Lesson 14

Taking this course later in my schooling has had many benefits for me. I can see how this course would be important for those just beginning in the business management degree path, however, I really felt like I was able to self reflect and experience a deeper purpose to some of the activities. I was surprised to find this was a course focused on me, as opposed to the 101 of how to begin a business. Because I have taken other business courses in the past few semesters, I was able to take the knowledge I have learned and apply it directly to me personally as I completed the assignments in this course.

I feel like the focus of this course was to discover ourselves; meaning our talents, our ambitions, our weaknesses. This same discovering is imperative to anyone who wants to be successful in their career, or even their life, whether they decide to begin their own company or not. Reading about the way successful people think and act, as well as some of their failures enables us to pattern our efforts after their experiences. The opportunity to feel as though a mentor as been where you are and to see how they have overcome hurdles and challenges is invaluable in our individual growth.

In providing my last words of advice or direction, I would say to someone who wants to travel on a crazy entrepreneur journey would be to enjoy the ride! Learn all you can about the decisions you will need to make, but then trust your gut (or the promptings of the Holy Ghost). After interviewing my brother for this class about his own business endeavors, I learned a valuable lesson of being prepared. Preparation allows you to have the advantage or the upper hand, so to speak. Preparation allows decisions to be made confidently and intentionally, as opposed to reacting to a situation. Even though finding the time to balance everything, taking the time to prepare will yield more benefits than rash decision making.

Finding a passion is always the goal when starting a business. It seems more fun to work for yourself than for someone else. However, having your own business is a lot of hard work. Probably more so than people imagine when they are going into it. Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to be flexible, if needed. Strive to find the balance necessary for you to feel like you can be in control. Good luck!