What's Your Secret Sauce?

1)

• I am a problem solver that does not give up until I have the best solution to my problem.One that is well thought out and will be the most efficient.
• I've always been very organized and stay on track by multitasking and trying to stay efficient with everything that I do. 
• I have always wanted to help others and impact their lives in a positive light so being a people person helps me to do that and be able to connect with anyone. 
• Having a strong work ethic has driven me to give 110% to everything that is in my path. Striving to have true grit will open up endless opportunities.
• I have a strong passion for making a positive impact in this world and leaving my mark on it one person at a time 

2)

Wesley Schlemmer described me as a selfless hard worker that will help anyone in need. These qualities he described would help future investors or business leaders gain a sense of who I am.

Avery Rose has described me as a reliable worker that has the ability to brighten peoples day. Being able to connect with people is a major part of creating reliable business connections. Always willing to help in any time of need. 

Briana Dersoa had very positive things to say about me as a person. She described me as a unique girl that has my ambitious that are set high. Briana said that being a dependable nanny and having a positive outlook will take me far in life. 

Jimmy Souza felt that I would make a very qualified candidate for any task that is put in front of me. He acknowledged that fact that I am a very efficient hard worker that has the ability to motivate others around me. 

Emily Souza explained who I was as a person and what would make me more qualified than other candidates that are equally as qualified. She described me as a dedicated hard worker that will get the job done in an efficient manner. Being able to work well with others in any sort of environment will allow me to adapt to any work environment. 

Reflection: Hearing all of these interviews and all of the kind things people thought about me was a really sweet thing to hear. I've always tried to be a genuine good hearted person that is willing to help anyone in need. After hearing what the closest people around me had to say it made me think about how everyone actually perceives me in the world. It is reassuring to know that I am making a positive impact in all of my friends lives. The qualities and unique things about me that my interviewees mentioned I have always strived to be that type of person. The 5 things that I listed that make me stand out from others was similar to what my closest friends had to say. I don't think I'd change anything from my list that I created before the interviews took place. 

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Interview 1: Nick Pullara
Nick is a college student recently back from studying abroad in Europe which has a ton of exquisite meals that he said he, "treated himself" while away. Getting back to the states he is trying to get back on the healthy eating grind and lose his travel weight so he is interested in ways to eat healthy. He noticed that all the portions over in Europe were smaller than in America so he has been trying to eat less and stay within the normal portion size. When asking Nick how and where he typically buys his groceries he informed me that he either goes to publix or aldi at the beginning of the week so he has a full fridge and is less tempted to eat out. Nick is an avid couponer so that he is able to save money and find the best deals for the items he is getting. When it comes to price over quality for food Nick is more likely to get items that are higher quality. This way he knows the food he is consuming is healthier and contains less preservatives than other products available. The segment I am pursuing would have customers coming into the store to pick up a healthy pre-portioned meals or the ability to buy online to be picked up in store. Nick said he was interested in a 4 day meal plan that he would either use cash for or put it on his debit card. I asked Nick a hypothetical question about what he would most consider about the food and the design of the business after he had experienced the meal plan. He said the taste of the food is a large part, how filling it left him throughout the day, and how much it would be for the week are main factors. If all of these things checked out normally Nick said that he would more than willing to continue with a service like this.

Interview 2: Abigail Sponsler
Abigail is currently interning at a broadway musical in New York City this summer. She has found it difficult to manage her time, sleep, priorities, and getting to the grocery store. After telling Abigail about the service I am offering she was very intrigued that she was able to get meals for the week which would eliminate her need to go to the grocery store and cook. When choosing between products Abigail has chosen price over quality. Living in New York is expensive so she has started to find ways to cut down on her spending so price is more important to her than quality. With this business customers are able to come in store to pick up healthy meals or have the option to purchase online and come to the store to pick them up. This also helps with saving time which Abigail has a bit of trouble managing. When purchasing her plan she said she would work the meal plan into her monthly budget so she would have money aside ready for each week. By doing this she is being responsible with her money but still planning ahead. For her this was considered a necessary expense that she would be willing to forgo other options so that she could eat healthy. I asked Abigail the same hypothetical question as Nick. She responded with if she liked the variation of the foods we were offering, whether or not she was feeling full and less lethargic, and finally if after a month she felt like the service was working and she was seeing results. When asked what she thought would make a purchase a bad idea she said, if the food did not taste good, it was overpriced, or she didn't like the options.

Interview 3: Tammy Grayson
Tammy is a single mother of 2 young daughters who is trying to get back in shape an encourage a healthy lifestyle for her children. This starts by eating healthy and working out which she has been trying to do. She has found it difficult to eat healthy at home with two young children because they are rather picky and the snacks they enjoy aren't the most nutritious. Tammy has looked into other options but has decided on getting into meal prepping for herself so she is no longer tempted by her childrens meals. When choosing between price and quality of food, Tammy would rather save money than have the higher quality food. Raising children is very expensive and she would like to save money whenever she can incase unexpected situations arise. Tammy liked the option to be able to order online and select her meals ahead of time so she would be able to get in and out of the store quicker. When asked how she would purchase her meals she said she would use her debit card since she does not like to carry cash on her because she is more likely to spend it. I asked Tammy the same
hypothetical question about what she would consider after a few weeks of the meal plan. She said that she would most consider taste, price, and how fresh they are after a few days. Her response got me thinking about how I would be able to keep the food fresh after 5 days so I will have to do more research.

Conclusion: After this round of interviews I feel more confident in my idea and that I am heading in the right direction. As for the alternative evaluations each interviewee had different needs that had to be met so they were slightly different. For example, Nick choose quality over price whereas Tammy and Abigail chose price over quality. These differenations are based upon each person and they are not representative of an entire group. What I have come to realize throughout all of these interviews is that each consumer has a similar need that needs to be met but they must be met in different ways. Each individual is different and is looking into this service for a different reason so catering the business to be more person centred will help reach other future customers. The purchase decision was pretty much the same for each interviewee in that they would come in store to get meals but still have the option available to order online ahead of time. As for the post purchase decision when I asked he hypothetical question to each person their answers were similar in regard to taste and price. Tammy had an interesting response that has made me do more research into being able to have these foods last 5 days. Overall this was an eye opening assignment that  helped to expand my mind into more Buyer Behavior.

Halfway Reflection

1)  I have enjoyed this course so far and I am excited to see what else I will learn the rest of the semester. At the beginning I didn't have a schedule for completing assignments so I would wait till the last minute on a friday to finish all 3. That got old after about week 2. So I started working on the assignments at work and during my time off. Blogger has the option to save a post as a draft before posting which allowed me to come back to my work. This feature helped ,e to spread out my assignments by working on them a little bit at a time. As for the material I have found it rather interesting to see the ins and outs of the entrepreneurial process. It was more than I expected but all of the information has been so helpful in gaining a full understanding of  what goes into becoming an entrepreneur.

2) At first I felt a little overwhelmed by the assignments because they were a bit broad but after watching the video lectures it helped me to get a better understanding of what each post needed. There was one week where I had waited to complete my assignments on friday and ended up not being able to finish the third blog post for that week. That was a bit unfortunate because I lost points for not completing Part A so I could not gain points for any other assignments pertaining to that blog post. I have been good about finishing all my assignments for the week because I do not want to lose anymore unnecessary points. I intend to finish this summer semester strong and learn as much as possible about entrepreneurship.


3)

• Don't wait till the last minute to finish assignments because some are more in depth than others.
• If you are stuck on an assignment you should watch the lecture videos because they will help you gain a better understanding of what's being asked of you.
• Think outside of the box with your business idea because you will be using it for a majority of the semester. 

Reading Reflection No.1

Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

1. What surprised you the most?
What surprised me the most about Elon Musk was his drive and desire to be successful in everything that he does. This attitude has made him a very well known businessman that thrives on his own internal motivation 

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?   
What I admire most about Elon Musk was his passion towards ensuring the future of humanity. His drive to see life continue and thrive well beyond our years here on earth is impressive and admirable. 

What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? 
Even though Elon Musk has gained much respect and admiration for his work I feel like he didn't give his co-workers the acknowledgement they deserve. He may have first thought about these ideas but he did not create the solutions all on his own. It was with the help of a vast group of people who specialize in the work he was trying to achieve. 

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
I feel as if Elon Musk encountered adversity at a young age with bullying which encouraged him to become the successful person he is today. There are many people who have to overcome harsh obstacles to get where they need to be. This just goes to show that you can do anything you set your mind to as long as you have the right motivation to keep you chasing your dreams and aspirations. 

2. What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?  
 Elon Musk exhibited a major competency in his desire/passion to pursue his dreams of furthering humanity into the future generations. This has lead him to become the entrepreneur he is today. With that being said having a strong passion for something I believe is the key to success in society. 

3. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. 
While reading this book I found so many things interesting and thrilling to read but there weren't many things that were confusing. It was a pretty straight forward book about Elon Musk and all of his endeavors that he has tried to accomplish. One thing I did find a bit shocking was the fact that he had some issues raising money for the Tesla Project. This type of forward thinking design I would have thought he would have an outpouring of donors willing to back this idea. 

4. If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask?
1. Looking back now, how would you change/ improve the Tesla Project?
2. Have you ever considered getting into other fields that would further humanity such as agriculture or sustainability? 

5. For Fun: What do you think of the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? 
I feel like Elon had a very strong work ethic which inspired him to create these products for the world to use. He put his entire passion into and idea and was able to make it a reality which is totally inspiring as a young entrepreneur. I do share his opinion because hard work pays off and nothing in life is going to be given to you, you have to work for it. 

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

Interview 1: Robert Hernandez

Robert is a student at the University of Florida who is looking to get into meal prepping as a way to save money and still eat healthy. He often finds it difficult to find time to meal prep with his busy schedule and that results in him getting cheap food that has very minimal nutritional value. When asked when he find this the most difficult he said during meal times that he doesn't have food around so he will go out and spend money 10-15$ per meal. I asked him if he ever considered meal prepping himself but he assured me that he is the worst cook and would burn everything. This type of service would be perfect for someone like Robert who wants healthy options but just don't have the desire or skills to cook. After hearing about his struggles with attempting to eat healthy on the regular I was curious to see if he had issues while on the go. He informed me that he did and that was typically when he would eat the worst because he doesn't have the proper access to a nutritious meal. Robert said that when he is looking for a solution to his problems he will go the the internet first. When asked what he would google for his unmet need he said, "healthy meal prep, meal prepping for non-cooks, and meal prepping on a budget". When choosing a website that is reliable he will make sure that it is up to date and trustworthy. 

Interview 2: Avery Schlemmer 

Avery is a graduate student at the University of Florida who is specializing in agriculture and sustainability. Her passion for clean eating and finding ways to make crop production less chemical has encouraged her to have a healthy diet. When asked why she would be interested in a service like this she said that she is not a fan of grocery stores because they offer so many products with preservatives and chemicals that she tends to stay away from. By sourcing our foods from known local farmers we can assure that our food is grown with the highest possible standard. After explaining the business to Avery she expressed interest in vegetarian options since she has been slowly cutting out meats. She informed me that she has difficulty staying on track with a meal plan because she loves to snack during the days. This gave me the idea to offer snacks available to purchase with the meal plan so our customers are feeling full throughout the day. Since Avery is working a lot to complete her graduate degree she said that she doesn't eat 3 meals a day but usually eats breakfast and has a big lunch in the mid afternoon. The way Avery would solve her problems would be using a search engine such as google. When I asked Avery what would be the first thing she would google in her search she said, " clean eating or vegetarian meal prep". This gave me an insight into other possible demographics of people that are interested in vegetarian and gluten free options. When asked if she would consult friends or family on her search she said," Yes, my grandmother has been a nutritionist for many years". 

Interview 3: Tracy Sedlack 

Tracy is a single lawyer that lives in Tampa and is looking to lose weight on her hectic schedule. After explaining my business concept to her she expressed interest in it since she has been eating out for a majority of her meals but has been feeling rather lethargic lately. Tracy has never been one to cook because she isn't able to find the time to go to the grocery store and still come home to cook a meal. Tracy liked the idea to have all of her meals made available to her for a low rate that are focused on weight loss. To find a solution to her problems Tracy will consult the internet on the best ways to fix her problem. This has been a common theme in all three interviews. Since she would consult the internet I asked what she would search she said, " weight loss meal plan, foods for weight loss, or meal prep service". The internet is full of websites that all say they have the best information for the topic you have searched. Tracy informed me that she only uses websites that are well known and have up to date information. When asked if she would consult friends or family she said she would seek advice from her doctor to make sure that the foods she would be eating would be encouraging of weight loss. 

Conclusions: After completing this round of interviews I found a few things that were common throughout. Such as,the use of the internet to solve problems or the desire to eat healthy without all of the necessary prep that goes into it. The need being that people are looking for an alternative way to meal prep that is at a low cost but still offers different options in terms of weight loss, nutritional value, or vegetarian and gluten free options. The information that each customer would search was relatively the same but each one had its own distinction. Robert was looking for a meal prep service for people that don't cook, Avery was interested in vegetarian meal prep, and Tracy was focused on a meal prep service that encouraged weight loss.  All of these customers have the same unmet need but with slightly different intentions behind it. 

Idea Napkin No.1

1) Hi, my name is Madeline Worthington and I am trying to change the way that people view meal prepping in a positive light that encourages healthy eating. My talents include being very resourceful, dedicated, and passionate about the work I am doing. I have always been the type of person that strives to be the best that I can be and that in turn that reflects into my work. The skills that have lead me to this point will give me an advantage that will be represented through my work ethic and desire to see this business to succeed. If I were to start a business such as this it would change my life in a very impactful way. I would make sure that all my time and energy went into the business so that my customers are getting the most nutritious yet delicious food. 

2) The service that I have created is a meal prep business that allows customers to buy pre-portioned meals for a low cost. This business will encourage customers to take the next step in a healthier lifestyle starting with the food they eat. Each meal will be composed of delicious food that is within the healthy limits for serving size but still leaves you feeling full. 

3) This business is targeted to a group of individuals who are trying to eat healthier but just don't have the necessary time, patience, or desire to meal prep weekly. At the beginning I had first thought this business would be specifically designed to meet the unmet need of college students. But after research and interview that I have conducted it is clear that there are many people who are interested in a service such as the one I am offering. All of my customers have the desire to eat healthy while staying on a budget. They are looking for a service that encourages clean eating but will still stay within the healthy limits for serving size. 

4) Many people are looking to make the next step towards living a cleaner and healthier life and the business I am creating will help them do just that. This business will allow customers to buy meals up for up to 5 days a week for a relatively low cost. It will allow them to have healthy delicious options that keep clean eating in mind. This service is for people who may need a little help getting started in their journey and would like to have access to a healthy meal. 

5) The difference between us and other clean eating business is the fact that we are specifically designed for meal prepping with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This style of business will really encourage those to eat healthy for every meal and stick with a plan so they will see the results they desire. The meal plans will allow customers to change the way the are eating and think about food. We will offer meal plans designed for weight loss, ketogenic diets, high protein, or if you're just looking for a healthy meal. 

I think all of the elements I have listed above will contribute to the success of my business and will encourage customers to start eating healthier. There are elements I will have to tweak and work on to make sure my customers are receiving the highest standard of food that will bring them the right nutrients necessary. To make sure all of my meals are abiding by the correct ratios for the health standards we will have a nutritionist on our team that works directly with our chefs to make these meals healthy yet nutritious. A main goal for my business is to find farmers that can supply food that is grown locally to encourage other local businesses to work with one another. All business plans will have areas that need tweaking and I am sure I will stumble upon a few more before this is complete.  

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Who: A business that would lie outside the boundary of my opportunity would be a restaurant that offers a delivery service such as Pizza Hut or Dominos.These pizza companies pride themselves on offering a quick meal with a carry-out or delivery service for a relatively low cost. That is what my opportunity seeks to accomplish but the difference being we would be supplying nutritious options that are portioned within the healthy limits. A family with young children would have the same unmet need but they might fall outside of the boundary of my opportunity because kids are known to be picky eaters. Another person who may fall outside the boundary would be someone who travels for work and would not see the benefit in a meal plan service.

What: The need I identified would be very beneficial to a person looking to make a healthy choice with a meal plan type service available. But it would differ in the aspect that a person might view a meal plan service as an unnecessary expense when buying groceries and cooking is an option. I would say that one need can outweigh another so in the case of purchasing a meal plan service or in some instances needing to pay bills, the need for paying bills will be higher.

Why: The group of customers inside the boundary all have the same need when they are seeking out this type of business but those who are not all had a range of reasons as to why this need was not necessary for them. In the interviews I conducted the reasons spanned from picky eaters,to an elderly couple who just loves to cook together, to someone who saw more of a benefit to meal prep themselves.

Interviews: When interviewing 5 new people I gained valuable insight into why others do not have the same need that my opportunity is based on. The first interview I conducted was with a mother who had two young daughters. After explaining the premise of my opportunity I asked her if that type of service would be something her family would be interested in. Even though she liked the goal we were trying to achieve with healthy meals she explained that her daughters are very picky when it comes to eating. She also expressed concerns about the pricing for a full set of meals for a family so the idea of a family meal pack was created as well as kid friendly options. My next interview was with a truck driver that is out of town 4 of the 7 days of the week. He informed me that this type of service is not ideal for someone like him who is traveling a majority of the week. I was intrigued to see if he would be interested in a 3 day meal plan for when he would be home and he said it would be something worth considering. Having access to a healthy meal once a day encourages you to continue to eat more nutritiously. The next person I interviewed was intrigued by the idea of a meal plan service for the benefits of having a nutritious meal everyday. He was hesitant about using a meal plan service because he was worried that the food would not stay fresh all 5 days so he was more inclined to go in to order. I was able to interview a teacher at an elementary school to see if she was interested in a meal plan service that encourages healthy eating. She said she had been looking for a service like this but after research found that she would benefit more from buying groceries and preparing her own meal prep rather than paying for a service. The last interview I conducted was with an elderly married couple that informed me that a meal plan service would not be ideal for them. They went on to explain that their favorite part of the day was cooking a meal together and how more people need to cook together because it brings people closer. The need for a healthy option was still present in these interviews but each person had their own reasons as to why it would not benefit them.

***Was not able to figure out how to create a table within Blogger***

Inside the Boundary
Who is In: College students, people trying to eat healthier, working men and women
What the Need is: A need for healthy options at a low cost that are quick and delicious
Why the Need Exists: Many people are trying to eat healthier and live a cleaner life style

Outside the Boundary
Who is not: Families with small children, workers that travel frequently, those on a budget
What the Need is not: A necessary expense for those on a budget
Alternative Explanations: Those not interested in eating healthy, people who are picky eaters

Solving the Problem

The opportunity I am pursuing is a product as well as a service that allows customers to have a quick healthy meal option that is available on a meal plan type schedule as well as a restaurant. This type of business would encourage customers to select meal options that are both nutritious and pre-portioned. Giving customers the opportunity to buy multiple meals as part of the meal plan leads to better decisions being made. My product/service will be a restaurant with multiple options that you can select that will encourage healthy eating but still be delicious. The restaurant will offer a walk up style design that allows  consumers to select what they want but still be in and out with a nutritious meal in hand. We will offer a meal plan option for  customers and they will be able to buy up to 5 meals on the meal plan for a low cost value. If customers enjoy our service and wish to continue the meal plan we will incentivize them with 2 free meals after every 3 weeks of ordering a full 5 day plan. Other incentives would include a discount card that would allow consumers to get a free meal after every 10 meals that they buy in store as not apart of the meal plan service. By doing so we hope to encourage more people to eat more nutritious and join our meal plan service so they can be on the right track to becoming a healthier individual starting with the way they eat.

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

1.  In college students tend to live a busy life revolving around school, work, and maintaining a social life. These priorities lead to a lack of healthy eating choices due to convenience and prices. I believe that an opportunity exists for a low cost, fast, and healthy meal option specifically targeted for the college student on a budget.

2. Who: College students on a budget who want to eat healthy
What: Many college students will choose the cheaper faster option for food usually resulting in an unhealthy choice.
Why: With limited time and other priorities students tend to chose the quick unhealthy meal over other options especially during late night hours.

3. Hypothesis Testing
Who: Many people have this need not just college students. Young people in the workforce as well as elderly people who aren't fond of cooking but want healthy options.
What:  I think that this quick healthy option should be available for all meals so that students have access to nutritional food anytime of the day.
Why: The vast majority of students are affected by the issue of wanting to eat healthy but not having access to low cost healthy options. Since students are on the go from class, to work, to the bars an affordable place that offers healthy choices would be a great opportunity.

4. Interviews
I interviewed 5 people and was able to come to the conclusion that many people want to have access to affordable healthy food that they can quickly buy. A few of the people I interviewed suggested that this place should stay open late since college students leaving the bar are hungry and want to get some sort of food but there are few places that offer cheap healthy options late night.  Many people want to make the right choice by eating healthy and what I gathered from my interviews is that everyone has the need but they want it to be met in different ways. A boy I interviewed suggested the idea to offer a meal plan with a certain number of meals per week for an affordable flat rate. This would allow for students to eat healthier on more then one occasion and have different options available to them. Another interviewee suggested a delivery type service that is available to bring healthy meals. What I gathered from these interviews is that many people not just students are looking for a nutritional, quick, affordable option to eat. Before conducting these interviews I was sure that college students would be the ideal consumer of this type of restaurant but I learned that many people are looking for an affordable healthy meal option.  This opportunity exists for all people and I believe there is a huge untapped market for this type of business.