This week I really loved being able to read through the case study if any of you would like to read it I have attached it in the link below.
 Randy Haykin: The Making of an Entrepreneur

It was very interesting to read about the struggles and insights that Randy had through his experiences of working for some of the largest corporations in the world and just how he was able to grow and progress toward his goals of being a manager, ceo and then owner of a large technology firm. I also really enjoyed listening to these two videos,

Avoid the Wrong Job
Acton Hero: Larry North

In these I really was able to see that Passion really should be the key to what determines your life don’t just take a job to get to the next one but work somewhere you want to and then make a difference there. This really stood out to me because I am going onto that next step and really don’t know where to go to next but the easy road has jumped in front of me a couple times where I knew that I wouldn’t be happy but that it would get me to the next job I wanted and now I look at this differently as I can choose a job now that I want and even if it doesn’t give me the work experience that some people are looking for it will be my story and my choice and I will be able to explain that choice to whoever comes next!

This week I was able to look at some case studies one of them asked what you would do if you were faced with making it to your daughters dance recital or go to your top customer, who's plant has just been in a fire. I felt I had a good answer and this is what I put let me know what you think. Are main focus this week was looking at balance in business, this was focused around power, family, and money.

I have thought about this and many times and have committed to keeping my promises no matter the sacrifice, my own logic behind this falls in this order; I am working in a job very hard to do what? I am there to provide for my family and be sure that they always have what they need and most of the time what they want, so that is my initial commitment and motivation all others follow this one commitment. So in this circumstance I would explain to my customer that I have made a promise and what would it say to my character if I broke my promises, would they still think I was the best if I didn't keep my word? I then would inform the customer that right when my commitment was over I would be there to help them and if this in turn meant that I didn't have his business when I arrive then I would still help him and he could fire me when we were done. I feel that this shows the customer that you understand his importance,  the value he has put in you, and your true character. I feel most people panic in times of stress and that with time people still hold true to what they know is right, show understanding but stick to who you are. 

This week was great I was able to talk with a few business owners and I learned a lot about the priorities that they have. I found that family time is often sacrificed in order to build a company and keep it running properly. Often to save money, the business owner is the one that has to dedicate extra time to tie up loose ends because they can’t afford to hire someone else to do it. I was surprised to learn that most business owners that I talked to enjoyed being hands on and wouldn’t like to step back from their business and let it run itself or pay someone else to run it for them. They expressed concern for quality being sacrificed for quantity, which is the main reason that they prefer to be so hands-on.

I was very surprised to learn how even when a company is successful, established and self-sustaining, the owner still works long hours to keep it that way. It seemed like opportunity cost is constantly something that is being evaluated and often, time is more valuable than money, especially when it comes to spending time traveling. I also found it interesting that the business owners that I talked to aspired to step away from their business and be more hands off by age 40, but they all talked about new businesses that they would want to start up immediately after. It is almost like the hard working, successful people aren’t ever satisfied and are always aspiring to start up new companies or pursue new ideas and revenue. It definitely takes a certain type of person to be a successful business owner. 

Trust the baker!

This week I really enjoyed learning about ways that I am able to increase my networking. I really enjoyed the lessons on being trusting and how I can be a baker in life learning how I can better others at every turn and how I might be able to always think of others first. It is hard in our society not to think about yourself as the main or initial priority, for me it takes conscious effort to change my thoughts and really ask what I can do for this person or how I might help this individual. I always feel willing to help but then there is a built in status quo in my heart and mind telling me that someday this effort will come back around when I may need it in my life. I am starting to understand that this is not the purpose of service but a really good quote came to mind, “service enables you to grow and become more like Christ.” I really didn’t understand it before this week, service is not about Karma or a revolving circle that will help you in some way, but is about seeing the world as the baker, a person wanting to see the greatest joy out of something he has done, a person able to give everything they have for the end of happiness and pure love. There is no thought to one’s self when we trust, we give all of who we are to enable others to become more. When we do this we draw others like this to ourselves and form relationships of trust without doubt.

Learning about self-Mastery

Learning about self-Mastery

I really enjoyed this weeks videos and learning about the ways to master any subject in life, I realized that I had hacked a large majority of the topics in my life and that I really need to apply the principles found in the book of practice, study, and keen application. I really feel that I have gained knowledge that I loved but just stopped using and this lead to the loss of most of that learning. In the talk by Gordon B. Hinckley I really enjoyed his teaching of the ever changing world and the constant need to learn and apply one’s self in different fields to find those waiting opportunities. Sometimes it is really hard to find you notch in life and the only way is to explore.

I have had a very fortunate opportunity to meet and get to know a rock climbing guide the last few months and see how he and his family live their lives. It was really crazy to see how he had applied himself in many different ways and that he was really able to go and do what he loved and show people how to also enjoy and perform in his sport. It really opened up my mind to the possibilities that I can really do what I want in life if I am willing to apply myself and find a way to make money off of it.

I looked back to week three where we learned about the three circles, the things your good at, the things you enjoy, and the things people will pay you to do. As I thought about this I decided to write it out for my life and really look at what I am good at what I love to do and if I could make money doing it. It was very enjoyable and I really looked back towards my childhood when I would spend all day doing the things I loved to do, then I started to look at what things people really would or have payed me to do. I noticed that I really had drifted towards working with my hands and in sports. I love to make people happy and also to have visual accomplishment.

I really hope for you all to look at your lives and find a balance of what you love what your good at and what you can get paid for and then look at mastering those skills that line up in all three and sell yourself for your greatest worth never giving up on your dreams and taking time to become the master of yourself and dreams.

Family,God, & Knowledge

It was very interesting this week t learn and read about the importance of keep your commitment to God and your family first over all else you do. I really enjoyed hearing from many different business leaders about the importance of setting boundaries for your work and not letting it cut out and destroy other important areas of your life. Knowing that yes money is valuable but it is not the key to happiness and that you have the power to control your state of joy and happiness was really applicable   I feel in this week’s learning. Some of the talks were about the understanding of business skills and the drive that is inside you and how it might be hard to shut it off and allow yourself to be in the moment rather then accomplishing what you feel you need to. Really each person is faced with choices that will make up and define them in their character, we are all a bi-product of our choices and the more we limit those choices the more centralized we become.

I was really asked a interesting question the other day about my freedoms and if I felt that our current politicians had our best interests at heart. This came to mind through the readings because I really saw a important factor of Knowledge! I couldn’t pull to mind the 10 amendments and match them to the right ones, if I don’t know my rights how do I know if they are being represented and if they are being taken away. In the reading it gave three important knowledge principles of business: 1 In-depth knowledge of the competitive structure of an industry and a network of contacts within that industry; 2 The skills to run the daily operations of a small, rapidly growing company; and 3 The ability to raise money.

As I thought about this knowledge base I looked at it like I started looking at my rights, as if they were my blood line and how every detail of the first two principles would enable me to become a better business owner and more efficient owner and competitor. I like to think of it as the broker mentality, a wall street broker is a man with a sixth sense, this isn’t true but it does seem that way because of the vast knowledge and effort that he has put into every detail of his investment and learning about every little thing that could happen with a company or persons life that may influence his outcome. This principle can be applied to any business, learning and understanding the way the business works is one thing but then advancing and increasing the productivity of each stage is the next level, than by looking at similar business you will be able to see the flow of the competition and analyze what there next step will be and beat them to it and interact, attract, and rise above those that are not willing to put in the effort to acquire the knowledge needed to be the best.

Most importantly like we have talked about before do not let the enticement of money remove the reason you went to find the money in the first place whether that is family or God or joy of life, these are the things money is worth losing for.

week 4

Week 4

This week it was very interesting to think about who I would turn to for advice if I could have anyone through all of history to help me make decisions or run a company. At first I really turned to the great leaders of the bible and book of Mormon, Jesus, Moses, Adam, Helaman. Then I began to think about the importance that my family has in my life and how I would need to have my grandfather, father, wife and many others. I really had a hard time narrowing it down from all of the people that I have come to value the opinion of. The importance of knowledge and wisdom and morals really form the keys to my counsel and what I would want my business to be founded.

I found the case study to be very interesting, looking at it from a student some of the valuable things that I found were about the importance of moving at your own pace and how really the only person opinion that matters is the one that you put vale in. Erica really loved the cards she designed and wanted to give the best quality she could to her customers, I really began to see this when she was doing all the production from her house and this enabled her to guarantee that her product met the standards and those standards are what spread her business to the point where she could go big. This is where she put her trust and desire for recognition in her product and the people that it was going to.

I really started to analyze what I wanted, I think if your true desires don’t lie within your immediate actions that you will fail in those actions. I really started looking at who matters to me, what I am doing, is it really showing that I desire the best for those people. Those individuals that came to mind were my family and friends as I do not have any clients or patients yet I really was thinking do my actions show that they are most important to me or are they second in my actions and time. It is hard to look and evaluate your actions but it is necessary to progress and move forward in your live and carrier.

I really found a quote to help me through my hard times. It says this is possible through men, but all things are possible through god. This is how I feel that even though I am just a man I can achieve anything through god and keeping to the standards that he has sent for me.