Today I had a great time visiting the Guinness Enterprise Center, and later I explored Grafton Street to shop. We got to learn about what the company does for clients and see the office space. Overall, I took a few things away from this site visit. To begin, one of the things that stood out to me was that the manager who spoke with us did not want to expand the company, despite the interest from Chinese business leaders. I found this very surprising since I thought companies would look for opportunities to expand and not turn away from them. She cited that she did not want to expand the business because they are still finding the company’s path after the pandemic, and did not want more to worry about. Another takeaway that I had from the site visit was the importance of collaboration between companies. This idea was stressed by the manager who spoke with us and was one of the key purposes of the GEC. It was great to hear about the company, and I enjoyed learning about what they do.
An entrepreneurial mindset is one that focuses on taking every opportunity and having resilience when roadblocks occur. It is crucial in order to make the most out of difficult scenarios and live life to the fullest. I believe that I do have an entrepreneurial mindset in some aspects. Coming into college, I told myself that I would make the most of my time and not pass up opportunities because I was out of my comfort zone or thought it might be difficult. Through this, I have been able to pursue different jobs, organizations, and activities. For example, let’s use this study abroad experience. Without having an entrepreneurial mindset which allowed me to take a chance and try something new with this opportunity, I would have passed it up because I would be nervous to travel such a far distance from home. Instead, I ceased this opportunity, and have been able to experience so many new and fun things here. I am very grateful to be here and to have an entrepreneurial mindset!