Entrepreneurial Journal Blog

  10/21/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #6 (Week 3 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams What did you learn from the W06 Study: So You Want to be an Entrepreneur readings and videos? What are you looking forward to learning and experiencing? 1- Always be a light to the world; have relentless integrity and honesty. In the 13 years of Product Management experience I've gained at 4 different companies, it is so incredibly important to have honesty and integrity in your business dealings. The times where I felt forced to do something due to possibly losing my job is etched in my brain and I promised myself that I would not do that to myself or work for a company that required dishonest dealings in the future. I have succeeded so far and have grown well past my goals set. 2- Acquire in-depth knowledge of the competitive structure of an industry and have a network of contacts within that industry. As a product manager, I am the CEO of my product lines and have to understand the industry ...

10/14/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #5 (Week 3 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams What were your key takeaways from "A Hero's Journey" video? Have faith and courage to find your entrepreneurial calling. FAITH The hero's journey is all about you; but it's not about you at all.     NOT about YOUR own happiness. Live every moment of your life like it matters and how you will make a difference. 3 promises:     Learn how to learn - listen and ask questions     Learn how to make money - pay attention     Learn how to live a life of meaning Find great role models and ask them questions. At the end of your life - answer these 3 questions:     1. Have I contributed something meaningful?     2. Am I a good person?     3. Who did I love and who loved me? Find a calling that fits my special gifts. Ask 5 people what I do the best - list 5 things from each person Do something that brings you great joy. A calling must serve others....

  10/07/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #4 (Week 3 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams Reflect upon and describe your individual learning experiences from this week. Include any course concepts that resonated with you. If you need some ideas, respond to the following questions: What did you learn from the W04 Study: How Will You Measure Your Life readings and videos? What are you looking forward to learning and experiencing? I think the thing that most resonated with me this week is the many ways you can look at your life and determine what you are the best at - there isn't just one way. At the stage of life I'm in now where I have 13 years of Product Management experience under my belt - all without a degree by the way - I've come to realize that I wouldn't be where I'm at with all of my previous job/career experiences. I've done everything from customer service to insurance to fraud investigations. Every single job has given me something useful with what I d...

10/02/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #3 (Week 3 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams In 'Making a Living and A Life', I really loved the table that explains Grades A, B, C, D and F values, primary motivation and secondary motivation. It surprised me how many different companies that comprised many of these different grades. A lot of them started with good intentions, but once success and money started rolling in, customer satisfaction went out the window along with honesty and integrity. I felt forced to comply in order to keep my job for insurance and financial stability - when in fact they could have gone under and thought nothing of laying me off. This is when the spark of being an entrepreneur came to mind and what I absolutely wanted and didn't want. I continued on to many other companies, but I would either sabotage myself or burn myself out to the point where I would have to or need to leave. Once I was remarried after losing my first husband to cancer, we had a ba...

9/25/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #2 (Week 2 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams Go to your blog and make a thoughtful and substantive entry for this week. Based on the Randy Pausch transcript and video from the  W02 Study: Create a Life of Meaning  activity, respond to 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. Randy Pausch and I have something in common - we've both stared death in the face. I, fortunately didn't have to stare at it through my own eyes, but through my husband's eyes. Yes, there were days where hopelessness took over, but mostly we chose to be happy and take some bucket list trips together to build up the good memories. The last 6 months before he passed away were the best months of our marriage. It put everything in life int...

 9/16/2021 Entrepreneur's Journal Entry #1 (Week 1 BUS 110) Elizabeth Simons-Adams Lessons Learned As a Product Manager, I am constantly looking for ways to improve a product and solve a problem that a current product or process has. I have tried several different ways of creating my own product or starting a line of business that supports myself as my own CEO - but where I seem to fail each and every time is that I struggle connecting with my network and reaching out for help and getting feedback. I am fantastic at spending other people's/company's money in my current job and follow their processes and procedures and ultimately launching a product line that produces millions of dollars, but I really suck at procuring my own funding and creating my own business line and growing the ideas (which are pretty amazing by the way) and sticking with it. I am terrified of FAILING. Lessons Not Yet Learned The lessons I am excited to learn about are: building effective b...