The Last Lecture (for now)

This semester was a really interesting time for me. It was my first semester back from serving a full-time mission (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and it was a big adjustment.

            I took this entrepreneurship class because I want to open up an art community center and I decided that understanding how to start-up and run my own business was a smart idea.

            I’ve learned a lot from this class in regards to what it takes to be an entrepreneur and there are a few things that I feel are most important to me and maybe they’ll make a difference for someone else as well.

Find a good idea. Love it and believe in it.

            This might seem painfully obvious to you but it still needs to be said. There are a lot of different people that we learned from that stressed this idea of finding something you love. It’s hard to know how to look back through our materials to find the sources, especially since I returned all my books. However, the gist of it is this, going after an idea solely because it’ll get your rich or because it’ll make someone else (like your parents) happy isn’t the way to go. Sure, you might get rich and someone else might be happy but will you fill the peace of personal success and happiness?

            I’ve really learned this semester that I need to believe and love the idea that takes me down the path of entrepreneurship. If I love and I believe in it, I’ll have success. Maybe I won’t make as much money as another idea might make for me btu I’ll be happy and that’s the best wealth.

Priorities!

            These are huge. Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of time, energy, focus, money, and basically all you can give it. So it’s important to make priorities, to set goals, boundaries, and rules for yourself before you jump in. I learned from a lot of different people that you can have a family and be an entrepreneur but you need to make time for both. I think that’s been something that I’ve personally worried about. I do want a family but I do love the idea of my art community center. So for me to be real about how I can do both, I need to make decisions about my priorities before I get in too deep. If I know that I’ve made the decision to have family everyday before I start my business, then that is part of my business and I’ll be more likely to stick to it.

            So set your priorities, whatever they may be, if you want a family take that into account, if you want to travel (yes, I do!) prioritize it in. Whatever your other responsibilities or extras might be, you’ve got to decide and make plans for them to balance with all that your start-up will take out of you.

Serving the Lord and others.

            This one is simple. Find ways to incorporate the Lord into your work. Be honest. Have integrity and rely on Him. This will bring you more success than a business without the Lord on your side, I promise.

            Then when you’ve gained success find ways to bless the lives of others because yours has been so abundantly blessed.

If you need help, you better extend some first!

            This was a great principle that really has helped me. I don’t remember which week it was or who said it but the idea has made a profound impact on me. I’m going to need help on my journey to success in entrepreneurship (and in all aspects of life really) and so the best way to network with people so you can get help is to first know and offer any help you might be able to give to them. Seems simple and it is but I just really love it and definitely want to implement it more into my life and my business ventures.

No Fear.

 This is a big one for me. I scare myself more than anyone else. I can be uber critical and unbelieving. This is something that cannot exist if I want to succeed. The same goes for ya’ll. Don’t be afraid to go after your great ideas, the ones you love.

Don’t be afraid to fail. You can always get back up and try again. MANY, MANY inventors and entrepreneurs failed lots of times before they got it right. Take Edison and his lightbulb.

Don’t be afraid to succeed either. I don’t know if anyone else is like me but I think that sometimes I don’t want to try because I’m afraid of the success. Maybe I’m crazy.

Don’t be afraid.

I know there is much more for me to learn about entrepreneurship and I know that these principles will help me when I take it on in real life. I look forward to the learning curve!

(also, I still can't spell 'entrepreneur' right 100% of the time, but I've gotten better!)