How was the pitching experience for you this week?

The pitching experience for me this week was great! We all prepared really well, there were definitely some small opportunities for improvement, but overall I think it went well. It really helped that we prepared a lot for our dress rehearsal pitch so by the time it came to preparing for the real pitch we only had to make a few adjustments. We also got a really good reaction from Tara and the rest of the class so I feel it was evident that the pitch went well.

What resonated with you from pitch day?

What resonated with me on pitch day is how the way you go about preparing your pitch really translates into how the final pitch is performed. This not only means how much time you put into preparation but also how you might need to adjust your pitch according to your specific audience. A key example of this is how John has to drastically simplify his pitch into lamens terms every time he pitches to the class compared to when he is pitching to his niche group that already understands NFTs and how they operate.

What did you think of the E&I event this week? Were you able to network and connect with others at the event? Why or why not?

I think the event turned out really well. There were definitely points when preparing the event when it seemed really chaotic, but in the end, it turned out really well. After the event, I realized I had gotten a text from my mom before the event saying, “Also remember every event I’ve been in charge of there is things that aren’t like as expected… But in the end, things turn out okay.” When the event was done, seeing that text was kind of funny because I felt it matched the situation quite accurately. Some things like the layout were changed last minute as well as some vendors not showing up, and some minor other things but in the end, it did turn out good. I even heard from an attendee, “This is better than the events Western throws.” I was also able to network and connect with people while at the event, it was really easy to talk to lots of different people because everyone seemed really kind, open, and excited to share their experiences or whatever business they were a part of.

How are you feeling coming near the end of VP2? What are there areas in that you are in need of support?

I feel pretty good coming to the end of our VP2. Now that we have successfully held the event and completed the pitch all that is left is some background work and a learning journey video. We do need to complete a couple of canvases and it can seem a bit overwhelming but I am confident we will be able to work together and divide up the tasks in an effective and fair manner.

How did the technology prototyping workshop go for you?

I thought the technology workshop was pretty cool. I feel some of the concepts resembled closely measures we already have in place. However, I still found it useful and thought it was cool to hear about the methods in a slightly different context. My favorite thing I took away was probably the agile method. I really liked that this process could forever be repeated.

How did the interviewing workshop go for you?

I found the interviewing workshop to be pretty useful. I liked getting feedback from other people in the class especially upper E-levels who have a bit more knowledge on these projects and the best methods and procedures to follow. I also really liked giving feedback. Some of the conversations I had seemed really valuable and it seemed like both parties learned something and really gained more insight from the conversation. This really made me feel like I had something valuable to contribute. I hope it felt the same for my fellow classmates.

Dress Rehearsals! How did this go for you and your team? What traction do you guys need to make before pitch day?

Dress rehearsals went great! It was relaxed but still allowed us to practice in a more professional manner. We got some really good feedback on our pitch deck and how we could make it better too. Before pitch day the majority of the traction we still need to make is within the food and also perfecting our pitch deck. Overall feel pretty prepared for the real pitch and hopefully, we will be able to deliver on an awesome event!

What are you going to take away from Sawyer’s presentation on budgeting? What resonated with you?

I really enjoyed how much information sawyer provided us with on Monday. I also really appreciated how open she was with us about how much she is making and how it does take most businesses a bit to get out of the red after starting. I also liked that she provided us with examples and ways to develop a personal budget as well as a budget for a business. All the different revenue models definitely set in for me and it was even easier to internalize them since we had a Kahoot about them after. I liked that we were able to ask a lot of questions and basically have class discussions about how to legally be certified as a business. I do wish we were able to hear a bit more on Meg’s personal journey in legally certifying her business though.

What was your favorite part of the E4 shift and share? What do you think you will carry along with you from these presentations?

Unfortunately, due to a messed-up ankle, I was unable to attend Bryan’s share of the shift in share but I did really enjoy Megan and Karl’s as well as Adams. I enjoyed it when we got to meditate in a room, but I was surprised to hear about all the possible ways to meditate. Personally, I am used to just sitting silently with closed eyes and focusing on different aspects of the present moment, but I do see now how different methods can be applied. Adam’s presentation I thought was pretty awesome. It was cool to watch as he walked us through everything on the laptop and I found his commentary to be quite entertaining as well. It almost reminded me of a how-to youtube video or something. Who knows, maybe Adam could start up a youtube channel teaching magic one day. I also really took away a lot of info and now a free Canva pro account from his presentation which was pretty awesome. I will most likely use the tools he demoed for us in class now that I have been introduced to them.

How are you feeling wrapping up Change Leadership? Any new sparks or ideas?

Honestly, I have been struggling through the week and am a little behind on change leadership. However, I have been thinking about it and I think I am coming up with some sparks that will make this project really worthwhile for me. I have already conducted one interview though but am a bit concerned if I should use it or not since I did not fully read the Change Leadership prompt prior to the interview. However, the interview I did conduct was very useful and inspirational which would probably serve well in this project.

How did the Evidence Pitch Day go for you? In what areas do you need to amplify the evidence in your Venture? 

The evidence pitch went well for me, I think it was really cool to see all the evidence and ideas we have collected so far all together. Overall I feel this assignment gave me a better perspective as to where we currently are with the assignment and where we need to be moving. I think we need to amplify the number of interviews conducted in our venture. We did use a lot of surveys which have been extremely helpful for us but we could very much benefit from a few more interviews as well.

What do you know about your customer for your project?

We know why most people want to attend events. We know what people like most about events for our targeted age group, which would be college students. We know what activities are most popular, what types of food, and what overall people like as well as dislike about events. We have a lot of information through mostly primary research which has been extremely useful so far in giving us some direction.

What has your evidence process looked like throughout the quarter?

We have created surveys either as a group or individually as well as created interviews as a group or individually. After these surveys and interviews are created we all work as a group to conduct as many as possible and usually attempt to meet a goal amount of conducted surveys. In addition to this, we have been searching on the web for additional information and ideas that may be useful to us. Another aspect that I guess you could consider evidence is finding leads and tracking down people that may be able to donate to our event or even participate in it.

It is week six of the quarter! How is it going? How are you hanging in there?

The last few weeks have been a bit of a struggle but I do feel I am now on the right track. I feel like we are moving in the right direction with our E2 venture although we might need to pick up the pace a little bit. I also feel that I am moving in the right direction with my other classes as well as other aspects of my life. Hopefully, I can continue to build this momentum back up and finish out the last half of the quarter strong!