14- Halfway Reflection

For this course, I have found starting early helps. Yes, you can do most of the blogs last minute, but you won’t get anything out of them. If you really want to start a business, these assignments are valuable tools. Pick something you are passionate about because it’s a lot of work if you don’t care. I was lucky because I already had a business in mind and have actually been running the online component for nearly 5 years. Read over the assignments, think about them and then begin. Think about how they will help you and what you can get out of them. The interviews are especially valuable! I really learned a lot and gained a much better perspective on customer needs and opportunities. These are definitely worth taking the time to do if you are serious.

Starting early gives you the time to process the assignment and then find the tools you need to complete it. These are not things you can do off the top of your head and last minute. I think to be successful, you really need to think about the exercises. Think about what your ultimate goal is and this will help shape how you work through the challenges.


I believe I have had a tenacious attitude since day one. This attitude, teamed with my passion, is how I created the nonprofit to which my business idea will be an extension of. Passion is necessary for tenacity. Find your passion and the determination will follow. “Be fearless in that which sets you soul on fire,” is one of my favorite quotes. Life is short, so why try and do something you don’t like! I think these tools and exercises have helped me understand where to steer my focus and harness the tenacity towards solid planning and feasibility. I think my passion and belief in what I am creating (have created) is what drives me. It pushes me to try and get the most out of each exercise. I have found some of the assignments really challenging, but have come out the other side with greater knowledge and a better focus on certain aspects of my business. The harder the assignment, the more I learned.


Defining the market outside the boundaries, was tough, but very insightful. I assumed everyone in the South Florida area with students would want to visit a shark education center, but this is wrong. It was hard to hear that some people have zero interest, but it also helped me rethink and refine my market. It also gives me more determination to spread shark education to more people.

1. Find something you are passionate about! You have to love what you are doing to work hard enough for it to be successful. Kind of liking something is not enough. It might get you though a little bit, but it won’t last.

2. Look at each exercise as an opportunity to learn and become one step closer to actually bringing your idea to life. These are not simply assignments, but are actually valuable steps in a real life process.

3.Have fun! It has to be fun! You can work hard, but still you need to love it.

4. Drink lots of coffee!