Final Reflection

What sticks out to you as the most formative experience?

I think the talking to strangers and interviewing people was the most formative aspect of the course that I gained the most from.  I don't have a problem talking to strangers, but in my experience, the context has always played an important role.  In my usual interactions I would approach strangers for a service or product provided in a purely transactional method, however in this case, my experience has been one where I require information from a stranger in order to complete an assignment.  This context change has never been a strong suit of mine as I've never had a prominent public facing role in the jobs I've had so to ask someone for something was a bit of an obstacle at first.  I think I've gotten better at it and I hope to continue to be more forthcoming, outgoing and affable when out in public.

The experience that you'll remember years later?

I think the sheer amount of work for the course was something that I had definitely not experienced before.  I understand that in lieu of the traditional format, i.e., homework, quizzes and exams, we were able to enjoy the unorthodox setup, however the amount of legwork literally and figuratively speaking was quite daunting if you happened to not stay on top of things. My most challenging time was February-March as my birthday, my daughter's birthday and my mom's birthday all fall in the same 2 week timeframe.  It was difficult juggling the class and all the extracurriculars that I had to attend but I got through it, I tried my best to complete the assignments and in the end it worked out.  I'll never forget stressing things out early in the week trying to get the most work intensive items out of the way so I can type it up and be done with it on the weekend.

What was your most joyous experience?

The 'What's your secret sauce' blog post was my most joyous experience.  It's always nice when you receive praise but when it closely matches your take or your perception of yourself, it makes it all the better.  I did not list things that were abstract or so specific that you have to know the person in order to fully comprehend what they are getting at, but it was great to reinforce a few things that I knew about myself.  My family was a great help with this assignment and I lean on them a lot when i have a lot going on.  It's nice to know you have a support system.

What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

I think simply getting through this semester was an accomplishment for me in and of itself.  I had a lot going on, not only with classes but with my personal and professional life which made things a bit tough as the semester progressed.  I was able to rein it all in and made sure to not procrastinate so things would not pile up on me and were sure to not make my life more difficult. 

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?

I do and I don't.  I think from a rough definition, sure I can see a lot of the characteristics and traits that an entrepreneur possesses in me now, but in order to make them stick and almost second nature to me, I'd have to nurture and cultivate them by engaging in entrepreneurial activities which my current job situation and life don't allow.  I really strive to one day be my own boss and be one of the millions of small business owners in the US who provide 50% of jobs to working Americans, but there are a few building blocks I have to setup to ensure I have solid foundation before taking such a giant leap of faith.

Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

I would say yes but I have a long way to go.  I don't regard failure as such a life or career defining thing anymore, I don't get stuck on small failures or missed deadlines or opportunities.  I simply move on to the next thing to take care of and not worry about them as they are in the past and cannot be changed.  As far as looking at innovation and big picture ideas and identifying opportunities, I think I find myself thinking like this wherever I'm at, whether waiting for my car to be service or at a birthday party, thanks to this class.  Before some of the ideas were fleeting or simple thoughts that I'd commit to memory but soon forgot.  I now find myself writing things down and Googling them afterward in order to see if it's been done already or if it's an under-served opportunity that I'd be able to improve upon if the conditions and situations align correctly.

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

I would recommend to them to stay on top of the course work and try to get ahead as much as possible as the assignments can pile up since they build on each other.

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

I would recommend to keep an open mind and not get too caught up with the more tedious aspects of the assignments and to simply get them done as they'll have to do so anyways in order to retain a good/decent grade.

What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

Go out and talk to people about all things, current events, history, their own personal and professional experiences.  This will help them foster a mindset that mines data from anyone they are in contact with or around, no matter what the social situation.  In this way, they can use this information to better understand people and identify opportunities sooner rather than later.  This will also help them understand people better as coworkers, managers, domestic partners or whatever social context they may find themselves in.