My secret sauce

Ingredients:

•  3 cups persistence
•  1 cup (self) motivation
•  1 cup determination
•  4 heaping Tbsp curiosity
•  1 Tbsp support system
•  3 tsp intellect
•  A dash impulse

Directions:
1) From Brittany with love - Brittany says I'm one of the sweetest and kindest people she's ever met! Honestly, I'm so flattered. Brittany and I used to be mortal enemies, but our relationship has grown over the years. I think we've uncovered many similarities, and it's brought us closer. I will also take her statement that I'm always there when you need me and claim I'm reliable. Admittedly, there are exceptions to my reliability because I prioritize my family and friends first, but overall, I do my best to accommodate everyone--I always have.
2) I had to include Beth in this assignment; she's seen parts of me that my other close friends/family haven't, and I think that gives her a unique perspective. Beth fell a little short describing how exactly I'm unique, but I'm going to get her to expound upon things. I want to know more about what Beth thinks, what she sees. 

3) Everyone should ask their mother this question. Mine started to cry. - Who knows us better than our mothers? I surprised my mother with this, and her response didn't fail to entertain me. It's one of those sweet mommy-daughter moments, which is strange for us. I was shocked she said I was generous, but I do agree. I think because I look at myself with a perfectionist lens, and I know my mother and I are very much alike, I expected her to give me working points.
4) Compliments of Thom - Thom's response made me blush. He really tapped into who I am, though not necessarily how I see myself. His vision of me is much more pure. And incredibly flattering. Now I want to dress up like a woodland faerie and save some animals.
5) An underwhelming finale - One of the people I expected to know me best was the most tongue-tied. To be fair, I gave none of my interviewees advance notice of what I was doing--Beth being the exception as she got a voicemail and responded via text. I wanted honest answers; I didn't want anyone to manufacture an answer that would sound good but didn't truly apply to me. I'll have to work on my impact with this one. 
 
Review: 
My own perception of what others think of me has always been that I'm a stuck up bitch. I'm intelligent, assertive and communicative. If I have a problem, or can make a contribution, I address it openly and honestly. As people get to know me, they realize I tend to think of a collective "we" rather than the individual "I," and there's a shift in perspective that opens the pathway to a deeper connection. My interviewees do see that I'm communicative, and they also describe me as caring, generous and personable. I think I'm much harsher than those closest to me; I see beyond what they see, and they're at an advantage (versus people meeting me for the first time) because they've known me as long, and as intimately, as they have. My interviewees are all "correct," though (as if their opinions could be wrong). I suppose if I were to add some components to my ingredients, it would have to be kind, connected to nature/the universe and thoughtful. 

Week 9: reading reflection

Hey, Kuratko. Whatchu doing in Chapter 10? From the first time I set my sights on you, it was like running into an old friend. Again in Chapter 10 it's not so much about surprising new facts but about re-learning. Week to week I wonder if we're going to hit a chapter that bridges the gap between past knowledge and what I've missed while I've been gone.

I enjoyed ticking the boxes of common elements in the marketing skills of great entrepreneurs. If anything, I'm lacking the clear vision of what I want to achieve next, but I do have broad concepts I'm pursuing going forward. The bit about living in fear of being preempted in the market is true, but I would like to see the author tie that back into stress and stress relief for entrepreneurs. I suppose the stress is essential, the pressure pushes us forward, but it would be freeing to live free of it.

Does the author feel primary information is more important/relevant than secondary information? Sometimes, in the interest of time, I imagine entrepreneurs operate on secondary information. Certainly at the beginning of a concept we use secondary information to form the framework of the idea. I'm also curious what the author would have to say about mixing up questions for information getting quests (i.e. simple questions then hard questions back to simple questions).

I can understand why scaled questions, which are just as simple as yes/no questions for interviewees to answer, are emphasized, but I would rather push beyond a simple yes/no for specific answers than have a scaled answer. The conformity doesn't cover individual details, though I understand the text is speaking more to paper questionnaires than personal interview.

I'm printing out the web design tips to keep on hand. Has anyone else noticed the helpful charts?! It's like Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all (and file them somewhere for reference).

This chapter prompted thoughts of telemarketers. I have a newfound appreciation for the training telemarketers must have. Think about it. If you've ever stayed on the phone with one, they subtly figure out they're speaking with the decision maker and mine for whether they'll have an angle to sell you their product. Clever, clever.

Idea napkin no. 2

Take two here at Adventures in Entrepreneurship on the 1, 2, 3 Play idea napkin, and I'm drawing a big blank on where to improve and refine my vision.

Let's break it down. If you'd like to read my first go at it, click here. It's like a Choose Your Adventure book! You're welcome. For those of you who want to keep it simple, here are the highlights:

• I'm a mother of two boys under the age of five (three and one, for inquiring minds).
• I have grappled with what to do with my children, particularly during rainy weekends and hot summer days.
• 1, 2, 3 Play is a concept spawned from the problem of no enriching activities for young children, ESPECIALLY indoor activities. 
• My concept focuses on children who fall into the baby, toddler or Pre-K age groups.
• Parents are willing to pay for 1, 2, 3 Play because it provides a safe, age-specific play zone accessible year-round and regardless of weather conditions. 
• I have connections within the community, experience in real estate, negotiating and early child development and the personal connection of being a mother.
• The business idea is another child to me. I understand the client because I am the client, but I have the knowledge and know-how to remove some bias and look at the idea rationally. The statistics support the feasibility and potential profitability. My relationship to the product/service as well as the community gels beautifully with creating and sustaining the business.

Air conditioning. There is tremendous advantage to a temperature-controlled play area; it removes concerns about overheating, sun stroke, sun burn, dehydration or, on the other end of the spectrum, catching a cold. Have you ever put sunscreen on a young child? I remember my first time. I sunscreened my son's face and didn't know to avoid his forehead--as soon as he sweat, it was in his eyes, and he was screaming. Not fun. Children aren't fond of the taste of sunscreen either. 

You may be able to guess I didn't have a lot of feedback on my first idea napkin. While I love the praise, I'd like some criticism lest my ego inflate. I tried to draw some conclusions based on the praise. My biggest takeaway is that mom status gives me street cred. It's funny, this came up in my interview with Enchanted Spirits owner Kathy, who said she faced the question of why did she have the right to start her business. I wonder if that's a question we all face or specific to certain fields. I tend to think it's the former. Signing off in ponderance.