Celebrating Life as a Disciple of God

I am privileged to be a student of this course, ENTREPRENEURSHIP.  To other students who will be taking this course, I would like to share with you the formula Jim Ritchie shared.  It is a powerful formula that will help you shape your life plan.

I advise you to PREPARE yourself very well.  Get the right education and the right experience to better face the entrepreneurial journey.  Also, communicate with God and meditate so you will have the right motivation and purpose for why you want to go into business.  I advise you to read the book "Launching Leaders" by heart.  This will help you be the kind of entrepreneur God wants you to be. 

A word of caution and advice in doing business.  The temptation and pride out of the love of gaining more money might lead you in the wrong direction.  Always calibrate and recalibrate your goals and desires with what God would want you to do.  Doing this will help you have God as your mentor as you do business.  Your network will improve if you improve your connection with God first.  I felt that is what happened when I went to Church first to network with God and I hope and prayed that He makes miracles to make a strong network of people that can help me in my business.  I testify that He did improve my network and that blessed me and the people around me.

You can also read my Week 14 takeaways!

It is interesting to know this week’s Acton Hero: Tom Monaghan – the owner of Domino’s Pizza lives in a dorm. He lived a simple life and donated some of his properties thinking he will not bring his money to heaven. He had done a lot of charity work. Such an attitude is worth emulating. Carole Carpenter said, “he really, really believed that the most important thing was eternal and it made such a difference in his life.”

I got a lot of plans in mind hoping I could be like him someday. But for now, I need to spread my wings and soar higher so that I may be capable of what he did. Whatever I have was only entrusted by God for the building of His kingdom on earth. However, I need to prepare myself for that calling.

Jim Ritchie said in this week’s video:

“I promise you that the closer you get to the other end of your mortal existence, the more you will look back and wonder what might have been if only you had been better prepared to fulfill your roles and perform your responsibilities. The life plan and constitution you’re writing will make a huge difference in how you attack your future and how others will respond to your attack. The life plan helps you to identify the areas in your life that require planning and preparation.”

I do not want to look back and ask myself, “what might have been if I am better prepared?” Having a plan, and preparing for the future is wiser. I can better serve God and my fellowmen if I am better prepared.

I never thought some people really do care if I succeed. Last week, one of our staff said he and his wife pray that we will have continuous orders. That of course is understandable because he is one of our carpenters and more orders means a continued job for him. But I am deeply touched by one boy who was attending our Self-Reliance Class (Personal Finance). He was hopeful to study college by having a job in our company. He was hoping to get a job from us to save for his mission. Will I not prepare more and do better for a child like him?

I need to be more focused. Focus and stick to it!

President Thomas Monson in his talk, “Finishers wanted” quoted:

“ Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come to the one who stays. Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life’s victories after a while.”

—Author Unknown

I thought starting a business is harder. I realized enduring well, and enduring happily in sustaining and expanding the business is harder. I, however, know that it is worth it.

There are valuable insights in the article, “Recognizing and Shaping Opportunities” which can help me. It states that there are three key categories of growth options an entrepreneur can consider:

1 Enhance. Make incremental improvements to an existing product or channel to market

2 Expand. Launch new products OR enter new markets

3 Explore. Launch new products AND enter new markets

These, I need to do urgently. Our company will soon be distributing some of our products in one mall. I need to think of products that really sell.

In the same article is stated:

"In the book Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck, experienced entrepreneur and venture investor Tony Tjan and his co-authors describe what all successful entrepreneurial teams possess as a combination of “heart” (passion and motivation), “smarts” (analytic and creative-thinking skills), “guts” (intuition based on education and experience, as well as the courage to take action), and “luck” (being in the right place at the right time).

Figuring out which traits [heart, smarts, guts, and luck] drive you and your decisions is the most important thing you can do to enhance your business leadership. Greater awareness of what you’re best at, and how and when you might need to turn up or turn down the volume of the other traits, is what separates the best business-builders from those who are very good. From an organizational perspective, knowing your own [qualities] allows you to better understand what kind of people best complement you during specific points of the business-building growth cycle—and, equally important—what type of person you might need to supplement (almost everyone needs a kindred spirit) or even succeed you."

I take those things as valuable counsel in running the business and hiring people. Now, I look forward to the future with greater faith. May God help me put all I have in mind into reality. I do not want to only dream but to achieve those things and make the world a better place. Entrepreneurship is truly a hero’s journey. I hope that I and my family can be blessed by God to be a hero for that child who wants a better life… for all those people like him praying for miracles to happen in their lives…  

A Journey of Gratitude

 Now at week 13!  I think I am going to party next week!  I am not only happy to finish the course but grateful of all the things I have learned.  It makes me feel that I am at the right track.  I never thought that Entrepreneurship is a journey of Gratitude.

"Because I have been given much, I too must give!"

I remember many years back when I felt alone and forsaken.  I cried to God to rescue me and help me rebuild myself.  I was wounded and I do not know how to live my life anymore.  And He did help me.  I suddenly received an opportunity to work in a big government hospital in Qatar.  There I learned to be more confident.  I was given a chance to train and manage people.  After almost seven years, I came back to the Philippines with my family.  God put us in Qatar to learn the things we need for our entrepreneurial journey.  

There were a lot of business ideas.   Unlike other businesses, I feel that we were led to our business.  There were some people who wanted to be our business partners who are not willing to invest their money and who do not even have the skills and wit.  I advised my husband to reject these people.  Eventually, we made it on our own.  Like what was mentioned in the article, Identifying and Exploiting the Right Entrepreneurial Journey:"

 After some business failures, luckily we were able to seize the right opportunity after another. Our CCTV Solar Company which is still up and running today led us to our furniture business. Furthermore, our furniture business gave us the opportunity to establish better relationships with other entrepreneurs. It also opened the idea of exporting. We received an email today informing us that our company is now a registered exporter.

President Thomas Monson quoted the hymn "Count your Blessings" in his talk, "A Journey of Gratitude."

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Learning to be full of gratitude despite the trials, and persecutions will heal an aching heart. And as I have healed from my personal tribulations, I pleaded with God to be a companion of others so that they may also escape their current melancholic state. At first, I thought it would be just by being a friend to some or being a leader in the church. God gave me a better opportunity to lift others through doing business and inspiring others to establish their own. I happily do that as I journey life with gratitude.

The article, Identifying and Exploiting the Right Entrepreneurial Journey states that opportunity recognition has three distinct activities:

1. Perceiving an unmet market need (new technology or capability)
2. Discovering the fit between the market need and the capabilities and resources of the entrepreneur
3. Creating a product or service solution...

As an entrepreneur, we must identify what the market needs and do our best to make a solution. As we do that, we create a product that is useful to society. There are some products that are not only developed to earn money but also to save lives, such as vaccines. Some are made out of love and passion.

I look forward to learning more next week about how to apply them to my life as an entrepreneur.

Becoming the Change Maker

 According to "What's a Business For?" by Charles Handy, in spite of the government's efforts to improve the economy, most people do not perceive its relevance.  Our financial security cannot be guaranteed by the government. 

Businesses nowadays are generally viewed as profit-making enterprises.  It is believed by them that businesses exist to make more money than to benefit people.  If we change the system by creating a business image that people can trust, the economy will be better.  To be able to do that, we must live with integrity. We must think of the consumer’s benefit and plan better remuneration for employees. Doing this will develop care within the business and those surrounding it.  The consumers will support businesses with virtue and integrity.  Their trust will build a stronger and more abundant economy.

Charles Handy said, “I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our being. As we investigate this, we inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase that sounds trite but is fundamental.”

Based on what he said, businesses exist so they can contribute to society.  Therefore, as we think of products or services we offer to the public, we must ponder if those are great contributions to society.  Does it help the people?  Is it safe?  Is it quality?  As we answer those questions and many other questions, we can think of better ways how to manage our business and make it more beneficial to society.

Out of the many things Charles said, here are two solutions businesses can do:

First, The Hippocrates Oath, "Do NO Harm," will help restore the trust of the people in businesses.  It includes environmental issues, employees working conditions, community relations, and ethics. Doing no harm is never wrong.  It is simply caring for the welfare of others. 

Second, we need to associate with a cause in order to give purpose to our lives…  We should, as charitable organizations do, measure success in terms of outcomes for others as well as for ourselves.  This will help businesses have another vision, another reason to be diligent and persist in succeeding. A very compelling reason to serve humanity.

I am better able to recognize my own vision as a result of pondering these things.  It's my wish for my family, employees, community, and those in need of rescue to live in a better place.  I pray that God will help me create miracles for myself and for others through my business career.

In closing, let me share a thought from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

Measuring the Cost

I do not want to live a life with regrets...  I do not like to ask myself someday, "What if?"  Corey Bell's wife, was right when she said, 

I got no time for hesitations right now.  I am not perfectly confident but I really needed to try. My family, the company employees, and those who will still be recipients of blessings are my inspirations to work harder.  As a result, I attend more seminars/training to learn and attend gatherings for networking.  This will make better product development and will increase sales opportunities.  I just need to try... try... and try...

The money I have and will have is not mine.  I am only a God's steward.  Therefore, I need to make sure that the money I have is multiplied so that more people will be blessed.  Desiring to obtain money by working hard is not evil.  The love for money is evil for its fruits are destructive.

In the beginning, it's easier not to try to succeed.  The road to success is long and rocky.  There's a Filipino Story passed from generation about a man named "Juan Tamad."  He will be lying under a fruit tree with his mouth wide open, just waiting for the fruit to drop into his mouth. Parents usually tell this story to their children to teach them against laziness.  Being too comfortable waiting made it difficult to realize that it's easier to stand and just pick up the fruit to partake it.   I do not want to wait for opportunities like "Juan Tamad."  I choose to open and make more opportunities with the guidance of God.  If  I continue opening more opportunities, more money will flow in the business... there will be more employees hired... more families will be blessed.

Another fallacy I see while growing up is the belief that it is righteous to be poor and wicked or greedy to be rich.  

Steven W. Gibson said:

It is not wicked to be richer than who you are yesterday.  It is called working hard.  It is called growth.  I am glad that many church materials about self-reliance are now available online to teach people about financial intelligence in the Lord's way.  If only people will take advantage of studying the self-reliance courses, more people will be more productive.  Providence will be guaranteed. 

Lastly, If I want to prosper, I can follow Gibson's 6 rules:

I am looking forward to exploring and practicing the 25 rules of thumb of the Academy of Creating Entrepreneurs.

Dream Big Dreams!

Do I have big dreams? Or am I too ambitious? I know God knows my heart and I know He knows why I strive for what I want to achieve. I sometimes doubt myself, especially when I feel that those people significant to me do not support what I am doing... But to be able to reach my dreams, I need to beat the odds and move forward. Learn the things I need to learn.  

Elder Dallin H. Oaks told a parable of a father and son in his talk entitled, "The Challenge to Become." The Father can give all that he has to the son but instead, he said, he will give the laws and the principles by which he had acquired his wisdom and stature. I think that is better. The son will treasure what he has more because he worked for it. And he can gain more even after losing it if he knows the secret of how to succeed in whatever he does.

He then added...

What a wonderful father... The statement has both spiritual and temporal meanings for me. As Jesus Christ experienced it all, we also need to experience some hardships in life, overcome them, and with grace can return to Heavenly Father. We can never do it how Jesus did it perfectly but we can do our best to endure life joyfully.  Then we can be like him.  His partners in spreading kindness and truth to the world.  For the meaning of the statement temporally, I cannot simply succeed without working hard. I know I need to learn more, even the skills needed in the business so I can understand the workers better.  Only then He can entrust me with more temporal blessings.

Here's a video of what I tried to learn this week.

This helped me understand not only the terminologies of woodworking but also the machines and blade characteristics. It also helped me how to improve our production area. I now understand the reasons for misunderstandings between the carpenter and the painter.  And I understand how this can be avoided in the workplace by changing simple things.

I am happy I was able to learn how to apply some of the principles I am learning in my life.  For sure the book we are required to read will again teach me a lot of things.

Disciple Leadership in Business

     Isn't it wonderful that 'disciple leadership" is possible in business?  Whenever I talk to someone, I always tell them to enroll in BYU Pathway!  To increase secular and spiritual knowledge, I encourage them to study certificate courses in BYU Idaho or Ensign College online courses even if they already had their bachelor's degree.  I believe that if I can influence more people to commit to lifelong learning through Pathway Worldwide, all relationships and institutions will drastically improve even in their homes. It is because each student will learn how to be a "disciple leader." 

    I think it is impossible for a company to NOT succeed if the leader leads like Jesus.  With faith, I will do my best to be the company owner with a small "L."

    This week, I learned how to better manage the company and better manage myself as one of the leaders.  Staff selection is crucial.  The best person should be selected to have a great team.

    Before I opened the modules, I spoke to my husband/business partner that we need to hire staff that will help us in sales, furniture designs, etc.  I am really glad that the videos and articles I am required to read were like talking to me and mentoring me on how to do it.  "People like Rowan, attract more people like Rowan."  I hope I can find my "Rowans" as I also become one.  

Jim Collins' statement even confirmed my thoughts when he mentioned hiring the right people.

    May I be guided, as I meticulously search for the right people and keep them.  Right now, I am on my search for the right people.  I am already making plans on how to make them stay.  I know skilled people with great minds will only stay with great offers.  The article, "A Message to Garcia, Will You Deliver It?" mentioned most of the things I need to do to select staff, and how to handle and keep staff.  It was actually my perfect guide.  I had taken notes in my learning journal so I can always refer to it if needed.

    I need more courage to make my vision into reality.  I pray every day that I can be more organized with my daily tasks.  I had been loaded with multiple tasks the past weeks after the trade fair.  In the same article, something was said about Courage...

    I will face my Goliaths!  That is the only key to the doors of opportunities that will bless my life and the life of others.  I know God is with me in this.  I am looking forward to learning more about the things I need to make miracles in the business world.  Jim Richie has Elder David B. Haight and the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith as his mentors.  My community has no network such as that.  It's one of the reasons I need to push myself more.  As I become "Rowan" in my field, I can attract more "Rowan" or empower more people to be like "Rowan" which will bless the next generation with mentors like "Rowan," Elder David B. Haight, and Hyrum Smith.  I am looking forward to learning the process through reading and feasting on the study materials.

Overcoming Goliaths

 

    The first step is always hard.  The pain can still be felt in the second step, third step... until you feel numb as if everything is normal.  That is the road to mastery... The road to success.  It is not smooth.  It might be stony and rough... and it is uphill!  The question is do I really want to climb it!  Do I have what it takes to reach my vision?  The message in Rollins Lesson Series "You Can Do Anything," really inspired me.

    I need not doubt myself because God is with me.  Who can be against me, if God is with me?  When I think of this statement, I am strengthened.  I feel that I can do a lot of things.  If I have a righteous vision, I know God will be my companion to achieve all those things.  My business is also my mission.  

    There are so many hardships rooted in poverty.  We have a lot of wonderful people whom we can help endure joyfully and comfortably.  I pray for strength as I stay and pull the harness, that I may also find these people worthy of help to stay and pull the harness with me.  As Elder Holland mentioned in his talk that good things will come but we need to keep on trying.  I need to keep trying for myself, my family, and those who are pleading for mercy from God.  May I be an instrument of God to answer their prayers. And may I also empower them so they can be an answer to someone else's prayer too.

    That is what I have in my heart... I hope God will allow me to be an instrument for blessings to flow from His hands, to my hands, and to others.  

    Action Hero - David Harrington gave some tips on how my vision can happen:

    This is literally true.  I am still adjusting to making quotations for huge orders.  I need to get used to it because not all who receive quotations will lead to sales.  I need to increase my customers to increase purchases so I can increase my average order per month, and per year.  I need to focus on what my brand is so I know my target market.  I still need to learn a lot.  I am glad that God is making resources available for me to learn things I do not know yet.

    I am now looking forward to reading the next book, "The Field Guide to Hero's journey."  I am sure that I will learn a lot that will equip me in being an entrepreneurial hero!

Keeping the passion

 

    I would like to focus on three lessons I've learned for Week 7 modules.  One from Gandhi, "They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them."  Many times, we get discouraged and stop pursuing what we truly love to do.  In addition to causing more pain, focusing on the remarks of others clouds the mind and clouds judgement.  In the future, we believe these fallacies and think about ourselves in light of what others say about us.  We can stop this by believing that we are children of God.  We are endowed with divine qualities.  Therefore, we are eligible to make miracles in our lives.  Even if others do not respect us or speak unkind words to us, we can still be confident of ourselves... high morale... with self-respect...  It can never be taken away from us unless we allow it as stated by Gandhi.

    We are of course, not perfect.  There will be times that we forget and make mistakes.  Like what President Gordon B. Hinkley said, we should discipline ourselves when we find ourselves slipping under the pressure of circumstances.  Doing this will help us to be true to ourselves, true to our God.

    Lastly, I would like to follow the counsels of Pres Hinckley to be that friend someone can rely on.  Someone who will be there through thick and thin.  As husband and wife with four kids and businesses, it is so easy to always be irritated and get into arguments.  However, we can also strive to be the very best friends.  Of all people, we are the ones who should understand each other the most.  I felt that as we both strive to be nice, understanding, and sweet towards one another, more blessings flow into our family, both spiritually and temporally.  I felt that God trusts us more.  My efforts to be a good friend to others, particularly to other new entrepreneurs, have led me to find more opportunities.  

    Although I am feeling pressure right now, I consider these pressures a good thing because they allow me to grow as an entrepreneur.  Having God as my guide, I know I can accomplish these things even when I have limited time to study.  I am sure God will speak to me as I study the lessons in the future.  I can be the kind of entrepreneur He wants me to be.

I am an Entrepreneur

 

I almost saw Monalisa's painting when I had a short trip to Paris after the trade fair in Germany.  There was a long queue to view her painting which was painted by the infamous Leonardo da Vinci.  One of his quotations mentioned in the talk of Elder Tanner was that "the height of a man's success is gauged by his self-mastery..."  Self-mastery is not achieved with comfort but with trials.  Attending a trade fair was definitely not a bed of roses.   It is full of pressure.  The onsite coordinators I am expecting to perform their duties did not meet my expectations.  The ethical style distinction banner which I worked hard for our company to receive was not hung.  Most of my efforts were wasted.  However, rather than dwell on negativity, I trusted in the Lord.  

Last week's message of Jeff Sanderer says that:

I went to the Temple and Church.  So despite all the trials, I know God will help me.  Because our booth is small for ten companies, the coordinator asked me to bring only three products.  According to him, the space needs to be divided equally, but looking at all the companies, I felt bad that I only had two products displayed and my big mirror was tucked behind other companies' products.  Despite speaking to the assigned person about all my complaints, I had no success.  As a new company like mine, I had no voice, but God heard me. Who could possibly receive client inquiries when I'm surrounded by so many other companies with so many products?  The only thing I displayed was my nesting tables and ottoman, but because I was standing next to them, companies seeking suppliers approached me.  God made me visible when I know I am not.  Now, it is time for me to allow miracles to flow as I continuously communicate with these clients and seal the deal.  I managed to control my emotions and turn the disappointment I felt into an inspiration to trust God and work harder.  I indeed got lucky!  I am though, still in the process of self-mastery.

Here's my picture at the trade fair:

These teachings from the Acton foundation are a good reminder:  

Knowledge is power.  Out of the three areas of knowledge mentioned, Industry knowledge is of utmost importance.  Once you get this knowledge, you can easily identify and take the extraordinary opportunity.  I am glad that networking helped me get more knowledge of how to deal with the foreign market.  God sent me the mentors I need.  A few weeks ago, I was asking for miracles.  I asked God to send me mentors I need to guide me in exporting procedures.  I realized, he surrounded me with experienced exporters who are not selfish to share what they know.  They became good friends of mine. 

I am amazed at how the modules are arranged.  The lessons are just at the right timing with what's happening in my life right now.  I am looking forward to learning a lot more.  All of these will help as I master myself as an entrepreneur.  

May God bless my mind with more new designs.  May God soften the hearts of my clients to trust our company so that in so doing, we can help more people in the community by providing jobs for them.

Mastery

This week has been a circus!  But the week's readings have been a blessing to me.  Currently, I am attending a trade fair at Messe Frankfurt, Germany.  And I choose to be what Lord Acton describes as wise, someone who does at once what the fool does at last!  Despite what people think, I must persevere and do what appears to be impossible. 

I learned many things from Jeff Sandefer's video, and even want to take part in some of the activities he discussed.  In his lecture, he described the experiment he had his students perform.  During this experiment, they will interview ten role models and ask them about their triumphs, regrets, and lessons that they wish they had known sooner.  

Finding out what you're good at is sometimes hard.  Jeff Sandefer has another suggestion on how to do this.  He said, to experiment by asking five people what they think you do better than anyone else.  By doing this you will learn that answers are consistent.  There are things you do better than anyone else. That is something you're good at which you can nurture.

My favorite piece of advice from him is to write a labeled letter to self.  That is kept in a bottle to be read when faced with great temptations. I had written 2 letters before. When I was 14, I wrote a letter that I've read when I was 18.  I was amazed at how mature I was at that age.  I also needed that advice from myself.  Another letter I wrote when I was 18, which I've read after my mission.  I really needed wise counsel from someone who knew me.  And hearing “me” helped a lot.  I truly needed my words of wisdom.  I will continue doing this activity.  This time, like Jeff Sanderer said, I will label the letter.  This will help me know which specific letter will help me in my current situation.

President James E. Faust said this in one of his talks...

It is important to persevere.  There is no room for dwelling on failures if a person wants to succeed.  I choose to always get up whenever I fall down.  I am thankful for the healing hand of God. Whenever I feel like breaking, He is there.

I look forward to learning from next week's lessons and from the book "Mastery."

 

Measuring Life

 

I will be a hypocrite if I will say that money was not the first motivator I and my husband had when we started the business.  It was our prayer to have a business that will sustain us in our country a few years back.  However, as the company grows, I realized that it is not really all about money.  But Frederick Herzberg was right when he said that "the powerful motivator was the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements."

Matt Salzberg of Harvard Business School Class of 2010 also shared his motivations.  His motivations are his family and loved ones, fun, exciting and impactful activities or experiences, and business that will change the world!  I find that similar to my motivations.  

When I was young, I always hear adults saying, "do what you love and the money will follow."  As I grow up, I learned from those around me that not all people who do what they love, get rich.  Money did not follow them. As I study my modules in Entrepreneurship, I came across a speaker that says, "do what you love, follow your bliss - blisters"  There will be hardships in doing one's passion but as what Francis Ford Coppola told Tom Kelley, "do what you love because you'll be better at it."

In the video of Acton Hero, Sharon Mays shared some inspiring words.  She said that we should not really listen to the discouraging words of the world.  She also said that we should give time for ourselves to learn things we do not know yet.  Here's how she exactly said those words:

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said powerful words which can help people to persevere.  

Having faith in God will make us make the impossible, possible!  God loves us despite of our imperfections.  That is true love!

Elder Wirthlin said something else that I really need to follow.  He said:

We should really take care of our health.  An unhealthy lifestyle will shorten our lives and time and ability to serve in God's kingdom here on earth.  This is a wake-up call to me and everyone!  

I hope that I cannot forget the wonderful things I learned this week!  I am looking forward to learning more about my week 5 modules.  I am also looking forward to applying some of what I learned in real life.  I finished reading the book, "Launching Leaders."  I am now looking forward to reading the book, "Mastery."