Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
1) You read about an entrepreneur:
- What surprised you the most?
What surprised me was different aspects like how originally, Nike wasn’t called Nike, it was called Blue Ribbon. Also, many of of obstacles they faced putting things into action, like they’re struggle with shipping and keeping up with demand.
- What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
I most admired his childlike belief in his dream and his relentless loyalty to his dream.
- What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
There really wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about him. He was comical throughout the book and I just have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to create through his mentality and willingness to work.
- Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
This entrepreneur encountered a lot of adversity and failure, and I loved his attitude about it. He talked about how knowing when to give up and start something different wasn’t a bad thing, and knowing when something doesn’t work to make changes is vital to your entrepreneurial journey. When he came up against obstacles he simply figured it out one way or another. He utilized his team and was a solution seeker.
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
The biggest competencies he exhibited was his knowledge about shoes, and his vision for what he wanted to create. I think the vision was the most important part, because from this vision came his desire and willingness to create.
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
When he spoke on his relationships with his family members, what confused me was the way close relationships were back then. I had to remember that the time he was speaking of was a completely different time, and there were different standards and norms.
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
I would ask him how he was able to effectively deal with negative people, and if he ever doubted being able to bring his vision to life. I would ask these things because I’m fully aware that the entrepreneur journey is a rollercoaster, and I would love to get his mindset on how he navigated hard times.
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
His opinion on hard work was probably that it kinda sucked at times, abut was necessary to bring the dream to life. I would fully agree with that.
Hi Vanasia,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book! I can’t imagine Nike ever being called Blue Ribbon! It sounds like his dedication to his vision really helped propel him to success. It’s interesting that you mentioned how he knew when to stick with an idea or when to give up and start over with a new idea. While making a decision to “fish or cut bait” can be difficult, knowing when to cut your losses and move on is crucial for success.