Business Administration and Publishing

On Wednesday, February 27, 2019 I spoke with Kelly Fewster from Career Services about my career goals, what my options are in terms to my major, and how digital publishing could relate to my career path.

We first spoke about what specific jobs relate to Business Administration majors, and how I could utilize digital publishing in my field. I told her that I currently work for my family’s HVAC Business and I helped design their website, I help create social media content, and I am in the process of starting a blog for the company.

Kelly said that what I am currently doing definitely relates to digital publishing, and if I stayed in my current position I would use the skills I am learning in class to better my publishing skills. She mentioned that if I worked for another organization, I could do the same type of thing depending on my position. She gave me many resources that will help show me what positions in my field will utilize digital publishing skills. I plan to look more into those resources to find possible positions that interest me.

Entrepreneurship Panel

 

 

The Office of Career Services hosted the 2019 Entrepreneurship Panel Event.

The Entrepreneurship Panel, hosted by Stevenson University office of Career Services, took place on Wednesday, Feb. 13th 2019. The event featured young entrepreneurs from the local Baltimore, MD area whom provided insight and tips to Stevenson University students. Many of the panelists were alumni of Stevenson, including Andy Brown ’12, Founder and CEO of Eat Pizza and Chris Daley ’16M, Founder of Whirlaway, LLC. Other panelists included local professionals such as John Dinkel, Principal of Dinkel Business Development, LLC, Andrew Murphy, Owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trimm, Branch Manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland Brand Management. Throughout the panel session, the entrepreneurs provided insight, told their stories of success and failures, and answered questions. The panel educated students on what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and how every journey is different. Personally, two major take aways came from this event. The first is to “know your strengths and weaknesses.” Garrett Pfeifer spoke about his fathers t-shirt selling experience, and how knowing what he was good at helped him specify his direction. In this day, people try to tackle every aspect of a business that they can. Instead, its better to focus on what you’re good at, so that you can thrive in that one area. The other big takeaway was to start building a network now! I have been very conscious of this throughout my college experience. The panel reinforced that connections can help you land internships and jobs right out of college. It’s not as much “what you know” but “who you know.”

As a senior graduating in May 2019, the Entrepreneurship Panel definitely got me excited about what lays ahead. I enjoyed listening to the triumphs and struggles of the panelists and how every experience truly differed. After Stevenson, I am looking to work in social media marketing and/or media relations. The knowledge provided from public relations professional, Chris Daley, was very insightful for my career path. I specifically enjoyed when he spoke about working for an agency and eventually branching away to create his own entity. With his strong background in public relations, he was able to successfully create press for his new agency. In addition, Chris Daley has been able to work as an adjust professor at Stevenson, teaching three courses that I have been enrolled in. Obtaining my masters and becoming an adjunct at a university has been a thought of mine for a long time. I would enjoy spending time within the workforce and then teaching my knowledge and experience to students. I admired the work of the entrepreneurs and their ability to manage everything. I am someone who enjoys staying busy and managing a lot of projects. It was very encouraging to know I can do everything I desire after college, of course with a lot of hard work and dedication involved.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

professional Minors

This event put a spotlight on entrepreneurship and how to get involved. The panelists included John Dinkel, principal of Dinkel Business Development, Chris Daley, founder and principal of Whirlaway, Andrew Murphy, partner and owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trimm, branch manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland brand Management. Each of these people got started because they thought they could do things better than their bosses could. Entrepreneurship isn’t a secure field. It is a field that requires you to carve your own way. Andy Brown recommended to always have two sources of income and to “never put all your eggs in one basket.” As a sprouting entrepreneur, you need to start building your network and discover they “why” behind your decisions. In order to be successful you need to “wear a lot of hats” and function as a one-man show. One panelist said that no one person or team of people can do a job as well as you can. Essentially, an entrepreneur has a unique vision and sees only themselves accomplishing the goal the most efficiently. Other people can help along the way, but entrepreneurs are very self-sufficient in that way. Along with this, one of the panelists recommended to chose what limits you put on yourself. You decide what is reasonable to accomplish and then achieve that. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must work hard and be humble.

In my future career, I hope to work in either marketing or digital marketing. I am currently employed at a full-service marketing agency and working on website development and SEO for our company. This was not originally my career path of choice but it is slowly becoming a integral part of my life. This job has given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in ways I had never previously believed I was capable of achieving. My future career goal is to continue growing and learning in the marketing field. The entrepreneurship panel relates to our class because in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to establish an online presence. With digital publishing, you can utilize these resources to create an online brand. Website design, content creation, and more all play into your branding. As an entrepreneur, these are all factors you must consider. Your brand is your image and you want it to be an accurate and positive representation.

Finding The Why and Passion

Attending the entrepreneurship panel event was a great experience to learn about others experiences and reflect on my own opportunities. The panel consisted of seven panalist with a variety of businesses from Maryland Brand Management to Eat Pizza to Enterpise Rent-A-Car. One of my favorite panalist was Chris Daley who started his own public relations business called Whirlaway LLC. As a Business Communication major I found a deep interest in how he decided to create his own brand. Many of the entrepreneurs there said similar things such as they all held the mind set that they see something and can do it better so they decide to go out and do that. They also gave great advice such as to start networking and setting short and long term goals for yourself.

This event helped me see further into my career goals as for what my passion is. I know I want to use my business communication skills I just wasn’t sure where. One of the speakers, Elizabeth Trimm said that it is important to know your why and find the passion to push yourself. I have always had a passion in helping others. For the past few years I have been deeply interested in helping refugees and immigrants. This class has helped me see this also as the issue comes up in my everyday life. I find myself drawn towards this social justice issue and after listening to entrepreneurs share their experiences I know it is important for me to use my degree skills towards something I am passionate about.

Packet handed out at the event with information and space for notes.

Career Service Meeting

I was not able to attend the Career Fair on Wednesday night, so I went and talked to Career Services and talked to them about how I can connect digital publishing with my career. Basically, all we talked about were the types of things that get published within the career of the sciences. We talked about how nurses will publish results over the internet. We said that doctors publish research of their finds all the time on the internet. We talked about how when people are doing cancer research will post their research on the internet.

With me being an Applied Mathematics, I am looking to be an actuary.  I will be projecting figures for future years, creating charts for the projected numbers, and by creating graphs. all of these things will be put online. All of these things will and can be projected over the internet. Digital publishing is always relevant when talking about my career. Most of my work is done on the internet or over the internet meaning that it is corresponding over email or Skype. When talking to the lady from Career Services, we said that the things that are really going to be published are the projected figures on the companies website that I am projecting the numbers for.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

Stevenson University hosted an Entrepreneurship Career Panel, which consisted of successful entrepreneurs who shared their experiences and advice. To start the panel, John Dinkel from Dinkel Business Development, LLC., shared with the audience that the main reason he started his business was that after he experienced a close death in the family, he realized that life is just too short not to pursue your dreams. Elizabeth Trimm, Branch Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, described that others will always have opinions of you as you are pursuing your goals, but not to let anyone get in your way because it is up to you as an individual to choose whether to limit yourself or not. Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, gave great advice about how he found a CEO’s email of a big company so he could contact him to ask whether he would be interested in selling Eat Pizza at the CEO’s grocery store. Weeks later, he found himself in front of this CEO and serving him his pizza. Garrett Pfeifer, from Maryland Brand Management, told the audience that we must learn sales to sell our product successfully, and the entire panel agreed with this advice. Andrew Murphy, partner and owner of Flying Frog Publishing, stated that we should always have two streams of income in case one of the streams of income is unable to make enough money. Lastly, Chris Daley, Founder and Principal of Whirlaway, LLC., advised the audience to build your network and foster those relationships. For example, Mr. Daley stated that Linkedin is a great way to connect with people that you meet and occasionally follow up with them down the road because you do not know whether you may need their help.

The Entrepreneurship Career Panel was extremely helpful because it allowed me to realize that, no matter your age or where you come from, you always can become an entrepreneur. I never gave much thought to owning my own business, but each of the panelists reiterated that you could achieve anything as long as you work hard and put the time and energy into your business. This event connects to digital publishing because, to have a successful business, you must market and brand yourself to sell your product and make a name for yourself. Digital publishing can create your brand and allows others to learn what your business is all about. The more time and energy you put into branding yourself through digital publishing, especially when putting your business out on a website, others will see how dedicated and credible your company comes across. My career goals are to work in the public interest and nonprofit sector, possibly even working with interests groups who are involved with public policy. While I am still unsure of where my career will take me, I believe that I could successfully open my own business if I apply the same hard work and dedication as these panelists. I could open my own business that works in serving the public, which I am greatly interested in exploring in the future.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

Stevenson University was able to host an entrepreneurship panel that consisted of 6 panelists who all happen to have different backgrounds. The panelists were John Dinkel, principal of Dinkel Business Development, LLC., Chris Daley, founder and principal of Whirlaway, LLC., Andrew Murphy, partner and owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trim, branch manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland Brand Management. They were all able to share their personal stories about the struggles that they faced when it came to starting and running their own business. All of the panelists were given various questions to answer and although they all have different backgrounds and stories, the answers and advice that they were providing us with, were very similar to one another. A piece of advice that stood out to me would be to know what my strength and weaknesses are and to focus on them. Something else that really resonated with me would be when Elizabeth Trimm mentioned that when it comes to succeeding in starting and running a business, you have to know what your “Why” is. That statement personally stood out to me because it made me realize that in order for me to truly succeed in my business, I have to love and have a passion for what I am doing.

This panel was able to relate to our course because when it comes to digital publishing, essentially we are learning about creating and designing online publications. During the panel, the discussion of branding ourselves and our business came up. In today’s world, having an online presence is a vital part when it comes to branding. So, I  feel that this course is providing me with the information and skills that are needed when it comes to branding online. This panel connects with my future career for several different reasons. I am a business administration major and I hope to start my own business one day. Attending this panel gave me the opportunity to listen to people that were once in my position. This panel also provided me with various tips and advice on how I can succeed when it comes to me starting my own business. The idea of starting my own business has always been daunting to me and most of the time I did not think that I had it in me to start a successful business, but going to the panel and listening to their stories has motivated me and helped put things into perspective for me.

SU Entrepreneurship Panel

Stevenson University hosted an Entrepreneurship Panel which comprised of six entrepreneurs with differing experiences building their career. The six panelists were John Dinkel of Dinkel Business Development, Chris Daley, founder and principal of Whirlaway, Andrew Murphy, owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trimm, branch manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, and lastly Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland Brand Management. Each of the panelists answered questions that offered insight on being an entrepreneur and taking control of your own career and the decisions necessary to achieve their goals. While they each come from various career backgrounds, they all shared striking similarities when it came to the advice they gave that led to their success. The most important aspects of creating a name for themselves was creating networks. They highlighted that joining committees and becoming members of boards is a great way to put yourself out there and to connect with other people whom in the future could be useful to your success. While building networks are important, it is also important to foster those relationships because they can provide more than just a connection, but also other career opportunities. All of the panelists agreed that individuals must work hard for their cause and to know the “Why” in what they’re doing. They were faced with difficult decisions and sacrificed a lot of their time to ensure the success of their business. The most important advice I remembered was to aim high and hustle. Despite who an individual is, they need to aim high, focus on growth, and hustle if they want to see themselves succeed in their career.

The Entrepreneurship Panel connects to our class in that the panelists discussed the importance of branding. Creating websites allows a business to build its brand in their own image. In digital publications, we are developing skills in website design and the importance of making sure that the intended audience is able to access that company. Our class allows students to publish blog posts that can be used as a way to build our portfolios which can also be seen by future employers. As for the career path I have chosen to pursue, the panelists’ advice about building networks and working hard is important in nursing, especially since I am thinking about opening up a private practice office after I go back to school to become a nurse practitioner and possibly a doctor. Once I achieve my long term goals, I can use the skills I learned in our publications class to create a website and advertise my private practice and hopefully gather clients to serve.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

The entrepreneurship career panel consisted of 6 main panelists from a variety of backgrounds and industries who included, John Dinkel of Dinkel Business Development LLC, Chris Daley of Whirlaway LLC, Andrew Murphy of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trimm of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown of Eat Pizza, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland Brand Management. I feel they all gave great advice. Each of them shared their own stories about their businesses and reflected on their outcomes. They all shared similar experiences or wisdom of speaking to multiple entrepreneurs and building relationships with other to have those connections and mentors close by. All the panelists highlighted the idea that to run a good business, you need to hustle! I feel that is the strongest thing you can take from the event because you need to be sure about why you are doing what you are doing. Andy Brown mentioned something that I thought was important which was not letting anyone get in your way and to be ready to work hard because if you believe in yourself then you should do it while not worrying what others think about you. That represents a strong and independent person who knows what they want, and I feel that was inspiring. They all mentioned that it was difficult in the beginning and hard to get their name out there so that was nice to hear how they persevered and made their businesses successful.

 

I feel that their advice about entrepreneurship can relate to this course. School is difficult just like a business and you need to learn to balance out your life with that focus. Just like this course, it may get difficult at times but if you push through you can become a successful student in this course it’s all about hustling. I want to become a nurse then eventually become a nurse practitioner but that can be accomplished by hustling. Many say you will never make it or you can’t do it but like Andy Brown said, if I believe in myself then I shouldn’t worry about others and just go for it. I think this is the advice I will take dearly because it’s hard to go on sometimes since others like to push your ideas down. I think this event was very helpful and insightful.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

At Stevenson on February 13th, 2019, I attended the Entrepreneurship Career Panel. Here, Jeannine Morber, who is the Lecturer Marketing and Internship Coordinator, was the host of the event. There were six panelists were John Dinkel (from Dinkel Business Development), Liz Trimm (from Enterprise Rent-a-car), Andrew Murphy (from Flying Frog Publishing), Andy Brown (from Eat Pizza), Garret Pfeifer (from Maryland Brand Management), and Chris Daley (from Whirlway, LLC). All of these panelists had very well-thought out and meaningful insights about what it means to be a business owner and an entrepreneur. Throughout the career panel, it was discussed mostly about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I would say the most common tip was to have a solid sense of networking in your community and meaningful relationships. It’s about who you know, not what you know. They frequently said that to be entrepreneur means you must work hard, some said they even work seven days a week. They also commented on the importance of believing in yourself. At the end of the panel, every panelists gave incredible advice, of not just about being an entrepreneur, but of how to make it in the business world.

The entire panel, I couldn’t get my brain to stop thinking. Everything they said about working hard, having good connections, and believing in yourself, are all things that I constantly work on personally. At the beginning of the panel, I didn’t really think I wanted to be an entrepreneur. But by the end, I couldn’t stop thinking of how I really have the ability to start my own business if I wanted to. I have always thought I’m not naturally good at anything, whether it’s sports, music, or social interaction with my peers. But, when I really consider what I’ve done during my college years, I am naturally good at working hard, making connections, and believing in myself. I have the skills of working on design, writing, working with people, training, and working really really hard. I am currently interning at a counseling office. My passion is to be a counselor. But what if I started my own counseling agency? I no longer will limit myself in my mind to what I can accomplish. As of now, I do not have a passion to start my own business. But I am confident that if the time comes, just by being who I am, I can do it.