Startup CEO on raising kids with an entrepreneurial mind

Cheryl Sew Hoy has always known that she wanted to own her own business since she was a child.

“When teachers asked what’s your ambition … and a lot of kids wanted to be doctors or lawyers. My ambition was [to be] She described herself as a businesswoman to CNBC Make It. 

The 39-year old serial entrepreneur is making that childhood dream a reality. His ventures include Reclip.It (a consumer software startup) which Walmart Labs acquired in 2013. 

Tiny Health is a tech startup that offers at-home tests for gut health to moms and babies aged 0-3 years. According to the founder and CEO, the test can detect imbalances in the gut early and lower the risk of developing chronic conditions.

The company announced last week that it raised $4.5 million in seed capital. It said that its backers included former operators of U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and Google’s X. 

Sew Hoy, a Malaysian based in Austin Texas, credits her mother, who ran her own marketing company in Malaysia, for her success.

“My mom She owned her own business, and was the boss. Before work-from home was fashionable, she was already at home working and she was my role model.” she said. 

Sew Hoy, now a mom, has “full circle” things Two children aged 2 and 4 years old, as she starts to impart the lessons she’s learned to them. 

What are her top tips for raising entrepreneurs? CNBC Make It discovers. 

It’s hard to teach children what business they can create at a young age, but kids “remember stories” — and that’s the best way to expose them to entrepreneurship, said Sew Hoy.

Although she modeled after her mother Sew Hoy simply observed and said that she wanted to be more intentional about talking to her children about the running of a business. 

She explains, for example, to her children her job as CEO and the “backstory” behind Tiny Health. 

“Talk to them as adults, even though they may not understand you. You can talk to them more like adults the more you speak to them. [you’ll realize] They really understand a lot of things and learn a lot from it.” 

Sew Hoy explained what she does to her kids and also taught them the importance of money. 

“I tell them why I work hard. Yes, it is to make money. But it’s more than just to purchase food or spend it. You can’t make money unless you create something that people will value. What are the problems you would like to solve in the world?

Hoy said that entrepreneurship is about solving problems and that children can learn from adversity.

There is a big difference between great entrepreneurs, and great entrepreneurs. Sew Hoy stated that the great entrepreneurs are those who bounce back constantly because it’s so difficult running a company every day. 

She said that children will not learn value if they have “smooth” journeys where all problems are solved. 

“It takes patience. My daughter would grumble and say, “Mommy! I can’t do that!” She said, “I’ll encourage her again and maybe help her a bit.”

“If she succeeds — especially if she succeeds on her own — she learns a lesson that ‘If you had given up before, you wouldn’t have accomplished this.'”

After going through the same situation with her daughter, Sew Hoy stated that she saw “a spark” in her 4-year old daughter. 

“I know that she is learning because the next thing will be better.” [she tries to do something]She’s telling me, “Mommy! I can do it!” I’m strong.'” 

“So, if life becomes too easy, I would create adversity [for my kids].”

Clarification: This story has now been updated to better reflect the age of Charlize Sew Hoy.

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