1. To Denise Crossan Welcome to Edward Tinsley’s reflective journal. Chapter Guide. Childhood Like father, like son Dreams of the USA Idea log Could I do it? Future Goals
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3. I had the fortune of spending a lot of time around business leaders and entrepreneurs from all over the globe
4. Being an oldest son of a successful businessman I have perhaps subconsciously rejected the idea of attempting to follow a similar career path as he worked for a large organization (McKinsey) for 25 years…
5. My main entrepreneurial influence was from my mother (an artist) as she provided a totally different creative influence
6. We would make undertake family projects such as elaborate, pop-out Christmas cards for hundreds of friends and family!
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8. Being invested in many of these ventures myself, I have participated in as many conference calls and investor meetings as possible
9. Listening to the conversational dynamics between founders, board members and investors has taught me a great deal of problems that are encountered at the early stages of growth!
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11. There is anentrepreneurial attitude that exists in the national identity of the US, driven by values of self-determination
12. I LOVED my summers there, working with a start up soccer marketing company and one small non-profit organization, both very unique businesses and both truly dedicated to their cause
13. I also found, through general conversation, that American people were be more receptive to new ideas and open to change
14. My positive experiences in America further embedded the idea of entrepreneurial ‘value creation’ as being:
17. In addition to specializing on brand strategy within the luxury consumer goods industry, they partnered with select clients to raise capital investment through their extensive network of contacts
18. One such client was Blow who were a young hair care brand focused on providing the perfect blow-dry product line! I was charged with the daunting prospect of putting together an ‘Investors Memorandum’ - a glossed over business plan aiming to attract investors with as few words as possible!
19. This experience really made me think through each stage of growth through to the exit strategy which was to sell the product line to one of the big conglomerates (i.e. a P&G)
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21. I started a simple word document to type down any business concept that would pass through my head: The good, the bad and the downright ugly.
22. Ideas have ranged from high end, custom t-shirt printing to a terrible idea to re-invent the way people shop for food!
23. In addition to specific business concepts drawn through simple “there must be a better way of doing this” observation, I write down the names and characteristics of businesses that I like
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25. I do not see myself as the ’stereotype’ entrepreneur with the unquantifiable quirk and spark that can inspire everyone around them
27. I can learn entrepreneurship can be learnt as a skill set
28. But this skill set is useless without the genuine passion for the subject, strong direction and the blood, sweat and tears of really hard work
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30. As an intern I have only previously acted as an aside to any fundamental decision making process concerning the direction of a business
31. Being wholly responsible for the project I think that as a group, we learnt to see the bigger picture of how product development, marketing and distributionfit together
32. I took my particular interest in branding and marketing to design the logo and assign the character of Sam Bell to the business strategy
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34. I am aiming to get a place on the graduate program of a big marketing institution:
38. Having made myself valuable and built up my marketing knowledge and experience I plan to join a new venture from inception (be it my own idea or that of a contact/friend) and be part of a small team with a big vision
39. From now until then I plan to keep an open, mind to any opportunity that may present it self! Timing is everything!
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