We have exactly two months left of school and a long list of things to do if we want to complete our vision. Since the beginning of Blendz we've envisioned having a place that would be constructed over the summer, so that when we come back we can work and provide playfully healthy smoothies from our own store.  However, if we want this to happen we need to work extremely hard, we need to start taking more initiative.

This week we had a massive Blendz sale during parent teacher conferences. Even though it was extremely successful we encountered many problems because we weren't thinking ahead. Everybody was ready to complete their role (smoothie maker, cashier, etc.), but no one had counted the bags and divided the sales of both days and no one had a system to keep inventory so we would make sure we left fruit for the next sale. We were ready to complete our role, but we weren't thinking a step further or outside our role. Even myself, I was in charge of the product and I made sure to order the fruit (check), to have it on the stand on time (check), and that the recipes were perfected (check); however, I didn't think a step further and thought of teaching the smoothie makers how to prepare the different recipes (mmm not in checklist...). I should have taken the initiative to make a space during class time, previous to the sale, to teach everyone to make the smoothies instead of waiting for the sale to happen and having everyone confused about the measurements and preparation.  It's hard at times to BREAKOUT from the traditional educational mindset where everything is structured and squared. However, we need to work on that because in the real world boundaries are not set and checklists are not going to make you successful, the more thoughtful and mentally agile you are the more companies are going to want you. Additionally, checklists are just an AID, what really helps you triumph is beign one step ahead of everyone and having a backup plan, especially in an entrepreneurial world that is filled of uncertainty. 

Inside Blendz we have an incredibly talented, hard working, and innovative team. We have the ideas, the willpower, and support to accomplish what we set ourselves to. On Friday we were reflecting upon exactly this, taking initiative and how we as a group are failing at this. Because I recognize that this is a problem we have, I was researching how to motivate your employees to take initiative. I've been reading articles on how want to improve this because I, myself, want to grow and learn this skill that will not only be handy now, but in my future with anything I decide to take on. Once you learn this still it will become a HABIT and it completely changed your square mentality, that we all have at times. I realized that the two most important things to learn how taking initiative are:  break your the fear of failure and set clearly defined goals. This is very true in Blendz, sometimes I feel that because we are working in a real life project that involves real professionals and real money we are afraid to take risks and try different paths. We have to think that more than the money and always been right it's the learning that we gain and the experience we receive from failing that will help us realize what things shouldn't and what things should be done to succeed. Finally, now that we are not working in departments I feel that we are looking at our projects like tasks, in a way this is good because like I mentioned previously having a checklists will help you stay in track and don't forget things, but it prevents us from thinking outside those tasks. We have a clear vision and goal for Blendz, but we need to set clear goals for our individual projects so that we know exactly what we want to accomplish for the end of the semester, obviously create goals that lead us to our vision. With these goals we can then create small strategies that will help us complete our defined goals. Therefore, here goes my list of goals as an INTERNAL EVENT PLANNER: 

For the past few months I’ve been immersed in the day-to-day life of an entrepreneur.  We've been working together, as a group, to KICKSTART our smoothie business. The road hasn't been all smooth and flowery, but we've also encountered some holes and bumps. However, the experience overall has been wonderful, it's a journey I wouldn't exchange for anything. It has been fun, exciting, frustrating, but most importantly the learning outcomes have been huge. As I was reflecting upon the midterm I came up with the two most important lessons so far. 

FEEDBACK, is a word we come across all the time in the IA. For the past year I've seen the tremendous value it has in the class; however, now that we've applied this skill in the real world I see that it has a colossal value was well, and I can't imagine companies, in the BUSINESS world, survive without it, it's CRUCIAL. Moreover, I am not the only one who sees the immense value of it, but also Eric Ries, the author of The Lean Startup. In his book, Eric talks about how companies use the MVP method in order to test their product with a real audience and then improve it based on authentic feedback and tests. Huge companies and small startups have realized that they grow and become better by showcasing their product to early adopters and then using their suggestions to improve their product. We've done the same in Blendz by pivoting and iterating through the process. We’ve had to iterate with the flavors and the physical appearance of the company (logo). At the beginning of the semester I started working on the marketing section and I worked with the logo. Through the creation of that I learned that it is not about brainstorming one idea and trying to make it better, but instead trying out many ideas, pitching them to the class and then iterate with three designs to finally choose one, the one that most suits our vision and beliefs. Then I begun to work in the product development section and I had to try out different flavors many times to perfect the recipes and find delicious ones that our customers will crave and want to buy. The different flavors were tested in the prototype run-throughs that we've conducted this semester. By talking to the clients we've been able to figure out the successful and unsuccessful flavors and thus be able to keep the good ones and change the bad ones. 

Furthermore, I believe that learning how to iterate, get and give feedback, synthesize it, and learn how to apply it is essential in the classroom and outside as well. Learning how to cope and process good and critical feedback is extremely important for a company, and also for me, individually. Even though, it’s hard at times knowing how to give it and receive it is an important skill to GROW and minimize your weaknesses, since you are now conscious about them. The feedback we receive as a company and I receive from others allows me to get an INSIGHT of things that I may not realize and should change. However, it’s not only about learning how to receive the feedback, but actually analyzing and using it. We tend to write it down, but never actually use it. At the beginning we would do surveys and leave them aside once people completed them. However, by analyzing them we were able to see patterns, which allowed us to realize mistakes and quickly make us think of solutions. For me, individually, I synthesized the feedback I receive from the discussions and created a short statement that represented my reputation in the different subject areas, allowing me to have a quick summery of my strengths and weaknesses so that I can work to improve them along the way. Finally, if you learn how to apply the feedback you would be able to make the changes and grow. 

This semester has truly inspired us to create beautiful work and to apply the knowledge and skills from previous semesters. It's been an amazing journey and I still want to see where Blendz takes us. 

The horrific thing about S T R E S S is that it's contagious, it requires one person to be stressed in the room for the rest to be filled with burden. When you bring such a negative VIBE in the workplace it impacts your performance, but it also affects your collaboration with others. This semester, in the IA, we are not going to class, we are going to work; therefore, it's vital for me to handle my stress properly so that it doesn't break our enviable culture we've taken time to build. For BLENDZ, we want to create a a healthy culture, an environment were we can INNOVATE, were we FAIL and LEARN from our mistakes, and were we CREATE BEAUTIFUL WORK. Stress does nothing, but put at risk these values. Because stress is emotional it's extremely VISUAL, thus, it not only contaminates me inside, but also my outside, my co-workers. During the feedback session one of my peers told me that when I am stressed he felt I was attacking him. His comment has made me realize the impact this bad habit has within my classmates; I feel extremely responsible for bringing his productivity and motivation down that day. This is certainly something that I don't want to generate. So I am challenging me with different techniques that I'll try out next week to break the bad habit.

The first technique is to VENT. Holding in everything that worries and stresses you is not good. We all have a limit that when we pass it we explode. In many cases that is what happens to me. In order to prevent this I need to VENT, periodically, so that I don't hit that unhealthy limit. However, it's not about venting outloud all the time, but it's about venting at the right time (before you reach the limit) with the right person (someone who copes well with stress and doesn't get affected by it).

I always get caught up with my HW and school and I never actually exercise as much as I would want to. The other day I read an article that mentions how exercising release mood-boosting chemicals that fight stress. This study shows how people who exercise more have less stress. Therefore, since Monday, when I come back from my trip, my mom, my sister, and I will exercise 45 minutes in the morning three times a week. This will help me shake off my stress and start off my days with the right mentality.

People spend so much time complaining about everything that STRESSES them out, but spend too little time doing it. Sometimes my stress trumps my hard work and I fall in this vicious cycle I fear, INEFFICIENCY. This is why my last strategy is to use my planning and organizing skills I use for long-term events and deadlines for short-term things as well. I will continue planning like always (long-term), but every Monday I will create a plan for the week that outlines everything I need to complete everyday. This will allow me to organize myself, so that I build my work up to the deadline, with time, and I don't have to stress few days before. When I get big projects I'll work for shorter periods, but for more weeks, therefore, I don't have to do them all at once the week it is due.

I know that it will take me a while to END this habit, this is why I will try these techniques for 30 DAYS. It takes 30 days to build or break a habit. My challenge starts next week and it will run for 30 days. Let the challenge begin!