The Open Files (Vol. 1 Issuu 1)

The Open Files Open Book Innovation Institute Jan-Mar 2015 Issuu 1 Fanmail: [email protected]


Letter from the Author

I sometimes call myself “Thoreau’s Girl”, as in Henry David Thoreau. He is

credited with this quote that I have quietly sewn into the fiber of my being. It says,

‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.’ It

is my permission slip. It is ticket to be unapologetic, unrestrained and unabashed1

in the pursuit of the vision I have created for my life.

I recently shared with a good friend my personal story- one of tragedy and triumph. Girl meets

boy. Girl marries boy. Girl meets heartbreak. I shared with her that in some areas of my life I

had become so comfortable with the feelings and memories of betrayal and abandonment that I

sometimes found myself in a place where I wasn’t receptive to trust, love and loyalty. I honestly

didn’t believe they were things that I was worthy of. I closed myself off. She asked me ‘Is that

why you’re so driven?’

I honestly have never looked in the mirror and said to myself, ‘Self, you are so driven!’ I’ve never

seen myself that way. I’ve only seen what happens when I leave my destiny in someone else’s

hands. So now if I’m driven by anything, it’s this internal, centrifugal force challenging me to

dream big and see just how far I can go. Somewhere underneath all those layers, I may be

trying to prove to myself that I am worthy. That my dreams are valid. That I can breathe life into

any vision. So when I think of being Thoreau’s girl, I gladly accept my permission slip. I have

carte blanche to create the life of my dreams! Here’s hoping that you accept your own

permission slip- Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. CREATE the life you have

imagined!

Happy Creating! ~ LaTanya 1 NB: The Open Files are not all technical. They are emotional. They are energetic and live. They are my story.

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ometime around Christmas, I piloted the Business Model Generation Challenge. Despite being a University

instructor of Entrepreneurship and a business analyst for the Florida Small Business Development Network, I

don’t believe in business plans. They can be sooo intimidating! I subscribe to the BMG School of Thought. If you

can’t articulate your idea in the 9 basic building blocks of that concept you are might find yourself faced with two

challenges: 1) Your customers won’t understand why you want their money and 2) Your customers won’t part with

their money for your product or service. And without customers, you have no business.

With the BMG Challenge, I wanted to demonstrate that you (yes, YOU!!) are closer to starting or growing your business

than you think! Now, of course, I understand the (implied) value of a business plan document- heck, I just finished

one myself to apply for funding to expand my own business- but trust me when I say you won’t understand anything

about your business if you can distill why you are going into business. What problem are you solving? And not for

your own gain, which is to come, but for the world around you. No, we aren’t always talking about ending world

hunger. Sometimes, it really just is a matter of figuring out what on earth to do with this hair of mine! (SN: I have a

student enrolled in my Entrepreneurship class that wants to start a blog that features some of her favorite hair care

products. She said she didn’t care if people read her blog or not *insert side eye* because she didn’t think natural

hair care was a problem. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Our Future!)

I will resurrect the BMG Challenge sometime in mid-February so be on the lookout. In the meantime, check out the

BMG Challenge album on my Facebook fan page to give you some quick insight on how to generate your business

model!

S

http://www.skollfoundation.org/issues/

http://www.skollfoundation.org/issues/

https://www.youtube.com/user/Naptural85

http://bit.ly/openbookbmg


How Does Open Book Work? I’m Glad You Asked…. So at the Career Connections 2015 event that was hosted by Career Source Capital Region on Thursday, January 22nd, my Creative Director and I wrote the summary for Open Book literally on the fly. So many people asked us: What is Open Book? How much does it cost? How do I sign up? So here is the run-down on Open Book. Our Programs. Our Story.

ieTherapy, a support group for innovators and entrepreneurs. We meet the last Monday of each month to exchange resources, ideas and contacts to support each other in getting to the next level. There is no cost to attend ieTherapy.

Open Book Business Resource Guide. This publication features local and national resources for your business development, growth and expansion. This resource guide is available at no cost.

Open Book Business Retreats. Held quarterly beginning in Q2 2015, these 3-day business retreats offer education, support and networking in one place. The pricing schedule for Open Book Business Retreats will vary based on market rates for retreat amenities.

Non-Profit Development Program. Event-based fundraising programs that capitalize on legislation specific to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations. The pricing schedule for Open Book’s NPDP will vary based on the package selected.

Open Book Strategic Consulting. Value-based strategies executed and designed to take your business to the next level. The pricing schedule for Open Book Strategic Consulting will vary based on the level of engagement.


Open Book is about community. We work hard to provide the technical and emotional support you need to develop

confidence as an innovator and entrepreneur. No longer will fear hold you back. Let’s work

together to design the ROADMAP that will get you to the resources you need to Create the Life You Have Imagined!

The Open Book Manifesto


C e n t e r f o l d

What’s with all these vision board parties anyway?? I shook my head as yet ANOTHER Instagram post and Facebook invitation shouted from the mountaintop the urgency to create a vision board. I grimaced. What is the point of a vision board if you don’t outline the steps you need to take in order to make the vision a reality? And then I was reminded of one of our flagship sayings with 71 Proof ‘Hey, give the people what they want!’ Clearly there was a demand for this type of activity, this type of validation but to me, there were two core pieces missing. Enter Danielle LaPorte and the Desire Map. I was introduced to DMap during my visit to Bali in September 2013 by The Change School facilitators. It charges you to go deeper than the surface goals, temporary resolutions and gimmicky quotes to get really clear about how you want to feel when it’s all said and done. It’s like Sakichi Toyoda’s 5 Why’s married Simon Sinek’s The Golden Circle! Why do you want to start a business? (1st Why) Because I know that I can provide better service than what I am getting from existing companies. Why? Because I understand what customers really want from a company like this. (2nd Why) Why? Because I am, have been and will continue to be in need of a solution like this. (3rd Why) Why? Because I have problem that needed solving (like what to do with my hair!) and they said they had the solution. (4th Why) Ok, so in this case we only have 4 Whys (ha!) but when that problem gets solved, how would that make you feel? Now, imagine take that feeling and visualize your customer having that feeling! Because of something YOU did! This is where I diverge from the traditional vision board party and ask you: How do you want to feel when those pictures on your vision board lift off the page to become your life? And so Vision Mapping comes is a mashup. We will be on getting clear about how you want to feel (Danielle calls them Core Desired Feelings), what tangible things will get you that feeling (traditional vision boarding) and the strategy to get you there. The event will take place on SuperBowl Sunday, February 1st starting at 3pm. Tickets are online at www.visionmappingtlh.eventbrite.com- I can’t wait to see you create the life you have imagined!

http://www.daniellelaporte.com/?dlap=21700

http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

http://www.visionmappingtlh.eventbrite.com-/


My Core Desired Feelings


Bookmark This!

Where You Can Find Me and What I’m Exploring

Mardi Gras Comes Early! January Session of ieTherapy. January 26th @ 5:45pm, Tallahassee, Florida

King cake, krewes, beads, masks and throws in January! Mardi Gras

comes early with Open Book! The January 2015 installment of ieTherapy

will have a Mardi Gras theme as we discuss funding. Wear costumes if you

like but come ready to celebrate your business as we get into high gear for

2015!

We launched ieTherapy on December 29th, 2014 to much fanfare- the

energy and feedback were amazing! We want to capitalize on that momentum and moving forward, the

group will only host those who are serious about getting their business to the next level and open to

implementing the best practice ideas suggested to you. ieTherapy isn't a sales platform or a mere

networking event- it is a learning opportunity. It is a launchpad! Seating is limited and pre-registration is

required. www.mardigrasietherapy.eventbrite.com. No cost to attend.

Entrepreneur Magazine 7th Annual Growth Conference, February 4th, Miami, Florida. No cost to attend. Register at www.entrepreneur.com/growthcon

http://www.mardigrasietherapy.eventbrite.com/

http://www.entrepreneur.com/growthcon


Florida Small Business and Entrepreneur Forum, March 24-25th, Tampa, Florida. $145 Early Bird Registration, $195 Regular Registration. www.floridasmallbusinessforum.com

So how do you like the graphics you’ve been seeing? Would you like the contact info for my designer? Allow me to introduce you to Canva.

http://www.floridasmallbusinessforum.com/

http://www.canva.com/latanyawhitebiz


About the Author: LaTanya has studied Business in Tallahassee, Florida, Bartending in New Orleans, Louisiana, Innovation in Silicon Valley and Entrepreneurship in Bali, Indonesia. Serving as the Principal Community Educator for the Open Book Innovation Institute for Minorities, a Business Analyst for the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida A&M University, an entrepreneurship mentor for Startup Quest Tallahassee and the Entrepreneurship instructor at her alma mater, FAMU’s School of Business and Industry, she makes a daily commitment to making access to entrepreneurship education more inclusive. More than anything, she considers herself a global leader, learner and teacher. LaTanya's expertise is in helping innovators and entrepreneurs get their business ideas to market with greater efficiency and less risk. If you think you can benefit from LaTanya's expertise, feel free to get in touch with her by email at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

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The Open Files (Vol. 1 Issuu 1)