14A - Halfway Reflection

14A – Halfway Reflection

1.      Behaviors that I have used or developed in this course: I report in to Canvas each night and look at both of my classes to see which one needs my attention right away. In this class, I have learned that the assignments are easiest if I start them early and submit them by Thursday evening if possible. That gives me Friday night to make any changes that might be needed. It also gives me an extra day if the power fails, my internet goes down, or other unforeseen things happen. For the assignments that are due by Monday, I can work on those over the weekend. I just work through my assignments and check them off my list one by one.

2.      When I have felt like giving up: That happens all the time, but I keep telling myself that this is something I need to finish, I’m almost there. I’m enjoying so many aspects of taking these classes, “meeting” all of you and listening to your funny stories. It’s been a joy. I’m not going to give that up. Not for a second. When I get that feeling of not caring or not wanting to finish, thinking I need to work another part time job to make ends meet, I remind myself of how foolish I’m acting, and to get back in there. This will help me in the long run. Who wants to work two jobs? I can rest (at night) next year! This and my will to finish keeps me in check. Even when classes are over, I’m sure I will keep studying, just on my own time frame. I want to relearn Spanish and so many other things. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a master’s degree.

3.      Three Tips – A great way to build tenacity is using this class and others as an example.

a.      Fostering the skills of tenacity: Check in each day to your class. Get into the habit and routine of when you will do this and make sure you do so you won’t miss an important announcement or assignment. Keep all your assignments in your calendar and check it regularly. Goals will help you to stay on track and to bask in the glow of your accomplishments.

b.     Developing the tenacious mindset: Remind yourself of why you are doing this. Remember the grade you would like to receive to keep your GPA where you want it. Don’t just squeak by, you may have to take Banko’s Business Finance class next and you’ll need all your GPA points you can get before that class! 

c.      Now, use this mindset in every day life. When things get in your way, and they will, just walk around it and keep going. There was an old movie I watched years ago called Better Off Dead (a comedy). This guy never snow skied before so his friend gave him instructions as he pointed down the hill: “Go that way very fast, if something gets in your way, turn.”

13A - Reading Reflection No. 1 - Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1 – Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash

1.      About Mary Kay the entrepreneur:

a.      What surprised me the most? That the idea she used for her business was someone else’s original idea, and she just bought him out and took it on. Mr. Stanley of Stanley Products actually discovered that the products were keeping his hands soft and supple just like his leather he was using it for. He could have taken it all the way with his hostess or someone else as the spokesperson. I also thought it surprising that the products were originally for keeping leather supple and soft. I know from doing research on a past assignment that the FDA doesn’t really check on make up and lotions to intently. I can’t imagine putting lotions on my face for leather and just hoping it would be safe. I hope that the ingredients were natural.  It makes me wonder what other products we use where we are the guinea pigs that she mentioned the !! Obviously, the products work wonderfully well and must not have too many side effects. She said during the early years that she wanted to make the products better, so she did invest millions on research to improve each of her revenue drivers.

b.     What about her did I most admire? I most admire her tenacity, drive, and passion. She didn’t let others get in her way, instead, she saw it as a challenge that she ultimately overcame. There are always the nay-sayers. They can really bring you down if you let them, or you can just see if what they say has any merit or value, make any necessary adjustments, then move ahead as planned.

I also admired how she helped women to know that they “could do it” just like her mother had taught her. It was as if she passed that very message along to others throughout her life. She said that it wasn’t how much she could earn, but that she could help others to succeed. It was what she coined the Go-Give principle. Many people are under confident and she was a great remedy for that.

c.      What about her did I least admire? The only thing I can find about her that I wasn’t pleased with was the fact that she was so competitive, to a fault. She would run over others to win, every time. That, however, gave her the edge she needed to succeed, so I guess that was the price she had to pay.

d.     Did she encounter adversity and failure? What did she do about it? She opened the doors to her business exactly one month after her husband died. Not adversity, but for most, that would have stopped them in their tracks. But she knew it was still the right thig to do and that she needed to support herself. She pushed right through the hard times. Another example of her tenacity was when she sold the books “Child Psychology Bookshelf”. She had to sell 10 sets in order to obtain one free set for herself (and her children). She was so enthusiastic that her friends bought them from her. They however, ended up being mad at her because the books weren’t being used. Mary Kay just said, if they didn’t read them that wasn’t her problem, that the books were a good product. She turned that negative around and wouldn’t have it. It did not bring her down, she believed in herself.  

2.      What competencies did you notice that she exhibited? Exceptional enthusiasm, drive, passion, competitive spirit, wanted to help others, willingness to work very hard. She was confident in her abilities (thanks in part to her mom who constantly instilled that in her) and was driven by passion for her beliefs and her goals.

3.      What was one part of the reading that was confusing to me? I didn’t like how she went forward in time, back in time, and forward again during her writing. The chapters were in order, but as she thought back on what drove her and made her who she was, she would reflect back, and then come back to the present, etc.

4.      If I was able to ask her two questions, what would I ask and why? I would ask her how someone could tell if an idea was worth investing in? At what point do you know it’s worth the trouble and investment? I would also like to know how to secure enough of an investment to get started? Does it take money to make money?

5.      What do you think her opinion is of hard work? Do I share that opinion? She had an endless supply of energy geared by drive and passion. If she could have sold that, wait, she pretty much did sell that! She taught others how to have that drive by showing them that they would succeed, that they could do it. She was ready to retire when she started Mary Kay Cosmetics. She even said that she just didn’t have it in her to retire. After all, she worked hard all of her life. She knew no other way.

I do share her opinion for working hard. I just wish mine hard work paid off as much as hers did! I am working full time while taking online classes at night. I am also remodeling my house when I take a break from homework. Most people at my age are thinking of retirement, but, I have returned to school to freshen my abilities so I can continue to work to support myself. If I can retire on day, I will then paint. It won’t be murals, however, it will be Bristol board and canvas art.

Mary Kay Ash has inspired in me a since of “I Can Do It” and I have noticed a new enthusiasm I didn’t have as much of before reading the book. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Accept constructive criticism only, and forge ahead.

12A Figuring Out Buying Behavior No.1

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1 – “For Your Kids Sake”

Most Prominent Market Segment: New Parents, Age 25-35, Average to High Income, Florida: These persons are known for being more stressed with the well-being of their new infant and toddler. New parents share the worry of caring for this all-important, very fragile being and haven’t done this before (generally speaking). It’s a large undertaking with little to no experience. I chose Florida simply as a starting point to research these persons. If it seems worthy, I can branch out to larger geographical areas and even online.

Interviews Summary:

The times when their needs are the strongest are when:

1.     The baby is an infant, most dependent on their help for survival. At that same time, they lack experience in caring for a baby.

2.     When baby is ill, highly aware of the need for assistance and you can’t have a doctor answer your every question 24/7.

3.     When they leave baby with a caregiver while they are at work, etc. and cannot check in on baby constantly.

How they handle the information research:

1.     Online research comes in handy to look up what to do in certain situations. For example, if your child gets sick and keeps running a fever.

2.     Call their doctor to find out what to do, but, what about in the middle of the night?

3.     Go to the hospital with emergency questions and concerns.

Takeaway Summary:

I have noticed that I am selling the idea of using this product for lots of parental health worries, not for the specific reason of keeping a child safe in a hot car. That is because I don’t think that alone will sell the product. I believe that parents won’t buy a device to remind them to get the baby out of the car, instead, they will buy the device to constantly be in the know about their infant, toddler, or small child. I learned that there is a need for this product on many levels, and that saving children from overheating cars is a by product worth investing in.  

11A Piecing it All Together

Me: My heart breaks every time I hear of another child dying in a hot car accident. Accidents happen, but I know there has to be a way to stop this. I hope to change that somehow.

My background has been in Marketing, Advertising, Graphic Design and Sales. I’ve edited other people’s works as an Art Director, and I have had my work critiqued and changed all the time. It goes with the territory. I should be pretty good with coming up with a marketing plan, designing the plan, and executing that plan digitally and otherwise.

My weakness lies in that I don’t know where to get or how to make a sensor that reports back to a cell phone. I don’t know how to code an app. But I can find the person or persons who can.

Unmet Need: The unmet need is saving the lives of children (and pets can benefit as well) from overheating cars. There is a secondary unmet need which is being able to monitor your loved ones who are in your care (not necessarily in cars). These needs could be helping to watch over an elderly person to have reports alert you to changes in their well-being, stats such as heart rate, temperature, etc, your pets at the day care, and especially to those children in cars, at the day care, at home, 24/7. To have this piece of mind would lead to less stress for us all.

Who I am offering it to: All moms, dads, grandparents, care givers, even nurses. New families and busy families with multiple children. Pet owners too.

Core Competencies: I have not seen this before where it is exclusively for children – specially to fight hot car deaths. We wear smart watches for ourselves, I want to add another person (or pet).

Summary: I believe my weaknesses lie in not knowing how to code an app or how to connect a sensor to a smart watch. That’s what funding will be for, to find those competent people to implement the idea into a workable prototype sample. The sensor, how should the child wear it? Should it be in a bracelet, or an anklet, a t-shirt, a patch, hat, vest, or should for now just have it be a part of the car seat? Would there be any safety limitations for the children to wear the sensors? Pets would be easy, they would wear a collar. Finally, who would supply the watch, Apple?  Wouldn’t that be cool! I do believe the elements fit together because similar products have been done before, just not for this specific purpose. 

9A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Interviews

After explaining to each about “For Your Child’s Sake” the product, here are the interviews:

1.      Carol Kelly- (Carol is my next-door neighbor who has children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren) “That’s a good idea, how are you going to market it?”, Carol said. “Well, I thought I would start small with a low budget, test the waters a bit, then build on that. Facebook is free, so is twitter. Plus, I have a video on YouTube.” (Carol is into investing, so she’s a good candidate for funding as well!) “Tonya might like it.” (Tonya is her granddaughter and she has young children.)

2.      Mark Crockett- (Friends of mine with grandchildren) “That’s interesting”, Mark said, “It sounds expensive, though. Can you lower the cost?” “I hope to. I will have to develop the idea further and see how much it would cost to produce and promote. It will depend on how it will work with a sensor and what all it will be able to monitor.” “It might be good, let me know how it goes.”

3.      Jane Peltz- (Neighbor) “Oh wow, that is a good idea. Are you really going to make them?” “I may, I’ll have to see if it is viable, and if it will sell. I cannot help the children unless it sells. Maybe I can get a big conglomerate to buy them to give away like a hospital or something.” Yes, that’s true.”

4.      Jeff Johnson- (Friend who is an architect, but has a grandbaby) “That’s cool, but don’t they already have something like that (out there) already?” Yes, something similar, but not addressing this exact cause.” “What about car manufacturers?” “I thought of that too, but, how would they do it? What would they have the car do? “People just need to be more careful!”

5.      Carl – (Walmart employee- I had a flat tire this week and spoke to Carl while I waited for a new tire to be installed! He is elderly) “Carl, do you have young children in your life?” “Oh, yes, I have 12 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, but one of them isn’t born yet.” (I explained the product idea, but I couldn’t get anything out of him on it. He just kept talking about his children and how special they were. Then he went on to tell me how he is also a comedian and how he opened for Steve Harvey in Colorado one time before. He shared a joke: “My wife wanted something for her birthday that went from 0 to 150 in seconds! ..So, I got her a scale.”

Who: People who fall outside the boundary

What: At what point does their need differ from another need?

Why: Is the underlying cause of the outsider’s need different than people who are inside the boundary?

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is In: Anyone with young children that they care for.	Who is Not: Anyone without young children who are in their care.
What the Need Is: To protect the children while in you care or others care.	Why the Need is Not: No children to protect
Why the Need Exists: Because Children need extra protection	Alternative Explanations: The product is strictly to protect children or possible the elderly, or pets.

10A Elevator Pitch

New Product Idea: "For Your Child's Sake"

8A - Solving the Problem

8A – Solving the Problem

       (I’M GOING TO TYPE MY SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS IN BLUE…)

1.      Opportunity: Safety Devices for parents to monitor their children’s health statistics.

2.      Why: This will keep the parents informed and alarmed if the child is in distress. Examples of use are if the child is in a hot car: The child’s temperature will rise, heartrate will increase, etc. The alarm tone will sound on the parent’s smart watch or phone. This could be used while the child is with a caregiver or otherwise. The child could wear a smart anklet or bracelet. This opportunity could be further used for the elderly, sickly, or for pets (pets would wear a smart collar).

3.     Who: Primarily for all parents of young children not old enough to exit a car on their own, for example. Could also be expanded to people with elderly parents or sickly people. Pet owners could also benefit (you can even monitor your pet while in the kennel).  Interviews             

1.     Garrett Johnson: New first-time dad:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “that is essentially what an owlet is and we use that for James (their newborn born January 2^nd). It measures his heart rate and oxygen levels so yes, I would definitely use something like that.” 

b.     How much would you be willing to pay? “The Owlet was $200, so something in that range would be affordable.”

c.      Why would or wouldn’t you like to use it? “It’s essentially a sock that you put on the baby and you have a base station that will set off an alarm if the baby’s heart rate is too high or too low and does the same for oxygen. It’s also in the app that has a feature that tracks sleep patterns. It’s awesome, it honestly lets you sleep at night better. Especially after the scare at the hospital, I want to know all about how he is doing. I can sleep better at night knowing he’s okay.” (James was recently in the hospital and had stopped breathing. It was due to drinking too much breast milk at one time as the milk came in too quickly.) “It will alert me anywhere my phone is including if I’m not at home. They just came out with a cam that I will be getting when he moves from his bassinet to the crib.”

PROBLEM: THERE ARE SIMILAR PRODUCTS THAT EXIST.

SOLUTION: THE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET DON’T TOUCH ON THE ISSUE OF CHILDREN AND BABIES DYING IN OVERHEATED CARS. I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY USE THIS PRODUCT FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR THAT REASON. CARS CAN OVERHEAT VERY FAST AND CHILDREN ARE HELPLESS INSIDE. IT WILL ALSO HELP IN MANY OTHER AREAS FOR SAFETY. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE PRICE AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE. IT WOULD COST AROUND $199 OR SO, BUT IF WELL CARED FOR COULD LAST FOR YEARS UNTIL THE BABY/CHILD NO LONGER NEEDS IT.

2.     Brian Davis: Soon to be New First-Time Father:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “I’m afraid people wouldn’t put a device on a baby or dog when they put them in the car. Maybe something in the car that reads body temps and then turns the car on or something if it senses overheating?”

b.     I thought about a heat sensor in a car too. I was thinking it could open a window, but then you would have a new problem. If the car turns on and the baby is by itself, that would also be a security risk. “Yeah, I just don’t think people would take the time to put something on the child before they get in to a car.”

c.      I was thinking the child would wear the device mostly all the time (like we wear a watch). “That might be better.”

PROBLEM: PEOPLE WOULDN’T WANT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THEIR BABY BEFORE GETTING IN THEIR CARS.

SOLUTION: I INTEND FOR THE BABY/CHILD TO WEAR THE DEVICE ALL THE TIME, LIKE WE WEAR WATCHES. THIS WAY, IT IS PART OF EVERYDAY WEAR AND WOULD HOPEFULLY BE IN USE WHEN NEEDED.

3.     Lyn Johnson: New first-time grandmother:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “I saw an item called Fever-Bugz, a stick-on temp monitor with a readout on the sticker. Lasts 48 hours, works while baby sleeps. Not exactly the application you’re envisioning though.”

b.     That would be cool, but you would need to be able to alert the parents that the child is in distress or locked in the hot car. “Maybe it could be a combination of things. Options of what to wear.”

PROBLEM: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WEAR THE PRODUCT?

SOLUTION: THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY POSSIBLE WHILE STILL HAVING A SENCE OF STYLE.

4.     Patrick English: Soon to be New First-Time Father:

a.      Would you like a product like this? I think it’s a cool idea. There may be some backlash, though, about wearing something that could get hung on something, or if a sticker was pulled off and put in their mouth. I would think a while on how it would be attached to a baby.

b.     Good points coming from a lawyer!  I’ve heard of products that are in development that are something you wear like a t-shirt. They’ve made these things for sports enthusiasts.

c.      That would be great. It wouldn’t hurt the baby or child, they wouldn’t lose it, and it would be comfortable.

5.     Kitty: Soon to be new Grandmother:

a.      Would you like a product like this? Naah, I don’t see it lasting a long time. It may be cool at first, but I think the novelty would wear off.

b.     Why don’t you think it would last? “I think that most of the time the people that would leave their child in a car are either in a hurry (very busy) or don’t care. These people wouldn’t most likely spend the money on a product like this or take the time to put the piece on the child every day.”

c.      What about those who do care or take the time or spend the funds? “Then maybe it would be a good product. I would have to see how it’s developed. How much will it cost?”

d.     I’m hoping to keep the retail cost at $199 or less. Then, it would last for several years most likely and then the baby or child would be grown up enough not to need it. “I’d like to see how far you take it and what you come up with.”   

PROBLEM: THE NOVELTY WOULD WEAR OFF

SOLUTION: KEEP THE PRODUCT FRESH BY DESIGN AND UP TO DATE WITH SAFETY READINGS. HOW MANY PEOPLE BUY THERMOMETERS?

6.     Summary: This product idea isn’t a new one after all. It has been developed in similar ways already. It still, however, hasn’t been developed to specifically address the problem of an over heated car!  I think it still needs lots of further development, maybe I’m looking at it wrong and maybe it should be a sensor in a car? I still like the concept as an overall safety monitor. I think it will help with other problems too. WHAT IF YOUR CHILD HAS A SICKNESS THAT KEEPS THEM FROM ENJOYING EVERY DAY LIFE? MAYBE THIS COULD HELP THEM LIVE A NORMAL LIFE!

7A - Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

7A – Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

1.      Opportunity: Safety Devices for parents to monitor their children’s health statistics.

2.      Why: This will keep the parents informed and alarmed if the child is in distress. Examples of use are if the child is in a hot car: The child’s temperature will rise, heart

rate will increase, etc. The alarm tone will sound on the parent’s smart watch or phone. This could be used while the child is with a caregiver or otherwise. The child could wear a smart anklet or bracelet. This opportunity could be further used for the elderly, sickly, or for pets (pets would wear a smart collar).

3.      Who: Primarily for all parents of young children not old enough to exit a car on their own, for example. Could also be expanded to people with elderly parents or sickly people. Pet owners could also benefit (you can even monitor your pet while in the kennel).

4.      Questions:

a.      Who else might be able to use these devices? Who else already does use something similar?

b.     Would parents purchase a product like this? How much would they pay for it? (How much is their child’s well-being worth to them?)

c.      The “why” holds for everyone. It is to be able to monitor someone who needs assistance and cannot always ask for help. It could expand to people who go hiking or jogging at night. Heart patients could benefit from their loved ones helping to monitor them.

d.     Caveats: There are similar products that exist.

e.      Solution to the caveat: I would like to specifically use this product first and foremost for children that get left in cars without their parent’s knowledge. It will also help in many other areas for safety. I would like to keep the price as affordable as possible. It would be similar to a baby monitor.

Interviews        

1.     Garrett Johnson: New first-time dad:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “that is essentially what an owlet is and we use that for James (their newborn born January 2^nd). It measures his heart rate and oxygen levels so yes, I would definitely use something like that.” 

b.     How much would you be willing to pay? “The Owlet was $200, so something in that range would be affordable.”

c.      Why would or wouldn’t you like to use it? “It’s essentially a sock that you put on the baby and you have a base station that will set off an alarm if the baby’s heart rate is too high or too low and does the same for oxygen. It’s also in the app that has a feature that tracks sleep patterns. It’s awesome, it honestly lets you sleep at night better. Especially after the scare at the hospital, I want to know all about how he is doing. I can sleep better at night knowing he’s okay.” (James was recently in the hospital and had stopped breathing. It was due to drinking too much breast milk at one time as the milk came in too quickly.) “It will alert me anywhere my phone is including if I’m not at home. They just came out with a cam that I will be getting when he moves from his bassinet to the crib.”

2.     Brian Davis: Soon to be New First-Time Father:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “I’m afraid people wouldn’t put a device on a baby or dog when they put them in the car. Maybe something in the car that reads body temps and then turns the car on or something if it senses overheating?”

b.     I thought about a heat sensor in a car too. I was thinking it could open a window, but then you would have a new problem. If the car turns on and the baby is by itself, that would also be a security risk. “Yeah, I just don’t think people would take the time to put something on the child before they get in to a car.”

c.      I was thinking the child would wear the device mostly all the time (like we wear a watch). “That might be better.”

3.     Lyn Johnson: New first-time grandmother:

a.      Would you want a product such as this? “I saw an item called Fever-Bugz, a stick-on temp monitor with a readout on the sticker. Lasts 48 hours, works while baby sleeps. Not exactly the application you’re envisioning though.”

b.     That would be cool, but you would need to be able to alert the parents that the child is in distress or locked in the hot car. “Maybe it could be a combination of things. Options of what to wear.”

c.      Very true.

4.     Patrick English: Soon to be New First-Time Father:

a.      Would you like a product like this? I think it’s a cool idea. There may be some backlash, though, about wearing something that could get hung on something, or if a sticker was pulled off and put in their mouth. I would think a while on how it would be attached to a baby.

b.     Good points coming from a lawyer!  I’ve heard of products that are in development that are something you wear like a t-shirt. They’ve made these things for sports enthusiasts.

c.      That would be great. It wouldn’t hurt the baby or child, they wouldn’t lose it, and it would be comfortable.

5.     Kitty: Soon to be new Grandmother:

a.      Would you like a product like this? Naah, I don’t see it lasting a long time. It may be cool at first, but I think the novelty would wear off.

b.     Why don’t you think it would last? “I think that most of the time the people that would leave their child in a car are either in a hurry (very busy) or don’t care. These people wouldn’t most likely spend the money on a product like this or take the time to put the piece on the child every day.”

c.      What about those who do care or take the time or spend the funds? “Then maybe it would be a good product. I would have to see how it’s developed. How much will it cost?”

d.     I’m hoping to keep the retail cost at $199 or less. Then, it would last for several years most likely and then the baby or child would be grown up enough not to need it. “I’d like to see how far you take it and what you come up with.”   

6.      Summary: This product idea isn’t a new one after all. It has been developed in similar ways already. It still, however, hasn’t been developed to specifically address the problem of an over heated car!  I think it still needs lots of further development, maybe I’m looking at it wrong and maybe it should be a sensor in a car? I still like the concept as an overall safety monitor. I think it will help with other problems too. What if your child has a sickness that keeps them from enjoying every day life? Maybe this could help them live a normal life!