Final Reflection: Week #15

·        Read through your blog from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had along the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

o   I don’t have to read back to realize I dreaded leaving my home to go out into the “world” to do any of these assignments. Not because I am shy, far from it, nor is it because I have an aversion to speaking with anyone – but, frankly, I take online classes because I work in a high stress position that has me hiding out at days end. The reading reflection is a great tool, however, at this very moment I am dreading doing that final reading reflection.

·        What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

o   I would say my most formative experience for me was a type of “stepping back in time”, so to speak, and interviewing my old friend, an amazing entrepreneur, and finding out more about why he did/does what he did/does. He still has that entrepreneurial spirit, though tempered with time and by failures, both professionally and personally.

·        At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. And we repeated the mantra -- I am an entrepreneur. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

o   In reality, I think I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and this class just validated what I had always suspected. Not many days go by that I don’t dream of some venture. My only frustration is by the time I think I have a great idea, I move off that and onto another one. I don’t know if it is because I don’t take the time flesh out the napkin idea, or if it is that I don’t know where to go from the idea. I will say this class is amazing at doing just that – even though it seemed like huge moments of drudgery, it is ideal for developing a concept into a real business.

·        What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future?

o   Be open-minded. You may have your career/life mapped out, and I salute you for being so proactive; however, don’t self yourself short. Go through the steps in this class and seriously consider what you learn.  

Ø  What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course?

o   My one recommendation would be take this class seriously. You might think this is just a class full of mind-numbing assignments, but even if you are not the entrepreneur-type, it is a great class that teaches creative thinking, networking and self-confidence. You have a bright idea, but how do you turn it into a successful business? This class is a great starting point in helping you see the reality of your dream.  

Ø  What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

o   Think outside the box (lateral thinking.) Don’t consider ways do things as they have always been done, but think in ways that others may not have considered. Moreover, blue-sky thinking, or open-minded thinking allows to consider the idea that everything is possible and you are not restricted by realities.