Category: Fall 2020 E4 – Traction Journals

How did this quarter go for you? What did you love? What do you wish would have gone differently?

I think this was a GREAT quarter. I’ve gained a lot of experience working with all sorts of information and tons of leadership qualities since I started my project for the quarter. I definitely am getting nervous about my event since COVID-19 cases are growing but I do have some faith that we will figure out how to regain safety in the community. Hey, at least I’m trying. It’s new and scary but someone has to start the music world up again.

I honestly loved the days in class when we got to work with our E-level. We didnt get the chance to bond like other levels did during the E3 quarter. However, I still found moments when I got to connect this quarter. For example, Halanie had her event which was just me, her, and another E4 all went to Teddy bear cove. I got to talk to people I didnt think I’d ever talk to and we had s’mores.

Another thing I really love about this class is all the great ventures we get to hear about from the mentors who come to speak. I think they do a really good job of reminding us why we are in the program and how if you really love something then you’ll find a way to create with it.

I know this will be a lame response but I wish that this quarter was in person. I miss talking to everyone and the crazy energy that is always happening in our classroom. I feel bad the there are E-levels who wont get that experince. I didn’t realize I was going to miss that until the E6 presentation almost had me crying.

It was great having Nate and Sean in my team for traction journals this quarter! I hope you all have a good break and that we can connect again soon.

What did you see that you loved at pitches this week?

I was super excited for pitch day this quarter to see how our E4 levels would design slide decks on their own. I loved to see all our styles show up and our prefered pitching types shine. I think that Kayla did a really cool pitch because she has a super cool idea for an indoor dog park. I loved seeing her doggo in the slides and seeing her vision so clearly. I also really liked hearing about all the projects because within the last week I’ve shared so many with my friends such as Seans and Saras!

What went well this quarter?

I think the progress I made throughout the quarter was good. I made a TON of traction but now I’m realizing there is still room to make more traction which is great because I think a lot of our projects run out of steam pretty quickly but this one will sure as hell not end until spring.

Between now and Final Pitches, what traction steps do you need to make?

Good morning and happy early Thanksgiving! I don’t actually celebrate the normal way (my mom hates this holiday) but my family came up with our own tradition of ordering Chinese food and watching a movie. It’s pretty awesome.

I really don’t have much more traction needed between now and the final pitches. I pitch on Monday and I have my slide deck prepared, I have the energy for the pitch on deck, and I have an evidence locker full of reasons why my music festival should happen! I’m so stoked to do more after winter break. I’ve been chatting with a buddy of mine who does INSANE graphic design videos and we’ve been chatting about how he could create an easy visual aid video to represent how the event should play out.

Hope you’re all doing well this quarter!

What did you love this week?  – I loved how relaxed this past week has been. If I’m being completely honest, this past week I did very minimal work because I needed a mental break from school. I took this week to sleep, do art, and spend time with my pet. It helped me a lot and I think I will feel much more motivated this next week. 

What resonated with you in workshops? – The workshops in the class were cool because they worked directly with us to help us improve our ventures. They walked me through new ways to prototype and engage with my audience. Since I have an event, I want to make a tiny little cardboard prototype to show to people to help them and myself really understand the event and the rules for covid. OOOOooooo IDEA!! What if I created a video explaining the event and the way it will work through the little interactive floor plan I want to make. Would that be cool? Or I could make an interactive online image where you click on things and then it tells you what happens in the area and how it will all unfold.

What did you learn in shift and share- what did you love, what would you have loved to see? – I loved to do shift and share this week! I think Healni and I did wonderfully. I also really liked Drew, Evarosa, and Saul’s presentation because we had to ideate branding so fast that it was a ridiculous amount of fun. I had a great time. 

Good morning! Sorry, this one is so late! WWU sites were down all last week so now we are back! So far for my venture, I’ve reached out to a heck of a lot of people. That’s kinda what you have to do when you are trying to throw an event. Seraphia, Tara, and Aida have been awesome resources for understanding what is required of me and what steps I should take to make my event a success! I hope to talk to Meg this next week which will be super useful. 

I’m good on evidence and customer discovery. Right now my main focus is figuring out who should perform at the event (music-wise). We want to keep a consistent vibe which can be a big challenge. The other thing I’m trying to figure out is how to create the right environment for the event so that everyone feels comfortable. I also have a team together and we are each working on our own part of the project! 

I learned that it’s important to use coaching for helping others learn about their emotions. I think people really struggle to understand what’s behind their first reaction to things. They may have logic for it but I find there is a lack of knowledge of how they truly feel. I have applied this to my relationship with my boyfriend because he has a hard time talking about how he feels. So I do this with him and it helps. 

I’m not really sure that I learned anything this week from class that will help me with my venture. 

Good morning/afternoon/whatever time you decided to read my week four traction journal! This week was the week where I learned all about what it means to be an E4. Meg did an awesome job of sparking curiosity in me and I’m really excited to explore some of the fields that pique my interest. I didn’t realize that we would need to have a legitimate offering by the end of this quarter so I think I might pivot in my thinking for my project idea. I think it would be really fun to plan and host a rave. Let me know your thoughts!

How have you deepened your understanding of business research, empathy and alignment?

I’m not really sure that I have, I feel like I’m a week behind everyone else in the class right now. I had to take the E4 exam and so none of my attention has been on anything relating to expanding my research yet. I’ve been so focused on making sure I understand what’s required of me that I haven’t focused on anything else.

How does IdeaGrit and Major Definite Purpose resonate with you right now?

I think right now I am focused on “discovering you on purpose”. I want t find something to create that I really care about. Something that will be engaging, fun, and inclusive. Specifically to Bellingham. My major definite purpose isn’t going to really be something I focus on right now because my purpose in life is a heck of a lot different than my purpose in this minor. In this minor, I want to try things that I’d never try without this community helping me. In real life, I don’t fear my passions and purposes. I want to face the unknown while here.

How might you apply this week’s learnings to your venture?

This week’s learnings pretty much taught me that I need to possibly pivot my initial idea to something totally new. Not for any bad reasons. Simply because I want to do something else that allows for my own personal creativity to shine. I hadn’t ever wanted to do another event after E3 but I guess that it does seem like fun. The fun part being, how do I do this during Covid?

How did the prep for the E4 exam go for you?

I don’t think we got a very good prep for the exam. It was kinda thrown on-to us. I knew that we’d have an exam during E4, however, we weren’t told by any instructors. Also, I had no idea we were doing the empathy interview in class on Wednesday and so we had a hard time learning about him for the exam. In the end, I think it was okay because I knew what I needed to do.

How are you feeling in the process of self-discovery and venture formation?

I’m feeling pretty good honestly. I wanted to do a venture for a bagel pop-up shop but I decided to go a route that fits my dreams more. I wanted to create something that will have a real impact. I think I am going down the path towards helping youth who may be at risk after the COVID economic crisis.

What have you learned about SWOT and Pestle?

I’ve learned how to do them. I already knew how to do them since we did them for our E2 venture. I think something important bout them is that it allows you to see things about the inside of your venture and what’s happening outside of the venture. It allows for a deeper view of everything.

How might you apply this week’s learnings to your venture?

I’m not sure since I don’t have all the pieces figured out but I suppose that could be good. I think if I come up with a less detailed venture and then do a SWOT I could learn where I should continue the venture.

1. What did you love this week? What would you have loved to have achieved this week?
   1. I loved the speaker we had come to class on Monday. As a psychology major, I really liked that the process he went through to discover the metaphor of the bees which to me compared to the business model canvas. He told us that he watched the bees as they behave in nature and then he applied that to how people in the business world behave. So awesome! I would have loved to start change leadership this week but it’s challenging to do tasks that require meetings nowadays.
2. Applying the content from this week’s learnings, connect your understanding with something that’s relevant to your venture.
   1. The speaker did a good job of opening more context to the common notion that there are bound to be unexpected things that will interfere or improve your progress through a venture. The weather metaphor was what did a good job of this for me. You never know what obstacles may come or go throughout this process. I have to take that into account when creating my venture this quarter.
3. What tools are you applying that you have learned from, or deepened understanding of this week?
   1. I am trying to understand how a BMC works and how to apply it to multiple situations. This has been somewhat of a challenge for me in the past but now I recognize that it will be helpful for my personal organization. I want to be able to do this naturally and quickly. 
4. What challenges are you facing? What’s Next?
   1. Once again, the main challenge I am facing is deciding if I want to be on the leadership or founder track. I plan to set up a meeting with one of the student leaders in our class to get some guidance.

 

1. What did you love this week? What would you have loved to have achieved this week?
   1. These first two weeks were, as always, spent on VP1. During this project, I loved the prompts. I think they were definitely appropriate for the current media and social issues. I think my team generated a solid idea for the prompt we picked which was the prompt for sustainability. I do wish that we would’ve been a more productive team. Taking online school and our skill sets being rather similar, I think this made this project rather hard for progress.
2. Applying the content from this week’s learnings, connect your understanding with something that’s relevant to your venture.
   1. Honestly, before this project, I hadn’t considered why test cards would be useful. My team did a really good job applying our test cards to producing a better project and business model. It helped us realize what customers we should target and what they want from our product. I’m going to use these for my E4 project this quarter to ensure that I am truly filling the gap.
3. What tools are you applying that you have learned from, or deepened understanding of this week? 
   1. This week I learned a lot from the younger E-levels. I hadn’t realized how much information had been lost over the summer and they brought a lot back to my attention. I think that using our community was probably the tool that deepened my understanding this week.
4. What challenges are you facing? What’s Next?
   1. I need to decide if I want to follow the leadership or founder track. After class on Monday, I think that I am more likely to go down the leadership path because I want to learn more about the styles Meg mentioned. That information feels like something I would use more in the future.