From Layoff to Family Legacy: How Jonathan and Renee Harris Built a Business With Their 9 Kids

Many families are stretched thin—juggling work, raising kids, and dreaming of starting a business—but feel stuck in the traditional 9-to-5 grind. When Jonathan Harris saw layoffs looming, he and his wife Renee had a choice: uproot their family for corporate survival or risk it all to build a business together. With six kids at the time (and now nine!), they bet on a lotion bar Renee developed at home—and turned a farmer's market side hustle into a full-time family-run e-commerce brand. But they didn’t stop there. They also launched a second venture—Parent Their Passion—a coaching platform that helps parents identify and nurture their children’s unique talents.

In this episode, Jonathan and Renee share how they involved their kids in every step of the journey—from product development to email marketing to graphic design. They break down how families can start businesses, raise entrepreneurial kids, and build financial and emotional freedom—without sacrificing their values.

Key Takeaways:

• Laid Off But Not Defeated: Jonathan cashed out his 401(k) to go all-in on Renee’s homegrown lotion bar idea—turning it into a thriving business.

• Family-First Entrepreneurship: With nine kids, they built a business that worked with their family life—not against it—and trained their children in real-world skills.

• Parent Their Passion: Their second venture helps parents identify their kids’ talents and turn them into income-producing skills before adulthood.

• Learning Through Doing: From photography to bladesmithing, their children turned hobbies into jobs by integrating them into the business.

• Practical Financial Literacy: Through natural conversations around budgeting, inventory, and goals, the kids learned the realities of money and entrepreneurship.

About the Guest:

Jonathan and Renee are a husband and wife team with 24 years of experience educating their children at home while running an online handcrafted skin care business.

When their eldest child turned 12 year old, it became very clear to them that they did not want their children to just fill up buckets of knowledge for each school grade. Instead, they began with their first born son to test out identifying and developing his talents and interests to create smoething remarkable... and marketable.

It worked and they continued to repeat the process with their other 8 children. They'll share how they did it and how you can, too.

Links:

https://parenttheirpassion.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HardLotion/

https://www.youtube.com/user/MadeOnNaturalLotion

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “Renee would launch email marketing for their adult kids’ businesses, helping them build customer lists and drive sales.”

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “Relying too long on coaches who didn’t understand their family-centered lifestyle—realizing later that advice should be aligned with personal values.”

3. What is a book that you would recommend? “Family Fortunes by Bill Bonner – A deep dive into why most family wealth disappears and how to build legacy that lasts generations.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “Canva and ChatGPT”

5. What is your definition of freedom? “Having both time and money—but choosing to live with balance, purpose, and minimalism, not excess. True wealth is doing what you love, when you want, with who you love.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

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