Week 14- Last Lecture

Find Your Calling, Your Niche, Your People, and a Grateful Heart!

Becoming an entrepreneur for the sake of becoming an entrepreneur is a path that many take, but I believe the more worthwhile path is becoming an entrepreneur because you simply must! You MUST do this because it’s your passion, it’s your calling, it’s your drive, it’s something that doesn’t exist and you must make it so! In order to devote so much of your time and energy to a new business you have to have a huge amount of excitement for it. Therefore it cannot be a business you are starting just for the sake of starting. You must believe in it.
      The best question I answered for myself from this class was “What do you love doing so much that you lose yourself in it?” It was from a wonderful book called Hero’s Journey; but the question really got me thinking. What do I love doing so much that I wouldn’t mind doing it for my whole life? That I would have the kind of desire necessary to start a business doing? And along that line, what do I want to be remembered for doing? You must ask yourself this question and then ask yourself how to make a career out of that.
     I also believe that a fair amount of successful entrepreneurs are successful simply because they found a niche that needed filling. Find your niche! Look at what you love doing and how readily available that is in the market. Find a place to plant your flag and set yourself apart from the competition! Look at it from different angles and find a way to bring your passion and skill set to new customers.
     Find the right people. Also from the book Hero’s Journey, I learned that the most important thing you can have on your journey is good people walking with you. You need the RIGHT people, not the available people. You need people with skill sets that you lack and that can help to push you in ways you can’t push yourself.
     And lastly, find a grateful heart. Gratitude is a skill that’s too often overlooked. In your quest to start a successful company, there will be heartache, there will be loss, and there will be pain. But if you choose to look at life and circumstance through the eyes of gratitude you will find that you have had much success and have the ability to carry on further. You can pick your head up and move forward knowing you have accomplished much.
     If you have those four things, you will be successful! You will find joy in your journey!

Week 13- Should I?

The overlapping circle chart on The Role of Entrepreneurship from the Harvard handout titled "Identifying and Exploiting the Right Entrepreneurial Opportunity… for You" was incredibly helpful to me. I think that should basically be tattooed on the forearms of any “Serial Entrepreneurs”. What an awesome chart to help you see if what you want is within reason.

     And it made me think about the case study this week and how Randy Haykin found something that was a perfect middle area. He found a niche in a market he knew a lot about, a service that wasn’t being offered, his talents worked well there and he enjoyed it, and it was economically feasible because of his severance package.
     Throughout this class as I have tried to apply what we are learning to my own small entrepreneurial idea, I have learned a lot. But that chart was helpful to see that it is a good place for me to apply my time and talents.

     I also really liked the stuff that Stan Christensen said in his video about not being too stressed about finding the perfect first job or defining yourself in the perfect career. I have long thought that those things evolve overtime organically and that people put way too much emphasis on it.

     And as I’ve mentioned many times before, I love all things gratitude so I loved reading President Monson’s talk again. That is one of my favorite talks and it keeps me grounded in the importance of gratitude.

Week 12- Giving Back

Gratitude
I loved the chapter on “Coming Home” and the emphasis they put on gratitude. They also talked about gratitude on in the first chapter and how it can help you on a long journey. I’ve talked before about gratitude and how it is important to me, but I always love reading about it.

Entrepreneurship and Consecration
My favorite parts of this were easily the part near the beginning when he said: “ Life and financial means have changed dramatically for my wife and me since that time, but I do not remember being any less happy in those day of extremely limited means that our current days of much greater abundance. One of the most powerful lesson’s I’ve ever learned about money is that beyond making ends meet, whether you have low or much of the world’s good will never be a fundamental determining factor of personal peace and happiness. But rather it is your attitude towards wealth that will be critical.
     I loved that because I truly believe that money doesn’t make you happy and this was a beautifully phrased life lesson that affirms that.

I also loved his story of the Chateaubriand Principle that his father called “The grand secret of success in business.”
     In Europe in the late 1700’s early 1800’s, Françpois-René de Chateaubriand’s students asked him to summarize history in one sentence, he said: In the days of service all things are founded; In the days of special privilege all things deteriorate; In the days of vanity they are destroyed.
     What an incredible lesson that more business people should regard as the grand secret!


What’s A Business For?
1 – I loved the analogy of the fine China and then once it’s broken it’s never the same as an example of trust in companies. It’s true that as customers, once burned, we find it hard to go back to a certain business. Rules and laws depend on trust and truth. If people aren’t’ willing to play by the rules and follow them, then the mutual respect dies down and we can never be successful.

2 – The purpose of a business in other words is not to make profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that he business can do something more or better.

3 – I loved hen he said, “We should as charitable organizations do, measure success in terms of outcomes for others as well as for ourselves.” I think that would be such a powerful way to help other’s using business. Instead of just looking at the bottom line, look at the people you’ve helped.
     And I liked the examples provided about serving the poor and those who were neglected customers. These not only served those not being served, but also led to profitability in some cases. How can I help those we aren’t helping? Is a powerful question that all businesses should ask.

Week 11- Money & Family

Money
1 - My attitude towards money can be best summed up by Mark Cuban when he was asked what advice he had for the potential power ball lottery winner last year, ““If you weren't happy yesterday, you won't be happy tomorrow. It's money. It's not happiness. If you were happy yesterday, you are going to be a lot happier tomorrow. It's money. Life gets easier when you don't have to worry about the bills.” I love that so much and I completely agree! Having money is great, but it is not what makes you happy. Happiness comes from within you and other choices/decisions in your life, not from money.

2 – My view on money will undoubtedly affect the way I live. Money is not the most important thing to me, therefore I place some emphasis on it, but not all of my time and efforts go there. I believe there are more important things and I will live for those things.
3 – The rules recommended for prospering are interesting to me because they are continually putting the Lord first. The emphasis there is to think of God first and then others, before thinking of yourself. I also like how it says to “think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant”. I believe it is a cultural problem that people often put no effort into their finances and just kind of float along. They are never trying to get ahead or improve their situation and that is dangerous.

Family
The videos and readings this week had me thinking a lot about my family. Currently, in my family life, I am the main driver of the home front and my husband is the main driver of the work and money-earning portion. We are a great team and generally are able to get things done.
     But I often feel torn between my little business and my family responsibilities and these case studies and responding to classmates on the discussion board had me thinking a lot more about how to manage all those things. I have learned throughout the class that outside help is often required to make all the ends meet. And I have seen that in use time and again. It has been a helpful perspective and lesson for me as this is something I struggle with.
     Right now, I have the luxury of putting my family first, no matter what. But if my business were to ever grow or my husband and I’s roles needed to change, because my children/family are my first priority I would make sure that I had all the bases covered for their care and support.

Week 10- Finding Joy

I was really interested in the Google 20% thing from this week’s videos. That is something I feel like I could implement in my life as a mother so as to be more productive over all the other jobs I have. I think when someone spends sometime each day or week doing something that they love, they are happier, more fulfilled and better equipped to do the things they need to. I am going to make sure that I put forth some time and effort each week to do a hobby of mine!
     I also really liked the part in Taylor’s boats when he talked about how it takes no more effort to be great than it does to be good. I can totally see that in my own life!
     And lastly I loved the readings this week from Hero’s Journey talking about different companions we have with us. I realized that a lot of my closet confidants are my opposite in many ways and just how much I receive from them because their strengths are my weaknesses. They have helped me more times than I can count and I have learned so much from them. I also liked that it specifically talks about how your spouse is your most important companion because I feel that way so much in all aspects of my life!

Week 9- Gratitude & Ethics

I already talked about this once back in Week 2, but “The Man in the Arena” is a huge inspiration to me, as in is the book “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown. She inspires me in more ways than I can count, and so did the readings from “Hero’s Journey” this week.
     I loved the question at the end of Chapter 1 about “How does gratitude help on a long journey?” For me gratitude is absolutely essential in my life. It helps me to stay present, focused and helps me keep my anxiety in check. I actively practice gratitude every single day and it has made all the difference for me. Gratitude can help you see how far you’ve come and even when you are discouraged and have a long way yet to go, gratitude can make the path easier. Gratitude is my JAM!

     I also loved the question at the end of Chapter 2, which was “What do you love doing so much that you lose yourself in it? “ This also helped me to refocus on my “dream big”/entrepreneurial goal.

     And because I did my entrepreneurial interview this week, I was greatly inspired by that and her stories and ideas. I feel empowered to chase after my dreams. And she taught a lot about ethics within her business and that was really interesting. I learned a lot there and I plan to write about that in my paper.

Week 8- Getting Tough

Because I do not consider myself an entrepreneur quite yet, I had fun applying the lessons from this week to my regular life. We all experience tough times and this had some wonderful ideas on how to keep going. But thinking about just business…

     I got a lot out of our readings from the book “A Field Guide for the Hero’s Journey”. I loved the idea at the end of Chapter 6 about memorizing something that brings you joy to recite during tough times in the future. That is something that I feel could be useful in all aspects of life.
      And in Chapter 5 the question at the end about asking 10 people if they would quit working if they won the lottery really got me thinking about that. I think I would still want to work a little, especially if I had grown a company from nothing. But I also would really enjoy spending all the time I wanted with my husband and kids and traveling to fun places. That is a really interesting thought.  
     But by far my favorite thing I read this week was in Chapter 8. He talked about making a promise not to invest the profits from his first successful business sell for a year. This was like a revelation to me. I am a big budgeter and I love the idea of if you did come into a large sum of money (in your personal life) to sit on it for a year. I can’t even imagine how much money you would save on ridiculous and unnecessary things. I was so excited when I read it, that I told my husband immediately. That is our plan now if we ever do come into a large sum of money. Anyway, that was by far my favorite idea from this week!

Week 7- Habits

I really liked learning more about the 7 Habits this week. My adorable son is in elementary school, in second grade, and they learn about these habits at his school. They sing adorable little songs and have cute videos and it’s really fun for them. I am often jealous that he is growing up knowing these strategies because I really believe they will help him be a more successful person. Also because it’s something I didn’t have growing up and even now as an adult. So I loved learning more about them. 

     Up until today I would have said that my favorite habit was “Think Win/Win”. But that is solely because of what I have seen my son do with it. He is the oldest and often the leader of my children, but occasionally, he is also the annoying big brother. However, more than once I have seen him break up a fight over a toy or help one of his siblings by saying, “Let’s think win/win” and figuring out a way for all of them to be happy. Hearing him do this and solve problems this way makes me so grateful for this program and his school for teaching it.

     However for me personally, I think the one that I need to work on the most is Habit #1 – Think Proactive. I am often irritated by small things that go wrong in my life; when in reality that is quite silly. I know that things will always go wrong, be them big or small, and that only I can choose my reaction to these things. I believe in reacting instead of being reacted upon and I believe that I can choose to have a better attitude and make things run smoother. I have done it on occasion and I know it’s possible, but for me it’s a matter of making it a habit and a way of life. This is definitely the habit I will be focusing on for myself as a goal!

Week 6- Time

I really appreciated all the suggestions and ideas for how to manage time and family. This is something that I often struggle with currently. Right now I do (technically) run my own small company and I have a hard time balancing all my responsibilities.

     Often it seems that some of the easiest things to let go would be church responsibilities… It is technically volunteer work… But I am often reminded of two things that give me great comfort and direction. The first is this quote: “When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve His children unselfishly, the natural consequence is power from God- power to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord.” (Elder Richard G. Scott, “For Peace at Home” April 2013) And with that many personal testimonies of people I respect who have told me about putting the Lord first and church responsibilities first and then finding the time to accomplish everything else they need to do. 
     The second is the famous story about “The Empty Pickle Jar” (Link: http://www.gratitudeseeds.com/lessons-on-life-the-empty-pickle-jar/) The story there is of course that if you fill up your time with the most important things first, then the smaller things can fill in the empty spots.

     So basically, in order to have time for everything, you first need to prioritize the most important things and give them the appropriate time and attention. For me, that is first my family and then the Gospel. I will be implementing some of the rules that Steve Blank talked about to ensure that I have adequate time for my family!

Week 5- Follow Your Bliss

I have really enjoyed reading the Mastery Book so far. It is clear to see how in order to have the kind of drive to “master” something you have to really, truly, deeply enjoy it. When he talks about his Aikido practice as being so calming and enjoyable that he can do one move over and over and over for hours, it is clear to see his passion for it. I can see how to be an effective Entrepreneur you would have to have that passion and that drive for mastery in your company.
     It has really made me think about what I do that I have that amount of passion for. What would I do as an Entrepreneur that would bring me that much joy and fulfillment? What would I be so excited to be doing that I wouldn’t mind the tedious or monotonous parts of?
     In my whole life, besides being a mother and wife and the joy that my family brings me, the only thing I could do for HOURS on end and feel completely satisfied with has been dancing. It’s the only thing that I’ve found that amount of peace in as George Leonard describes while practicing his Aikido.

     I’ve never thought of myself as an entrepreneur and I’ve never had that desire. But after this week I can see that my ‘big dream’ is where my focus should be and I can see the entrepreneur spirit in trying to get that started. I feel really good about wanting to start that in my area and not for the fame or money, like the videos mentioned, but because it would bring me happiness and joy.

Week 4- Dream Big

I really got a lot out of creating a ‘Personal Constitution’ and ‘Deconstructing My Fears’ this week.  
     Writing a personal constitution (even though I want to reflect on it for a while and possibly change some things) really helped me to decide what I value most in my life and where I want to place my efforts. It was nice to choose what is most important and recognize which things in my life are not important at all and that maybe I can let some of those lesser things go.

     Any time I ever think about my big dream (running a performing dance group for adults), a million reasons why I shouldn’t do it immediately pop into my head. Which is why deconstructing them was so nice. It was actually really therapeutic. Writing them down, made me realize how silly some of them were and what the very easy solutions to others were. It was really nice to take the big scary problems and break them down into simple solutions.
     I also really enjoyed the chapter in “The Ministry of Business” book we finished last week on Financial Fitness. I have spent a lot of time this week thinking about ways to grow our “Independence Account” and I have spent time revamping our budget so that we are paying ourselves first each paycheck. It will take some time to get used to it, but I’m really excited about these new financial goals we are working towards.

Week 3 - Inspiration

This week we read a case study about Magdalena Yesil, which was hugely inspirational to me.  I was so impressed by her love of learning, determination to succeed, how she conquered every new thing she was up against, and how she has changed the internet that I love so much today.  She is incredible and a huge role model for me.  I would be very interested to read more about her and possibly reading some of the books she’s written.  I am awestruck by how much she accomplished with a little family at home.

     I also really enjoyed learning from Frank Levison about how they didn’t have the budget for horses in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movies.  When you see the movie, and the “horse coconuts” you just assume that was all planned as a big joke, because it’s hilarious.  It’s amazing what brilliant innovation is born out of necessity.  I read the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and he talks a lot about this.  When you are hungry you work harder!  I love that idea because it’s a way to look at a misfortune or hard time and see the good in it.

     And in my reading of The Ministry of Business this week I really enjoyed learning about “The Formula”.  There are definitely some areas that I need to work on improving and I’m going to focus right now on getting up early and working hard, and obviously my education.  I can really see how the formula will be beneficial!

Week 2 - Daring Greatly

I really appreciated both the Bucket List assignment this week and the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. They really got me thinking about the things I want to accomplish in this life and what is the most important to me.
      Not surprising to me, was the fact that my family turned up over and over in my Bucket List as the most important thing I have and want to have. It was interesting just how many items pertained to them.

When thinking about Randy Pausch’s lecture and thinking of my childhood dreams, there was one that stuck out. I danced for my whole childhood and teenage years and it was very important to me. It was a creative release as well as about the only kind of exercise I’ve ever enjoyed. As a child, I could see myself dancing for my whole life. I remember vividly being at a Utah State University basketball halftime and watching a group of Senior women dancing. There was one lady who was over 90 who could do the splits! I wanted to be them so badly.

      But as an adult, opportunities to dance are few and far between. And I have let that dream slip away a little more each year. I still take and teach Zumba classes to keep some semblance of dancing in my life, but it’s not the same.
      Last year I read the book “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown; the inspiration for the title of Brown’s book was taken from the “Man in the Arena” speech by Teddy Roosevelt. Ironically I read that same speech this week in the book Hero’s Journey and it reminded me of what my “Daring Greatly” was. My one childhood dream that I still want to accomplish.
      I want to teach an adult dance class in my area. I want to give women an opportunity to move and dance past age 18 and to be healthy and have fun. It might seem like a small dream, but for someone with three young kids, a part time job, and school, it seems a huge feat! But it is still something I want to try. There is a lot I’ll need to do before I can make this a reality, the first would be getting myself into shape and finding a studio to do it at. But it is possible.
     And like the speech says, if I fail, at least I fail, daring greatly!

Week 1 - Networking

     Over the summer I took B 100 and set up my LinkedIn account. I had barely heard of LinkedIn before that class and I didn’t realize how valuable of an asset it could be. It’s so interesting to me every time I hear it mentioned as this hugely important tool, because I didn’t have one until recently. It was mentioned a few times in our reading/videos this week.

     I’m not currently a business professional. I consider myself a stay-at-home mom first and foremost. However, I do work from home a little now. I sew for two wonderful ladies who run Etsy-shop style companies. And I got both of those jobs just by networking on Facebook. So networking is very important even for someone who isn’t striving to be a professional.
     In the Read Hoffman video on Personal Branding I was struck by his questions at the end about how people would remember you. The jobs that I have, I got because those women knew me and trusted me from past interactions that were years and years before. I’m so grateful I left a good impression on them and they remembered I was a hard worker and trustworthy.
     Over the summer a fellow student said they were told once that every conversation you have could potentially be a job interview. That is a seriously powerful thought and something that has proven true for me.

     I am also very intrigued by the list of the books that were mentioned in the Launching Leaders video. In other classes, I have really enjoyed some similar books I’ve read and so I look forward to completing that whole list in the future. I really want to better myself both professionally and individually.

     And lastly, I was so touched by the video from President Gordon B. Hinkley. I love that man and I miss him greatly. He was my prophet for most of my formative years and he left a lasting impression on me. I love how he speaks about how we need to stand firm in what we believe and never compromise ourselves. I believe that is something you can do personally and professionally and I appreciate the reminder from such an inspirational man.