The advice I would give to someone who wants to start the journey to become an entrepreneur would be to make sure that person is aware of what it will take.  The person will first need an idea that he or she believes in, and is willing to do what it takes to make it work.  I would have that person do their homework.  Find out if this idea already exists.  Find out how much money it will take to produce this idea, how much overhead it will take, and if there is a market for it. 

I would give the advice I received over the course of this class.  This person will need to be willing to take risks.  These risks should be calculated and timed correctly for it to work properly. This person would need to set rules that they will live by.  Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of time, and if you are not careful you can lose track of other important things like family.  I would tell this person to keep their priorities straight.  I would have them find out what is most important to them, then I would tell them to never forget it.  The eternal perspective is most important.  Keep it at the front of their mind at all times.

                The last advice I would give is to never give up on your goals and dreams.  The road will be rocky and difficult, but don’t give up.  In a talk given by Thomas S. Monson entitled, “Finishers Wanted” he says, “From the very beginning to the present time, a fundamental question remains to be answered by each who runs the race of life. Shall I falter, or shall I finish? On the answer await the blessings of joy and happiness here in mortality and eternal life in the world to come.” I believe the biggest difference between a successful entrepreneur and anyone else is their ability to keep going.  They don’t take “no” for an answer.  They are willing to finish the race to success.   

I was reminded this week of the importance of gratitude.  In a talk given by Thomas S. Monson he says,

“This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.”

This quote caused me to wonder what my attitude is about the world we live in today.  If my attitude is not showing my gratitude for all my blessings, then I need an attitude adjustment.  Like the quote says, there are a lot of bad things going on in this world, but there are a lot of good things too.  I find myself getting caught up with all the things wrong so much at times that I don’t notice all the good.  When I take the time to show gratitude for all the blessings in my life, I feel the love of my Heavenly Father, and I am able to see many more blessings happening all around me that I may have otherwise missed.  Heavenly Father does care and wants the best for everyone.  This world is a great place to live.

I was reminded the reasons why I want to be an entrepreneur.  Being an entrepreneur is hard work, but it’s worth it just for the freedom you have not working for someone else.  I went back to work for a company recently for different reasons.  One reason was because I need more experience in the field that I chose in order to expand my opportunities as a business owner.  To go to the next step in my plan, I need this added experience.  I am quickly being reminded why I enjoyed working for myself.  I have spent the last three months not in control with my time or life.  The pay is decent, and the company treats me well, but I am not as happy as I was.  I never felt over worked and under appreciated when I worked for myself.  I was in control.  I could come and go as I pleased.  I didn't have to answer to anyone.  I am learning valuable skills and experience right now so I will stay the course as long I need to.  That is one of the biggest things I miss working for myself.  As soon as the opportunity comes again, I will go on my own once more.

Family and true friends should be the reason to accomplish anything in life.  Why do we work?  What motivates us?  It shouldn't be the money.  It shouldn't be the recognition.  It should be about being able to provide for our wives and children that we have been entrusted with.  This brings us pure joy and satisfaction.  It is a hard balance sometimes.  The way we do work has changed with technology.  There really is no 9 to 5 anymore.  Work can follow us home 24-7 especially for entrepreneurs.  A lot of them are one man shows who wear all the hats in the business.  It has become very difficult to separate personal time and professional time.  It is important to make rules and to live by them no matter what.  Family should always be just as important or most important in our lives.  If we lose focus and lose family then what do we have?  I understand that the work of an entrepreneur becomes very important.  It’s our baby.  We want it to become the best.  This is where we can get into trouble.  It’s that balance we need to keep.  This is why making rules and sticking with them is vital.  We need to keep our families along the ride to success.  

Life is moving fast.  The world is changing.  Business is changing right along with it.  The way we do business has changed and will continue to change.  Technology is the driving force of all the change.  We are able to accomplish so much more at a faster rate thanks to technology.  There is a constant need of adaptation to business policies. The business world has become an entrepreneurial playground.  Businesses need new ideas and procedures to keep up with the pace.  Whatever business is willing to change and to take calculated risks will be the businesses that will keep up and survive.  Who can think outside the box?  I’m not saying we need to reinvent the wheel, but we do need to think of ways to make the wheel faster, stronger, and maybe even cheaper than ever before.  We live in California and my 13 year old daughter and I were looking out over the ocean and I commented on how much water there is, and my daughter said, “Why can’t we use some to at least water the land because of the drought we are in?”  I told her to that she should figure out a way to do so.  Things like this can be done thanks to the entrepreneurial thinking and spirit.

It is true that good guys finish last and it is fantastic.  It is fantastic especially in the entrepreneurial game.  Coming in last usually means you have been out the longest.  Longevity is the name of the game.  Your credibility grows the longer you are in business. To be successful in business, you need to be honest and loyal in all your dealings.  You will receive the same treatment in return.  This is the only way to do business.  If you are not honest or loyal it will eventually catch up to you.  Just being a nice guy will get you farther than someone who isn't.  Who wants to be around someone who is only there for himself, and not to help make things better for everyone around?  Businesses function better with nice, honest, and loyal people.  There is stronger unity.  There is better team work.  There is a saying that says, “One bad apple can spoil the whole butch.”  It only takes one person to spoil a business deal.  The service may have been top notch, but that one guy or girl that had a bad attitude could be the only thing keeping you from being a return customer. 

I have learned that it is just as important to remember how you got to where you are as much as it is to keep pressing forward.  How did you become the person you are now?  What sacrifices where made to provide you with what you needed to accomplish what you have accomplished?  Remembering all the blessing you have enjoyed so far will help you stay focused on the future.  You will have a bigger desire to not let all of that hard work go to waste.  It is like when a teammate goes down before the end of the season. This teammate has been very influential to the team’s success so far.  The rest of the team will usually dedicate the rest of the season to that player.  They will use it as motivation to play their very best.  My ancestors came over on a boat from England, then made their way across the United States from Louisiana.  They helped settle Southern Utah.  I am sure there were many trials and hardships suffered.  I am grateful for their testimonies and determination to endure so that now my family and I can enjoy the blessing of being born under the covenant.  I plan to do the same for my kids, grand kids, and so on. 

I have learned that there is so much more to business than making money.  Making money is great and is a fine motivator, but you shouldn't do things just for the money.  You will not be happy.  You will not feel satisfied.  You should want to do something because you love doing it, and that it is changing the world around you for the better.  If you do it well the money will come.  Companies who are in it just for the money are not around very long.  It shows through the product and service.  Even employees show why they are there without them realizing it a lot of times.  How many times have you been to a restaurant and the service was terrible?  It was probably an employee there just for the money.  It is all about the attitude.  Even if the job you have right now isn't what you are striving for, it is better to have the best attitude possible.  Waiters who show that they are there to serve the customer and to try their best with a smile get the better tips.  I believe this is true for all positions in business.  Show up and give it your best and things will always work out for the better.   

Being successful is gauged on self-discipline.  This is why we are here on this earth.  We are here to master ourselves against temptation and selfishness.  Being a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of self-discipline.  No one is going to do the work for us.  We have to be the one who takes charge.  We have to be the one to manage our time effectively, and to do what needs to be done.  It takes a lot of time to be an entrepreneur.  This is why it is very important to prioritize our lives.  We need to remember what is most important to us.  We need to make rules to live by to make sure we leave enough time for those important things.  Having self-discipline will help us keep those rules.  Family is important to me.  They are the reason I do anything anymore.  They are my motivation.  If work gets in the way of my time with the family, then it is not worth it to me.  There is a way to do both.  It is something that doesn’t just happen.  It is a balance that is found through planning, hard work, and discipline.  I believe that I am happiest when my life is balanced.   

You can have everything you need to succeed, but you never will succeed without action.  You can have the degrees and diplomas.  You can have the skills, talents, and support.  None of these things will do you any good without action.  It is the drive, determination, and perseverance that will get you places.  I have seen it over and over again in my life.  People who have the education, the talents, and the support from family and friends still haven’t gotten any further than someone without all those things.  Drive, determination, and perseverance are all shared characteristics or personality traits of successful entrepreneurs.  It is when you are doing and working you learn the right and wrong way to do things.  Your talents and strengths become stronger and more polished.  You develop connections and relationships that help and support you and your business.  As you are moving forward, other opportunities present themselves.  You find out what you are good at, and you become good at other things.  It is the “street smarts” that are most valuable.   It is how you deal with people that will determine how people will deal with you.  Dealing honestly with people is the only way to go if you want to succeed.  

Even though we are members of the church who know, more than most, what our purpose in life should be.  We know where we want to be, or where we want to end up.  The hard part is finding out what we are going to do in the meantime that will help us reach our goal.  Each individual is uniquely blessed with certain talents, interests, and advantages in life.  The decisions we make, and how we use our strengths will determine our success or happiness in life.  One of my best decisions I have ever made was to marry my wife, and to have children.  My family brings me joy beyond words.  Having a family brings responsibility.  There is an immediate need to support the family.  I have a pretty good paying job.  Is it what I was born to do? I don’t think so, but I’m good at it.  I am providing for my family, and that makes me happy right now.  The work itself doesn't bring the most joy, but what it provides does.  I don’t believe you need to only do what you love or what you were born to do to be happy.  That stuff is great, and maybe down the road I’ll have time to figure that out, but for now, my calling is to be a father and husband.  This is what brings me joy.  This is what gets me out of bed every morning.  This is what drives me to do my best at whatever I’m doing.

I was reminded of the importance of ethics in the business world.  Being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we made a covenant to take on the name of Jesus Christ.  This means we agree to live a higher law, and we agree to take on more responsibilities.  I believe the most important responsibility we take on is to be honest in all that we do.  We not only represent ourselves.  We represent Jesus Christ.  The great thing about taking on this responsibility is that we get so much more back than what we put in.  It is like an investment.  The Lord blesses us as we live our lives according to his teachings.  By being honest, we become trust worthy.  Who doesn't want to do business with a trustworthy honest business?

Contractors unfortunately have bad reputations for not being honest in their dealings with people.  Being in this line of work, I have seen how easy it would be take advantage of someone to earn an extra dollar or two. There are a lot of contractors that think that this is how to make money fast and easy, but they couldn't be more wrong.  I have chosen to go the other way, and to be honest.  I am now a contractor that people can trust and look to first for help.  In turn, I have become more successful than those other guys. 

What I have learned so far

I have learned that whatever calling in life we feel is the right one, we still need to make sure that it works hand in hand with the gospel.  Is it what the Lord would have you do?  Does it help or hinder your eternal progression?  I also think this goes right along with achieving childhood dreams.  Is it that important to achieve these goals?  I think it depends on the dream, and what that dream will ultimately bring you.  The only real dream I had growing up was to be a professional athlete.  I wanted to play in the NFL or the NBA.  I’m not saying that these are bad dreams and that all professional athletes are not good people.  I believe that there are a lot of athletes that do good things and are a positive influence in society.  I’m just saying for me, it may not have turned out that great.  I know myself, and I know that the reasons I wanted to be a professional athlete may not have helped me eternally.  It can be very different for other people.  I think as we grow and learn what works for us and what doesn't, we can better choose what dreams and callings in life will best help us succeed in this life and the next.

First Journal Entry 9/18/2014

  First Journal Entry 9/18/2014

My eyes have been opened more on what makes an entrepreneur.  Just starting a business does not make someone an entrepreneur.  A quote from the move Robots comes to mind, "See a need fill a need." This to me is an entrepreneur minded person.  This is someone who is always thinking of ways to better improve something.  I agree with what Guy Kawasaki was saying about doing what you love, but the timing has to be right.  For example, I have a growing family with immediate needs. It would be downright selfish of me to look for something that I love to do, and try to make money doing it while my family starves.  The timing is not right for me right now.  Then again, I love having a family.  Providing for my family makes me happy right now even if I am doing something I don't absolutely love doing for income. That could change later on.   

I feel very blessed being a part of BYUI.  It is a grand institution that is led by the spirit.  As President Hinckley said, “The disparity between the world and this church will grow and lengthen and we will become more and more of a peculiar people.”  Let it be so.