My Entrepreneurship story, Assignment 3A

My entrepreneurship story

I was 12 years old when the newest and latest gaming device was released, the PlayStation Portable. I really wanted it but at it’s $250 price tag my parents had to decide between groceries for family or the gaming device. Not being able to afford the PlayStation Portable gave me my first taste of entrepreneurship when I decided to take matters into my own hands and somehow make the money I needed to get what I wanted. I started selling candy under the table in my middle school. I would buy bulk candy from Costco and sell individually to classmates. Soon enough, in about 4 months, I had enough money made to buy the PlayStation Portable for myself. In hindsight, this experience shaped me significantly - allowing me to build an internal locus of control.

Fast forward 4 years and I am working as a busboy at a local restaurant. I have picked up photography as a hobby and I am in my junior year of high school and it’s time to start looking into colleges and figuring out that part of education. However, as a hobby photographer, my main focus was on figuring out how to make money from it. I used the money I earned at the restaurant and invested it back into my photography - buying cameras, lenses, editing software, etc. Photography led me to Videography and I was offering both as services I could provide. I was 17 years old and I dreamed of owning my own business doing photos and videos. 

After high school and a few dozen or so paid gigs with my photo/video business, I started college classes. While studying, I continued to build my business, figuring out ways to market myself and networking. Little did I know that a year later, my life would change forever. A company that put together college events around the nation contacted me to help them make videos of their parties. Without hesitation, I agreed and accepted the job. I dropped out of college for the first time. 

For the next two years, I traveled to a different University every week creating original video content. The videos I produced showcased the life of a student and the events we were hosting. While on the road I learned to live out of a suitcase and work virtually anywhere with a surface flat enough for my laptop. I met endless amount of people across the country and I learned the value of having meaningful connections. Best of all, I was living out one of my dreams: Traveling the country, and using my talent and skills as a cinematographer for my job. I gained a wider perspective from visiting so many unique places, recognizing that humans have a lot more in common than differences. After two years, I was plateauing in growth with that company, and because of an ownership fallout, the business was declining. I had given them my all, and I was very thankful for my time there, but it was time for me to move on.

With all the knowledge and experience I now had, I decided that I wanted to work for myself as a video producer. I moved to Orlando, Florida and partnered up with a good friend of mine who also worked in video production. We came up with a plan on how we were going to build a business and went after it with relentless execution. 

It has been almost three years since then and my company is thriving. We are profitable at a higher rate than the average business at this age. We have have a wide array of clients, and we focus on commercial, creative, and lifestyle video production work. I am extremely proud of myself and the people I work with. 

I enrolled in ENT3003 because I believe that there is always more to learn. I believe I am already an entrepreneur, but I am far from where I want to be. This class will give me new insight and ideas on how I can expand myself and my businesses.