29A - Venture Concept No. 2

What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity? 

When you love something you want to talk about it and share it with others. I would say that the pleasure and education of natural history and the forces of stewardship and conservation are what are driving this opportunity.

• How is this market defined geographically and demographically? 

The market is define as the north central region of Indiana. This might be gerrymandered as having a southernmost point at Anderson, Indiana and a northernmost point of Fort Wayne, Indiana,  an easternmost point of the Ohion state line and a westernmost point of Peru, Indiana. Regarding demographics, I can see myself hosting children’s classes for interested students. I am interested in the mature teen or university student and particularly the lifelong learner— wherever they are in life. I am interested in learners who are willing to engage the subject as active learners. 

• How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now?  

Customers are  now using the local bird club and/or programs offered at local state parks. The problem is twofold and in respective order. A narrow range of programs and also a really distant drive to the state parks from our region of Indiana. A shallow range of options is really the biggest issue that I have seen, outside of a far drive for any student of these classes. I know one guy who drove over an hour for a monthly nature class I attended. 

• How big is this opportunity?

I think about 25% of any sample of people would be willing to go out on an educational walk and learn about the flora and fauna of the local area. 

• How long will the “window of opportunity” be open? 

This window of opportunity will be open until someone steps up and fills the gap that I”m looking to work into.

What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch?  

People will switch because of price and location. Our classes will be free and local. They don’t have to drive an hour to enjoy a state park program or hike. Effective marketing through word of mouth and facebook and Instagram will make them aware of the club and help to persuade them to switch to us. 

• Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities?  

Our competitors are primarily the state park nature centers. However they really only cater to children. Even their adult programs are festooned with childlike teachers and activities. It’s foolish and silly, but still appreciated at times. One of the biggest weakness is that they do not delve deep into their subject matters. They simply give the subject a breif look rather than taking weeks and months to study and learn about a subject. 

Another competitor are online classes. There are many free or paid that are available for various subjects within the natural world. What is missing is the sense of locality and and community. 

• What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? 

Effective graphic design of marketing materials (AKA packaging) will be helpful. The locations will be parks and preserves. For classroom settings learning we will use library conference rooms or simply go on a walk while we lecture and Q&A. We can also support local mom and pop coffeehouses and host classes there as well.  

• How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?

The core of the people part of this club will simply be mentors or teachers. While they will not be the focus of the class, they will point students towards the subject why are teaching about. These people will be fact-based but also have a bit of the griot inside of them that can spin a good yarn!

As you might have guesses, small-town Indiana is quiet. Some have said that that fact is prone to setting its residents off into a literary direction for their lives. Perhaps that’s true. Many, for sure, of Indiana’s residents are already comfortable with the land and are sheepish, awkward (at first) and non-gregarious (at first). These things change when you bring people with similar interests together over medium-to-long periods of time. 

That is my mission. To bring these people together and to grow their populations so that stewardship and conservation are given their due place in the mind of Hoosiers. I really think that keeping things local and surrounding the subject are what will be the lifeblood of this type of organization.The motto of one western college is apt here: The search for truth in the company of friends. 

I did not receive much critical feedback that helped me to manipulate the idea. I did receive much feedback that this idea would be best at a free price point. I think that is good and fine and acceptable. 

The  biggest change in the concept is the addition of classes for children. I didn’t want o be a babysitter. I refuse to be that as an organization. If there will be children’s nature-study, they will be accompanied by an adult. This way those special moments of amazement and discovery can be shared with someone they love and trust. Plus I wouldn’t have to babysit them all throughout the walk! Also, going into this, I thought I could charge a small fee. Coming out of the class, I really don’t see that as a feasible option. 

Hey, thanks for putting up with my rambling this semester. From Indiana, cheers. 

Reading Reflection No. 3

Spring is here in northern Indiana. Hope you’re all enjoying it. Have a great summer. Thanks for putting up with my posts this semester :). 

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

David Nasaw talked about the life and work of Andrew Carnegie in this massive volume (almost finished it!). Nasaw talks about not what made Carnegie a rich man, but rather how Andrew operated within his life and business. Not always on the up and up (suppressing workers backlash and whatnot). 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

If nothing else the life of Andrew Carnegie is a testament to the will of someone who is willing to get out and interact with their world. To hustle and grind is a necessity for anyone looking for financial success as Carnegie himself made. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

Andrew’s life is a classic example of coming from a humble beginning and rising to the top in one’s work life. I would recommend mapping out, actually trying to map it (point A, point B, point C, etc) the pivotal moments in Carnegie’s career. Once complete take a deep dive into those points on the map (or timeline, if you will) and talk about the qualities of those points. We’re they a result of deft business dealings, useful relationships, or something else altogether?

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

One of the most tragic bits of data I gleaned from the book is about his last push against the world. Andrew saw the beginnings of the Great Ware and did everything he could to bring peace to the world instead of chaos. His wealth and status could not stop chaos from erupting and he died knowing that his efforts were in vain. 

This is (forgive me) slightly similar to a Steve Jobs looking back before his death and seeing what a mistake it was to give everybody a smartphone. 

25A - What’s Next?

Existing Market

Talking to the existing market was again helpful in that I’m able to use the experience and intuition of others. One person talked about offering educational hikes to groups of homeschool children. Homeschool children are usually networked with other homeschool children so getting into a few of these networks should open up more doors in the area. 

Another person talked about how important marketing would be as a next step in the idea. Getting the word out to people in the county that educational nature hikes are available is in itself a task, especially where competing for attention with activities such as high school sports, or even the work lives of busy individuals. 

My aunt said to think about a business plan and in what ways I could run the organization as if it were a large nonprofit. Taking these steps, she said, would avoid laziness and corner cutting and allow the small nonprofit to grow gracefully into whatever size it needs to be. 

New Market

A new market might be, as mentioned above, homeschool children’s groups. But another avenue of growth could be talking with local seniors groups. As an example, the state park about 45 minutes north of us has a seniors’ lunch and meeting several times a month. At these lunches they enjoy food and fellowship as well as listening to local nature experts talk about their area of expertise. I could try to work these types of groups into my idea as an additional way to spread the word and knowledge of the nature around us. I have already been invited to speak at one of these. 

I think that, much like a stand up comic working clubs, doing these types of events are not helpful solely in the fact of getting out and doing the events, but also in the connections and relationships made with the administrators of these facilities. That might allow for additional talks and walks with organizations such as local schools and universities. 

One of the reasons this new market is not as attractive as the original is because this group is not likely to go out into the field and study in situ. Most of their enjoyment might come from the comfort of their home or a fellowship hall at a church or state park. My main goal is to get people outside in nature learning. 

30A - Final Reflection

1) Read through your posts from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

The highs were taking an idea—simply an idea — and putting it on display for the world to criticize it. South of where we live is a place called Jefferson Proving Grounds. It was a WWII ordnance tastings facility. They dropped lots of small artillery and heavy weapons testing on the site. I wondered why it was called a proving ground until I learned that the word prove means to test, to subject something to a testing process. I think every one of us in this class, if you did the assignments properly, proved your ideas. Some were proved right, others wrong. But we put our ideas through a testing process. 

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

I drew a good deal of ideas from people who interacted with my naturalists’ field club idea. One of my favorite moments was when Dan, a coworker, said that a short bus would be lots of fun to take people out on natural history tours with. He added that if I replaced the roof of the bus with a clear acrylic rood we could also go out and skywatch with the bus. I really enjoyed his feedback and thoughts on the subject. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

Yes. From Pryor I learned to try and fail repeatedly and constantly. From Peter Drucker I learned that the subject that we studied is not confined to those with innate gifts, but rather it is a process that can be mastered over time. 

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

Take the assignments seriously. Talk to a diverse group of people—not just your bum friends who party every Friday. Those are not your customers (hopefully). Also, there’s something that has hold of your interest, right? I’ve heard it said that people don’t have ideas, ideas have people. THat should be true for each of us. Take an idea that you can work with for a semester—something that truly has your interest and apply it towards this class. Don’t just pick some random app or fake company so that you can get a passing grade. Take it seriously! And enjoy!

Once you have written your post, please include a picture (for illustration!).

28A - Your Exit Strategy

1) Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children?

From what I have seen, people grow old in this space and tend to work and teach in it until they retire or keel over. This is true of Emma B. Pitcher of Michigan and many others who I look up to. Right up until the couldn’t they were banding birds and teaching classes on natural history. When the time came, systems were already running that obviated their presence and allowed the operations to continue as normal. This is the life I want to live.

2) Why have you selected this particular exit strategy? It’s not analogous to a profit venture or a standard job where buildup then burnout might be the theme of one’s experience. 

This is something that gets better as time and connections grow on and build upon one another. 

3) How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?

Regarding growth and acquisition of resources, Dave Ramsey recommends growing at the speed of cash. I believe his new building cost $70 million dollars— paid in cash. The same principles that apply to one’s personal finances he applies to the business world. All of that means slower growth, less overhead, lean operations, and long term vision. I don’t see how my exit strategy immediately impacts decision made throughout the journey. 

26A - Celebrating Failure

Hello peers, pears, pals, and pioneers of learning!

Have any of you taken [REDACTED] class taught by [REDACTED]? Promise me you won’t share this with him, ok? Let me tell you about him. He is the chair of the department and his favorite course to teach is, of course, [REDACTED]. For his lectures he mounts the lectern and marches facts single file through the students’ brains like he’s invading a country. It’s amazing.

I assumed that since I had listened to all of the lectures and even studied for the second midterm I would get a passing grade. NOT.

I scored a measly, measly, never-have-I-gotten-a-lower-grade-on-a-midterm 67%. Thank God he curved up and I ended up with a 73% due to some feedback from students in the course. I wanted to blame him but I couldn’t. Think about Pryor and his weekly quizzes. Those are based on stories and lesson from his class, right? Well [REDACTED]’s exams are all based on definitions within the textbook. Should be easy!

But alackaday, I fell on my face. I did not prepare myself. I did not inhale the material, the definitions in the textbook. I thought I was ready when I truly was not. I now know next time to spend more time face to face with the textbook and with the course content so that I don’t embarrass myself again.

I deal with it by suppressing it in my mind. I avoid dwelling on failure lest I go insane! Reflect, don’t regret.

24A - Venture Concept No. 1

• What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity? 

When you love something you want to talk about it and share it with others. I would say that the pleasure and education of natural history and the forces of stewardship and conservation are what are driving this opportunity.

• How is this market defined geographically and demographically? 

The market is define as the north central region of Indiana. This might be gerrymandered as having a southernmost point at Anderson, Indiana and a northernmost point of For Wayne, Indiana,  an easternmost point of the Ohion state line and a westernmost point of Peru, Indiana. Regarding demographics, I am not interested in teaching children— as mean as that may sound. I am interested in the mature teen or university student and particularly the lifelong learner— wherever they are in life. I am interested in learners who are willing to engage the subject as active learners. 

• How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now?  

Customers are  now using the local bird club and/or programs offered at local state parks. The problem is twofold and in respective order. A narrow range of programs and also a really distant drive to the state parks from our region of Indiana. 

• How big is this opportunity?

This opportunity will not stand to those vested in local sports— which is a huge number of people. But the remaining number is great itself. 

• How long will the “window of opportunity” be open? 

This window of opportunity will be open until someone steps up and fills the gap that I”m looking to work into.

What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch?  

People will switch because of price and location. Our classes will be free and local. They don’t have to drive an hour to enjoy a state park program or hike. Effective marketing through word of mouth and facebook and Instagram will make them aware of the club and help to persuade them to switch to us. 

• Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities?  

Our competitors are primarily the state park nature centers. However they really only cater to children. Even their adult programs are festooned with childlike teachers and activities. It’s foolish and silly, but still appreciated at times. One of the biggest weakness is that they do not delve deep into their subject matters. They simply give the subject a breif look rather than taking weeks and months to study and learn about a subject. 

• What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? 

Effective graphic design of marketing materials (AKA packaging) will be helpful. The locations will be parks and preserves. For classroom settings learning we will use library conference rooms or simply go on a walk while we lecture and Q&A. 

• How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?

The core of the people part of this club will simply be mentors or teachers. While they will not be the focus of the class, they will point students towards the subject why are teaching about. 

As you might have guesses, small-town Indiana is quiet. Some have said that that fact is prone to setting its residents off into a literary direction for their lives. Perhaps that’s true. Many, for sure, of Indiana’s residents are already comfortable with the land and are sheepish, awkward (at first) and non-gregarious (at first). These things change when you bring people with similar interests together over medium-to-long periods of time. 

That is my mission. To bring these people together and to grow their populations so that stewardship and conservation are given their due place in the mind of Hoosiers. 

23A - Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. My wife Morgan. She finds things. Things big and small. Far and Near. She is the best guide I could ever hope for on a hike. She points things out that are on my radar for the day. 
1. V: Priceless
2. Rare: There’s only one Morgan.
3. Inimitable: Many others, I’m sure, have the gift of sight, but this factor rests on how they use their gift.
4. N: Definitely non-substitutable.
2. Tom and Cheryl Bell. These are local gardeners (horticulturalist, really) who volunteer at the local city park. They spend countless hours outside working with the land and have an encyclopedic knowledge of flora and fauna of the area. They are field experts on botany, ornithology and are very good students of entomology. 
1. V: Priceless
2. R: There are not many septuagenarian couples who are subject experts on natural history as they are.
3. I: I know nobody that comes close to their expertise.
4. N: As people, we are all substitutable— or so that’s what we’re told of ourselves at work! 
3. Tim Kimmel
1. V: Priceless
2. R: I’ve not come into anyone else with the knowledge of local native plants like Tim has. 
3. I: To imitate his knowledge and expertise would take decades of learning.
4. N: He and the Bell couple have similar areas of expertise.
4. Stephen Russell 
1. V: Priceless
2. R: He is a professor and expert of mycology. Very rare here in our area.
3. I: Again, takes years and decades of learning to match his level of knowledge.
4. N: Not very.
5. Tom and Nancy B. They are expert birders and adventurers who love natural history.
1. V: Priceless
2. R: They have lots of land they are kind enough to show off and allow new friends to use to study and learn. This can be a great resource for a group of studying naturalists. 
3. I: Their love for life and the road is inimitable.
4. N: I do not know anyone that could take their place properly. 
6. Asherwood Environmental and Science Learning Center
1. V: Asherwood is like a Petri dish for great naturalists. It has property and classroom buildings for learning inside of. 
2. R: There are no other private places like this in the area. Others are state owned.
3. I: Not to this degree. This is a large tract of land designed for pleasure and study. 
4. N: No.
7. The Wabash River and its lesser rivers (Mississinewa and Salamonie)
1. V: Priceless
2. R: The Wabash is the largest non-navigable river in the country. It has much to teach any student of it and it supports much of the life that we here in north central Indiana enjoy. 
3. I: Not.
4. N: Not.
8. Mississinewa Bird Club
1. V: Priceless
2. R: Very. This is an Audubon organization of people who love birds and other areas of natural history. They’re have a nice foundation of people are are always looking to expand. Many of these people would enjoy other natural history hikes and lessons. 
3. I: Can be imitated.
4. N: Not really in my estimation.
9. The surrounding community
1. V: Priceless
2. R: Not at all
3. I: Yes
4. N: Yes. The benefit here is that from talking to people in this community, they are (many of them at least) all open to discussion and learning about the natural world in their own backyard. Like any other American, they enjoy going out on distant vacations but also love to learn about what is here at home. This is critical to the body of any natural history organization. 
10. Me. Tony Lara.
1. V: Is it egotistical to say priceless?
2. R: I haven’t found anyone equal to my own mental powers yet. Ha. 
3. I: Very. 
4. N: Yes. Anyone with a love for natural history could easily take my place as the mover of such a project. 

22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3

Practice certainly does make perfect. In this pitch I felt more comfortable and spoke more naturally and avoided rushing my speech. I feel like the gist of my message was delivered effectively and might catch the interest of anyone who would like to jump in and join the MNFC.

All of my previous feedback was encouraging but not critical so I did not have anything to change based on those comments.

Thanks for the comments and helpful suggestions. What are some things that you would want to learn about if you came to a class?

Cheers.

21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

For this reading I chose Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker.

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

Theme of this book is that entrepreneurship is a process that can be learned and mastered. One of the other takeaways is that entrepreneurship is not confined to small businesses alone. It can be done by large corporations as well. Drucker argues that entrepreneurship is a response to change. We are living in a world of change. It’s a great time for entrepreneurship.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

As mentioned above, much of our world is in flux, for bettter or for worse. Principles gained from this book are sure to help any student going into the workforce today.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

A drinking game for every time Drucker says entrepreneur. No, really though— it’s quite often. A simpler exercise might be to outline a three step action plan that can be applied rom the book into real life. Something like... Change agent—> responsive entrepreneurship—>renewal.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

Many people think that entrepreneurship is a gift similar to one that shamans, preachers, or cult leaders have. But Drucker argues that one need only to responsd to an ever changing world in order to drive one’s destiny in this area of business. 

20A - Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert : Elia Ben-Ari

Elia was a contact given to me by a student from out-of-state who is studying mycology at a local university. She has a background in biology and medicine and currently writes for the National Cancer Institute. I called and asked Elia for feedback on my idea that's been in the ENT 3003 incubator. During our conversation I mentioned that I have experience with mapmaking and GIS databases and if there were anything I could help with in that area I'd be more than happy to. 

Elia has been in conservation for 24 years in a variety of roles, mainly as an interpretive naturalist. Some of the takeaways from our conversation were that it's not good enough that a goal for an idea like mine be connecting people with nature. No. Elia said that the end goal should be fostering public support for conservation and education in our area.

She said that if that is lurking in the background of every outing, every lecture, then the organization will be facing in the right direction.

Elia is a big supporter of doing these types of activities at no cost to the learner. "Think about the people who really showed you nature and its inner workings. They probably did it out a love for the subject rather than a few dollars, right?"

Elia is a distant contact to me and I would not figuratively add her to my network.

Market Expert: Kelly Morgan
Kelly is an expert interpretive naturalist at a local state park. My wife and I took a 9-session class of her's last month that is similar to what I would like to offer. She offers it in the next county south of where I live. She is at the top of the food chain in her space and location. I asked Kelly for feedback on my idea and here are some of her thoughts. We spoke via Facebook Messenger.

Kelly works in a state-run park and as a result tries to offer classes that are (physically) accessible to everyone. While she has a beautiful property to take people out into and learn from, she says that one must be "nimble" about how to approach this because a number of learners in their older age will not be able to go out hiking. She did acknowledge that this is an issues that while I may run into, being a private entity would have to pay attention to less than she does.

She added that some people want the 30,000 foot view of the subject while others might want more in-depth coverage and rumination. It's important, she said, to offer what your learners want.

The two most useful takeaways that led to reaching the entity's goals, she says, are learner interest and consistency of the learning environment.

Having someone like Kelly in my network has already pointed me to other people who have been useful and a joy to spend time with. Kelly is a resource to other people in the field that I am interest in.

Supplier: John N. Game Warden of 20+ years in my home state. I spent time with him on patrol while we talked about his work and my idea. I helped him move a couple of dead deer that were extremely heavy. (That was my favor!)

John works as a game warden (law enforcement) in the county that I live. He is constantly giving talks and workshops and educating people on how to safely enjoy spending time in the outdoors.

John said that it's important to meet people (learners) where they are and that that's easier said than done. He said that communicating with the public is not for everyone. It takes patience and skill to reach communication and educational goals (eventually).

Spending time with John (for the first time) was great. He is a great resource of local experts on hunting, fishing and boating.

Reflect

Talking to people is a great way to learn the space that one is interested in inhabiting. It's funny to me how people with many years' experience sometimes seem to speak cryptically in a "you'll see" kind of way. This exercise, talking to experts, not only helps to get to people who hold up the structure of the field, but, really, who are the structure itself. They point to the subject and also to other people knee deep in the subject.

19A - Idea Napkin No. 2

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

The writer Annie DIllard stated, “I am no scientist. I explore the neighborhood.” That’s true of my identity— of who I am. I have a talent for going out into nature and not simply seeing, but connecting the dots in nature to the dots in natural history literature. Connecting the dots gives a person a broad understanding of what one finds themselves paying attention to in life.

I have banded birds with Ball State researchers. I have spent time with a Purdue university professor looking at giant silkworm moths emerge from their winter cocoons. I’ve spent many hours participating, learning and even teaching at local state parks and libraries about many fields that fall underneath the umbrella of natural history. The study of birds, trees, geology, entomology, to name a few. 

My next educational opportunity is spending time connecting people with nature (specifically moths and insects) at a local Earth Day event hosted by the city parks department. 

I hope to continue finding ways to connect people with nature as well as creating content such as stories and podcasts that people can enjoy about local flora and fauna.

My business, which seems to be transmogrifying into a naturalists’ field club does not , it appears, require an economic engine. It therefore will be a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with nature right here at home.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

75% field trips, 25% lectures/seminars/Q&A

This is the idea, dishabille. 

I am thinking about 2 to 3 times per month where an outing is researched and planned that involves a hike at a local property that focuses on a particular subject. 

One outing might be spent on birding at a local marsh. Another might be learning about geology and geomorphology at a local limestone rock outcropping. Another looking at moths attracted to ultraviolet lights at dusk.

Lectures with also be curated towards specific topics, open to anyone interested and a Q&A. To follow afterwards. 

Hikes and lectures will be led and given by local subject experts.

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

My customers all have a curiosity and interest in natural history and the natural world right within their own community. For more details on my grandmother who does yoga in the morning please see my earlier post on the subject.

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

I think anyone can find educational resources that are very relevant through books, television, and even places like YouTube. But there’s something about a local community of learners that share the same interests that is inimitable from said educational resources. 

People really enjoy learning together. They like showing off their knowledge, values, interests, and skills to others. They like telling stories and hearing others’. Bringing a community together to do just that all while enjoying the great outdoors is why they’ll find value in this field club.

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

Well, according to Pryor I have nothing different than all 1300 of you. Except for a little lump on my right shoulder. That’s different. 

I guess I might take a stab at it. Look at Pryor. One of the things that he stated makes him an authority on his subject is that he has the 30,000 foot view of entrepreneurship due to studying the literature. Lots of it. 

I’ve done and am doing just the same. Something, I don’t know what, drives me to study the literature of natural history going back 80-100 years. I enjoy learning about libraries that catered to naturalists, naturalist societies of yore, erudite and common texts on natural history subjects. 

The history of natural history is of seemingly endless fascination to me. This allows to glimpses and insights into the lives and work of people that most naturalists have no idea about. This doesn’t make me better or smarter, but simply gives me more perspective (AKA useless knowledge) on natural history in general. 

In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 

The assignment does a great job at paring down the idea to its bare bones. It helps the student to answer critical questions that can point the student in the right direction, or even inform the student that the idea has some major flaws. It helps one to look at their ideas realistically from a feasibility standpoint. 

17A - Elevator Pitch No. 2

The feedback I received was nice and encouraging. I wouldn’t say any of it was corrective or constructive though. Many of the comments like the setting of the pitch and thought it appropriate to the endeavor.

I am aware that the business is likely a nonprofit one rather than a for profit business idea.

No animals were harmed in the making of this video and nothing much was changed from the filing of the first pitch. Well, the name was.

It started out as Grant County Nature Center then morphed into Grant County Field Club. And now we’re toying with Grant County Naturalists’ Field Club. I also like Early Bird Nature Center.

Is it just me or is anyone else finding themselves doing several takes on this very, very simple assignment? I’m self-conscious with just a handful of students seeing this— I can’t imagine going in front of a panel asking for actual funding. Braves souls they be.

18A - Create a Customer Avatar

My perfect customer has a full time job that gives them the space and time away from work to focus on their family and on participating in activities that help to sustain them over time. 

That means that they’re not tied to a job with a chaotically variable schedule, nor or they constantly on call for work.

This individual has a love for nature and for learning and for life itself. They have a knack for being around other people with the same passions and interests. They know that learning in a community is equally as important to learning on one’s own. 

They spend time outside every day, no matter how busy they are, just to breathe in the air and appreciate the little things in nature. 

They might drive a green subaru or a red pickup for loading up their canoe or kayak for when the weather is nice. They probably have children, and a dog or two. They may have really enjoyed or even have a major in a natural history field such as dendrology, botany, entomology, ornithology. 

They take their vacations at spring or fall migration so that they can enjoy the birdlife in the area they are heading to. Once a decade they may even go overseas to watch birds or board a ship to watch wales in Alaska. 

There is so much of life they want to go out and see and experience and at the same time they can feel content right at home with the nature and people around them. 

They are conscious of their impact on their local environment and put their money where their mouth is on this topic. They plant native plants in their garden to support the bird and insect populations around them. 

They attend local bird club meetings and occasionally participate in group hikes at local state properties. Their age skews towards the older end of the spectru. Their kids may be grown and gone, and they themselves may be approaching retirement and looking for a way to spend time outside with new friends. 

They watch lots of nature shows from NatGeo and Animal Planet. They avoid the news mostly. They read (inhale, really) books by great naturalists such as Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold and Berne Heinrich. 

They are middle to late aged but feel like a 17 year old does looking at a hot, long and beautiful summer ahead of them. They’re wanting to get to know the land around them better and the people in their community who love it too. 

What do you have in common with the customer avatar? 

Most attributes are those of my own. The age is one of the biggest differences between me and my perfect customer in this scenario.

If you have anything in common with the avatar, do you think that is a coincidence? Why?

I think this assignment go to show that we interact with the world based on what we pay attention to (values, interests, skills). There’s a quote from a book called Night Train to Lisbon. In it, the main character says that “When we go to a place we travel ourselves.” We find out who we are, what we know and want and do. 

I think talking about interacting with the world in an entrepreneurial capacity brings out the essence of who we are or perhaps that which we want to become. 

If this is not the case, one should beware. One should ask themselves, is this something I really want to be doing for the next 5-10 years? Can my interest in this endeavor be sustained?

16A What’s Your Secret Sauce

16A What’s Your Secret Sauce Anthony Lara by SleeplessinWebOS https://soundcloud.com/sleeplessinwebos/16a-whats-your-secret-sauce/s-LUHmf on #SoundCloud
Click Here for SoundCloud audio.

·       I have the ability to talk with and have good interactions with almost anyone. 

·       I have a very strong interest in natural history.

·       I have the ability to teach people things that interest them in a way that is not pedantic or monotonous.

·       I do my best to listen and pay attention to people, especially when they have a want or need to share something. I’m quite good at using active listening to engage in a conversation that helps people talk through something they’re dealing with. 

·       I can learn to become efficient at a repetitive process quite quickly. This is useful for life on earth!

2) Interview summaries

Morgan

You have an interest in entomology. Nobody else I know has that interest.

Very knowledgeable with books. Also good with woodcarving. Also with electronics. Very booksmart.

Bernadette

Caring, outgoing, like nature, bring out different qualities in your wife.

You like to learn stuff. You’re a go getter. You’re very handy with electronics.

Kim

Always willing to jump in, no matter what it is, and volunteer to help. You like to learn and help.

The skill of narcolepsy (especially after dinner). Computer savvy.

Rodney

You’re meek, mild person. I appreciate the love you show the family. Always willing to learn and I like that. 

You grasp a lot of knowledge in the area of nature and wildlife. That’s probably your end goal is to do something with that (conservation officer). 

Dan

You have an outgoing personality. You’re different from your parents and that’s a good thing! You don’t give off a phony put-on that some in your family have. 

You have a way with wildlife and you’re also computer savvy.

3) It was nice to know that people recognize positive attributes like the willingness to get in and help out. I appreciated people’s acknowledgement of my greatest interest which is all things nature and wildlife. One aspect that I was not expecting was that people had the perception that I am tech-savvy, something I would kindly disagree with. This perception came primarily from an older demographic. 

There are no major changes in the list I created above from the attributes obtained in the interviews. Some points overlap and others do not. None are in conflict with each other however.