This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization National Conference in Tampa, FL. The conference hosted more than 150 universities around the country and close to 1000 young entrepreneurs or leaders. These were my top 10 takeaways from the experience:
1. Disney’s corporate culture is boss .
Stephanie Russell, from the career development department at the University of Tampa, shared the story of how Disney stays so clean. She explained how every team member at Disney, from the CEO to the volunteers, are in charge of taking care of the parks and making sure the customers feels like they are at the happiest place on earth.
2. Authentic leaders make the best leaders.
Lead by being you -- walking the talk, bringing others along with you, and most importantly, knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Understand your skills and abilities, and embrace them. When you do this, you will be on the road to becoming a successful, charismatic leader.
3. Always do your best.
This one I already knew from reading "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, but it was good to be reminded of it. Doing your best does not mean that you have to be the best. It means that you will do your best with the resources you have at that time. Someone who is in optimal health will have a different best than someone who is disabled, for example. However, that doesn’t mean that they cannot both give and do their best.
4. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT memorize your pitch.
I participated in their National Pitch Competition, and to be honest, it was harder than I thought it would be. I was warned that those who memorized their pitch would not make it, so I made it my mission to learn my business as much as I could so that my pitch wouldn’t sound like I practiced it over and over. I had an outline that I followed, but every time of the thousand times I practiced my pitch, I changed the syntax, the vocabulary, and the intonation. Well, I didn’t pass, and the feedback I got was, "Your speech was memorized." Oh, surprise!
5. The elevator at the Embassy Suites Downtown sucks.
So, please, if you have the option to choose your room, choose one where you don’t have to climb 15 floors or wait 20 minutes for the elevator to get to you.
6. Attend Start Up Weekend in your community.
Start Up Weekend is two days dedicated to you and your business. If you are a young entrepreneur and just need people to help you get started, this is a great way to do it. Ask your local universities if they host one, and if they do, you can have the chance to receive not only valuable
7. Hire Someone!
One of the best traits a leader (especially an entrepreneur or manager) can have is the ability to delegate. If you have a tech
8. Make the most out of your 'student’ title.
Sometimes we are so caught up in our daily chores and boxed in our major that we forget the plethora of resources being in school offers us. Faculty, especially, are such a valuable resource and they are most likely going to help any student that comes to them to ask for help. If you are creating your business cards, but have no idea how to create a logo, go to your art department, invest in a coffee for a graphic design professor, and ask if there are any resources he or she recommends you use. Also, when you say you are a student, in many cases, people are so much more cooperative.
9. LinkedIn is an overlooked, but powerful tool.
It is more than a search engine for jobs. It is a gateway to start a connection with people that seem farther apart than six degrees of separation. Make sure to customize it to portray who you are not only personally, but professionally. If you have a portfolio, link it to your profile. It will be the best first impression any potential employer, investor, or partner can have
10. Remember you ABC: Always Be Closing.
This one I took from Joe Quaglia, president of TechData. Always Be Closing! Whether it is a business opportunity, that grade, or your next girlfriend. In other words, just do it.
