Final Reflection

       Throughout this semester I have really learned about myself as an entrepreneur as well as a student and young adult in general. Before this class, I didn't put much thought into my life after graduation or what I was really in school to do. With this class, I realized I want to wake up everyday and like my job and have control over my future and finances. I really liked looking inward toward the resources and human capital I had around me, I never realized I have so many people rooting for me and in my corner. I know now if I have a serious venture I want to explore, I have people backing me and offering financial support as well as partnership. That was a huge high point for me. Another high point was looking toward my own personal strengths and what I bring to the table, which I had never really considered before. The words my friends and family said about me were so kind and heartwarming. Some moments where I hit a low were when reviewing the logistics of my venture. I didn't know the first thing about starting an app or the software involved and it was disheartening to see just how far I have to go to make my idea a reality.

       The experience I'm most proud of accomplishing was the conversations I had with the people in my inner circle and pushing out of my comfort zone to further those bonds. I reached out to them for my Growing your Social Capital post, and it really changed the way I view business, entrepreneurship and my future. I am so blessed to have so many people rooting for me and offering their advice, and in some cases, even their finances. I know that I have the opportunity to achieve what I want out of life and have amazing people supporting me along the way.

       I do think I have developed an entrepreneurial mindset from this class and look at business much differently. I look at life and my career as something to run toward and be excited for, rather than delay out of fear. I'm not afraid to go after what I want and ask for help along the way. I am determined to be my own boss one day and create a life for myself that I am happy and proud of.

       To the students taking this class in the future, I would say to pay attention to the intent behind all these assignments. Don't look at this as just another class to "get through" really internalize what is being said and asked of you. Really pay attention to the concepts and ideas mentioned in this class and draw your own conclusions. Look to the people around you and see what kind of life and name they've made for themselves and if thats something you want to emulate. If it is, look toward them as guides and mentors and don't be afraid to ask for a little help and guidance.

     

Venture Concept #2

My venture concept begins with something as simple as free time. We all have limited free time to spend with our friends and family, and we want to spend that free time in the best way possible. With such busy and hectic lives, there's nothing worse than spending your week looking forward to an event, revolving your night around it, waiting in line and paying a cover fee then showing up to a dead and empty club or event. You can either try your luck at another venue or event, spend the rest of the night there in hopes the scene improves or try your luck at another place. With only one Saturday night available a week, I think the current system is not enough for the average working individual who wants to let loose once in a while.

That’s why my idea revolves around a social media styled app that allows users to see real time pictures and videos of the event, bar, restaurant, concert, club that they want to attend and even chat with users there. Each event or venue will have their own page which will describe the cover charge of the night, drink and food specials, wait times, operating hour, deals and tips, etc. This will eradicate the ever growing problem of people so excited to spend their Saturday night somewhere fun with their friends, only to wait in line for an hour and pay $20 to walk into an empty room.

My demographic centers around college students and young adults in urban or populated areas. You must be 18+ to join the app as a member and create your profile. I believe people my age don't have anything like this currently, and I would be filling a need for them to better plan and execute their freetime. There are a few similar apps to mine in terms of providing information on deals and drink specials specifically for college town bars, but what makes mine really special is the social media aspect of it and the real time updates and live videos from the event or venue itself. Users can even chat with other individuals at the event and meet new friends and connections. I think this opportunity is big and can provide some real good for people. Although this window is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all social gatherings and social settings have been put on pause, once this ends there will be a huge influx of people dying to go out and let loose. That is where I can come in and market this app. Even for extended periods after their virus people will always want to celebrate life and make memories with their friends.

I think it will be fairly easy to get individuals to switch from other event based applications to mine because it includes many more features and angles that these other apps just don't provide. Also, from the research, the two existing apps that are similar to mine cost $5 and $10 a month, so my price point will give me an advantage. My competitors don't have a very realistic price and they dont give users enough bang for their buck. There may be similar apps on the market but they simply don't provide what my app provides, and they run at a much higher price point. 

I believe people love to connect and relate to one another and celebrate life and new exciting experiences together… and I think that will never change. Although we have come onto some hard and interesting times, humans are extremely resilient and I believe we try our hardest to do what's best for ourselves and others, while trying to have a great time along the way. 

My feedback for this project has been overwhelming. I love all the positive and negative feedback I’ve received from students in this class as well as in my personal life and those I have decided to share my idea with. The main concern I have received has been regarding the price point of the app. My app is free the first month then shifts to $2.99 once a month following that. I believe this is extremely fair considering many similar apps require at least a $5 payment a month and don't provide as much, however, I can understand the want of individuals not to pay for something intangible and only on a screen. I have made the argument that this app helps many individuals save money in the long run in terms of making drink specials, cover fees and wait times, event fees and promotions available for people, not including the money saved in Uber or Lyft and other ride sharing apps, yet people still do not want to pay.

Another criticism I have received is that many people do not think there is a need for this app. Mainly students and peers have told me that “going out” is simply just not a huge deal in people's lives as they would rather not pay for an app that helps them manage such a small part of their life. I have also heard that the market for this is extremely small and really only appeals to college students. I do completely understand these concerns and agree with them myself to a certain extent. However, I believe the social media aspect of the app will really appeal to people and they will enjoy using the app to keep up with their friends and current events.

I personally decided not to listen to much of the negative comments that were provided about my work by my peer, however I was able to take it into consideration and make proper changes to my idea and app. I think by adding the first month of my app free, people will understand how great it is as an addition to their lives and think the price of one average iced coffee is enough to consider keeping the app full time.

Another change I have made to my app is including the social media aspect. I think those who enjoy nightlife can connect easily to others using my app and will find exciting and unique things to post about events. Many people don't want to pay for a “party app” but an app th at connects people and provides coupons and deal specials makes the price worthwhile and  a fun way to stay connected either spending the night at home or out on the town.

Reading Reflection #3

For my final reading reflection, I have decided to dive into "The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users" by Guy Kawasaki. This novel takes a deep and thorough look into the power of social media marketing, how it works, what it entails and how to truly thrive while using it. He is extremely credible and knows the ins and outs of various social media platforms that an individual can use to grow their business, personal brand or even their social life.

I believe this book enhances the learning and information I have experienced in this class because social media is a huge and popular aspect of our lives, and that can be used to our advantage and a tool to further ourselves and our business. This class is all about starting your own venture, being your own boss and taking control of your life. Now with social media, getting information out to the public is easier than ever. If you learn how to manipulate social media and use it to benefit you, your business can reach new heights. You can market around the world, gain a mass amount of followers that will be exposed to your venture and cause exponential growth.

If I were to design an exercise for this class based off this reading, I would suggest having students create an new account on any platform they like based off their venture and try to obtain 50 engaged and active follows in one week. Of course, the goal of this assignment would not be to only get the followers, but just try. Find the best ways to get your message out there in a way people want to participate in and reflect on the process. Did you use hashtags? Follow pages with content similar to yours? Follow a ton of people in hopes they follow you back? Create unique and original posts? What did you do to try and get your venture across to people for one week and how were the results?

My aha moment while reading this book was discovering the power of the social media apps I use everyday for fun and entertainment. I have an extremely powerful tool right at my fingertips and for the most part, I've been using it as a distraction and a way to kill time. I can have fun while using these apps and I can also use them to advance my business and my life. I personally looked at social media as a negative that distracted me from school work, but now I am enlightened to its potential power as a positive tool in my life.

Your Exit Strategy

My ideal exit strategy would be to continue with my venture until its reaches a point where I can sell it for a large sum of money. I wold prefer for it to be within 10 to 15 years of starting the company, however if it takes longer for me to continue working to receive a higher pay day I would absolutely do that. The amount of money it would take for me to sell it would have to be enough to financially support myself and my family for the rest of my life.

I would rather not pass off the business to my children because I would feel that it is in their best interest to discover their own path and life journey, rather than just inheriting mine. I would like to work long and hard for these amount of years and spend the rest of my time enjoying life with my family and traveling. I think work should mold to your life, rather than molding your life around your job. With my situation, I would be able to put in my time and hard work then reap the rewards of it with the people I love most. When you keep a job until you die or keep it in the family forever, you ever get a break and the lines between business and personal become too crossed for my taste.

My exit strategy has not really affected my choice in venture or how I have decided to go about it. I am really passionate about my business idea, however I could absolutely see myself stepping down and allowing someone else to take the reigns. I would only feel comfortable doing so if I knew the venture was in going in good hands and in a direction I felt comfortable with and proud of.

Celebrating Failure

This past semester I have had my fair share of failures. One particular failure comes to mind that was strikingly upsetting. All semester I had tried to work out more and treat my body well. I had been going to the gym for weeks and had decided my goal was to be able to bench press 100 pounds. I always struggled with fitness and have had this goal in mind for a few years now. I promised myself I would be able to do it by April 1st. After weeks of working out and training, a few days before April 1st I realized I was nowhere near my goal. I felt so disappointed in myself, and wondered how I could have put in so much work... yet barely break 80 pounds. Yet, on April 1st I still tried, and my spotter had to lift 100 pounds off my chest in my friends garage/make shift gym. I was humiliated. I had been talking about that goal for weeks and my friends were really rooting for me, considering they were all of similar build and had completed my feat in high school. However, as deflated and sad I felt, I knew I could still complete my goal. I may not be able to lift 100 pounds, but I can lift 80... and two months ago I could barely lift 50. I learned that I can't just focus on how far I have to go, but rather how far I came. Even though I haven't reached my goal, I have plenty of time and dedication to put into achieving it. I handle failure by turning it into a teaching and learning lesson... after a pint of ice cream or two, you know just to take the edge off. This class helped me learn that my failures are blessings, and I can use that failure as a lesson and motivation to get up and try harder next time. That without failure, I wouldn't know what doesn't work and I can use that in order to take me one step closer to my goals.

Venture Concept No. 1

The opportunity I have in front of me is incredible. Despite the current pandemic, I have put a lot of thought into how society treats generation and our interests, and we are typically written off as lazy pleasure seekers with no sense of discipline. I know that's not true, and I know that my generation works hard and as they get older, their free time becomes smaller and smaller, therefore, it's essential to spend it right and not waste it. A busy school schedule, extra activities, full time jobs, family responsibilities and more can take a pretty big toll on people my age and I think due to that, what free time they have available should be spent right. That’s why my idea revolves around a social media styled app that allows users to see real time pictures and videos of the event, bar, restaurant, concert, club that they want to attend and even chat with users there. Each event or venue will have their own page which will describe the cover charge of the night, drink and food specials, wait times, operating hour, deals and tips, etc. This will eradicate the ever growing problem of people so excited to spend their Saturday night somewhere fun with their friends, only to wait in line for an hour and pay $20 to walk into an empty room.

My demographic centers around college students and young adults in urban or populated areas. You must be 18+ to join the app as a member and create your profile. I believe people my age don't have anything like this currently, and I would be filling a need for them to better plan and execute their freetime. There are a few similar apps to mine in terms of providing information on deals and drink specials specifically for college town bars, but what makes mine really special is the social media aspect of it and the real time updates and live videos from the event or venue itself. Users can even chat with other individuals at the event and meet new friends and connections. I think this opportunity is big and can provide some real good for people. Although this window is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all social gatherings and social settings have been put on pause, once this ends there will be a huge influx of people dying to go out and let loose. That is where I can come in and market this app. Even for extended periods after their virus people will always want to celebrate life and make memories with their friends.

The innovative aspect of my idea, and the part I like the most, is the idea of having two streams of revenue from my app. There will be a payment of $2.99 a month for users after their first free month of usage as well as businesses paying to advertise their venue or event through the app. Also, businesses can pay to be endorsed by the app and shown more frequently to users with similar interests. However, these businesses must earn our endorsement, I will not send individuals to an event I felt was poorly run or just plain bad, for the sake of money. The app would lose credibility and its essential purpose. I felt that having both these streams of revenue can help me make the app the best it could be, hire great technical support, find brand ambassadors, create merchandise to sell and more! As much as I would love a huge payday, I would throw much of my profit back into the app and make it the best it could be.

I think it will be fairly easy to get individuals to switch from other event based applications to mine because it includes many more features and angles that these other apps just don't provide. Also, from the research, the two existing apps that are similar to mine cost $5 and $10 a month, so my price point will give me an advantage. My competitors don't have a very realistic price and they dont give users enough bang for their buck. My strengths are price, variety and features. I think this concept is unique and I could do it extremely well. My app is entirely about experience and connecting with others. By having an almost intangible product I have reduced my costs and can focus so much more on the experience my customers have had using the app as well as the experiences they have had socially from using it. I would focus on using employees for customer support and brand ambassadors. The main people who would be posting and providing content for the app would be the users and businesses themselves that are a part of it.

I think my most important resource would definitely be my experience running and creating my own class that I taught to others. Not only did I get great experience, I learned how to create something from scratch and lead others as well. Doing that at such a young age showed me I wanted to be my own boss and leader. What's next? I would like to look into my idea more and do more research into my market. Provide some sort of poll or survey to a large audience of my target market, around 100-300 people, and see if I can foreseeably get this concept done before this pandemic is over. In five years if this could be my full time career I would be over the moon. I would still like to be the CEO, but I could see myself employing a team, specifically focusing on the technological aspect of the app, and taking more of  a backseat. There will also be busy young people looking to spend their free time the right way, and I’d be honored to help.

Your Ventures Unfair Advantage

• Myself including my ambition, personality and strengths.

• It's valuable because without my personality my venture would never have been born, it’s pretty rare, can’t be easily imitated and there aren't many resources that can do the same thing.

• Social media platform presence 

• It's valuable, it is not rare at all since social media is so widespread, it can be easily imitated and not many resources out there can do the same thing social media can do.

• Experience creating and directing my own job

• It's extremely valuable because I learned leadership and organizational skills, it's rare because not many people have that much creative control in business, it's not easily imitated and not many resources or opportunities can do the same thing I was so fortunate to be able to do.

• Personal relationships and connections 

• It's very valuable because I have so many people in my corner, it's not too rare, it can be easily imitated by people who have others in their life to help them like I have, and it's easily imitable with plenty of similar resources.

• Communication and writing skills

• It's so valuable to be an eloquent speaker and writer, it's not too rare, it can be imitated by many others however there are not many resources out there that can do the same thing.

• Investors and potential business partners

• It's so valuable to have investors and potential partners, it's not too rare, it can't be imitated and there aren't many resources out there to replace it.

• Professionalism

• This is so extremely valuable because not many people will take you seriously without it, it's not rare, it can be imitated and not many things out there are really able to replace it.

• My various mentors 

• They are so valuable because they help and guide me, it's not really rare, however not many things can replace or imitate the specific people I have rooting for me and helping me,

• My community and cultures support

• They are so valuable, it's not too rare, however it can be imitated or replaced pretty easily.

• Self discipline

• This is the key in my opinion. It's valuable because without it you will never reach your goals, it's pretty rare and it absolutely can not be imitated or replaced by anything other than self discipline.
  
  

I personally think my experience creating and directing my last job is the most valuable and unfair advantage I have. At 19 I was able to do something most people don't get the chance to do their entire lives. I created and taught my own class, and through that I taught myself leadership, self reliance, creativity, discipline and confidence. It was the best experience I could've ever asked for and I will carry what I learned with me for the rest of my life.

Elevator Pitch #3

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3der16vcoKE

According to the feedback from my last pitch, I seemed much more relaxed and confident in myself and my words. To make this even better, I decided to rehearse and practice my intro and following information a lot before my pitch in order to make sure I don't stumble over my words and get my message across. Also, the comments made on my last video gave me more confidence in my idea and the app itself with helped with my confidence immensely while giving the pitch.

The feedback I received not only gave me tips to make my pitch better but also gave me confidence in myself and my idea. I thin this really shined through and I gave my pitch in a strong and assured way, better than I had previously done. I've always felt I was pretty good at public speaking, but practicing this pitch over and over has improved my skills and taught me the valuable lesson in that practice always makes perfect!

Reading Reflection #2

I decided to read "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams. I really enjoyed the book and feel like I've learned a good amount from it. It also gave me a lot of relief to any anxiety I had regarding my own personal talents and my future.

I felt that the general theme or argument related heavily to the title of the book, which is that you don't have to be the best or even amazing at one thing to succeed. You can market yourself and your talents in a way to make yourself unique and eventually, win big. Also, that a big secret to success lies in not putting your faith in just your goal, but rather the system that is going to get you where you want to be.

The book helped me put what I have been learning in this class into perspective. In entrepreneurship, you are not only just marketing an idea or a product, you are marketing yourself. How do you expect an venture capitalist or investor to take you seriously and invest in you if they don't have faith in you?Its not about being the best or "most passionate" its about finding the things you do well and marketing them.

If I were to design an exercise for this class based off the book I read, I would have students paint a picture of where they want to be in five years. List things such as their physical appearance, the house they live in, the job they possess, if they are considering starting a family, etc. and really visualize what they want. Then, I would want them to list the specific systems or processes that would get them where they want to be. An example given in the book is if an individual wants to lose 20 pounds, they should focus far more on healthy eating and exercise than just the goal of being 20 pounds lighter.

What I learned that really threw me for a loop was that he believes and makes a great argument for the idea that passion is not everything when it comes to success. In life we are told that the glory goes to the person who wants it most, the individual that craves that more than anything and lives for the activity itself. However, he points out that its simply just not true. Its better to invest in the person that wants to simply succeed and make money, not someone willing to risk it all in order to follow their passion for, for example, collecting stamps.

Growing your Social Capital

One domain expert in my industry is my previous boss, Laurencno Fuller, who own three nightclubs in my hometown and makes his living entirely off the nightlife industry. He employs plenty of people and is entirely in charge. He is an expert in owning his own small business ass well as the nightlife industry in total. I have kept a close mentor/mentee relationship with him throughout my years of working with him in the summers when I return home to Boca Raton, Florida, and can always speak to him asking for advice while I'm away in Gainesville. He is always around to give me guidance and advice and I am very lucky to know him. He is also a close family friend as well and has a great relationship with my parents. He just expects some work from me when I am available in the summers, however I have already spoken to him about a potential internship I am completing this summer which means I could not work for him and he is very happy and excited for me! I will always have him in my circle considering he is a close family friend and mentor and I am so happy to him him and his family in my life!

One person who is an important supplier in my industry is actually my mother! She and her best friend work with a winery in Napa, California, and provide various wines to restaurants and bars across the country. I love my mom so much and I'm so blessed to be her confidant and know so much about the wine manufacturing industry and its subsequent selling and placement. My mom is always trying to teach me about her various business ventures and I'm so blessed to have her! She always provides me with opportunities for learning an involvement and will because we are family! Italians always take care of our own.

Someone who is an expert in my market is my good friend Justis Mendez who owns his own app as well as a participates in a group of young investors and entrepreneurs. I know him through various social circles and we have been friends for about a year! He has been a great friend and mentor and always provides advice and opportunity to me without asking for anything in exchange which makes him one of the best people I know. Including him in my network allows me to always have his guidance and he is an excellent example for anyone looking to open their own business venture regardless of what negative people will say.

This experience shows me how blessed I am to have so many people in my life who can guide and help me start my journey in entrepreneurship. This activity really helped me sit down and think about the people of influence in my life who guide me and care about my well being. In the future I will try to find even more people who can guide me in similar ways and potentially provide business opportunities. This really will guide my networking experiences in the future because I will try to forge similar relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Idea Napkin No.2

I am Samantha Maughan. I consider myself a bubbly and social person who has a passion for people and human connection. I have a lot of experience working with children and in customer service so I know how to work with individuals and groups as well as take a leadership role. I have also participated in many extracurriculars throughout my high school and college career. I would love to own my own business one day and be my own boss. Having that position of control and power over my own life and schedule is super appealing to me. My app idea means a lot to me and I could see myself going pretty far with it.

I will solve my customers unmet needs by helping them schedule their free time and weekend nights out to ensure they have a better time and don't waste their precious few hours of fun! This app will allow individuals to see real time pictures and videos of events and nightlife happening in their area. They also can find wait times, drink specials, cover fees and more!

I am mainly offering it to college students and young adults who have more free time than those outside of their age range and wish to coordinate it in the best way possible. The demographic is between the ages of 18-24, however, adults looking to have a special night to or date night to spice up the mundane can use it as well. Individuals must be 18+ to use this app.

Customers would play the $2.99 monthly fee in order to use this app because they will be saving time and money far greater than this little monthly fee. Discovering drink specials, deals on cover, saving money on typical wasted Uber rides, etc. are all ways the app pays for itself and provides value to the customer.

I am different from other entrepreneurs in my field because I truly want this app to provide joy and ease to others. I see a need for this app in my own life and I think it could truly help others as well. Despite making money based on my own accord rather than an hourly wage or commission cap and being my own boss, which first drew me into the prospect of entrepenurship, I want people to be happy and social together. I want to make the world a fun place, and I think that truly sets me apart from others.

I believe these elements fit well together because they focus on curating experiences. They focus on the individual user experience and how that can help others build off each other to ensure everyone gets the most out of this app. Also, the fee is small enough to justify itself, because most of the places users will visit will cost money and their app can help lesses those expenses exponentially. I think these all work together to create a fun experience for users. The only weak aspect I would consider is the social media aspect, considering theres are so many social networking sites that users may feel overloaded.

I did not receive feedback because I did not complete Idea Napkin No. 1.

Elevator Pitch No. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1kYvD5XRs

Here is my second elevator pitch as well as a description of the changes I made according to the feedback I received.

Create a Customer Avatar

My Avatar and typical user would be a 20 year old college student looking to celebrate the best 21st birthday possible. She lives in a college town and goes to a university but is typically extremely busy with schoolwork as well as her job, so she doesn't have time to waste waiting in lines and doesn't know the nightlife scene very well. She would download and use the app in order to plan her limited free time so it goes as smoothly as possible. She typically spends her free time hanging with friends, cooking, traveling and seeing live music around her city. She drives a white Jeep with an open back and her and her roommates have a golden retriever. She watches Law and Order, The Bachelor and Breaking Bad. She is young and has no children while pursuing her education as well as working as a server in a nearby restaurant. She is economically conservative but socially liberal however does not favor any specific politician. Her favorite color is purple, she loves Italian food and is a big animal lover. She recently got out of a relationship and is now spending her newfound free time exploring new hobbies and activities. She reads a lot of meditation books and is currently studying the law of attraction.

This a picture of my potential customer, 20 year old Amanda.

I do have a few things in common such as age and current stage in life as an undergraduate college student. I differ with this character in terms of her specific hobbies and characters, but I could see myself being friends with them. I don't think it’s a coincidence that we have these things in common because I created the idea of this app from my personal life and experience, and could find individuals like me using it.

Secret Sauce

I believe I am unique in my human capital because I have a sparkling personality and passion with everything I do. I’ve always had a fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude and I’ve essentially trained my brain into giving my all with a smile on my face, even when I don't want to. I am also extremely blunt and not afraid to speak my mind even if my opinion is unpopular. I have an extreme independence about me as well, and have no issue walking into new and uncomfortable situations. I never quit due to my pride, even when I should, and am utterly determined to get the results I deserve. Also, I can work in a team or on my own with the exact same effectiveness. If someone has incredible ideas and leadership skills I am willing to take a backseat for the betterment of the goal.

This video from my father expresses how he recognizes my ability to face reality and problem solve. He has always tried to instill these values in me it really warmed my heart to hear him say that and I felt that he truly believed it.

This video from my roommate Ember really took me back. Her words really encompassed something about me that I love which is that I try to always be authentic and tell it like it is 100% of the time.

This video from my friend Ally really made me smile because I try my hardest to be a positive and uplifting person. I want to help others succeed and be happy like myself and the fact that my friends recognize that is so wonderful.

This short and sweet video from my roommate Sabrina made my day. Although I try to be hardworking and motivated, my friends and family come before anyone else and the love I have in my heart goes out to them always.

This video from my friend Kendyl makes me so happy because I try my hardest to be there for people in their time of need as well as everyday life. I believe you receive what you put into the world and I always strive to be a compassionate and caring person.

These interviews really opened my eyes as to how my friends and family see me. I didn't want them to feel pressure going into this as if they had to state only kind things about me, and I really felt they spoke from the heart. I felt my analysis of myself and my attributes really aligned with theirs and that means the world to me. I try to be an authentic and positive person and the fact the people in my life recognize that means the absolute world to me. I would not correct my list at all, I’m honored to have these people in my life to understand and cherish me so well.

Figuring out Buyer Behavior Pt. 2

Interviews: For this assignment I decided to interview three students I am in a project group with for a seperate class. They consist of two girls and a boy over the age of 21+ who are also juniors at the University of Florida.

Alternative Evaluation: According to the three of them they really liked the idea and could definitely see a need for it in college campus life. Since I set the price point around $2.99 a month two of them had no issue with it, however they collectively agreed that the service of the app would have to be cellular and fast considering the posts are supposed to be made in real time and oftentimes venues dont have free wifi. That is an issue I would have to work to fix.

Buying: The buying aspect of my product is very simple because all it requires is a wifi enabled phone and access to an application store, such as an iPhone or Android. It can be purchased with a credit card and that same card can be used to make the monthly payments.

Post-Purchase Evaluation: They will determine if the product was a success for them if their nights out or upcoming events improve and run significantly more smoothly than previously. The app is designed to help manage free time in an effective and successful way so that our precious weekend activities won't be squandered. If they find better events and avoid duds then they would consider my app a success.

Findings: Both girls I interviewed seemed very much on the same page, although they are not thrilled to pay a monthly fee for using the app they agreed that in the long run it would save them money and create better experiences. They mentioned the concerns that my app must be cellular accessible because many of these places do not provide free wifi and a major aspect of the app is posting real time videos and pictures of events. The boy I interviewed was adamant about not paying for apps and believing it was a waste of money. He is extremely studious and does not spend his free time socializing and would rather be introverted. However, he did see that there was a need for the app mainly within the Greek Life community. 

Conclusion: My research has brought up some valuable points that I did not foresee within this app. I did not realize that the wifi may be an issue and that there are many individuals who do not want to pay for something intangible such as an experience or a digital application.

Halfway Reflection

For this course I have developed a few skills to help manage my work and get the most I can from the information and insight being presented. I have learned to always check my entire week's assignment schedule and make note of what assignments are due at their respective times. It helps me keep track of my responsibilities and commitments while balancing my workload and social life. I have also worked on thinking creatively and outside of the box for these assignments. Coming up with my idea for a problem solving product or service took a lot of time and creativity. 

I’ve had plenty of moments throughout my entire life, as well as the past two months, where I felt like giving up and cutting my losses. For example, at the beginning of the course I had no idea assignments were due at noon everyday, and I missed the first day of work. At that point it felt really discouraged because schoolwork is so important to me and I saw that I had missed the first five assignments. After remaining positive and tenacious, I decided to reach out and explain my situation and lucky I was able to submit my work for credit. That really showed me tenacity is absolutely necessary. 

Three Tips for Tenacity:

1.) It’s all about mindset, if you don't have a positive outlook and a determination to succeed you never will.

2.) Always stay on top of your schedule and what you have going on. There's no way you can achieve your goals without an organization of your work and opportunities.

3.) Surround yourself with people who support your goals and have their own tenacity. Tell me your friends and I’ll tell you your future.

Reading Reflection No. 1

I decided to read “Coco Chanel, an Intimate Life” by Lisa Chaney.

What surprised me most was just exactly how far ahead of her time Chanel was, she was so much more than just a women’s fashion designer. She lived beyond the present day boundaries and provided groundbreaking styles to accompany it.

I admire how independent she was. She played by her own rules and didn't let anyone dictate what she was going to do with her life. She was originally born into poverty, where shortly after her mother died and her father put her up for adoption, yet despite her background, she grew an amazing life for herself and became an icon. I also love that she never married, smashing the traditional gender role.

It’s not particularly that I don't admire it, however, I wouldn't emulate her suspected drug use. Everyone struggles with their own vices and that is one I wouldn't enjoy playing a part of my life.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel dealt with much adversity in her life. Originally being born into poverty as an orphan is a huge struggle for anyone, yet she built herself an unbelievable life from scratch. Also, breaking into the fashion industry as an unmarried woman from poverty is absolutely unheard of.

She absolutely exhibited tenacity and determination, with a glamorous and effortless sense about her. She wanted something so she went and got it with almost a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” attitude. She changed the game of women's fashion and made it look easy.

I think her involvement with WWII and the Nazis was a little confusing to me. I left that area of the book without getting a real sense of what exactly happened. However, I do understand why this is most likely the case due to the fact her involvement was secretive.

I would ask her “If you could go back in time and change anything, would you?” I would ask this because I think the best learning is done by learning from mistakes and failures. By pointing out where she went wrong I could learn what not to do in the future. I would also ask her if she could give my sister a raise, because my sister works so hard for the Chanel brand and I want the best for her!

I think she would value hard work, however, place much more importance and concentration on working smart. Hard work is something to be appreciated but if you’re not working smart it's almost wasted. I agree with this opinion very much.