Week 9 Reading Reflection

1) The biggest surprise in the reading was "the global perspective" section about the 2008 Beijing Olympics boycotts and protestors and how marketing may not always be a good thing. This was an ineresting segment and I learned something new because I did not recall this happening since I was so young in 2008.

2) The section titled "Inhibitors to Marketing Research" was confusing to me because while it listed that cost, complexity, strategic decisions, and irrelevancy can inhibit marketing research, it did not give more than a few lines of support and failed to provide good examples to help me fully understand the material.

3) "How do you think the negative marketing during the 2008 Summer Olympics could have been better handled by those in charge?"

"Which of the three marketing philosophies do you think is most effective?"

4) I think the author was wrong in not expanding more on the short-term success rates of the three different marketing philosophies. I would have liked to have read about multiple scenarios or examples to see when each philosophy could be successful.

My Secret Sauce

1)
- In my experience, I have observed that I pay attention to detail much more than the average person. This has helped me remember things more easily, especially in the classroom. I am a quick learner.

- I am not one-dimensional. I have many interests such as basketball, spearfishing, and guitar aside from my academics.

- I am fluent in english and spanish

- I am exceptionally slow and methodical. Sometimes it gets on other people's nerves. Nonetheless, I am proud of my methodical approach to life and school.

- I can relate to many different types of people of many different ages. I enjoy face to face conversation, especially with younger kids or older people.

2)

I think it is very true that I accomplish goals once I have set them. I have struggled at times with setting achievable goals, but I have gotten much better at this recently as I get older.

I pride myself in being able to bring a smile to others faces. This interview from my closest little cousin definitely brought a smile to my face.

My sister is only two years younger than me so we are best of friends. I am glad that my diverse range of hobbies and interests is evident to her. I hope she follows in my footsteps.

My friend Ben pointed out how I am always trying to make sure others are having a good time. Whether it be cracking a joke or being a good host, I take pride in this as well.

I love how my mom said I am a quick learner. In school, especially, I feel like I have been blessed by being a very quick learner. It has benefitted me tremendously.

3) It is comforting to see that those that know me best agree with me on what my "Secret Sauce" is for the most part. My family and friends that I interviewed seem to share a lot of the same insight into my human capital that I personally did too. While my mom said I am organized I must qualify that since I can be messy at times. There is, however, a "method to my madness" because I am still responsible and don't ever lose things or fall behind with school. I think the fact that I have now been away at college for almost two years may cause some of the differences between mine and my parents assessments of myself. While I keep in touch with them a good amount, I talk with my sister a lot more so that is why I think her response more clearly exemplifies my human  capital. After interviewing my dad, I think I would go back to part 1 and add that I am goal-oriented and rarely give up when I want to achieve something. Examples of this would be me teaching myself how to play guitar and also making my High School Varsity basketball team after being cut the previous year. I would also probably add that I love to make sure that my peers are having a good time. No matter the time, I am always trying to lighten the mood.

Idea Napkin No. 2

1) My name is Joey Carrillo. I am Cuban and I was born and raised in Miami before coming to UF. I speak both English and Spanish and enjoy playing the guitar. I also love nature and athletic activity. I am always ready to joke around and I love meeting new people. I also pride myself in being able to work hard when needed. These qualities are helpful in enjoying a trip to the Dominican Republic with BLUE. BLUE is a nonprofit organization that I first brought to my high school. I led my first trip in the summer of 2016 before my freshman summer b. From the moment I became a leader in the organization I embraced it as my own. My aspiration is to  gather UF students to begin the UF chapter of BLUE so that we can go on our first BLUE@UF trip to the Dominican next year which I will be leading.

2) BLUE's goal is to provide clean drinking water/faucets to poor communities' homes in parts of the Dominican Republic for the very first time. The trip would be next upcoming summer for about 7-10 days. Once more in-depth stages of my opportunity begin to unfold, I will be able to provide detailed packing lists as far as what clothing, footwear, food, and miscellaneous gear would be beneficial. On the last day of the trip we also go to a nearby beach and/or waterfall.  Lastly, considering that we can not drink the local water, we have sponsorships that provide us with dozens of 5 gallon purified water jugs for the trip. The most important aspect, however, of what BLUE can offer UF students is a culturally enriching experience. BLUE trips are an incredible immersion experience in which 15-20 young american adults work hand in hand with dozens of locals to complete the water project and bring clean water to the community for the first time.

3) My ideal customers are ages 18-24. Really, anyone in UF undergraduate or graduate programs would be a primary customer. BLUE trips are an exciting and exhausting cultural experience. Spending a week living more simply is an eye-opening experience for many sheltered americans (like myself) but also requires you to be healthy and in relatively good shape. This, along with the fact that our age group is open to multicultural experiences, makes 18-24 year olds my primary customers.

4) I have already gotten dozens of friends and family involved in our organization and it is really inspiring to see the lasting impact that our trips have on high school and college students. By participating in a BLUE service trip you're not only doing community service, but also making many lasting memories with both your peers and the locals. BLUE trips expose you to a culture and living conditions unlike any we come across in daily life in the US. The experiences gained in as short of a time as a week on a BLUE trip will have a lasting impact on the way you think of water conservation and cultures around the world.

5) I have the experience of going on two BLUE trips already and leading one of them. I have the resources in place for my fellow gators to participate on a trip co-led by me and enjoy it to the fullest. I am bilingual which helps me communicate with the local workers in spanish. However, I have friends that speak zero spanish and have had an incredible experience with the locals on BLUE trips as well. 

I am confident that all aspects of my opportunity fit together. I have personally been on two trips and even led one of them. It is the most significant cultural experience I have had in my life and many of my peers on the trips have felt the same way. I have had experience with successful BLUE trips in the past so that makes me even more confident that I can recruit Gators to join my cause this coming year. My main concerns would be logistics. I just need to be sure I can provide a flexible date and price for the trip.

"Feedback Memo" 

1) One comment I received elaborated on how UF students could feasibly want to help out communities in need. In my answer to part 4 I wanted to emphasize how BLUE trips are a service to the community.

2) Another thing I wanted to change because of the feedback I received would be to emphasize BLUE trips as a culturally enriching experience in addition to community service.

3) I will also be changing the core of my elevator pitch a bit because of the advice I received. Now, I think my elevator pitch needs to be more focused on the cultural immersion experience that makes a BLUE trip so special.

4) I will also include a few pictures of past trips in this post as per the request of one of the comments I received to give a better understanding of a BLUE trip

5) Two of the comments I received stated that my opportunity makes them want to start volunteering. I found this interesting as most people do not volunteer often. I have thus tried to adapt my Idea Napkin and Elevator Pitch to appeal to those who don't normally volunteer as a hobby.