Advanced Achievement Award Speech

In the fall of 2012, I began an academic journey by pursuing a Master of Science in Entertainment Business at Full Sail University. This past week, I learned that I am the recipient of the Advanced Achievement Award. Full Sail describes this award as “A student that represents the heart and soul of their degree program, and shows the potential many students of their degree program wish to achieve.”  

Failure's Silver Lining

According to a recent report on Colorado Public Radio, “Colorado is known as a hotbed of entrepreneurship.”  In fact, the report states “there are more new businesses created on the Front Range per capita than in most other parts of the country.”  This story mentions a study from Colorado State University that indicates that Colorado startups have slightly a higher probability for failure than small businesses in other parts of the country.  However, the report shows that if the business does survive in Colorado, the return to owners and workers is better than in the U.S. on the whole. 

Thought Leaders Inspiration

In the previous blog post, we looked at a couple of business startup thought leaders.  My business plan was inspired by a few points made by both Dr. Jeffrey A. Timmons, and Guy Kawasaki.

Thought Leaders

Thought leaders in the startup investment arena can influence the outcome of individual businesses and the business community as a whole.  Two such leaders are author and academic, Dr. Jeffrey A. Timmons, and angel investor, Guy Kawasaki.  

The late Dr. Jeffrey A. Timmons has been called the "The Johnny Appleseed of Entrepreneurship Education."  According to an official biography, Dr. Timmons wrote numerous academic books. Additionally, he published in excess of 100 academic articles and papers (Stanford, 2013).