Final Reflection of an Aspiring Impact Sociologist

Looking back on the blog and thinking about the experiences throughout this course brought a smile to my face.  It has actually been quite fun.  I liked the idea of doing versus taking tests from day one and this has been confirmed week in and week out.

Week 15 Reading Reflection

Questions

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

Working only with women is a novel concept but in America, based on equal opportunity, it would not work.  The rationale behind this approach is sound though and the concept of group lending makes sense because it fosters responsibility, cooperation, and accountability.

Elevator Pitch No. 4

Overall, I received very good feedback concerning previous elevator pitches but one criticism was that I was reading from a script so for this last one, I decided to just wing it.  Another question that people have raised along the way is how do the different initiatives and plans of SORIN functionally work.  This elevator pitch provides one real life example of a financial gap, who can be impacted by it, and how would SORIN respond to it.  Please provide your feedback below.

Venture Concept No. 2

Feedback Summary

I reviewed the feedback from the Venture Concept No. 1 and What's Next posts.  There were a total of 10 comments and all of them had positive feedback.  The most common theme was that my passion for SORIN and the work I plan on doing was picked up by multiple people.  They also respected the research and practicality of the concept and felt that the plan has lots of potential for success.  One person indicated that details about how the plan will be executed were missing.  I agree with this but there are a couple of reasons why this is so.  For one, the SORIN initiative is very ambitious in its scope so I have yet to think through the execution of all the various aspects.  I am still gathering information and seeking counsel.  I also felt like going into too much detail in this setting was not feasible or practical.  Finally, I have laid out a framework for a movement, a concept that will evolve with time.  I am sure there are many facets that have yet to come to light and probably won't until sometime in the future.  I believe there is logic in constructing the SORIN methodology one piece at a time leaving room for flexibility and adaptability along the way.

Week 14 Reading Reflection

Questions

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

The triple bottom line (TBL) is a concept that I was unfamiliar with.  It focuses on a bottom line that goes beyond profit.  It is comprised of economic, environmental, and the social; the profits, people, and the planet.

Google Gold

1) A discussion of your general approach and strategy to search engine optimiation (SEO). What were some of the activities you did for each blog post to pursue SEO?

Very Short Interview, Part 2

The first time through I intended to speak with two entrepreneurs.  I swung for the fences and got a hold of Dan Price of Gravity Payments.  Dan promised to answer the questions via email but never came through even after I did all I could to make it as easy and simple for him.  In the end, what bothered me the most was that he committed but did not deliver.  As someone aiming to craft a socially responsible financial eco-system with SORIN, I relearned the age old lesson about how "your word is your bond" but not from Dan.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

Questions

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

I found the due-diligence and analyzing the business checklists very useful because they approach the acquisition process from two different and necessary perspectives.  Where the analyzing of business checklist focused more practically on the business, how it is structured, and how it functions, the due-diligence checklist was focused on the big picture, the value, and the inherent risks of the business.

Celebrating Failure

The title of Chapter 13 of Stephan Schiffman's book, Telesales, is "Count the 'No' Answers."  Sales is all about overcoming the "NO" but Stephan Schiffman takes it to another level by declaring that a "NO" should be celebrated; it should be counted because every "NO" brings us closer to the inevitable "YES."

My Exit Strategy

The SORIN (SOcially Responsible INitiative) concept that I have been developing throughout this blog is a movement comprised of a central non-profit organization partnered up with for-profit businesses.  The way I conceptualize what needs to be done today and how I envision a potential exit is consistent with the inherent movement nature of the SORIN.

What's Next

Throughout this blog, I have been outlining the concept of SORIN, the SOcially Responsible INitiative.  Take a look at venture concept post for an overview of the initiative.

Existing Market

I believe the next thing I would like to spend more time on is exploring the concept of the SORIN app that I discussed in the Amazon Whisperer post.  This is an idea that I have not fully developed to date.

Interviews

Week 12 Reading Reflection

Questions

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

The fatal visions listed under “Fatal Visions in Strategic Planning” were eye opening in that I never thought about them as such.  I can imagine that entrepreneurs, so focused on making their businesses work, most probably do not realize that they are falling into a fatal vision trap.