Today is my birthday.

But this isn’t about that. I couldn’t even tell you how old I am without pulling out the calculator (yes, I’m that old).

This is about education, kids, and of course my wonderful son.

Since the pandemic started my son is being homeschooled. And because of the amazing advancements I’ve seen in him, we’ve continued on this path. He’s advanced so far and so quickly in what’s considered traditional subjects in “real” school. And believe me, no one is burning up the academic oil over here.

See, my son is a techie like his momma (nature vs. nurture-who knows). He spends his days learning to do things by taking on projects that interest him. Things like learning how to code (yes, from YouTube videos) and building functional VR games. He’s even created an eCommerce shop where he sells snippets of code to other techies. He’s self-learned the entire Adobe suite, learned how to mix music on a launch pad, and became the IT helpdesk in our house.

With each of those projects, he has excelled in reading, math, science, arts, and so much more. He’s also a master at managing his own Google Calendar, managing his projects, and working in a team with kids all over the world through his online school Kubrio. I would have never seen any of this if we were still in the “before times.”

My firm belief is that all this is a direct result of giving him the space to take on the responsibility of guiding his learning path. In full disclosure, I wasn’t always a believer in non-traditional schooling. Now, without hesitation, I’m a complete and utter convert. (disclaimer: this is our path. Not every family’s or kid’s and appreciate it’s not even possible for many.)

So back to my birthday.

For weeks he’s been hinting at my gift the big day and today was the unveiling. It’s the video below. But why is this so special? Well…

Fletch and I have a habit of watching random episodes of kid shows together. One we like is The Haunted Hathaways. The show ended years ago but the episodes are on Netflix. My favorite character is played by actor Amber Frank.

So my son, because of all he now knows about the digital world, went out and found her. Saved his allowance and commissioned her (via Cameo) to produce this Happy Birthday message special for me. He purchased her time, wrote the script, and had it produced because he knew how happy it would make me.

I am such a proud momma and firmly believe his educational journey led to this. Giving him the responsibility to manage his time and calendar, choosing the projects and programs he’s interested in, and the space to rise up to all he could be, led to this small moment.

Might seem like a random connection but this exemplifies exactly why EnrichedHQ exists. To help parents provide opportunities where kids have access to what inspires them.

Let’s be honest, homeschooling isn’t right for everyone, every family, or every kid, or even an option for that matter. In this way, I’m doubly blessed but it’s also a nightmare sometimes. Add in being a single parent, a startup founder, AND managing life in general sometimes makes life seem unbearable.

My goal with EnrichedHQ is to make it easier for parents, especially moms, to expose their kids to amazing options so all kids can thrive and find what inspires them.

Starting a company, without exaggeration, has been the hardest thing I’ve done in my life, aside from birthing a baby. Add in being a single mom and a 4th-grade teacher it can be a downright nightmare. I try to laugh it off that I’m a control freak and everything comes down to planning and execution but it’s crazy hard. Like ridiculously hard.

Yet the universe always provides little signs. Moments that smack you in the face letting you know you’re on the right path. This is one of those.

So, on this day, my 11th birthday (what difference does the number make right?), I find myself incredibly grateful for all those who believed in me and continue to.

Today I celebrate those that invested in EnrichedHQ back when it was nothing more than a disjointed vision (Karen, Brielle, Kate, Jim, Jackson, Tim, Lisa, Rob, Steve, Pete, Zeb, Becky, Anand, Shane, Terri, and the countless others I’m certain I am neglecting to mention — super sorry). And those that continue to as the company grows and we grapple with the expected growing pains. Folks like those at LAUNCH (Jason, Jacqui, Andre, Mike, Molly, Charlie, and Presh) and the other

I’m also incredibly grateful for the EnrichedHQ clients and partners who have (and continue to) see the potential, remain supportive and engaged and embrace the flexibility needed to grow our businesses together. Rising tides raise all boats.

Today I say: “I GET to do this” (thanks Mike Labella) not “I HAVE to do this” because I’m the luckiest momma on the planet.

Thank you for all the well wishes.

Peace.