Am I an entrepreneur?

When pondering over this question my immediate answer is no, I am not an entrepreneur. I do not create grandiose concepts or products. In fact, it is not very often I even think “hey this might be a good idea.” However, that does not mean I would not like to become one. Entrepreneurs in my mind are people of high status, they are independent, and just truly astounding. Maybe, just maybe entrepreneurs are everything I want to be. Nothing could be greater than being my own boss who at the same time changes people’s lives in a good way. That just might allow me to reach Maslow’s highest tier in the hierarchy of needs (self-actualization). This seems like an overwhelming task though, that my normal self would shy away from due to the unknowns and challenges. I hope that this class will show me how to be an entrepreneur and give me the confidence to start taking action.

 What is success?

Success in my opinion is very subjective. One’s idea of success is not going to be the same as another’s idea of success. For one person, getting through high school on time and going straight to work instead of college is seen as a success. Meanwhile, another person might see continual education (college) as a success. What seems to really matter is what an individual’s goals are and what they need to accomplish to feel successful. It also does not have to matter if others view you as successful or not. Personally, for me, success is getting through college to find the job that makes me the happiest and, in the process, helps people along the way.

Am I a self-starter? How well do I follow through on my ideas?

I would say yes, I am a self-starter especially when it comes to making my life richer and better. I do not rely on anyone to hand me anything to get what it is that I want, nor did I need someone to tell me what I wanted/needed to do. My almost finished degree, my upcoming degrees, the jobs I have had, and the activities I partake in are all because I told myself “Yes you can” and then did it (or plan on doing it). To me, that demonstrates a self-starter. Moreover, I think I also follow through pretty well on my ideas. My mind will constantly replay ideas like a broken record until I follow through. When I say ideas though, I mean ideas like continual education or dream jobs. Innovative ideas are not something I really think about and if a thought does cross my mind, then I do not do anything about it.

How does Old Dominion University view entrepreneurship?

The entire first module within the CPD 494 course is titled “Entrepreneurship the ODU way,” and the module essentially goes over the basics of entrepreneurship such as definitions, how to tackle entrepreneurship, and examples. However, what really captures how ODU views entrepreneurship would have to be the student success stories featured on ODU’s YouTube channel. One video highlighted students by the names of Sophia O’Neal, Jack Chacon/Max Hall, Janay Brown, Maurice Brooks, and Blade Taylor (Old Dominion University, 2017). The student’s who have started their own businesses that vary from app development to food services give ample praise to ODU’s Strome Entrepreneurial Center and the support it has given (Old Dominion University, 2017). This shows me that ODU views entrepreneurship as a valuable matter that should focus its efforts on the young minds that attend ODU. Way to go Monarchs!

Reference:

Old Dominion University (Director). (2017, October 5). ODU Entrepreneurs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnmdWkOJQKc

What is my role in this ecosystem?

As people experience life, they might find themselves falling into different categories of work. I consider some of these categories to be nurturing, teaching, leading, and supporting. For example, a nurturing field is the medical field, teaching falls under educational institutions, leading could be exemplified in managerial roles, and those exemplifying support would be those who work under the leaders to keep the company afloat. Each category can be found anywhere it seems. I consider myself someone who takes on a supporting role in this ecosystem. Cybersecurity is essential to protecting networks and choosing that field is showing my support for the safekeeping of others’ information. It is important to note that just because it’s “support” does not mean that I can’t create and be innovative. Supporting roles also have to be creative to approach problems head-on.