- Am I an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is somebody who takes an idea and moves it forward into innovation to create something like a business. Entrepreneurs also need to have vision and some motivation in order to get their idea for a business off the ground. They have to be able to fail and continue trying to make something work, because no successful business has worked on the first go around.
- What is success?
Success can be defined in different metrics. The most obvious success in a business venture is financial, where a business successfully turns a profit throughout its operation. Success could also be measured in improvement of quality of life for consumers, maybe in the form of a medical advancement where the company might not have profited but they made an innovation that helped people. Success could also be measured in winning, in the case of a sports team. The team might not profit, but if they win the Super Bowl or the World Series, it can be seen as an overall success.
- Am I a self-starter? How well do I follow through on my ideas?
I would not consider myself a self-starter, because I am not really a business-minded individual, but I would consider myself internally motivated. I am able to do something simply because I put my mind to it, even if it is something not really useful to every day life. For example, I have memorized every country in the world and their capitals because I wanted to see if my memory could hold it. So, while I am not really a self-starter as far as innovation goes, I am able to follow through on things I want.
- How does ODU view entrepreneurship?
ODU definitely encourages entrepreneurship especially through the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, which is dedicated to helping students with their ideas and helps them figure out on how to make a functional and feasible business model. Strome aims to make sure these students are on the right track because ODU wants all of its students and alumni to be successful in their ventures.
- What is my role in this ecosystem?
My role is to continue learning and gaining knowledge and experience using the tools that ODU provides for me so that I can best prepare myself for being able to carry out an entrepreneurship should I ever have that ambition. After I graduate, I will represent ODU in the business world as an individual and I will be somewhat of a reflection of how people might view ODU, so it is important that I try my best to succeed and create something that can be meaningful to others.