Entrepreneurship is a mindset. It is applicable to all interests and pursuits. It recognizes opportunity and growth. It seeks unique approaches and innovative solutions. It observes, asks questions, assesses feedback, acts. It empowers and inspires. And it could also help you survive a horror movie.
With Halloween quickly approaching, check out how some of the ideals we at the CFE strive to instill in our students fit into this spooky list of rules on how to make it out of a horror movie alive.
Rule #1 Risk
Learning to trust your gut and take a leap can make all the difference. No one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe. So the dead are walking among us and shocker, they have discovered you’re in the house. You may want to board up the windows and wait for help, but deep down you know it’s not coming. Now is the time to gear up and hit the road in search of a safe haven.
Rule #2 (Don’t) Fail
It is inevitable that we all fail at some point, what you do after determines the course of your future (in this case your life). So you tried to escape up the stairs instead of out of the open front door, no worries you’re sure to find an open window and a trellis to climb down.
Rule #3 Try
College is about expanding your comfort zone, experiencing new things and new ways of thinking. When you are taking that once in a lifetime trip to expand your horizons, do not mess with the locals. It is important to remember that they know those woods your isolated cabin is in like the back of their hand, and they also know where the witch who can summon unearthly beings hangs out.
Rule #4 Do
Discussing, planning, and strategizing are necessary, but eventually one must execute. Gaining the skills and knowledge are only one part of the puzzle. In the end you have to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Whatever you do, don’t get that work done at an isolated research station in say the arctic, deep space, or “not on the map” islands. When it all goes wrong, you know help will not be on the way until it is way too late.
Rule #5 Relationship Building
Managing, motivating and leading a group of people to see your concept realized is key. It is never a good idea to go it alone. The biggest mistake you can make is splitting up, this strategy never ends well for the person who decides to splinter off to check out that “spooky noise” they hear coming from that abandoned barn.
Rule #6 Innovating with Technology
Attracting and collecting needed resources along the way is imperative to reach your goals. Never, we repeat NEVER, leave the house with only 3% battery life on your phone. To that point, better make sure everything you may need to make it out alive is in working order, this includes a full tank of gas.
Rule #7 Opportunity Identification
Solving a problem that improves society defines entrepreneurship. That being said, it is probably for the best to not mess with that creepy puzzle box you found at that charming (totally evil) antique shop, it is definitely going to open a portal to a messed up dimension. Worse yet, antique shops do not have return policies, you’re going to be stuck with that cursed object.
Rule #8 Experimentation
You can’t always know all of the answers at the beginning so it is important to design a set of experiments to get the next value increasing milestone. While experimentation is great, sometimes it can go too far. Just because you CAN bring something back back to life, DOES NOT mean you should.
Rule #9 Perseverance
Relentless focus on and reassessing of needs will get you to your end goal, but never assume it’s over. You have powered through, survived (almost) unscathed, and everything seemingly has returned to normal, or so it seems. Never assume it’s over and always expect a twist ending setting you up for the sequel.