The section that was the most interesting and surprising was the four-step process of creativity. I thought it was interesting when the author referred to the creativity process as "structured and focused chaos." I never really thought about creativity that way. You can have all the wild ideas you want, but unless you know how to properly implement them into something real then those opportunities will just float away. Something I really connected with in terms of this process was "The Incubation Process." I often find that I get my best ideas while doing something mindless. If I'm driving or even just going for a run, I find that my mind wanders and my creativity really starts going wild.
Something that confused me in the reading was the definition of appositional relationship. I didn't really understand exactly what that term means in terms of entrepreneurship.
Two questions I would ask the author would be 1) What activities can be done to expand creativity and 2) What are some of the myths associated with left-brain vs. right-brain thinking?
Something that I disagree with would be the author's statement about "right-brain" people vs. "left brain" people. Scientists have proven that this concept isn't exactly true. People tend to use all of the connections in their brain for any kind of thinking, whether it be being analytical or imaginative. People are simply just more analytical or imaginative than others.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Top 5 World Problems
The world's top problems from most serious to least serious:
2) Climate change
3) Apathy towards environmental issues
4) The growing world population
5) Being disconnected
Top solutions from most possible to implement to least possible to implement
1) Getting government officials to take action in implementing policies to remedy some of the major factors contributing to climate change.
2) Creating a government service that teaches people about the environment and provides incentives for being environmentally-conscious.
3) Governments providing birth control education to combat the rapid population increase.
4) Creating a government organization that teaches people about different religions, races, and cultures to allow people to become more open-minded.
5) Having official social media-free holidays to combat the increasing disconnectedness of millennials today.
For my list of the world's top problems, I ranked them the way I did because I believe our world's most serious problems are people who define an entire group of people based on the actions of a few and climate change. All over the world, people tend to judge an entire group of people based on the actions of a few extremists. Entire religions, races, and even cultures are discriminated against or even persecuted because of this. I think this is one of the world's most serious problems because if people don't stop filling their hearts with hate, this world isn't going to be a very delightful place. However, I placed my solution to this problem as number 4 on the second list because it is very hard to change people's perceptions of the world and the people in it. I also placed climate change as one of the world's most serious problems because our natural world is in danger of being destroyed. However, I placed my solution to this problem as number 1 on the second list because I think it would be very easy to influence lawmakers to create policies on climate change. If everyone makes a small effort, we can make a big difference.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Week 3 Reading Reflection
Something that surprised me about the reading was the section on "The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship." I guess as I was going through this class, I didn't really think about the bad part about the defining qualities of an entrepreneur. Being a risk-taker can have a level of irrationality that can be their downfall. For example, an entrepreneur is risking their entire previous career to focus on something that might fail and cost them a job. The risk doesn't just start and end with a career though. It risks the entrepreneur's finances, family and social life, and mental health state. An entrepreneur should take all sides into account when partaking in this journey.
Something that confused me about the reading was the Model of Entrepreneurial Motivation towards the end of the chapter. I was a little confused on this because I couldn't quite pinpoint exactly how the chart flowed in Figure 2.2.
If I was able to ask 2 questions to the author, they would be 1) How can you prevent yourself from getting an entrepreneurial ego, and 2) What would be the best way to network with other businesses?
Something that I disagree with the author about is the fact that the reading puts career risk on the dark side of entrepreneurship. I think that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to put your career on the line. It shows dedication and commitment to what you are trying to do, which improves people's perception of your idea and causes them to be more likely to invest in your company.
Something that confused me about the reading was the Model of Entrepreneurial Motivation towards the end of the chapter. I was a little confused on this because I couldn't quite pinpoint exactly how the chart flowed in Figure 2.2.
If I was able to ask 2 questions to the author, they would be 1) How can you prevent yourself from getting an entrepreneurial ego, and 2) What would be the best way to network with other businesses?
Something that I disagree with the author about is the fact that the reading puts career risk on the dark side of entrepreneurship. I think that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to put your career on the line. It shows dedication and commitment to what you are trying to do, which improves people's perception of your idea and causes them to be more likely to invest in your company.
Identifying Local Opportunities
Newspaper: The Miami Herald
Title: Florida leads U.S. in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CBDB765D70?p=AWNB
Basically what this article is talking about is the fact that the number of HIV cases are increasing every year in Florida. All the while, funding for efforts to prevent this disease are declining. Budget cuts for the Department of Health mean less education, prevention, counseling, testing, and care in terms of the disease, and lawmakers are not seeing this fact. The problem presented here is that Florida citizens don't know a whole lot about HIV and how to prevent it. Less money means less education about the effects of the disease, which can cause a sense of ignorance among the people of Florida.
Title: Car2Go Suspending business indefinitely in Miami Beach
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F87690EFC80?p=AWNB
Car2Go is a fast-growing company in North America and Europe dedicated to the idea of carsharing. People can rent smart cars to go one-way from one point to another. Because of the lack of a specific car rental tax, Car2Go has suspended business indefinitely in Miami Beach. This is causing a huge problem for the people of Miami because they no longer have a simple way to get around. The service was also very expensive. Citizens of this city are in need of an affordable car rental service that is easy to use and efficient.
Title: My young son should dream, not have testing nightmares
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F8619264B20?p=AWNB
This opinion article talks about the problems associated with testing kids obsessively in schools at very young ages. The writer's son is only in preschool and has to take math tests every Monday and Tuesday. Kids, especially those in kindergarten and preschool, need the to socialize and learn how to function in society; not how to stress out over a test. The need presented here is that kids need a place they can go to destress over tests.
Title: Climate Change could cost jobs in South Florida
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83B09F3219D68?p=AWNB
This article talks about how climate change is affecting Miami and its coastal areas. Sea level rise is causing massive land loss, which is costing jobs in areas such as real estate. The lack of environmental regulations on businesses in the area is essentially not helping the cause. The need presented here is that people, especially young professionals, are less likely to get certain jobs. What needs to happen is there needs to be an organization of company dedicated to environmental causes that could help create jobs in the area.
Title: Beyond the Classroom: Money, sex and school? More than a necessity
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7E6B7D4038900?p=AWNB
This article talks about the fact that financial skills and sex education are less likely to be taught in schools. Schools are becoming more and more focused on standardized testing and less on real-world skills like how to balance a checkbook. The aversion to teaching sex education, mostly stemming from the fear of awkwardness, is also causing a rapid increase of teenagers with STDs. The need presented here is that kids need a service that can provide counseling, tutorials, and lectures on real-world skills involving sex education and financial responsibilities.
Title: Florida leads U.S. in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CBDB765D70?p=AWNB
Basically what this article is talking about is the fact that the number of HIV cases are increasing every year in Florida. All the while, funding for efforts to prevent this disease are declining. Budget cuts for the Department of Health mean less education, prevention, counseling, testing, and care in terms of the disease, and lawmakers are not seeing this fact. The problem presented here is that Florida citizens don't know a whole lot about HIV and how to prevent it. Less money means less education about the effects of the disease, which can cause a sense of ignorance among the people of Florida.
Title: Car2Go Suspending business indefinitely in Miami Beach
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F87690EFC80?p=AWNB
Car2Go is a fast-growing company in North America and Europe dedicated to the idea of carsharing. People can rent smart cars to go one-way from one point to another. Because of the lack of a specific car rental tax, Car2Go has suspended business indefinitely in Miami Beach. This is causing a huge problem for the people of Miami because they no longer have a simple way to get around. The service was also very expensive. Citizens of this city are in need of an affordable car rental service that is easy to use and efficient.
Title: My young son should dream, not have testing nightmares
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F8619264B20?p=AWNB
This opinion article talks about the problems associated with testing kids obsessively in schools at very young ages. The writer's son is only in preschool and has to take math tests every Monday and Tuesday. Kids, especially those in kindergarten and preschool, need the to socialize and learn how to function in society; not how to stress out over a test. The need presented here is that kids need a place they can go to destress over tests.
Title: Climate Change could cost jobs in South Florida
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83B09F3219D68?p=AWNB
This article talks about how climate change is affecting Miami and its coastal areas. Sea level rise is causing massive land loss, which is costing jobs in areas such as real estate. The lack of environmental regulations on businesses in the area is essentially not helping the cause. The need presented here is that people, especially young professionals, are less likely to get certain jobs. What needs to happen is there needs to be an organization of company dedicated to environmental causes that could help create jobs in the area.
Title: Beyond the Classroom: Money, sex and school? More than a necessity
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7E6B7D4038900?p=AWNB
This article talks about the fact that financial skills and sex education are less likely to be taught in schools. Schools are becoming more and more focused on standardized testing and less on real-world skills like how to balance a checkbook. The aversion to teaching sex education, mostly stemming from the fear of awkwardness, is also causing a rapid increase of teenagers with STDs. The need presented here is that kids need a service that can provide counseling, tutorials, and lectures on real-world skills involving sex education and financial responsibilities.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Very Short Interview No. 1
The entrepreneur I interviewed was Collin Austin, the founder and owner of New Scooters 4 Less in Gainesville. He is perhaps one of the most famous entrepreneurs in Gainesville because he saw a problem as a student at UF and figured out a way to fix it. He saw that students would often have a hard time getting to class because buses would fill up very easily. In addition, there was hardly any scooter parking on campus. Collin saw this issue and figured out a way to fix it. He built a business from the ground up to sell affordable scooters to students. Because of the rapid increase of students owning scooters in Gainesville, UF built more scooter parking to accommodate them. Gainesville is now on the road to becoming one of the largest scooter communities out there. Here are his answers to my questions:
Me: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
Collin: "Being an entrepreneur is about taking a risk and stepping into the unknown. You need to be able to make adjustments and be able to grow and improve along the way. You need a clear mission and be willing to take risks to work towards that mission. You can't be afraid of making mistakes. That fear of rejection won't get you anywhere."
Me: What would be your advice for someone who has an innovative idea, but doesn't know how to get started on the path to implementing it?
Collin: "Find a mentor. Learning from someone that has been through the process is the best way to learn. Ask other entrepreneurs, other leaders, etc. For example, if I wanted advice on how to create an amazing kickstart campaign for my innovative idea, I would seek out someone that has had a successful campaign on Kickstarter and ask them for help and guidance."
Me: What are some of the greatest hurdles you faced when building New Scooters 4 Less?
Collin: "The biggest hurdle has been my business partnership split 10 years ago. Two years into the business, my business partner presented a proposal to split the company. I am still not 100% sure why, but I will attribute it to the fact that our visions for the company were just different and it never would have worked out anyway. Once the split happened, we let our team members decide where they wanted to go. Every single one of them went with my parter. I felt like this was a failure in my leadership, but I kept going by myself and kept trying to remember it was most likely for financial reasons. It was by far one of the most trying times in my entrepreneurial career and even in my life. In entrepreneurship you learn that your failures make you stronger. My ability to pick myself up from that business split, go from business partner to competitor, persevere through all that craziness, and ultimately establish the greatest retail scooter dealership in Gainesville and one of the top in the entire nation has defined my character and leadership ability."
This interview was very interesting to me because I received advice from someone who actually went through the whole entrepreneurship prices. I thought about turning my group's project for IA's Catalyst event into an actual start-up for a while, but as a Public Relations/Journalism student, I have no idea how to start a business. It was interesting to hear from Collin that finding a mentor is a good way to get started. They can help you along the way, especially if you don't have a background in business. Something else I found interesting was that Collin's business split 10 years ago. That is a huge setback. However, his perseverance throughout the whole process is very inspiring. Collin was a great source of information on how to turn a small idea into a major service that benefits the entire community.
Me: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
Collin: "Being an entrepreneur is about taking a risk and stepping into the unknown. You need to be able to make adjustments and be able to grow and improve along the way. You need a clear mission and be willing to take risks to work towards that mission. You can't be afraid of making mistakes. That fear of rejection won't get you anywhere."
Me: What would be your advice for someone who has an innovative idea, but doesn't know how to get started on the path to implementing it?
Collin: "Find a mentor. Learning from someone that has been through the process is the best way to learn. Ask other entrepreneurs, other leaders, etc. For example, if I wanted advice on how to create an amazing kickstart campaign for my innovative idea, I would seek out someone that has had a successful campaign on Kickstarter and ask them for help and guidance."
Me: What are some of the greatest hurdles you faced when building New Scooters 4 Less?
Collin: "The biggest hurdle has been my business partnership split 10 years ago. Two years into the business, my business partner presented a proposal to split the company. I am still not 100% sure why, but I will attribute it to the fact that our visions for the company were just different and it never would have worked out anyway. Once the split happened, we let our team members decide where they wanted to go. Every single one of them went with my parter. I felt like this was a failure in my leadership, but I kept going by myself and kept trying to remember it was most likely for financial reasons. It was by far one of the most trying times in my entrepreneurial career and even in my life. In entrepreneurship you learn that your failures make you stronger. My ability to pick myself up from that business split, go from business partner to competitor, persevere through all that craziness, and ultimately establish the greatest retail scooter dealership in Gainesville and one of the top in the entire nation has defined my character and leadership ability."
This interview was very interesting to me because I received advice from someone who actually went through the whole entrepreneurship prices. I thought about turning my group's project for IA's Catalyst event into an actual start-up for a while, but as a Public Relations/Journalism student, I have no idea how to start a business. It was interesting to hear from Collin that finding a mentor is a good way to get started. They can help you along the way, especially if you don't have a background in business. Something else I found interesting was that Collin's business split 10 years ago. That is a huge setback. However, his perseverance throughout the whole process is very inspiring. Collin was a great source of information on how to turn a small idea into a major service that benefits the entire community.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
World's Biggest Problems
Here is a list of what I believe to be the world's biggest problems and what we can do to fix it.
1) Being disconnected
With the rise of social media, I think people (especially millennials) are losing essential face-to-face communication skills. We hide behind our tiny glowing screens, which give us the protection necessary to say things that we would never say to someone's face. I think in order to fix this, maybe we can have official social-media-free holidays dedicated to being around families and friends.
2) The Complaining Generation
Sure, you can be pro-gay marriage all you want, but unless you go out there and stand up for your cause rather than just complaining about it on social media, nothing is going to happen. The problem with millennials today is that we are complainers. We definitely see all the problems in the world happening around us, but fail to realize that a Facebook "Like" will not save a child from dying of starvation in a third-world country. I think there needs to be programs specifically targeted for millennials to allow them to reach out from behind their screens and make an actual difference.
3) Apathy towards environmental issues
People seem to completely ignore the fact that our planet is dying. Human-caused environmental disasters are happening all around the world at this very moment, but what does the news cover? They cover the latest appalling words from a politician, or whether leggings should be considered pants or not. People claim to be pro-environment, but then go home and throw away anything and everything that can be recycled. This complacency towards the environment has to stop somewhere. I think there should be a government service that teaches people about the environment and provides incentives for being environmentally-conscious.
4) Homelessness is on the rise
I just spent a semester in Washington, DC for an internship, and the amount of homeless people I saw there was unfathomable. It was so depressing to see that in one of the most powerful nation's in the world, there are so many people living on the streets. I think that there should be homeless shelters with career-training services. They would teach these people about resume building, how to do well in an interview, and how to dress for an interview. Suits and dresses appropriate for interviews could be donated as well. I think this would help tremendously in getting people off of the streets and into a secure job.
5) Defining a large group of people based on the actions of a few
Whether we admit it or not, we all have an ounce of prejudice in us. Especially when it comes to religion, the world tends to assume that the actions of a few extremists define the actions of the entire group of people. For example, because of the actions of ISIS in the Middle East, many Americans assume that all Muslims are this way. I have a friend who lives in Gibraltar that is a Muslim, and you will never meet a more warm-hearted and amazing guy. I believe that if we dedicate an organization to teaching people about different religions or races and the culture behind them, people will become more open-minded about these things.
6) World hunger
All over the world, there are people that are dying of starvation. It is even happening in our own country. I believe that every person on this planet has the right to nourish their bodies with food. It is terrible that so many people go day after day with such little to eat. Something that might help would be that restaurants and other food establishments could donate their leftover food to an organization that then distributes the food to those less fortunate.
7) Uninformed voting
Many people tend to vote along their party lines without understanding the extent of the policies involved. They vote for a Democrat just because they are a Democrat and they vote for a Republican because they are a Republican. If people could open their minds up and see both sides of the issue in detail, we wouldn't have problems with badly-suiting leaders taking command. If thews outlets could focus on policies rather than the mud-slinging, people would be better informed voters.
8) Climate Change
Aside from simply not caring about environmental issues, climate change is on the rise and many people are misinformed about it. There are even people that deny its existence. I think the if governments take action in implementing policies to remedy some of the major factors contributing to climate change, we can effectively work together to slow it down.
9) The growing world population
The world's population is growing at an alarming rate, and there just simply isn't enough room for everyone. Because people are living longer, death rates are slower than birth rates, causing the human population to explode. If governments fund birth control education, it might help decrease this alarming growth.
10) The quest for clean water
With the world's population increasing, the amount of pollution in our water systems is becoming almost too much to handle. This rapidly decreases the amount of clean water available to people all over the world. I think there should be more efforts to create better water filtration systems so that everyone can exercise their right to clean drinking water.
1) Being disconnected
With the rise of social media, I think people (especially millennials) are losing essential face-to-face communication skills. We hide behind our tiny glowing screens, which give us the protection necessary to say things that we would never say to someone's face. I think in order to fix this, maybe we can have official social-media-free holidays dedicated to being around families and friends.
2) The Complaining Generation
Sure, you can be pro-gay marriage all you want, but unless you go out there and stand up for your cause rather than just complaining about it on social media, nothing is going to happen. The problem with millennials today is that we are complainers. We definitely see all the problems in the world happening around us, but fail to realize that a Facebook "Like" will not save a child from dying of starvation in a third-world country. I think there needs to be programs specifically targeted for millennials to allow them to reach out from behind their screens and make an actual difference.
3) Apathy towards environmental issues
People seem to completely ignore the fact that our planet is dying. Human-caused environmental disasters are happening all around the world at this very moment, but what does the news cover? They cover the latest appalling words from a politician, or whether leggings should be considered pants or not. People claim to be pro-environment, but then go home and throw away anything and everything that can be recycled. This complacency towards the environment has to stop somewhere. I think there should be a government service that teaches people about the environment and provides incentives for being environmentally-conscious.
4) Homelessness is on the rise
I just spent a semester in Washington, DC for an internship, and the amount of homeless people I saw there was unfathomable. It was so depressing to see that in one of the most powerful nation's in the world, there are so many people living on the streets. I think that there should be homeless shelters with career-training services. They would teach these people about resume building, how to do well in an interview, and how to dress for an interview. Suits and dresses appropriate for interviews could be donated as well. I think this would help tremendously in getting people off of the streets and into a secure job.
5) Defining a large group of people based on the actions of a few
Whether we admit it or not, we all have an ounce of prejudice in us. Especially when it comes to religion, the world tends to assume that the actions of a few extremists define the actions of the entire group of people. For example, because of the actions of ISIS in the Middle East, many Americans assume that all Muslims are this way. I have a friend who lives in Gibraltar that is a Muslim, and you will never meet a more warm-hearted and amazing guy. I believe that if we dedicate an organization to teaching people about different religions or races and the culture behind them, people will become more open-minded about these things.
6) World hunger
All over the world, there are people that are dying of starvation. It is even happening in our own country. I believe that every person on this planet has the right to nourish their bodies with food. It is terrible that so many people go day after day with such little to eat. Something that might help would be that restaurants and other food establishments could donate their leftover food to an organization that then distributes the food to those less fortunate.
7) Uninformed voting
Many people tend to vote along their party lines without understanding the extent of the policies involved. They vote for a Democrat just because they are a Democrat and they vote for a Republican because they are a Republican. If people could open their minds up and see both sides of the issue in detail, we wouldn't have problems with badly-suiting leaders taking command. If thews outlets could focus on policies rather than the mud-slinging, people would be better informed voters.
8) Climate Change
Aside from simply not caring about environmental issues, climate change is on the rise and many people are misinformed about it. There are even people that deny its existence. I think the if governments take action in implementing policies to remedy some of the major factors contributing to climate change, we can effectively work together to slow it down.
9) The growing world population
The world's population is growing at an alarming rate, and there just simply isn't enough room for everyone. Because people are living longer, death rates are slower than birth rates, causing the human population to explode. If governments fund birth control education, it might help decrease this alarming growth.
10) The quest for clean water
With the world's population increasing, the amount of pollution in our water systems is becoming almost too much to handle. This rapidly decreases the amount of clean water available to people all over the world. I think there should be more efforts to create better water filtration systems so that everyone can exercise their right to clean drinking water.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Week 2 Reading Reflection
Something that really surprised me about this reading was the fact that entrepreneurs don't need a lot of money to be successful. When I think about an entrepreneur, I imagine someone who came from humble beginnings and became lucky when it came to finances. I believed that successful entrepreneurs needed to have access to a lot of money because otherwise, no one would know about their product or service. Product materials, marketing tactics, and even employment all take a great amount of financing to keep a business afloat. Reading about this myth has made me realize that it in fact does not take a lot of money to be an entrepreneur; you just need to be able to organize your money in a way that benefits the company.
Something that confused me about the reading was Figure 1.2: An Integrative Model of Entrepreneurial Inputs and Outcomes. Looking at the chart, the process is a little confusing for me. What would an entrepreneur have to put in to get better results out of his or her company?
If I was able to ask two questions to the author, they would be 1) If someone had an innovative idea they wanted to bring to life as a business, what would be the best way to get started, and 2) How is social media affecting the world of entrepreneurship? It would be interesting to know the answers to these as we further our education and come up with innovative ideas in the process.
Something I disagree with the author about would be that entrepreneurs are not gamblers, but instead "calculated risk-takers." I think in order to be an entrepreneur, you need to have a bit of a gambling mentality. You never know if your product or service will be successful, all you can do is experiment with different tactics and see what works. There is no way to know 100% of the time that something will work; sometimes you have to go for it and see what happens.
Something that confused me about the reading was Figure 1.2: An Integrative Model of Entrepreneurial Inputs and Outcomes. Looking at the chart, the process is a little confusing for me. What would an entrepreneur have to put in to get better results out of his or her company?
If I was able to ask two questions to the author, they would be 1) If someone had an innovative idea they wanted to bring to life as a business, what would be the best way to get started, and 2) How is social media affecting the world of entrepreneurship? It would be interesting to know the answers to these as we further our education and come up with innovative ideas in the process.
Something I disagree with the author about would be that entrepreneurs are not gamblers, but instead "calculated risk-takers." I think in order to be an entrepreneur, you need to have a bit of a gambling mentality. You never know if your product or service will be successful, all you can do is experiment with different tactics and see what works. There is no way to know 100% of the time that something will work; sometimes you have to go for it and see what happens.
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