What I have learned

"Success consist of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill
Some of the most successful people in the business world have failed over and over again and the reason we do not dwell on their failures is because their success has outshined all of it. If you are going to be a entrepreneur then you have to learn to embrace failure because each lesson will lead you to more success. Jeff Sandefer said "choosing the life of a entrepreneurial her begins with a paradox: you have to dream big but start with small steps. No matter how difficult this path gets I will continue to push forward step by small step until I have reached my goal. I will then set a new goal and begin the process again step by small step."
I believe the hardest part about becoming a entrepreneur is taking that first step, too many great ideas and great companies were never started because the dreamers feared failure and never took the first step. I have learned as a new father that my son fears almost nothing because he has not been taught what to fear either by experience or by someone teaching him to not do certain things. We can learn a lot from children as business leaders because children are brave, honest, and forgiving. Children will take a first step in almost anything and can fall into danger if not given the proper mentor or parent. Children will say anything to anyone because it is the truth and the truth is the greatest gift that everyone will try and take from us. Children are forgiving to anyone that does them harm almost instantly but they are most forgiving to themselves no matter how many times they have fallen and found trouble. If we could apply these simple lessons into starting a business we would have no regrets after taking that first step.
Everything I have learned these last few weeks from my classes and from interviewing and reading other business leaders failures and success is that time is the most valuable commodity we have, It is the only piece of our lives that we have full control over. "Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."-Anonymous. That is the key to a successful life is what we did with our time. Did we use all our time and energy to chase a dream and start a business? When that business failed did we spend all our time and energy doing everything we could to make it successful? Was that time we spent failing over and over again chasing our dream educational enough that when we try again we will do it better? Do not let time and fear take the what might have been when you look at your past. Let time and fear be your motivation of would could be in your future.

Leadership in life

"I think there is an emotional element to leadership-Charisma." By Randy Haykins.  

Leadership is the cornerstone of a great business no matter if it is small or large without leadership you have nothing. As we have studied different entrepreneurs throughout this semester I have come to love and admire the great leadership it takes to start a business.  

Randy Haykins also said "Leadership is identifying the future before it's happened. A good leader has more than vision, a good leader sees a endpoint. And then somehow garners sufficient resources around him or herself to work towards that end." I think of Steve Jobs when I read this quote because he started a computer company was then fired from his company he started. The company then struggles and bring him back and what does he do he changes the tech industry with the iPod, iPad, and the iPhone. A computer company that now leads in music, and telecommunications because a leader saw a future that no one else did and then surrounded himself with the resources to find the end. 

We are all destined to leave a footprint of our lives in this world we all want to be remembered. Some want to be remembered throughout time and by millions and millions of people, while others just want to be remembered by their loved ones and friends that they have done so much for. It is this drive that makes great leaders in business those that will do everything they can to leave a mark and if they fail or succeed they will just be happy they tried. 

Experience is Golden

I finished the book "A Field Guide for the Hero's Journey" by Robert Sirico & Jeff Sandefer. It is a collection of journey's from different people and what they have learned about life and business. Reading this book you have a chance to reflect and apply the lessons learned from these different chapters. 

Wanting to be a entrepreneur is a lot like this book and the different views we have about life. When you are a child you think your parents know everything because they can answer any question you ask them and you don’t know if it is truthful or not because you have complete faith in them. As a teenager you start to question what they know and start to think they are to old and do not understand that times have changed. As a young adult living on your own and supporting a family or serving a mission your parents gain a little more credit and you start to wonder how they handled life and their advice is welcomed but still cautious. When you have children your parents suddenly have all the answers and the most respect possible because you just don’t understand how they did knew so much. When you are old and frail you have suddenly become the genius and now your advice is valuable to your own posterity.  

Starting a business is the same way at first you think everyone has all the answers and you trust almost anyone, different experiences and time passes by you listen a little less and think you know everything. A success here and a failure there suddenly you seek the advice of those veterans that have been consistent at running their business. Before you know it your retiring and giving your own advice.  

We have to learn from those that are willing to teach us about business and proceed with caution and care. IF we are not willing to learn from those that have gone before us we will just fail over and over again because we think we know everything. 

Money will not buy Happiness, but Money will help you find Happiness.

"Money will not buy you Happiness" this is a phrase I have heard over and over again from anyone I complain to about my financial difficulties I may be having at that time. Is it true though cause when you have no money you often think that money will find you unlimited happiness because it will give you freedom. Yet the more I read that phrase when I have conquered my financial problems I understand it a little different.  

Money will not buy you happiness but if used correctly it will give you happiness that you could not find any other way. I have seen and felt the happiness that comes when you are able to help or serve someone who does not have money. I watched my father pay the medical bill of a family that was truly struggling and the tears of joy when they did not know where the money had came from. I have seen meals delivered to widows and single mothers that just did not have the means to buy the meal that they wanted to give their children and the tears of joy as their wishes were granted. Money may not buy you happiness but it will help you find happiness in the service of others. 

Truth be told as I have learned so far in this class most people are generally happy so having more money does not increase the amount of happiness we have. What we do with that money is what buys happiness because service has the greatest value over the longest time period and everyone can afford it, some more than others. So if you find that suddenly you have more money than you know what to do with and you have achieved most of the success you had always dreamed of but still do not fill happy or fulfilled. Then I would encourage you to share that wealth and success with others or help other reach their success. Happiness will come to those that love others more than themselves. 

Risks

"It's impossible said pride. It's risky said experience. It's pointless said reason. Give it a try whispered the heart."--Unknown 

My assignment for the last 2 or 3 weeks was to find a entrepreneur that I could interview and write a 3 page paper on my experience. This was assignment I was excited for because I feel we can always learn so much from others. I interviewed a close friend and ex co-worker who had started his own business. I had learned from him this was his second business he had started and that he sold his other business because it was just not challenging anymore. I was speechless because this friend of mine is 10 years younger than I am and already has owned 2 businesses. I learned so much from him and that we need to not be afraid to fail and take risks. He said he enjoys the moments of challenge and failure because that is where he learns the most. He said he never started a business in an industry he did not work and learn as much as he could from the most successful people in that industry. I have learned that I have made to many excuses as to why I can't do something and not enough reasons to why I can't do something. When I asked my friend before we ended the interview if this was a business he would sell and start over he did not even hesitate and said Yes as soon as it is not challenging anymore I will find a new business to start. 

Lead by example

“Great leaders don't blame the tools they are given. They work to sharpen them.” When I think of the great leaders I have had in my life I think of the way they inspired me to be better and to work harder. I would like to go over a few of the examples and meanings from a talk given by President Kim B Clark of BYU-Idaho that talks about Leadership with a small L.
Lead by Example- for this I always think of my Mother she taught me everything in life about being a worthy priesthood holder to loving and serving others but most of all her example of faith is what stands out. She has always had faith not only in God but in other people as well. She has taken in my friends to live with us for periods of time. Has pushed to get my brothers and sisters back active in the gospel. Has even pushed herself to pick up the pieces from a ugly divorce and move forward with faith she is my true example of leadership.
Lead by Vision- for this I think of my bishop who happened to be my youth league football coach for many years. He always believed in my athletic abilities and said I could go as far as my work ethic and heart would take me. He was also said the only person who believed I would go on a mission and would always invite me to youth activities and church. This meant a lot to a young boy who came from a less active family that did not always make the right decisions but he never lost vision of who I could become.
Lead with Love- for this I think of my Uncle Don who was a seminary teacher in Utah for over 39 years and was someone I could go to for anything. He always had the best advice and was there when I need love and guidance of what to do with my life. I could always feel the love of the Savior when I talked with my uncle and I always had a stronger testimony when I left then when I arrived.
We need to inspire others and be leaders in our days not by what we say but more by what we do. We will be tested more and more in the future and our faith and covenants will be called into actions are we willing to go against what is popular and stand up for what we believe? Are we willing to lead with the small L’s?

Learning from Failure

One of my favorite business leaders Henry Ford said “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”. I was taught this wonderful lesson as a child that making mistakes is human but it is our reaction and education from those mistakes that will determine if we are successful or doomed to fail. My assignment for the next few weeks is to interview a entrepreneur and I am excited because I get a chance to learn from someone that has all ready taken the risks to build a business all their own. Whenever I think of failure and failure in business I think of Thomas Edison and how many attempts he took to invent the light bulb. He tells everyone I did not fail 2,000 or more times I just found 2,000 or more ways of how not to do it. From my studies of successful people the real thing that holds people back from achieving their dreams are their fear of failure. My Father is retired now and always tells me how he wishes he would have started his own handy man business. He will ramble on for a good 15-30 minutes if how life could have been different if he had just went for it. I love my Father but I learned from his example and complaining that I will not let my fear of failure keep me up at night  in my later years thinking  what could have been. If I succeed or fail I will be humble and grateful that I took the first step on a great journey and learned as much as I could from my failures.

Fear of Failure

“A person with a growth mindset isn't afraid to look like an idiot. They accept not knowing something as the first step to learning…..As children we could care less about falling flat on our faces in front of others.”
I have often wondered when is that moment in life we learn to be afraid of failing and learning. I imagine it is different for everyone from embarrassing moments that haunt our childhood, or adults telling us to stop trying something for our safety or safety from public humiliation. Failure can be a very powerful tool used in life to bring success to our lives. Fear of failure is a lesson taught that can harm us more than help us no matter how well our intentions may be. The most successful people in life are not afraid to take risks and learn from the risks that are taken. Success and failure are a great relationship for every human to learn from because you can not have success without failure and you can not be successful without learning from failure.

Time is our most valuable commodity

I currently work as a independent contractor where I set my own hours and I determine how much of an income I bring into to feed my family. A ward member asked me if this was something I truly loved and if I had plans for retirement and other necessities after I retire. I explained I do love the challenge of sales and the freedom of choosing my own schedule but if I was to be honest with myself I would rather work for a great company with great benefits or start my own company that had a more stable future. As I watched a few videos this week and read the material I realized how important it is that no matter the path I choose I need to stay dedicated to my family and my faith. Time is the most valuable asset we own in life because we can never get it back. I was looking at getting a different job that was more secure after talking with that ward member. I have been praying and pondering and had a few job interviews. I just wanted what was best for my family. All of the jobs asked if I was ok with working on Sundays and everyone one of them I explained I cannot work Sundays because of my religion and time I place into helping my church. The more I pondered and prayed the more I realized that I am where I am suppose to be, I am fulfilling my callings, finishing school and spending valuable time with my family. I do not know what the future holds for me but I am sure as of right now that I am making the best investment of my time with the ones I hold important to me.

Personal Board of Directors

"Being your own boss is great, you get to choose which 18 hours a day you work" - Unknown
Whenever I have talked to business owners they are quick to share their success and ideas and what they would do different. No one ever talks about how much time is put into each and everyday to become the boss. We had a great assignment called our Personal Board of Director's. If you could choose 8-10 people living or deceased to be your personal board of directors who would you choose. At first this started out easy because I love to read and watch biographies and I look up to a lot of people. Then the more I thought about it the more I started crossing out different names and pondering more who I would choose. I wanted a very diverse group and I wanted people that I knew were successful and that I feel I could trust. I started looking at their character and then comparing their success in the fields of expertise. I was very pleased with who I chose and will place the list at the bottom of this post. When you are thinking of personal board of directors of course you want successful business people? but I started looking at how faithful were they? what integrity did they hold? and how did they face difficulties? I chose a lot of people names John but I also chose people that had great life experiences not only in business but in life. I chose people from different areas that could help me through almost anything.

Who would you choose?

My Personal Board of Advisors

Chairman: Ezra Taft Benson: I admire and respect President Bensons he was a very successful businessman and public servant who had a passion for farming and never forgot where he came from. He was a man of great faith of course but also a incredible missionary, he started all of his meetings including those on Capital Hill with a prayer and was never afraid to share the gospel. I would need a man of great personal faith and integrity as well as a man with such strong patriotism advising me.

John Wooden: "The Wizard of Westwood" came from a small farming town in Indiana and became the greatest basketball coach that ever lived. He created the Pyramid of Success and was able to win 10 National Championships in 12 years with many different players, as well as 7 straight championships. He believed you do not change your game plan to adapt to your opponents strengths and weaknesses. You coach your players to play perfect and make others change their game plan for you. I want a winner and a forward thinker, as well as someone who can help bring my board together so everyone gets along and help understand those I may not understand or agree with.

John M. Huntsman: He is more known for his philanthropic work than as a business man but has succeed in both. He has been known to give away up to $1.2 Billion to charities and Church. I need a man that cares more about what he can do for others with success and wealth than he can do for himself. I need a man that could advise me on ways I could give back meaningfully without any recognition in return.

Dave Ramsey: An American financial author has a radio show, t.v. show, and has written numerous books as well as 5 New York Times best sellers. He continues to preach about not getting into debt and living within your means. He talks about the dangers of credit and how to dig yourself out of debt and stay out. I need a honest man that knows an honest way to spend money and take care of money.

Larry Page: Co-Founder of Google, he created the best known search-ranking algorithm. He is a computer genius who has changed the way we use computers and the internet. I need a man that understands technology and is always looking for ways to use new technology or create new technology.

John F. Kennedy: "Jack" I feel no greater president we have ever had in the United States than John F. Kennedy. He was calm and collected during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was not afraid to tackle subjects others wanted to turn their heads from. He began the discussion on civil rights and was a great politician that would listen to others around him and make the best choice possible. I need someone that will tell me the truth even if I may not agree with it. I need someone who will not shy away from the hard questions and tough decisions. 

Zig Ziglar: One of the greatest salesman and motivational speakers I have ever read or listen to. He preaches honesty and integrity and making sure you take care of the customer. If you take care of them they will take care of you. He talks about being a optimist and always working hard. I need man that can teach me about success and always looking at things from a positive view. I need a good sales rep to make sure I am always pushing myself and my goals. 

 “I knew a man, they thought him mad, the more he gave, the more he had.”
   ANONYMOUS

One of the reasons I have wanted to open ,y own business is because I have wanted to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for me. I want to give a steady job to my struggling sister as well as my Son and nieces and nephews. I also want to give back to the High School community because it was high school that I learned about school pride and the effect it has on uniting people who have so many differences.
In my learning this week I never thought about the effects of giving back for a company and that money is not the only way to give back. I learned that your personal life and your business life will always weave together with one another, so if you do not give back on your personal life you will not be motivated to give back for your company. I have a strong desire to open a retail store that sells high school fan gear, and now that I have pondered it more I do not have to give back money to schools. I would like to create a way for art students at different high schools that I would sell gear for be designed by students themselves and give them a chance to pitch the ideas like you would as a artist to companies. I want to get the community more involved in ways that I can give back after I have achieved my dream and I am grateful for that lesson learned this week.

Faith, Testimony, and our Ethics

We had a very interesting assignment for class this week, we were asked to make a list of three I WILL NEVER…… and I WILL ALWAYS….. a question of what are our standards and what are our ethics. This lesson had a profound effect on me as I was contemplating this list what would I never do? and what would I always do? As I thought more and more about this list I realized this could be a list for both business and life itself.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins said “The acquiring of wealth and material possessions would become Satan’s most fertile ground, tempting mankind with the cunning strategy that this world is our destiny and that anything and everything in this world is available for money. “ It is because of this I believe that our standards and ethics should be seen everyday as a reminder that what we have in our families and faith are more important than anything on this earth.
Your personal faith and testimony as well as your business ethics hold more value than anything on this earth and should never be compromised or sold for any reason. They make up who you are and what you are about as soon as you compromise your faith and ethics there is no going back. It leaves a lasting effect such as a ripple in a calm pond of water once started it will not stop until its path is complete. I will keep this list I have created close by me it will be on my dresser so I can see it in the morning and at night. This list will be at my desk at work so that who I talk with and what a prepare for will never compromise my faith or my ethics.

" I don't dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for living."
                                                  Steven Spielberg

So much about starting a business or wanting to be successful depends on how hard you want to work for your dream. I heard people talk about what could have been and then I have heard people that say what should have been. I enjoy studying and being around people that don't talk about the missed opportunities of the past but talk about all the risks they took and everything they learned from their failures and success.
We learned about the steps it takes to achieve your goals and I never really thought about writing out why goals for my career and what I want to achieve. It is important to have a plan or a diagram of what you want to achieve and the dreams you want to reach. Make sure each and everyday that you are working towards your dream that the jobs you have are stepping stones to your dream job or business you have always wanted to start.
I believe in dreaming and I am only 35 years old I have not achieved my dream yet but after this weeks lesson I am making changes so that I can. I have enjoyed the lessons I have learned so far from failures and I am changing a few of my stepping stones to get closer to my dreams.

Who knew I would be learning this?

At the start of every new semester I find myself asking how did I get here? I started at BYU-I pathways program because I wanted to finish my degree, I wanted to show that I could finish something and make my wife and Son proud. After the first year I had no idea what I wanted to major in so I choose the easy way and went for a Family History degree or certificate. At the end of the first semester of that I found it boring and not very challenging so I prayed. Then I prayed some more and fasted and prayed more. Suddenly when I was registering for classes I started reading over the business courses and said why not it would be a challenge. I have loved the subject ever since then and find it fascinating and hard and well worth my time.
Elder David A. Bednar said about an education at BYU-Idaho "College is not just an experience to endure and “get through” with the false expectation that somehow, someway we will magically be different on the day we graduate.  Rather, a college experience is a period of development in one’s life to be prized and prospered.  Indeed, simply settling for “getting  
through” college is like buying an expensive car that has no engine.  The car may look very good from the outside, but inside the real power is missing.”
I am excited to learn as much as possible about business and how to create my own or make someone else business better. I am excited to add value to myself that others can see and that my Son can look up to years from now with awe and wonder. I know the road will be difficult it all ready is because I am a working family man who is 25 years of age and still has no career. Only a history of dead end sales jobs as my experience.

I believe in what Jeff Sandefer said “Choosing the life of an entrepreneurial hero begins with a paradox: you have to dream big but start with small steps.” no matter how difficult this path gets I will continue to push forward step by small step until I have reached my goal. I will en set a new goal and begin the process again step by small step.