We've Moved to a New Website
Thursday, January 13, 2011Posted by Alex Grimnes at 7:50 AM 0 comments
Why I Do It - Travis Corrigan
Friday, December 31, 2010
Posted by Travis Corrigan at 3:22 PM 0 comments
Labels: Entrepreneur, Experience, student, Travis Corrigan
STUDENT: Build a Playground and Stretch Your Ideas - Part 3 of 4 - Alex Grimnes
Monday, December 27, 2010
Before we jump head first into the business aspect of education, here is a summary of the foundation built by parts 1 and 2:
The comprehensive application of a solid degree cannot be ignored. The value derived from both the education and the experience is indispensable.
As students, businesses look to us for our research, our skill, and the potential profitability of our hard work. In this current economic climate, the step from academic career to professional career isn’t as smooth as it once was. For some, it makes life just that much harder, but for others, it is a call to action.
If the end goal is just to graduate from school, well, good luck. There are students out there that spend their entire academic careers boasting of future luxuries and success, but lack the talents and work ethic to actually apply their $100,000 education when they need it. Don’t be one of these people. Please, I beg you, don’t be one of these people. Find opportunities during your time in school to actually apply that education that you leveraged future income for.
If the opportunity doesn’t present itself in the form of a job or an internship, create it. If you fancy yourself an entrepreneur, I recommend you spend time catching up with our anonymous contributor, The Phantom CEO, and our lead entrepreneurial columnist, Travis Corrigan. Creating your own playground to stretch ideas is one of the most efficient ways to test yourself against the market.
In other words, one cannot rely on education alone to achieve their goals. Those days are past us. But, I feel, this will only strengthen the genius minds and creative souls that will reshape our world. Businesses may seek students with a high GPA, but experience and personal ingenuity are valued at the same level. I will reiterate my point; students cannot rely simply on their diplomas alone anymore. Businesses look for students with outside experience in their field of study to weed out all of the “ordinary” applicants.
Within the limited reach of my network, I have found countless opportunities to venture outside of the ordinary classroom to gain invaluable experience. For one, the Huntsman School of Business offers multiple programs that accelerate students far beyond the prospects of their hometowns. I have personal connections with students associated with the Huntsman Scholars, Koch Scholars, and Opportunity Quest. All work to provide the opportunity for students to work and interact with real businesses, theories, and opportunities that will reshape societal and business paradigms.
Another unique opportunity that I have found is through the University of Utah. This organization is called The Foundry. I will note that I have used their youtube videos, open curriculum, and member intellect to organize this magazine. The Foundry is home to companies like CupAd, Dash and Cooper, Red Flower Beverages, Meta, and more. Programs like the Huntsman Scholars, Opportunity Quest, and The Foundry can be found throughout the country. They all are prime examples of how to venture out, build your playground, and stretch some ideas.
On a personal note, {BRANDED} online magazine is my playground. The magazine was created to promote students like myself to stretch ideas, learn, and provide experience with the opportunity to put that education to work. {BRANDED} online magazine continues to grow everyday, and we welcome you to join us in our ever-expanding playground. Whether you are just a weekly visitor, Phantom CEO diehard, or potential columnist, you are welcomed all the same. We welcome new writers, photographers, and readers from all around the globe to join our playground.
Cheers,
Alex Grimnes
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 8:51 PM 1 comments
Labels: Alex Grimnes, branded, college, education, Entrepreneur, Experience, Huntsman Scholars, Huntsman School of Business, magazine, Opportunity, student, The Foundry
Double Bogey: Why Business and Golf Sometimes Don't Mix - Josh Reed
Golf is undoubtedly the most frustrating sport, and I use the word “sport” lightly. The absence of the unique skill set and lack of consistency that is needed to be successful can turn even the most beautiful Saturday mornings into ugly reminders of Midwest summers. One bad shot can make the most mild-mannered Wall Street professional resemble New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan on an episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks. Transforming Augusta National into your neighborhood country club with one blow to the blooming azalea flowers could lead a potential employer/client to assume that perhaps you won’t make the best, most levelheaded business partner. Making it public that you have a mouth like a sailor and losing your cool can leave accomplished closers asking for mulligans.
Why would anyone ever want to take a perspective client to a golf course? People have this far reaching idea that a golf course offers a serene environment, with peaceful streams and perfectly manicured grounds, that will allow them to gingerly meander around the greens, puffing an imported cigar, while spitting out reasons why one should partner with their lame up-and-coming company. This is not the PGA TOUR, so allow me to bring you back to reality.
Golf courses are nothing more than never-ending money traps that will leave you in a deeper hole than the bunkers at St. Andrew’s. If that doesn’t change your mind, try and remember the disgusting smells of irrigation water and tee box coolers that have been known to carry deadly bacteria. Oh yeah, this is way more appealing than a plush corner office. Let’s tee off.
The game itself has a tendency to bring out the rabid competitor in people, leaving them thinking they’re back in 1994 doing ‘Oklahomas’ during two-a-days at their local high school football practices. Just the right mindset for negotiating multi-year contracts and large sums of currency. Convinced yet? We haven’t even started drinking.
Drinking beer and golf are as synonymous with one another as the Kardashians and championships. A couple cold ones down the hatch and you might find yourself saying something about the client’s last shot that would leave reason to feel regret. Perhaps you think you can keep it classy with a beer per hole. Great idea, if you enjoy driving your cart like Tiger Woods on Thanksgiving, leaving the newly labeled big fish to assume your can’t-miss business plan is as unpredictable as George W’s. frat boy antics.
Now, let’s presume you actually take golf seriously. Nothing is worse than being beat because it makes people feel inferior. Around the 12th hole, when your client’s hope of turning it around on the back nine eludes them, and you feel the need to step on their throat, is the same time you can kiss that new Mercedes goodbye. The situation never ends well, so keep it simple and leave Saturdays for the “honey do” list.
Receiving continuous whiffs of foul water hazard odors, allowing honorable mention high school football mentalities to make an unwelcome comeback, outshining the person you’re trying to lure in, and continuously flagging down the cart lady is a recipe for business deal disaster.
Offices were invented for a reason. So unless you plan on partnering with John Daly, take my advice and keep business off the course and the macho shenanigans in the pub.
- Josh Reed
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 7:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: Athletics, college, Competition, Experience, Josh Reed, student
Opportunity Recognition: It’s All About Networks
Saturday, December 18, 2010
- Ideas/opportunities are networks of neurons that have never been configured in the brain before.
- You can’t generate new ideas on your own.
- You need a network to do it. This can either be from your friends and colleagues or the information sources that you receive digitally (I recommend combining both).
- Quality of idea has to do with the quality of the input that you have. Average of top 5 people that you hang out with. So if you hang out with really stupid people, you aren’t going to get ideas that have much value outside of the people talking about it. Example: ideas that you and your friends come up with when you are high (Cheetos + peanut butter) sound good to you guys but not to many other people.
- Encode your thoughts as you go through the idea generation process. If you want more information on how to do this, comment below and I can write a post about how I develop ideas and document them while I am in progress.
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: education, Entrepreneur, Experience, magazine, Opportunity, Opportunity Recognition, Phantom CEO, Recognition
STUDENT: Part 2 of 4 - An Academic View of the Importance of Your Major
Monday, December 13, 2010
- Do Less
- Synergize Courses
- Read Academic Blogs
- Go to Department Lectures
Side Note: We value any comments and feedback from our readers. Please comment below or email any of our writers with questions, corrections, or even just a internet high five.
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 9:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: Academic, Alex Grimnes, branded, college, education, Experience, magazine, student
One of a Kind: How College Athletes Bring a Unique Skill Set to the Real World - Josh Reed
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 4:54 PM 0 comments
Labels: Athletics, branded, college, Competition, education, Experience, Jobs, Josh Reed, magazine, student
Big Girl Job: On the Hunt for the Elusive… Vol . 2: Thinking Outside the Bun
Monday, December 6, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 8:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: Big Girl, branded, college, Comptetition, education, Experience, Industry, Jobs, magazine, student
Phantom CEO - Entrepreneurship Debunked
Friday, December 3, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 8:24 PM 0 comments
Labels: B, branded, education, Entrepreneur, Phantom CEO
Startup In A Box - Travis Corrigan
Saturday, November 27, 2010
-Travis Corrigan
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 4:48 PM 0 comments
Labels: branded, CEO, economics, education, Entrepreneur, Experience, Industry, magazine, student, Travis Corrigan
STUDENT: Part 1 of 4 – Entrepreneurs: How Important is Your Major?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 9:25 AM 1 comments
Labels: branded, college, education, Entrepreneur, Experience, magazine, student
STUDENT: How Important Is Your Major? A Four Part Series
Monday, November 8, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 10:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: branded, college, education, Entrepreneur, Experience, Jobs, magazine, student
Big Girl Job: On the Hunt for the Elusive…
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Phantom CEO: Building a Network
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 8:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: branded, CEO, Entrepreneur, magazine, Network, Phantom CEO
As Karate Experts, We Recommend You Check This Out
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
See the video here.
Jimmy,
From the staff here at {BRANDED}, we love the cause, and share a karate-type spin kick in support for your cause.
Cheers!
{BRANDED} ONLINE MAGAZINE
Posted by Alex Grimnes at 12:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: Daily Roast, Karate, Politics