Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Jennifer Bouani, the author of Future Business Leaders' SeriesTM, a new and unique set of adventure books that teach kids about capitalism, entrepreneurship and business. She started the series in 2006 with Tyler & His Solve-a-Matic Machine, which won the 2007 iParenting Media HOT Product Award. Her second book, Tyler Passes the Golden Key, was recently published in June 2008 and is an Award-Winning Finalist in the Children's Fiction category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. To learn more about the Future Business Leaders' SeriesTM visit boujepublishing.com.
FP: Jennifer Bouani, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Bouani: Glad to be here. Thanks.
FP: What inspired you to do the Future Business Leaders' SeriesTM. What exactly is it?
Bouani: It started back in 2004-2005 when three sources of inspiration hit me in a single year. To put it in context, outsourcing and globalization were at the top of people's minds. In fact I was witnessing it first hand in the company where I was working. Our company had begun outsourcing some of our most interesting IT projects to India, and my college-educated colleagues were being left behind. It disturbed me because my colleagues were smart, responsible people with a first-rate work ethic who had dedicated a lot of long hours and intellectual property to the company. I was tempted to think that all of this outsourcing was unfair. However, I knew that I shouldn't blame the company and its managers for trying to lower costs to compete and survive. Where would my colleagues go when the company decided to outsource everything, I wondered. Another company? Perhaps, until that company figured out that it, too, would save more by outsourcing. We were now living in a new global world and that was a fact. It was apparent that eventually my colleagues would have to change careers.
At the same time, I finished my second Ayn Rand book, Atlas Shrugged (I had read The Fountainhead years earlier) and was moved by the strong, purposeful heroes who possessed extraordinary ambition, independence and honesty. They made me look at the world and mankind in a different light. Atlas Shrugged showed me how these heroes (our producers) are not only the engine to the American economic system, but that capitalism in its purest state is the most moral economic system known to man.
The third inspiration, probably the kicker, was my daughter coming into my life. For the first time I had someone else's future to consider. I tried to imagine what "making a living" would entail for her generation in this new global world. Already I could tell from the outsourcing I was witnessing at work that spending a lifetime at one company was unrealistic. But I was just beginning to realize that a college education towards one specialized degree would probably not be enough, either, and that she would likely need to adopt several careers in her lifetime. In order to survive, she was going to have to learn and practice a deeper level of creative thinking and information seeking. In order to compete, she was going to have to understand the fundamentals of business and economics.
So, these three sources of inspiration hit me at once: globalization, a deeper appreciation for capitalism and my daughter's future. My generation's educators had trained us to be good employees. My daughter's generation, however, will require a radically different education if they are to compete in this global world.
So I naively went looking for a series of kids' books (something fun and adventurous) that taught business concepts at their level. I knew she was too young to understand the messages (she was only an infant), but I wanted to collect them and put them on a shelf to be brought down and read at the right moment. I searched everywhere, but found nothing that came close to what I was looking for. Surely, I wasn't the only parent who was looking for this, I thought. So, I decided to write the series myself. That's how the Future Business Leaders' SeriesTM came to be.
FP: Can you talk a bit about complacency toward and downright attacks on capitalism?
Bouani: I'll start with the attacks on capitalism. The recent comment of presidential candidate Obama to "Joe the Plumber" says it all, "...when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." I disagree. It's bad for everybody - even for the ones receiving the wealth. Why? It encourages citizens to be consumers, not producers. It encourages citizens to take the easy way out and wait for their government's handout. Taking earnings from the individuals who spend energy thinking of ideas that bring value to society, work long hours to turn those ideas into a profitable business and as a result create jobs for others, and giving their earnings to consumers who have contributed nothing to these earnings is immoral. It rewards the wrong people, and if practiced often and widely, it discourages the producers from producing or worse, drives them to produce (and create jobs) elsewhere. And when producers don't produce, there are no profits to "spread around." "Spread the wealth around" is an irrational plan, and one that will surely kill the American Dream.
Another attack comes from those who misunderstand what's causing the current financial crisis. People want to blame the crisis on capitalism and free-market enterprise, but they fail to see that the government's meddling in the market is the culprit in keeping the market from correcting itself. (i.e. the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates, laws forcing banks to lend to people with poor or no credit). These same people who incorrectly blame the crisis on capitalism, cry for more meddling (i.e. regulation and bailouts) and are sending us into a downward spiral towards more debt, more taxes, and less freedom.
Many young Americans don't seem to have a strong opinion one way or another in this ideological debate, and many more do not seem to know it is even going on. We openly talk about who was eliminated from American Idol or Brittney's comeback at social events or in social networks, but it's not socially acceptable to discuss philosophy, economics and politics. I hope we haven't grown too secure and comfortable that we have allowed ourselves to weaken within morally and intellectually, in by so doing, have forgotten how rare and fragile our freedoms are.
FP: Who are the main characters in the series and what are their strengths and inspiration for readers?
Bouani: Tyler, the main character in Tyler and His Solve-a-matic Machine (the first book in the series) is a 10-year old orphan. He misses his father, who was a great sea captain, and longs to become like him. He has a gift for building model sailboats, but, like a lot of kids, he hates doing his homework.
His story of how he combines his problem (homework) with his gift (building things) to realize his dream (to become a sea captain) inspires young readers to pursue the American Dream by following a similar pattern. Tyler makes something of value by using his mind and consulting his friends. He overcomes his insecurities, learns what he needs to do and works extremely hard to make it happen. He turns an idea into a business that creates jobs and makes the lives of the kids in the city of Nessibus better.
Tyler doesn't achieve this alone. He networks with friends, animals who specialize in certain professions and Soté, the Spirit of the Entrepreneurs. His friend, Giselle, is a 10-year-old girl, who takes center stage in the second book of the series Tyler Passes the Golden Key.
FP: What does this series help achieve?
Bouani: The Future Business Leaders' SeriesTM introduces entrepreneurship, business concepts and capitalism to young readers through a fun, adventure story. It empowers young readers to believe in their dreams through hard work no matter what their socio-economic background is. It gives kids an early start on the language they need (i.e. entrepreneur, product, service, customer, etc.) to continue vital conversations about business and economics with parents and teachers.
.FP: Can you talk a bit about some practical lessons that apply to real life entrepreneurs?
Bouani: I structured the first book of the series, Tyler and His Solve-a-matic Machine, around practical lessons that apply to real life entrepreneurs. Tyler's first entrepreneurial lesson starts with understanding his talents and skills, recognizing a need in the marketplace and creatively finding a way to marry both into a viable business idea. In Tyler's case, he uses his model boat building skills to create a machine that helps him do his homework faster.
The next lessons Tyler learns are about planning and designing his product, while at the same time learning how to fight his insecurities. This is a distinguishing trait of an entrepreneur - someone who stays devoted to cultivating the business even in the face of discouragement.
Tyler goes on to learn when to acquire a patent, how to find the right property, how to hire the right people, and how to determine the price for his machine.
FP: How about some basic principles of running a successful business?
Bouani: In the second book of the series, Tyler Passes the Golden Key, Tyler is tested against many basic principles of running a successful business. Like many businessmen, he finds his sales are falling and decides something has to change. The simple principle he must learn is that revenue should be growing more than expenses in order to turn a profit and keep the business running. He discovers the value in hiring vendors who specialize in an area of business he does not specialize in. Knowing his competition, listening to his customers, and evolving his business (e.g. via branding, innovating, etc.) to keep and acquire new customers become vital principles for Tyler to continue his success.
FP: What suggestions do you have for parents who either have children interested in business or who want to encourage their child to develop/use the life skills that Tyler and Giselle developed in the books?
Bouani: Start a conversation about business and entrepreneurs. After reading the book, parents will find it easier to start that conversation. Explore your kid's gifts and talents; ask them what they think it takes to start a business and if they want to start one, talk about what type of business. Help them imagine it:
· How would it be set-up?
· How would it make money?
· Who would be his/her customers?
· Who of his/her friends could be "hired" as vendors or employees?
Remind them that business thrives on networking.
Guide them to do research to determine if it is a feasible business idea. Determine whether the idea will fill a need. If your kid's idea is already a product or service, then explain that he/she will need to do business differently and better.
Give them small tasks to start their businesses. The book, the conversations, and the tasks to execute will lay a great foundation to build upon as they grow up. Finally, enroll them in Jr. Achievement to take their interest to the next level.
To watch videos of kids and parents talking about what it means to become an entrepreneur, go to boujepublishing.com.
FP: Jennifer Bouani, thank you for joining Frontpage Interview.
Bouani: Thanks for having me.