Students listen to advice from panelists on the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour. Jessica Gray | Staff photographer
» By Chaseton Donahoe
Staff Writer
Many APSU students received helpful advice on how to spark creativity and entrepreneurship when the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour came to the UC on Thursday, March 7.
The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour has held more than 500 entrepreneurship events in 35 states during the past seven years, and has been an inspiration for thousands.
The key speaker, Arel Moodie, defined the tour’s message at the four hour event in the UC ballroom. “The bridge between where you are and where you want to be is today, and one small idea can change everything.” Moodie explained that most people make excuses for their lack of productivity. One popular excuse is that people do not have enough money.
“If you are not getting the results that you want right now, that’s not because you need more money. The only thing holding you back is you,” Moodie said.
Another excuse given is that people have no time, but people also waste a lot of their time. He made the point that no one in the world has a bigger chunk of time than any other person and that we all have 24 hours in each day, so we need to use it wisely. The last excuse that people often make is that a person may consider themselves not ready to step up and try something new. Moodie said no one ever thinks they are ready, but that should not hold them back. He said dreams need to be pursued now.
“If you see the world the same when you are 25 as when you were 18, you wasted seven years of your life,” Moodie said. “Evolve.”
Another key speaker was David Gardner, NBA star and founder of Colorjar, a software design company. Some of the secrets to success that he mentioned were ignoring negativity and embracing positivity He noted that in modern society, people are becoming increasingly negative, and the first step to being successful is to have a positive outlook about goals and opportunities. Another secret was for people to own success rather than letting it own them.
“The most successful people set their own goals,” Gardner said. “So work for yourself, not for other people.”
His third point was to work harder. He explained that every time a person reaches a goal, they should immediately raise the bar for themselves. His fourth point was that people should solve problems. But the way this should be done is not by following the rules. Gardner suggested that people should find the easiest way to solve a problem. He said that there is no right or wrong way to be an entrepreneur.
Gardner’s last point was to “get in the game,” meaning that professionals are humans just like everyone else. He emphasized that any one person is capable of doing great things.
APSU’s Business department will be offering entrepreneurship courses this fall. The new program will consist of 21 hours, and these courses will help aspiring students to create new ideas.
“People should build a vision for themselves … People should not strive to be better, they should strive to be different and offer amazing service,” Moodie explained. “Stand out and be remarkable.”
