Today we were able to learn about and tour Guinness Enterprise Centre, which is a collaboration center for entrepreneurs. They provide physical spaces where businesses can work together and resources to help them succeed. They work closely with local and national government to help Irish businesses expand.

I liked listening to the GEC representative discuss the business and what they do. Based on this presentation, my key takeaway is the importance of connections. GEC is simply a company that creates a community of businesses that learn and grow by helping one another. This community empowers entrepreneurs to follow their passions and share them with the world. However they can’t do this without a strong network of business professional and resources. The presentation emphasized the importance of entrepreneurs working together. They are always welcoming new people and ideas, and they even invited us to come do work at their cafe.

They also emphasized the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset. This is a set of skills that enable people to maximize opportunities, learn from their mistakes, and succeed in a variety of situations. These skills include motivation, risk-taking, resilience, creativity, and many others. This mindset is important because it allows people to adapt in a constantly changing business environment. I think I do have aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset, but I definitely want to keep developing them. I am self-motivated, positive, and responsible. I want to become more willing to take risks and put myself out there. I haven’t necessarily been entrepreneurial in terms of business, but there are other accomplishments where I have exhibited my entrepreneurial skills. I transferred schools, I ran a half marathon, and I plan on rushing a business fraternity in the fall. These activities all take the courage and confidence that an entrepreneur should have.

Overall, the GEC visit showed me the importance of building my network and developing my entrepreneurial skills. After the visit, we stopped at the Lidl to get groceries and had a relaxing day at Stay City. For tonight we bought tickets to see a comedy show at the International Comedy Club. Looking forward to my group’s company visit at Docusign tomorrow.