18A - Custom Avatar

Custom Avatar: 

This is Morgan! Morgan is a 20 year old college student who attends the University of Florida. Morgan has found her way here all the way from New Jersey, and is someone who is a constant free spirit. She is apart of a family of four, being the youngest, her older brother Dylan is currently going for his masters degree at Rutgers University. Her parents are the proud owners of the local surf shop in her small town. At school Morgan is constantly on the go and is always pushing herself to be as social as possible, meeting new people and creating brilliant new friendships along the way. Morgan is an incredible athlete and is a member of the recreational soccer team, and therefore, when she's not studying for her Marketing degree in the depths of the library, she is at the gym or on the soccer field. Getting to and from school, the gym, or southwest fields, Morgan uses her lavender purple buddy scooter, but when traveling long distances she uses her pearl Volkswagen Jetta that she drove all the way down from New Jersey. In her spare time she loves to hangout with her closest friends, watching movies or shows such as Stranger Things or Greys Anatomy. She has an old soul and loves to find time to simply read her favorite books (Harry Potter/Game of Thrones) or appreciate the world around her. She is apart of greek life on campus, thus giving her constant volunteering opportunities and a social life filled with functions and socials. Morgan finds herself constantly supporting her friends in all of their endeavours and is always craving more from life, one problem that Morgan finds herself struggling with however, is creating ample time for herself to relax. Being constantly on the go means lots of protein bars and snacking, thus she has little time or energy to create a full nutritional meal. She finds herself constantly missing lunch and dinner at her sorority house because it often becomes a hassle to get all the way over there during her busy schedule, and is then forced to get takeout from somewhere that is truly not all the appealing. To fuel her body and her mind Morgan is on the lookout for an alternative healthy living and eating option. 

Me:

The first thing I recognize when I take a look at Morgan is that we are very similar. Not in all aspects of our lives, but the majority coincide. She loves to be involved and keep herself busy as well as find time for herself and to collect her thoughts and evaluate the path in which her life is going. I find myself constantly yearning to do more and be better as well as pack my day full of activities and time spent with friends. I am always on the go and never seem to find the time to eat as well as I would like. I do not believe that this is a coincidence, I feel as though so many college students can relate far more than they would stand to believe. Our schedules are constantly packed to the brim and we are always pushing ourselves to meet societies standards, leaving no room for ourselves. I am also a student at the University of Florida and I believe that I would benefit greatly from an application such as the one that I am proposing for Morgan.

20A - growing your social capital

Domain Expert: 

The first person I began to talk to was a man by the name of Nick Gattusso. He is the creator and co-owner of his very own app. I was able to get in contact with Nick via email. He had previously attended school with me and was apart of the computer science class that I was in. He is about two years older than me and thus I felt he had much more wisdom to share with me about creating and marketing one's own application. He is a domain expert due to his familiarity with the field and his ability to pass on knowledge to those who are starting up their own companies. I believe that the interview and conversation went incredibly well and it was nice to be able to be in touch with a familiar face. 

Market Expert:

The next person I was able to talk to was the public face of a local restaurant. Within my home town there are plenty of little family run businesses and I felt it just to learn the background of what it took to start up these companies. Along with that I felt it was important to be apart of something that was food and health related. I was able to come in contact with Nancy via email and we had an amazing conversation about how to market easily and how to market smart. The conversation was easy going and fun, I felt that she very much enjoyed being able to pass on some of her guidance to me and I greatly appreciate it. 

Supplier: 

Finally I was able to come in contact with a man who ran a restaurant supply company. I was able to find this contact through my previous interview. Nancy, while also being the market front, also dealt with packages and supplies and felt that this might be a great opportunity. Mark, was able to explain to me that the demand for healthier options has recently skyrocketed and that the idea I have in place in something that he feels can be fully supported by organic and healthy businesses. 

Reflect:

I feel as though this task has been one of the most important ones thus far. We have been able to set aside our theoretical ideas and become immersed in the comings and goings of true businesses and what the future could hold for us. It was so nice to be able to hear from multiple different perspectives on whether or not we would be able to discover something that can help us become healthier and happier. I feel more apart of the field in which I am trying to market my product and believe that I have now gained a few more connections than what I had had previously.

19A - Idea napkin no.2

1. You. My name is Erin Cox, I am currently attending the University of Florida and am a second year Health Science major. I would like to believe that my talents and skills include being a big people person, and I am a very determined and hard working spirit. I often find myself able to discover friends wherever I find myself going. I do enjoy my alone time but I find that being surrounded by others helps not only you grow but others as well. I also have the mindset of being a hard worker and revolving the majority of my life around being productive and getting done as much as possible. That often leaves me with little time dedicated to myself and eating healthy. I am also at the point where I find it difficult to know what exactly to cook for myself and it is hard to find the time to do so. 
2. What are you offering to customers? My product would allow the ability for people to discover how and what to cook for themselves while also allowing them to save time and money. It will  be easy to use, easy to navigate, and in the end easy to find and create delicious and nutritious meals. Customers will have the ability to have healthy tips and tricks as well as where they can purchase the most cost effective items. 
3. Who are you offering it to? I will be offering my product to all those who need it. People who have not had the ability to learn how to cook, those who have little time on their hands and simply need a hand, or those who are just looking to create a better, healthier diet for themselves. I am hoping to also do a lot of marketing towards college students, with the aspect of saving money, I believe that this will be a huge hit. 
4. Why do they care? This idea is important due to the fact that diet is an aspect of every single person's life. It helps to maintain our state of being and can contribute to a lot of other aspects of life, including schoolwork, mental health, and so much more. 
5. What are your core competencies? Something that create this app to stand apart from the rest is its versatility, its variety, and its ability to help save people money and time. All of these characteristics add up to an idea that is set to help others, and in the end that is all that matters. 

All together I believe that these competencies come together to help create an app that will be used for the better. Everything that is contained within this app is there to help the navigator and the customer themselves. It had previously been decided that I would focus solely on marketing this product to college students, but after later reconsideration I have found that this app is something that can be made for everyone. Another aspect of this app that is able to create its unity is its ability to save people money and create more time within a person's day.

Some feedback that I had received on my previous napkin included creating a partnership with healthy brands that may include discounts in order to gain more exposure. I think that this would be a brilliant idea and would not only help promote my application but healthy living as well. 

16A - Whats your secret sauce

Five qualities that set me apart: 

1. One of my most important qualities I believe is my ability to look at situations through other people's points of view. I often find myself wondering how I would feel being another person in a situation and hope most people would do the same for me. 
2. Another aspect of my life that I think is very important is my independence. I have always been able to rely on myself rather than others to get my work done and figure out what I need to. Although it is always good to have people who are there for you to help you work stuff out, being there for yourself is always vital as well. 
3. Next I believe my ability to be outspoken and argumentative helps me a lot. I am never one to step aside and let people walk all over me, when I want something done I delegate or do it myself, I never allow people to push me around or discourage me from accomplishing what I want. 
4. As well as these three characteristics I think that my past is an important aspect of who I am today. I have been through the trauma and downs of what life has to offer and I feel stronger because of it. I am able to use my past as a motivating factor rather than a crutch. 
5. Finally I feel as though my time on team sports has helped to shape me into a leader as well as someone who can work well with others. Both of these characteristics are crucial when it comes to getting jobs done or making new friends. 

Interviews: 

My First interview was with my close friend, she explained that my compassion is one of my most respectable qualities. 

My next interview my friend explained that my best quality is that I am always so hard working. 

Within my third interview my friend explained that she believed my sense of compassion and empathy is again my strongest quality. 

My fourth interview my friend explained that my best qualities included knowing how to manage my time, stating that I always am able to accomplish what I need to even if that means missing out on something.

For my final interview I was able to interview a friend who explained that my best quality was my drive to get my tasks done. She stated I was very goal oriented and would finish a task no matter what.

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, I felt as if my interviews were so incredibly kind. It is one thing to sit and attempt to describe your own best qualities but to hear what other people think of you is a completely different story. I used to believe that some of these qualities would set me back but now I know they are what set me apart and I can use them to my advantage in the future. 

15A - figuring out buyer behavior no.2

1. The first person I decided to interview was someone I found within the schools dining hall. I wanted to get some perspective on whether or not my application would seem more appealing compared to the services provided by the school itself. My interviewee explained to me that she was a first year at the school and was studying business. She first went on to explain to me her dislike for the food within the dining hall services, stating that she is rarely able to find something that she can truly enjoy, she rather has to simply force herself to eat something so that she isn’t hungry the rest of the day. After proposing to her my idea she explained her love for it. She told me that the most important feature within my application would be where to purchase the ingredients and how to keep the cost low. Although she did state she has never cooked before she would love giving it a try rather than coming to the dining hall, the only thing is that she felt the dining hall was just very convenient. She explained that an online method of purchase would be most handy. 
2. Next I interviewed a TA on campus, she explained to me that she was a grad student and was still cooking for herself on the regular. She had never been a part of greek life and was never provided a dining service, therefore has always been cooking. I explained to her my application and she loved it! She explained that it often becomes more of a hassle to simply figure out different meals she can create for herself, so the variety of options was very appealing. She explained that since her income is not as high as she would want it to be yet that the cost of the app might be a deterrent, but having it available right on your phone is perfect. 
3. Finally I decided to interview my sister, who has been through college but now has a full time job. After explaining to her my entire idea she was very proud of the work I had done. She still had a few critiques however, knowing that this app would be more well suited to a larger more mature audience. She explained that college students, even when given the time, often spend their days relaxing and away from school or another form of work. They would rather buy a premade meal than make it themselves, she explained. She proposed that I spread my ideas to more people, including those who are just starting a family or have young children to cook for.  She also expressed her notion of possible creating it as a sort of cookbook as well. 

Conclusion:

Alternative Evaluation: 

Through these interviews I have realized that people truly do care so much about the meals and food they intake, but the pressures of work and money constrain them. If I were able to make a free and affordable app I may better be able to help those around me. The style in which I market it I believe will be most effective as well. 

How & Where do they buy?:

They would purchase this application online through the App Store or Google play. 

Post-Purchase Evaluation:

Through my interviews I can conclude just how disappointed people come to realize their diets truly are. In college, it is so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday nonsense when in reality the main priority in one's life should be themselves and making sure their well being is alright. With the help of my app people are able to see the possibility in making themselves better and striving for the best.  

13A - Reading Reflection

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• What surprised you the most?

What surprised me the most after reading, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, was where the majority of Jobs money actually came from. Now, heading into this novel I was under the impression that I was about to delve into the world of all things Apple. I was so sure of the fact that the majority of Jobs wealth came from this company, but in actuality it came from his entrepreneurial mind. The majority of Jobs money came from an investment deal he made, this deal was buying a large majority of Pixar. In september of 1985 Jobs resigned from Apple and instead began to invest his money into Pixar and neXT, unfortunately neXT did not return in its value, but after the release of Toy Story in 1995, Pixar grossed over 350 million dollars. 

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I believe that his most admirable trait was his determination and his inability to give up. This man had been through struggles, through the gains and losses but through it all he was still fiercely determined to make something that he could believe in. He continued to build his empire and soon, 12 years after his initial leave from Apple was brought back, where he was then able to become CEO of the company. 

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

What I found to least admire about Jobs was his ability to work with others. It was very apparent that he was a sort of control freak. He was incredibly competitive and always had to be number one, to an extent this mindset is okay, but not when you’re an adult throwing temper tantrums. 

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

The biggest failure that jobs encountered was him being fired from his own company, Apple, in 1985. He had been tossed to the side while the world continued to revolve around him, but he did not give up. He took his money and invested it wisely into Pixar, in the end turning into a billionaire. 

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

The biggest competencies that Jobs exhibited was his ability to overcome adversity and his drive to do better. He was always so competitive with others and often times himself. He would strive to be the best of the best until one day, he did just that. He was able to build his own empire before returning back to Apple and reclaiming another throne for himself. 

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

One part of the text that was confusing to me was chapter 11, The Reality Distortion Field. It went in depth about how Jobs coworkers dubbed his through processing and idea making RDF or his Reality Distortion Field. Explaining this further, when Jobs had an idea or put his mind to something he would “bend” his reality until the idea was born into existence. No matter the task, he was so determined to make something once he set his mind to it that it would always occur. 

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

Question #1) What did you find to be your biggest motivating factor throughout your life? Did it change over the course of your lifetime? Or was it consistently the same motivating factor?

Question #2) Do you have any regrets in the way your life turned out? Would there be anything you would go back and change if you could? Are you content with how your life ended up?

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I do believe that Jobs idea of hard work was incredible, he had begun his life from from absolutely nothing. He knew that he wanted to create a name for himself, to persevere over all of his competitors and he did just that. My idea of hard work compares to his similarly, but at this point in my life I am still attempting to discover myself as a person and figure out what it is that I want to accomplish. Once that has been discovered there is nothing anyone will be able to do to stop me.

14A - Halfway Reflection

When I think about how I have been able to keep up with the requirements with this course I struggle to interpret what I have done exactly. The most obvious answer that first comes to mind is that I haven’t had to struggle much at all, I genuinely have been able to enjoy this class and I look forward to my blog posts weekly.If you are able to find joy in what you are attempting it doesn’t feel so much like work at all. Although, when I was first getting into the swing of things, mainly learning how to use a blog, I struggled to find the motivation. Along with that, it is reasonably understandable that a college student will have days where homework is seemingly the last thing on their mind. The most important component for me to keep myself on track and to keep my workload reasonably organized. I use the calendar function on canvas to constantly keep track of all of the work I need to finish by the weeks end. Sometimes I even create earlier deadlines for myself in an attempt to keep all the work in my other classes from piling up. 

Within this class a major worry of mine was the self tapes. Now don’t get me wrong I am a pretty open and honest person, I like to be social and am fine with some attention on me, but the idea of having these videos out for anyone within the class to see was horrifying to me. I wanted nothing more than to ignore this assignment and pretend like it didn’t exist, I mean one zero couldn’t be all that bad.. Could it? I knew that this was something I couldn’t just ignore and so I confided into my friends about my fears. They were quick to reassure me and help me figure out how to conquer my fears and use it to better myself. After finishing the assignment and finally submitting it I realized just how amazing it felt to accomplish something I didn’t think I could, and so I used that feeling to motivate me throughout others obstacles. I wanted to face these challenges head on, complete them to the best of my ability, and feel confident that in it knowing that I had overcome an adversity (however small it may be). Due to this I have felt as though I have grown and created a better attitude for myself. 

If I could offer you three tips I would first advise you to know that you are not alone. People are constantly feeling the pressures and hardships that come with college and a heavy workload, if you feel as if you are struggling simply confide in someone your feelings and I assure you they either are currently feeling what you are or have been through it previously. Support is the most important thing to understand because I know that the weight of it all can sometimes be too much to handle alone. The second word of advice that I can offer you is to try at all costs possible, to keep a positive mindset. You would be surprised how much you can accomplish with a positive mindset, work feels like less of a task and people feed off of that energy. You can grow and accomplish so much by doing just that. Finally, set the bar high. I know that it may seem insane but setting goals and striving for the best will help you in the long run. It drives you to work hard and forces the competitive side of you to attempt to reach it, making you incredible tenacious. 

Good Luck xo

12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1. Pick a segment: For this assignment the segment I have chosen to use is college students. Due to this I have interviewed college students of different ages, gender, and involvement. 
2. Interviews: To start off I first interviewed a friend that attends a different florida school in an effort to expand my idea to other schools. She is someone who has always taken health very seriously, she began by stating that this would be a wonderful idea. She has always made her own meals and cooked but she said that the fact that the recipes would all be right there for her would make it so much easier. She said she often googles healthy recipes but after a while it begins to be the same old stuff over and over again. Next I was able to interview a friend of mine that attends a school up north called Rowan University. She is an athlete at this school and plays field hockey, she was quick to explain how annoying it is after having a long day of school and sports to attempt to cook for yourself. She often is left looking up easy and non time consuming meals but normally eats at the dining hall. She explained that with the ingredients list it would make life so much easier because she would then be able to get everything she needed over the weekend when she had more time and prep for her entire week. Finally I interviewed a male friend of mine who also plays a sport at Rowan University. He explained how he has never truly attempted to cook himself a full meal. With his family life similar to that of my own, he had always had his mother or father making his meals for him. Now that he is in college he has been left to eat food that is not so good for him. He has noticed that his athletics have been affected by it and would love to be able to have an easy way to fix it such as my app. 

What I was able to conclude through my interviews is that health is even more important to those college students who are student athletes. Although it is understood that all college students have time consuming tasks, athletes are often left with little time for themselves and thus not allowing them the ability to cook well. Not only does this application apply to college students at the University of Florida, it seemingly applies to schools across the nation. 

I was able to fully grasp just how diverse this segment can be. I have been narrow mindedly looking at just the University of Florida, but I now understand that so many more students across the entire nation could put this application to use.

11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

1. You: My name is Erin Cox, I am a sophomore at the University of Florida on track to get my bachelors degree in health science. I have always been very conscious of my health due to the fact that I come from a family that is very sport oriented. My mother always provided us with healthy, well balanced meals that kept us constantly nourished and full of energy. After I began college, my health rapidly declined due to my poor diet, thus I am very passionate in helping others gain the ability to keep their minds and bodies in healthy condition. 
2.  What are you offering to customers:  I am offering an application that has recipes, ingredients lists, health tips, and where to purchase the most cost efficient products near you. Within this app students will have multiple different categories; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. All the while they are able to have all the ingredients they will need listed within each specific recipe and health tips as well sprinkled throughout the entire app. 
3. Who are you offering it to: This app will target college students who have no prior cooking experience, don’t have an excess amount of extra time, or simply want to learn how to cook smarter. It will allow them the ability to make healthy well balanced meals for themselves while also helping to minimize the amount of money they need to spend while doing so. 
4. Why do they care: I know first hand, along with observations made through interviews and simply living with four other college students, that creating and maintaining a healthy diet for oneself in college is very difficult. Food is very important in keeping the body healthy but also the mind healthy, with a better diet comes better attitudes, grades, and so much more.
5. What are your core competencies: What sets this idea apart from others ideas of the sort is my take on keeping it affordable and easy. This is supposed to be applicable for people who have never even tried to cook before, and it is also able to keep college students from going bankrupt. Along with that we have health tips and even snacks category. 

I believe that, together, all of these aspects of my application makes it unique and applicable to all college students. Through interviews and observations I have been able to see just how dependent people are on their diets and how much it can affect them in their everyday lives. Although it may be difficult to begin a routine, through this easy to use, and that virtually takes no time to use, this app can help so many college students and keep their bank accounts happy too.