Could you ... would you?

Hi Scott,

Thank you so much for your amazing money concept for kids. I am a School Chaplain at a low socio-economic school in Tamworth, NSW. I have run with your book idea with some Year 6 students. We found an opportunity to earn money and pay it back to the school through making cards for the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stalls. I am looking at enthusing the next card-making crew to pick up the mantle next year. These guys are so committed. I was wondering if you might be generous enough to shout them a copy of your book so we can present it to them at their Year 6 formal?
 
Belinda

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Hey Belinda,
 
This warms my heart.
 
I’ve tried so hard to get this message into schools, and the fact that your kids have embraced it is awesome. I hope they enjoyed their signed books.

Scott.

The Farmer

G’day Scott,
 
My name is Sam Williams, I’m 13 years old, and I own a business – a Poll Dorset sheep stud. We’ve had an exceptionally wet couple of years – the sheep have wet feet (which causes lameness), they have skin issues due to moisture, and my first lamb went a little crazy in the yards and broke its neck and died in my arms.
 
It has been hard, very hard, but it’s my dream. My parents have worked so hard to be supportive and constantly say they don’t want me to have to work to breaking point like Dad, while still appreciating the values and work ethic it takes to get there. I was wondering if you have any words of advice for me, and does it matter if I am forced to sit still for a bit as our finances are tight?
 
Sam 

Hi Sam,
 
There’s no doubt your parents are proud of you … I am too!
 
Now let me tell you a little secret, Sam. I bought my farm so that my four kids would learn the lessons and values you’re living: hard work, resilience, and an understanding of where money (and food!) comes from.
 
Now, to your question.
 
I don’t think it matters if you’re forced to ‘sit for a bit’ if money is tight. Sometimes it’s the best thing to do, given prices have come down quite a bit (I sold some lambs the other day and got absolutely fleeced).
 
More importantly, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture either, Sam.
 
While everyone is getting excited about the future of artificial intelligence, for me a much more fundamental fact is that we need to work out a way to feed billions of people sustainably.
 
That’s where the smart money is going right now. And with your hard work, country ethics and down-to-earth nature, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t be someone who leads the industry into the future.

Scott.

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Dear Scott,
 
We confiscated our 14-year-old son’s phone over a year ago because he was misusing it. It’s been a long year of self-harm and reminding him he is supported and loved. It’s now time for him to get one again, primarily to check in with us when he’s away. So here’s the argument I’m having with my hubby: I want him to earn the phone – we have five acres of bush and I have the idea that he only needs to sell one bag of firewood a month to pay for a phone. My hubby says it isn’t worth the cost of petrol, chainsaw, and delivering the wood to customers. He just flat out says “no, it’s spending money to make money”.  He won’t be reasoned with at all. Help!

Linda

Hi Linda,
 
Your husband may not show it, but I’m sure he’s been worried sick about your son self-harming.
 
Any parent would.
 
So here’s how I’d approach it with your husband:
 
Ask him to think about how he’d feel as he watched your son start his own little firewood business.
 
Paint him a picture:
 
He’d be off the screens and out into the fresh air, doing some physically demanding work. He’d be smiling and interacting politely with his customers. And, most importantly, his confidence would soar as he earnt his own dough.
 
Personally, I think this could work out to be the best money you and your husband ever spent. However, if it makes him feel better, you could write an agreement with your son that he has to pay you a certain percentage of each sale to cover the costs.
 
I think if your husband could see your son making a go of it he’d beam with pride.
 
Any parent would.

Scott.

My bedtime routine

Each night I tuck the kids into bed and read them a story.
 
Yet lately … I’ve been cheating.
 
When the kids are listening with their eyes closed, I pull out my phone and press ‘play’ on my brand-new audiobook – Barefoot Kids – and then sneak out to spend some quality time with Mrs Barefoot.
 
They don’t know the difference!
 
Well, until they open their eyes, and then come searching for us.  
 
(And the game is really up.)
 
Seriously, though, audio is so hot right now. Yet I was shocked to learn that the fastest-growing segment isn’t podcasts … it’s audiobooks.
 
Yes, the hottest thing in book publishing is … books you don’t read!
 
That explains why streaming behemoth Spotify recently launched its own audiobook service. Founder Daniel Ek has suggested that the market could grow from its current $US10 billion to as much as $US70 billion in a few years’ time.
 
And it also explains why Apple is trying to beat other audiobook publishers to the punch by releasing its own AI audiobook narrator, complete with voice inflection.
 
However, I didn’t go with the robot.
 
I decided to go all in with my audiobook because of the sheer number of people who wrote to me saying their kids couldn’t or wouldn’t read.
 
So I spent hours and hours in the recording studio. I even got some child actors to narrate the kid bits, and hired a voice actor for the dog (which ended up sounding a bit woofy, so we gave it the chop).
 
I’m super proud of the audiobook we’ve created, and I think it’s going to provide some awesome family listening for long car trips. And I think the parents in the front will get as much out of it as the kids in the back. It’s available in Audible today. Happy Easter!
 
Tread Your Own Path!

Cards of Courage

Hi Scott,
 
My name is Amira and I’m 10. For Christmas Mum got me Barefoot Kids. Thanks for writing a cool book. Mum and I read it together. We are following your steps and I now have my business, ‘Cards With Care – By Amira’, up and running in Darwin. I pitched my business to a local shop owner, who bought my cards to sell in her shoe shop. People are loving the photos I take for my cards. I have my buckets all set up and have purchased my first ETF with Mum’s help!
  
Love, Amira

Hi Amira,
 
Oh, I love this.
 
Did you know that the average Aussie gets 22 Birthday, Christmas, and ‘Sorry I voted for the Teals’ cards every year? (Ask your parents.)
 
For the rest of us, have a read of Amira’s pitch and tell me that you’d choose a cheesy Hallmark card over something as genuinely awesome as what Amira’s got going on.
 
You Got This!

Harry Styles Goes Barefoot

Hi Scott,

Just writing to thank you for your latest book, which I bought for my nine-year-old granddaughter. She has now established her jars for spending, saving and giving. Two weeks ago she and a little friend had a bake sale in Collingwood, where they live. Sales were a little slow until a lady came along and told them Harry Styles was in a cafe down the road. Of course the stall was quickly packed up and off they went with their produce. To their delight, Harry and two friends were sitting outside. The girls approached the group (with Mum not far behind) and offered their biscuits for sale. Lo and behold Harry bought three biscuits and gave them $50! Thank you again – you have inspired my granddaughter to be a young entrepreneur!

Adrienne

Hi Adrienne,

How many girls rock up to Harry Styles and giggle, scream and ask for a selfie? Not your granddaughter – she came to do business! And Harry, what a legend. Though to be fair I think spending a pineapple on three biscuits is a little over the top … even for a rockstar.

Still, he probably had no idea what the strange yellow note was … and why would he even care? Now that’s a story she’ll tell her grandkids.

Scott.

Barefoot the Beetroot

Hi Scott,
 
I’m the librarian at Mornington Primary School. A Grade 5 student named Liam nominated Barefoot Kids for our book of the week. His reason was “because this book changed my life and made me want to start a business”. Now I imagine you get lots of mail from our younger generation, but Liam is a very quiet, shy student. I know it’s a big ask, but even a reply from yourself that I could show him would be such a confidence-booster.

Anna
 
Hi Anna,
 
Thank you for getting in touch. I’ll address this one straight to Liam.
 
Liam, thank you so much for getting my book into your school!
 
And because you’ve read the book, you’ll know about the secret I never told anyone before:
 
I’m actually pretty shy myself.
 
When I was your age and had to talk to anyone, I’d stare nervously down at my feet, my mind would go blank, and my face would turn as red as a beetroot with embarrassment.
 
And that’s why I came up with a little saying to help me when I got nervous. It’s called S.E.A. (Smile, make Eye contact, and Ask questions like “How’s your day going?”).
 
It really works!

Even better, the more you practise it, the easier talking to people gets.
 
Now I don’t know what your Barefoot business is, Liam, but I’m hoping it gives you the chance to spend a lot of time swimming in the S.E.A. Doing that will really change your life! 

Scott.

The Christmas Miracle

Hi Scott,

I bought your new book for my nine-year-old son. It was Christmas night, and putting him to bed was proving challenging. I thought I had tucked him in for the night, but he stayed up in his room reading your book. At 9pm he got up to “get some water”, and renegotiated his weekly chores for more money. He came back out at 10.30pm to tell me he wanted to start a business making greeting cards and could we talk about supplies. I considered confiscating the book until morning, just to get a good night’s sleep. Still deciding if this was a Christmas miracle or nightmare!
 
Demmi
 
Hi Demmi
 
Oh, it was definitely a Christmas miracle.    
 
On the one day that’s totally focused on getting, your son was learning about working, investing and (if he stayed up late enough reading) giving.
 
Let your son know that I think his greeting card business is a goer. Fact is, Aussies spend a mind-boggling $500 million on cards every year … we’re the third-largest purchasers of cards in the world. Yet most are lame, and cost way too much. Your son will make cool cards.
 
Congratulations on having a Barefoot kid!

Scott

We Thought Our Daughter Had a Learning Disability

Hi Scott,

I want to say thank you for writing one of the most incredible books for kids. My eight-year-old daughter has a tendency to read the first chapter of a book then get bored. At first we thought she had a learning disability, until I purchased your book. She was obsessed! Couldn’t put it down and read it twice in three days! She was so into it that she put her headphones on when reading so no one could distract her. She kept reading it even to and from school. So thank you for helping us start one of the most essential conversations with our kids – about finances – and for validating that she doesn’t have a learning disability. I was just making the wrong book selections!
 
Lina
 
Hi Lina,
 
What a little legend!  
 
ou know it’s awesome that kids are reading this book, but what’s even better is that they’re using it to become Barefoot Bosses and teach their parents a thing or two about making money.
 Oh, and now that she’s reading, I’ve got another recommendation for her: my kids are loving Nazeem Hussain’s book Hy-Larious Hyena.

Scott.

Christmas Comes Early

Hi Scott,

I was planning on giving your new Barefoot Kids book to my eight-year-old daughter for Christmas. Unfortunately, she found it while I was at work. When I got home that night I was amazed that she had already read half the book, letter-bombed the neighbourhood with her new ‘cat sitting’ business, set up her jars with your stickers, and started setting up her jobs board. Then she hit me with her pocket money pitch. My Chrissy surprise is blown, but it’s so good she is fully engaged!

Chris

Hey Chris

How proud should you be of your daughter? The way most parents teach their kids about money is trial and error … a lot of boring lectures … and a lot of nagging, in the hope that some of it sticks. Yet your daughter is building her own money ‘muscle memories’, and creating her own experiences … some of which will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Scott.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Hi Scott,

I know it is unlikely I will receive a reply but I feel compelled to let you know what an impact you have had on my 11-year-old daughter, Molly. Yesterday her aunt gifted her your new book. Molly devoured the book in one evening and by this afternoon had started a small business initiative to make dog treats and raise funds for the homeless.

We are fascinated by her enthusiasm and even more impressed by her presentation on investing (which I have shared with you). Thank you for hitting the nail on the head with this generation. I feel relieved to know that your book is teaching such valuable skills.

Mandy

Hi Mandy,

You not only made it to my inbox, you made it all the way to our family dinner table! We have a strict rule at our house: “No screens at dinner”. So when I sat down with an iPad my kids’ eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Then I pressed play on Molly’s video … and they cheered for her. Seriously, she explained the concept of investing better than some highly paid investment analysts I know! Thanks so much for sharing it with me and the kids. It made our night.

Scott

Taking on the bullies

Today, I’m going to show you how a kid rose up and beat his bullies.

Levi, 10 years old, was about to have the worst day of his life.

“Come up to the front and read to the class, Levi”, instructed his teacher.

He froze …

You see, Levi has dyslexia, which makes reading really difficult.

He could hear some of the kids in his class starting to laugh. After trying to get a few words out, he slunk back to his chair and put his head down so he couldn’t see the other kids.

After class, a group of boys cornered him:

“Why can’t you read? What’s wrong with you?”

Levi just stared at them.

“You are so dumb!” teased one of the boys, and then everyone burst out laughing.

But the next day in class something weird happened.

His teacher brought in a plastic ruler that had a blue see-through slit in the middle. Levi had never seen anything like it. She called it a ‘reading ruler’, and it worked like a moving highlighter, helping Levi focus on reading one line at a time.

It was the first thing that had ever really helped Levi read. So that night he rushed home and told his mum the good news.

Levi wanted a reading ruler of his very own, so he googled it. There was only one problem: different colours work better for different kids. And Levi couldn’t find the one he needed.

Frustrated, he turned to his mum and said, “I should get some reading rulers made and sell them to other kids who find reading hard like me”.

And so for the next six months Levi would come home from school and work on his business.

After searching online for ages, he tracked down a factory in China that made reading rulers. He ended up ordering 25 samples to start off with, and paid for them himself using his pocket money.

And then he did something he never thought he’d be able to do:

He built his own website (mydyslexiashop.com.au) and started selling them.

And he’s done pretty darned well; he’s now sold $6,000 worth of reading rulers.

Better yet, for every 10 rulers he sells he gives one away. “I give them away to people who don’t have money to buy them, and also to schools. That way kids who may not have enough courage to admit they need them can try them out”, he tells me.

Yet the most epic thing happened a few weeks after his first sale. Without him knowing it, Levi’s mum had emailed his teacher and told him about his success. So the teacher asked Levi to get up in front of the class and tell his classmates about it.

Guess what happened?

No one laughed.

Instead, everyone cheered and told him “That’s amazing!”

There was even a kid in his class who bought one – and so did his teacher!

Levi is a Barefoot Kid.

And he’s just one of 50 kids (aged 5 to 14) who appear in my new book, Barefoot Kids.

There are young kids. Older kids. Indigenous kids. City kids. Country kids.

I want every kid to be able to open up my book, look at the kids inside, and say to themselves:

“That kid’s just like me, I could do that.”

Tread Your Own Path!

Barefoot Kid Refuses to Go to Sleep

Dear Scott,

I gave my 10 year old son your new book this afternoon … and he can’t put it down. He’s on page 104! He won’t go to sleep until he finishes it! He says it’s amazing! Loves the ‘little tips’ and stories the most.
Perhaps this book will change his life like Barefoot Investor has changed mine.

Thank You!

Sasha

Hey Sasha,

What a little champion!

And your son’s not alone:

We launched the book on Monday … and by Monday night my inbox was full of kids (and their parents) writing emails to me, bragging that they’d already finished the whole book.

That’s only happened to me once before:

The day I launched the original Barefoot Investor book.

But this time it’s even better … because it’s happening with kids.

I’ve said that Barefoot Kids is the best book I’ve ever written, and I believe it.

So I’m putting it out there early: there is something very special about this book.

Thank you for sharing, Sasha. I look forward to hearing about the epic money adventure your son is now on!

Scott.

A Sticky Issue

Hi Scott,

My kids are beyond excited about your next book (you’re a big deal in our household). I asked my local bookstore but they didn’t know anything about it. Will it be released this year?

Lauren

Hi Lauren,

So my new book went to the presses this week (an Aussie printer, not in China!). However, the printers are in hell right now. Reason being, I insisted my new book have stickers as a reward system.

They turn the book into an adventure and make it more like a kit than a book.

It totally rocks … and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I couldn’t find a publisher crazy enough to spend that much money on a wild idea. So, let’s all have a moment’s silence for the printer who has to add pages of stickers to the back of each and every copy of lots of books.

The official launch date is early November but I’ll be letting you Barefooters know ahead of time so your kids don’t miss out!

Scott.

Help! The Tax Man is Beating Up My Kid

Hi Scott,

I have a very hardworking 13-year-old who has amassed quite a bit of money: she has saved up $200,000! She would like to purchase a property but as a minor she will have to pay 66% on any income earned from the property. (Clearly she’ll still live at home until she’s old enough!) The goal is to own it outright in a few years and invest in more property, but I’m way out of my depth here. What is the best way for a minor like her to make their money work for them until they turn 18 — in their own name, not mine?

Helen

Hi Helen

Two hundred grand? That’s amazing! You must be very proud (and a fine role model).

You’re right about the penalty rate on kids under the age of 18 – however, this only applies to unearned income, like a bank account, rent or dividends from shares. It does not apply to income from the sweat of their own brow.

I wouldn’t limit your research just to property. It would be a good idea for her to learn about investing in the share market as well. To kick off her portfolio, all you’d need to do is set up an account as trustee for your daughter and purchase a hands-off portfolio of local and international shares. You’ll need to pay tax on the dividends – though franking credits mean it’s not much of an issue. To minimise this, open the account in the lower-earning spouse’s name. Then the shares can be transferred to her when she turns 18.

Finally, I’d give her my book (or audiobook) so she can learn all about investing and how to manage her money, as she seems to have the earning part all worked out!

Scott.

Making Hay

Hi Scott,

I just want to say I’m glad you’re writing a book for kids. I have this amazing young man called Jarrah (13 years old) who works for me. He comes once a week to help around my property, cleaning paddocks, cleaning water troughs and filling hay nets. He has worked for me a year now and it’s just an hour a week, but when I advertised the job he told me about his savings accounts. One account is for his car, one for his house and one for spending. Plus, if he invests money in the investment account his mum set up for him she matches what he’s put in. I’m blown away by the solid head on young Jarrah’s shoulders! His mum is a Barefoot follower (like me) and she has educated him well. When your book is published, I’ll buy him a copy.

Jan

Hi Jan,

What an amazing young bloke!

He’s exactly the kind of Barefoot kid that I want to feature in my new book.

So please go to www.barefootinvestor.com/kids

Scott.

I’m setting up a caravan park

My boys had cornered me.

“Dad, we’d like to talk to you about a business idea we’ve come up with”, they said in unison.

“We’re calling it … Pape Point Campground”, announced my eight-year-old.

“We could rent out the top paddock to caravanners for, say, $40 a night!”, added the six-year-old.

“Oh”, I said, trying my best to remain noncommittal.

They stood there eyeballing me expectantly.

I must have twitched, because they were off like a flash. They spent the next couple of hours huddled in their room coming up with a detailed plan for their caravan park: job titles, hours of operation, even a logo design (which they outsourced to their three-year-old sister — very sparkly).

Then they reappeared for round two of the pitch … this time with upsells:

“We could provide a rustic breakfast for $10.” (“Oh, that’s a great idea, mate!”)

“And sell them campfire wood and marshmallows, for $15.” (“Nice!”)

“And you can also give them some financial advice, Dad, for, say, $20?” (“Oh, now hang on a minute!”)

Pape Point Campground may be confined to family and friends … but still I was impressed. Not only was their creativity in full flight, but they were full of excitement. As a parent, I’m under no illusions: these are the good old days.

And it’s something that’s been on my mind, because I’m currently writing my next book, and it’s all about kids.

When I pitched my publisher the idea they loved it, especially when I told them the main idea: “It’s kids teaching kids.”

And that’s where I need your help … or, specifically, your kids’ help.

I’m looking for kids to feature in my book and inspire the kids of Australia.

So, if you’ve got a Barefoot Kid who:

Has their own little business …

Set up a stall …

Created a product …

Or enthusiastically done their Jam Jars at home …

Then I want to hear from you!

For the kids I choose, I’ll interview them, set them challenges, even help them learn about the share market.

(And of course also feature them in my new book.)

I’m on a tight deadline, so — parents, guardians, friends and grandparents — please go here to apply by this Tuesday 22nd March, 5:00 pm:

barefootinvestor.com/kids

Tread Your Own Path!