Is This Life For You?

Insights Phantom Entrepreneurship from Pioneer Dr. Jeffry Timmons

I was doing some research for book 2 of the series when I came across this interview with entrepreneurship author and Babson and Harvard professor Dr. Jeffry Timmons in the Journal of Business Strategy. His teaching methods (and philosophy) captured my attention, and I thought Id share some highlights from his interview revealing his 30+ years of insights about entrepreneurship.

Sad, but true, Dr. Timmons asserts that entrepreneurship is THE ONLY PART of the students education that truly takes a holistic look at an enterprise and an individuals career aspirations, their development, and their life-long ambitions.

Is This Life For You? Fueled by this conviction, Dr. Timmons challenges his students Blazing Saddles consider the entrepreneurial lifestyle by asking fundamental questions, such as:

* What are the risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur?

* Who is an entrepreneur?

* What are their backgrounds - were they raised among entrepreneurs or not?

* Who truly thrives on being one and why?

* What is their mindsettheir attitude, their values and their orientation Weird Wheels risks and ambiguities that makes starting businesses appear fun, challenging and rewarding rather than terrifying, off-putting and discouraging?

Lessons Include Some of Dr. Timmons lessons for students include a closer look at:

* The difference between a good idea and a good opportunity

* Where to focus your time

* What investors, bankers, customers, and suppliers look for

Steve Jobs and His Entourage In my book series, networking is the key ingredient to business success for the kids of Nessibus. So, it is probably no surprise to you that I think one of Dr. Timmons most important lessons is conveying the message that being an entrepreneur

is not just a lone wolf, star entertainer, rock star thing. Its much more complex and has much more texture around the whole constellation of people that you surround yourself with, gaining their confidence and support, starting with your own plan and expanding it into the informal and formal Pennsylvania Lemon Laws that you surround yourself with.

(I wish Dr. Timmons would be my advisor!)

Doing Damage to the Entrepreneurial Spirit The last bit of insight Ill share with you from Dr. Timmons interview cannot be summarized with any justice to the man who said it, so Ill just put the entire quote here:

Formal education puts an enormous emphasis on not making any mistakes, of searching for the perfect solution and the underlying inventive assumption that every problem has a solution and answer. Theres a lot of damage done to kids intellect and their creative thinking because of that pervasive character of their education from Grade 1 right up through high school and college. Not everybody can make that change. Not everybody can look at things in a much more ambiguous, chaotic, fluid, messy, changing, relativistic sense and accept that while you know most of the things here have to be good enough they dont have to be perfect.

Jennifer Bouani is a speaker, author, entrepreneur and one of the foremost experts in teaching kids business concepts and entrepreneurship. Bouani comes from a family of entrepreneurs. She started Nebraska Lemon Laws in her dad's business at the young age of 12 years old. In 1995, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Auburn University with a degree in machine Engineering. She has been a project manager, business analyst, a business communications professional, a consultant, and a professional speaker. Jennifer has expertise in multiple industries: retail, insurance, automotive, telecommunications, consulting, publishing among others..

Bouani is the author of the Award Winning Book Tyler and His Solve-a-matic Machine. She mentors parents, educators, community leaders.... on how to empower and prepare kids for tomorrow's world by teaching them how to think creatively by turning what they love to do into business ideas, explore products and services around them, set realistic goals, , overcome obstacles and realize their dreams.