Last Lecture Exercise

This journal is for you as an entrepreneur. So, I will share some of my experiences.

I have learned that I was born with some talents, but in my journey in the life, I have received more talents, and developed new skills to become successful.

The journey as an entrepreneur begins thinking: Who I am? And, who our Heavenly Father wants I become?

An entrepreneur is associated with wealth, this is the result of work, but discovering the personal calling and enjoying what I do with my family, is the most important for me.

Beginning as an entrepreneur, I remember an advice: the best way to finance a business is having the trust and preference of the customers. They are the best partners who will invest in the business again and again, buying what is offered.

The money is necessary and keeping the control of this is important, but it’s not all. In a new business is necessary to give only the enough money for this, and allow that the roots of the business grow beyond possible. So, when more resources come, the business keeps running and growing in a previous way planned, with strong roots.

There is a book that will be read during the course, “So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?” There are some memorable recommendations from this book. Some of these recommendations made me to ponder that I don’t need to be young, work only in technology, or to earn an MBA to be successful; this was taught as a way to encourage me to do what I can do at any point of my life. Education, health, vision, and resources are vital for a business, but a strong spirit to do the things is the best to begin a business.

Having in mind the things of the Lord first is the best recommendation to have. The Holy Ghost will teach you the things that you need to know in the exactly moment.

I remember the formula for success taught by President Monson: fill your mind with truth, your life with service, and your hearth with love. In the most difficult moments of my life after I learned this formula, the hope grows and brings me additional light to solve the situations.

You must to be grateful for what has been received: a family, good parents, life, or education. I learned that we receive many blessings every day, but sometimes we don’t see these. So, be grateful, inclusive for the blessings that you have and haven’t seen yet.

Lastly, being an entrepreneur requires more time at the beginning. Remember why you want to become an entrepreneur. In my case, I do it for my family, and to have the enough time for them and to serve in the Church. Keeping good health is other point to remember. So, being an entrepreneur means to have more time for you. When the things are done in your business, manage your time to spend the enough time with your family and to serve others. The time is a valuable and limited resource; use it wisely. As the story of Midas, he learned that the life and the family is most valuable than all the gold of the earth. So, take care of what matter most.

Good luck in your journey as an entrepreneur!

Week 12

Reading the book “So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?”, I learned that I don’t need to be very young or to earn an MBA to begin a business. I learned that I must to consider what I like to do, what resources I have, write a specific vision and mission statement, and balance the time that I have for my family and to have my own business.

Reading “An Attitude of Gratitude”, by President Monson, I learned that I must to be grateful with my parents; they gave me the life and the light to recognize and walk in the truth. Also, I pondered that I must to be grateful with my Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, because they love me and they lead me and protect me in the most difficult times of my life. I am grateful with my teachers, the missionaries, friends, and all who give me additional light to walk in the truth.

Watching the video “Avoid the Wrong Job”, I learned that I don’t must to study or do something just because I want to fill my resume with activities, making wrong assumptions that these activities or degrees will help me to get a better job; this leads to a wrong career, because the people or something may change, and I will feel that I wasted time. So, the advice is to do what I like to do and fill my resume with activities and degrees that I enjoy.

Lastly, watching the video “Paths to an Entrepreneur Career”, I learned that I must to make the path that I want to follow. There are many paths and results. So, I must to decide now what path I want to build.

Week 11

Reading “Microlending: Toward a Poverty Free World”, I learned about micro loans based in the trust and the desire that people who don’t qualify to a traditional loan, can receive loans to have or improve their businesses and become self-reliant. I learned about the desire of people to be self-reliant and how these loans are successful to reach those that need it. I learned that previous banks only saw what they were trained to see.

From the talk “Constant Truths for Changing Times”, I learned that I must to be a good listener, because I want to teach the eternal principles to my family and be ready when someone wants to say me something. And, I pondered about the time that I want to spend with my family, time that will not return and that is fundamental to strength our family.

From the video “Make It Personal and Make It Work”, I learned the meaning of “make it personal and make it work” to show to people what I do for business and they wanted.

From the video: A New Breed of Entrepreneur”, I learned about the importance of unity and concentrated effort to reach the common goals.

Lastly, watching the video “Entrepreneurship and consecration”, I learned about the meaning of powerful lessons to help others trough the good use of money. I learned that doing well, we receive peace and happiness. The Attitude toward money must to be of grateful for the blessings that we have received; some of these blessings are land and school. One way to bring peace and happiness to our life is using the resources that we have to help others. Also, I learned that doing business, I must to keep my heart in the rescue of my brothers and sisters. Through service is possible to become successful, a great businessman. So, while I spend time in business, I must to rescue members of the Church. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only who saves us, and His assistance for business will come if we align our life in the way to rescue our brothers and sisters. So, we must to be consecrated in business to rescue our brothers and sisters. Also, to be in peace and happy, our attitude must to be of grateful for the life, the air we breathe, our family, parents, and all what the Lord has given us.

Week 10

            This week, reading the talk “Formula for Success” by President Monson, I learned that the formula to be happy and successful is to fill my mind with truth, my life with service, and my heart with love.

Watching the video “Balancing Your Life and Your Career Successfully”, I learned that I never must to put myself in a situation where I can’t say no. I have seen in my life that when there are situations when I can’t say no, I work doing things for others, things that I don’t like and that I don’t need to do. So, this was a great insight for me.

Watching the video “Is Work/Life Balance Possible”, I pondered about the insight of balancing time between job and family, and I pondered about the choice to leave each morning and work because this is worthy to provide for my family. Also, I pondered about my responsibility to provide for my wife and my daughter, because I try to spend the most time possible with them.

There are some activities from this week that made me to ponder about the promises that I make about spending time with my family, because I pondered that they are my priority, they are the reason why I work and I do anything. To live forever with my family is my dream.

After that, I pondered about my attitude toward money, because the money is important to run a business or to provide for my family.

Lastly, I learned about the way to be happy. I learned that discovering my calling in the life brings happiness, instead of just seeking a job or a career. Also, I learned that adversity makes my character, facing and solving each thing in a positive way. And, I pondered that I want to have a life of meaning, be loved by my family, and act as if the future of the universe depends of me.

Week 9

This week, I had the opportunity to read the book "The Dip", and I learned that I must to begin something if I know that I can become the best.

Also, I learned that when something very hard comes, the best to do is to analyze and think in the results, and if these are worthy, we must to keep walking in that hard way and change anything possible, because that moment is the opportunity of growth.

I learned that the dip causes scarcity and adds value to the organization, because someone who knows to solve the hard things is hired in any company where he is expert.

I learned from the reading “The Challenge to Become”, by Elder Oaks, that I must to become as the Lord Jesus Christ is, perfect.

From the videos “License to Pursue Dreams” and "Think Big", I learned that doing what I enjoy, I can make new things or add services for my job. So, this permission to dream in some companies makes possible the production of around the 50% of their sales. Also, I learned that I must to dream to become the number one of what I do now, and I know that I can become the best.

Lastly, I learned from the reading "The Heart of Entrepreneurship" that a clear vision of business leads to successful results.

Week 8

This week, reading the talk “Loyalty”, by President Hinckley, I learned about being  loyal to the Church, and I pondered that there are many opportunities when we are tested, to prove that we are loyal to the covenants made with the Lord. So, I learned that I have a responsibility to be loyal to Him and to show with the example to my family and another that need to be strengthened in their testimony of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

After that, I learned from the talk “Leadership with a Small "L"”, by President Kim B. Clark, that I have a great responsibility to teaching my daughter about the Lord Jesus Christ. My daughter is 5 months old, but I feel the responsibility to be prepared when she will be ready to learn, to teach her with my example, and to share my testimony very often about our Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the covenants that she will need to live in the true gospel.

From the videos “Hiring Ethical People” and “Aspects of Building Trust”, I learned that I must to take care another, to weld customers to the business, offering what I would like to receive. Also, I learned that I must to trust in customers first and they will trust me.

When I read “A Message to Garcia”, I remembered when my father taught me about that letter, because he taught me that when something is asked, I should find the way to do the things, being self-reliant.

From the reading “How to Start an Entrepreneurial Revolution”, I learned some prescriptions to sustain an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the seventh prescription “Stress the Roots”, made me to ponder that the roots of an organization that are spread beyond possible, caused by the adverse circumstances, makes that the organization grow steadily when the enough money to sustain it comes.

Lastly, from the book, “So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? I learned that I must to know what I want to do in the life, to make my vision. And I need to be specific in my mission statement, establishing specific dates to get done the planned.

Week 7

I learned from the experience of President Monson described in his talk “Looking Back and Moving Forward” that I must to be grateful because my parents and their parents built my beliefs. I was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when I was 17 years old. The teachings from my parents when I was a child made me to recognize the truth and accept what the missionaries taught me. Now that I have my own family, I am grateful because I know the way to walk to the Celestial Kingdom and this is what I want for my wife, my daughter, and all my family.

Also, I learned from the talk “However Long and Hard the Road” by Jeffrey R. Holland and Patricia T. Holland that I must to dream and to work hard if I want to reach my dreams. So, I learned that I must to keep walking, working hard when is necessary, to reach what I planned for the benefit of my family. I build my life and my future, including my dreams, but the most important is that my family dreams with me, to walk in the same way that leads to the eternal life. I can see my wife and my daughter now, but there are many generations that will come and they will be benefited with the decisions that I make today and with the actions that I do every day.

Watching the video “Good Things to Come”, I learned from the experience of Elder Holland and his family that the way and the work may look hard but the reward at the end of the way is worthy. In the eternal perspective, my family will receive many blessings if we work together to receive these.

Also, I learned that “The Five Whys” means to identify the root of the problems, to solve these. So, all the problems have a human factor, and knowing the root of the problems, the procedures can be improved. Then, I learned that I can improve a procedure if I identify the real problem and the real problem is associated with the human factor.

After that, I learned that at the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey isn’t necessary to be the specialist of the specific work, it’s enough to know the basic or to find out how to do the things to begin a business.

Lastly, I learned that the example of Nephi is applied for an entrepreneurial life, because when he was commanded to do something, he went and did it, although he didn’t know how to do the things at the beginning.

Week 6

After I read the book “Mastery”, I learned that the practice is the best way of learning. Also, learning is practice, or in other words, learning is living principles and improving every day what is done.

From the talk “Stand True and Faithful” by President Hinckley, I learned that learning the truth and the desire to gain new knowledge every day are fundamental in our way of returning to the Heavenly Father. I pondered that knowing the truth we are able to find the right way, making the right decisions.

Watching the videos “Passion vs. Money” and “Leadership and Capability”, I learned that I must to love what I do because that makes that I change the world. Also, I learned that loving learning will make me to be happy every day with new discoveries.

After that, from the reading “What is a business for?” I learned that virtue and integrity are basic since the beginning to keep a good business. The truth becomes trust, and this represents that the community of employees or costumers are aware of the virtue and integrity of the business, to provide the goods or services according to the real justification for the existence of the business, providing more or better products for the benefit of a community.

Lastly, I learned that being an entrepreneur means for me liberty to make decisions and act when is necessary. Also, it means creativity to provide the goods and services that I would like to offer. Then, this means that I can spend time with my family and serve to the brothers of the Church when is necessary. So, I pondered that the life as an entrepreneur is for me. This would be wonderful.

Week 5

During this week, I read “Success Is Gauged by Self-Mastery”, by N. Eldon Tanner, and I learned two important things.

The first thing that I learned is that perseverance leads to success. The other thing that I learned is that obeying the 100% of the commandments of God is easier.

Also, participating in the discussion board of this week, I learned that the moment to make decisions is today. When the difficulties come, we must to have a previous decision and that must to be to obey the 100% of the commandments of God.

Other thing that I learned is that time must to be balanced to begin and grow a business and to spend time with the family. To begin a business requires time. So, the rules of when to do the things of the job and when to be with the family will make that we be able to balance our time.

Also, I learned that become an entrepreneur is related with planning time for the next 20 or 30 years. A business isn't something that is built and grows in few years. This is a career that takes many years. So, to begin a business, I need a plan for the future, for the next 20, 30, and 40 years, at least, balancing the time for the career and the time spent with my family.

Lastly, I learned a very valuable insight. When I work, I must to serve to God principally. I must to serve to God, doing what I was called in the Church. My time is the time of the Lord. So, when He called me to serve Him, is because I need to serve Him now. This part was very clear and the next time that I can, I will share my testimony about serving to God, and balancing time for my family and my career.

Week 4

This week, I had the opportunity to read “Are Successful Entrepreneurs Born or Made?” And, the insights that I gained reading it were that successful entrepreneurs are talented, educated and perseverant.

Also, I learned that luck in business isn’t the difference between success and failure. Luck is to be ready when the opportunities come.

From the talk “Perseverance” by President Faust, I learned that perseverance makes that we get our goals. Maybe we are smart and well educated at the beginning but the perseverance made that we reach our goals, our eternal goals.

Watching the videos: “How Do You Find Your Passion and How Do You Pursue It?” and “Most Entrepreneurs Are Not Rock Stars”, I learned that businesses represent hard work but I can enjoy it if I find the multiple things that I like to do in the businesses.

Other insight that I gained is that the hardest choices to made are among right answers. The hardest is to choose the best among many good choices.

Lastly, reading “Spreading Happiness”, I learned some insights from someone who loved what she was doing in her business, and about the advice of others. I pondered that a good advice may come with previous results of that advice. Also, I pondered that customers are the best way to finance a business and to grow the business.

Week 3

I would like to share some insights of some readings of this week.

Reading "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton M. Christensen, made me to ponder about the importance of enjoying the life and the career. Sometimes I feel that the job never ends, and I want to have more time for my family, then I try to do my best in my job to have more time for my family or I try to work in home to spend more time with my family. Then, I am working to improve spending quality time with my family. I provide the enough for them and when I see them, I feel that the time spend in my job is worthy, but this must to be balanced.

The reading of "The Start-up of You", made to think that I am an entrepreneur, and that I have been an entrepreneur since many years ago. I am in a way of learning, and I learned that I am an entrepreneur, inclusive working as an employee.

Maybe an entrepreneur is someone that works in the own business but I think that this goes beyond. In the career of an entrepreneur, there are moments of learning. So, as an employee, the learning to become a trained entrepreneur may be big.

I think that reading "The Start-up of You", I learned about the importance of networks. I learned that isn't enough being the best, is needed to have a good communication with the boss. Also, the formula "I^We", summarized what I believe; I didn't have a formula to remember it or explain it best in the past, but this formula explains it well. So, the skills and talents of someone added to the talents of others, power the potential of the team.

Other important insight was that I must to do what I like to do and what the market pays, but added to this and principally, it's needed to recognize what is our mission in the life.

So, pondering what is my mission, I will understand why I am here, and what can I do to do my best. I think that my best is spending quality time for my family, to build a family forever.

Also, I learned that the right decisions make that I can spend the time just working or with my family.

Lastly, I learned from the talk "Little Things Are Important" that the future is built by the actions of today. In fact, each moment builds the future. So, what I do every day makes what I will get or what will be in the future done.

Week 2

The integrity is the base of any long journey. I learned that some airplanes didn't support the flight because the pressure caused during the journey made that those were destroyed in the air. So, the integrity wasn't the enough strong to support any change of pressure.

The same is for the life. When there is a lack of integrity, the pressure will be high, and this means that we can't be for a long time in a career.

So, I learned that integrity is fundamental for any career.

As part of integrity to keep a long journey for a career, I learned that I must to be happy and enjoy what I do in my career.

Other thing that I learned this week was that each job is a step in the career, a step of learning.

In the previous days, I began to ponder about this. So, when a problem comes in my job, I see it as an opportunity of learning.

Then, this attitude makes me to have in mind the next time that I see the difficulties in my job or any new assignment, as an opportunity of learning.

Lastly, I pondered that the time that I spend with my family is fundamental in my journey during the life, and that I need to balance what I do in my job, in the Church, and the time that I spend with my family.

Week 1

This week, reading “Randy Haykin: The Making of an Entrepreneur”, I learned what matter most in the way of a career. As a personal insight, I learned that the family matter most first, and after that the way of learning is the most valuable skill to have.

Learning in each step of a career, builds what we want to see in the future.

From the life of Randy Pausch, I learned that he reached his dreams because he did what he liked to do as part of his life. When he was a child, he liked to do some things having some dreams, and he had those same dreams being a professional. So, he enjoyed his life.

Also, making a personal list of 50 things to do, I learned that there are many things that I would like to do.

At the beginning, I thought that it would be difficult to find the most meaning things that I would like to do, but writing one by one, I saw that there are more things that I would like to do.

So, I will write more things to do during the next years because I saw that there are more things that I would like to do, for my family principally, because I would like that my family become forever.

Lastly, reading “Stars & Steppingstones”, I learned and pondered that I need to set what I want to do after I have 70 years old. I am 30 years old now, and I saw that I haven’t planned what I will do within the next 20 years and the 40 years. So, I will establish what I want to do when I become 70 years old.

Introduction Week

Reading this week the introduction activities of B183 class, I learned first two things: 1) I am very blessed to study at BYU-Idaho; 2) I must to do the best that I can every day.

Other thing that I learned was that I must to work and do what I like to do. I learned from the experience of Guy Kawasaki that I must to do what I like to do, because if I am only seeking money, I will end sad and without money. So, I learned that I must to do what I love to do.

Also, I learned from the words of President Hinckley that I am very blessed to belong to this generation, and I pondered that I must to do the things the best possible. Every day I face difficulties, but doing the things as the Lord Jesus Christ wants, I will be very blessed.

Lastly, I pondered that I have a great responsibility, because added to the readings and videos of the week, I pondered that there are opportunities for social entrepreneurs. I like to work in education. I work as a higher education administrator of a public university, and I like public policy related with education. So, I pondered that being a social entrepreneur for education, I would be very happy, because this will give me the opportunity to grow and develop what I like to do, and to spend time with my family.

Raul Hidalgo