Thanks for being here and taking a sip from the Fountain (of Youth).
Today we sought wisdom from a very special friend of the fountain, our almost-11-year-old son, Knox.
In his own warm and wise way, he shared what he’s learned in his first 10 complete years of life, lessons that could go on the office wall:
“You gotta be a friend to have a friend.”
“Treat people with kindness and empathy.”
“If you overcomplicate things, they won’t get done”
Knox also opened up about life inside a business-minded household (yep, even our real estate headaches made the cut), how he picked Nintendo as his first stock because he loved playing his Switch, and what he thinks is a winning business idea.
Then, he closed it off with one of the most Fountain-worthy quotes of all time.
⏳ Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes
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FOUNDER STORIES
THE KNOX KITSCH INTERVIEW
Q: What are some of the most important lessons you've learned in your first 10 complete years of living?
One of the most important lessons I've learned is how to be a good friend and about being good friend:
You gotta be a friend to have a friend.
And then treating people with kindness and empathy, like, understanding what they could be going through. You never know someone, what it's like at their house, you know?
Q: Looking ahead now rather than back, what are you really looking forward to in the next year?
My birthday. But in, all honesty, I'm really excited to be playing in Canada for baseball.
I'm really excited to have another year for GBG [baseball]. I'm excited to play hockey again and maybe try a new sport.
And then I'm excited and a little nervous for middle school next year. It's gonna be fun, but it's also gonna be big.
Q: Is there anything that you noticed or think is unique,(good, bad or neutral) about being raised in our household?
Yeah, there's a lot of good and there's definitely some bad. Like there is in every household.
But it's really nice having [Trent and Ria] as my parents. And maybe I'm a little biased 😊.
[We talk about] Abundance to help others, and there's always the things that we need in our house. And there's always things to do.
I'm so fortunate that they're my parents because they've succeeded in almost all aspects of life already, and they're not even, halfway through life, hopefully 😉.
And then, of course, there's some negatives. Like growing up in such a business and entrepreneurial household there's a lot of talk about business, real estate, and money and stuff like that.
Q: What is something you think we or adults over complicate?
It's a good question. So many options! Just kidding.
Probably really simple tasks and stuff like that.
You can't really overcomplicate things too much or they're never gonna get done.
Like, if you take something as simple as making toast in the toaster, and she's [Ria’s] like, okay, first open the pantry, then take out the bread, then open the plastic that the bread's in, then put it in the toaster, then set it….
It's really not that complicated.
Q: Some people may be interested to know you have a small investment portfolio. How do you pick stocks?
The first stock I ever bought, Nintendo, was right after I got my Switch, like my first gaming console.
And since then, I'm up a good amount. My family made it really easy and simple just by saying, “hey Knox, what's a company you enjoy using?” And I was like, Nintendo.
They're like, well, we're gonna open a portfolio for you*. Eventually I found out what a portfolio was, and that's how I picked my first stock.
*Note: we decided to match our kids’ deposits that they make into their portfolio and that has helped them get involved and learn in the process :)
Q: So if you could start any business with a hundred dollars, what would it be?
From personal experience: an indestructible dog toy.
Our dog tears apart all his toys, and we have to buy this brand called Tough, and he still rips that apart, so effortlessly. It's insane how evil he is with his toys!
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with the listeners of the fountain? What do you think is a nice note to leave on that's inspiring?
“If salesmen wait for perfect conditions, they'll never make a sale.”
“Always be kind and decent and be a Fountain, Not a drain.”
Thanks to Knox for sharing some of the hard earned wisdom of a 10 (almost 11) year old. And sorry about the toaster instructions kid.
We hope you appreciated the perspective. Trent was raised on the job site and we’ve lived our life by including our kids as much as we can in all facets of our life (maybe sometimes to a fault).
Having Knox as a friend of the Fountain was a really fun family exercise and soon we’ll have our daughter Paisley on here as well!
Are you interested in Fountain energy... in person?!
We believe a lot of magic happens You might’ve seen the launch of our first event, ‘Gather Round! in Kelowna.
We have designed this event to be
Intimate 🧡 Limited number of tickets
Informative 💡 Bring your questions, we will answer them
Actionable 🏃 Leave feeling inspired and focused
Fun 🎊 You’ll earn a poolside session after an afternoon of work!
The gates to the former Kitsch Wines estate don’t open often but when they do, it’s for something special - here’s an example of a (bigger) party we held there a few years ago:
Finish the day with a VIP lakeside dinner and cocktail mingle, because having dinner together feels like a special opportunity to us.
We haven’t put it out on Social Media yet! Tomorrow we will though, so this is a little note to secure your spot now ✍️.
We hope to see you in Kelowna.
Bringing your curiosity, biggest questions, and bathing / poolside attire ⛱.
Stoked to fill your cups,
Trent & Ria
MORE TO RUN WITH…
Okanagan Angel Summit - basically a low-key Dragon's Den hosted in Kelowna, where the selected company earns a $180,000 investment!
We had a nice fireside chat with Renee Warren while the investor group deliberated on the winner. It was impressive - the entrants I met and saw pitch were all pretty incredible.
Thank you if your new or a longstading member of the Fountain community.
I am enjoying the writing and the response has created a great surface area for ideas.
Please share with others who could use some more positive in their life. I hope the dreams cards are in your wallets. Please continue to share your ideas and topics you’d like me, Ria, and friends of the Fountain to break down.
~ Trent
