Friday, April 6, 2012

Indian Banking Strategies Work

In a meeting with Tim Geithner, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Indian Financial entrepreneurs explain the plan to expand banking abilities to everyone, fostering an even economic growth throughout India.  Secretary Tim Geithner stated, “Our task is to ensure our governments continue to support and encourage advances in expanding financial access” (AGENCY GROUP 01).  The key to this surge in banking growth in India is mobile banking.  Mobile banking allows anyone with a phone to take advantage of the benefits of a bank. “Several participants were involved in the launch of more than two dozen mobile or card-based "branchless banking" pilots in India over the last five years. The pilots have already attracted more than 10 million previously unbanked customers” (AGENCY GROUP 01).  Geithner also visited a storefront that has attracted 42,000 customers transacting up to one million rupees a day in one year by using cell phones as debit cards where transactions are made via text message.



AGENCY GROUP 01. “SECRETARY GEITHNER MEETS WITH INDIA'S LEADING FINANCIAL ENTREPRENUERS TO DISCUS TECHNOLOGY AND POLICIES TO EXPAND FINANCIAL ACCESS.” DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, 202-622-2000: ebscohost.  web.  04/07/2010

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Brene Brown

I recently watched a Ted Talk with Brene Brown about connections and vulnerability.  In the video she explains how vulnerability makes everyone unique and should be embraced even though it is the core of shame and fear.  The way I see vulnerability is the ability to put yourself in a position to be hurt.  It is difficult for anyone to be vulnerable because they know that their feelings are in the hands of someone else.  Whenever I feel like I can’t do something I always give myself inspiration through quotes, YouTube videos, or just other people around me.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ted Talk

After watching a ted talk on education, by Daniel J. Seigel, I realized I need to develop my skills in reflection.  I need to look at past experiences more closely and learn from what happens.  The education system needs to help develop the three R’s that Seigel points out: Reflection, Relationship, and Resilience. In the past year I have read Life of Pi, Tess of the D’Urbeville, and Decoded. When I was a child, for fun I would play in the stream near my house. For the past few years I have had the goal to go to the Olympics.  The thing that energizes me most is when I am debating about something wether it is politics or what the best fruit is.  I encourage anyone to watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu7wEr8AnHw&feature=youtu.be

Monday, February 13, 2012



In my Final Project for honors mentorship I will be integrating technology into my presentation.  Because I am currently trying to build an online sports equipment store technology will play a key role in my project.  Along with my website on display I would like to have a Prezi describing the process.  When researching  eBusinesses I have found entrepreneur.com to be helpful, especially this page: http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/index.html.
The reason I feel that the online business is the best option is because there is virtually no risk in the form of online business I would like to create.  Also, in the past few years everyone has seen the growth of opportunity on the internet.  The web is now the best means to do business, because it is simply the easiest way for consumers to find the product they want or need.  This gives the web, in my opinion the greatest potential growth of any market today.  Now all that is needed to make a powerful business is a computer, an idea, and the drive to succeed

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Dan Pink- Empathy

In Dan Pink’s talk with Oprah, he talked about how empathy and how people grow with it. But in the interview Pink said one thing I disagreed with, which is that empathy can be taught. I believe that after a certain age  a person’s empathy will stay about the same.   I took an empathy test where I scored 47 out of 80.  This score seems low but it is actually the average for women, 5 points higher than the average man at 42.  I did expect to be higher on the scale, though, as I think of myself as a more empathetic person.  But this made me think about others and where they would be on the scale. One person I know would be almost all the way at the top in my standards; he will always ask you about issues in your life and really try to help you out with them. Even better than that, he always knows when to stop asking questions and start cheering you up. On the contrary there are those who will put others down and be hurtful as long as it will but them ahead or make someone else feel bad for their own benefit.  In life, I believe it is necessary to try to avoid being the one who puts others down and to try to be the one who uplifts others for the ultimate benefit of ourselves and those around us.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Final Project Research

How do some entrepreneurs develop their companies into multi-million dollar corporations, and how can I implement these skills to any future business ideas?
 
       This is my essential question from an earlier blog entry.  My final project for the Honors Mentorship Program will be based around this question.  I will try to incorporate technology into my project for the presentation.  A way I could do so is to make my presentation on a web based video. 
 
       I believe the best way to develop theories and ideas is to discuss your questions with people who have achieved what you want to achieve and to read about others experiences in that field.  But ultimately, the only way you can know the answers is to see for yourself.  Personally I would try to write different ideas into a business plan and try to think through what the outcomes of it would be.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin, writer of books such as The Happiness Project, talks about how to her a New Year’s resolution is most effective and memorable if it is one word that is meaningful to you.  This way you can always have that word in the back of your head to effect the way you do things all year.  My one word resolution would be “achieve”.  This word will challenge me to achieve more in everything I do.
Rubin also talks about making changes in our lives. In one of her YouTube videos she says that she envied successful writers before she even knew she wanted to be one.  Rubin also said that she would lie about things that she was not proud of.  Her point with these stories was that if you are willing to lie about something or you envy someone then you most likely need some sort of change.  If there is one person I envy it would be a man I might in another country.  He is a deputy chief ambassador for the U.S. I am envious of him because he has a well-paying, steady job, but best of all he gets to travel to travel around the world with his family.