18A Create a Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer is any college student who is a creative person and likes going out to places. Their hobbies are shopping, doing puzzles, and painting. They drive a luxury car and probably the color black to have a sleek vibe. They watch reality tv shows like Americas’ Next Top Model and Keeping up with Kardashians. They have no children because they are still young. They don’t prefer to read books and have no favorite politicians. Their age ranges from  17-25. They feel their age and sometimes even feel younger.

My prototypical customer and I are very similar because we are both creative individuals and have a good fashion sense. We both like to shop, do puzzles, and painting. I would say the only difference is that I don’t have a car, while they do. If I did have a car, most likely it will be black or white like theirs. It’s not a coincidence because I look at me and others around me to form this prototypical customer.

17A Elevator Pitch No. 2

Reflection 
I didn’t really receive feedback on my last elevator pitch, however, there were specific things I noticed I could do better on. Some of these things that I struggled with were moving too much in the video, needing more enthusiasm, and talking a little too fast. I did go over a few seconds as well, so I want to make sure that I am concise next time.

Changes
Based on the analysis from myself, I changed how much hand gestures I did, emphasized certain points, and tried to make sure I was speaking at a good pace. Also, I tried to make some more eye contact because my focus looked a little off last time.

16A What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique.

Five ways in which I have unique human capital is:

1. Honesty – I like to tell people the truth no matter what. I am straightforward and like to tell people what it is from the beginning. I never like to set someone astray. I try my best to provide them with the most genuine answers I can.
2. Determination – I like to set goals for myself and achieve them. If I may encounter challenges as I try to achieve a goal, I find ways to overcome the challenges and will persevere until I accomplish my goal. I set high standards for myself and I expect myself to uphold them no matter what.
3. Organization – One of my strengths is being very organized. I prefer not to be hit with the unexpected, work in untidy areas, or not have back up plans. I like to make sure that I plan everything in advance and have contingencies in place just in case things don't work out.
4. Friendly – I see myself as a nice person. I like to help people whenever I can. People can always use me as a shoulder to lean on or a person to ask advice. I always like to make sure everybody is doing well and feels welcomed.
5. Open-minded – I like to consider many perspectives. I might be hesitant at first, but I am understanding and will consider the different viewpoints others may have. I love feedback and believe it is very helpful in terms of development, personally and generally.

Interview the five people who know you the best. 

Mom

• My mom says my heart is what makes me different and believes I have a God heart. Her explanation of a God heart is a person who is caring, loving, forgiving, and understanding. She believes this separates me from many others in my generation.

Dad

• My dad says I am very organized, detailed, and calculated in what I do. He gives an example of me going to college and planning out everything I needed to do to make sure my transition from high school to college was successful. He also likes how I hold myself accountable for my grades, set a high standard for my work, and always like to try something new.

Best Friend – Thamare

• My best friend basically said I use the resources around me to help me grow as an individual. I am an ambitious and determined person when it comes to achieving my goals. She also mentions that I am easy going and approachable. She feels that I am an honest and kind person who respects other but is also respectable as well.

Close friend – Faith

• Faith mentions that I can’t multitask and like to focus on doing one thing at a time. She mentions that I have a direct focus, but I can be easily distracted. She describes how peculiar I am with certain things such as food or sauces. She says I’m a skeptical person, however, I am still open to giving people and things chances. She also adds how I am disciplined about my finances and make smart financial decisions.

Coworker/Close friend – Brittney

• My friend Brittney says I am a very honest and independent person. I am motivated to achieve the goals that I set for myself. She also says that I go above and beyond when achieving these goals. Even though I may encounter challenges, I don’t let them stop me, but overcome them. She finishes off by saying how I am understanding, listen to others, and willing to give advice to people.

Reflect on the differences. 

I think the way I see myself and the way others see me are pretty much the same. I don’t see any differences because everything is true. I agree with everything my interviewees said about me because they know me well. It just really shows me how much people pay attention to you. I wouldn’t make any corrections to my list because I stay true to myself no matter what.

15A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

        In the interviews that I conducted the customers were presented with three alternatives: using social media (ex. Pinterest) for inspiration, hiring a personal stylist, or using a clothing monthly subscription service. I asked them which alternative would they have picked instead of using Smart Closet and why.

First interviewee:

Alternative, How/Where they Buy, Post Purchase

• The student-athlete picked using Pinterest as their alternative because it was the least expensive option. On Pinterest, he can always find a style that matches how he dresses and is easy to copy. He didn’t like the other solutions because he believed the personal stylist and monthly subscription wouldn’t be able to match his style that well. When buying and using the item, price is important because as a college student he has to be mindful of what he spends his money on. He doesn’t focus on quality as much because he won’t buy an item if the price isn’t right. He does look at style closely because he wants to make sure he looks good, feels good, and can show off his style.
• They usually prefer to buy products in-store because they like to try it out and see how well the demo is. If they are satisfied with the product, they will pay for it with cash since its simple and straightforward.
• When he thinks backs on the “rightness” of the purchase, he considers if the price matched the quality. He knows the purchase was a good idea if people ask where he got the product/service and compliments him on it. He knows if it was a bad idea if the quality doesn’t match up to the price and if the product doesn’t suit him well.

Second interviewee:

Alternative, How/Where they Buy, Post Purchase

• The sophomore viewed the personal stylist as the best option because they want to rely on someone who has expertise in styling. They want a service that provides instant feedback and can give them insight on what looks good. Price is the most important factor for them because they have funds that need to be used wisely. Since they are spending for personal gain they want to make sure that they will still have money to handle their responsibilities. Quality is also important because if a product is low in appearance and durability this decreases the value and discourages them from buying it. Style is also equally important with the others because they want to have a nice style that will allow them to fit in socially and not be isolated from others. 
• This person preferred looking for the product online because there will be a wider selection to choose from. They also like cash because it is easy, and you just have to pay for it once.
• When he thinks backs on the “rightness” of the purchase he looks at whether or not it was worth it and if his expectations were met. He knows it was a good idea if the product lasts and he gets good feedback from others. The purchase is a bad idea if the longevity is short and the quality doesn't match up to the price.  

Third interviewee:

Alternative, How/Where they Buy, Post Purchase

• My friend picked the monthly subscription service because it picks and sends clothes for you based on your preferences. They believe it cuts down the time of looking for and styling clothes. Price, quality, and style are all equally important for them. They look at the price because as a college student, money is tight, and they need something affordable. Quality is looked at because they don’t want a product that is cheap and raggedy but want something presentable. Style is also important because they won’t use something that doesn’t fit their style. If the style doesn’t match them, they will not use it. 
• She likes to buy the product online because it has a wider selection and is more convenient. She would finance a product because she doesn’t like paying it at once and would rather pay over time. 
• When she thinks backs on the “rightness” of the purchases she considers if the investment was worth it and the reputation the brand holds. She knows the purchase was a good idea if the product looks good, fits her needs, and has multiple uses. She knows it was a bad purchase if she buys the product and never uses it, it doesn’t last, it is damaged easily, or the quality didn’t match the pricing,

       In conclusion, I would consider including the aspects that they like from each alternative into my own product. They are looking for an affordable product that is advised by an experienced person, has instant feedback, and is suited to you based on preferences. In terms of the purchase decision, I would advertise it online because 2 out of the 3 would rather shop online because of the wide selection and convenience. On the website to buy Smart Closet, I could provide different packages to choose from and make sure that my website can be easily accessible on any device. Lastly, from the post-purchase evaluation, I can make sure they have a free trial of the product before they actually buy it. This will allow them to test the quality and see if the styles suggested matching their preferences. Based on the feedback behind why a purchase was a bad idea, I will make sure that the quality of my product matches up to my price, it is durable, and provides customer reviews. 

14A Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

• The behaviors that I have used to keep up with this course are time management and perseverance. The assignments for this class aren’t necessarily hard, however, completing assignments does take some time. Sometimes you may have to interview others, do some research, or read books and reflect on it. Also if you don’t attend the live lectures, you have to make sure that you watch it at a later time. Time management is crucial to have, especially when you may be taking other rigorous classes. I have also used perseverance because sometimes I didn’t manage my time well for a certain week and waited to do my work at the last minute. I could’ve just skipped the assignment and lose 3 points, but instead, I persevered and pulled all-nighters to make sure my work was done. I highly recommend to others that you don’t do what I do and just do your work ahead of time. 

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

• A moment when I felt like giving up is when I was doing the elevator pitch. I didn’t like my opportunity that much and felt that I could've delivered a much better business idea to the present. However, I didn’t let that stop me and I just decided to do it because it's not like I can't change my opportunity and there are two more elevator pitches that I can improve on. My fear of failure is what pulled me through. I don’t like failing, so this assignment wasn’t going to stop me. I just was more motivated to go harder in finding a better opportunity to present. Also, I went to Professor Pryor and he helped me think about a better opportunity.
• I developed a tenacious attitude over these past months because the classes I have now are pretty hard and have made me push myself. I had to sacrifice some of my social life and focus on my academics, but in the end, it will pay off.

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset'?

• The three tips that I would offer next semester’s students to foster skills supporting tenacity and to develop a tenacious mindset is to have:
• Time management skills – You never know how your semester is going to be, so it always good to make sure you prepare for anything. Make sure you dedicate time to all your classes equally, so you won’t be struggling to finish assignments or watch lectures.
• Be open-minded – This class makes you think outside of the box sometimes when it comes to assignments. Also, you have to interview people and their feedback maybe something you do or do not agree with.
• If you need help go to Professor Pryor for advice – If you might be doubtful about anything in the class, go to office hours and talk to Professor Pryor. He’ll most likely have an answer or great advice for anything that might be giving you trouble with the class. 

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Pick a segment:

• The segment that I have chosen is college students at the University of Florida. I chose students with all types of fashion senses.

Interview Information:

The three people that I interviewed were friends.

• The first interviewee’s need becomes more salient when they go to formal events. During the day getting styled is not that bad for them. They usually try to pick something simple every day to reduce the amount of time it takes to get dressed. However, they did emphasize that their need was for formal events. For their extracurricular activities, they have to dress accordingly for interviews, meetings, and special events. Usually, this person wears simple dresses but wants to mix it up. She has suits, skirts, and nice blouses to wear, but doesn’t know the best way to pair them. 
• The second interviewee found their need in the morning. She likes getting really up dressed before going out the day. However, she has to wake up an hour early just to figure out what she wants to wear. She says her style is sophisticated/trendy so she needs help being up to date with what is hot. Even though she has many clothes, she struggles to pair something nice together because of the numerous options she can pick from.
• In the last interview, the interviewee’s need was most salient when getting dressed in general. They have a limited amount of clothes to work with, so they want to avoid repeating outfits. They need help with coming up with new combinations from the limited amount of clothing they have. 
• To satisfy their needs, the first individual uses professional styling websites. The second individual decides to go on social media to get inspiration from how others dress. The last individual will ask a friend that is near on how the outfit they picked looks and if it looks different. 

What I Learned & Conclusion:

• Based on the interviews, I have learned that this need is only for individuals who know they have a problem. From these individuals, I noticed that the need doesn’t occur at the same time for everybody. Some people just have trouble getting dressed for special events, in general, or just to match a certain style. Even though they all had troubles, they all came up with temporary fixes to this solution. They are not satisfied with these fixes and are looking forward to using an affordable product like mine. This had led me to conclude that I should continue with the questions I have designed for the app to make the style suggestions more tailored to the individual. I also think about integrating current trending looks to help give consumers inspiration and better suggestions.

11A Idea Napkin No. 1

1.   You.

• My name is Rachel McCarthy and I am a sophomore studying Business Information Systems. My talents are dancing and cheering. I have danced since I was 6 years old and cheered since I was in 5th grade. My skills and experiences are having great customer service and communication skills, as well as, being able to adapt thanks to my previous job, Chick-Fil-A. This business that I created would play a huge role in my life because it is something I deeply care about. I’ve always liked helping others feel good about themselves and this business will be a great way for me to do that.

2.   What are you offering to customers?

• I am offering individuals a product that helps styling be easier. For individuals, I am helping with their unmet need of needing guidance when getting ready. With this product, they will be able to style their selves with ease and be confident in the outfits that they wear. 

3.   Who are you offering it to?

• The demographics of my customers are individuals who are 14-30. This will include teens who may be in middle school or high school and young adults. This group includes people who know they have trouble styling their selves and want a more organized approach. My product will have a low-price range, so it will be more affordable for this group.

4.   Why do they care?

• People will buy this product because people around these ages care more about their appearance.  Businesses in this market don’t really advertise their products, so individuals will be ready to take advantage of my product once it’s out there.  I think they will buy this product because they want to dress to impress, build their confidence, and be able to decrease the amount of time it takes to get ready.

5.   What are your core competencies?

• There is only one competitor: Rabbit Tech Inc that also has the same app. There are also some styling websites like Dailylook and Stitch Fix. All these alternatives make people pay monthly subscriptions, which can be costly for the demographic I am targeting. Besides, I haven’t seen much advertising for these products.  My product will be heavily marketed on social platforms, will be affordable, and will be personalized towards the consumer. 

Evaluation
           After evaluating all these elements, I believe that they can all work together. However, my concept is weak compared to others. I haven’t started on the app yet or thought about the technical details of how the closet and app will interlink. I will eventually get it done, but my competitors have already established themselves. Also, I know the need is going to appeal to my demographic, however, I don’t know if they will actually buy it. I learned from previous interviews that this was a need, but some people from this demographic simply didn't care to buy a closet app to help them get ready. However, I’ll continue with this opportunity and help people be at ease when getting ready.