Entrepreneur Journal – Entry 7 (B283)

I really enjoyed this week’s reading and video assignments. My favorite article was by President Spencer W. Kimball – Jesus: The Perfect Leader. It was from an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho, 15 January 1977. I’d like to share parts of it with you today.

President Kimball starts out by saying that “There are far more things to be said about the Lord Jesus Christ’s remarkable leadership than any single article or book could possibly cover, but I want to point out a few of the attributes and skills he demonstrated so perfectly. These same skills and qualities are important for us all if we wish to succeed as leaders in any lasting way."

Jesus knew who he was and why he was here on this planet. That meant he could lead from strength rather than from uncertainty or weakness.

Jesus operated from a base of fixed principles or truths rather than making up the rules as he went along. Thus, his leadership style was not only correct, but also constant.

Jesus said several times, “Come, follow me.” His was a program of “do what I do,” rather than “do what I say.” He walked and worked with those he was to serve. His was not a long-distance leadership. He was not afraid of close friendships; he was not afraid that proximity to him would disappoint his followers. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are with and serve those to be led.

Jesus was a listening leader. Because he loved others with a perfect love, he listened without being condescending. A great leader listens not only to others, but also to his conscience and to the promptings of God.

The Savior’s leadership was selfless. He put himself and his own needs second and ministered to others beyond the call of duty, tirelessly, lovingly, effectively.

Jesus’ leadership emphasized the importance of being discerning with regard to others, without seeking to control them. He cared about the freedom of his followers to choose.

Jesus knew how to involve his disciples in the process of life. He gave them important and specific things to do for their development. Jesus trusts his followers enough to share his work with them so that they can grow. That is one of the greatest lessons of his leadership.

Jesus gave people truths and tasks that were matched to their capacity. He did not overwhelm them with more than they could manage, but gave them enough to stretch their souls.

Jesus taught us that we are accountable not only for our actions but also for our very thoughts.

Jesus also taught us how important it is to use our time wisely.

One of the great teachings of the Man of Galilee, the Lord Jesus Christ, was that you and I carry within us immense possibilities. In urging us to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, Jesus was not taunting us or teasing us. He was telling us a powerful truth about our possibilities and about our potential. All the ennobling, perfect, and beautiful qualities of maturity, of strength, and of courage are found in this one person. We will find it very difficult to be significant leaders unless we recognize the reality of the perfect leader, Jesus Christ, and let him be the light by which we see the way!

What an incredible article! As for my $100 Challenge, I’m still working on it. I’m going to continue to produce and sell product until Week 10 when the assignment is over.

Entrepreneur Journal - Entry 6 (B283)

I really enjoyed the reading and video material this week. It was all focused on providing customer satisfaction. I was amazed at Zappos’ dedication to their company culture of high customer service. Their hiring process is unique in that they give incentives for the potential employees to quit. They know that if the employees do quit, they are not the type of employees that would be dedicated to the culture of the company and therefore are not suited to work for Zappos. I also like how everyone hired at the company, no matter what level in the organization they’ll be working, are all given the same training. This provides them experience at every level which I believe gives them a greater appreciation for what goes on in the company and what it takes to make it work successfully.

I also really enjoyed watching the videos on JetBlue. The CEO was quite funny and had a great attitude about how his company was dedicated to investing in what really mattered. He knew hat airline food was often complained about, so they omitted it in a fun and humorous way. Instead he invested in TVs for the “customers” (he doesn’t call them passengers, and his employees are referred to as crew members.) Each seat is equipped with a TV that the customer is in control of. He saved so much money by investing in what the customer would value as opposed to what the industry norm is.

My $100 Challenge is still going strong. I’ve sold many products, taken requests for new products (which I am now producing), reinvested quite a bit of my revenue into new equipment which makes my products so much easier to create and with exceptional quality. One thing I’ve learned is that individual request are fun, but definitely not cost or time effective. I make so much more money when I produce in bulk and the time element is so much better too. Of course, that’s probably a “no-brainer” concept, but it was interesting to actually experience it. I need to remind myself that I need to take my passion for what I’m making and turn even the individual orders into mass producing orders. Anything beyond what I sell to the individual can easily be sold to others, so I might as well use my time and money more efficiently. I started selling my products over four weeks ago so I think my assignment is done, but I keep selling and producing in hopes of gaining experience through this assignment that will help me when I start my actual business. So far it’s been really fun and gratifying.

Entrepreneur Journal - Entry 5 (B283)

This week has been a tough one. I’ve been very sick. However, when I was finally able to get to the reading assignments I found lots of great information. I especially liked the article “In Praise of the Purple Cow”. Of course, Seth Godin is one of my favorite authors of business books so how could it not have been a great article! Godin talks about creating remarkable products that customers seek out. Once you’ve created something remarkable you need to milk it for all it’s worth and build an environment where you’re likely to create another Purple Cow.

As for my $100 Venture I finished my third batch of product (my last batch of Valentine banners.) I’ve had requests for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, 4^th of July, and Happy Birthday banners. I also got a custom order for a Wedding banner. I’m excited to design and create these, but whether or not I can right now depends on how well I can get through my school work. This semester is a tough one for me. I don’t know if it’s the school work or my family life that is making it tough. All I know is I’m getting burned out which is something I never wanted to happen.

Entrepreneur Journal – Entry 4 (B283)

This week’s reading was packed with great articles all focused on the subject of debt, both monetary debt and spiritual debt. I think the article that impacted me the most was the article by President Faust, “Opening the Windows of Heaven”:

He included a quote by Joseph Smith: “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” He continues, “Those who do not make the sacrifice cannot enjoy this faith, because men are dependent upon this sacrifice in order to obtain this faith.” 14

To be faithful members of this Church requires sacrifice and consecration. It means that worldly pleasures and earthly possessions should not be our principal aim in life, because the gift of eternal life requires a willingness to sacrifice all we have and are in order to obtain it.

In our time we are surfeited with a pestilence of violence, evil, and wickedness in so many forms. Those who keep their covenants and pay their tithes and offerings will have some extra defense against these virulent modern-day forms of evil. But this protection will not come with a sacrifice which costs us nothing.

I say this because the world’s religious drift is obvious. If something can be had cheaply, without exertion or sacrifice, people do not mind having a little bit of it. In contrast, the blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints require both exertion and sacrifice. Receiving the blessings requires the payment of tithes and offerings. Ours is not a Sunday-only religion. It demands exemplary conduct and effort every day of the week. It involves accepting calls and serving with fidelity in those callings. It means strength of character, integrity, and honesty to the Lord and our fellowmen. It means that our homes need to be places of sanctuary and love. It means a relentless battle against the bombardment of worldly evils. It means, at times, being unpopular and politically incorrect.

The readings this week were very humbling and comforting. I enjoyed every one of them.

My $100 Challenge is still going strong. I decided to invest the profits from my first two batches of product in a machine that will make production so much faster and easier. The machine cost $212 and has already paid for itself in the batch I am now finishing. I sent out an email stating that I had a few last minute orders for Valentine Banners and wondering if anyone else still wanted one. I received over $200 in orders for banners for Valentines, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Happy Birthday. Once again, I was shocked and happy.