Eps 669: Margot Bisnow on Raising Entrepreneurs

Eps 669: Margot Bisnow on Raising Entrepreneurs

Author: Casey O'Roarty August 25, 2026 Duration: 50:55
This week I'm sharing a conversation I had with Margot Bisnow, who interviewed more than 70 families raising wildly self-driven kids. She went looking for a formula and found something more ordinary. We get into how to tell a real passion from checking out, and what parents do in the moments after their kid fails. She also tells the story of biting her tongue when her son left college halfway through. If you're white-knuckling your teen's path, my friend, this one's for you. Guest bio Margot Machol Bisnow is the author of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams, 99 Stories from Families Who Did, written after sitting down with more than 70 families whose kids grew into wildly self-driven adults. Before that she spent 20 years in government, including serving as an FTC commissioner and as staff director of the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Her two grown sons found their own paths: Austin is a musician who founded the band Magic Giant and the folk duo Somewhere in Between, and Elliot founded the Summit conference series for young entrepreneurs and led the purchase and revival of Powder Mountain in Utah. When she isn't talking about parenting, she's traveling or with her family. For more show notes and info go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-669-margot-bisnow-on-raising-entrepreneurs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parenting adolescents often feels like navigating a landscape without a reliable map, where the old rules no longer apply and connection can feel just out of reach. Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens, hosted by Casey O'Roarty, meets you right in that uncertainty. This podcast operates from a simple, powerful belief: the challenges of raising tweens and teens, while deeply personal, are also a shared human experience. Instead of offering quick fixes, conversations here focus on the foundational work of building and repairing relationships, fostering essential life skills in our kids, and perhaps most importantly, doing the internal work required of us as parents. You’ll hear honest discussions that blend practical strategies with compassionate insight, all aimed at transforming this demanding season from a battle of wills into an opportunity for mutual growth. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a thoughtful, experienced friend who reminds you that courage isn't about being fearless, but about finding joy and resilience within the beautiful mess of family life. It’s a resource for anyone who wants to move beyond reaction and toward a more intentional, connected approach with the young adults in their home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens
Podcast Episodes
Eps 660: Lori Petro on Obedience Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:34
What if the way we treat our babies and teenagers could actually predict whether they grow up peaceful or violent? In this episode, I welcome back Lori Petro to dig into the buried research of Dr. James Prescott, the pul…
Eps 659: Free-Range Teens with Lenore Skenazy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:40
What if our teens are far more capable than our anxious culture lets us believe? (spoiler: they are) In this episode, I sit down with Lenore Skenazy to talk about raising independent, resilient teenagers in a world built…
Eps 658: Lisa Woodruff helps us tame home chaos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:16
We don't parent in a vacuum, my friend. Midlife and the teen years pile on the paperwork, the appointments, the mental load—and so many of us are drowning in reactive mode. In this episode, I sit down with organization e…
Eps 657: Attia Qureshi and negotiating with teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:23
Negotiation isn't a boardroom skill—it's a parenting skill, and every hard conversation with our teens is a training ground. In this episode, I talk with negotiation expert Atiya Qureshi about asking for what we need, ma…
Eps 656: What if your teen is having a problem, not being one? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:03
If your teen's disrespect, eye rolls, and slammed doors have you feeling stuck, this solo episode is for you. I'm unpacking a game-changing reframe: your teen isn't being a problem, they're having a problem. Drawing on P…
Ep 655: "Who is this kid?!" The transition of adolescence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:50
In this solo episode, I'm diving into the messy, beautiful work of parenting through transitions. Whether you're watching your kiddo move from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, or out into young adultho…
Eps 654: Don Campbell on Raising Sons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:04
Raising a teenage boy today means navigating contradictory messages about who he's supposed to be — strong but soft, expressive but not too much. In this episode, I sit down with Don Campbell of Soul Fire Parenting to un…
Eps 653: Exploring teen cannabis use with Susan Notis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:49
If you've ever stood in your kitchen wondering if your teen's weed use is "just a phase," this episode is for you. I'm joined by parent coach Susan Norts to talk about teen cannabis dependency, why today's marijuana isn'…
Eps 652: Soft Teens or Snowflake Parenting? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:02
In this solo episode, I take you into my comments section, where a listener called my parenting content "snowflake." I use it as a doorway into what Positive Discipline actually looks like with tweens and teens — why kin…
Eps 651: Rebuilding trust with our teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:51
In this solo episode, I dig into what so many parents of teens wrestle with: rebuilding trust after your kid has hurt or scared you. I explore why hypervigilance is a trauma response and not a character flaw, the differe…