Apr
23
6 Essential Attributes of Successful Entrepreneurs
I was invited to speak at the 2011 Youth Entrepreneur Program on April 6, 2011 in Mt. Shasta, California. The contest, put on by the Small Business Development Center at Shasta College in Redding, California, allows young entrepreneurs to compete for cash prizes that will help them start their own business.
I was on the Entrepreneur Panel of speakers along with Chuck Buhs of Mt. Shasta Martial Arts and Cindy Summers of MECCA Media Design.
My 15-minute presentation was titled, “6 Essential Attributes Successful Entrepreneurs Must Possess.”
The above video is a condensed version of my presentation, and below are six the attributes I discuss:
• Strength - To break away from the pack-mentality and pursue your own dreams.
• Confidence - You can only succeed if you believe in yourself and your ideas.
• Passion - The fire in your belly you feel when you’re truly chasing your dreams.
• Motivation - To face each day no matter how uncertain it may be.
• Willingness - To do what it takes to succeed (with integrity).
• Resilience - The ability to bounce back from difficult situations.
Of course, there are many more than six attributes that are necessary for success, but these are six important ones that I’ve experienced in my self-employment endeavors.
As for the YEP Competition, budding entrepreneurs were required to post a video Elevator Pitch on YouTube and promote it to friends and family. They also had to present their business concept to a panel of judges and a live audience, who were able to text their votes in, American Idol-style.
The winners were determined by the strength of their presentation, the number of views their video received and the amount of text message votes they got.
US Bank District Manager Robert Warren (L) and Keynote Speaker, Arel Moodie (R), present grand prize winner Matt Wood (C) a check for $1,000 to launch Snail Ale, a non-toxic, beer-based snail bait that will keep people’s gardens snail-free.
17-year old Lexi Cheula was both the Fan Favorite and the 1st place winner in the 14-18 year old category. Lexi plans to invest her $800 winnings in her business, Baby Cakes Co., a dessert and coffee shop retail concept aimed at the college-campus crowd.
Terry Price and Geoffrey Price were the 1st place winners in the 19 to 27 year old category. They received $500 to put towards their high-concept restaurant, Price’s Place, which will offer both German and Italian food.
Congratulations to all of these brave, young contestants who have chosen at an early age to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Thank you to Stephanie Hoffman of the SBDC for inviting me to be a part of this great event!
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Video shot by Brenda Woods, edited by Nikolas Allen.
Photos by Eve Thompson, Mount Shasta Herald
