20A – Growing Your Social Capital

1. Domain Expert 

• I conducted an interview with a person who owns a company which sells a pre-workout supplement. This individual is a male senior at the University of Florida who started his company called "RichFit Nutrition" several years ago. He is considered an expert because he goes to the gym every single day for the past 8 years and counting. Also, his company has experienced tremendous yearly growth and sustainable success. I found this person through my fraternity at the University of Florida and asked a brother to speak with him. During our conversation, he explained to me the motivation and goals behind the RichFit company. Moreover, I also asked him if he could provide me with feedback on my potential business idea of an effective pre-workout supplement. In exchange, I offered him my perspective on his company which he thought was interesting and refreshing to hear. This person will enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity by teaching me how to properly and effectively manage a company centered around a pre-workout supplement. 

2. Market Expert

• I conducted an interview with an individual who sells pre-workout supplements and protein bars/powder for a living. I would consider him as an expert because he has sold these products for over 10 years and has sustained success in the industry. I found this person through a brother within my fraternity and we ultimately had a face-to-face conversation regarding this particular market. Our nature of exchange involved me asking about how he has been able to market these products rather effectively for an extended period of time. Then, I proceeded to inform him in regards to my plan to produce and promote a pre-workout supplement which he found amusing. This person will enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity because he is a market expert who can open doors in the industry for me. Plus, he can offer valuable tips and advice on how to start my company and find everlasting success.  

3. Supplier 

•  I conducted an interview with an individual who works for a pre-workout company. He is responsible for distributing the pre-workout supplements to bigger retailers in a mass production effort. I would consider him as an expert because he plays a vital role in the mass production of pre-workout supplements and has years of experience in this business. I found this person by contacting a relatively unknown pre-workout brand via email, where we would exchange a plethora of emails back and forth for hours. Our nature of exchange involved me discussing the overall pricing, how the production process works, how he supplies the pre-workout, and profit margins for the company. This person will enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity because the supplier will help me in my efforts to mass produce a pre-workout supplement, hence not worrying about a potential shortage in our inventory/supply. 

Reflection: this experience will shape how I participate in any future networking events in a positive manner. This is because I am now unafraid to talk to individuals of higher power and authority in the business world. This experience did differ from my networking experiences in the past because I was previously shy and introverted. However, I have changed myself to become more outgoing and enthusiastic in regard to conducting interviews with other business people. Plus, I felt that my networking experience was more serious and focused than my previous ones. 

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer in my segment would essentially be a male or female in college, ranging between the ages of 18 and 25. They attend the gym at least four to five times per week and take their workouts quite seriously. Their hobbies consist of working out and exercising, studying and doing homework, attending class, going out, playing sports, participating in on-campus clubs, having jobs, etc. They tend to drive relatively inexpensive cars, with colors such as blue, black, white, and red. Moreover, they do not have any children and they enjoy watching TV shows such as Family Guy, The Bachelor, American Dad, and The Office. Some of their favorite books consist of Harry Potter, and Hunger Games, and their favorite politicians are Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott. They all feel extremely young and full of energy, which is part of the reason why they consistently go to the gym to workout and train as much as possible. Ultimately, I actually share many similarities with the customer avatar. We are both college students who enjoy working out at the gym and are extremely involved in school with sports, social life, and academics. I do not think are similarities are a coincidence because my segment specifically targets individuals such as myself (college students who love working out at gyms).

14A – Halfway Reflection

A behavior that I have used and developed to keep up with the requirements of this course is my proactive behavior. Essentially, I always complete assignments well before their due dates in order to stay ahead and achieve high marks in the class. Moreover, I have developed a determined behavior due to the fact that I'm constantly paying attention to the lectures in order to score my absolute best on the weekly cupcake quizzes.

There was certainly a time in which I did feel like "giving up" but overcame adversity to pull through. I thought that I could not effectively retain all of the important information from the lectures, but realized I could still perform well on the cupcakes and assignments if I simply took notes and watched the lectures carefully. I pulled through mainly because I desired to succeed and would not accept failure as an option for myself in this course. I certainly am a believer that I have developed a tenacious attitude throughout the course of the past two months. The experiences that contributed most to my tenacious mindset involved my rigorous notetaking and attention to detail during every single lecture made by Professor Pryor before I took the cupcakes and started the written assignments.

1. Tip #1: Always complete the cupcakes and blog assignments well before the due dates in order to remain on track throughout the entirety of the course.  

2. Tip #2: Keep yourself organized and never procrastinate or miss a due date in the class. As long as you apply time and effort, you will undoubtedly succeed and achieve an A+ in ENT3003. 

3. Tip #3: Always listen to the feedback given by your fellow peers because they are only trying to help you. Your entrepreneur mindset will be expanded and improved if you make the necessary adjustments and simply acknowledge the feedback/constructive criticism. 

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

I opted to read a book known as "Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's", which is essentially about how Ray Kroc developed McDonald's. I was surprised by Ray Kroc's incredibly high levels of self-determination and drive to succeed. Ray simply never gave in whenever times were tough and seemingly overcame adversity to achieve success. I strongly admire Ray Kroc's mentality and relentless drive to accomplish practically anything he desires. I also love the confident manner in which Kroc consistently carried himself with, too. However, the aspect that I least admire about Ray Kroc was that he was depicted as a non-committal individual. The book stated that Kroc was unable to commit himself in marriage, which ultimately prevented himself from having a stable, successful marriage in life. Yes, Ray Kroc certainly encountered adversity and failure throughout the course of his life. To overcome adversity and failure, Kroc used an outside-the-box mentality (innovative mind) to solve all kinds of issues. He would also accompany himself with other like-minded businessmen who used creativity to solve their problems. 

The competencies that I noticed that Ray Kroc exhibited include: being a phenomenal salesperson and speaker. Kroc knew how to persuade individuals and reverse their mindsets almost instantly. Kroc's paper cup business was successful largely due to his sensational entrepreneurial mentality. 

Personally, I did not believe that there was a single part within the book that I found to be confusing, quite frankly.

If I could ask Ray Kroc a question, I would ask "How are you such a gifted salesperson?" because I would love to learn the tactics that Ray Kroc used to sell products and form a successful business. In addition, if I could ask Ray Kroc a second question, I would ask "How essential is hard work in a business environment?" because I would love to know the degree/extent of work ethic that I would need in order to develop a successful and sustainable business.  

I think Ray Kroc's opinion of hard work was that he believed hard work would result in success and prosperity which motivated him to constantly work. Ultimately, I do happen to share a similar opinion/view as Ray Kroc in terms of hard work. 

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1. The target segment that I ultimately decided to opt with was the University of Florida college students who use the on-campus gym and pre-workout supplements. 
2. Regarding my target segment, I essentially proceeded to conduct 15 minute apiece interviews with three different students at the University of Florida campus. All three UF students use the on-campus gym and various pre-workout supplements on a daily basis and are currently in their freshman year at the University of Florida. They all walk to the gym as opposed to using a car or any other source of transportation, as well. 
3. After conducting the interviews with the three UF freshman students, I noticed that all three interviewees experienced the exact same issues. The effects of their current pre-workout supplements wore off following a period of four to five days of consecutive use. The interviewees collectively concurred that their pre-workout supplements were ineffective, because their brands of supplements are expensive, unproven, undependable, and counterproductive. The interviewees are all in favor of a brand new pre-workout supplement which will provide them with consistent energy, focus and determination to succeed and thrive at the on-campus gym at the University of Florida. 
4. The first that the interviewees do in order to find a solution to their problem is to search the internet for an inexpensive, yet dependable pre-workout supplement. They generally look for a supplement with a plethora of positive ratings/feedback, along with a relatively affordable price since they are all college students who are either unemployed or employed part-time. Their search terms in Google consist of pre-workout supplements, pre-workout powder, cheap pre-workout, energy booster, gym pre-workout, etc. I discovered that these interviewees did discuss this scenario with their fellow friends since all are interested in the most effective pre-workout supplement imaginable in order to accommodate for their passion for the gym and working out. 
5. Ultimately, I stand by my belief that a new pre-workout supplement is necessary for UF students. My new product would serve a crucial role in helping my fellow college students become motivated and energized to workout every single day as opposed to every other day or four to five days per week. The responses from my interviews give me the confidence that an affordable, effective pre-workout supplement is possible for the likes of all college students who consider themselves "gym rats". I know that my opportunity has a strong potential to succeed in the college environment and is gradually becoming more accurate day after day. Although I acknowledge that my pre-workout supplement will likely not satisfy every single individual in my target segment, I will certainly adapt my opportunity based on their feedback in order to please a majority of my potential consumer base.  

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Sam Golub and I am a surging freshman at the University of Florida. I serve a leadership role in multiple sports teams, playing for the Club Baseball and WaterPolo teams here at UF. My talents consist of my athletic ability, communication skills, writing sports articles and anything related to sports as well as the gym. My skills include Microsoft, in which I am certified in Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint. My primary aspirations are to become a successful corporate attorney in New York City as well as create my own business centered around a preworkout supplement. This business would play a crucial role in my life because myself and my future customers would utilize the supplement in order to help everyone involved in their goal for a tremendous body/shape. 
2. I will essentially be offering a product of pre-workout supplements to my future customers. My product would ultimately satisfy my customers' unmet needs of possessing an effective solution towards their workout issues via one scoop of my pre-workout supplement. 
3. I will essentially be offering my new pre-workout supplement to customers of all ages, targeting mainly college students at the University of Florida and "gym rats". These specific customers would obtain the passion to continue to workout at the gym via my supplement which serves as an immediate energy boost. I would prefer for all of my customers to be at the University of Florida in order to distribute and market my product much more efficiently and effectively. 
4. The customers will certainly care because my product offers them an inexpensive, yet more effective alternative to other pre-workout supplements. My customers will pay me money to use my product because I will make the supplement fairly inexpensive and affordable. Plus, in regards to my product being sold online, I will not charge a cost for shipping and handling unlike other sites. Furthermore, other current pre-workout supplements can sometimes be unreliable and have a minimal impact after awhile. I will ensure that my supplement will constantly provide them with significant, everlasting energy during their daily workouts in order to optimize performance, endurance and muscle growth. 
5. What sets me apart from everyone else is that my product will be the first pre-workout supplement to be distributed to on-campus stores to sell directly to students. There is no other pre-workout supplement being sold in the stores at the UF campus. The main thing that I have that nobody else has is a creative formula/recipe to assemble the most cost efficient, energy boosting pre-workout supplement for UF students and gym enthusiasts. 
6. In essence, I strongly believe that these aforementioned elements fit in quite seamlessly. I intend to develop and market a revolutionary pre-workout supplement which will serve to aid UF college students in their workouts on a day to day basis. This will satisfy their need to workout consistently and prevent them from quitting the gym due to a lack of motivation. The only aspect of my business concept that I would view as somewhat weak would be my profit margins taking a negative hit because I'm offering free shipping and handling for online purchases. However, I will be expecting a large percentage of students at the University of Florida to continually order my product, thus contributing tremendously towards a high revenue number and positive customer feedback.

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: the first person that I interviewed essentially believed that my product/service would be greatly beneficial to the college students at the University of Florida. Despite the fact that she is an individual who does not go to the gym, she still supports the notion that my opportunity will benefit an abundance of college students who desire to attend the gym on a daily basis. A couple of my other interviewees were students who attend the gym on a regular basis, and they were highly enthusiastic in regard to my new opportunity. However, there were a couple of other people that I interviewed who did not necessarily care for the product because they are not individuals who attend the gym whatsoever. 

What: the glaring need is a software application which displays the best times for college students at the University of Florida to use the gyms on a daily basis. Therefore, students will avoid going at egregious times in which the gyms are quite crowded and full of students. 

Why: the individuals who are outside of my boundary do not care about the gym at all, or strongly believe that my product would not be effective or resolve the issue of there being crowded gyms throughout the course of the day. 

Who (inside the boundary): college students who enjoy going to the gym on a relatively regular basis.

Who (outside the boundary): college students who do not go to the gym at all or do not enjoy attending the school gyms. 

What (inside the boundary): necessary to find the appropriate times for college students to attend the gym on a daily basis.

What (outside the boundary): college students don't possess the need due to the fact that they despise the gym or don't attend the gym whatsoever. 

Why (inside the boundary): the need is quite existent primarily because a majority of college students actually enjoy going to the gym on a daily basis. However, due to the significant number of students who attend the gym, there must be an app which demonstrates the most appropriate times for all students to attend the gyms throughout the course of the day. Hence, students can remain active and healthy due to the fact that they can workout every single day at a gym which is considered to be non crowded. 

Why (outside the boundary): they possibly dislike the aspect of working out and using their energy to lift weights or perform cardio. An alternative would be to introduce them to different types of exercises or engage them in certain sports in order to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for those individuals.