This week we learned a lot about the sustainability of a business, and I was intrigued to find that starting a business is likely the easiest part of it all. There is so much more. As I frequently relate back to my own experience this semester leading a PR team for a nonprofit organization, I have seen in our evaluation stage that setting goals and objectives require a check-in, or a checkpoint (as we learned this week), in order for success. Benchmarks are key. Initial motivations can easily be forgotten when you are caught up in the planning and execution parts of the business model, as those steps are equally important.

With COVID-19 happening all around us, learning about how the entrepreneur must stay on top of initial goals is wise information. For my team specifically, we chose to implement a tactic that included building relationships with corporate social responsibility officers. With COVID, this has made our implementation nearly impossible. While we can offer our client the steps to succeed once this is over, we cannot effectively provide them with as many connections and partnerships as measured with our initial research with so many worldwide changes. As I learned today, diversifying not only your revenue streams, ideas and target audiences, but also your means of achieving this success, is a smart business move. Because I did not have a full sustainability plan for my campaign, we have to figure it out step-by-step. Moving forward, I will reference the information we discussed this week to ensure a better, realistic and more sustainable “Plan B” for the future.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Janine Warner, co-founder and executive director of SembraMedia, a global nonprofit launched in 2015 helping digital media entrepreneurs become successful using Spanish content. Warner spoke with our class via Zoom and blew me away with her vast knowledge and versatile career background. Warner encouraged us to take a deeper look into the two or three skills we have as individuals and present them as our personal trifecta when searching for careers. As I am learning each day about being a leader, Warner’s reflection on her journey as an entrepreneur was inspiring for me.

I like how she shared that she had to lay people off to realize she didn’t want to lay people off; she emphasized the importance of a fast-paced digital environment; she is knowledgeable and curious about different journalistic restrictions and guidelines in different countries and tailors accordingly, along with much more. Another huge takeaway for me was her advice on leading a team in a digital space, especially now amidst COVID-19. I love how she emphasized that the “milling” part of the workday is key, and how incorporating virtual cocktail parties and coffee breaks is important for the preservation of a team dynamic. My favorite piece of advice was that “relaxed reflection time is a part of your research.” I hope to keep in touch with Warner and maybe take one of her courses online in the future.

Today in class we got to meet SDSU alum David Brickley, the CEO of STN Digital. He talked to us about how he got to where he is today as an entrepreneur, the dynamics of his team and the importance of being curious to be successful. I liked listening to Brickley present and answer questions because he was transparent in explaining his journey and his company. He touched on a lot of the important concepts that we cover in class, especially about creativity. He mentioned that creative is not a 9 to 5 reality, but being constantly curious makes his team more well-rounded.

I was surprised to know that Brickley believes a lot in asking questions and depending on mentors, even though he is the CEO of his agency. Although I am sure many professionals think this way, not all would mention it to a group of students. He encouraged us to make a Google Sheet of companies we would love to work for and reach out to to their hiring directors, directors of marketing and COOs and try to connect with them. I liked how he listed out the ways we can present ourselves as creatives, or qualified. This method is similar to the way Brickley talked about pitching to clients — go big or go home! He waked us through a typical pitch deck to a potential account and told us about how he learned to always use a proposal to demonstrate a mock-up for success. I plan on reaching out to Brickley about potentially touring STN Digital, reviewing my resume and seeing if there are any internship opportunities available that I could apply for.

Just like the title of one of my favorite John Mayer songs, this week I thought a lot about Moving On and Getting Over creative blocks in a business environment. In our class sessions, I thoroughly appreciate learning about the career pathways of entrepreneurs, and leaders in general. This semester, I am in my capstone course for public relations in the form of (intense) campaigns. I am the leader of fifteen intelligent PR-skilled women, and I have learned a lot in just four short weeks. Thanks to media and entrepreneurship, I feel like I am expanding the ways I can be a creative unit and leader for my team.

While reading the Business Model Generation book for this week’s class meeting, I liked how the authors touched on the rules for brainstorming. In our staff meeting each week, I am the facilitator for our brainstorms focused on what we will be presenting to our client. Although we are not creating a legitimate business model, we are creating solutions for our client’s needs based in research. Considering using customer insights, specifically the empathy model, will help my team identify new target audiences for our client. I have found myself too distracted by what our client has presented to us when really we need to look outside of the box, or against the status quo, of what they might believe they need. Staying within the same mindset and atmosphere clouds creativity, but with a diverse team comes diverse ideas and innovation. (Also, the song is pretty good. I do recommend!)