Entrepreneur Me

 Prophecy Fulfilled Why is the world so incredibly wicked? Why do seemingly strong members of the Church abandon their faith in favor of the "soothsayers (2 Nephi 12:6)" and the smooth words of Satan? It seems like the "elect" are leaving in droves. You can probably name a handful of friends or family members who have left the Church, right? What I have learned, and what makes sense to me, is that these are the last days. God is hastening His work and we are having to strengthen our testimonies for ourselves. We are not commanded in everything. We must turn to God in all our decisions and choices. The new "For the Strength of Youth" guide is evidence of this.  As the wheat and tares grow together (D&C 86), harvest season approaches. I believe we are being tested to see how strong we are, to see what we are made of, to see if we will stay on the Lord's side no matter what is growing around us. This is what is supposed to happen. It has all been prop...

My Final Lecture             Just start. Let go of doubt and fear, put all your faith into what you believe you were made to do, and start. Decide now who you are and what you stand for. Decide what your purpose in pursuing entrepreneurship will be and go for it. Put your heart into it. Set your sights high on that star and reach it. You can do it. You have the potential. You know it’s right, so go for it. With the right purpose in mind, failures become stepping stones and boost you to the next step. It’s a lifelong process of becoming. It will not happen overnight. Look for people who share your vision, enthusiasm, and drive, but don’t depend on them for all your success. You oversee your business, and nobody will love it like you do. Though valuable relationships are forged along the way, it isn’t worth your life to sacrifice what you know to be true for someone else. In the same breath, trust those with experience. Be humbl...

Lessons learned: I am learning that the risks of entrepreneurship for me may outweigh the benefits. Though exciting and adventuresome it seems, I’m not sure I’m willing to risk the sacrifice of family time. I have learned a lot about myself in the process of hearing from other entrepreneurs. I’m sure I am capable of entrepreneurial success, but for me it would have to be an extremely small-scale venture if anything. It would have to be something my whole family could be involved in. My first obligation is to my God, who has placed me in the leadership position of “mother” to run the business of growing my family. To Him I will be true and find ways to continue to learn and grow and give to my family as I do so, not take away. Lessons Yet to Learn: I’m looking forward to learning what is next for me. This course has been truly eye-opening and I’m grateful for the knowledge I have gained. As I ponder “what now?” I feel anxious and excited for what I will be able to do with th...

Lessons Learned : Learning about becoming a game-changer has been a game-changer for me this week. I soaked in all the talks and articles about the purpose of business. Of course, Elder Holland’s talk on the beggar in us all was fantastic to revisit, but since I’d never heard the talk by Elder Gay before, I was hit by his message particularly hard. The concept of “rag missions” got me thinking about why I’m even pursuing this degree in business. Elder Gay says that a person’s attitude toward wealth is “critical” in business. He was humble and grateful in delivering his message and seems to have always had a sense of his “why.”   Lessons Yet to Learn : I still need to figure out what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe it’s right in front of me and I just can’t see it yet, but I feel like I need Him to make it even more obvious. I also need to rethink my “why.” I’m probably too motivated by the dollar signs, even though I want to justify my business ideas as service. I’ve got to...

Lessons Learned: Finding balance in an entrepreneurial lifestyle seems difficult, but not impossible. I was grateful to learn from many influential people this week that the entrepreneur’s life takes lots of work and brings lots of joy. As long as we don’t give in to the temptation to put our work in front of what really matters, family relationships, appropriate rest, etc., we will be able to balance our lives. Making money is a side effect of the good works we do. I’ve been too concerned with how to get more money. I was speaking with a friend this past week when she said, “I’m at a place where more money won’t affect my happiness. We have enough to take care of our needs and that’s all I want.” I’ve reflected on that every day. I’m not in that position yet, but I’m looking for ways to find contentment and happiness in my current situation. Wealth will not buy my happiness. Lessons Yet to Learn: I’m so excited to learn what is next. I’m anxious to put into practice the financial f...

Lessons learned: My favorite reading from this week’s assignment was President Dallin H. Oak’s talk, the Challenge to Become . Having a testimony or simply knowing information does not qualify us for exaltation. We must do and act in order to make use of what we have, and that allows us to reach our potential, as ones possessed with “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). There truly is a difference in believing something and living what you believe. Lessons Yet to Learn: From President Oak’s talk, I found something I truly need to work on. He said, “…we should remember that our family relationships – even more than our Church callings – are the setting in which the most important part of that development can occur.” I know I can do better to develop better relationships with my husband and children. I need to do better to engage them in “wholesome recreational activities” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Our earthly time is limited, an...

Lessons Learned: I finished the book, “A Field Guide for the Hero’s Journey” this week and recommended it to my parents and siblings. It’s an easy read, but it is chock-full of great advice, lessons to learn, and instruction. I really enjoyed all the quotes and personal anecdotes provided to support the brilliant counsel given. I have learned that anyone and everyone can do great things. We all have unbelievable potential to rise and make a difference in the world, but it takes work. We must figure out who we are, who we want to become, and find the path that leads from one to the other. Lessons Yet to Learn: After reflecting on my own journey to becoming my best self, I’ve concluded that I struggle to see challenges as opportunities. I’ve noticed that I give up too easily. I believe this even goes back to my childhood. If something is not easy for me, or if I’m not the best at it, I’ll let it go. I need to learn to persevere, using different perspectives and asking questions l...

Lessons Learned: This week I learned that I shouldn’t doubt myself, especially when I’ve got God on my side. If I am doing something good for the good of others, and I’ve asked for help from Heavenly Father, He will be there for me and help me excel. I’ve learned this from many regular life experiences, and even through the process of starting a snow shack this past summer. When we involve God in our endeavors, whatever they may be, we can’t fail. I also learned from Elder Holland’s message that there is never a good time to give up hope. Only after the trial of our faith will be able to see the blessings of our efforts (Ether 12:6). Lessons Yet to Learn: I have yet to learn how to change my thinking. I don’t want to always go with my first idea because I know I can think more deeply creatively. I think I need to spend some time pondering and evaluating my ideas and maybe look at them in other ways to come up with something truly brilliant. I am looking forward to learning how to...

Lessons Learned: I have learned this week that I don’t have to take everything everyone says for truth. With this book, Mastery , I enjoyed reading all the concepts and I appreciate the author, George Leonard’s views and perspectives and wisdom, but I found the book lacked the perspective of eternity. Yes, the path of mastery is never-ending, but how do we truly create change in our lives? I believe it is only through divine help from a loving Heavenly Father that we are able to change habits and continue practicing (enduring to the end). My testimony of the gospel was strengthened because of the lack thereof in this book. Who would have thought? Lessons Yet to Learn: I’d really like to be able to apply these principles to my life in all aspects. I have yet to rid myself of pride and selfishness. To build lasting, meaningful, joyful relationships, I know I’ve got to jump on the path whole-heartedly and stick to it.

What I Have Learned: This week’s readings and videos were effective in teaching me that entrepreneurship is a tough road. One must not only be dedicated through thick and thin but must also be willing to create balance. We can’t simply sacrifice our most important relationships - God, spouse and family - for our career (Jan Newman). To find success as an entrepreneur there are certain things a person should know or possess, such as network support and basic skills for running the daily operations. However, not every successful entrepreneur has to go to business school or be proficient in accounting. I have found this to be the case for me. I only have an associates of applied science degree. That doesn’t translate well into the business world, but that is okay. I feel like I have enough life experience to have started my business and that’s how I’ve learned the most, just from doing . From reading Mastery , by George Leonard, I’ve learned that it also takes consistent practice, a wil...

What I’ve learned: This week as I read about perseverance and how the journey of entrepreneurship is not for the weak or lazy, I discovered that I’m probably drawn to this path because deep down inside, I really am a strong, make-it-happen kind of gal. Though I may appear timid and indecisive, when I find something I want, I stop at nothing to get there. I’m a finisher and a doer, but I do require lots of help because I’m not as knowledgeable or experienced as others.   I’ve learned this week from Jeff Sandefer that I have a mission and it’s not to make a million dollars or to start a business. It’s to serve God’s children through my gifts and talents. I plan to take his challenge to ask five people what they think I do better than anyone in the world. I need to find out about myself in this way. Hearing it from others will be surprising and humbling, I’m sure.   I also want to mention a few key things I learned while reading the book, Mastery by George Leonard. The “m...

Lessons learned: This week we studied a lecture by Clayton M. Christensen about how we measure the success of our lives. He spoke of some of his college classmates and the various directions their lives had taken them. He noticed that those who were finding success in their careers had kept their life purposes in the forefront of their minds. Those who had lost sight of the things they valued most were the ones who had become too focused on work or making a buck, and all the other aspects of their lives suffered. We worked on establishing our own set of core values to help guide our lives. I think the core value statements I created will help me stay focused on what is most important and guide the decisions I make, whether in business, professional, or personal relationships. So, I learned that keeping my purpose in mind and sticking with my core values at all costs will take me far. Lessons not yet learned: I am excited to learn more about making the most of my life. I’m int...

Lynn G. Robbins gave an inspirational talk about making a living and a good life. He assigned grades to different levels of human intent. For instance, level-A teachers, store owners, whoever, are living life with God in the forefront of their minds. They love him and want to serve him first, then help their fellowman and then  earn money. Lessons Learned: This week I have learned that it's not bad for me to want to make money, but I've had to question my motives. Do I put God first? Why do I want all that money? What would I do with loads of cash? Would my morals, values and ethics stay the same? Maybe not. Maybe I'd waiver. Maybe I'd give in to the temptation of greed. So I'm re-evaluating my motives this week. I'm pondering different scenarios to see if my guardrails, though I've got them set now, are really, truly in place. I'm praying for my will to align with God's and that my mind and heart will both function strong together. I see what I wa...

Lessons learned: I’m learning that to live a good and meaningful life means setting goals that have boundaries, to keep me focused and grounded. It also means working hard, re-evaluating often and adjusting plans as needed. Though my goals and directions may change, my belief system and my guardrails must be solid. Those are what keep me on the path to my destination of who I want to become.   I feel like I’ve been building those guardrails all along this journey of life. I’ve had challenges and tests that have helped me see where my weaknesses lie, and I’ve had to strengthen those areas continually. I feel confident in my guardrails, those things that I will never do to compromise my course, and those things I will always do to ensure a straight path. Now I’m ready to name some stars and determine my steppingstones. §   Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams? I believe Professor Pausch was able to achieve so many of his chi...

I'm almost 38 years old and I feel like an infant, no, an embryo in my learning. I say embryo because I know there's a whole world out there for me to discover and explore once I'm developed enough to survive it. I just finished a one year program called PathwayConnect, in which I have been introduced to online learning, effective goal setting, healthy time management, and basic math and writing skills. I have come to realize that the more I learn, the more I don't know.  I'm starting this blog as an assignment for my Introduction to Entrepreneurship class through BYU-Idaho, but I'm hoping it becomes a habit that sticks well after the class ends and I'm able to use it to document my learning and growth in all aspects of life.  This first week of class, we read articles and watched video clips about becoming ourselves - growing into who we are meant to be - and how to do that through dedication and taking control of our futures. I know that my purpose is ...