My Entrepreneurial Journey

Sister Patricia Holland wanted to impress this upon the students of BYU back in 1983. This is timeless counsel with eternal applications.  "The only limitations you have are those you set on yourselves. All of the tools and texts are here, right at your hand. But sometimes we cannot recognize the real purpose and significance of the moment which is ours to experience. That’s because too many of us learn only through our heads and not through our hearts! A common man or woman will hear only the commonplace, but a man or a women connected to the powers of heaven will learn to be an inheritor of those powers." It is so important to accept the fact that God, as our loving Heavenly Father and omnipotent master, has given us all we need to become who we are meant to be. Each moment can be a stepping stone in the right direction. We can learn all that is required of us when we partner with Him, thus becoming "connected to the powers of heaven". The ability to wield those p...

I remember being in the session of Women's Conference listening to President Hinckley share this message. I was not a young woman of 12-18 years but a young mom of 2 littles serving in the Young Women's leadership. President Hinckley was always so warm and tender with his counsel and I knew that these are things I would want my daughters to know as they grew up. I wished I had known these principles as I was traversing the crazy world of teenagehood. Still to this day (and age) I know that these words are true and can have a powerful influence on the lives of those who follow them. "Stand True and Faithful", April 1996. When we are first true to ourselves we will be empowered to live a fuller life. We need to follow our conscience, live with integrity, honesty, personal virtue, dignity, and respect. Each of these qualities will help us be successful in our professional lives as well. We will earn the trust of others when we are dependable, looking for the good in othe...

N. Eldon Tanner in his talk "Success Is Gauged by Self-Mastery" from the April 1975 general conference, mentioned the two important elements of self-master: 1. determining your course, and 2. willpower. I have found this to be true in many factors in my own life. When I began a new exercise regimen, I studied out the best way to achieve my goal. This allowed me to determine the course I needed to take. I then used willpower to begin and be consistent in this plan in order to fulfill my goal. I was called to serve as Relief Society president over two years ago. My mind whirled at all my shortcomings and inabilities that would make this task impossible. Once I recovered from the shock, I considered what I wanted to accomplish, I researched the calling by reading the handbook, and I prayed a lot. Since then, it has taken a great deal of willpower to continue on the course, complete the tasks I set, and see improvement.  Elder Tanner quotes Leonardo DaVinci,  “You will never have...

  Jeff Sandefer, entrepreneur, teacher, and founder of Acton MBA, spoke on “Creating a Life of Meaning” on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011. The talk was sponsored by the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization. A Hero's Journey is the title of the video we watched this week as part of our study. Jeff Sandefer explains that he is an old friend of President Kim Clark, President of BYU Idaho at the time.   " I believe some of you in this room are destined to change the world, and I’m here to speak to that special group." Mr. Sandefer expressed great respect for the culture of BYU Idaho. I imagine that this is another reason that he and President Clark remain friends after so many years. He is a self-proclaimed Christian, but not a great one, he says. As I have gotten older, I realize that it takes effort to have friends. It used to be a simple part of life. Now I prioritize my children and husband, grandchildren, and home which makes it challenging to foster friendships that aren...