When it was announced last week that "Entrepreneur Barbie" had joined LinkedIn, there was some snark from the press. Forbes, calling the new Barbie "an affront to little girls," wrote "her main role is to look pretty and wear lots of pink." 

But perusing Barbie's 55-year work history, one which includes stints as a paleontologist and a presidential candidate, it's easy to understand why she's finally added a new title, one that encapsulates a life of trying and failing and trying again. 

On her page, Barbie explains her entrepreneurial ventures thusly: "My new business is “Dream Incubator” where I act as a consultant, helping girls around the world play out their imagination, try on different careers, and explore the world around them." 

Yes, Barbie is now calling herself an "entrepreneur," and while it's easy to joke, here are some reasons we should applaud Mattel's latest move with their iconic doll: 

Entrepreneur Barbie Encourages Kids to Try Entrepreneurship

Want your kids to have a secure financial future? Encourage them, from a young age, to begin thinking entrepreneurially, even if that just means putting up a lemonade stand for an afternoon. That type of activity, along with playing with "Entrepreneur Barbie" will get kids thinking about how they can start businesses and grow them. 

Kidpreneurs co-author Adam Toren explains: "The days of working for a company for 30 years and retiring with a nice pension are long gone. Kids entering the adult world need to be ready for a new paradigm – one that comes with its own set of unique challenges and opportunities; and we strongly believe that entrepreneurship, and the skills that go along with it, are what will best prepare our children for the future."

A doll that encourages entrepreneurship is therefore a great boon for the youngest "kidpreneurs" as they experiment and explore 

Entrepreneur Barbie Reflects the Growing Ranks of Women Joining Entrepreneurship

Barbie, with her long and illustrious resume, is definitely a multi-tasker. And she reflects the growing reality of women joining the entrepreneurial ranks. 

Mompreneurs are everywhere -- they are moms who juggle the demands of raising kids with the demands of raising a business. While that's no easy task, mompreneurs apply their creativity to earning cash while bringing up babies. But what are some of the best gigs for "work at home" moms? From blogging your passion to freelance writing to affiliate marketing to call center work, Barbie herself could find some inspiration in the best jobs for entrepreneur moms.

Entrepreneur Barbie Uses LinkedIn in an Innovative Way

Mattel's move in using LinkedIn to market their new product is instructive as well. In much of social media marketing, it's critically important to use networks to tell your story better and connect with key consumers. 

Mattel has taken the story of Entrepreneur Barbie to a natural home -- LinkedIn, the largest social network for professionals -- and used it reach the moms and dads who will buy the toy for their children. 

It feels like a natural fit -- and you can use the same sort of content strategy to take the story of your business and translate it into an engaging strategy for connecting on social media. Only you can decide if LinkedIn is the right place for your messaging, but Mattel's use of the network has plenty of instructive lessons for creative social media marketing.