16A: What's Your Secret Sauce

1) Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list. 

1. Empathy: I think actively listening and processing what the other person is saying can make you a more empathic person. While the other person is talking, I think about what they are saying and how they are feeling instead of thinking to myself what I am going to say next. This skill has made me into someone people come to talk too.

2. Organizational Skills: I LOVE planning. I set up routines, write in my planner and am very goal oriented which helps me get all my tasks done on time.

3. Disciplined: I feel as though I know exactly what it takes to get tasks done and how much time it will take me. I know when to say "no" and how much work I can handle at once.

4. Harmony: I tend to steer groups of people away from confrontation. New ideas are very integral to anything but I do like to find the common ground between people. I prefer to be more practical rather than arguing and debating.

5. Loyal: When I am committed to something/someone, I am committed. I finish everything to the best of my ability. I treat my friends with respect and am always by their side for when they need me.

https://youtu.be/cCRa1u_jkL4

Rachel's Interview: Rachel is in my sorority and she is rooming with me next year. She describes me as someone who she can always count on and someone who puts time and energy into everything.

Rob's Interview: Rob, my dad, has known me my whole life and coached my softball team for 3 years. He knows how I am most productive when I have structure and routine. I am such a planner/organizer so when he says I understand I must achieve levels of repetition and preparation to get the outcome I desire, that is more than true.

Hannah's Interview: Hannah is my current roommate and we are also rooming together next year. She describes me as someone who is intentional and passionate about everything I do.

Sydney's Interview: Sydney is in my sorority and is rooming with me next year. She describes me as someone who is very proactive with getting work done ahead of time and doing the extra work that goes unnoticed.

Kaylee's Interview: Kaylee is my big in my sorority and one of my best friends. She knows how I value quality in my work/friendships and how I have an intense work ethic.

Reflection: I believe my view of myself and others view of me is pretty similar. I know I am such a structured and planned out person. A common theme was how reliable and intentional I was which really made me feel good about myself as I strive to have those two qualities. I would not make any corrections to my list. 

15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

Report Findings

• In each interview, I learned more about the technical side of my product. All these people I interviewed were double my age, which is probably why they are more knowledgeable about household items and big purchases.
•  Trisha, my first interviewee, believes that price matters but that isn't the most important thing. She emphasized how she doesn't want to buy the most expensive toilet; however, she doesn't want to buy the least expensive toilet because it might break. She mentioned that as long as the quality is there, she would be willing to spend around $1500 on my product. 
• Max, my second interviewee, would definitely be interested in my product but does not want to be the first person to use it. He would wait for it to be a few years on the market in order to look at feedback from online reviews. When I initially brought up style, he said he would not care as a toilet is behind closed doors and is not a focal point of the house; however, he would not want it to be a monstrosity of a toilet and mentioned that the computer part should be discreet (thinking about guest use).
• Denise, my third interviewee, gave me more insight on the actual purchasing of the product. She would be more inclined to buy it online as she believes there is no reason for lifting and carrying a heavy box in/out of the car. She also gave me the idea of doing monthly payments (like furniture stores do), as the big ticket price my intimidate people.

Draw Conclusions

Through my interviews, I definitely learned more about the nitty-gritty of my product: what works for people and what doesn't, what is practical and what is not. They all seemed to agree that if the quality is there and it saves them money in the long run, they would seriously think about buying this product. What makes them realize whether it was a good purchase or not, is if it helps them save money, time and/or energy.

Assignment 13A: Reading Reflection No. 1

Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• What surprised you the most?

I have always been into fashion and know just a little bit of background about most well known designers; however, I have never really dived deep into their lives. I would say the one thing that surprised me the most is that at the end of her life she didn't have many friends/family.  Although she had many lovers, she never married. You would think someone of such influence would have it all: husband, wealth, family and friends. From my reading, I realized she was just too independent and stubborn. She once said "I never want to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird."

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

The one trend I saw among the book is that she never cared what society thought of her. She was a nonconformist and when she realized there was issues, she wanted to do something about it. Chanel believed most in comfort and expressed that through many of her designs. Back then, that was a foreign concept for a women to dress more like a man but she did not care. Chanel introduced pants for women as she experienced and saw that wearing dresses to do various activities was not practical. She also invented a pant suit for women which was outrageous at the time. She knew what she wanted to accomplish and she did it. Her drive without a care of what people think is what I admire about her the most.

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

Her hard work and drive is what got her to create her own empire; however, that also may have been her greatest weakness. I noticed in the book that her drive almost consumed her and blocked her out from creating meaningful relationships. At times, she could be very bitter and expressed her opinion of other designers in a condescending way. I do not believe in tearing others down, especially when they have their own style and are simply just expressing their creativity just as she does. All designers should empower each other.

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Coco Chanel's life was heavily known as being one of overcoming adversity. Her family was dirt poor. Her mother died. Her father sent her to an orphanage. There, and soon after, it was hard for her to make a living for herself. She found out that the only way to achieve independence is to have money for herself. She also realized that it was a world ruled by men. Chanel used that to her advantage and attached herself to very well known and wealthy men who helped her start her business. From there, she became a businesswomen and established herself as an independent and wealthy women. 

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

I noticed that Chanel exhibited quite a few competencies that stood out to me. She was a forward thinker. She anticipated the struggles that women go through. Chanel created a very progressive style which was eventually known as the "modern women". What I also noticed while reading this book is that she was very confident in herself and her mission. She created looks that no one thought would ever come into style but she was so confident that it created a movement.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

Overall, I thought it was a very difficult read. I am not much of a history person and this book included A LOT of background and history. I would say I tried to focus on Coco Chanel more than the history, places and background as that all got very confusing.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask is "How did you deal with the criticism?". I think now, especially in the world of social media, it is hard to block out all the hate and not let it get to you. I am definitely my own worst critique so I feel like I would buy into everyone's opinions and believe them for myself, which would just tear me down. I want to know how she seemingly did not care and how she became so confident in her designs.

The second question I would ask is "What do you deem most important in her life". I know she had many lovers/relationships but she never married and never had children. Family is what is most important in my life so I wonder who/what she cherish's the most.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think her opinion of hard work is just fascinating. She was so driven but almost to the point where she put her work before relationships. I do not share that opinion as I think a happy and healthy life includes meaningful relationships where you can always rely on them for anything and everything.

Assignment 14A: Halfway Reflection

) Tenaciousness is a competency. 

My top strength in strengths quest is discipline. I have definitely used this behavior to my advantage in this class due to the way it is structured. You have the lectures that you watch in order to due the quizzes, and then you have the assignments with all the A,B,C business. It can get a little bit overwhelming and confusing. My top strength, discipline, means I am well organized and love planning. My planner is my everything. I use it to manage my time, and with this class, you definitely need that!

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude.

By about assignment 7A, I felt very frustrated and almost wanted to "give up". My product that I came up with wasn't my absolute favorite thing and I wanted something that I would be excited about throughout the whole course. By watching the lectures, I frustrated that this course is just a guide, it's not all or nothing. I can apply the principles I learn to my future endeavors and have this almost be my "practice run". This class requires much thought and effort which has contributed to me developing a more tenacious attitude.

3) Three tips. 

1. Continue to develop a growth mindset. Don't linger over any mistakes. Feel what your feeling and move on. Figure out what you can learn from that.

2. You get what you take from this class. If you are already spending time on doing the work for this class, why do it with little effort? 

3.  Don't get down on yourself. Your idea might seem far from an idea like ending world hunger but it is still something! Don't overthink the product. Do learn all the skills and allow yourself to develop a mindset that comes from putting effort into the assignments.  

Assignment 12A: Figuring Out Buyer Behavior

Segment: For this assignment, my target segment is people who wish to maximize their health, specifically, families. All three of my interviews are with adults of a family. On is the mom of a family I used to babysit (Jenna). She actually works for a health skincare brand and is very consciousness about her health. Another, is family friend who is a father of two (Rich) and lives in a multigenerational house. In earlier assignments, I talked about how multigenerational households would be of great need for this product since they would have more people benefiting from it. The last, is my aunt (Pamela) who lives five minutes away from my grandma and grandpa. She has four kids and nannies two other young children.

What I Learned Through The Interviews: 

I learned that the demand for maximizing your health can easily be a part of your daily routine. Pamela mentioned how she realized her need for this as she's running around trying to gather the kids together and it feels like there isn't enough time in the day. Her one  worry of her kids is to keep them all healthy. With my product, nothing will have to change with her routine as it is a daily habit where you don't do anything differently than you normally do, besides reviewing the results. I also learned through these interviews that the need also arises when people are at the doctors office and they realize they could've done something to prevent whatever is wrong with them. One of Jenna's kids had to be hospitalized due to dehydration and given an IV drip. If they would've known that she wasn't drinking as much water as they should be they would be more encouraging of her to do so. Through this story, I also realized that kids won't necessarily look at their results and do something about it. That is when the idea of an app came to me. Parents would be able to receive notifications when their children go to the bathroom about their results. Through all three of my interviews, I learned that adults go to the internet for most symptoms/issues a child has before calling the doctor. Their search terms/phrases include: "How to know when your deficient in...", "Signs to look out for...", "What happens when your lacking...". In my interview with Rich, it was mentioned that his wife and him sometimes go to vitamin stores or Whole Foods and talk to the staff.

How I Would Describe This Segment:

I think that almost all families/parents are concerned about health since they have to take care of multiple people. They want to make sure everyone is feeling their best which leads to many other things such as a healthy mind and doing better in school. So many people depend on the breadwinner of the family as most families pay close attention to their finances. With this toilet, it will help the customers in the long run of expensive medical bills and doctor visits, and wasted money on vitamins.

Assignment 11A: Idea Napkin

1) You.

My name is Grace Turner and I was born in Arizona. I moved from Arizona to California and then to Florida 8 years ago. My home is in Orlando and it is my first year here at UF. I played sports all my life, in specifically, softball for ten years. I have always been an active individual and my mom was and still is a big advocate for health. I was originally a Finance major but then realized a Marketing major would fit better with my passions of fashion, beauty and health, so I switched. My aspirations for the future is to create my own business whether that is opening my own boutique or creating something beauty/health related. Those ideas aren't necessarily a "new" idea to answer someones needs; however, the business concept I came up with deals with prominent health issues. 

2) What are you offering to customers? 

The product I am offering will concentrate on households more than businesses. The only "business" who would be in my target market would be college campuses. The product is a personal health monitor and performance identifier which would give your vitamin/nutrient levels quickly and efficiently. It will be a screen/detector that can either come as a whole new toilet or a smaller attachment.

3) Who are you offering it to?

My target market would be individuals who want the ability to maximize their health in a timely manner. That is what they all have in common. The demographics would be households with a family who can have multiple people get use out of the toilet. Multigenerational households are definitely something worth targeting as the children, adults and the elderly can all benefit from the product.

4) Why do they care? 

They will pay me money simply because they are saving time and money elsewhere. The money wasted on vitamins they don't need and the time wasted by going and waiting at the doctors just to simply know your vitamin/nutrient levels is worth something to these customers. In society today, people are so focused on how fast they can get things done whether that's due to impatience or feeling like they don't have enough time in the day.

5) What are your core competencies? 

I think what sets me a part from everyone else is that this product proves that it is efficient and fast. Other products out there include you sending it into a system where it takes a month to get your results back. To use this product, you already do something you do everyday. There really is no disadvantage to this as your not going out of your way to do anything just simply looking at the monitor after you go!

Evaluation:

I think my business concept is something new and challenging. There are some aspects that are out-of-joint with the others. Health is something I am passionate just in my everyday life; however, I am not studying it nor am I an expert. I hope my skills I learn throughout my major can make me into a powerful businesswomen who will be able to conquer whatever comes my way. This product isn't really an ideal thing that I would be super passionate about (something in fashion/marketing would), I mean who really wants to deal with a toilet! In the end, I think it is something that is valued and could really help progress the health of many US citizens. 

10A - Elevator Pitch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emyslvvkaek&feature=youtu.be


Hi guys! This is my elevator pitch. I tried my best with the recording and even broke one of my glass vitamin bottles ahaha.

Assignment 9A: Testing the Hypothesis

Who: Are there certain people or certain businesses that, although they share a lot in common with the others in your opportunity, nevertheless fall outside the boundary? Why

Through my interviews, I found out that many people are very conscious about their health as it overall improves their performance and allows them to be more productive. The way that people fall out of the boundary of being a prototypical customer is the willingness to spend money on a product that they deem as not imperative to their health. One of my interviewees is a college student who considers herself a "fitness blogger". This has become her job and although she is all about health, she would rather spend her money elsewhere on other products/treatments to benefit her health. Another interviewee who is high up in the hotel business mentioned that hotel and business owners with public restrooms don't have the urgent need to replace toilets or ever replace them with this product if that. College campuses on the other hand are "businesses" who would purchase a couple for the student union where college students can go if they are interested with their state of health. University student living would fall outside the boundary but university owned buildings would not. Something I have thought about before is people who don't care about maximizing their health; however, I never really thought about why. Most people who don't care about maximizing their health usually want to live life to the fullest by having fun and being careless. They don't want to be constantly checking their health, they are thrill seekers.

• I also found a market that I never originally thought about before. One of my interviewees is a mom that lives in a multigenerational home. Multi-generation households have been increasing at a rapid rate. There are even construction companies who specialize in building these specific homes. This product would be viewed as worth the purchase as it is treating multiple generations: kids, adults and seniors. https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/homes-with-multigenerational-family-members

What: At what point does the need you identified differ from another need? (Is thirst the same as hunger? Or is the desire to appear fashionable the same as the desire to be loved by others?)

Two interviewees emphasized to me that this product is just for people who want to maximize their health in a timely fashion not for someone who just wants to be on the baseline of being "healthy". Everyone wishes to be healthy but where is the line drawn of people who wish to maximize their health? The real problem is how can you maximize your health not how you can be healthy in general. This directly affects "The Who" as people interpret being healthy in different ways: not being sick, feeling energized or being mentally stable.


Why: Is the underlying cause of the outsiders' need different than people who are inside the boundary?

It's not that the need is not different but rather the thrill seekers don't perceive it to be a need at all. They aren't thinking so much about their health but living everyday like it is their last. Businesses would not see it as a need because it is not what customers expect, especially if they have one at home. It is more a personal thing not a public one.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who:                           Multigeneral households	Thrill seekers
University Owned Buildings                                             (Student Union)                                     Individuals who are willing to pay	College students leasing apartments Businesses with public restrooms

                                                 Health conscious inviduals 

                 What:         To maximize health in a timely manner                 To be healthy

                 Why:                                Financial Ability 

                                                    More quickness and efficiency in life

                                                    More conscious of health