ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNAL

This week I enjoyed the videos a lot! I felt that there was a lot of fears and worries that were addressed to me. As I listened, I felt at ease and understanding of where I needed to look at the pressure that is constantly put on students and young adults. I love where Stan Christensen pointed out that of the 800 graduates of Stanford University, most had found a new job after 11 months. For me, it pointed out that the decisions that we make are not life and death as we often turn them into. In addition to that, we often think that we must do our best to be great and specialize in one thing. Anymore, I think young people are led to believe that we must choose something and stick with it forever. I liked how we were taught to generalize our skills and to diversify ourselves so to speak. The more I think that we consistently take a step back and look at this journey as a journey and not a way to a destination, the more I believe that we will get out of this life. We are goi...

Why are virtue and integrity so vital to the economy? Based on the reading, I think the biggest issue that I think that can come up within a company is the issues that happen with stock options and the stake that owners have within the company. Not only are they getting wages for their positions, but they are also going to receive stock that can grow and decrease based on the value of the company. As owners and CEOs gain more and more stock wealth, they can also abuse or misuse such a system to benefit personal gain and control. As we saw in 2008, the economy is closely dependant on the stock market, and the rise and falls we see. The real justification for a business. I loved this analogy so much as I read and thought about what he was trying to say. I can't say it better than he did when he said, "The purpose of a business, in other words, is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better." In other wo...

The article "Attitude on Money" aligned a lot of the thoughts I already had about money into a more concise and uplifting message. I enjoyed a lot of the messages and notes that Brother Gibson talked about. Hopefully, I can articulate my feelings as prompted by the article in response to the questions that we are asked to answer. What is your attitude towards money? Often times I think that we view money in a negative way due to the implications that money can have if we use it in the wrong way. Money is necessary as we learned, but it doesn't have to be a necessary evil as it often referred to. I enjoyed the story of Jon Huntsman and the attitude that he had towards money. He viewed money as a way to help others that were in need. I enjoy the philosophy of Dave Ramsey who often says, "Live like no one else now, so that you can live and give  like no one else later." I want to view money as a way to not only support my family but that we can be instruments ...

This week I really enjoyed the interview that we got to do with an Entrepreneur. It was a great opportunity to be able to sit down and asked pointed questions about the business. I tried to take the opportunity to look at the why a person may own a business, more than a how. I think that the why is a more intriguing question because it can range from person to person. It may even range within different moments of the business. For example, I think someone in a start-up phase, will have a different why than someone who is looking for either retire or take the business through a new aquistion.  The why for me is not entirely formed I don't think. I know why I go to work every day. I know why I am in school. I know why I think it is important to be your best self. I don't think that I know the why of owning a business, or evening going into business for that matter. This class has helped me not to learn techniques, but to stimulate an attitude and feeling of refl...

As I completed the different instructional materials from the week, I began to weigh in my mind the importance of not only who I would be as a leader, but who I choose to surround myself with as employees. Interestingly enough, while listening to a sports podcast during the week, I was introduced to the 80/20 rule. Where in 20% of any workforce or group of people account for 80% of the production. I didn't feel like this model should be something that is so easily accepted. In light of that thought, I had a very interesting experience on Friday night that highlighted the things that I both read and watched this past week. On Friday night I attended the company holiday party for my wife's company. This company within the past 5 years has seen tremendous success. They have risen from a new product to a major company with over 250 employees. I have tried to understand how this company has been so successful. I have even emailed back and forth to the CEO of the company asking w...

This week was a little shorter than other weeks, but not any less impactful. As I have read and watched the course material this week, I think a new heartstring was plucked, and that boost of motivation to keep going. Oft times as I go through this course I think I get overwhelmed with the "what if" scenario of entrepreneurship. "What if" I become super successful. "What if" that idea or product that I have can really go in a way that I hope and believe it can. Then you get that secondary feeling of, "what if" I fail. I began to think that direction at times during this week. As I thought about the current situation that I have not only at my current place of employment, but the stress that comes from having 2 jobs, balancing school work, working with my spouse raising a young family, and trying to keep my head above the water. As I looked at all of these stresses and thoughts of potential failure, the content from this week bolstered my trust i...