit so the guide took us back to shore but told us not to panic as we felt the cold raindrops on our backs. It was definitely a weird sensation.

Oasis of the Seas is definitely a beautiful ship and we were anxious to try it  because it was so different from the other ship’s designs. But we will probably not take another cruise on a ship this large as we liked the smaller ships better for lots of reasons.

Getting back home from Fort Lauderdale to California was a long process. We had to disembark the ship by 9:00 a.m. because by noon, they are already letting the new passengers board so the workers have a lot of cleaning to do in a very short period of time. Our flight didn’t leave until 4:15 p.m. so Dad asked a taxi guy to drive us around for about an hour to see some of the sights. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the airport around 10:00 a.m., there were so many people in the same situation so the airlines wouldn’t let people check in their luggage until four hours prior to their flights. We ended up sitting on the floor in the terminal along with several hundred other people just waiting and trying to kill time. After playing on my iPod for awhile, I decided to walk around and show people card tricks. One couple I asked didn’t speak English but the guy nodded his head “yes” so I showed them one card trick. That was a little awkward. We were sitting beside a family who was going home to Michigan so I ended up talking with the two high school girls and teaching them my card tricks which was lots of fun.

Of course we had a plane delay so on our layover in Atlanta, which was more like a “run-over”, we had to run from Gate B7 to B32 in less than 4 minutes. We made it just in time but then the plane still left late because they had to call electricians on board to fix a couple of the TV screens. So we ended up leaving 40 minutes late and getting home about 11 p.m. (2 a.m. Eastern time). I couldn’t wait to get into my own bed but the house was 98 degrees so the A/C had to work overtime all night to get it to a comfortable sleeping temperature.

Jet lag hit the next day but now everything is back to normal. My dog is home from the kennel, all the clothes are washed, and I’m having some friends over this week. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Mouse over each photo to see the caption and click on each one to see it full size.

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I have never claimed that I know everything. Hey, I’m only 14 years old. But I am really lucky to be surrounded with many people who are very wise and have always been willing to share their ideas, values, and life lessons.  I have taken this information and simplified it, then added in my own perspective so people from age 9 to 99 will be able to get something from my book.

It is available on Amazon.com right now or you can order a signed copy from me through my website which I will start shipping on July 20.

Any good author has lots of people who help in creating a book. My book wouldn’t have happened at all if it wasn’t for my mom’s editing and typesetting skills. Then after coming up with the initial cover design, I got a surprise from a friend, Chaz DeSimone, who worked his typography magic on the cover turning it into the amazing cover that you see here.

Please share this link with your friends and family. I know you’ll love the book.

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BIZ KID

BUSINESS: Pick-A-Pick/Travelin’ Tunes

AGE: 16

WEBSITE: www.wix.com/pickapick/pickapick

Who would have thought that you could take guitar picks and turn them into jewelry? That’s exactly what 16-year-old Samantha Fernandez did.  In December 2009, Samantha started the business Pick-A-Pick.

She has always had a passion for music. One day she said she was walking through a guitar store and saw the picks. Then it just hit her. Samantha makes the jewelry herself by punching holes in the picks and stringing them. Some of the picks have really amazing graphics.

In addition to her handmade jewelry, Samantha also started a program called Travelin’ Tunes. With the help of other young musicians, Samantha performs for kids in Miami Children’s Hospital and also teaches them about music. Samantha believes that music is a great healing tool and goes twice a week to play for the kids. Because of her age, she currently performs in the hospital’s outpatient area but since she recently turned 16, she can now train to go into the patient rooms.

Samantha loves music and medicine which is an interesting combination.  She has wanted to be a pediatric neurosurgeon ever since she was three years old which blows my mind.  Samantha admits that it’s kind of bizarre that she loves hospitals but I think it’s cool and makes sense because of her goal to become a doctor.  She is making a difference in kids’ lives which makes her feel good.

For those who want to purchase from Pick-A-Pick or donate to her Travelin’ Tunes program, log onto her website and send an email. At the present time, she is not set up for PayPal but will accept checks.

Other than her business and charity work, she attends a regular high school and plays guitar and piano in her spare time.

If you are in the Miami area and want to volunteer with Samantha, she welcomes support.  There is no musical talent needed for the volunteers; just the ability to entertain the kids.

For more information on BIZKID 2 BIZKID or if you know of a young entrepreneur that you would like to see featured please visit Pencil Bugs.

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Their goal is to teach their kids to be self sufficient and not rely them for every little thing.  This doesn’t mean that kids don’t need their parents anymore or won’t want their help for lots of things as they get older. My mom still calls her mom all the time with questions or just to talk.  Parents should always be a part of their kid’s life, but the kids should be able to survive if/when the parents are no longer around.

People change constantly, especially kids.  Ironically though,  at my 8th grade graduation, the speaker said that “From this point forward, your [the parents] job is done.” Even as a kid, I couldn’t believe what he said because I know how much my parents still do with and for me. Then he added that at this age, kids are pretty much the way they will be for the rest of their life. Not only is that ridiculous, but it is not true. I have heard lots of adults say they changed even after they grew up.

As kids grow up, we won’t “need” our parents in the same way as we did when we were little but that doesn’t mean that parents won’t continue to help or teach their kids.

My grandma, who is 77, is still learning new things each day. Life is about changing and improving. If we didn’t change after 14 years old, well who knows how we would be?

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Chelsea Eubank – @faithfulfish Founder of Faithful Fish, a clothing line with cool designs with a religious theme. Chelsea has quite a story to tell. Make sure to check out her website and if you’re not already following her on Twitter, do it now.

Olivia Bennett – @oliviabennett A talented artist who started painting at five years old as a form of therapy after having cancer. Her artwork is amazing.

Martina Butler – @emogirltalk She runs her own web podcast and was the first teenager to get national sponsorship.

Allyson Ames – @wonderlandbakery Allyson could be a “look-a-like” for Alice in Wonderland but in reality, she started her own bakery business and does amazing custom cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc. I’ve tried them and they are as good as they look.

Of course, if you’re not already following Mark on Twitter, make sure you do. @markvhansen

If you’re interested in buying a copy of the book, I have it on sale now through July 4 for just $8.99 with FREE shipping and autographed by me. Check my Pencil Bugs website to order.

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A 60-something woman with sky-high red, bushy hair, painted-on black eyebrows, dark red lipstick that went way beyond her mouth “attempted” to sing and play the keyboard. She was horrible from the start and the audience immediately starting giving the X sign to cancel her. Piers was the first judge to X her but the other two just let her continue. Then when her time was up (they actually let her finish), Howie and Sharon voted her through to Las Vegas commenting that they thought she was interesting. Did they forget the show is not called “America’s Got Interesting People” but “America’s Got Talent?”

The show went from bad to worse when a 10-year-old girl, Nina Waga Mojares, with four back-up singers/dancers was amazing and DID have talent but yet all three judges voted NO on her saying she just wasn’t ready for Vegas. They agreed she was talented but had other specific, nit-picky comments about her performance. Watch her performance and I think you’ll agree that she was amazing!

What were they thinking?

If the show starts to go away from the main purpose of the show, which is talent, and borders on weird stuff  just for ratings, they will lose in the end.

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Say you were in a park and someone walks up to the crowd and yells, “Everyone look at pictures of my cat” and holds up photographs.  That would seem weird, right?  People are ok with saying those things over the Internet though.  Let’s take another example. You are in a store and someone says outloud, “The baby cried all night…didn’t get any sleep.”  It’s a bit random, but if you think about it, when someone say whatever is on their mind on Twitter, people think nothing of it.  It seems like it is kind of expected on Twitter but frowned upon in real life.

Another thing, if we “LOL’ed” as much in real life as we do online, we would be a much happier society.  Think about it.  The Internet allows us to be anybody without ever having any human interaction.  We do and say what we do online because we can but that doesn’t make it right.

Point?  Does everyone in the world really need to know what people are doing every second?  I’m not the first, by far, to point this out either.  Before you tweet just think, would I say that outloud to someone in person?

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