After I reflect back on this class, I realize that I read a lot of interesting articles and blog posts and heard a lot of inspiring speakers, TED talks and radio podcasts about growing a business and how certain people turned an idea into a successful company.

I also, along with my group, practiced creating my own startup business with a theoretical mockup blog and website where we would write articles on “real world” topics to help educate undergraduate and graduate students.

I learned that starting a business or even brainstorming a startup idea is harder than it looks. Beside from the idea, you also have to take into account who you want to reach and how. For example, your target market, target audience, resources and location, not to mention also testing your product on real life humans to see if it’ll actually work.

I don’t know if I could start my own business or startup company, but I for sure know how to build my own brand through my social media accounts, which is a business in itself.

If I started something on my own, it would be furthering my personal brand image on social media and possibly expanded to YouTube. Today, social media is flooded with Instagram and YouTube influencers who actually make a living off of endorsing products through social media to their followers.

This class has changed my perspective on a startup idea because of how hard my team found it was to actually create our business if we had to. Although you may have a really good and cool idea, you also need the resources and the connections to make it happen (and also a little bit of luck… or a lot.)

In the future, I would have a foundation and definitely know a little bit about where to start if I wanted to create my own startup. I also now know how to pitch a startup idea and how to check social analytics if I were to promote my brand on social media.

I loved Skyping in with different entrepreneurs and hearing other peoples’ stories through podcasts, because they were very inspiring for those who also want to create. I can see the passion in every entrepreneur and that makes me want to pursue my own business if I ever have the opportunity or think of something that’s never been thought of before.

I also enjoyed visiting The MSU Hatch in the beginning of the semester to give our business pitches because it is a place that sparks innovation and creativity. We were able to hear from one of the main guys who runs the Hatch and hearing how much money they put into students’ startup ideas and actually fund them to go make it happen was shocking to me. I think it’s so cool that they have pitch contests and the best startup ideas get actual investments from Michigan State to go out and create.

Whatever you want to do, whether it is expanding your own brand image on social media or creating your own startup business, do it with passion.

As Peter Shankman said, “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.”