Journey to Success

"The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile."    - Plato This weeks studies were centering around the art of self mastery. N. Eldon Tanner gave a talk entitled, "Success is gauged by Self-Mastery." In the talk he stated that there were 2 elements of self mastery. One was to determine your course and set the sails of moral standards in your life. The second was to use will power to put wind in your sails to carry yourself forward. The idea is to set your standard before you are challenged with the storms and then use your self control and willpower to stay on the right track. We also studied a piece called "So You Want to be an Entrepreneur?" from the Acton School of Business. The piece reviewed three critical areas of knowledge you need to have a hold of to get started. 1.) Industry knowledge about the competitive structure of the industry you are in and having personal contact...

"The slogan "push on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. "                                - Calvin Coolidge This week I was inspired by the word "PERSEVERE". We learned about how long term results and mastery of skill are best achieved through patient, diligent efforts, over a long period of time.  The following items caught my attention during my study: While reading "Are Sucessful Entrepreneurs Born or Made" by Jeff Sandefer,  I learned that the following things are the assets that are gained through deposits of skill and character: Industry Expertise Good Business Judgement Relationships and Reputation These deposits of skill and character should be made in a consistent way, during a lifelong entrepreneurial journey of trial, error, and struggle. By staying the course day by day, year after year you are better able to run a successful business easier than...

Journal Week 4 This week was intense for me. My family was directly in the path of Hurricane Michael.   I watched as the storm churned its way up the Gulf swirling its wispy sharp gusts closer and closer to my hometown. The storm went through and did its dirty deeds, leaving the people in the area clinging to the hope that they could recover from the devastation Michael left in his wake. After I knew that my family and their properties were safe, I was left pondering whether I was prepared in my life to weather the storms. In the event of something catastrophic, “How will I measure my life?” As I was studying all of the material for this week I found so much of it motivating, and I was really grateful for all of the clearly defined steps that are introduced. I love a good list. Clayton Christensen introduced me to a new way of thinking about management when he said, “Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to...

“Mankind is your true business.”   – Jacob Marley , A Christmas Story, Charles Dickens This week we covered some really great concepts. The guiding theme though came down to how to have a career in the business world that is one of INTEGRITY. It talked a lot about the temptations that come with money and working with others. Things to avoid, and ways to stay stalwart in the face of those things. I feel really blessed to be partaking in training for business here at BYUI this week. Where else would there be such an emphasis on the ethical nature of running a successful business. In the talk “Making a Living and a Life” by Lynn G. Robbins he came up with a grading system from A to F of motives in the workplace. He inspired me to seek out a love of God and my fellowman as the primary motivation in my business and the income as the secondary motivation. A few questions he said to ask as principles to help make A level choices were the following: 11.)     Ca...