As entrepreneurs, we can feel like, and may well be, a rare breed. After all an entrepreneur is defined as an individual who creates and funds a new business and bears (all!) the risks incurred during the business operations while enjoying the rewards. Of course, it is not an easy path, especially for women. It is also not remotely possible without the right like-minded group of mentors, partners, and team.
Innovation as an Invention: Not too long ago, I merely thought of innovation as an invention of a new product. In my case, I always associated “innovation” with Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. When you think of the term “innovation”, what images form in your mind’s eye? The printing press? The sprawling expanse of the internet? The life-changing discovery of Penicillin? How about the momentous unveiling of the new iPhone by Steve Jobs? All these inventions stand as testaments to some of humanity's greatest innovations, and yet, my own journey revealed to me that innovation holds a value beyond its surface as a new invention. At its core, innovation revolves around providing meaningful value to people.
From as early as I can remember, I have held the conviction that all my ambitions would be realized with unwavering confidence and steadfast dedication. Though my plans have not always followed a straight line, ups and downs and all, that sure feeling has remained consistent. Throughout the years, I have allowed this conviction to guide me throughout my academic and professional careers.
One of the most important things a young professional can do, or any professional for that matter, is to cultivate their personal brand. Not “brand” as in a clothing line, but how you package and present yourself and what you have to offer to the world. Now more than ever, it’s imperative that you can reach people and connect on a virtual level. Due to the ever-expanding nature of the digital world, figuring out ways to make yourself known to your desired circle online is a great way to strengthen your professional image. If you are an entrepreneur or part of a startup yourself, this is particularly prevalent for you. Anyone can use skills utilized by innovators and entrepreneurs to improve their online brand persona.
In April, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. To be completely honest, post-grad life is hard to navigate. While a lot of the people I’ve graduated with have had set start dates since January, I’m continuing to search for a company that’s willing to get back to me regarding the status of my application. As I continue to scan LinkedIn for jobs, I’ve been keeping myself busy rolling pretzels at Hersheypark, working for Pitt as the Campus Recreation Social Media Marketing Manager, and building my various side hustles. Extra income is always a plus while working on expanding my portfolio and showcasing my creative abilities. I’m an artist on Redbubble and creating brand content via Instagram.
On July 1st, 2021, the NCAA approved an interim name, image, and likeness (NIL), allowing all NCAA D1, D2, and D3 student-athletes to be compensated for their NIL, opening the floodgates to a brand-new era of athlete marketing and brand recognition for these athletes. Prior to the policy change, stringent rules were in place that made it nearly impossible for NCAA athletes to profit off of their status as a college athlete, a notorious example being the 2017 case of former UCF kicker Donald De Le Haye, who was stripped of his athletic scholarship and potential NFL career after the NCAA claimed his monetized YouTube channel, Deestroying, was in violation of these prior rules. Given the NIL opportunities college athletes have now however, it is not farfetched to say that Donald would be proud.
It took Sir James Dyson 5,126 failed vacuum designs before he could assemble one working vacuum. Now, we see the Dyson brand in our households with over 1 billion in revenue. At the age of 22, Walt Disney was fired from his job working at a newspaper company because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Thomas Edison had over 1,000 unsuccessful attempts before the first lightbulb was created. Nikola Tesla thought his idea of a "Thought Camera" was his next lifetime achievement, but it failed and the project collapsed. Although I started the blog listing failures from history's most decorated inventors in a very cheesy way, even the greatest innovators fail. These revolutionary innovators failed before inventing life-changing products and services. Currently, I am a rising senior majoring in Supply Chain and Marketing as well as the co-founder and CEO of Greatings. I would like to share my experiences of failing as well as learning in the entrepreneurship world and how it has driven me to continue my passion.
August 12th, 2022 was the day I left home in France without knowing when I would be coming back. This was the hardest day of my entire life. Saying goodbye to everybody, moving to a place I knew nothing about, being 18, alone, and in a country where I did not speak the language (I mean, my level of mastery wasn’t the same)...this was frightening! Even though I was so sad, I will always remember that feeling of freedom. I wish everybody could feel it at least once. After a very long journey, I finally got to Pittsburgh.
I’d like to think of myself as creative, outgoing, and motivated – one word I would not use to describe myself is patient. Like a lot of freshmen in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I first came to Pitt. I came in pre-med and ended up as a business student, and when I transferred into CBA at the beginning of my sophomore year, I knew I would be behind other sophomores who were already in CBA. Impatient in nature, I knew that I didn’t want to wait to learn business skills in the classroom and decided to use my quarantine hobby as a tool to develop business acumen on my own.
