30A- Final Reflection

The End of Our Journey & The Beginning of Your Journey

1) Going through all the assignments for this semester made me realize how much we all accomplished by the end of it. I started out with an opportunity that is completely different from the one I am ending with and I think that goes to show how this class has changed my mindset and perspective of how an entrepreneur works.

2) I think what stands out to me as the most formative assignment was my first venture concept when I developed a whole new opportunity. This idea came to me in the middle of this class and I don't think I would have come up with it if I didn't have these assignments to make me think outside of the box. I am actually very excited about this venture and want to make it happen one day because I think it is a great concept. 

3) After this semester, I have definitely gained an entrepreneurial mindset and I have gained so much knowledge from these assignments and the feedback I got from my peers. I never realized how much potential I had by myself to start a business and how you can do anything you set your mind to. I am excited about the venture I ended with this semester and I am passionate about taking it to the next level after this class is over. Without this class, I would have never come up with this opportunity or know the first steps and knowledge it takes to be an entrepreneur.

4) One recommendation I would make to other students taking this class in the future would be to learn how to be adaptable and take on feedback and be able to read the environment you are around. It is extremely difficult to be successful in a venture if you are not willing to adapt or make modifications that would help your idea become more successful and fit into the market you are targeting. I would recommend to come in with an open mindset to this class and be ready to change or modify your original opportunity. To do your best in this course, it is important to manage your time wisely and be open to the feedback that your peers give you. You get what you put into this course, so I recommend taking it to your advantage.

29A- Venture Concept No.2

Old School Eats

1)

Opportunity

My opportunity involves creating a restaurant venue outside by renovating old school busses that are no longer in use and turn them into food trucks. I would make sure to have everything used to be recyclable or built from scratch with environmentally friendly material. I want this place to be as green as possible and help raise awareness of global warming. I think that there is a wide range of customers that would be interested in this new venture. I think it would attract the younger crowd as well as parents with kids who could play on the playground while they relax and eat. I think the nature of the need is that people are always interested in new hip places in town and that it would also provide awareness of global warming and the small things we can do to help prevent it.

·      What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity?

I think that if we're not careful, global warming is going to interrupt many businesses and everyone’s everyday lives.

·      How is this market defined geographically and demographically?

The market would be close to a city that will attract people all around its perimeter. Demographically I think it will bring in many ages because it will be kid-friendly as well.

·      How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now? 

I think people are always trying out new restaurants and are satisfying their needs by venturing out of their comfort zone. I think many restaurants are going as green as possible. For example, most places have replaced plastic straws with paper ones.

·      How big is this opportunity?

I think this opportunity is very important and a cool way for people to be outside and enjoy one another. Everyone is always in need of food and a cool place to hang out.

·      How long will the “window of opportunity” be open?

I think that this opportunity will always be open for people to open up a business. Global warming will only get more prevalent with time and I think it will always be around while we are alive.

Innovation

My innovation would be creating different restaurants by renovating old school busses for people to come and eat at. I want to create an eco-friendly environment where people can also relax and enjoy themselves. This would work by buying about an acre of land where there will be a cool patio to eat, restaurants, and a kid-friendly park. I would make money by selling drinks and food to the people who are using the facility. The drinks and food would be priced at normal restaurant prices. For example, a pizza would be $15 and chicken tenders and fries would be $8.

Venture Concept

I think that renovating old school busses and turning them into restaurants would create a very unique ambiance that people would be interested in checking out. Having this restaurant stand out and have something different than all others will attract the attention it needs to be noticed. I also think that making it a green and earth-friendly place will bring the attention we have to live sustainably. I think people would be willing to hang out and buy food at a local food truck area where you can relax and bring your kids.

·      What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch? 

I think it may be a bit harder to have customers switch from their usual restaurant spots, but I think people are always looking for new cute, and fun things to do around them. I think if we have a great environment and treat the customers like family, we could convince them to switch over.

·      Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities? 

My competitors would be restaurants that are already established in my area. They will be hard to beat because they have already established their customers. I think their weakness would be that they don’t have as a unique environment as what we would be offering to them.

·      What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience, or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? This role is a huge part of my business concept and I definitely need to spend more time creating plans for each of those details. I need to find an ideal location that will be close enough in range for my customers to drive to. I also want to make sure that each customer has a great experience while eating. 

·      How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?  I would need a business partner to help with the marketing and organizing while I would focus on the finances going into the business. I would need at least three employees for each food truck but other than that it will mostly be serving yourself. I also want to utilize the new social media platforms like Tik ToK by documenting the process from start to finish. I think this would raise awareness and be a cool way for customers and potential customers to feel like a part of the venture.

The Three Minor Elements

I think my most important resource would be that the restaurants will be inside renovated school busses which is something that is not typically done and unique. I think this will create an unfair advantage because this restaurant will easily stick into our customer's heads and they would be more likely to talk about it. Customers will take picture or tag the location on media platforms that will give us free advertising to the unique experience.

I think my next venture would be to add on to the compound the restaurant is on. For example, have a free library and have a community garden that people can use freely. This will give our customers more to do and add more to the ambiance. The more to do, the longer the people will stay and it will attract new crowds as well.

I see in my next five years finally saving up for the land to establish this business. It will take a lot of work, but I think with my work ethic and passion for this will finally allow me to start putting it all together. My vision is to create a fun and cool environment where everyone is welcome. If it goes well I would love to open up a sister restaurant or chain in a different location to maximize the business.

2)

I had a lot of great feedback from my first venture concept and what's next assignment. My peers really liked how I went with my gut and started a whole new opportunity that is brand new to the class. One peer mentioned how I should document the building process and the renovation so I could use that video and upload it to social media platforms like Tik Tok. I thought this was a genius idea to maximize this type of platform for advertising and decided to include that. Another peer mentioned how I should include a park that adults can play on too because it would bring a nostalgic feel to the environment. Also, someone recommended that other new cuisine or products could use my property and expand my products to attract new customers.

3)

I really enjoyed reading about the feedback on my new venture. I got a lot of positive feedback and amazing recommendations that could make this venture even better. I really liked the feedback from my peer who recommended using Tik Tok to document the process of the venture. I thought this was an amazing idea and I am so happy someone mentioned it. I made sure to include that in this assignment as a great marketing tactic. I didn't include an adult park to this venture but I really liked that idea and if the venture goes well I may include that in the plan or adopt that idea for a sister restaurant that would attract the older crowd. I am excited that I got really great feedback and compliments on my new venture and this assignment helped me to organize my thoughts and put the idea on paper.

27A- Reading Reflection No.3

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

I picked the book 'The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users' because the title was very intriguing. I am not a huge influence on social media but I know the impact it can have when it comes to marketing or stating your platform for business. The general theme of this book is guiding you with tips and advice to maximize your business from social media and how you maximize your followers. The book really digs deep into understanding your consumer and the feed that they would want to see on their mobile devices. I learned a lot reading this and enjoyed hearing a new perspective about social media.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

Social media is only going to keep growing with our generation. I think it is essential to keep up to date with what your consumers are interested in and how you can keep up with their wants and needs. As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to attract your consumers and understand their daily lives and what makes them happy. In order to be successful, you need a good social media presence that allows you to keep in touch with people who could possibly be customers.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I would choose an exercise where students choose a social media platform that they think would work best for their company. They would create an ad from whatever platform they choose to convey to their viewers why they should choose their business. I think this would be a very creative and fun assignment that will have students thinking outside of the box. I also think this assignment should include a reflection of why they chose that platform and the impact it could have on their company.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

The most surprising thing to me from reading this book is how observant and creative you need to be to have a powerful standing in social media. It takes a lot of analysis and psychology to really start understanding your market and how you can advertise it to the world. Social media has a huge advantage when it comes to marketing your business and I think every company should use this to their advantage. It is important to be interactive with your customers and to show them that you truly do care.

28A- Your Exit Strategy

1) I want to stay with my business for as long as possible. I feel like I will fall in love with it and be very passionate to make sure it keeps running. Ideally, I will have kids one day and they will want to take over the business to make sure it keeps running. I think it would be so cool to keep a business in the family that stays for generations. I would hope that my kids would want to take over it and would have the same passion for the business as me.

2) I picked this strategy because I would love to take over my family's business if we had one. I also think it would be nice to have a steady secure job set up for my kids if they ended up wanting to take over the family business. They would grow up around it and learn all the little details that keep the business running and successful.

3) I think I have always known this decision in my head and seeing how memorable a company stays when it is passed down through the family. I want to keep the place homey and comfortable where you would want to bring your family to hang out. I don't think this decision has influenced any of my ideas while forming this opportunity. It may later in the following years affect some of the decisions I make regarding keeping the business running. 

26A- Celebrating Failure

1) This past semester was probably very weird for everyone and I had a hard time adjusting to doing classes at home in my family's house. I was taking many business classes including Business Law. I have always been bad at memorizing facts and law has never come easy to me. I studied very hard at the beginning of the semester and did pretty well on the first two exams. The whole class is divided up by just three exams so that those were the only thing determining our grades. I decided to opt in to pass or fail for this class because at the time I thought I would be able to pass and not have that class affect my GPA. I ended up getting one percent below the passing guidelines so I ended up failing the class.

2) I have never failed a class before so this was a brand new experience for me. I was very disappointed and took it to heart that I was a failure when I saw that I didn't pass the very first time. After talking with my mom I learned that everyone has failures and that it is okay to fail if you tried your best at it. I took this as a learning opportunity to not beat myself up as much and that a lot of people have to retake classes. I have the knowledge of taking the class last semester to help aid me in passing it this Fall. 

3) I think failure should be seen as a learning opportunity. People don't purposely try to fail but failure allows us to learn from our mistakes and allows us to try again differently until we succeed. I need to learn to handle failure better because I take it way too personally. I think if you have a positive outlook on failure you will enjoy your life a whole lot more. This class has changed my perspective on behavior especially after I read the book "How to fail at almost everything and still win big" by Scott Adams. He emphasized how failure is part of the journey of life and that you should embrace it. I enjoyed reading that book a lot and these assignments have made me realize to be more open with changing my ideas and taking feedback from other people's perspectives. I am definitely more willing to take a risk now because I have a better attitude about failure.

25A- What's Next?

Existing Market

Step 1: I talked to many of my peers about my new concept. They all had similar views that this would attract many students and young people in their 20's and 30's. They think what is next for my venture is marketing the new restaurant spot and making it attractive to these customers. I also need to start looking for good prices on land and school busses.

Step 2: I think the next step for my venture would be creating a social network that would allow me to have the right people in my circle to help me get the best deals I can. My peers that I interviewed agreed that reaching out to create a social network would be the best step to follow first. They also mentioned that I should start looking for land now that would allow me to run this type of business.

Step 3: I think what makes the most sense to help me achieve this new venture is to start planning it way ahead of time to get all the logistics in order. I need to find and research people that could give me the right connections that would help this actually happen. I have a lot of ideas that I need to pick and choose from and I think talking and writing it all out will help me visualize what I need in order to be successful. I want to make it as eco-friendly as possible so I will need more research on the best material and places that have it. I need to hire a business partner that brings to the table skills and traits that would complement mine. Having two brains instead of one really helps with getting new perspectives on ideas.

New Market

Step 1: Right now my market is focused on young teenagers and adults that are looking for a fun place to hang out and get food. I also think this place could have potential to market to parents with kids. It would be expensive but very cool to add a playground on the land so that the kids can play while the parents relax and eat. This would be a whole new market of people that could utilize this new cool hang out spot.

Step 2: I think I could make this place very attractive to parents and their kids. I would add a playground like I said earlier so that the parents can sit with a drink and order food while the kids play. I would also have a rock wall or some other entertainment that kids would enjoy so they ask their parents to go there again.

Step 3: I talked with two new parents that have two young kids. I explained the concept and they thought it was a great idea! They liked how they didn't have to pay for a babysitter but still could enjoy their time going out to eat. They think that having a place that their kids and themselves could enjoy would be a great hit and that they would definitely dine there.

Reflection:
I was very happy with my interviews and their thoughts on my new market. I think this new market maybe even more of a hit than my first idea. I never realized how many different markets I could try and optimize with this idea. I am extremely happy to have done this exercise because it definitely made me open my mind to a lot of new ideas for this venture. Parents are a great market to choose because they want a place they can take their kids to and still have time to relax. I think this idea has a lot of potentials and I am excited to start brainstorming even more.

24A- Venture Concept No.1

Old School Eats

Opportunity

I decided to be bold and develop a whole new opportunity than my previous one in this class. My new opportunity involves creating a restaurant venue outside by renovating old school busses that are no longer in use and turn them into food trucks. I would make sure to have everything used be recyclable or built from scratch with environmentally friendly material. I want this place to be as green as possible and help raise awareness of global warming. I think that there is a wide range of customers that would be interested in this new venture. I think it would attract the younger crowd as well as parents with kids who could play on the playground while they relax and eat. I think the nature of the need is that people are always interested in new hip places in town and that it would also provide awareness to global warming and the small things we can do to help prevent it.

·      What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity?

I think that if we're not careful, global warming is going to interrupt many businesses and everyone’s everyday lives.

·      How is this market defined geographically and demographically?

The market would be close to a city that will attract people all around its perimeter. Demographically I think it will bring in many ages because it will be kid-friendly as well.

·      How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now? 

I think people are always trying out new restaurants and are satisfying their needs by venturing out of their comfort zone. I think many restaurants are going as green as possible. For example, most places have replaced plastic straws with paper ones.

·      How big is this opportunity?

I think this opportunity is very important and a cool way for people to be outside and enjoy one another. Everyone is always in need of food and a cool place to hang out.

·      How long will the “window of opportunity” be open?

I think that this opportunity will always be open for people to open up a business. Global warming will only get more prevalent with time and I think it will always be around while we are alive.

Innovation

My innovation would be creating different restaurants by renovating old school busses for people to come and eat at. I want to create an eco-friendly environment where people can also relax and enjoy themselves. This would work by buying about an acre of land where there will be a cool patio to eat, restaurants, and a kid-friendly park. I would make money by selling drinks and food to the people who are using the facility. The drinks and food would be priced at normal restaurant prices. For example, a pizza would be $15 and chicken tenders and fries would be $8.

Venture Concept

I think that renovating old school busses and turning them into restaurants would create a very unique ambiance that people would be interested in checking out. Having this restaurant stand out and have something different than all others will attract the attention it needs to be noticed. I also think that making it a green and earth-friendly place will bring the attention we have to live sustainably. I think people would be willing to hang out and buy food at a local food truck area where you can relax and bring your kids.

·      What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch? 

I think it may be a bit harder to have customers switch from their usual restaurant spots, but I think people are always looking for new cute, and fun things to do around them. I think if we have a great environment and treat the customers like family, we could convince them to switch over.

·      Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities? 

My competitors would be restaurants that are already established in my area. They will be hard to beat because they have already established their customers. I think their weakness would be that they don’t have as a unique environment as what we would be offering to them.

·      What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience, or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? This role is a huge part of my business concept and I definitely need to spend more time creating plans for each of those details. I need to find an ideal location that will be close enough in range for my customers to drive to. I also want to make sure that each customer has a great experience while eating.

·      How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?  I would need a business partner to help with the marketing and organizing while I would focus on the finances going into the business. I would need at least three employees for each food truck but other than that it will mostly be serving yourself.

The Three Minor Elements

I think my most important resource would be that the restaurants will be inside renovated school busses which is something that is not typically done and unique. I think this will create an unfair advantage because this restaurant will easily stick into our customer's heads and they would be more likely to talk about it.

I think my next venture would be to add on to the compound the restaurant is on. For example, have a free library and have a community garden that people can use freely. This will give our customers more to do and add more to the ambiance.

I see in my next five years finally saving up for the land to establish this business. It will take a lot of work, but I think with my work ethic and passion for this will finally allow me to start putting it all together. My vision is to create a fun and cool environment where everyone is welcome.

23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

What makes me so special?

Resources:

1) Empathetic
V- This is valuable because it is important for me to be able to listen and communicate effectively with teachers and students.
R- I would consider this a pretty common trait in the teaching environment because it widely looked for when becoming a teacher.
I- If you are not born with this trait you may find it very hard to copy or understand other people's emotions.
N- I think that this trait is non-substitutable because not everyone has the ability to understand other people's emotions. 

2) Hard-working
V- This is valuable because even if you are the smartest person in the world you need to be hard-working in order to get something done.
R- I wouldn't consider this 100% rare but I think you need to have the passion and work ethic to be a great hard-worker.
I- I think you have to have the right mindset to be a hard-worker. I think it is kind of inimitable because it takes the right traits to reach this level.
N- I think this is non-substitutable because in order to be an entrepreneur you have to be willing to work hard at any time in order to be successful. 

3) Organized
V- This is valuable because it helps you run a business more efficiently and you feel more at ease because you know where everything is placed.
R- I think it takes a certain personality type to have this trait and want to be organized not just in business but in life.
I- I think you can imitate this easily if this trait comes naturally to you and you are willing to put in the effort to make it happen.
N- I think this trait is especially important in the teaching aspect because you have to keep every student's assignments separately plus keeping your lesson plans and meeting in order.

4) Analytical
V- I think this is valuable because I am able to look at a problem from every angle and analyze what the best option is and how to go about it to create a solution.
R- I think this is pretty rare because not everyone has this trait and may miss a solution that would be easier than the one they were thinking.
I- I think it is somewhat inimitable because everyone's minds work differently and everyone can bring something different to the table.
N- Like I said earlier, everyone's minds work differently so I think my mind is non-substitutable in that aspect.

5) Creative
V- I think this is valuable because it allows me to think out of the box and think of a creative solution to a problem.
R- It is not rare because I think everyone has a creative mind in some aspect but I do think it is rare because everyone thinks differently.
I- I don't think it is inimitable because I think once someone's creative outlook comes out people can easily copy it for themselves. 
N- I think being creative is non-substitutable because I can bring to the table different perspectives than my peers.

6) Communication Skills
V- This is valuable because it allows me to speak efficiently and effectively to whomever I am talking to.
R- This is rare because not everyone has the ability to speak to different groups of people and handle it well.
I- This is relatively easy to practice and get better at so I would say it is pretty easy to copy.
N- This is a special skill that is required by many jobs and especially when running your own company. I would say that this is non-substitutable for many occupations.

7) Intuitive
V- This is valuable because it allows you to read the room very well and know how to react or adapt to a certain situation or environment.
R- I think this a relatively rare trait because not many of the population has this trait.
I- I think this could be inimitable because it is not really a skill that you can teach. Being intuitive is a hard thing to copy because it comes naturally.
N- This is a trait that is non-substitutable because this is a special trait that many other traits or skills can't replicate. 

8) Listen to others well
V- This is valuable because this is even more important than talking in my opinion. It is a great skill to be able to listen and interpret what other people are saying to you.
R- I wouldn't say this is a very rare skill but it is important to practice and become a good listener. 
I- I would say this is easy to copy because anyone can practice at this skill it's just whether or not they think this is an important resource to them.
N- I don't think any other skill could substitute being a good listener. You have to be able to interpret and give other people their turn to speak to have effective communication.

9) Adaptable
V- This is valuable because it allows me to adapt to any environment I am thrown into. 
R- This isn't that rare but it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to interpret how you should act in certain situations.
I- I would say this is one of the easier ones to copy because you are learning constantly every day by interacting with different people.
N- This to me is non-substitutable because everywhere you go there will be a new environment that you must be able to adapt to.

10) Patient
V- This is valuable because being patient allows you to make better decisions and allows us to have a pause in life and reflect.
R- I think this is relatively rare because many people don't have this trait and get irritable if something is taking too long. 
I- I think this trait can be learned and copied easily and that most people have the ability to grasp on this characteristic.
N- I can't think of any other substitute for this characteristic. This is an important resource to have with many occupations and especially if you are an entrepreneur.

Top Resource

I think that being adaptable is my top resource especially with my opportunity of providing trade and skill classes back into the curriculum of high schools. I am going to have to adapt to many problems that come at me when trying to implement this. For example, I may have to try and adapt to many different routes to find funding for this class. I also will have to adapt to all the different staff and students at different high schools. All around being able to adapt to any situation or environment will help lead me to success.

22A- Elevator Pitch No.3

The Pitch: https://youtu.be/dlBSQQVmxTk

Reflection on Feedback:

My peers gave me a lot of great compliments and feedback on my second elevator pitch. What stood out as most important was that I should give myself some more space between me and the camera so that the crowd can see my hand gestures clearly. I am glad that my peers thought that I came off strong and confident with my pitch because the first time I sounded pretty nervous when I talked. Everyone who gave me feedback was very nice and told me that my speech sounded convincing and was better than the first time.

What I changed: 

This third time came a lot easier for me than the last two. I am way more comfortable in front of the camera than I was at the beginning of this semester. I am glad that I got this opportunity to practice speaking confidently in front of a webcam and getting ore comfortable with speeches. The one thing I did change for this time was standing farther away from the camera so that my hand gestures could be seen clearly for the viewers. I think this was great advice and I am glad I took it because this elevator pitch in my opinion is better than the first two. 

21A- Reading Reflection No.2

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The general theme of this book is that you need to focus on your present self and make yourself happy and healthy and to learn from your failures that will eventually lead you to success. He emphasizes how we shouldn't focus on the future because it can end up disappointing us each day when we carry out small task to complete these goals. He wants you to face failure with open arms and embrace the experience which will help you live a happier life than before. I think his main argument is that you can make yourself a lot happier when you take his simple advice that will create lots of amazing changes in your life.

2) How did the book connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT3003?
This book allowed me to look at every day life in a whole new perspective. I think about how at the beginning of this class I would just look forward to completing the assignment. Now I am going to look at each assignment like an opportunity to learn something new and have an open-mind. This book also made me feel a lot better about failing in life. For example, in this class I have gotten stumped on many assignments not knowing what to write or talk about, now if this happens again I will have a better attitude about facing and learning from my failures. Entrepreneurs go through a lot of failure in life before they make it big and I think learning from your mistakes and never giving up relate a lot to the course material and the book's theme.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would it be?
I think a great exercise this class could do based off this book is an assignment which focuses on shifting our long term goals into every day systems. I think you could create this assignment by having students pick out their long term goal and then have them break it down to a system by explaining how they will move toward this goal each day which will in turn create a system for themselves. This will be a way for students to look at their familiar task in a new an innovated way. They will see that they can achieve something useful and effective everyday if you look at your life in a simpler way. Instead of focusing on long -term goals and getting frustrated the system method allows you to feel great about yourself for just utilizing the system you designed yourself. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or "aha" moment when reading the book?

I think my biggest surprise moment reading Scott Adams book was that you shouldn't follow your passion and instead find your energy. This kind of changed my views on life because I was told to always follow your passion and I thought that this was the route that everyone strives for. He makes some really good points about how if you find your energy you will always be happy in life even when you fail. I think his emphasis on staying active and taking time to hang out with friends and enjoying your free time is important to realize that it is sometimes okay to be selfish. I like how he pointed out how can you help other people if you are not helping yourself first. I am going to take this advice with me throughout life because it is important to focus on yourself and enjoy the journey of life everyday. 

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

1) Who they are and what their background is:

Troy Palermo is my Uncle and an architect for Disney. I chose to interview him because he a genius when it comes to using hardware tools and can fix almost anything around the house.

2) Which slot they are and how the person is filling the slot: 

Troy filled my domain expert in this industry. He fills this spot well because he would be my number one choice to go and learn how to use a certain tool and fix small inconveniencies around my house. He is definitely a technical expert when it comes to this stuff and would be great at explaining to kids how to use each tool and their purpose.

3) Description of how I found the person and contacted the person:

I have known this man, fortunately, my whole life. I can't remember the last time my family pulled up to his driveway and he is working in the garage trying to fix something. I thought he would be a perfect fit for this slot and we had a great phone conversation about my opportunity.

4) The nature of exchange with the person:

The nature of exchange was done by a phone call because of COVID-19 but I would of usually just drove over to see him since he lives so close to me. He is a very easy person to talk to and it was a fun phone call to have.

5) How including this person in my network enhance my ability to exploit my opportunity:

Troy helps my ability to exploit this opportunity because he is the technical brains around the whole concept. I would need someone like him that was very experienced in his area to help teach other teachers or students these amazing skills.

1) Who they are and what their background is:

I chose one of my old high school teachers whose name is Margaret Pietcavitch. She has been teaching marketing at our high school for over 15 years. 

2) Which slot they are and how the person is filling the slot:

Margaret would be filling the expert in the market slot. She fills this spot well because my senior year in high school she got the school board to allow her to teach a new elective for hospitality and tourism. She still teaches her other classes but thought that kids interested should be able to learn more about this program in high school. She would be a great contact because she knows how to go about adding new electives to the curriculum.

3) Description of how I found the person and contacted the person:

Luckily I have kept in contact with Margaret since I graduated High School and she was the first person to come to mind for thinking of someone for this slot.

4) The nature of exchange with the person:

I had her phone number still from high school because I was her student assistant for one year. I sent her a text and we chit-chatted back and forth for a while about how she started her new elective.

5) How including this person in my network enhance my ability to exploit my opportunity:

This is probably one of my best contacts to have when pursuing my opportunity because she knows the market so well. She was one of my favorite teachers and the staff and students loved her. She could help me with the process of starting up a new elective in the curriculum.

1) Who they are and what their background is:

Karen Dental was my former 4th-grade teacher who is now on the school board for all of Orange County public schools. 

2) Which slot they are and how the person is filling the slot:

Karen would fill the slot of an important supplier to my industry because she has the ability to help make decisions about school funding. She would be my main resource in getting information about the petition process and how much of a percentage we need to help raise funds for this opportunity.

3) Description of how I found the person and contacted the person:

Karen was a bit harder to contact but my mom used to work with her so she gave me her email address for me to contact her.

4) The nature of exchange with the person:

I emailed her first and since she is such a busy woman I got a response 3 to 5 business days later.  She was very kind and proud that I had this idea and contacted her for this assignment. 

5) How including this person in my network enhance my ability to exploit my opportunity:

Having Karen in my network could help me get the funds to actually implement this curriculum throughout Orange County Public High Schools. She is a huge member of the school board and has a say in what is used for education funding. 

Reflection: 

This assignment really helped me consider who would be the best networks to get in contact with for my opportunity. It took me a few minutes to consider who to ask but once I figured it out I was excited to get their information from them. I have not really had to network in the past for anything so this skill was brand new to me. I am grateful for this opportunity to enhance my contacts so I have the right connections for this to happen.

19A- Idea Napkin No.2

1) You:

My name is Kendall Joseph and I am a rising senior majoring in Information Systems. I have always had a passion for kids especially students and could see myself one day becoming a teacher. My aspirations in life are to help other people and make their lives easier. I am a firm believer that everyone should have access and exposure to certain tools and knowledge that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. 

2) What are you offering to customers?

My product/service would be implementing trade and skill classes back in high school. I think students should have exposure to these skills and would be an essential elective they can choose to take in high school. Electives like woodshop and mechanics would be very beneficial to the curriculum especially with the need for these skills growing in the economy. 

3)Who are you offering it to?

I would be offering this service to students in high school. I believe they should get this opportunity to learn these skills early on in life that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. Many kids could benefit from learning these skills later on in their professional careers.

4) Why do they care?

I think many students would love the chance to go to one of these classes during school. It is useful and healthy to have students not sit at their desk all day. I also think that many students would like this opportunity to learn trades and skills. When I was in high school I wish I had this option to take these classes because I would love to learn how to use a drill or change a tire.

5) What are your core competencies?
I still believe one of my core competencies is emotional intelligence. I think this is very important to have when becoming a teacher and understanding a student's personality and what fits best for their learning style. I am also a very hard worker and will put 100% effort into any project I set my mind to. 

How these elements fit together:
I think these elements all work very well together in the fact that I think it could benefit everyone. The one thing that is my biggest problem is finding the funding for these classes to be implemented. I still think that I could find a way around this obstacle eventually but other than that my personality and passion would work really well in this type of environment. 

Feedback memo:
One person mentioned how she didn't even know these programs were stopped and agreed that they should be reinstated into the curriculum. That gave me another interesting point of view because older generations are not aware that these classes aren't taught in high school anymore. Another person stated how she agreed that the hardest part would be finding the funding for this program. This allowed me to get a better idea of what techniques I could use to find the money for these classes. 

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

Customer Avatar

I chose my customer avatar to be a female student who is currently in high school. She loves going to the beach, hanging with friends, painting, and playing soccer. She just turned 16 and got her license. Her parents bought her a used blue Honda as her first car. She enjoys watching Gossip Girl and Family Feud with her family. Her favorite books are the hunger games and divergent series and she enjoys reading outside with a cup of tea by the pool. She is excited to graduate and wants to attend a four year university once she does. She is always eager to learn new things and has an interest in arts n crafts. Her father lets her work with him in his tool shop and play around and use the tools for her creative imagination. She has lots of good friends and gets along well with most people. She comes to school with a good attitude and her teachers enjoy her as their student.

What my Customer Avatar and I Have in Common

I have a lot in common with the customer avatar I created. I was 16 just five years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I also enjoy the beach and reading a good book by the pool. I don't think it is a coincidence that we have so much in common because the prototypical customer would be all students in high school. This was just a specific description of a student I chose who could benefit from trade and skill classes in high school. I also came up with this opportunity because I wish I had this option back when I was a high school student. I think most people can relate to qualities that my avatar exhibits because they were all students at one point in their lives. 

17A- Elevator Pitch No.2

My Elevator Pitch link:

https://youtu.be/qr5WNrHWUxo

Reflection on Feedback:
My peers gave me some great feedback and advice from my first elevator pitch. They also were very kind and gave me great compliments about my choice of words and my tone while speaking. The most insightful feedback I got back was being told I came off a bit nervous during my speech. I agree that I was nervous and I should practice more and become more confident about what I am talking about. Overall my feedback was better than I thought it would be which made me happy with my first attempt. I believe that adding my statistic helped back my opportunity and support my beliefs. Everyone who gave me feedback said that they agreed and were convinced that trade and skill classes should be implemented back into High Schools.

What did I change?:

I made sure to practice in the mirror before I recorded it several times. I tried to be more confident and not come off as nervous even though that was a lot harder than it sounds. I have always been a nervous person speaking to crowds but having the option to keep trying again if I messed up allowed me to perfect my speech even more. I also tried to start using my hands more for gestures to help emphasize my points which I believe helped my elevator pitch improve since last time.

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

What I think makes me different...
1) Emotional Intelligence- I have always been extremely intuitive and can read the environment around me very well. I have always thought this was a special trait and it has come in very handy over the years when I have had to adapt to different situations.
2) Analytical- I have always loved problem-solving and prefer math classes over writing classes. I love doing puzzle games on my phone and like to gather information and understand the small pieces that make the big picture.
3) Organized- I like to have my days planned out and enjoy having my items organized and put together in a practical and efficient order. I also have good time-management skills and have everything I need on me at all times.
4) Hard-working- I have always been a hard-worker and will put 100% effort into something I decide to do. I always strive for good grades and try to find ways to better myself and others by having a good work ethic.
5) Creative- I love art and reading different books and getting absorbed in all different types of cultures. I enjoy drawing different things and imagining scenarios. I am always open to learning new knowledge and methods of doing things.

What others think make me different...
Interview #1 

https://soundcloud.com/user-322209927/mother

I asked my mother what makes me different and she mentioned how I am very goal-driven and always follow through with my task. She also mentioned how I am very insightful and quite observant of the people around me. 
Interview #2  

https://soundcloud.com/user-322209927/madi-fisher

My friend Madi mentions how I bring my knowledge and social capability to bring people together. She also said that I bring passion to everything I set my mind to. 
Interview #3 

https://soundcloud.com/user-322209927/chris

Chris mentions how I am extremely driven and have always been a hard worker. He thinks my open mind allows me to view different scenarios from a variety of perspectives. 
Interview #4 

https://soundcloud.com/user-322209927/vinny

Vinny said that once I focus on a task I will put a 100% effort toward it until it is done. He mentions how I think outside the box and complete tasks efficiently. 
Interview #5 

https://soundcloud.com/user-322209927/katy-trimble

Katy says that I am a very charismatic and caring person who is easy to talk to. She also said that I have a creative viewpoint when it comes to solving problems.

Reflection:

I was surprised to see that most of the people I interviewed saw me the same way I saw myself. The only difference I noticed was my social ability to bring people together. I think this difference is because I can't see myself in social interactions the way my peers do. I agree with what my interviewees said about me because they are very similar to what I said about myself. Most of the people I talked to also said I was a hard-worker. I think this is because I have always been driven and love making sure that I put all my effort into everything I do. I wouldn't make any changes to my list because I think it is very accurate. 

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

I decided to interview three people who live in my neighborhood and our zoned for my former high school. They happened to all be graduates or planning on attending there next year. I ended up interviewing them all individually and found out some good information that will help further my opportunity on integrating trade and skill classes back in high schools. 

I asked each of them their thoughts on having these classes implemented into our High School and they all for the most part thought it was a great idea. A recent graduate from there is attending a trade school locally this summer and she wishes that she had this exposure prior to graduating. Prior to this summer she would save up and spend her own money on tools that she could practice with and use. She has learned from herself that she prefers quality products over the price of products. Especially when it comes to skills and trades you need to have the right quality tools to do a quality job. The other girl I interviewed will be starting at Winter Park High School next Fall and she stated how she has never been exposed to these types of classes but would enjoy that opportunity while she is in school. She emphasized how she would never personally spend money on these services or products but believes that it would be useful and effective to have them at our High School. The last person I interviewed was a rising Senior who is in the running to be Valedictorian of his graduating class. He said that there are many segments that he looks for when buying a product. He also believes, like the first girl I interviewed, that he prefers to pay a higher price if it means better quality.

My main target segment is our generation and the ones younger than us which are very in tune with the technology movement of our decade. They all agreed that they shop online more than they do in person and prefer this method because it is quicker and more efficient. Although, the service I am offering would have to be in person which they also agreed if it was provided for them in the classroom they would take advantage of it. They also prefer using cash at hand rather than financing since they are so young and have a limited income. They agreed that they prefer buying products online but enjoy services in person better because it provides better quality and they feel they learn more by engaging physically.

What helps customers be confident with their decision of a purchase has to deal with the outcome they get when they use it. The people I interviewed agreed that they would feel bad about a purchase if it didn't live up to their expectations or was a worse quality than expected. They also agreed that having these skills and trade classes in school would help students get real life experience handling tools and enhance their perspective and knowledge of these opportunities. 

The people I interviewed all had similar views of preferring a high quality product over a cheaper version. Based on these interviews I would say that my opportunity still exist and that there is a need for these classes to be taught in High School for students to get the best quality service. I also learned from this segment that technology is a main aspect of a buyer's decision and that buying online is just going to become even more popular than before. This being said, I believe there is even more of a need for these classes to be in person because I don't believe you can learn these skills and trades as effectively if taught online. Also, most aspects of a business are moving online which will widen the gap even more of the need for trade workers in the economy. I think the best way for my customer's needs to be met is to have classes with skilled teachers who provide hands on teaching for students in school.

14A- Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

I would say that my main behavior that has allowed me to keep up with the requirements of this class would be my time-management. I have made myself a different schedule of due dates than what is posted so I know that I can stay ahead and have plenty of time to complete assignments. Since there are a lot of assignments due on the same day I typically try to do one assignment a day so that I can space out how much work I have at one time.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

I originally was going to take this class this upcoming Fall but my schedule got messed up so I quickly had to make the decision to take this class this summer 2 days before registration ended. At first I was very nervous about my workload because I also have an internship this summer which occupies most of my days. After seeing the way the course works I was nervous and felt like giving up because all the assignments are due Monday and Friday during the times I am working. I sat down and planned out my schedule for the summer and created a calendar which allowed me to make time to sit down and complete the assignments for this class. I feel like I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude over the past two months because I have had to adapt and figure out an effective work schedule that will allow me to do my best in this class and at my internship. I think being a full-time worker and taking classes has given me the experience that have contributed to this work-ethic.

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

1. Plan ahead! This course has many assignments due weekly and it is important to plan ahead your schedule so you don't miss any. I would recommend putting aside time each day to complete one assignment so you are not overwhelmed the day they are all due.

2. Get creative! This class is made to help you explore opportunities around you that you may have never seen before. You get the most of what you put into this class and I would look at each assignment for what it is and not think of it as just a deadline required for the class.

3. Watch the lectures! Each week there is a cupcake quiz which has questions directly from the weekly lectures. The quizzes may seem minuscule but it makes up 10% of your grade which could hinder you from getting the letter grade you want. The lectures are also interesting and the professor uses a lot of real life examples to help get points across.  

13A- Reading Reflection No.1

What surprised you the most? 

I think what surprised me most about Steve Jobs was his childhood. I never knew he was adopted and I thought it was very cool to hear that his birth mom insisted of him going to college which I found ironic since he dropped out. I also thought his Zen lifestyle and the fact he rarely wore shoes or showered was surprising to here because when I thought of Steve Jobs I envisioned a very put together and professional man. I also thought it was surprising that he experimented with LSD and had a very spiritual outlook on life.

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I think what I admired most about Steve Job's is his dedication and passion for creating technology that appeals to the masses of people. He never strayed from his vision of sleek and simple design that catches the eye of people and he was very persistent that everything looked clean and modern. His philosophy for design was created around the saying "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". 

What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

I least admired about Steve Job's was his temperamental and bratty personality that took over time to time. Many people he worked with witnessed him yelling and screaming that their work was crap even when he didn't even know what they were working on. He was known to cry and throw a fit when things didn't go his way. I also least admired his belief that his vegetarian diet was enough to not wear deodorant. His co-workers could barely stand the smell of him and constantly tried to get him to go home and take a shower.

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

This company originally started in Job's family garage with only him and his partner Wozniak. They went through a lot of trouble trying to find the funding to buy all the parts for the assembly of making a computer. One thing Job's was great at was being persistent and convincing to potential investors and sometimes refusing to leave them alone until they agreed. They also had trouble figuring out who would be doing what and his partner had a hard time leaving his other job to invest fully in Apple. Both guys also realized they had to hire someone to teach them how to run a business and how to market their product. They definitely went through plenty of trial and error trying to figure out how their product would work and be designed. Job's also had to get over the idea that he would'n't be fully in charge of the company and that he needed help to make it the success he wanted.

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

I noticed many competencies that Job's exhibited including his charismatic nature, dedication, intuition, and that he is extremely creative. He does a great job of representing someone who is in between the art and technology spectrum. He also is very manipulative and knows how to bend a situation in his favor. While in school he was always bored in classes and would pull pranks with his friends. Wozniak and him invented the first digital version of Blue Box and would prank call the Vatican as Henry Kissinger trying to reach the Pope. I think Job's creativity and vision is the reason why he became so successful and his playful banter and pranks were just the beginning of his dynasty which is now known as Apple. 

Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

I think the most confusing part of the reading was the technology vocab and explanations they talked about when building their first computer. I had to reread some paragraphs to identify the different parts they used and how much each of them cost and what type of elements they were going to have to buy in bulk. I never knew how much programming and coding went into this company and that definitely was the hardest part to understand in the reading.

If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

1) Did you ever imagine that your first invention would turn into a handheld computer that the majority of the world operates on? I ask this because I know that Job's wanted to make something useful and effective with the masses of people. His intentions weren't to be the most profitable industry or the most popular but to create something simple and sleek that would be useful to a great majority of the population.

2) Are you happy with the way your company is today or would you change it? I asked this because Job's always had a vision and was particular with his product and layout of his company. If he was alive today I wonder if he would agree with the way the company is running and the products that are being sold or if he would have changed the design or system of the new products. 

What do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think Job's really values a hard worker. He was always making something and thinking about what he could be doing next. I think his emphasis on simplicity helped him live a happier life and I also would love to live by this lifestyle as well. I think his ambition comes from doing something he loves which make working seem a lot less like work. I believe that doing what you love would allow yourself to be an even better worker and I want to love the job I do which he obviously did.