22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3

The most important thing that I focused on was being fluent. I wanted what I was saying to sound logical and sound like I knew what I was talking about very well. This might have slightly compromised my enthusiasm, however, I think the substance improved.

As I said above, the biggest difference was in how comfortable I was doing it this time. I needed much less prep time and knew exactly what I was going to say going in. This made the pitch much less stressful and a lot easier to complete.

21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

1.) The book that I read was Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker and it discussed three main stages: The practice of innovation, the practice of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial strategies associated. In this first part, Peter F. Drucker describes innovation as to how entrepreneurs utilize new patterns and trends to create new business opportunities and services for customers. He explains that innovation takes many forms and that it is important to understand demographics, opinions and perceptions and industry structures when determining the best ways of creating this innovation for consumers. The second section discusses entrepreneurship on a more complete level, looking at entrepreneurial competence as a necessity for maintaining a successful business. This includes keeping current with economic and social trends and adjusting your businesses and products to meet these demands. The final section of the book focuses on certain strategies that are vital to businesses being successful in this current day and age. Strategies that he included are finding good leaders and motivating individuals to perform well, finding a new or existing market and establishing a stronghold on it, narrowing your company/product by finding the right niche and altering economic characteristics of the market and industry you are in.

2.) I found this book to be very useful considering the current information we are learning. Drucker did a good job of explaining the true meaning of entrepreneurship and the important aspects of it. It furthered my knowledge of strategies utilized by entrepreneurs to successfully market products and explained how changing trends can negatively impact a business. Having a book like this as a resource is very useful when learning about entrepreneurial ideas, strategies, and goals.

3.) The exercise I would design would involve conducting background information on economic and social trends in the market and how that could impact your business idea. It is necessary to fully understand the market you are in to be able to come up with the best possible product for consumers.

4.) The thing that surprised me the most was how important understanding changes in the market were. I figured that most markets were relatively stable and didn't change that much, however, that is not the case. Social and economic trends can completely alter a market and change the important tools needed to succeed within it.

20A - Growing Your Social Capital

Person 1:

Brian Grieper is a sports agent from South Florida. He has been an agent for over ten years. He is a domain expert when it comes to the sports representation market. He fills the spot by serving as a liaison between athletes and sports teams and scouts. I found the person online and reached out via email and scheduled a phone call. He enjoyed my hard work and dedication, including my persistence to get a phone call and find out what he did to become successful. Having him in my network will allow me to ask valuable questions about my future product and will give me a connection when trying to enter the industry later.

Person 2:

John Mas is a corporate sponsorship employee at the Orange Bowl and has been doing it for over 20 years. He has a lot of experience with young South Florida athletes by throwing many events for them throughout the year. He is a market expert and is able to understand the process of acquiring talent in the area. I have interned for them the past two summers and contacted him for this via email. He explained that the industry is very difficult and I need to be on top of my stuff. While working there, he loved my passion for sports. Having him in my network will provide me with a valuable resource for conducting business in the region.

Person 3:

The third person is Sammy Schulman, the CFO for the Miami Heat. He has been doing this for many years and understands the direct interactions between athletes and sports teams, including contract negotiations and sponsorships. He is a supplier because he helps supply athletes with acquiring contracts with his organization. I reached out to him via email because he is a family friend of mine. He answered some questions that I had regarding this business idea and understands I am trying to get involved in the industry. Having him as a contact in the future will result in more positive connections.

I will always be sure to stay in contact with these individuals and already have a letter of recommendation from one of them. Without sounding cocky, this is a great South Florida network that I have already and I will continue to work on it. This felt the same as experiences in the past because I have already reached out to these people.

19A - Idea Napkin No. 2

1.) My name is Andy Myers and I am a third-year Business Administration major with a specialization in Sports Management and a minor in Communication Studies. Ever since I've been a young kid, I've admired the passion individuals have when competing in sports. It is an industry that brings the best out of people and generates valuable experiences for many people. As I grew up, I developed great communication skills, a hardcore commitment and dedication to accomplishing my goals and very good planning skills. This has prepared me for school and for obtaining valuable experiences in the real world. I have volunteered for multiple sports organizations including the Orange Bowl Committee, Miami Heat, and the University Athletic Association. I really want to work in sports one day, more specifically by going to law school and representing athletes. I see this business idea directly impacting my future career because it is a website I can use myself to recruit athletes and to market myself.

2.) My idea is a platform that allows athletes and agents to connect with each other in a way that has not been previously done. Rather than having a free for all and letting the major agencies steal all the top talent, this website levels the playing field by focusing on registering as many agencies and athletes as possible, allowing them to connect and interact fully online.

3.) There are two different target markets, the first being young adults/middle-aged individuals who are sports agents. These people are typically impatient, direct and passionate, meaning the website needs to be easy to explain in a short amount of time and can allow them to reach out to athletes at a fast rate. The other market is athletes around the ages of 18-24 who are trying to go pro and need representation. These players aren't always the most knowledgable and generally have less money than agents, so getting their name out there is very important.

4.) Agents and athletes can truly utilize this website to impact their futures, whether that is agents acquiring more talent and athletes becoming more recognizable by scouts and professional teams. This platform can truly make each of these target markets more money.

5.) I am a very hard worker who is dedicated to his craft. I am able to set my mind to something and achieve it. This will allow me to be pleasantly persistent when pitching my sales idea to agents and also athletes. Based on my research, nobody else has come up with this product, meaning I have found a cutting edge technology/product that could geniunely make money.

As I said before, this is a product I have been thinking about for a while and something I take a lot of pride in. I am ready to start creating this product and to start selling it to companies. Based on the analysis I got from peers, I am ready to start generating the platform to sell. There was no negative feedback.

18A - Create a Customer Avatar

There are two prototypical avatars that I have for my business idea.

The first is a sports agent. I imagine him/her to be a 30-year-old who is a very hard worker. They have a young family, live in a nice house and make 6 figures a year. They have a business and law background and have experiences working in sports. They enjoy staying in shape, browsing social media, and spending time with their family. They love comedies and action films but are very critical of them due to their law background. They enjoy great political leaders who aren't afraid to speak their mind.

The second is a young athlete. This person is in their college years trying to make it to the pros. They are in love with their respective sport and are striving to make it one day. They are currently not making money but are studying sports management in case they don't make it to the league/ to prepare themselves for another profession once they retire. They love hanging out with friends, going out to eat and going to the beach in their spare time. When away from school, they still live with their parents.

(I was having trouble making a second avatar, it kept reverting back to the first one.)

I have a lot in common with the sports agent. It is what I want to do in life and it also seems to be a very likely destination for myself as well. I think because I happen to be designing a product in a field that I want to do, that it makes sense for this person to be like myself.

17A - Elevator Pitch No. 2

Unfortunately, I didn't get any feedback from the last elevator pitch, so I self-evaluated myself. Looking back, I should have worn a suit jacket and I should have sounded more dynamic. This time around, I decided to sound more energetic in the beginning to serve as a better hook. Then, I realized that I didn't explain in detail about how I can really benefit the customer, so I entertained that idea even more. This is what I ended up altering during this video.

16A - What's Your Secret Sauce

I truly believe that I am the hardest worker that I know. When given a task, I make sure to jump on top of it and get it done efficiently and effectively. I am a very good communicator and make sure that everybody is on the page at all times. The reason that I have such a good start to my future career in sports management/athlete representation is due to exactly this. I work very hard and always ask questions that allow me to understand the task at hand. This allows me to finish any work given above expectations directed towards myself.

Interviewer 1: My father says that my ability to make people smile separates myself from others. This can have an impact on many people and influence them to either work hard as well or have a good time doing so. Also, he mentioned that I have the passion and drive to succeed in everything you do.

Interviewer 2: My mother talked up my hard work and focus as well, but directed it towards the impact it has on my grades in particular. She acknowledged my ability to succeed in school and how that can impact my future. She said that by learning how to study now, I will then learn in time how to work hard when it comes to my future profession.

Interviewer 3: My older sister focused on the skills I had, such as being a fast typer, knowledge of the sports and business industries, and my ability to work with others and to lead them. This was quite a surprise to me, as I didn't expect such an advanced answer.

Interviewer 4: My younger sister said that I was very funny and this can be used to make people like me. In doing so, I will have better chances of receiving internships and jobs in the future.

Interviewer 5: My grandmother went on and on about my smile and composure and how this will help me become a better communicator over time. The confidence that she has seen in me can result in leaving a great first impression with whoever I meet.

I see myself as a very caring, hardworking individual focused on doing what I want to do one day. Others see me as someone who has charisma and charm and that always likes to have fun and make people laugh. I think the main difference in this is that my family doesn't how hard I work at times, because they only see the playful side of me. I don't study or do work around them, so this creates this difference. I believe that both parties are accurate, they are just different.