Reflection Post for the Semester


  • If you had one final lecture to share with a group of students on what you have learned from this course, what would you share?


    1. Overcoming Challenges:

There is a wide variety of challenges in our personal and professional lives. Just when we think that we are getting our head above water... BAM... another challenge! As a business owner, you will be faced with different challenges daily. How we react to these challenges will determine our fate. Personally, we will have challenges as well, the same advice applies to both situations. I can not watch the video by Elder Holland without crying. I can relate to his situation. I love the advice he would give to his young self, "Don't you quit! You keep walking.You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late, and some don't come till Heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God, and believe in good things to come." 


    2. Personal Balance:

It is critical that we have balance within our personal and professional lives. Many of the stories we have read this semester talk of going through a divorce. 50% of first marriages end in divorce. Is this because they are incompatible or because they have not figured out how to balance professional and personal time? I do not know the answer to that question, I just know personally that when you don't feel valued in a relationship, you want to change that. Both parties have to desire the needed change for the marriage to work. The stories we read where they stayed together during start-ups all placed value in family time.   


    3. Journey of Gratitude:

Remembering to have gratitude for what you have been given is the glue that will keep you happy.  When you are struggling with overcoming challenges, count your blessing. When you are struggling to find balance in you life, remember what your most precious blessing are. When you are feeling depressed, find something to be grateful for. 

  • What would be your last bit of advice to someone wanting to begin the entrepreneur journey?

I would tell someone who was beginning the entrepreneur journey to make sure they were doing something that they had a passion for. You must have a passion in order to build something that will change the industry you are going into. 

  • What words of advice, direction, or caution would you give him or her if you had only one chance to give your own last lecture?

I can answer this question with 2 words... See Above! The advice, direction and caution I have already stated really fits this question as well. Whether it is a group of students or singular person the message stays the same.  

Journey of Gratitude

 


    In school this week we are taking some time to remember to have gratitude in our lives. We read a talk from Thomas S. Monson titled, An Attitude of Gratitude. President Monson began his address by retelling the story of the 10 lepers from the Bible. I wonder if I would have been like the nine that were seeking the Priest instead of thanking the one who cleansed me? This picture by James C. Christensen is a wonderful depiction of the story of the ten lepers. I see wonder and awe in the eyes of the leper as he turns back to the Savior in gratitude. 

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Luke 17:15-19

    It is vital that we remember to have gratitude. This year has been difficult. President Russell M. Nelson asked the church to flood the internet for seven days with messages of gratitude. How wonderful it was to look on my personal feeds and read the uplifting messages that were shared. During hard times it can be difficult to remember the good that we have been blessed with each day. I am grateful for all of the many blessings I have been given. Below there is a link to the song Count Your Many Blessings. I love this song and enjoy its gentle command to remember to have gratitude.    https://youtu.be/D7lhYa9WDSU



Becoming a Change-Maker

 


Based on what you read, why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy?

    We read an article from the Harvard Business School titled, What’s a Business For? written by Charles Handy. Because of recent financial scandals people are reexamining the purpose of businesses. Several scandals have created a distrust in corporate leadership based on fraudulent financial reports. Handy said, “Not everyone is so complacent. Markets rely on rules and laws, but those rules and laws in turn depend on truth and trust. Conceal truth or erode trust, and the game becomes so unreliable that no one will want to play” Investors want to trust the financial reports given. The investors want to be making wise choices with their money. Handy says, “Trust, too, is fragile. Like a piece of china, once cracked it is never quite the same. And people’s trust in business, and those who lead it, is today cracking. To many, it seems that executives no longer run their companies for the benefit of consumers, or even of their shareholders and employees, but for their personal ambition and financial gain.” Creating financial documents with integrity will help to build trust with the investors in the future. People want to have faith that they leaders of the company they are investing in are people that have virtue as a leading characteristic.

According to Charles Handy, what is the “real justification” for the existence of businesses?

    In the article Hand says, “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. That “something” becomes the real justification for the business. Owners know this. Investors needn’t care.” Handy discusses the importance of helping others. We need to think of how we can make the world a better place, not just make ourselves more money. “To mistake the means for the end is to be turned in on oneself, which Saint Augustine called one of the greatest sins.” implores Handy. Thinking about helping others is what a business is really trying to accomplish.


What are two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? Why?

1.    “More honesty and reality in the reporting of results would help for a start.”

a.     I totally agree with this solution that Handy proposed. 

b.  We need to have a sense of honesty from those who are running companies. We also need to have reality in looking at the financial reports. We can not always be growing at record rates.

2.     “Global businesses not only do harm, but that the harm outweighs the good. If those charges are to be rebutted, and if business is to restore its reputation as the friend, not the enemy, of progress around the world, then the leaders of those companies need to bind themselves with an equivalent oath. Doing no harm goes beyond meeting the legal requirements regarding the environment, conditions of employment, community relations, and ethics.”

a.     I agree with this solution proposed by Handy. 

b.  We have all heard of cases where a company dumps toxic waste in an illegal way to avoid expensive costs. This would be unacceptable if the people in charge were honest and committed to “Doing no harm.” We must as a community of business leaders set an example of doing what is right even if no one is watching.

Personal Balance

This week we learned about finding balance in your professional and personal life. 

    In a video featuring titled, Balancing Your Life/Your Career Successfully with Randy Komisar we learned:

    •    Life is a challenge... Love what you do
    •    Set Priorities... Seek what you love
    •    Pay attention to what is important... family 

    Keep a group of people who really know you close... These people will help to ground you throughout your life. 

Acton Hero: Cory Bell

Cory Bell had great advice to share. I will sum up his advice as:

    •         Write a vision plan for your life.
    •         Everything is possible if you want it
    •         Give back- make an impact on the world. 


Surviving the Entrepreneurial Life: Work and Family

    Meg Cadoux Hirshberg talked about balancing work and family while undertaking an entrepreneurial dream. She talked about including your kids and spouse.

Kids:

    •     Share your work with your kids by talking with them about your work.
    •     Take you kids to work with you occasionally.
    •     Spend casual time with your kids, not just games and recitals. Spend time relaxing with them. 

Spouse:

    •  Stay connected with your spouse by doing things that make them feel special. (Whatever that is for your specific partner.)
    •  Attend  company meets with your spouse, even if you are not working at the company. This gives you talking points together.
    •  Travel with your spouse if possible.

    Starting a company can be all consuming, if you include your children and spouse in the process you will have a better work and family balance. Including and sharing will increase your family's ability to tolerate your long work hours as you start a new business.   

    My favorite address this week was from Thomas S. Monson. His address came from an Ensign message titled, Formula For Success. In this message we are given three admonitions on how to lead a successful life. They are:

1. Fill your mind with truth.

    Seek knowledge out of the best books. We have so much available to us in the form of learning. We must continually be growing if we are to reach out eternal potential. 

2. Fill your life with service.

   We each have  the opportunity to serve our family. We also need to remember to give back to those around us. We are taught in the Book of Mormon, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). Christ lived a life of service, if we want to be like the Savior, we too must serve our fellow man. 

3. Fill your heart with love.

    When we fill our hearts with love, we are able to serve better. Love will increase our desire and ability to help those around us. When motivated by love we are able to accomplish many many things we thought impossible. 

The final thoughts from Thomas S. Monson that I found very important were:

Be Prepared, Be Productive, Be Faithful, and Be Fruitful!



Dream Big







This week we are focusing on dreaming big.  We read and watched several videos that encouraged us to dream big and then reach for your dreams. Several of the messages made an impact on me. 

    License to Pursue Dreams-- Marissa Mayer addressed an audience describing the concept that Google implements called 20 percent time. The concept is basically work four days a week on Google work and on day 5, work on whatever you want to work on. This is a very interesting concept. Many people believed that Google was wasting 20 percent of its productivity. However, Mayer mapped out Google's product launches and found that 50 percent of the projects released came from the 20 percent of time. She surmised, "It turns out if you take really smart people, give them really good tools, they build really beautiful, amazing things that are really exciting, and they do it with a lot of passion and momentum, in such a way that you actually see two and a half times the output of what you would expect given the time." This is really amazing! I can understand this because when I have a passion for an idea, I am willing to work harder and longer without even realizing. 







Think Big-- Taylor Richards addressed a group of people and said two things that were interesting to me: 

1. Do not over underestimate yourself. You can do it, you can accomplish the goals and dreams that you set and if you involve the Lord, you can do the impossible, you can do amazing things you can do great things. Just like it says in good to great, it's a whole lot more fun to do great things than to just be good.  Or to just be mediocre. And it's no harder to be great than to be good.  

2. Pursue your goals and dreams. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. And involve the Lord, you can do great things.

Richards told a story about making the top 100 as a boat dealership. He was not trying to be a top dealership in the nation. He was striving for excellence every day and loving what he did for a living. In the beginning of the countdown he was underestimating how well he compared to others in his field. Richards learned during the countdown that he had been underestimating his team. They were ranked 11 in North America. This teaches me that if I try to just do my personal best, I can shine above the competition. 

Trust and Leadership

 



In my learning this week I read a portion of a paper that was called, A Message to Garcia. A big takeaway from this paper was the idea that,” if you want to be entrusted with important tasks, you have to get the job done.” People will gain trust in you when they see that you are not all talk and no action. The application story was very interesting. Here is the story:

 “It was 1899. President William McKinley needed to deliver an urgent message to General Calixto Garcia, the leader of the insurgents in America’s war against Spain. But Garcia was lost somewhere deep inside the mountain vastness of Cuba. “There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan who will find Garcia if anyone can,” someone told the president. So McKinley summoned Colonel Andrew Rowan. Rowan took McKinley’s letter, “sealed it in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle and in three weeks came out on the other side of the island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia.”

Getting the job done without being told what to do step by step is a quality that is lacking in today’s society. With the invention of the internet, we are always looking to google or YouTube to teach us or walk us through our next task. The new technology is not the problem in my eyes. If Garcia had GPS on his phone, I am sure he would have used it to traverse the mountains in Cuba. I believe that we need to use our brain along with the technology to “get the job done.”

Another assignment was to watch a video featuring Guy Kawasaki. It was titled, Aspects of Building Trust. Three key points are:

1.     Trust others, then they trust you

·       If you first trust people to do the right thing, they will trust you in return. He equated this to 3 business that have trusted people. Because of this trust in people, they are well trusted by consumers which drives return customers. You as a person or company have to trust in your customers to do the right thing.

2.     Bakers VS. Eaters

·       Eaters see the world as I have to get all that I can. Anything you have takes away from what I have. “I need to get as much of the pie as possible.”

·       Bakers see the world as shareable. “The world is an opportunity to make more pies and bigger pies. Trustworthy people are bakers not eaters.”

3.     Default to yes

·        This line of thinking causes you to ask yourself, “How can I help that person?”  Which is in contrast of the normal thinking, “How can that person help me?” By learning to help others you will be trusting in people and helping them will in the end, help you.





Overcoming Challenges

 


This week I read several rousing talks about overcoming challenges. 

    Brother and Sister Holland spoke to the students of BYU in the winter of 1983. They both spoke about not faltering amid challenges. I was inspired to “hang in there” during hard times. Brother Holland recounted the story of the building of the Salt Lake City temple. The saints were faced with the possibility of war, yet again. They feared the Government soldiers would take over the area. So, they filled in the foundation that had taken them nine years to dig. This had to be devastating to the people. Once the threat of war was over, they had to start the tremendous task of digging the foundation again. This example of overcoming challenges helps me understand that I can be like the saints by doing hard things.



    The Acton Hero this week was: David Carrington. He had some great advice for overcoming challenges. He taught:

1.Come up with solutions that no one else is thinking.

2. Don’t take advantage of other people’s tragedies.

3. Challenges force us to reassess. We can look at our lives and see if we are living with balance.

4. Business should not run your life, instead your life should be running the business.

5. Don’t get so wrapped up in business that you forget why you are in business. Don’t accept customers or clients you don’t really want to do business with.

6. If you understand who you are and what your brand is, and consistently execute that brand, you will be successful.

    I like how simple and straightforward this advice is. It is something that you can implement into your everyday life in many areas not just business.



    I saved the best for last! I love the video, Good Things to Come.(link is below to full video) It is a story of learning patience and perseverance. Putting your pride aside and choosing to do hard things. Sometimes we forget that everyone has hard times. How we respond to these challenges builds our character. I do have faith like Brother Holland, "Don't you quit! You keep walking.You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late, and some don't come till Heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God, and believe in good things to come." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsXFuG3XkRs 


Exploring the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (By Stephen Covey)and What Habit Has the Most Meaning to ME!

 

  • Which of the 7 habits has the most meaning for you?

    I can see value in all of the habits. I think that it is really hard to narrow myself down to the one most important habit. It Covey felt that there was one habit that stood out more than the rest than maybe it would have been the 1 habit of highly effective people. This is not the case. Each of the habits seem to build upon each other like this picture describes. starting with a foundation and then building and growing into an effective person. If I had to choose which habit, I am the weakest at I would choose the habit #5. I think as humans we are looking to be understood first and then we might be willing to try to understand. I think that I could have the greatest personal growth if I implement Habit #5 into my life. I believe that trying to understand others first would decrease anger between those that see things in a different way than I do. Covey explained, “Most people don’t listen with an intent to understand - they listen with the intent to reply. They are either speaking or preparing to speak. They see others through the lens of their own autobiographies. The key to understanding another person is empathetic listening – really trying to understand everything (including the nonverbal signals) the other person is communicating. You listen for feeling and for meaning, for behavior and other signals. You are totally focused on the other person’s point of view, not projecting your own life’s story into their words.” I can see myself in every word that Covey describes. This is why I think that for me personally, the largest growth would come from implementing this habit into my life.  

    • Why will the 7 habits help you fill your life with passion and purpose as you seek to achieve both a private and public victory?

    I think that the 7 habits help you to look at life with an ability to see the good that life has to offer both privately and publicly.  In the summary we read this week it stated, "The 7 habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving us progressively from dependence (on others) to independence (take care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others and combining strengths)." Building a personality with these 7 habits in mind will change the way you look and interact with those around you. This will enable a person to be a pillar in the community. People will want to be around you because of these 7 habits. You will be able to help others to develop these skills into their lives which will continue the cycle of improvement within the community you live. This could eventually grow into a nation of effective people. As you grow you will have passion in your life to go after the lifestyle you desire. You will be able to do this also with a sense of purpose as you have learned to begin with the end in mind and put first things first. Learning to listen to others and progress with synergy. Finally, every day you need to take time to sharpen the saw, or take care of you by exercising and feeding yourself spiritually and physically. 



    Tips to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur

     





    This week the class received a lot of good advice from successful entrepreneurs. I gained the most knowledge from three speakers. 

    They were: 

    1. Steve Blank-- The Entrepreneur and Family
    2. Jan Newman-- Loyalty to God and family
    3.Wences Casares-- Three lessons about what it means to be an entrepreneur

    Steve Blank made the biggest impression on me this week. The basic idea I took away from his talk was that you should make rules or start-ups will take over your life. Each person needs to set boundaries that make sense for them during the start-up of the new business. I like that Blank focused his responses on keeping the family together during the busy time of a start-up. His suggested 3 guides to help maintain family life:

    1. Set a dinner time.
        This allows you to be home with the family. By eating together every night you     will be able to stay connected with each family members life.
    2. Weekends with your kids.
        This is important so that your kids understand that they are as important to you        as your company. "Love to a child is spelled T-I-M-E" said, Dieter F.                        Uchtdorf. Spend time with your children on a regular basis. 
    3. Put your kids to bed.
        Taking time to be with your children will be something that you will never             regret. They are only young once and time won't wait on you. Enjoy the special     bedtime routines while they are little. 

    Jan Newman also talked about family but included God into his conversation. I think that one of the most important things I took away from his talk was to not let my busy life pull me away from my church responsibilities. Newman said, "always take your church callings." By accepting calling you are being loyal to the promises you made at baptism. You are increasing your level of integrity. By doing this you are increasing your loyalty to your family as well. Being a good example to your friends and family be keeping your promises is a legacy that should be important. 

    Finally, Wences Casares had three lessons that he shared. I really liked his comments but can only relate to two of the three. 

    1. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle.
        I don't really relate to this lesson, but I am working on implementing it in my            life. I am not a natural born entrepreneur but learning. 
    2. Time is the most valuable asset.
        Take the time to look at your life, not in the short-term 2 to 5 years but in the        long-term of 20 to 30 years. What do you want to do for the long-term? 
    3. Stick with something for a long time. 
        Here he is talking about sticking with your vision or company. Don't sell your        company too early or too fast. Let the company grow with you. You might have     another great vision that others might miss. Stick with your original dream             before jumping ship.     

    When you marry all of these lessons, I found that each one of them is encouraging you to stay true to yourself. Be true to your family. Be true to your religion. Be true to your entrepreneurial spirit. It might be hard, and you might get lost but by setting guides and sticking to them you will have a better chance of keeping all 3 of these important aspects in balance--Family-Religion-Company 

       



    A Hero's Journey

     What were my takeaways from the video, "A Hero's Journey"

    https://video.byui.edu/media/122201_02_Large/0_7ghlpqpk/26923962

    (I have looked all over and cannot find the last name of the person in this video. I did find out that his first name is Jeff because he references writing a letter to himself and says, "dear Jeff." )

    In this video he talks about "living every moment of your life like it matters, because it does." This means that we should look at set back and struggles or adventures as lesson we can learn. The important lessons change who we are, making us better people. 

    Another piece of advice was to find ten role models. This seems like a huge number of people to me. However, this week in class I had an assignment to choose 6 people to be on my "board table of life."  This was an interesting assignment. I could choose any person, living or dead, to participate as a member. I choose close family and some noted professionals. I could see that even those people would have gaps in knowledge. I didn't choose a lawyer and looking back that would have been a great person to have on the team.  

    The guides from Jeff about role models were:

    Ask them about

    1. Their triumphs 

    2. Their regrets 

    3. Lessons they wished they had learned earlier. 

    Who to seek out

    1. Three people your same age

    2. Three people who were age 45-60

    3. at least three people over 60

    These interviews lead to some very powerful insights. The oldest group always said basically the same thing to the students. The most important questions in life were: 

    1. Have I contributed something meaningful?

    2. Am I a good person?

    3. Who did I love and who loved me?

    These three questions have lingered with me this week as I have pondered my life. I can see that these three questions can guide me in how I interact and respond with those around me. I can take everyday situations and chose to respond after I think about these questions. I can reshape my answers to help me reshape myself into the person I want to be.  





    How Will You Measure Your Life?

    How will you measure your life? This is a question that is best thought about in the early stages of your life IF you plan on achieving your goals. 

                            What type of person do you want to become? 

    If you know what kind of person you want to become you can create steppingstones to become that person. These steppingstones will guide you on your journey to becoming. Each step can transform you into your future self. We take this journey every day, but do we walk with purpose? By reflecting on how you will measure your life you will be able to decide what steps you want to take and put them in order so you can reach your final destination with the fewest missteps. 



    This week we read a talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin titled Little Things Are Important.  (link to the talk is below) Brother Wirthlin teaches us that me must care for three relationships in this life.  These are:

    1. Our relationship with self. -- We must take care of our bodies and minds. Are we getting the sleep and exercise we need to take on our everyday life? Are we fueling our bodies properly? How can we expect to our bodies to perform at a high level if we are not taking care of our body?     

    2. Our relationship with others. -- Caring and serving others teaches us and helps us to grow. I love this quote in the talk, "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom” (“Small Acts of Service,” Tambuli, December 1976). 

    3. Our relationship with God. -- By improving ourselves every day we are showing God that we love Him. Trying to be our best self is a gift to God. Choosing to be a little better and avoid sin, one little step at a time will lead to becoming a person that can stand before God.

    So, how will I measure my life? I will decide where I want to be at the end of my life. I will set up a long-term goal and follow that with many short-term goals to help me reach my potential. When I look back on my life, I want to say that I measured up to the person I dreamed I could become. 

    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1988/06/little-things-are-important?lang=eng

    Honesty in Business

         Lessons Learned: 

    This week in my Business 110 class we read and listened to several speakers. The topic that was being addressed was honesty in business. I particularly liked the address by Sister Sheri Dew: True Blue: Through and Through. Sister Dew defined integrity as simply being true. Being true and honest is another way of expressing the virtue of integrity. Dew imparted a 7-step plan that guides your actions to keep you within the ethical guiderails of integrity it is:

        1. Decide today, once and for all, that you will be worthy of trust.

        2. Have faith the Lord can and will will help you, and then diligently seek     His help.

        3. Make covenants and keep them.

        4. Stand up for what you believe.

        5. Expect your integrity to be challenged

        6. Don't give up.

        7. Covenant-or perhaps I should say, renew your covenant- with our             Father and His Son to do what you came here to do. For doing what           we agreed to do pre-mortally is the ultimate expression of our integrity. 

    Sister Dew invited each of us to enroll in Integrity 101. This would be a way to inventory how we are doing in regards to having and maintaining our personal integrity. These are the steps to enroll  in this personal integrity course:

        1. Take inventory of your integrity. Do you have cracks? Be honest with yourself.

        2. For the next 30 days take time every night to assess how you did that day.

        3. As you become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, turn to the Savior more frequently and with increasing fervor. 

    To be a better society we have to first look within. I think that this talk helps me to look within and choose to have more integrity in my life. I want to be surrounded by people in my personal and professional life that prize the virtue of integrity. 

    Reference & Categorization of Notes and Tools:

    https://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2004_03_16_Dew.htm


    Childhood Dreams

    *Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams? 

    I think the Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams because I wrote them down and took steps to achieve those dreams. Pausch said of a picture of himself, “there I actually have a picture of me dreaming. I did that a lot.” By focusing on what was important to him, he was able to achieve his dreams. 

    * Do you feel that dreaming is important? Why or why not?

    I think that dreaming is important. I also think that taking action is important. You need to dream and have aspirations. If you don’t dream you won’t know what you really want. Pasch’s dreams are very different. Zero gravity experience, NFL player, writing an article for the World Book encyclopedia, and a Disney Imagineer. These seem like 4 different career possibilities. Pasch wanted to accomplish a lot of things and was able to because it was a priority. Making dreams or wants and desires a priority will keep us learning and growing through out our lives. 

    *Discuss at least one of your childhood dreams. Explain why you believe you can or cannot achieve this dream. 

    I have pondered about what my childhood dreams were. I could not come up with any dreams that I had. I thought long and hard, even asking my older brother and sister. Not surprising, they could only come up with the same thing that I did. I was not the typical child who wanted to be a doctor, nurse, lawyer, or teacher. All I wanted was to be a Mom. I played house all the time and was always the mother. I mothered all our family pets. When my mother had another baby, when I was 8, I mothered her as well. I remember going to the babysitters’ house after school and before doing anything else, I would check her diaper and make sure she was fed. Then I was free to play with others and have a snack. I have achieved this dream. I have five children whom I love more than anything in this life. I currently have three amazing grandchildren who light up my world. These people make my life complete. I often look at them in amazement and say to my husband, “Can you believe we created these people?” Amazing!

    Individual Learning Experiences September 19, 2020

    Lessons Learned: 

    I liked the video from Reed Hoffman, "Personal Branding." The comments from Reed Hoffman were intriguing to me. Personal branding is a way of setting yourself apart from others in your field. I had not thought about one of the questions or statements he said, "it’s important in terms of how do other people think about you." This got me thinking of how do other people think about me? Am I an expert in any field? Am I someone wants to work with? Would others think of me when a new opportunity arose? 

    I also liked the video from Guy Kawasaki, "Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow." I think that he makes a great point about doing what you love. He encourages people to do what they love not to do what is "hot" or popular. I think in today's world that is very wonderful advice. We are easily attracted to follow the trends of the day and put what we love aside. The peer and family pressure Kawasaki felt to be either a Doctor, Lawyer, or Dentist is real. His ability to know that will not make him happy in the long run is important. I think that it is important to not fall prey to peer pressures or family pressure when you are embarking on a career choice. Doing what you love will make your daily life better in the long run. 

    I loved the comments from President Gordon B. Hinkley. President Hinkley was the same age as my grandfather. They were companions on a train ride to the east coast. As I listened to him express his love for this generation, I could feel the love of my own grandfather. It is also really important to heed the advice to, "Now don’t ever do a cheap or a tawdry or a mean or an evil thing." What great advise! His love and concern for the youth of the church are palpable in this address. When we choose to listen to those who have already walked the path of career choice and are on the other side, we are able to glean great knowledge from them. 

    Lessons Not Yet Learned

     I have not learned what my entrepreneur path is yet. 

    What is the Next Step?

     I am not sure what the next step will be, but I am sure it will be taught in this class.

     Reference & Categorization of Notes and Tools: 
    These are the links to the addresses above. 
    https://youtu.be/1419ltWPBDU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEjIe2aZooM https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vQu9rd5Muvh9vf26Xv3_JCbIvdIeUwobWO0SeHO_vnu9b553Syf4L3kemIoji9qPl20u4unCU-49sIi/pub

    Reflection Post for the Semester

    If you had one final lecture to share with a group of students on what you have learned from this course, what would you share?     1. Overc...