Week 2 reading reflection

Before I started reading the first chapter, I was preparing myself for a dull, lengthy chapter. I can honestly say I was happily surprised by how interesting the material was. Also, how much of an easy read it was.

I was confused about the macro and micro school of thoughts.

If I could ask the author a question, I would ask: out of all the characteristics he listed for entrepreneurs to have, which one does he think is the most important to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

The author, Donald F. Kuratko, idolizes entrepreneurs. And while he may be right, I think that’s very much an opinion. It can be argued that the conditions for entrepreneurship, free enterprise and capitalism, also create a polarized world of the rich and entrepreneurial and the poor. While the entrepreneur does need to be hardworking and an aggressive catalyst for change, I don’t think all them are good. A lot of people just want to find a way to make easy money, which hurts everyone else. I disagree with on the author also on the point that anyone can be an entrepreneur. While it does take a lot of time and energy, opportunity is a key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. And if you have a family of entrepreneurs, you have an easier chance of having the opportunity to become an entrepreneur. 

The 20 things that made my Bug List

1. It bugs me when I’m out eating with friends and they chew with their mouth open, or they speak with food in their mouth. Why? I don’t enjoy the sight of their masticated food and asking them to repeat what they said because I couldn’t understand what they were saying around the chewed up piece of steak.

2. It bugs me when I have to repeat myself more than twice, especially over the phone when I’m doing phone interviews because I don’t know whether to enunciate clearer or speak ladder.

3. It bugs me when people have terrible grammar, both written and verbal, especially if they’re trying to get a point across.

4. It bugs me when I have to wake up early in the morning to move my car from the Orange decal section behind Beaty Towers because the Red 1 spaces are full. Why? I already pay thousands of dollars in tuition, and I find it ridiculous that I have to move my car so I won’t get a ticket. UF doesn’t deserve more of my money.

5. It bugs me when the laundry detergent I use doesn’t smell as great as I thought it did in the store. Why? It’s misleading, and I really like fresh-smelling clothes.

6. It bugs me when it’s early in the morning and I’m trying to get out the door, and I have to figure out a way to squeeze the last bit of it out. Why? Because I paid for the toothpaste, and I also want to use every last bit of it.

7. It bugs me when I’m in the shower, and I have to shake a bottle of body wash until some of it comes out. Why? Because I’m wasting time and water.

8. It bugs me when my laptop automatically restarts itself because it needs to install updates, which can take up to 20 minutes, right when I need it the most.  Why? Because when I’m writing on deadline and I have an hour to write a story, it’s tough when my laptop decides to take a nap.

9. It bugs me when I have wake up and my dorm is freezing because my roommate decides to move the thermometer to the coldest level. Why? Cold temperatures make it so much harder for me to wake up.

10. It bugs me when I have to make the choice between face wash with microbeads, which are bad for the environment, or a skin-drying face wash. Why? There should be other options readily available in stores like Wal-Mart and Publix.

11. It bugs me when I have to pay for things like tampons and panty liners on a regular basis. Why? I don’t think people should be making a profit off of something women all over the world can’t control.

12. It bugs me when I feel the need to constantly look over my should when I’m outside walking any time past 6:30 p.m. Why? Because it was instilled in me at a young age that women need to be wary of all men.

13. It bugs me when I’m working on a story and I’m having a hard time finding sources, especially on Wednesdays. Why? Because I have class all day and I have to squeeze interviews in between classes.

14. It bugs me when my friends make jokes that are offensive to genders. Why? I think that’s why people think it’s okay to hit a girl when you’re a kid “because it means he likes you” or when you expect a guy to pay for a dinner because it’s “chivalrous.” I think small things like jokes breed inappropriate behavior, and it negatively impacts both genders.

15. It bugs me when I’m at a public restroom and there’s a leaky faucet and I can’t figure out a way to turn it off. Why? It’s a waste of water.

16. It bugs me when I’m driving from Gainesville to my hometown, Naples, and I have my phone connected to Bluetooth, so I know when I receive a text, but it only allows me to pick a response without picking up my phone instead of letting me create one. Why? I don’t like texting and driving, but the four-hour car ride gives me enough time to become bored multiple times.

17. It bugs me when I’m trying to study in the Marston library, which is always packed, and I leave to go to the bathroom, and I come back to find that my chair is gone. Why? I either have to pack up and leave or hunt down the person who stole my chair.

18. It bugs me when I’m practicing soccer at Norman Field and this one hole at the top of the net lets the ball roll away from me. Why? Because I have to chase after to ball multiple times, despite getting the ball in the net.

19. It bugs me when I’m in line for coffee at the Starbucks in the Reitz Union on Tuesday afternoons after class and the line spills into the courtyard.

20. It bugs me when I’m interviewing people in-person, and I’m scribbling down notes like a madwoman and my ink runs dry! Why? I have to tell the person I’m interviewing to pause while I get a new pen so I make sure I get the quote down correctly. 

Going through 20 things that bug me, and then explaining why they bug me, helped me realize the scope of things that bothered me. 

My Entrepreneur Story

As a staff writer for the Alligator, a student-run paper here in Gainesville, I meet a lot of people every day. This year, I spoke on the phone with UF alumni Nikhil “Nik” and Anjali Kundra. They created Partender, and after graduating from UF a few years ago, they successfully launched their application.

While I didn’t necessarily meet them, I had an hour-long phone conversation with them about their success story. And then I got to write about it.

The hardest part about being a journalist is gathering great information, but knowing you can’t put it all in. For instance, in the article, I wrote about how their professor helped them polish the concept, but I didn't have the word count to put in the story about how they found out they made the "2016 30 Under 30: Food and Drink," or how they were influenced by Josh Greenberg, another UF alumnus who left a big impact on the school. 

Josh Greenberg passed away last summer. I had the chance to cover his memorial service at UF, which I wrote about here. 

I never knew him in life, but from what I heard and what I was told, he was a great entrepreneur who changed the lives of many. 

I took this picture at the event. I'll be honest with you, covering memorials is always hard. It's a very sensitive place, where people are saying goodbye to someone they cared about. 

But out of it, comes a beautiful story of a guy who changed lives. I've found that the entrepreneur field is close knit, in a sense. Everyone knows everyone. 

What I hope to get from this class is to think outside the box when it comes to stories. I want to be a journalist who asked the right questions to get the answers that matter. I want to find new ways to tell stories, but with words. I'm passionate about what I do, and I hope that comes through in writing. 

My introduction to all my loyal followers - and professor

Hello! 

Now if you're reading this, you're either a loyal follower, a wandering blogger, or a professor/TA of ENT3003. 

Either way, thanks for reading! 

I’m a second year journalism student, covering Student Government for the Alligator this semester. This past fall semester, I was able to intern at the Naples Daily News because I met a senior at UF who pushed me to send an email. Because of that moment, I able to land the internship.

I’m from Naples, Florida, where you’re rich and retired or you serve the rich and retired. The public school system there is… difficult about getting information from as a journalist, which I’m learning as I’m working on a story about a bus driver. 

Let's see. I've been to Spain, Thailand and Mexico, each for different reasons. I went to Spain last August with friends, but Thailand was two years ago, where I traveled abroad to help small communities out. My mother is from Mexico, so we go one every five years to see family. 

I love traveling. It's a dream of mine, and I hope to combine that with my passion of sharing the stories of others through journalism. 

I like to play soccer, I’m bilingual and I’m still reading the Harry Potter series. I'm a fairly straightforward person because I have a deep appreciation for the truth. Does my hair look like a mess? Thank you for telling me! 

If you have any story ideas, or just know someone with an interesting story, I'd love to hear about them. 

I'm always looking for colorful people to write about and share to the world. I'm all ears, all the time. 

Also, here's a picture of my absolute favorite animal and me. 

Thailand, 2013. The day I fell in love with creatures 10 times my size.

(Photo credits to Lauren Elyce).

Second Post: The Entrepreneur Mantra