W01 — The Startup of Me: Mighty Heart, Strong Mind

  W07 Reflection: Passion, Purpose, and the 7 Habits The habit that resonates most with me right now is Habit 3: Put First Things First . I’m realizing that strategy without priority is just wishful thinking. “First Things First” forces me to translate values into a weekly plan—choosing the important over the merely urgent . Practically, it looks like blocking time for deep work on my highest-leverage tasks (customer interviews, product improvements, and family/spiritual commitments) before reactive items invade my schedule. It’s also a character habit: keeping promises to myself so I can be trusted by others. Together, the 7 Habits give me a complete system to live with passion and purpose while pursuing both private and public victories: Private Victory (Habits 1–3) : Be Proactive reminds me I’m the creative force—my choices matter more than my circumstances. Begin with the End in Mind anchors my work in a personal mission, aligning goals with who I want to becom...

 This week felt like a reset on what truly sustains an entrepreneurial career: self-mastery, method, and purpose. From So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? I took the “three bags” of knowledge: (1) deep industry understanding plus a trusted network; (2) the skills to run day-to-day operations; and (3) the ability to raise capital. The most practical insight was the order of value : industry > operations > capital. Money is a commodity; real advantage comes from immersion and execution. Amar Bhidé strengthened my antidote to analysis paralysis: screen fast, analyze the essentials, and act in short cycles . Instead of waiting for a perfect plan, place small bets, meet real customers, and adapt. That “learn by doing” approach speaks directly to my perfectionism—it offers a disciplined way to move forward without being fooled by pretty spreadsheets. On character, President N. Eldon Tanner’s “Success Is Gauged by Self-Mastery” shifted my focus from “conquering things” to “conquer...

Here are my key takeaways from “A Hero’s Journey.” The talk reframed success from trophies to transformation. The three end-of-life questions— Did I contribute something meaningful? Was I a good person? Who did I love, and who loved me? —cut through the noise of titles and net worth. If those are the real scoreboards, then my calendar and budget need to mirror them now, not “after I make it.” Second, a calling sits at the intersection of God-given gifts, deep joy, and a real need in the world . I loved the practical experiments: ask five people what you do better than anyone else; notice where you lose track of time; then aim those strengths at a concrete problem that bothers you enough to act. That is more actionable than waiting for a lightning bolt. Third, ethical guardrails matter more than raw ambition. Writing out “I will never…” lines and a “message in a bottle” for moments of temptation is a powerful way to prevent small compromises that become big failures. I also took to ...

  W04 Reflection — Measuring a Life That Actually Matters This week’s materials reframed “success” from a scoreboard to a compass. Clayton Christensen’s question—how will you measure your life?—landed hardest on two ideas: resource allocation and the “marginal-cost” mistake. I recognized myself in his warning that high achievers unconsciously invest time where feedback is fast (work) and underinvest where payoffs are slow (family, character). I also felt called out by “just this once” thinking; compromise is rarely a one-time event—habits calcify around it. Tom Kelley’s retelling of Jim Collins’ three circles (what I’m good at, what I’m born to do, what people will pay for) added a practical lens. I’ve been competent in many things, but “born to do” shows up when I’m designing learning experiences, building with founders, and serving families. The fourth box— who I do it with—matters as much as the circles. I’d rather build slower with trustworthy people than sprint with misalig...

W03 Journal — Honesty, Business Ethics & Building “A-Level” Ventures This week reframed ethics from “nice to have” into an operating system for how I build. Elder Lynn G. Robbins’ “A–E grading” of motives hit hard: A-level work puts the love of God and fellowmen first, with income as a by-product. That clarifies success metrics for me: if my businesses don’t strengthen families, expand access, or uplift communities, they’re off-mission—even if they’re profitable. Sheri L. Dew’s call to be “ true blue, through and through ” converted integrity from a slogan into daily practices. Integrity isn’t only “don’t lie”; it’s keeping promises when no one is watching, refusing shortcuts, and making choices I’d be proud to explain to my spouse, children, and faith leaders (my “front-page test”). The founders’ perspectives grounded this in reality. Frank Levinson (“fanatically ethical”) reminded me that people instantly sense the moral temperature of a company—and great talent stays where t...

 Randy Pausch achieved so many of his childhood dreams because he combined joyful curiosity with disciplined persistence. He didn’t romanticize success—he engineered it. When Disney rejected him, he reframed the “brick wall” as a filter that keeps out people who don’t want it badly enough. He also invested in people: mentors, teams, and students. That mix—persistence, reframing setbacks, and building real relationships—created tailwinds that carried him toward zero-gravity flights, Imagineering projects, and transformative teaching. His line, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want,” captures it: he harvested learning from every miss and used it as fuel for the next attempt. Dreaming matters because it gives us a star to steer by. Without a clear “why,” the day-to-day becomes random. With a dream, we can choose steppingstones that compound—skills, relationships, and habits that point in one direction. Dreaming isn’t about fantasy; it’s about setting a faithful...

 This week I reframed the semester as the “startup of me.” Elder David A. Bednar ’s call to be both “faithful and competent” challenged my comfort zone[1]. He warns against the “academic path of least resistance,” ties scholarship to sacrifice and consecration , and interprets D&C 4:2 (“heart, might, mind, and strength”) as a mighty heart plus a strong mind for consecrated service[1]. Omni 1:26 — to “offer your whole souls” — set my bar for weekly effort[1]. From Jeff Sandefer , living as an entrepreneurial hero means dream big, start small , accept that life is hard, and engrave habits → character → destiny [2]. His counsel to fail early, cheaply, and often , and to choose fellow travelers well , fits my Angolan context where rapid prototypes and candid operator feedback drive impact. Guy Kawasaki reinforced purpose at the core of work: do what you love is not anti-profit; it is pro-meaning, so profit doesn’t feel empty[3]. President Gordon B. Hinckley added a mo...