This is part two of a two-part series from Biz Kid$ host Austin Siedentopf. Read part one here.

The second big difference between adults and kids is in how you have to handle being mature. When you are a mature kid, when you are courteous, and pay attention and try your hardest, people will compliment you on your maturity. You stand out from all the other kids. But when you’re an adult, mature behavior is expected the moment you walk into your workplace. Adults have to be mature all the time and being mature won’t even make you stand out anymore! That kind of sounds like a drag, but I’ll tell you why it’s not.

Being mature doesn’t mean that you can’t mess up or have fun. You’re still allowed to make mistakes; smart people make mistakes all the time. And I’ve had tons of fun producing television at UWTV! I’ve found that the key to maturity is in loving what you do so much that you just have to give it your all. If you really love your job, then working hard, being patient, and all the other elements of maturity should come naturally.

Being mature also has another awesome effect, and boy was it startling for me. One day I realized that everyone I work with, all these other adults, are my peers. I feel equal to them. It’s almost as if being mature is like wearing a big badge that reads “ADULT.” And when you’ve got this badge on, it’s suddenly like you’re in a club for grown-ups.

I remember first feeling like I was in the adult club when I was taking notes at a meeting. Taking notes is not a super-important job, so I tucked myself into the corner of the room, away from all of the adults and their important discussion. At a certain point in the conversation something was brought up about students. Our station’s general manager, the head of UWTV, turned to me and asked for my opinion, because I am a student. I vividly remember everyone else in the room turning to look at me so they could listen. Staring back at them, I haltingly said what I thought to my new coworkers, and they really seemed to think my opinion was valuable. We talked about what I had said for a good five minutes and I realized that my thoughts had a meaningful impact on that meeting. I walked out feeling like I had valid contributions to bring to the table. I was a part of the team; I didn’t feel like just some kid. And you know what? That is empowering. Being mature is empowering in the same way.

Some of this stuff might seem obvious. But like I said, there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing. As you grow up and mature, you may start to feel some of these things for yourself, and I wish you all the best of luck navigating the world of adulthood!

Thanks for being patient and reading some of my thoughts about growing up and working hard. I’m still trying to sort through a lot of this in my head and I’ve got whole lot left to learn. Hopefully I’ll have something different to post soon. Until then, take it easy, Biz Kid$!

Hey Biz Kid$!

This is Austin. It’s been a while since I’ve acted on the show, and a lot has happened in the last couple years. I’ve grown up! I’m 21 years old! I’ve graduated from high school, moved out of my parents’ house, and gone through three years of college at The University of Washington. I’ve even figured out that I want to be a film director, and I’m taking steps to achieve my dream. Anyway, I thought it would be kind of fun to tell you how I’m really starting to take control of my financial future. Since the beginning of summer I’ve been working as an administrative assistant at UWTV, UW’s television station. Basically, I do office work, filing and whatnot. I also produce video-stories for “UW 360,” one of our station’s television shows. Looking back I’ve come to realize that for the first time in my life, I’m working a “real job.”

Not that acting on Biz Kid$ wasn’t a good job. It was an amazing job! It was any high-schooler’s dream, I got paid to act on television! I also got free lunch every day on set (and let’s be honest, I was doing it for the free Thai food). Working on Biz Kid$ was life changing, but it wasn’t like working a job as an adult… Wow, it’s weird to say that: I’m an adult now. And as an adult, I’ve discovered that handling your finances and working a job is completely different than when you’re a kid. There are two big differences. Let me explain.

First, what’s the biggest thing you notice when working as an adult? The answer is that you have no parents. I mean, your parents are probably fine, but they will not be as involved in your life anymore. I live at school, and I’ll go for weeks at a time without seeing them. Some of my friends even go months! Having no parents around means that I have to do a lot of financial stuff on my own. Here’s a short list:

-Taxes

-Setting a budget

-Saving Money

-Paying for housing / utilities

-Paying for college tuition (this is a big one)

-Finding a job

-Saving all my banking information

This looks like a lot, but I’m lucky enough to be a Biz Kid. When I worked on the show I learned a lot about this stuff, and got a solid grasp on how to manage it all. Although I knew about this as a kid I lived at home, and my parents were kind enough to actually manage it for me. When I moved out and started doing these things myself, I learned that there is a big difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. For example, even a task as simple as depositing a check becomes more complicated when you do it by yourself for the first time. I spent hours trying to set up a way to scan checks with my phone so I wouldn’t have to bus down to my bank.

My parents still help me with some of these things. They’re also paying for a lot of my college tuition. Some students have to do that all by themselves. Regardless, their financial wisdom is a lot less accessible than it used to be and I’ve gotten to be much more independent. Growing up, at least in my case, has meant learning the difference between knowing and doing.

This is part one of a two-part series. Check back on Thursday for part two of our catch-up with Austin!

These three teens haven’t been driving for very long, but they’ve managed to launch and grow one of the hottest start-ups around:

http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/startingup/start-ups/how-this-car-sharing-company-is-growing-up-fast/

Ready to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit? Check out this really cool start-up camp for teens 14-18, offered by Independent Means and Kiva:

http://www.independentmeans.com/camp-start-up/

Might be too late to join now but keep it in mind for next year!

Biz Kid$ is proud to announce another Daytime Emmy win for the category of Single Camera Editing.  Thank you to our editors Alex and Jim, and to the amazing staff and crew who worked on the award-winning episode!  Biz Kid$ has been nominated for thirteen Daytime Emmy awards and has now won two.

See article in The Credit Union Times.

The finalists for the Ernst & Young ‘Build Your Social Business’ contest have been chosen. Now’s your chance to vote for your favorite social entrepreneur.  Check out everyone’s pitch video:

https://bizkids.com/contest/

Ever heard of Zinepak?  Two young entrepreneurs started a custom entertainment magazine for musicians and celebrities.  Grown on the back of Bieber fever, these young gals are now raking in almost $4 million.  Not bad considering they started with just $60k!

http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/startingup/business-growth-strategies/startup-of-the-month-zinepak/

We just heard that Biz Kid$ total Daytime Emmy nods got bumped up to three total (due to a late announcement on sound mixing).  We are really proud to be heading to the ceremony on June 14, 2013 with three nominations.

Biz Kid$ is honored to be nominated for two Daytime Emmy’s, in single camera editing and sound editing.  This brings the total nominations to 12.  The event is held in Los Angeles, CA on June 14th — fingers crossed!