13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

 1) You read about an entrepreneur: I read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.
  • What surprised you the most? - I was most surprised that he decided to drop out of college without a plan. He said that he hated it and didn't want to finish a degree he hated. I 100% would finish a degree even if I hated it just as a back up. I know he believes in himself, but its always good to have a backup.
  • What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?- I admired his perseverance when his parents were against what was doing. It is difficult to be able to go do something without support, and he did it greatly.
  • What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? Like I said above, I really think he was too confident in himself. He didn't finish out his degree, and basically put his own back against the wall to succeed. Yes he got a job without a degree, but the general advice is if you are going to start college, then you better finish. 
  • Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? The company that he was doing business with, Onitsuka, stopped their business with him. He wasn't fazed, and kept on chugging; he found a new manufacturer and more distributors and kept on going. 
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? -Mr. Knight doesn't back down from a problem. He is comfortable with being uncomfortable. He is ready for anything the world throws at him. By being a very positive person and a very optimistic person, he can take on all problems he faces.
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. -I was very confused as to how he got a meeting with Onitsuka. He just lucked into a meeting basically, with no company to sell the shoes that he wanted them to produce, and he had no business knowledge. He literally faked it till he made it.
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?- First I would ask: Has owning your own business affected your personal life, has there been separation or does own consume the other? 
Second I would ask him if he could send me some Florida gear, because the gear they sell is way too expensive for a broke college kid. 
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? -Knight's opinion of hard work is that it is necessary to reach any goal you want to achieve, and you should always tackle it head on. I agree with this statement, because, as my dad always said, "If it were easy, everybody would do it."

Comments

  1. Abby TuckerMarch 1, 2020 at 12:42 PM

    Hi Micheal,
    I think you're right that it was very risky for Mr. Knight to drop out of school. While it works out for some people, it is an investment for your future to have a degree. However, I think his optimism and positivity led to his success. While some luck may have been involved, you are right to say that perseverance is necessary to keep going through the difficult times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sophie BeaudMarch 3, 2020 at 7:15 PM

    Hi Michael,
    I agree with the fact that finishing your college degree can be very beneficial even when you have an idea. Most would say that you can always go back to college later on but I also believe you can finish a degree while starting your business. It is extremely hard to make it big nowadays so there must be extreme dedication to an idea that one may have. I think that his personality, hard working skills and a lot of luck allowed him to get to where he is today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tatum Homer-DibbleMarch 9, 2020 at 12:05 AM

    Michael,
    I see both points to the "getting a degree in college" argument. On one hand, it is beneficial, especially nowadays fighting for the same jobs as many others, to get a degree, and it may oftentimes serve as a back up plan for a career that doesn't end up working out. On the other hand, however, there are many successful individuals who did not receive a degree but still pursued their dreams and made it big. A degree may also be very limiting for what you may choose to do, especially if the career choice is very odd and specific. My career which I am pursuing is very flexible in that you do not necessarily even need to go to college to succeed in, but I am still getting a degree from college. So, I definitely understand the struggle Mr. Knight and many others go through.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 9, 2020 at 9:36 AM

    Hi Michael,
    I also read this biography and happened to love it. I agree with you that even if I hated my major I would still finish college as a backup plan. However, Phil Knight had the perseverance and want to succeed even if others didn't believe in him which I believe led to his success. Also, I agree with you that he was very capable of dealing with problems thrown his way.

    ReplyDelete

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