Entrepreneur. When people hear this word they often think of owning a business, working for yourself, large paychecks and setting your own schedule. They think of innovative thinkers and world changers - people who think and act outside the box. I’ve always considered myself somewhat of an entrepreneur since most of my younger years were spent like this:
While this idealistic idea of entrepreneurship can sometimes be true, the real life of an entrepreneur looks very different. It is often filled with constantly shifting deadlines, work that never leaves you, and a brain that will never shut off. It requires confidence in yourself and your work, strength to push through each day, and the motivation to never give up. Entrepreneurship is one of the most emotionally rewarding yet taxing ways of life.
All jokes aside, entrepreneurship doesn’t mean you have to own a company. Individuals can embrace entrepreneurial mindsets with innovative thinking, flexibility and the ability to make decisions based on gut feelings. They are people who think outside the box and operate outside of the norm. This type of mindset usually makes an individual feel trapped in a normal office environment which is why several choose to try it on their own.
As I mentioned before, I have always been a bit of an entrepreneur. At age 10 I discovered that I could sell my unused or wanted toys to my friends (I do apologize to all those that I convinced to buy my Barbies). At age 12 I began babysitting and by age 14 I was running a full piano lesson studio. My sophomore year in college I realized that I never even had a “real” job.
My junior year of college I decided to take a leap of faith and open a digital marketing agency with my brother. This was my only source of income at the time which forced me to pour my whole self into the business. While I discovered fairly quickly that I was not at all passionate about marketing, the lessons I learned in that year were truly invaluable. I not only learned how to handle a client and draft a proposal, I learned how to alter a sales pitch based on the individual I was speaking with and deal with stressful client relationships. Although we only operated the agency for a year, the skills I gained are still with me.
The fall semester of my senior year has been a time of extreme growth for me, both personally and professionally. I have been able to enhance my entrepreneurial skills this semester as I worked with the office of Strategic Communication at Old Dominion University for various class projects. Even though I thought I hated marketing, I discovered that I do enjoy writing marketing strategies for social media campaigns. Being able to take over the university’s snapchat for a day taught me the importance of being present to capture the monumental moments.
I’ve learned how to adapt the plan on short notice and gain different perspectives on various assignments. One of the most important lessons this class has taught me is how to get the information that I need. Sometimes it takes some work to locate a person or information needed for a story. Sometimes what you thought you needed turns out not to be the case. But many times the process is where the true value is found.
Although I’ve learned several valuable lessons and had many unique experiences, this semester has not been easy. I’ve struggled to keep up with school assignments while also working 40-60 hours per week. I’ve had to work extremely hard to get my group to cooperate on the work and often ended up completing the group assignments by myself. But these stressful factors have also taught me to keep an open mind and be ready for whatever comes my way. There are no excuses for not living to my fullest potential.
While I’ve had many opportunities to grow personally, I have also experienced a tremendous amount of professional growth. Running a marketing agency taught me how to effectively pitch products or services. What I discovered this semester is that it also taught me how to pitch myself. This comes especially in handy for job interviews! I learned not to be afraid of failure but instead to use it as a launch pad for the next step in life. So when I was rejected for my first “grown-up” job, I didn’t spend the next week watching netflix in my bed. Instead I reached out and asked for tips on how to improve my resume and enhance my work experience. This positive reaction to negative news landed me my first career type job in the hospitality industry.
I’ve spent a large portion of my life (3 years is considered large when you’ve only lived 20) in marketing and now I spend most of my days in sales. I don’t by any means think I have mastered the art of either marketing or sales, but I have discovered a few things about my ability.
For me to be an effective marketer or salesperson I have to believe in what I am selling. This semester and the past two years have shown me that there is no better product or service to sell than Old Dominion University. It is a place that has challenged me as a student, grown me as a friend and prepared me to be an employee. It’s a place where instructors like Brendan and Caitlin spend hours pouring into students just because they care. It’s a place that provides an opportunity for learning both classroom and life skills. It’s a place where faculty and staff members are always willing to share wisdom and experience over a cup of coffee. It’s a place that has empowered me to be the very best version of myself and prepared me for life after graduation. It’s the best place I could have chosen for school. That is my #whyODU.