The Last Lecture

Well friends, this is my last lecture. The Intro to Entrepreneurship class that I’m taking, that has pushed me write this blog, is ending. So I wanted to share with you the impact that it has had on me.

I absolutely loved this class. It was my favorite class and I got the best grade in it compared to all my other classes! I just ate up everything we were taught.

Overall it became very important and prevalent to me that it is okay to fail. I have created a mental barrier in my mind that has prevented me from accomplishing my dreams in the entrepreneurial world. I am so afraid of failure. I am afraid that I won’t be able to provide enough for my family. I am afraid no one will want my services or products. I am afraid I will be looked down upon because my skill isn’t good enough. But I am learning that even despite all of those things, it is okay to try. And even more than that, it is important to try.

I also became aware of the importance of having a mentor and/or professionals that you talk with and surround yourself with. There are so many people who have blazed the trail before and know what is up ahead for us. Altogether they have made all the mistakes. They know the right path and the wrong path. So if you can go out of your way to interview and truly apply the things that they tell you and teach you, you will be way ahead of the game.

Another great and essential, and sometimes obvious, habit we should be getting into the habit of is goal setting. We need to have a vision of what we want to be and what we want to accomplish. Once we determine what those things are, we should be setting specific goals. Not vague or applicable to any situation goals, but real and specific goals. Goals and setting ethical guardrails, will help us and allow us to stay on the set out path the we have set out to accomplish.

One last thing I want to mention is believing in yourself and inviting someone you love and trust, like a spouse or sibling etc., to help you along your journey. It is so key that you believe and trust in yourself. If you don’t think you can do it, you will send out the vibe and energy that you won’t. And guess what… you won’t! But as you move forward, believing 100% that you can make whatever it is happen, you truly will be successful.

I know that as we move forward setting goals, believing in ourselves, take a mentor along the trip with you, and know that it is okay to fail, then we will take those failures and all the skills I just mentioned, and be 100% successful!

Love, Gratitude and Giving

Overall this week I have learned quite a few things.

First of all, I have learned and reinforced the need to love what you do. There are absolutely going to be times where I will want to take a break or get stressed out by what I am doing. But that is okay, because there is a reason it is called "Work". Also, I don't have to settle for a "first job" in my career that I am expecting to hate. I have every right to find a job I will enjoy even if it only lasts a few years and I find something greater later.

Second of all, I have learned the importance of gratitude inside and outside the workplace.

Accentuate the positive;

Eliminate the negative.

Latch on to the affirmative;

Don’t mess with Mr. In-between.

I had learned this little poem growing up but I had totally forgotten about it. When we focus on the positive and stop thinking about the negative. When we focus on what we can control rather than worrying about what we can't, we are more able to give joy and positivity. People will be drawn to us and we will be happier.

Third of all, I have learned the importance of giving. My best friend and her sister have started their own Lularoe company. I had seen a few people dip their toes in this and have it not work out the way they wanted. But I have also witnessed my best friend and her sister not just dip their toes in my jump into the deep end and work their butts of to be successful! They told me that for ever 5 pieces they sell, they should be giving one away. This has proven to be a huge truth! Along with the gratitude that they have and express in their business they are so giving. They are currently doing a 12 days of Christmas Give away. The giveaways are not for we customers, but they are for us to nominate someone in need. 

I have previously mentioned charisma and they certainly have it! They are real, personable, friendly, loving and very generous. They are a great example to me of a successful entrepreneurship.

Personal Preference

I was impacted quite a bit by Sheryl Sandberg and what she had to share.
She jumped around to a few different companies but her motivating factor in anything she did was that she "really wanted to work on things that mattered." She wanted "to make a difference, and make someone else's life better..."
She eventually went to work for Google because it was a tiny company (back then) that wanted to bring the worlds information and make it accessible to as many people as they could. I love that initiative. She then went to Facebook because they had a very specific mission. Their mission was to: Give people the power to share and make the world open and more connected.
He wanted to get rid of all the anonymity through the web and make it more personal.
Personally I am grateful for the ability Facebook gives me to share personal experiences that I believe will help another along the road of life, and also to keep personal and intimate relationships with my friends and family.
I want to give the same type of feeling in my future business. I want to make a difference in the lives of as many people as I can. I want to provide a service that brings joy to others and leaves them wanting to come back for more and inviting their family and friends to be a part of it as well.

I look forward to implementing my own mission statement into my future company that invites people to participate and feel like they are receiving a personal service.

Is it worth it in the end?

This week we had some case studies to look over and decide what we would do in these situations. Without going into the actual details of the case studies I wanted to record my answers here so I could reflect on them as I get more and more into my entrepreneurial career and I hope that  you will also be able to apply them into your career.

"The first mini case study really hit home for me. I grew up with a entrepreneur father. He worked in disaster restoration so whenever someone had a flood, fire, wind or mold damage he would get the emergency call and have to leave right then and there wherever and whenever that may have been. As I read the case study I reflected back on my growing up years. My dad was gone for a lot of things. Dance recitals, band concerts, choir concerts, plays, musicals, art shows, dances etc. But I have never resented him for that, because he never let a day go by where he didn't hug me, kiss my head and tell me he loved me. After he would get home from a job, where he had missed some sort of event, he would always ask how it went and tell me how proud he was of me.

This reminds me of a quote by David L. Beck in "Your Sacred Duty to Minister". He says, "As you love His children, Heavenly Father will guide you, and angels will assist you. You will be given power to bless lives and rescue souls.""

We also watched a few videos that hit home for me as well. Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate said that many of her entrepreneurs also have families, whether that me just a spouse or also children. No matter what career you choose there will always be the conflict of balancing home and work life. Overall it is important to ask yourself, "Will this be worth it in the end?", and if the answer is yes then do it! You must also have a passion for what you are doing. If you don't, it won't be worth it, you won't enjoy it, and your family life will suffer because of it.

She also mentioned that work can be life and death. You can feel like dying while you are doing a project. I relate very much to this right now as I am working full time at a desk job, studying full time at school, and working on alterations projects in my "free-time". I feel like dying and giving up most of the time. But honestly, it is so worth it in the end. I love what I do in alterations. I enjoy it and I feel so good after I finish a project and the client is so happy with the way it all turned out. :)

So right now, it is so worth it. :)

80% Have to 20% Want to

I was really inspired and impacted by Google's policy of 80/20.

Where 80% of your work time is spent on projects given to you and 20% of your time can be spent on working on whatever you want to!

I have a small alterations business going right now and I never get time to do the projects I want. This policy would give me the creative outlet I need to continue loving what I do, maybe coming up with new projects or techniques, and still getting my clients projects done! I am beginning to see how beneficial this could be for my own business.

The other thing that really inspired me was what Taylor Richards said. He said, "Be Great! Don't settle for being good." I think I tend to settle for mediocre or good enough and I never reach my full potential. It is time to focus, buckle down, and be great!

And lastly, what I got out of Elder Oaks talk was that I cannot be "convinced" of what I want to do in entrepreneurship, I need to be converted. One of my biggest takeaways from my mentor interview was that I MUST have a passion for what I'm doing or I won't be truly successful. This correlates with Elder Oaks talk. When I am graduated from college I will be focusing and converting wholly to my passion for alterations and will not settle for good, but will strive for great!

Trust

This week I really appreciated the part of the lesson where we learned about trust.

Frank Levinson and Guy Kawasaki summed it up perfectly for me in their own ways.

If we want others to trust us, we first need to trust them. If a client or a customer comes into your store or your business feeling as though you don't trust them, you will lose their business. Zappos.com trust their customers enough to be willing to pay for shipping both ways, when they buy and if the product doesn't work out and they want to send it back.

My dad is my entrepreneur mentor. He has started businesses and come up with countless successful ideas. He hired this man to basically be his apprentice believing one day he would buy him out and take over. My dad taught him EVERYTHING. Years of experience, training and expertise in this particular field. Then when it was coming down to buy him out, this man quit and started his own competing company, taking all of my dads knowledge and tricks with him.

My point in telling this story is that if we want to be able to freely trust those we may not know as well as we'd like, it would be important for us to put the legal matters first and get them taken care of right off the bat so that we can sleep with a clear conscience, not needing to worry.

But I 100% believe that if we want others to trust us, we must first trust them.

However Long and Hard the Road

Is it worth it?

Will you make it?

Are you willing to work for it?

Questions like these haunt our mind as we plan for the future. The thought of failure won’t leave our mind. But the possibility of success keeps us going.

These and so many more thoughts cross my mind as pursue my dreams. The part that is hardest of all is that while you are working to pursue your dreams, life is still going on. Problems other than career problems arise that bog you down. There is no escaping the heartache and weight of the world. As much as we’d like to only have to focus on one thing, that will never happen.

But that doesn’t mean you give up.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.

D&C 64:33-34 says, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold the Lord requireth the heart and a wiling mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.”

In the end it will all be worth it. As long as your desires are just and you put in an honest days work you will be rewarded.

Tips on How to Be Successful

Today I just wanted to share a few tips on how to be successful.

First of all, success is not measured by money. We learn from Guy Kawasaki that there are many people who set out only to make a lot of money. That goal is not a lofty enough goal. You can’t just do something because you think it is going to make you rich. You must have the passion for it. When you have the passion, and do something because you love it, you end up making a difference in the world. You may not be rich in terms of the world but you will be rich in terms of life.

Second of all, we learn from President Gordon B. Hinckley that life is becoming more and more competitive. Because this is so, it is important to get as much education as you possibly can. This will put you ahead of the game when you put the effort into learning the necessary skills. There are so many opportunities out there. Be available to take them by getting as much education as you can.

Third of all, there will be times where you will hit a plateau. You will have worked hard, conquered a new level and stay at that level for an indefinite amount of time. While others get discouraged and move onto another skill or just give up, it is important for you to push through the plateau and know there is not end to learning and your success. There is another step up. And it might take weeks, months or even years, but don’t you ever give up. If you love what you do, keep going. There is so much more that awaits you as you continue to learn and grow and solidify your skills.

And last of all, it is imperative that you stay true to your faith. There is a song in the LDS Hymn book called True to the Faith, and it goes:

Shall the youth of Zion falter

In defending truth and right?

While the enemy assaileth,

Shall we shrink or shun the fight?

No! True to the faith that our parents have cherished,

True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,

To God’s command,

Soul, heart, and hand,

Faithful and true we will ever stand.

There have been so many before that have died for what they believe. Stay true to the faith that they never denied. Your parents have supported you your whole life. And if not your parents, then a mentor or friend who has stuck by you would never want or let you give up. Stay true to them. And even more than all that. There is a loving Heavenly Father who is watching over you and wants you to succeed. As you stay true to Him, He will make sure you succeed.

Picture from: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/our-societys-definition-of-success

Boundaryless?

I want to focus my post today on the video by Steve Blank. In this video an audience member asks the question, "What advice do you have for balancing the demands of a family life with the boundaryless life of an entrepreneur?"

Steve combats this question with the comment that people assume entrepreneurs have to have a boundaryless life. He then goes on to explain how he has set the most important boundaries, and those include time with his family.

This very moment in all of the readings and videos we were asked to watch for our class changed my view of the life of an entrepreneur.

I, too, always assumed that boundaries were almost impossible to set because as an entrepreneur you are at the beckon call of your customer or client. You believe that in order to keep up with business you have to set everything on hold at any moment of the day, night or year. 

Though now I have come to the realization that that is just not true! You can absolutely set boundaries! Not too many of course where you will completely cut yourself off from success, but that you can still have a life outside of work like any other job would give you.

My focus now in moving forward with my business is to set some concrete boundaries for my family and never change those for anything. Because family should always come first.

Plateau Opportunity

I enjoyed what we were asked to read this week but nothing jumped right out at me. What did stick in my mind though is what we call the The Plateau Effect.

The entrepreneurial venture I have been involved in is my alterations business called PATCHES. It has been difficult to truly immerse myself into it since the semester has started and I have been working full time while schooling full time. It has been an overwhelming journey because I have had to say no to a couple projects but the ones that I have said yes to are quite large.

In saying all this I have felt like I have hit that plateau. The skills I have learned and practiced up until now have left me gliding along at a slow and steady plateau rate. I am wanting to attend more classes and practice so much and take on more projects, but that just isn't in the cards right now. I know the potential I am capable of is great, but I don't have the time and energy to invest in it.

Time, energy and passion are so important. These are three key components to succeeding. Once you have those all put into one you are able to achieve the unthinkable.

An article called, "Are Successful Entrepreneurs Born or Made?" by Jeff Sandefer, tells a story of a group of entrepreneurs conversing with each other about this very question. There was one specific character trait they all felt was important, and that is:

A relentless pursuit of opportunity

It is so easy to get bogged down when we hit a plateau and feel there is nowhere for us to go. Or that we have run out of opportunities. A successful entrepreneur hits the inevitable plateau and works as hard as they can to achieve the next level of success.

This is something i will be working harder on. A relentless pursuit of opportunity.

Image from : http://www.performancesolutionsbymilliken.com/the-plateau-effect/

Will you be happy?

There were two major things this week that have already changed my life and way of thinking.

#1 How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen at the Harvard Business School

Clayton had so many great and inspiring words to offer, starting with these three questions:

ONE- How can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? 

TWO- How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness? 

THREE- How can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail? 

All of these question play a vital part in our career and everyday life. In order to be sure we will be happy in the career we choose we must set our priorities straight. We need to decide first and foremost what is most important to us and what we will not compromise on. 

In order to be sure our family relationships will be lasting and an enduring source of happiness, we must continuously show them that we love and care for them. That they are our guiding light and motivating force in all we do in life and career.  

Integrity is the key to staying out of jail. It can become so easy to to just fudge the line an little here and a little there. It can even become so easy to withhold or take a little money here or a little money there. Honesty in all we do is vital.

#2 The Ministry of Business by Steven A. Hitz and James W. Ritchie

Holy cow! If you want to read an inspiring book that will guide you along the path to success in business and life, read this book. In this book we are introduced to what is called "The Formula". The Formula honestly changed my focus and view on pursuing my dreams. If you follow these steps, you will become successful, fully self reliant, and sincerely happy.

a. Get Up Early

b. Work Hard

c. Get Your Education

d. Find Your Oil

e. Make Your Mark

f. Get Prepared To Be Of Service

In all honesty I have decided to make this a daily routine. I look forward to trying this out and I will let you all know how it goes!

Determination and Joy!

This week was a crazy one. So much was going on with so much to do piling on top of each other. But even through all the chaos there were a few key lessons I learned.

1. The Key to Survival is JOY!
This weekend was the semi annual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It wasn't technically part of my entrepreneurship class for school but it absolutely applies. I learned that so succeed in life, in work, in family, we need to have joy. We were put on this earth to do just that! In the Bible in the book of Genesis is says, "Men are that they might have joy." This joy depends on our focus. And our focus needs to be on Christ. I know that if I want to succeed in business I need to keep my focus on the Lord and he will bless me with success and true joy all along the way.

2. Determination goes a long way.
After reading the story about Magdalena Yesil I came to the realization that I give up so easily. If something gets "too hard" I just give up. Magdalena never gave up. She learned and learned never letting herself die out. She discovered what she loved and learned every part, every aspect of it. I would like to do that. I would like to discover what I love, what i'm good at, what I have a gift for and learn every part of it.

3. Serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength.
Elder Haight has three steps that provide success.
#1 Get your Education
#2 Make your mark
#3 Prepare to serve/give back
As I listened to Jim Ritchie talk about all the service missions he went on and how successful he's been I just could not deny the fact that if we serve the Lord and serve our fellow man with all that we have, we will get back tenfold what we give away. I hope that one day I can feel and be as accomplished as Jim Ritchie looking back on all the good i've done. Humility is key.

As I move forward in my entrepreneurship career I want to explore more of myself and discover my natural talents and find out how I can utilize those the for good of my family and the good of those I associate with.

Shoutout to my partner in crime who keeps me grounded and always encourages me to do my best, and compliments me in all I do.

To Each His Own... Gifts

Week 2 was incredible. I really learned so much and gained greater perspective in myself and in business.

As I finished reading "What is your Calling in Life?" by Jeffrey A. Thompson, I started to understand how I fit into all of this. I started to get rid of the doubts that say, 'Someone else is better than me.' 'I'm not completely talented at that.' And while those might be true in a sense, the idea of what my calling in life is started to change. Bruce R. McConkie was quoted saying, "Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety." All of a sudden it all made sense. I haven't realized my personal spiritual gifts yet! I need to find out what those are in order to find out my calling in life!

So I started brainstorming. I went to my pictures to see if I could find evidence as to what my gifts are.

There. It was there that I started to actually see my gifts! The picture posted at the top is one. I have been given a gift to make even the shyest and most troubled person feel comfortable and loved. Pictured left to right is my companion Sister Maughan, myself, and Alicia. Alicia is one of the most special people I have ever met. She struggles with anxiety and depression. These illnesses have left her alone in the most dark places of her life. She became a very recluse person. Very quiet. Very mild. But she warmed right up to Sister Maughan and I. Alicia would rarely smile and would rarely ever give eye contact. And letting someone she doesn't know or trust was out of the question! But because of the relationship Sister Maughan and I were able to give her, through patience and love, she bloomed. This is her baptism day. She got to a point where the Spirit was able to truly envelope her and she was comfortable and oh so happy.

The question for me now is, what or how am I going to implement this gift into my future career?

A part of that answer comes through Jeffrey A. Thompson who said, "...your calling is to bring your unique spiritual gifts to whatever position the Lord blesses you with." And I have decided that that is the next step I will take. I will take my ability to help others be comfortable and feel loved.

I was also asked to answer the following questions:

• Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams?
• Do you feel that dreaming is important? Why or why not?
• Discuss at least one of your childhood dreams. Explain why you believe you can or cannot achieve this dream.

   I think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams because he believed in himself. When he set his mind to something, he did it! He wasn't afraid of failure.

   I do believe dreaming is important. As long as you believe in those dreams. As long as you don't sell yourself short. Dreaming allows us to take steps forward.

   A childhood dream of mine....honestly I wanted to be a movie star. haha And double honesty, I don't believe this dream is achievable because I am not invested in it. But it's fun to think about sometimes. :) I have realized, through this dream, what is most important to me. And having a family with relationships that come first matters most to me. And I don't think I can have that whilst in all the limelight of stardom. So dreaming that was important because it allowed me to set my priorities.

This week I will look for another gift that is personal to me and I will share it with you next week!

First and Greatest Lesson

Hello everyone! My name is Katelyn Patch and I have created this blog for many reasons. For example, I would like to share with you all the things I am learning along the way to entrepreneurial success. But not only entrepreneurial success, but all the mini successes along the way to improving me! I also want to share the opportunities I have to fail. 

If there is just one thing I have learned this first week through reading and watching the videos we were assigned, it is that it is okay to fail! Even more so than that, it is ESSENTIAL to fail! Every time we fail there is an opportunity to grow and become even stronger and better.

In the past, and even now, I cringe at the thought of failing. I get so disappointed in myself when I do my best and my best wasn’t enough. Being the center of attention is not one of my likes. But if I can help someone else who is afraid of failing overcome that fear by sharing my experiences failing and how I overcome them, then I will be a successful entrepreneur. And more importantly to me, I will become a successful help on this difficult road we call life.

Source: http://namiscribbles.blogspot.com/