by I am featured as one of ten entrepreneurs in a piece called Lighting the Way: 10 Successful Entrepreneurs Share Their Education Paths in the BeInkandescent ezine. It was interesting to do this, as I really don’t think of myself as an entrepreneur, but I guess if you start your own business….My message to those thinking about entrepreneurship was to “know yourself” and your risk tolerance and also to have a sense of your vision. I am grateful for the Life/Work Planning class I took in the old Futures Studies (now Foresight) program back when it was at UHCL. It provided me a sense of vision and direction and gave me some context in which to evaluate opportunities as they arose, such as whether or when to go the entrepreneurial route.
My own risk tolerance is probably about average, in the sense that in some cases, I’ve taken some big risks, and in others, I’ve been very cautious, which I guess evens out to somewhere in the middle. In terms of starting a business, I was more cautious, building up a great deal of experience and contacts before I took the plunge almost three years ago. There were opportunities to do it sooner, but I didn’t feel ready. I think it’s highly personal. That’s a message I deliver to students as they think about their careers — there isn’t a “correct” career path, it depends on their needs, and thus, it’s important to know oneself. In Alternative Perspectives class this fall, we have spent the first few weeks having students due skill, personality, and values assessments as a means of knowing oneself better. In Pro Seminar class in the spring, we use Verne Wheelright’s “It’s Your Future” book to have these students, who are typically close to graduation, do some personal strategic planning. Andy Hines
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