The Business Millennials Podcast

2.8 Majoring In The Minors

• Ashley Dreager • Season 2 • Episode 8

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In this episode of the Business Millennials podcast, hosts Safa Harris and Ashley Drager dive deep into the motivations behind entrepreneurship, particularly as it relates to parenting and personal growth. They discuss the challenges and rewards of running a business while raising children, the long-term benefits they hope to provide for their families, and their perspectives on education and travel. The conversation touches on themes of work-life balance, financial freedom, and the importance of exposing children to diverse experiences and cultures.

Key Takeaways:

  • Entrepreneurship offers flexibility and financial potential to provide unique experiences for children
  • Long-term business success can enable more travel, cultural exposure, and educational choices for families
  • The hosts view their businesses as a means to create positive impact and raise socially conscious children
  • College education is valued for personal growth and perspective, even if not directly applied to one's career
  • Homeschooling is considered as an option, but comes with its own challenges and financial considerations

Timestamps: 

0:58 - Discussion begins on balancing business ownership with parenting
7:33 - Ashley shares her motivations for entrepreneurship, including travel and cultural experiences for her children
15:14 - Safa talks about the challenges and desires around homeschooling
27:08 - Safa reflects on her college experience and how it shaped her worldview
37:15 - Conversation on the value and cost of college education in today's economy

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Intro:

Welcome to the business millennials podcast. This show brings you strategic insights through raw and unfiltered real world advice to accelerate your business growth for longterm success. I'm Safa Harris, and I'm Ashley Drager. We're the founders of scale and thrive co a full service marketing and business development firm, helping visionary companies scale sustainably. Expect us to have the uncomfortable conversations that no one else is having. We'll break down what it really takes to grow and scale your business beyond six Seven or even eight figures as well as inspiring interviews with diverse leaders across marketing, product development, sales, and more via fly on the wall as we conduct strategy sessions with business owners, experiencing issues such as plateaued income burnout, and generally dropping the ball, giving you the tools and resources to break through your own roadblocks, but also personal development methods to grow you as a balanced conscious leader amidst business growth. Let's jump into this week's episode.

Safa Harris:

I, like, this is kind of related to our past couple of episodes, but question for you, and I know I touched on it myself. we both have kids, we're both choosing to stay in business and do everything that business does. Takes and that requires some maneuvering and dealing with children and the day to day and how that goes for a longer term payout, even though it's in this moment, but we also are able to reap some of the benefits right now for our kids as well. so I kind of want to hear you, like, how do you. What is your view on, like, the long term of business and as it relates to your kids and the future and all of that versus what it affords you with your kids right now?

Ashley Dreager:

Like, what's my why? With the business. Oh, man.

Safa Harris:

in perspective of, like, your family and your kids and stuff like that?

Ashley Dreager:

I I don't know how, I don't know how deep this is going to sound. We'll just, we'll just cover it anyways. Um, I just really want the freedom and the flexibility. I, there was a lot that we didn't get to do as kids growing up that as an adult, I think I would have valued more if we were able to have those experiences. Um, my

Safa Harris:

Such as?

Ashley Dreager:

traveling. I feel like I went into adulthood very uncultured and sheltered in what, what there is in the world, how the world works. Uh, we've had a lot of conversations around the, uh, American mindset and sht.

Safa Harris:

a good little case study, aren't we?

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

parents versus, like, 9 to 5 parents?

Ashley Dreager:

Um, And so I, and actually I don't know even how much my parents value traveling. Like, so I guess I don't know if it's something that we didn't do just because we didn't have the money or just because they don't care to or want to or enjoy it. Um, I mean we went to, like we did Disneyland and we've, we've driven down and flown down to California and

Safa Harris:

then

Ashley Dreager:

stuff that.

Safa Harris:

as expensive as it is

Ashley Dreager:

Oh my gosh, I've been meaning to ask my mom how we afforded that knowing what the prices are today for like a family of four Um, but I think it just would have been a I don't want Just saying it would have been great if we were able to do this, like, doesn't like do that justice. But having those experiences, being able to experience other cultures, seeing how, seeing other countries or even other states, like seeing the East coast, I didn't go to the East coast until last year. Like that was the, yeah, that was the, the, our retreat was the first one where I had flown that far East. Um, And so just that the freedom and the flexibility to afford those luxuries. I hate that it's a luxury because I don't feel like it should be. I feel like everyone should be able to experience that, but that the freedom from an employer's schedule. After Addison was born and between drop off and pickup and the commute, she was in daycare 10, 10 and a half hours a day. And it just like really hit me of like, this is not what I want. This is not, yes, this is always how I imagined life in terms of being a working parent. I never really, I never had the desire to be a stay at home mom. I, I loved working. I love The idea of my career. I don't want to say I love my job because there's a lot of things that I didn't like. Um, but I, I love the idea of having my own thing, my own career. But then when it came into practice and reality hit, it was like, this isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be like. Um, and then after becoming a parent, a lot of my mindset and perspective around Raising kids changed like dramatically. So I had always had the mindset and like the belief of, well, I had to make these sacrifices. I had to go through these challenges growing up and I think that it, Serve me well in certain ways, like putting myself through college. Um, yes, my, you know, my mom helped here and there, but it, I, I didn't have a full ride scholarship. My parents didn't pay for my tuition outright. I was working two jobs, one full time, one part time going to school full time. So I mean, like, there was a lot that I had learned from that experience. And I was like, well, Yeah, I think that, you know, it would be good for them to pave their way. They would value it more. And then after Addison was born, I was like, wait a minute, now that I'm actually thinking about this in practice and, you know, have reflecting on things. I want to be able to give my kids. More than what I had because like we had talked about in past episodes, it'll give them a better foundation going into adulthood if they didn't have to struggle to afford rent or buy a house or buy a reliable car to think about how many other things they could put their time and effort and energy into versus trying to meet basic needs. Um, so the money aspect is a big one. So, I mean, when you have an employer, you're kind of capped on what that salary is going to be, unless you go find a different employer, who's going to pay you to do, pay you more to do the same thing. So the freedom, flexibility, long term financial stability. Those are all, those are really big for me. I'm sure they're not very different than what a lot of people would say

Safa Harris:

have, yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

But

Safa Harris:

what do you think all of that would do for your children? Like, what will traveling do for them? What will giving them that better foundation and like, how does that, like, kind of help you be the parent you want to be for them for the benefit you want to give them?

Ashley Dreager:

I think ultimately When I break it down it comes to them being able to do more and make a bigger impact with their passions their knowledge their abilities versus maybe working through ignorance that they go into adulthood with, or having to unlearn concepts or stereotypes or, you know, things, things of that nature versus being able to have more sympathy and empathy and care. I mean, I don't, I don't want to say that I was an uncaring person going into adulthood and I had to like completely rechange, you know, my, my whole mindset and, you know, belief system. But there was a lot of things that I did have to unlearn. And there was a lot of deep dives that I had to do. And fortunately I had the tools and resources to be able to do that. Um, but I think if they have, if they grow up with Those experiences and exposures that there'll be light years ahead of where I was. like graduating college, if they choose to go to college. I don't even know that I want to put them through college or that like we're saving for college, but

Safa Harris:

their

Ashley Dreager:

yeah, maybe that's their choice. Cause I, I, I don't know that I needed my college degree to do what I'm doing now. I,

Safa Harris:

Mm

Ashley Dreager:

have, my degree is in business. I have a bachelor's in business administration, focus in management. So I'm sure it's helping, but I don't know that it's helping as much as if I had on the job experience from the beginning of my

Safa Harris:

hmm.

Ashley Dreager:

career. You know what I mean?

Safa Harris:

Yeah, I'll touch on the college degree thing in a second, but there's always this conversation and you brought it up of like, Oh, well, like it's not everything should be handed to kids. They need to go through like these hardships and that makes for resilient children and you can't just do everything for them and all of that. And I don't think either of us are really saying, Oh yeah, we're just going to like hand it. All to them, and we'd never want our kids to have any resilience or anything like that, but I think there is like as a parent and just like as a human have being able to provide and making sure your Children always have their basic met and then. Also having those met as a human in general allows us and I know this is huge for both of us. It's like social justice and impact and being good people and taking care of our community and the people around us and doing everything that's in our power to do. Um, this comes into kind of the, we raise them part, like, yes, we want to be able to make sure that there are. Needs are always met and they get to always be in this regulated state

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm. Mm

Safa Harris:

to be better people, where they get to give back to their, their fellow humans, and it doesn't feel like they. One, we have to raise them so they want to do those things, and I think that's in like conversation spirituality, kind of helping them see perspective and travel really helps with a lot of that having that perspective and empathy and sympathy for other humans and, you know, and then giving them one in the reality of his life, like financial ability to do that, but also having that baseline stability in their lives that they have the capacity to be those people

Ashley Dreager:

hmm.

Safa Harris:

that impact

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah. Mm

Safa Harris:

and they're physically able to do that versus always in that hustle and grind mode of like figuring out, how are we going to survive this?

Ashley Dreager:

hmm.

Safa Harris:

And not being able to do that to, for other people. So that's, well, that's always my argument to like, Oh, well, you can't just like hand everything to your kids. It's like, but if I help them, they're going to be in a position to help the world.

Ashley Dreager:

hmm. They'll have the ability to come up with those ideas on their own.

Safa Harris:

Exactly.

Ashley Dreager:

A lot sooner.

Safa Harris:

Yeah. And actually execute on them.

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm.

Safa Harris:

have ideas all day long.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah. Like, challenging beliefs? Like, that wasn't something that I even knew,, it was nowhere near my awareness scale until Probably within the last five years. Um, but imagine if that was something that you were taught or exposed to growing up and I had another 25 years of putting that into practice.

Safa Harris:

Mm hmm.

Ashley Dreager:

and that's just, I think for myself and our family and the way that we want to experience life. That's not something that I would be able to give to them as easily if I were working a corporate nine to five job. That's,

Safa Harris:

Yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

I know that's not necessary. I don't want to say that in a way of making anyone feel bad if that's how they, if that's what they want. I, that's just not for us. Yeah.

Safa Harris:

Yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

So I know this is to kind of like touch on the very first question a little bit. Something that I really want to be able to do is do full time RVing with the kids. It's obviously challenging now as far as health insurance goes, since Justin provides health insurance for the family and car seats. Because, uh, RV seats are not anchored to car frames, like to the frame, the same way that like your cars are, so they're not car seat approved. Yeah, so like the driver and the passenger are, but obviously the car seats are not going to go there.

Safa Harris:

people do in RVs? Do the kids just like roll around?

Ashley Dreager:

I don't know how, well I mean, because I know that there are, um, seats with seat belts, but as far as like, a car seat approved seat. I don't think that they exist. So I think they're just, I don't, I don't know. So, uh, that has been, that is also a major barrier why we haven't done that in the last five years. Um, even just like part time RVing. Um, so we'll have to wait until The kids are out of car seats. So I got like another seven years on that.

Safa Harris:

amount of years. Yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

but just being able to go and camp and travel and see the country and just like be in nature more, is like a big one for me. And, the business financially and being virtual, uh, really facilitates that. So,

Safa Harris:

That's no, I think that's, there's the perspective of like, this is why I'm doing it and it keeps you going and all of that kind of stuff, and that's kind of what you have to remember the moments of like, I'm sacrificing my sleep right now, but you know what, in 10 years

Ashley Dreager:

yeah. Versus just, hey, I have my two weeks of vacation.

Safa Harris:

Yeah. And it's the. In ten years, I'm going to, like, right now, I'm giving this child mac and cheese because I can't do anything more, but in ten, twenty years This is going to be the kid that's going to be one of those kids at Columbia in the encampment standing up for what they believe in

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm.

Safa Harris:

have the fear that they're not going to be able to make it through when they're standing up for what's

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah, and I'll have the ability to support them

Safa Harris:

Yeah,

Ashley Dreager:

as well.

Safa Harris:

Yeah, and not saying that you won't necessarily be able to do that if you're in a 9 to 5, I think for us, it's just like, we see that as being a high priority and then also want the things for ourselves and flexibility during the day. And how do we make and balance that happen? And the answer's there. always been business

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Safa Harris:

he doesn't have kids or anything like that. So, um, always like, oh, well, you're the one we're always like to him, like, well, you're the one that has the most flexibility. You don't have any kids. You don't have to worry about. X, Y, Z, whatever, whatever, but he's then like, Oh, well, I can't take that much time off. Or like, I had just taken time off, so I can't do that then. while we're like, Oh, well, whatever, do that. And we're like, oh, well, we don't need to worry about time off.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah. Mm

Safa Harris:

perspective, and that, like, I always have to, like, mentally remind myself of, of, like, yeah, no, he doesn't have kids, but he has these other constraints

Ashley Dreager:

hmm. Mm

Safa Harris:

works for him and it's fine, like I said, he, like, he doesn't have kids, he's like doing his own thing, like, it is what it is, and he doesn't really, he has like a retirement plan of like what he wants to do and all of that, and it's like affording that for him

Ashley Dreager:

hmm,

Safa Harris:

able to do that, um, having to deal with the challenges of business, but what have for my future plans and like what we have for like our kids and all of that, it's to five could never afford that. So in life is like a trade off. You trade off that I'm not going to say reliable paycheck because they can lay you off and they don't care and replace you in a day. Um, but like having that consistent paycheck versus the challenges we go through in is the trade off

Ashley Dreager:

mm hmm.

Safa Harris:

the possibility and the ability of doing all of these things.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

And this next point, it's kind of related, it's unrelated, and I was on, um, I was about to do, like, a training session and, like, you know when people get on early and you're just, like, chit chatting, and the conversation of homeschool came up. And

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

was like, that's something that I really want to do. And I always go back and forth just because of like my capacity, my ability, like my patience to do it and right now in the season we're in, like a big majority of like the house management is on me. And then obviously business management and the kids and like it, I know if Darrell was able to be, be home more, that wouldn't be the case. But the idea of being like, okay, well let me also add the management of homeschooling and like sitting down and setting time aside and

Ashley Dreager:

Mm

Safa Harris:

to go through those lessons. And I'm just like, I want to do it so badly so I can have more of an understanding of what he's learning. the day to day and be a part of that situation, not necessarily to control what he's learning, but kind of know what's going on, be more involved, and then also bring in more of those perspective angles that I know isn't happening at school

Ashley Dreager:

hmm.

Safa Harris:

Oh, yeah, we're reading this book. So, what are, the moral thoughts of, like, how does this impact people? I'm bringing more of those conversations and bigger. conversations. I want to be able to do more of that. so I was telling them that, yeah, that's something I want to do for X, Y, Z reasons. And, but I just physically and mentally don't think that's something I can take on right now. And it's just like really hard and kind of having that school childcare, it's helpful

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

this moment and that's like a sacrifice for me, is not homeschooling, um, and hopes that in the future that there will be other things that I'm able to build in, like more travel, more time off, more whatever, or, A more flexible private school thing or we're living in a different society where things are different, whatever, like that's going to be afforded to me by sending him to school for a little bit now and the thing that someone told me, she was like, she's like, she's like, I homeschooled my children she said, there's some parents that shouldn't be homeschooling and there's parents that Should be in can be and she said the biggest she's like for the goals you have for why you want to homeschool the best thing that you're doing right now is running your own business and showing that to your children

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm.

Safa Harris:

and having that perspective and Going through those resilience and like having those conversations with them like that is going to be way more impactful on them Then you Possibly not doing that or doing less of it then homeschooling them in that perspective She's like that is going teach them way more of what you're trying to teach them Than like doing it a different way and I was like, that's really great perspective and she's like, yeah, I know my kids are 30

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah, I, I, homeschool has been a, a big conversation for us and just within the last year, really, that started to become more of a priority for myself. Um, also had zero desire to homeschool, 100 percent always planned for them to be in public school. Um, and so that's also something that is a privilege to have when you have your own business and you have control over your schedule and you can, Financially afforded. Homeschool is a lot more expensive than what I thought. I thought homeschool was like the free option because they're just home with you. That is not the case. There's a lot more expenses that come with homeschool than I had given credit for until I started doing the research.

Safa Harris:

Yeah, and I think of the thing is like We have Availability of like, not doing private school, or not doing public school, um, and so Wally doesn't go to a public school, he goes to a charter school, because private school in the U. S. is just like, not an option for us financially, and even if it was, I don't think I would want to do it, because that just seems ridiculous to pay that much, in my personal opinion. But, um, think if I didn't have the option for charter school, um, and like where it's located and all of that working out, I still don't think I would have done public school though. I think I would have like figured out a way to do homeschool at that point. So, um, Yes, it's like no, I can't do homeschooling right now but I have I'm, not doing public school, but we're doing a charter school that like makes me being like, okay. Yeah, you know what it's not it's saying that there's anything wrong with public school, but just like my priorities and Things like that that it was just not right for us um, we had other options that made it less awful in my Feelings that I wasn't was giving up homeschooling. It was like a middle of the road compromise

Ashley Dreager:

Well, and it doesn't have to be forever.

Safa Harris:

public school letter Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

Like, you can, things could change next year. Um, and

Safa Harris:

you would just,

Ashley Dreager:

my situation permanence.

Safa Harris:

right now. Yes, exactly. just the changes. Mm-Hmm.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah. So, um, I mean, all of the, all of those things, like when push comes to shove and times get really hard, those are all the things that I start to think about. When it comes to what my alternative options are, um, of do I want to keep making these sacrifices? Do I want to keep. pushing through, is this worth it? And ultimately I keep coming back to the same decision of, I am meant to be in business for myself, I mean, it's something that I've always been passionate about. I just thought I was going to own a bakery up until college. Went a very different path that way.

Safa Harris:

yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

But, uh, now I'm back. I'm getting on the, on TikTok on. Cookie decorating, cake decorating. And I'm like, Oh, maybe, maybe after, uh, you know, the kids are a little bit older, maybe I'll have a third business of opening a bakery

Safa Harris:

From your rv.

Ashley Dreager:

for my RV. Wouldn't that be a viral account on TikTok who's doing that right now?

Safa Harris:

That would be a very interesting account. Well, because it's like. Aside from the fact that like, it would be like your entire family. You guys are living there and all that. It's not too different than like a food truck,

Ashley Dreager:

That is true. Although the, my, my oven is, I need to buy a, is there like an oven that we could just plug in on the outside? A pop up oven? Oh gosh. So, yeah.

Safa Harris:

Yeah. I know we said this before. I just like touched on it. Did you want kind of my perspective on going to college and not

Ashley Dreager:

yeah.

Safa Harris:

your degree?

Ashley Dreager:

yeah.

Safa Harris:

Yeah. So I, I went to college. I went to, um, like a. A pretty prestigious college. And for sure, I was like, oh yeah, I'm gonna go to college. I'm gonna get my degree and I'm going to go get my master's and I'm gonna like, and back then I was like, I'm gonna make a hundred thousand dollars a year and it's gonna be a great, and I'm like a hundred, now I'm like a hundred thousand dollars. doesn't get you anything.

Ashley Dreager:

No.

Safa Harris:

But back then I was like, Oh yeah.

Ashley Dreager:

You made it if you made 100, 000. Like, that was the end goal.

Safa Harris:

yes, that was. Um, so I went to college and I went in with a biologic biology degree and I was like, I I either wanted to be like a microbiologist or, um, like a geneticist or go in and like be a doctor. Clearly that didn't work because like in college, I was like a, I was a different person and it was like the first time out of the house, all of these things and I was going through my own like discovery of like who I am and like the western world and all of these these things and

Ashley Dreager:

I just have to say, I'm very curious with this connection. Because I know what your degree is in. So I'm like,

Safa Harris:

so,

Ashley Dreager:

where is the bridge here?

Safa Harris:

so I think if I wasn't so busy trying to in my comfort and have things be easy and still, like, and not trying to have it all in that moment, I think I probably would have made the sacrifices in that moment, in that, in studying the harder subjects of like physics and chemistry and biology and like all of that stuff and like stuck it out and gotten that degree and my life would have been completely different but because i was going through the like i just want to have fun and be in college and like i want to study but not study too hard and like still enjoy it whatever And I won, I think it was like an elective or something. I took like a business degree and I took like an international relations and all of that kind of stuff. And I was an anthropology major for a while. Like, uh, yeah. And then, uh, I, I think I took an elective in anthropology, yeah, I took biological anthropology as part of my biology degree. And then from there I was like, this is really cool. So then I switched my degree to biological anthropology. And then in that I took cultural anthropology classes and I was like, This is really interesting. Other cultures, people, and like, as a child of immigrants that lived through 9 11, and then having like internalized Islamophobia, and then just being for all of that, and then seeing this appreciation for other cultures and people, um, I was just like, Whoa, because I also went from like living in Virginia to living in like Boston, Massachusetts. So it went from being like in the South, kind of, and then being in this like super liberal state that's like very and uh, open minded and all of those kind of thing. And then I end up in this degree space where it's like, we love all cultures. Isn't it cool? You shouldn't try to im press other people's cultures and things onto other people. And I was like, this is like, what life is all about. This is like the life I want to live. So let me. Learn more. And then I took an international relations class and I was like, I'm freaking hooked. And I had this amazing professor and he was what this, what I graduated college in 2013. So this is from like 2009 to 2013 and now we're in 2024 and the hot takes you talk now about like, uh, political perspective and like international policy and everything like that. And that people are willing to say like, Oh, the U. S. government did this wrong. Or like, Oh, we are just as corrupt. Or like these numbers aren't right. And all of those kinds of things. He was saying that in the classroom.

Ashley Dreager:

Oh, really?

Safa Harris:

moment. Yeah. Um, I remember someone was making a presentation and he was like, what are those statistics? Is that the world health organization? He's like, I don't think I buy that.

Ashley Dreager:

What?

Safa Harris:

Yeah. And I took every single class I could with that man.

Ashley Dreager:

Wow.

Safa Harris:

It was so eyeopening to me. And this is coming from someone that I have traveled. I was afforded a really good high school education. My parent, like I'm a child of. An immigrant, but they were also in this perspective of like, we want to give them all the opportunities. Like we don't want to take back from them, all of that. So we were in like an affluent all white neighborhood and area. So we didn't get a lot of those things and they were trying to help us like fit in, but still not lose the culture. And so like they did the best they could, but it was still, there were things that I had to like work through and figure out. So I. It's like, this is great. I love doing this. I am really enjoying these conversations, writing these papers, learning all these things. What am I going to do with this degree afterwards? don't know, maybe because a lot of people in IR were then going into marketing or PR, um, because that was a good place to do it. Or they were doing international business or anything like that. And there was a lot of people doing policy work. And really I wanted to go into policy work, um, or some kind of

Ashley Dreager:

Mmm.

Safa Harris:

Um, but like right after college, I was like, I don't know, do I want to do my master's? What do, what do I want to do? I don't know. And then like my dad died and things changed, but so I went through all of that. Wasn't willing to be In the discomfort didn't want to always just be studying and doing all of those things and if I had a different perspective at that moment, maybe if I was the person I am now to being like, Oh, yeah, it's gonna afford me. A better future to be to go through this and be a doctor and go through med school, whatever it'll be more comfort I Would have done that but The path I ended up going taking that anthropology class going into cultural anthropology going into international relations, doing the international business courses and everything like that helped me develop a lot of the values and perspective I have on the world and life and all of those things that if I had never gone through that and if I had never gone to college and I had never gotten my degree and if I had never met Professor Norton, if I hadn't done all those things, I don't think I would have the life I have today. I would never not want to have the life I have today.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

I feel like the perspective and the values that I have for my, that I want for my children comes from a lot of that exposure and that knowing and the discernment I have for, on media literacy and all of that, from, My college degree. So yeah, no, I may not necessarily be using it Yeah, if I'd gone a different path path, I might be living a different life But I gained so much from it that I would never give that up and I have no regrets

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm. Mm

Safa Harris:

not using it necessarily for what it's supposed to be And there's a lot of arguments like oh don't let your kids get a degree for passion and what all of that And I don't know And also when I was making all these changes and stuff like that, my parents were like, whatever, because I had them as a safety net. So if like a straight direct job wasn't going to work out, or if I was going to go for a PhD, whatever, they were like, make her, we'll help her figure it out. And I was just getting so much value out of it, even though I didn't know what my future was going to look like. And I've been able to use that skill set that I gained

Ashley Dreager:

hmm.

Safa Harris:

lot. In life and in our business and things like that. So

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

my perspective on college Yeah, it's hard now with the economy of like if you're going to go to college make sure it's something that can like produce You well income all of that kind of stuff Etc. Etc. There's that in the fourth but there's also the other perspective of like You might be able to gain a lot more and use it in a different way than what's traditionally Traditionally seen

Ashley Dreager:

Mm hmm.

Safa Harris:

as what it should be.

Ashley Dreager:

It's just so expensive. Now. Well, I mean, it was expensive then, too, but now, looking at what inflation is gonna be like for when Addison goes to college, if she goes and, you know, 13 years. Is this worth it?

Safa Harris:

what

Ashley Dreager:

don't know, but yeah, it's I mean

Safa Harris:

necessarily need to pay all of that and do get the actual degree? Not necessarily because it's, yeah, it looks really good on my resume and it probably did. Get me into interviews and things like that, but that's not where I ended up, but Can you just take could I have just taken those courses? Could I have just audited them and gotten the same thing? Yeah for sure And I think this is like where you want to think of like, okay well If she wants to be a doctor she's gonna have to go and we're gonna have to suck it up and pay for it But if like this is a different path, she wants to go there's better ways to get that exposure and knowledge without necessarily having You To pay for it.

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah, just a side note for the benefit of a degree at least in Washington you need to have a degree to homeschool Um,

Safa Harris:

Oh, really?

Ashley Dreager:

yeah, it doesn't have to be a specific degree. It just has to be a degree.

Safa Harris:

It's just like a, uh, degree.

Ashley Dreager:

I mean, there's, there's a class or course or something that you could take if you don't to get your qualifications,

Safa Harris:

Mm

Ashley Dreager:

but I was like, Oh, well, I guess I don't have to do anything extra now. Cause that's done. But yeah, it's, there are a lot of, I did learn a lot of other skills and exposures and things from. my time in college. I just, it didn't work out the way that I thought that this degree or a degree in general was going to benefit me the way that I was presented growing up of how cushiony life is going to be. Just get the degree. Just go to college.

Safa Harris:

Well, if you had gotten a medical degree,

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah, if I,

Safa Harris:

with a whole other set of problems because you gotta work a lot. To do that. So we still wouldn't be able to live in like our values,

Ashley Dreager:

yeah,

Safa Harris:

if we had gotten the right degree, you know, to do it. And personally, I'm sure like at some point, like my values would have developed this way. But, um, I don't know. I just feel like it was a real pivotal moment for me to be the person,

Ashley Dreager:

yeah. Yeah.

Safa Harris:

think about and what I value and all of that kind of stuff. So yeah, it's not really the benefit of college. If you get the right degree, it's gonna be that financial security and doing all of that stuff, but if you get the wrong degree, it'll work out in, in some way to something, so I think there's always some kind of even if it's not the benefit that was sold to us,

Ashley Dreager:

Yeah.

Safa Harris:

Okay.

Ashley Dreager:

Just as a, another side note on the discomforts of college degrees, um, something that I thought that I was really wanted to do was to become a medical lab technician and like get into that type of science. Um, so I just love chemistry, the science behind it, the, just all of that. But to become a medical lab tech, you need to take a phlebotomy class. And I am already. I already struggle with needles in terms of like shots and finger pricks. And

Safa Harris:

Mm

Ashley Dreager:

was like, there's no way that I could get through a phlebotomy class having brand new people try and test it out on my arms. I said, I cannot do it. So that was the end of that idea. And now I'm in marketing.

Safa Harris:

Yeah.

Outro:

And that wraps up another episode of the business millennials podcast. We hope you found this conversation, thought provoking, inspirational, and helps you make a larger impact with your business. Growth is not just about profits or revenue. It's a journey of personal development, contribution, and bettering ourselves in society. Our challenge for you take at least one key lesson from our time together today that you can apply not just to your business. But your relationships, creative expression, wellbeing, and personal evolution to, we appreciate you tuning in. If you enjoyed this show, we invite you to pay it forward, share it with an entrepreneur, creative student, or community leader who needs an infusion of insight or inspiration right now. And make sure to subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. So you never miss a single episode. And if you like what you heard, leave us a five star review. See you next week.