BUS 110-Ashley Alexander

The study on gratitude this week was perfect for me. Things have been quite hectic and stressful for me lately but reading President Monson's speech "An Attitude of Gratitude" helped me take a break and get my mind back on track. "We can lift ourselves and others when we refuse to stay in the realm of negative thought and cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our hearts." This statement really stood out to me. It made me remember that thankfulness is more than simply a nice feeling; it's a spiritual force that may change how we perceive the world and elevate us up. I thought about my own life and how simple it is to focus on what's hard or missing, especially when we're busy with a lot of things. But when I stop to appreciate the wonderful things, like my kids' laughing, a friend's kind words, or the fortitude to get through a hard day, I start to feel calm instead of stressed. That's how strong thankfulness is. The section of President M...

What is a business for? This week's study really made me think about that. The question "What's a Business For??" by Charles Handy made me understand that the answer is not just "to make money." On the first two pages, Handy talks about how honesty and ethics are important for the system to work. It makes sense now that you think about it. Things start to go wrong when people don't trust companies or the people who run them. Something that Handy said about trust was that once it's broken, it can't be fixed. Also, Handy said the real reason for a business is to make money so that you can do more or better things. Making money isn't the point of a business; it's just a way to help people, fix problems, and make a difference. That really changed how I saw things. I want to be the kind of business owner who keeps that in mind. I really agreed with two of Handy's ideas. For starters, the thought that workers should be seen as part of a gr...

  What is your attitude toward money?   While I was reading "Attitude on Money" by Stephen W. Gibson, I thought about how I really feel about money. There have been a lot of ups and downs for me as a mother raising four kids, but I've learned that money is neither good nor bad. It's just a tool. But how I use that tool shows a lot about my faith, my priorities, my values, and how I care for my family. How can your view of money affect the way you live? The way I view money directly impacts how I run my home and plan for the future. I don't do what I do every day just to make money; I do it because I believe in myself and want to be self-reliant and take care of my family. Families can have a lot of stress when they have money problems. But when we plan ahead and don't spend more than we can afford, we can find peace. I'm more aware of how much I spend, how to set goals, and how to plan ahead because of ups and downs I have faced in the past with money. Wh...

I’ve always been a dreamer, but sometimes life, responsibilities, and fear of failure make those dreams feel far away or unrealistic. Watching the videos and reading the stories of real entrepreneurs reminded me that dreaming big doesn’t mean you have to have it all figured out, it just means you’re willing to start. One thing that stood out to me was the idea that success begins with a clear vision of the life you want, not just a business you want to build. That’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about. What kind of life am I building for myself and my family? Am I chasing what truly matters, or just trying to survive the next busy week? Interviewing my friend Michaela for this week’s assignment really brought it full circle. She’s a single mom of two, and she started her skincare business from the ground up. She didn’t have investors or a business degree, just passion, grit, and a willingness to keep going. This year, she was even able to expand and hire someone to do lash extensi...

One of the most important things I learned this week was from Jim Ritchie's class on Good to Great, which was based on the book by Jim Collins. It didn't feel like a business rule; it felt like a rule for life. It was great that someone said, "good is the enemy of great." Life makes us settle down a lot of the time, not because we're lazy, but because we get used to things. We believe it's safe to be "good enough," but when we do that, we miss the greater happiness and meaning that come with striving to be the best. I also liked the Venn picture of greatness. It proved that to be great, you need a great product or service, the idea that you can be the best, and a lot of passion. When you find that "sweet spot," you start to be brilliant. It made me think about what's important to me. What do I do really well? What's the best way for me to help other people? These lessons go along with my desire to talk to Michaela, a pro...

This week, I wanted to focus on David Carrington's story. I learned a lot from his story as the founder of racingusa.com, which is now the most popular privately owned NASCAR store. What I liked most about his business advice was how it was based on honesty, creativity, and toughness. Carrington made a strong point about coming up with ideas. He told us that our first thought is often the "low-hanging fruit," or the simplest and most clear answer. He said that real innovation usually comes with the third thought, after we've tried the easy ones and moved on to the creative ones.  What he said made me think a lot about how I solve my own problems. Am I just going with the first idea that seems to work? Am I really looking into all the options? What he did after Dale Earnhardt's sad death had the same effect. Some people raised prices to take advantage of the situation, but Carrington didn't do that. He didn't change the prices because he cared about the fam...