Ian's Entrepreneurial Journal

As I move my way toward solid entrepreneurship, I can certainly give thanks to all of the mentors I have had along the way. When given consideration, My older adult friends, who have been professionals for a good 20 years or so, are really my best friends to help lead me to success. One of my friends, who also grew up in Florida like me, became a physicians assistant. He gave me account of how difficult a task it was to go to medical school when he essentially grew up poor. He told me of  the countless hours he spent studying, fighting to stay awake to prepare for exams in college. He told me of the difficulty of the courses he was required to take. All this sounded terrible to me 13 years ago, but now I am grateful for what he taught me. Life's business toward a solid career does not come easy, and if it did I would probably not entirely appreciate it. My friend has been a Physician Assistant for a good 20 years not. He had a job in Panama City, FL for about 8 years that paid hi...

As I continue this journey to greatness, I am impressed with Steven R. Covey's book Seven Habits of Highly-Effective People, that being a success is possible. It is great that great men of the past have written so effectively without being arrogant, a way to make myself not simply a person in existence, but someone who can convince and influence people around me to work as a team. And how is that accomplished? It is done through not only hard work, but careful attention to detail, perseverance, and positivity. Of all the 7 habits of highly effective people the ones which impress me the most (which I think I need the most work on) are 1. Seek to understand, then seek to be understood, 2. Put first things first, and 3. begin with the end in mind. Seeking to be understood is one of the mistakes many of us make. It seems logical to want to have our ideas listened to, but in actuality if we want to have our ideas listened, it would probably be more helpful first to seek understandin...

This past week I am reminded that entrepreneurs are just average people. That's not to say that you don't have to be smart to be one. There are plenty of smart people who are lazy or who do not apply themselves. It seems as though that people who are entrepreneurs see themselves as born with the ability. I have to wonder, does this mean that there actually is a right type of personality that would be more fitting to be a successful entrepreneur? I think so. If it takes a special mindset of determination, resilience, and stubbornness to be an astute businessman(woman) then that would favor a seemingly small portion of the population. There are probably quite a few people who would love to introduce new ideas, but worry that they'll be shot down right away by the so-called experts. I personally suffer form this weakness, but I am gaining new confidence as I progress through the coursework in my entrepreneurial class. Of late in my reading of different books and case studie...

The video for the Hero's Journey which I was able to watch this past week made me feel like it is every man or woman's opportunity to find something that you are good at and excel at it. I have to be willing to accept challenges. Challenges, no matter how unpleasant they are at the time of experiencing them, they are for my good. The man in the video was very candid in explaining how someone could rise up during challenging times to be an entrepreneur. One of the things pointed out also is that we often in our lives will be put in situations where our honesty is tested. The author warns that you can't take the chance of letting your integrity slip even once. If you allow yourself to slip up and lose your way of integrity, you could throw away a career that you could have basked in for a lifetime.  One thing that I have found similar in these books and video clips of entrepreneurs is that you cannot be promised with immediate success. It takes a lot of work to get yourself ...

 Fears, Fears, Go away Fears! This weeks assignment on deconstructing my fears made me realize that this is a real issue that needs attention before starting a business. And why not? There are many things to be fearful of; competition, lack of funds, a customer base, and history of many failed companies. Most recently, a grocery chain by the name of Lucky's Market just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy after being in business for only 17 years. In all honestly the company had only gotten off of the ground with the help of Kroger Company's investment. After the stores were not performing as Kroger liked them, they divested their interest in Lucky's Market. This news came as a shock to a lot of organic grocery shoppers in Florida, as this was the state where the company had huge expansion plans and great success. Yet, they still failed financial failure is a big fear of mine in going into my own business. Honestly though, my biggest fear is being made fun of for my ideas ...