30A: Final Reflection

1. 

2. Looking at all my posts for this course throughout the semester made me realize just how far I’ve come--it seems as though the first “bug list” assignment was ages ago. I didn’t quite realize just how much training, reflecting and learning we did for this class until I took a look at the dozens of blog posts dedicated to ENT3003. Going back to that bug list assignment, I’d definitely peg it as one of the lows for the class only because it was one of the first assignments and I remember spending so much time racking my brain for a good list. I ended up talking to all my family members to get their opinions, and they were just as stuck as me. Looking back, that assignment was crucial in developing the entrepreneurial mindset because it helped target out problems that we face daily but don’t necessarily step up to fix. One of my favorite moments this semester was interviewing 3 friends who were closest to me and hearing their take on my strengths and weaknesses. Although we have really close relationships, this is one of the topics that we don’t really talk about in person so it was really cool and eye-opening to hear what they had to say about me.

3. The most formative experience in my opinion would be networking and talking with strangers to build my brand. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, even if it was virtual, but it was an invaluable experience for my future career building. This same assignment would also fall into my category of the experience I’m most proud of accomplishing. 

1. Standing at the end of the semester, I see myself as more of an entrepreneur than I ever have before. I’ve never put this much thought and effort into developing a business concept, and it was such an invigorating experience. The entrepreneurial mindset has definitely taken its place in me throughout this whole semester, and I now find myself subconsciously analyzing anything that has to do with my flesh-toned mask business wherever I go.

2. To the future students of ENT3003, I would say to find what makes you uncomfortable and pursue. If there’s a problem, pressing issue or injustice that nags at you personally, use this platform to develop an idea that will solve that. Nothing replaces passion, so if there’s a matter truly near and dear to your heart, you’d do well following after that. In order to perform best in this course, do 1 assignment a day. It may not seem like a like, but the weekly activities add up and you definitely want to make sure you have sufficient time to do each one. I found that this method works the best for me personally, so grab your agenda and lay everything out accordingly! You want to start being organized here in the classroom so that the same attitudes will trickle into your work life and personal life.

29A: Venture Concept No. 2

The Non-Mask

1. Opportunity 

My  target group of people who have an unmet need is rather large, and that need involves modern health and safety measures to guard against the recent COVID-19 outbreak. I would say that nearly everyone has this need right now, but I’m tuning in more on individuals in the United States who are at a higher risk and are seeking a preventative solution without feeling over-the-top or conspicuous. 

One major force prompted our whole world to be brutally impacted--and that’s the coronavirus. It seems as though we’re living in a time when everyone is in danger and susceptible to contracting this fatal virus, and vaccines, testing and cures seem too far away. Therefore, the opportunity of forming a way to better prevent contraction is huge. This “window of opportunity” will be open until a vaccine is widely available, but I also feel as though it’ll be open for a much longer time due to health experts stating that the coronavirus will never be fully eradicated but rather will come back seasonally--much like the flu.

Innovation

My product is a flesh-colored face mask designed to meld into everyone’s face color. It isn’t just a single nude-toned mask that’s expected to be a universal fit, but it’ll come in a wide range of tones. I’d like to design it to have the protective capacity of an N95 mask, which is the most sought-after mask, instead of having protection levels of cloth or surgical masks which only block out a fraction of the respiratory droplets carrying COVID-19. 

Since traditional N95 respirators retail for around $5-$6 each and $25-$30 for a box of 10, I would sell my masks for $4.99 a piece and $24.99 for a pack of 10. 

Venture Concept

It’s no secret that the use of masks has been a heated debate in our society recently, and there are people who strongly advocate for wearing masks in public while there are others who claim that it’s unnecessary or physically disruptive. I’d like to target the essential workers and offer a mask that makes it look like barely anything is being worn while offering safety for those wearing it and the people they come into contact with. Since these are the people who are most exposed the virus and therefore need the most protection, my main efforts will go to serving them first.

I don’t believe it will be easy to get people to switch to using my masks, but one prominent reason I can give to them is the unique characteristic of ambiguity. Packaging won’t be as much of a preeminent role because I suspect most to be sold online, but price points and distribution will play an incredibly important role in attracting customers.

My venture’s “secret sauce” is my background in communications and my work experience in social media management, where I scout out tools to promote and share a given product. Assuming I launched, I would want this venture to start a chain reaction in the wide use of masks in our country. This first venture helps me attain my vision of having my own business by acting as the starting point and initial product launch.

2. Based on my Venture Concept No. 1, the majority of feedback I received pertained to my secret sauce and how it was a good choice to add that in my venture concept. I did get a comment questioning my use of images so I decided to switch things up this time around. Another peer also talked about how masks are such a heated debate right now, and since some people believe it’s a breach of freedom, getting everyone to wear them will be a difficult task but my concept of ambiguity will help. 

3. To adapt my venture concept based on the constructive criticism I received, I looked for new images that would get my message across more effectively. Since feedback on changing my concept was fairly low, I looked back at my “What’s Next?” exercise and was reminded of one peer telling me that my targeting was off because targeting individuals who work from home would be a tough market because they don’t interact with many people anyways. Keeping this in mind, I focused my second venture concept on targeting essential workers who are more exposed to the virus.

28A: My Exit Strategy

1. The exit strategy I plan to make is to continue to develop my business to the best of my abilities and then sell it within the next 10 years for a return. 

1. The reason I chose this tactic above running it as a family business or staying until retirement is because the premise of my business was built around the coronavirus and the product I designed, a flesh-toned mask, is narrowly tailored towards a specific issue. Once that issue is resolved, the mask business might go down a little bit which is why I would hope to sell beforehand.

1. This exit strategy has influenced the extent of my product development because I chose to focus on my initial mask plus a few other flesh-toned safety products like gloves instead of designing a whole line of merchandise too quickly. It also influenced my opportunity identification by focusing more intently on the current pandemic and building my business around ways to further prevent the spread of the virus. I targeted the specific unmet need of natural, inconspicuous facial coverings in a time when they’re needed most, and also targeted a group of people who most need them and who are also reluctant to wear them.

27A: Reading Reflection No. 3

For this assignment, I read the book Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. The general theme pertained to attracting and maintaining customers in the marketing world--specifically online. It talked about how traditional marketing methods like emails, direct mail and telemarketing have lost their effectiveness due to innovative technology that grabs people’s attention instead.

These tips definitely connected to what I’m learning in ENT3003 because so much of what we do depends on consumers’ willingness to accept and try our products and services. If modern marketing techniques are crowding out the old ones, it’s our responsibility to pinpoint better ways to reach our target audience. 

If I were to design a class exercise based on this book, I would have students promote their venture using both the “old” and “new” marketing tactics discussed in the books. For example, a student could choose to promote their business by sending flyers via direct mail and getting an ad on social media. At the end, they would calculate the growth and reach and determine which tactics worked best for their company.

    Something I learned while reading this book that really surprised me was that if your website has too many sales-oriented messages, it actually deters potential clients. The authors stated that these sites are referred to as “megaphones” and cause people to aimlessly click around and then leave. This is surprising because you would think the more effort you put into your brand, the more benefits it would reap but this proved quite the opposite. The authors advise to create a hub and focus in on a specific niche in order to be the most effective.

25A: Celebrating Failure

1. This past semester, I came across failure while applying for internships. As I’m approaching my senior year, it’s pretty critical that I get some internships secured and have heard so from my professors, but it was pretty rough coming back to the rejection letters. It’s important to understand that the world is going through a pandemic right now and unemployment is happening left and right so it’s definitely not the ideal time to be gaining access to positions, but it was still a tough pill to swallow.

2. I learned that not everything can go my way according to agenda all the time. As a perfectionist, I like to always have everything laid out and scheduled, but events like this teach me to let go of things beyond my control and continue pursuing important goals even if I don’t know what the outcome will be.

3. Usually, I handle failure by stressing out a lot (reiterating my perfectionistic habits), and I get discouraged and try to compensate by distracting myself with other things to get my mind off the failure. I learned through this entrepreneurship course, however, that you need to encounter lots of “no’s” before you reach the “yesses,” and that’s actually a vital step because it teaches you how to alter your product/service before offering it to customers. This way, we can keep improving upon ourselves before reaching our final destination.

25A: What's Next?

Existing Market

1. In terms of products and services, I’d like to extend my venture to include masks of all different material. Once we establish the initial flesh-toned N95 respirator-like mask, I’d like to experiment with different materials that will allow for more breathable yet protective coverage.

2. First, I talked to a friend who has previously expressed discomfort wearing bright masks in public, and they said a good next step would be to provide skin-toned masks in all different sizes, making sure we cover the bases from toddlers to kids to adults. Next, I spoke with a volunteer who shops for groceries for the elderly, and due to her increased exposure to the virus she also suggested flesh-toned gloves since most are white or blue. Finally, I called a close friend working as a nurse in Tampa currently, and she said that I should be planning to contact hospitals all around offering and distributing my products instead of posting them online and waiting for healthcare professionals to find them.

3. To grow in my existing market, it seems like I have to put a lot of emphasis on those individuals who are most exposed to the virus. While I want this product to be widely used by everyone, it makes sense for me to tune in on those at the most risk first. It also seems like a good idea to start thinking about products beyond my initial prototype and really grow the set. Whether it be new types of masks or gloves in the future, I’d like to start researching those now. Making a consistent effort to contact hospitals, not only in my vicinity but around the nation, is also a key aspect in making sure that my products end up in the hands of those who need it most. All in all, it’s prevalent that communication is the most important step in developing and growing my business for the future.

New Market

1. A radically different market from my target one would be individuals who prominently stay at home. This would include stay-at-home parents, and those who work from home.

2. I think I’d be able to create value for those in this new market by first emphasizing the benefits of going out. Post-quarantine, I believe that everyone will have some sort of urge to leave the house after months of staying in, and I would use this to promote the use of my masks.

3. First, I interviewed my best friend’s mom who is a homemaker, and she told me that since going outside isn’t part of her everyday routine, something my business could include is single-use disposable masks that can be discarded after one quick use for customers who don’t want to invest in a sturdy, expensive and reusable one. I then talked to my friend who works as a nanny in Gainesville, and she reiterated the idea of toddler-sized masks to cater towards younger people.

4. I learned that this new market has lots of valuable information even if it wasn’t my primary target at first. I learned that even if some people don’t leave their houses as much as others, they still expressed at least some interest in masks and even gave suggestions on how to make it more sellable to them. I was most surprised to hear the suggestion on surgical-type disposable masks because it was such a brilliant idea that I had yet to think of before. Prior to interviewing people in this niche, I had the assumption that they wouldn’t want masks at all and didn’t really follow up with news on the virus since it didn’t really apply to them, but I was surprised to learn that they were extremely knowledgeable on the subject. I’m actually very interested in looking deeper into this market and targeting them next, because it seems like a great way to get the widespread use of masks beginning to become normalized.

24A: Venture Concept No.1

The Non-Mask

Opportunity 

My  target group of people who have an unmet need is rather large, and that need involves modern health and safety measures to guard against the recent COVID-19 outbreak. I would say that nearly everyone has this need right now, but I’m tuning in more on individuals in the United States who are at a higher risk and are seeking a preventative solution without feeling over-the-top or conspicuous. 

One major force prompted our whole world to be brutally impacted--and that’s the coronavirus. It seems as though we’re living in a time when everyone is in danger and susceptible to contracting this fatal virus, and vaccines, testing and cures seem too far away. Therefore, the opportunity of forming a way to better prevent contraction is huge. This “window of opportunity” will be open until a vaccine is widely available, but I also feel as though it’ll be open for a much longer time due to health experts stating that the coronavirus will never be fully eradicated but rather will come back seasonally--much like the flu.

Innovation

My product is a flesh-colored face mask designed to meld into everyone’s face color. It isn’t just a single nude-toned mask that’s expected to be a universal fit, but it’ll come in a wide range of tones. I’d like to design it to have the protective capacity of an N95 mask, which is the most sought-after mask, instead of having protection levels of cloth or surgical masks which only block out a fraction of the respiratory droplets carrying COVID-19. 

Since traditional N95 respirators retail for around $5-$6 each and $25-$30 for a box of 10, I would sell my masks for $4.99 a piece and $24.99 for a pack of 10. 

Venture Concept

It’s no secret that the use of masks has been a heated debate in our society recently, and there are people who strongly advocate for wearing masks in public while there are others who claim that it’s unnecessary or physically disruptive. I’d like to target the latter group and offer a mask that makes it look like barely anything is being worn while offering safety for those wearing it and the people they come into contact with. 

I don’t believe it will be easy to get people to switch to using my masks, but one prominent reason I can give to them is the unique characteristic of ambiguity. Packaging won’t be as much of a preeminent role because I suspect most to be sold online, but price points and distribution will play an incredibly important role in attracting customers.

My venture’s “secret sauce” is my background in communications and my work experience in social media management, where I scout out tools to promote and share a given product. Assuming I launched, I would want this venture to start a chain reaction in the wide use of masks in our country. This first venture helps me attain my vision of having my own business by acting as the starting point and initial product launch.

23A: My Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Journalism experience

1. This is a valuable resource, but it’s not necessarily rare or non-inimitable. There are thousands of students at UF’s J-School, but any major is non-substitutable because it takes years of learning specific things relating to that exact subject. 

2. Communications background

1. Communication is extremely important, especially in business, so this ranks rather high in value but again goes pretty low on the rare and inimitable scale. I wouldn’t say communication is substitutable. 

3. Marketing minor

1. I’m sure that many of my peers taking this course have experience in marketing, so it’s not very rare but is still valuable in detecting market trends for any business model.

4. Medical industry networks

1. Knowing people who work in the medical field is extremely valuable because their comments and concerns rank high on my priority list of forming a protective, innovative face mask. This is a pretty common and inimitable trait, but it can be substituted by networking with medical professionals. 

5. Networking practice

1. This is valuable, non-substitutable, rather rare for young adults in my demographic but I would say it is inimitable. 

6. Keenness towards health and safety regulations

1. This resource is definitely important and valuable, but it’s also common and can be acquired. 

7. Writing skills for promotional purposes

1. I have a lot of friends tell me how much they hate writing, so I believe this skill is pretty rare, non-inimitable and non-substitutable. Broadly, however, it isn’t the most valuable characteristic. 

8. Small business owner connections

1. This is not rare, non-inimitable or non-substitutable, but it is definitely valuable. 

9. Work experience in social media management 

1. I would say this resource is on the rarer side, non-inimitable because lots of experience is involved, non-substitutable and valuable. 

10. Interviewing skills from reporting courses

1. This was one of the most difficult resources I’ve acquired, so it’s valuable, rare and non-inimitable. 

After conducting the VRIN analysis, it seems that work experience in social media management is my top resource because out of the myriad of jobs that students have, managing a business owner's social media handles is just one of them. It's valuable because it helps me promote content strategically--which is extra useful in today's society. It's non-inimitable because you need the experience to properly engage, boost and share content.

21A: Reading Reflection No. 2

For my second reading reflection, I read Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. The general theme of the book challenges the notion that our innate human qualities, such as intelligence and personality, are fixed upon birth. It explores the possibilities of believing that these traits can be developed. 

This book connects with what I’m learning in ENT3003 because much of entrepreneurship deals with failure. It’s inevitable to come across countless “no’s” across our journey of designing, producing and promoting a product, and so much of this book helped me learn how to deal with that. If we simply turn our mindsets from negativity to the “growth mindset,” the entire scenario shifts from what used to be a hopeless tragedy to something that’s hopeful for future improvement. 

If I had to design an exercise for this class based on this book, I would have students list their top 3 qualities and their perceived weakest qualities (personality, mentality, talents, anything is applicable) and write out how they use these qualities in everyday life. Then, I’d have them write up 3 qualities they want the most and use steps from the book to show them how to achieve exactly what they’re looking for. Finally, all of this would be used to apply to their business model and connect with how they’ll use their attributes to reach others. 

    I was expecting this book to just be about motivational speaking and thinking positively, but I was surprised to learn about the “growth mindset” that enables all qualities to be cultivated through time. One of my favorite quotes from the book states, “There’s another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you’re dealt to have to live with...in this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development.”

20A: Growing Your Social Capital

1. Domain Expert

1. The first person I contacted was a future cardiothoracic surgeon that I met through my brother, who is going to be a groomsman in his upcoming wedding. I purposefully scouted out someone in the medical field because they are the most exposed to the virus right now, and I want to make sure the masks I design are adequately suited for hospitals. I asked my brother for an introduction and the phone number, and had to squeeze into their extremely hectic schedule--which I believe is a favor in and of itself. I did go on to ask a few questions regarding the nature of their work environment before the pandemic and during the pandemic, and took notes on what kinds of things were most needed. In return, I plan to use every detail to try and form a mask that is as protective as possible. I’ll be including this future doctor in my network to enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity by tapping into their experiences and medical knowledge. 

2. Market Expert

1. Next, I had to find someone who has similar products and services, masks, and immediately thought of Disney and their new character masks that have been introduced on their website. I saw a lot of people wearing these in Disney Springs where facial coverings are mandatory, and wanted to explore more so I contacted a peer I met last semester who has several internship experiences at the Walt Disney Company and offered to connect me to people. I asked her how she uses her platform as a graduate working in marketing and communications to promote new products and get people excited about them--even if they’re products that most people would rather not wear. This conversation allowed me to grow my network and enhance my future opportunities of selling my product. I also offered her as many complimentary masks as needed if they become produced.

3. Supplier

1. Finally, I sought after someone who is selling products and services to other organizations in my industry and thought of small business owners who sew homemade masks and sell them on the internet. I recalled that my friend told me a few months ago that her mom makes face masks with leftover fabrics, so I asked to speak to her. Through a phone call, I asked her the outlet through which she sells her products, what her buyer segment looks like and what her masks constitute of. With this information, I could better understand what people are looking for when purchasing facial coverings. In return, I showed her my business model and gave her all the CDC guidelines on protective requirements, because it seems as though she focused less on that part than on the actual designs. Since experts have said cloth facial covers are less effective, I wanted her to be able to create more masks from this point forward that align with regulations. 

 This experience has pushed me one step closer towards future networking events. Although the severity of the pandemic has forced me to perform all networking remotely, I still feel like it gave me a glimpse of what’s to happen at in-person events. Over the phone, I still practiced communication, listening and presenting skills, which are valuable traits to master. In the past, I’ve met people face-to-face, which I think leads to more expressive and in-depth conversations, but we still have modern technology like FaceTime and Skype to imitate that. 

19A: Idea Napkin No. 2

1. Me

1. I am a Journalism major at the University of Florida with a Marketing minor who’s currently focused on community wellbeing. I love surrounding myself with people, especially at church, small groups, community events and indoor/outdoor gatherings, so the social distancing measures associated with COVID-19 are something I’m keenly interested in. As an Asian American, I’m aware of the stigma associated with us wearing masks and the perceived threat that we hold, especially after the coronavirus was nicknamed the “Chinese virus” since its beginning. All of this has prompted me to form a way in which masks can become normalized and effective and protect all of its users in an inconspicuous way. 

2. What Am I Offering To Customers?

1. My product is a range of skin-colored masks that will camouflage into people’s face colors to offer natural-looking protection for everyday use. These masks will line up with CDC guidelines to offer breathable features. Ultimately, I want to form masks that are as safe as possible, unlike cloth coverings that are said to be less effective, and also visually appealing so as not to thwart potential customers with flashy patterns and noticeable designs. 

3. Who Am I Offering It To?

1. Ideally, everyone would wear masks to further prevent unnecessary infections, but I’m aware that this isn’t the case and many individuals have their own reasons as to why they don’t want to cover their faces. These groups will be my target because it’s my goal to get the widespread use of face masks. I also realize that healthcare and essential workers are at the frontlines of the pandemic, so I’m focusing on distributing it to them first and targeting high-risk groups to receive adequate protection promptly. 

4. Why Do They Care?

1. The coronavirus has been a global catastrophe and the focus of everyone’s attention for the past several months. Deaths are occurring left and right, infections are soaring and danger is prevalent in what seems to be every corner. I believe that coming up with a solution is all of our main hopes right now, but until a vaccine is patented and distributed, forms of prevention like facial coverings are key. Health authorities are suggesting that COVID-19 could become a seasonal illness that’s never really eradicated--which should force us to focus even more on safety. 

5. What Are My Core Competencies? 

1. I like to think that empathy is one characteristic that I hold, and have heard so from my closest friends and family members. With empathy, one is able to understand the needs of others while sharing hurt and burdens of those around them. The severity of this pandemic has sparked my empathy as I helplessly watch millions of innocent lives suffer. With health that I’m increasingly seeing as extremely valuable, I want to use all of my assets to help those around me while I can. What sets my product apart from everything else is the distinctive factor of color. I have yet to find a mask that blends in with the color of one’s face and the mission is to provide a less conspicuous facial covering in order to get people more willing to walk out with them. 

Overall, I feel as though the elements of my Idea Napkin are congruent with one another. I realize that I have no background in science or medicine, which can be a weak business point. However, I’d like to use my core competencies and experience in journalism and marketing to engage with individuals, receive feedback through listening and asking, and promote the idea of my business plan. 

If there are any business concepts that fall out of joint with the others, it would be the target audience or “who I’m offering it to.” Because it’s my goal for everyone to cover their faces, I need to realize that this is an impossible task to fulfill because of the sheer amount of people in our nation and differences in opinion among everyone. Therefore, I need to tune in to a narrower demographic, which is a harder task than expected. 

In my first Idea Napkin, I received feedback from my peers regarding my target audience and the necessity of my product after the pandemic. One peer asked whether healthcare workers were included in my target audience because my first Idea Napkin primarily focused on everyday individuals. I augmented my second Idea Napkin to reflect healthcare and essential workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic. Secondly, another peer pointed out that while this is a good idea, once the pandemic is over my product may not have demand. To respond to this logical point, I wrote that many experts are saying that COVID-19 will return in waves annually--much like the flu.

18A: Create A Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer is a middle-aged adult who’s always on the move. She has a 9- to 5- job in a suburban office and is constantly updating herself on the news and pandemic data, and she has a huge heart for those around her which is what prompts her to do volunteer work like delivering groceries to high-risk neighbors and packaging meals in soup kitchens. 

Socioeconomically, they’re in the upper middle class and can most likely be seen sporting a red Lexus sedan. Just big enough to fit one daughter, but not too bulky to haul to Whole Foods. When she’s not driving her daughter to one-on-one TaeKwonDo practice (due to the virus), she’s at the post office sending off packages from her Etsy side business of designing phone cases. Staying at home 24/7 is nearly impossible so exposure to the virus is always prevalent. In the spare time that she comes across during the weekends, she and her husband garden in their backyard before family movie nights consisting of homemade baked goods and cheat treats. All of this takes place in their 2-story townhouse in Hartford, Connecticut’s suburbs, where they’re close enough to New York City to commute for emergency work meetings yet stay nestled in the tranquility of rural life. 

Physically, she has tanned skin and often struggles to find the exact skin tone match when shopping for foundation or band-aids. This innate frustration has led to the need for more products with a variety of flesh-toned ranges. I don’t have a specific race in mind, but they are definitely foreign and are infatuated with trying exotic foods in a different themed grocery store each week. She is interracially married, so her daughter is of mixed ethnicities and shares her tanned skin. Below is the customer avatar I created: 

Between my prototypical customer and myself, I found that quite a few characteristics were shared. We’re both foreigners, and although we were born in the United States, our ethnicities lie elsewhere. I don’t have children nor am I married, but I find myself being kept pretty busy, and I’m at the post office and grocery store pretty frequently. I also like to help out at soup kitchens with my church friends, although the severity of the pandemic has limited our abilities. I wouldn’t say my skin is that tanned and I’ve never struggled finding the right color match for my skin tone, but I purposely added that to my customer avatar so that she’d relate to my product endeavors more.

17A: Elevator Pitch 2

1. https://youtu.be/rIWcNAy9yk0

2. Based on my last assignment, I received positive feedback on my opening, data and idea while receiving constructive criticism on my camera angle and stance. Next time, it seems as though I need to place my camera higher and look at the “audience” directly at eye-level instead of looking down on them. I’m glad this peer pointed this out because it’s something that I failed to register previously. Those who left feedback on my elevator pitch also commented on how I remembered to add an opening hook to grab the audience’s attention and also mentioned good use of data in my presentation. 

3. Due to misreading the instructions, I used the same elevator pitch because I read, “Same as last time,” which I now realize was a mistake. However, as noted before, I would definitely need to change my camera positioning. I would also need to memorize my pitch more seamlessly upon rewatching.

16A: What's Your Secret Sauce?

My human capital that I believe to be unique…

1. Being raised in a Korean-American home has allowed me to be more culturally aware of traditions, differences and taboos in different societal circles. Being close to 2 different cultures helped me to associate with different types of people and widen my understanding of different backgrounds. 

2. My many passions are what sparks my everyday motives. Most people like to tune into a single interest that they hone over the years, which I’ve always admired, but I constantly find myself getting interested in new things and can’t single one out. Whether it be books, baking, cinematography, painting or collecting, I always find new outlets that interest me and I feel as though it helps me get my creative juices flowing.

3. I’ve moved around several times growing up, and although I’ve spent the majority of my life in Florida, I’ve also been in Colorado, Texas, Georgia and Texas again. It’s definitely a different route than having the “childhood home” portrayed in many narratives, but experiencing multiple cities and states contributed to my curiosity of different state cultures and trends. 

4. I have an early bird mentality that I didn’t purposely choose--my body just wakes up at 7 a.m. every morning despite my desire to sleep in. I do sometimes wish I could get a few extra hours of sleep, but it’s proven to be a useful tool in productivity. I realize that this isn’t the typical time clock for college students who get the most done in the late hours, but I find myself checking out at night and prefer to get things done early in the day, which has actually allowed me to take advantage of opportunities like early meetings and interviews. 

5. Keen observation is something that runs in my family, and I’d like to say I’m pretty sensitive to other people’s current emotions and thought processes. As an entrepreneur, I believe this will help me

What some of my closest friends say…

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The differences...

Although most of what my friends had to say about me aligned with what I reflected on myself, some key differences I noticed were in the emotional factors. One friend noted that it takes a while for me to open up to people, which is definitely something I should work on as an entrepreneur. I believe it's essential to form a connection with someone right off the bat in the business world, so I'm glad my friend pointed that out. On the other hand, a friend who I took Reporting with pointed out my ability to communicate with strangers, which seemed a bit contradictory to what the previous friend said, but is nonetheless a difference from my original reflection. I would agree more with the first comment just because I do believe it takes a bit for me to warm up to people, but talking to strangers is no burden when I have to. If I had to go back and change anything from my list, I would change my third human capital to something that more closely reflects my emotional connection to others. 

15A: Figuring Out Buyer Behavior Part 2

Previously, I stated that my segment consists of “People who are uncomfortable wearing face masks in public and seek a more natural option. Ideally, this segment would care about health and safety issues and could even include protestors, as the last exercise unraveled the need for those attending demonstrations to have protection because they’re packed so close to other people.” For my interviews, I chose to talk to 3 people who _____.

For my first interview, I spoke with a recent UF grad who now works as a RN BSN at Tampa General Hospital. Since wearing masks for hours upon hours is now part of her daily routine, I asked her how she’d feel about flesh-toned masks that provide safety measures that align with CDC guidelines while being completely breathable. She said it seemed too good to be true, which made me rethink the plausibility of my business idea objectively rather than idealistically, but overall showed much interest. Due to the high-risk nature of her job, she doesn’t consider price a big obstacle when picking their product but heavily relies on durability and efficiency. N95 masks are the go-to for both her and her colleagues, so not much thought is put into experimenting with other brands--unless the hospital runs an all-time low. This nurse’s protective gear is provided by the hospital, making it a B2B purchase, and usually isn’t involved in the transaction. When thinking back on the “rightness” of the purchase, my interviewee says that she judges based on how healthy her patients are after she interacts with them. Her ultimate mission is to keep them safe, and right now durable masks seem to be the best way to prevent passing on the virus to susceptible patients. 

Although I stated that those in my segment would be protestors who attend the rallies popping up all over our nation currently, a broader view of that would be someone who’s in close proximity to many people--no matter the occasion. Therefore, I chose to interview a friend who plans on going to Walt Disney World in mid-June when they reopen. This interviewee is an avid theme park goer and has an annual pass to Disney World, so I wanted to explore her thoughts on the new safety measures the company has ordered upon their reopening. Since facial coverings will be mandatory, I asked my friend what kind of facial covering she’d be most comfortable with, and she said that anything that coordinates with her outfit would work. After introducing the skin-toned masks to her, she seemed really eager because she wouldn’t have to worry about coordinating, but one interesting aspect she brought up was that nude masks would be a lot cooler for the summer than black masks which soak up heat. My segment would most likely purchase these masks in person, especially if they’re displayed inside a theme park store. It seems as though the main thing that determines whether the purchase was a good idea or not is the mask’s effect on fully enjoying a day at the theme park.

Lastly, I spoke with a current UF student who’s preparing to return back to campus in the fall and needs to start planning out his mask supply now. I asked this interviewee how he feels about in-person classes and large gatherings like football games, and he said that if UF decides to hold them, he’ll trust the University’s safety guidelines because they’ve probably put a lot more thought into it than he has. He didn’t really seem to show high concern for the protective makeup of the mask, but definitely wanted something that would easily blend in and be inconspicuous on his face--especially if he’d need to be wearing it every day. He went on to elaborate on how he can’t help but to feel a bit uncomfortable wearing masks in public even if he knows that everyone else is. This feeling was heightened after seeing a post on social media about “ridiculous” types of masks and being aware that people snap photos of others outside. If he were to buy skin-toned masks, he would buy them online based on his high online activity and a post-purchase event that would make him believe his purchase was a bad idea would be backlash about his choice posted on social media or any crude comments regarding his purchase. 

Apart from the nurse who works as a healthcare professional, I gathered that the majority of individuals have less concern for the effectiveness and safety of their facial masks than the actual look of it. I connected this to the highly visual age that we’re living in, specifically the impact that social media has on our culture and the emphasis put on how we present ourselves to society. It was really interesting to discover a new benefit of the flesh-colored mask that even I hadn’t thought of, which was its benefit in the summer of not soaking in heat like black fabric. The major post-purchase evaluation, apart from those working in the medical field, seems to be whether the product elevated or hindered their ability to enjoy themselves outside.