This is the transcript of the youtube video EPISODE 001 - The NEW Home Work Community For Parents Working Or Running A Small Business From Home. This video was published on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@thehomeworkdad

Transcript Starts Here:

Are you a parent who is currently working or running a business from home? Or maybe someone who wants to be, but you just don't know where to start? If so, this channel is for you. 

Hey there, my name is George and I am the homework dad and I'm on a mission to equip purpose-driven parents with the resources to thrive at working or running a business from home, while minimizing the chaos, enjoying the fun times, and keeping up with the responsibilities of parenthood. 

Over the past 30 years, I've taken my ability to see the big picture while still focusing on the details, my understanding of technology and building systems to help businesses of all sizes, from the startups needing help with everything from writing a business plan, designing a logo and setting up a website, to the established companies, municipalities or community organizations that are wanting help seeking to set up register systems or design and build or implement their computer and network system.

And for more than 20 years, I've had the privilege of being able to do this while running my business from home and taking care of my two children. And if I can do it, so can you.

Over the years, my wife and I have been incredibly blessed with friends and family members who were always willing to answer a question, give some advice or teach a new skill. And that's what I believe community is all about.

I truly believe that nobody finds success in life without the help of others. And a few years back, God laid on my heart what I believe is a calling to help uplift those who either work or run a business from home.

This new community that I am creating is going to be called The Home Work Community. And it will be dedicated to being a place where parents who are either currently or who are wanting to be working or running a business from home can come together and share what's worked for them and to learn from and support each other.

To make this work, I've decided to create two separate YouTube channels, including this channel, The Home Work Dad, which is where you can expect to find tutorials, tips, product reviews related to every aspect of being a work from home parent. And then a second YouTube channel that will be called the Homework Community Podcast, which will be a video podcast channel where you can expect to find thought-provoking commentary, deep dive profiles of existing members of the homework community, the businesses they run, interviews with those who are either experts in relevant fields or who are thriving at some aspect of being a homework parent.

Now I can't promise that these channels will meet every need, but I can say that I have a ton of experience with every aspect of starting and running small businesses. And my wife and I have a strong desire to help others navigate the work from home jungle. If this sounds like a community that you might want to be a part of, then consider introducing yourself in the comments below.

I'd ask, however, that you please keep in mind that every community will have a wide range of personalities, and one of the keys to building a community like this one is having the willingness to show respect for each other and recognizing that everyone is different and may have different life experiences that have shaped their individual beliefs. So please, be respectful of others in your comments.

Now it's time for a bit of history and maybe a few laughs at my expense.

So my wife and I are both from Maine. My wife's name is Jodell, and she's a beautiful, amazing, and extremely patient person. She and I will celebrate our 30th year of marriage to each other later this year. And I have a confession to make. You see, as a teenager, I made the mistake of asking God to teach me patience, a fact that in hindsight, I probably should have told my wife about before we got married, as it might have been a deal breaker for her if she had known then what she was getting herself into being married to me.

Take, for instance, our first few years together. You see, Jodell and I met at Walmart in 1992. We got married in 1994, and then in 1996, due to changes at the repair company where I was working, my boss, who I thought was a great guy, and other coworkers were all either on the verge of being let go, or they were talking about quitting. So I did what any stupid husband does. I quit my job without talking to my wife first. Now I could still remember the conversation that I had with my incredibly patient and forgiving wife, especially the part where I said in a soft, quiet voice, and with half a grin on my face, "Babe, I love you," and I quit my job today. 

Now I could leave to your imagination the rest of that conversation and how that went, or I could just tell you. And well, to my surprise, after hearing her say, "You did what?" -- We talked about my plans for starting a business, and within a week, I had my first customers, and I've been self-employed ever since.

Now please know that I did the exact wrong thing here, and I would strongly urge others not to do this. But instead, please, talk to your spouses first before you ever make such a drastic change in your life. But this just goes to show that Jodell has been extremely patient over the years, and despite continuing to have some issues with communication, we have found ways to work through all that life has thrown at us, and to frequently pick up the pieces and move forward.

But as for children, Jodell and I have been incredibly blessed to be parents of our two fantastic daughters, including Antonia, who's transgender, and Julia. Both graduated from one of the top high schools here in the state of Maine, with almost perfect 4.0 GPAs. And at the time that they graduated from high school, they both had earned more than 20 college credits.

They both have participated in band and chorus, and Julia played on the basketball and soccer teams throughout her middle and high school years.

They've also both volunteered hundreds of hours working at a local farm. They participated in 4-H, competed in local and state speech competitions, attended various youth groups, and helped with various community service projects. 

They've both been very active. Both are members of the National Honor Society, and both were able to utilize a system that I created for applying for and getting scholarships. They earned a combined total of over $300,000 in scholarships. And now, one of them is on track to graduate from college in May with a dual degree in archaeology and religion, with plans to go on to seminary to become a minister, and the other is on track to graduate in 2025 with a dual degree in fire science and paramedicine. She's also employed as a firefighter and an EMT, and both are on track to graduate from college with little to no debt.

I wish I could tell you that I will have all the answers you need. I won't.

I wish I could say that my business skills have earned me millions. They haven't.

But what I can say is that my wife and I have made a ton of mistakes navigating many different hurdles, and we've learned many different lessons that we're willing to share in the hopes that we can encourage others to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, in the hopes that we can help others build successful businesses, doing work that they enjoy from home while following the principles that are laid out in scripture, in a verse that in the Bible was found in Mark 8:36 that says, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?" 

This principle has been the guiding beacon of my life as "The Home Work Dad". Or to say it another way, what good is it to build the most profitable business and yet lose the relationships you have with your spouse and your children?

Now, if anything I've spoke of above has sparked a question related to being a Home Work parent, whether the subject is related to parenting or business, please consider leaving a comment below, or you could reach me using the link in the description. And please know that if you do leave suggestions on possible video ideas or ask questions or leave comments, then my wife and I will do our best to read all of the comments, and we will respond to as many of them as we can. Also, if you want to join the homework community, parents, please consider subscribing to this channel.

And if you believe in our mission and would like to support the efforts, then the simple act of hitting the like button or leaving a comment or both will help this video reach others. Now, I wanna say a hearty thank you for your time and may God bless you and your family in the year ahead.

Thank you.