about me
I am a servant of God and a fun-loving and hard-working wife, mother, and professional. Excellence is one of my core values, and my goal is to do everything as unto the Lord with a spirit of gladness. I am here to help and to serve, and my heart is to do so joyfully.
Wogamon, B. (2022, August 10). Christmas Illumination-Explore Charleston [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/738409945/e2ce83d164
INTENTION STATEMENT
Over the next 12 months I intend to become limitless. The decision to join Full Sail University's Entertainment Business M.S. program was not a decision that I made alone. The Lord led me to this venture, my husband agreed with my pursuit, and my children gave me their blessing. I am choosing to allow my mind to be expanded, my skill set to be enhanced, and my entire world to become boundless.
Through this journey I am seeking to learn more than just what the professionals in my field do. I intend to learn how they think, consider, reason, and how they scale the brick walls of adversity and risk it all on their passions. My goal is to achieve an excellent understanding of how to manage and market professional talent and their schedules in order to provide them with the tools to succeed. I intend to wake up early and stay up late cultivating my mind with the content provided in order to complete this program for my family and our future. My first client will be my husband.
I truly believe that the difference between achievement and disappointment is divine connection. I count every professor and peer, administrator and administrative assistant as those connections. I plan to learn how to support and develop my clients and my business so that we can all be afforded the privilege of choosing between the vast lucrative options available for their portfolios and futures. I can only do that by first developing myself.
In December 2025, I intend to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Entertainment Business at the top of my class with honors. I'll graduate with more than knowledge; I'll have a team of peers and professionals that will be available to me to help shape my journey forward. I intend to end this journey at the launching point of another. I intend to succeed.
INSPIRATIONAL POST
"Brick walls are there for a reason." - Randy Pausch, Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, (2007)
I heard this inspirational quote from Randy Pausch while watching his lecture video from this week's 2.2 Inspiration Assignment. It gave strength to the fighter in me that wants to see things done, and done well, and it gave eviction to the quitter in me that seeks escape from adversity. When I'm faced with the challenges of this mastery journey, I'll remember that brick walls are an opportunity for me to show up and prove that I not only belong here, but I'm determined to be here, whether I have to scale the walls of difficulty, or whether I have to figure out a way to push them down.
Pausch, R. (2007, September 18). Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams [Speech audio recording]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&t=1s
Inspirational post
“You’re not going to do this forever. There’s a finite amount of time you’re going to be doing this. Do this really, really well. And if you do this really, really well, everybody will see that, and they’ll move you onto the next thing.” - Gene Ross, as cited in Stretch (2016)
This quote reminds me to do everything as unto the Lord, for He raises up and He pulls down. If I cannot be trusted to be a good steward over the little, insignificant places that I believe that I'm in now, how could I ever believe that He would entrust to me more responsibility? When He sees me act faithfully, He will promote me accordingly. He is watching over me.
Willyerd, K., Mistick B., & Grenny J. (2016). Stretch. Wiley
Overarching Career Goal
I will successfully manage my husband's acting, modeling, and publishing career resulting in numerous starring roles, commercial endorsements, a book deal, and residuals.
Graduation Goal
I will develop a network of at least 10 industry professionals on LinkedIn that will provide resources for my management of my husband's career.
Steps To Reach My Goals
- I will research three separate network strategies in the first three weeks after graduation starting with Devora Zack's "Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected" (2010).
- I will meet monthly with the Full Sail Career Development team during Open Door sessions to assist with networking.
- I will connect with the leadership in the Entertainment Business M.S. Program and solicit their advice on furthering my network, while also attending Full Sail Speed Networking Sessions.
- I will utilize my research and the received advice to begin making connections on LinkedIn starting with those connected to my current Full Sail network.
- I will then connect on LinkedIn with my husband's network.
- I will continue building my connections by searching for local connections in North Carolina and the surrounding areas.
- I will further my connections, securing a network that reaches across the 50 states.
Mastering Maxwell's Leadership Model
For the past four years I have been following Terri Savelle Foy, a self-proclaimed cheerleader of dreams. Her books, motivational tips, and bi-weekly talks have aided me in believing for a new job, working towards my goals, and developing an ability to dream again. Well, for the past 20+ years, Terri has been following the mentorship of John C. Maxwell, world-renowned motivational speaker, former pastor, leadership expert, and the author of one of our course books, Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 (2018). I was thrilled when I realized that we would be covering the content from one of his many successful leadership books, as he is my mentor’s mentor. Thus, I am undoubtedly working to fashion my leadership style after him.
While Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power (2000) has been interesting, I have been fascinated, humbled, and awakened by Maxwell’s values-based, servant leadership model. I am a follower and believer of Jesus Christ, so his biblical stance was familiar, yet his provisions on how to practically apply and develop each value transcended familiarity and have been eye-opening and challenging. Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence... For you to be a leader, someone has to be following you” (2018, p. 3). Since I read that, I’ve been looking in the rearview mirror of my “leadership vehicle” to see if I’ve been leading alone. I have questioned every place where I hold any position, from work, to church, to my very own leadership style with my children at home. In some places, my influence has been developed to where I have achieved the third and fourth level of leadership, production and people development, respectively (Maxwell, 2018, p. 8). However, in others, I am merely a level one leader, where my position is the only reason why I have any influence at all.
Thus, each chapter from Maxwell’s book has been an opportunity for me to reflect, in some cases repent, and in all cases grow. Maturing in setting priorities, cultivating an attitude of positivity, and progressing in self-discipline are all areas that I am striving to improve for the sake of my leadership. Robert Greene’s focus on achieving power at any cost lacks the principle, integrity, and the servant mentality that I’ve grown fond of and that I’ve worked so hard to foster in my own life. Greene writes,
If... you can master the arts of indirection, learning to seduce, charm, deceive, and subtly outmaneuver your opponents, you will attain the heights of power. (Greene, 2000, p. 14)
At the same time, the Holy Bible says, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (New Kings James Version, 1982, Mark 8:36). I used to desire the sheer power that Greene speaks of, and I desperately wanted the respect that those in power “seemed” to have achieved. Yet, in my pursuit of it, I grew angry, impatient, bitter, losing both myself and the purpose behind my desire to lead. The areas where I’m called to lead are destiny for me and for those that follow, and seeking my own gain would be a disservice to every individual and possibility involved. A “true leader serves” (Maxwell, 2018). They do not deceive, conceal, or disrupt the plans of others.
I’ve seen it. Both sides. I had the privilege of working for a servant-leader, and there wasn’t anything that we wouldn’t do for him. Our team was unstoppable, and he stood at the pinnacle of leadership, as his reputation proceeded him. My boss prior to this leader even asked how come he was so dynamic, and why did we follow him. We trusted him, and we knew that he was doing all that he could for us. He was selfless. Yet, he was led by a Greene leader, and by Maxwell’s standards, it was only the latter’s position that provided him with any influence at all. The majority of his “followers” either fear him or are plotting a rebellion against him, and when and if he shows any signs of weakness, the riot that ensues will have been long overdue. Maxwell says, “Having good character does not ensure that you will be successful in life or leadership. But you can be sure that having poor character will eventually derail you personally and professionally” (2018). Retention has been an unfamiliar word, as people have been leaving in droves under this leadership, including my Maxwell-like boss. Yet, Maxwell is still the leader I want to be like. Even though it would seem that “Greene leaders” win, they’re losing, and it’s only a matter of time before “the game” ends and their hidden intent to outwit their superiors, peers, and subordinates is exposed. As for my former boss, he leveled up and opened a company of his own, and he’s doing well, free from the games of Greene.
I want to be like him. I want to be like Maxwell. I want to build my leadership abilities on the foundations of character, and I desire for my character to be contagious.
People cannot climb beyond the limitations of their character. Leaders cannot succeed beyond the depth of their character. Good leaders have the potential to be difference makers, and character makes a difference for them and protects them. Good leaders are often a gift to the world. Character protects that gift. (Maxwell, 2018, p. 57-58)
I don’t just want to lead or have people be proud of me. I want to make a difference and for people to be proud of how far they’ve come with me. Therefore, I choose to learn how to master the leadership model of John C. Maxwell.
References
Greene, R. (2000). The 48 laws of power. Penguin Books.
Maxwell, J. C. (2018). Developing the leader within you 2.0. HarperCollins Leadership.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson.
Entertainment Business Finance 05.04.2025
As a current administrative support specialist at UNCP, I constantly work with the financials within my office. Over time I have learned how to manage multiple budgets and how to utilize them wisely to maximize our output for our students and the campus engagement department. When I initially looked at the courses for the Full Sail Entertainment Business Masters, I was elated to see that Entertainment Business Finance was offered. I couldn’t wait to see how my current knowledge in finance correlated with this course. I was excited to know that I was going to get a behind-the-scenes look at what business professionals do in the entertainment industry. I anticipated that I was going to learn how business managers worked with their clients’ financials and how they possibly prepared their taxes. I was convinced that I was going to see budgets from a different lens.
Although budgets were discussed to some degree, this course was so much more than that. I really soaked up the knowledge that Professor Woodward provided as he broke down to the simplest understanding financial statements, annual reports, opportunity cost, start-up costs, the time value of money, break-even and investments, and the pro forma statement. I had the privilege of spending time developing a deeper appreciation of why companies provide annual reports and what they mean. I learned that some companies are private and thus they don’t have to provide any reporting to the public, and I had the great opportunity to work with the time value of money and break-even formulas. I enjoyed the math that was present in this course along with the knowledge about taking every cost into consideration when starting a business, realizing that opportunity costs are foregone everyday with every decision.
I’ve been approaching life with the opportunity cost consideration since we discussed it. It really pays to have the perspective of what you’re giving up when you hit the snooze button once more, or when you decide on what restaurant you’re going to eat at, just as much as when you choose which investments to make and which level of business insurance to apply for. Even the Pro Forma Financial Statement, though it was a large assignment, helped me to wake up. I’m really doing this. I’m seriously about to start my own business. I initially just wanted to do the bare minimum to say that I completed it, but Professor Woodward was very thorough in his lecture, and he made sure that it was clear that we were about to be full-time business owners (not side-giggers), and that we needed to take into account what our first year of the business would really look like. I knew that this class would be important, but it really awakened the possibilities for me. I understand that it’s time to get serious. I guess talking about money will do that to you.
Moving forward, I plan on utilizing the lessons that I learned in this course in my personal and professional life. Since I have access to the book (Adelman, P.J. & Mark, A. M., 2009), I’m going to take my time to read it more intimately. The content was really good. I especially want to look further into the chapter that discusses personal finances. I learned about investment strategies that I hadn’t heard of before and that I would like to pursue. They may be the key to assisting with securing more money for my business.
References
Adelman, P. J. & Marks, A. M. (2009). Entrepreneurial finance (5th ed.). Prentice Hall. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/0558586058.
Digital Marketing | 06.01.2025
This past month was a wake up call. To say that I underestimated the amount of research and intention that goes into marketing is a complete understatement. Digital marketing is much more than posting a few pictures on Facebook during the week and hoping that it’s well received. It is absolute strategy and precision, and I now know that I need to continue to thoughtfully consider my own tactics for my brand and for that of my company.
Originally, I anticipated learning how to “reach the masses on and offline” through this course. I assumed that the content provided would teach me how to appeal to a variety of audiences on multiple platforms. I was certain that I would learn about the importance of having a professional presence online and how to develop it so that the industry would seek me out as a resource. Despite the word ‘digital’ in the title of the course, I did learn how to reach the masses online (digitally) and offline (traditionally). Dr. Spellman stressed the importance of not only having a purposeful online marketing strategy, but to also incorporate traditional marketing channels into our overall marketing plan.
As our research extended to potential competitors in our market, I saw firsthand how conscious planning was either lacking or overlooked, and how I could fill the gap in the market where my competitors did not. I learned that I must be deliberate about the story that I want my brand to tell, and then I must be responsible enough to make the appropriate time, on the appropriate channels to tell it to the appropriate audience, every day. I have to plan that. It doesn’t just work. It must be evident on my website, on my social media platforms, in my search engine optimization tactics, in my traditional marketing choices, and in my daily life. I need to be constantly researching. It doesn’t end with this course. I must become a student of my brand, the industry, our competitors, and most importantly our audience, forever. As Dr. Spellman said, “they will change” (Spellman, 2025). I have to live and breathe my marketing strategy. It won’t just happen. Clients won’t just come. The industry won’t just know my name. I will have to lift my voice strategically and make myself and my brand known. My journey starts today. Personally, I want to adapt this mindset where I work now. I assist with some of the marketing in my area of work, but now that I know about the depth of marketing, I want to put it into action. The Holy Bible says in Luke 16:10-12:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (New International Version, 2011)
If I can apply this new understanding of marketing with a studious effort behind it to someone else’s dream, then I will be better prepared to develop and execute my own when the time comes. Professionally, I’ve been thinking and rethinking my strategy. I’m ready to consider months two and three of my tactics so that I can be ready to take flight. I’m no longer interested in waiting or anticipating this to be something simple and effortless to complete. I want to work aggressively and impactfully to best position Anointed ViZion (AvZ) in the market so that we’re visible to the dreamers who have not awakened to their dreams. I want to see a difference made, and I know now that that difference starts with me. It’s time to work.
References
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Luke16:10-12. Biblica Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2025 from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2016&version=NIV (Original work published 1973)
Spellman, D. (2025). Lecture on Weekly Session Four [Recording]. Personal Collection of Dr. D. Spellman, Full Sail University, Orlando FL. Retrieved June 1, 2025 from https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/222066/meetings/134123/recordings
PRODUCT & ARTIST MANAGEMENT 07.26.2025
This is possibly the most challenging Mastery Journal entry that I’ve had to write thus far, solely because this is where my career path lives. Throughout my journey here at Full Sail University, and within the Entertainment Business Master’s program, I have consistently highlighted my sole goal of assisting my husband in managing his acting, modeling, and publishing career. This Product & Artist Mangement course was where the rubber hit the road. Before this course began, I expected to be taught the ins and outs of taking a client from nothing to stardom and thought that I would learn each intricate step to fame. I probably envisioned it being simple. Yet, from the first week, I learned the incredible importance of my role in product and artist management and the significant weight that it carried.
Products are products, and artists are artists and products, and they both are a part of the show, which is a business, and without the business there is no show. And that was just week one’s lesson! I learned that if I don’t attack every day with the goal of handling the business of researching potential customers, networking with industry professionals and promoters, and marketing through traditional and digital channels to provide opportunities for my client, then I’ll just have an “expensive hobby” (Jenkins, 2025). That’s not my vision. I dream of helping my husband to walk through doors that were closed and scaling walls that were once unscalable, but that’s going to take work. I hadn’t even considered developing products for his brand and selling them to make him more profitable, but I definitely have been now. This course got both my husband and I talking about the work that it will entail, the possibilities, and the trusting work relationship that we will have to build in order to achieve the results that we desire. That’s even in deciding whether or not my continued services would still be in the best interest for him and his career over the span of time.
Learning more about true product and artist management was a bit anxiety inflicting at first, but as I constantly continue here, I am reminded that...
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (New Kings James Version, 1982, Philippians 4:13).
I cannot do all things, although that seems like the expectation for this role. I cannot be all things or do all things in me, but I can do all through Christ. He’ll have to be a constant in this journey as I'm reaching beyond the limits of what I can do for my client to what He can do in me.
References
Jenkins, Thomas. (2025, July 1). Week 1 Zoom training session – introduction to product and artist management: career plans – managers & artists – it's a business [Recorded lecture]. Retrieved July 26, 2025 from https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/221946/meetings/143660/recordings
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson.
Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution | 09.21.2025
In Mastery, I originally anticipated that this course would effectively teach me how to publish and distribute my business as well as materials developed through it, including my husband’s book. First off, I now know that my business is not published or distributed. That right is left to materials of intellectual property that can come through my business. Secondly, this course has not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Professor Craft is a humble and insightful professor as well as an intuitive and profitable intellectual and author, and I feel so privileged to have met her, even if it was just online. She met the goal of increasing my knowledge on publishing and distribution by allowing our class to use our own creative or hypothetical content to practice the actual process of getting our work published or distributed using two separate methods.
From the very first Zoom meeting where I learned that publishing isn’t just limited to traditional methods (Craft, 2025), I knew that this class was going to be special. Professor Craft presented the lecture and the course with so much grace and wisdom that we would have given her a standing ovation online if we could have. Her transparency in sharing her successes in her journey coupled with her knowledge of the content really aided my understanding of this new information. Creators have the option of publishing traditionally or self-publishing, and both options can prove to be profitable. Whether you’re an author, screenwriter, composer, or game producer, there are ways to ensure that your intellectual property has a real shot at being noticed. Traditional methods require an agent, and the type of agent depends on your type of content (Craft, 2024). Since I’m continuing to move in the direction of film production with my screenwriting, I learned that I would need a literary agent to review my scripts (Craft, 2025). The literary agent that I would need would also have to be one the specifically shops scripts and my genre of content (Craft, 2025), which is Christian. From there, I would produce a film treatment and script, supposing that the agent liked my work, and prepare for my pitch meeting with related film producers. Although I enjoyed learning about the intimidating process of having my screenplays picked up by large-scale companies, it was Professor Craft’s presentation on self-publishing that really stood out. As a self-published author herself with licensing deals for her work, Professor Craft really expressed the joys of owning the rights to your intellectual property. Traditional methods may seemingly have a larger initial payout, but a writer or composer would have to sign over the rights to their work with possibly no further compensation. Self-publishing allows you to own your work and distribute it on your own terms, while reaping most of the profits and royalties from it. After researching possible aggregators, and with the technological advancements of our time, I know that self-publishing with an initial digital footprint could be beneficial for my work. It would allow me the ability to license my copyrights non-exclusively over time so that I can profit from my own ideas rather than selling the ‘soul’ of my work to the highest interested bidder.
I’m elated to say that I will be applying my learning from this course to my professional and personal life. There are many film ideas that I have that I now know can be developed and licensed or created and shared for the benefit of storytelling and for my legacy. I needed to know that I didn’t have to give away my copyrights for a right to sit at the table of success. Professor Craft is seated there right now with a movie adaptation of one of her self-published works (Craft, 2025). That will soon be me as well. And as for my husband’s book that he self-published before the development of some of the online advancements that literary agents now use to push content before readers, I now know that we can work together to create a query letter to get this process ‘restarted’ so that his story can not only be told, but loved and read by many who didn’t know that he provided this content for their enjoyment.
References
Craft, K. (2025, September 3). Publishing and agents [Live lecture]. Full Sail One. Retrieved September 21, 2025 from https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/221923/meetings/148564/recordings
Craft, K. L. (2024). A guide to mastering entertainment media: from production to promotion to release. Kimberly L. Craft.
PROJECT AND TEAM MANAGEMENT 10.24.2025
Eric Verzuh (2021), author of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, said that “projects are all the work we do one time... and every project produces an outcome and every project has a beginning and an end.” Thus, since this course had a set time to be completed, with a beginning that is now drawing to an end, the Project and Team Management “project” has been one of the most riveting, eye-opening, and transformative courses that I’ve taken since being in the Entertainment Business Master’s program. I’ve not only learned new content, but I’ve learned practical processes that have renewed my perspective on managing projects and increased my skillset and confidence in this area. I entered this course without any true prior knowledge and with ineffective practices, and Dr. Frederick has helped me to see the importance of taking the necessary time to structure my projects and project management team to maximize efficiency and the overall product(s) for my consumers.
I appreciate quality in human interactions and in products and services. Project and Team Management truly teaches the project manager how to create that quality by slowing them down to really allow themselves to consider every detail, person, and skillset that it will require to achieve the optimal outcome. I don’t know if I’ve ever been taught to slow down. I’ve been taught to achieve; I thirst for it. But I also hunger for my achievements to be substantial and worthwhile. I wasn’t taught the best way to get my ducks in a row, and I believe that this course just showed me how. The light bulb really went off for me. This is what I have been missing! I’ve worked in management and with projects of all sizes for years, but the high-pace and rapid turnaround times have caused me to learn how to cut corners and sacrifice the best options for the best option right now in order to complete projects ‘on time,’ without a high enough regard for its condition and reception. Dr. Frederick’s lessons on how to create a PM Plan taught me how important it is to get started early, look at all possibilities, calculate every risk and their potential outcomes, and to work together with pertinent stakeholders to develop the best project for all those involved. Since I started this class I’ve found myself starting my assignments earlier than usual (Dr. Frederick personally emailed me this assist during week one), applying these practices to my personal life, maximizing and cherishing my time, and utilizing “my team” to get more projects completed with the best benefits for all. Projects that I thought I’d have to wait to focus on until after graduation, I’ve begun, and they look promising. Others that are a bit more challenging, I now have the confidence to begin planning how I will execute them, who I need to include in order to finish the work, and what time and resources I will need to complete it all, and I’m actually excited about what will come out of them.
My favorite part of the course (after completing each grit-developing assignment) was actually completing the personality tests. I found the MBTI results extraordinarily fascinating as they were in complete alignment with who I am today. I appreciated feeling seen and heard, and I felt privileged to know that there were ways to cope with those underdeveloped parts of me that could hinder me from working well in teams. Seeing that some of the people and characters that I really admire, like Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Teresa, and Captain America, have a similar personality as me was encouraging and confident boosting. Those individuals and others are notable powerhouses in their own right, even if fictionally, thus, so am I. They learned how to use their personality traits to lead teams, troops, countries, and Commonwealths, thus if I have the same traits, I can lead those under my influence just as confidently wherever I am.
From brainstorming, to project definition, to the work breakdown structure and on, this course has taught me the sheer importance of making the time to take the time to do things the right way the first time, considering everything that could go wrong while implementing everything that we know is right with the right people in tow. I am encouraged to apply this process across the Kanban board of my life. If I can continue to aspire to work through each project early and consciously, I will avoid a lot of the risks that become reality when I fail to plan. Everything in my life has been pointing to everything that Dr. Frederick has been teaching since I started this course, so now I see that I will be walking more readily into my destiny with clear focus, a concentrated mind, and an uncompromising depth to finish what I start with clarity and precision each step of the way. For that, I issue the greatest of thanks to Dr. Frederick. It has truly been a life-and-habit-changing privilege and honor.
References
Verzuh, E. (2021). The fast forward MBA in project management (6th ed.). Wiley.
Business Plan Development 11.22.2025
At the beginning of my journey at Full Sail University, I anticipated that this Business Plan Development course would help me to gather my ideas into one place as I drew closer to the realization of my business. I imagined that I would receive peer and professional feedback that would help me to develop a plan that truly spoke to my goal of better supporting my husband as he ventures deeper into the entertainment industry. Yet this course has taught me so much more. Rhonda Abrams, author of Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies (2023) says that the “planning process is critical for launching, growing, and sustaining companies.” I found planning to not only be important, but very detailed. During this course we were asked to develop a one-minute elevator pitch, provide a company description and industry analysis, describe our target market (which was challenging to do during the government shutdown without the help of information from the U.S. Census Bureau), identify our competition, outline a marketing and sales plan, complete a S.W.O.T analysis, and to determine our budgets for sales, marketing, staff, and start-up costs. Although we’ve seemingly worked on some variation of all of these items throughout the past 11 months, it was quite a task gathering all of that information and applying everything that we learned into a few documents. I spent countless hours researching, updating content, and reconsidering my previous ideas. I truly had no idea how much effort went into developing a professional business plan. Each week I was pushed a little harder to answer pertinent questions now that, honestly, I don’t know if I would have had the fortitude to answer without Dr. Steven Burhoe’s help. With decades of experience in the field of business, I really took to Dr. Burhoe’s expertise. Even though I have the vision for my business, he’s the expert on how to make those plans materialize, and I am so grateful that I got to learn from him. I learned that there’s a specific method to developing a business plan, and if I want to be taken seriously, I better submit to it and deliver my best work. I’ve learned that the word ‘will’ is non-committal, and that it has no place in my business plan. I had to write as if I was sure, and that helped me to make tough decisions. Questions that I had no intentions of answering yet (because I’m simply at the very beginning of my business development) Dr. Burhoe forced me to answer, and I am so thankful. For example, I didn’t even realize that there were affordable property locations in my local area that I could find, calculate annual payments for, and prepare to lease before even getting started. Dr. Burhoe did. His methods and AI integrations in our weekly discussion board assignments really pushed me to be more serious about what I’m doing with my business venture. It has been a wakeup call. As the sun is setting on this course, I have to admit that, although I’ve greatly appreciated all of the business plan development tips and exercises, my greatest takeaway is all of our discussions about key entrepreneurs. I initially did not understand the purpose behind looking into entrepreneurs who thrive in cities that are hit with a recession, but after I researched the information, and then had the chance to research Sara Blakely, Zappos and CEO Tony Hsieh, and Full Sail University Hall of Fame Inductee, Jayson Whitmore, I was blown away by the possibilities. Learning about like-minded individuals that did not allow their separate obstacles to define their success was a necessary treat, and it could not have come in a better course. This class was tough, but if entrepreneurs in Detroit, Michigan can help the city to make a comeback, if Sara Blakely can be a millionaire after rejection and simple self-advertising, if Zappos can deliver happiness to every stakeholder involved in their company, and if Jayson Whitmore can sit at the top of his class in the industry, then so can I. My mind is my biggest obstacle, and if I keep feeding it faith over fear of failure, I’ll be able to implement my plan and succeed. I’m absolutely appreciative of all that Dr. Burhoe has taught me and for all of his feedback. I’m now looking more confidently forward to the journey that lies ahead.
References
Abrams, R. (2023). Successful business plan: secrets & strategies (8th ed.). PlanningShop
Credits:
Created with images by photobyphotoboy - "Business Financial Planning Financial Analysis for Corporate Growth" • InfiniteFlow - "Social media icons fly over city downtown showing people engagement connection through social network application platform . Concept for online community and social media marketing strategy ." • InfiniteFlow - "Project planning software for brisk business project management on the computer screen showing timeline chart of the team project"