28A- Your Exit Strategy

My exit strategy would not be the same as a typical venture due to the fact that my venture is under an already established organization in the University of Florida. I do intend to stay growing the Men's Soccer team here at the University of Florida for at least three years as we try to establish our place in the market. After those three years, I believe I will move on to creating another athletic team here at the University or developing an underperforming venture here. Since this is operated by the University of Florida, this venture cannot be sold or transferred. I expect to continue working with the organization but in another capacity or venture. 

I chose this particular exit strategy because it is the only option that is available since we cannot sell or transfer the venture and move on. It is the most practical option and exit strategy available.

I think the exit strategy changed how I approached the end of the concept. I know that the exit strategy is the only available option since the beginning of this venture and has influenced the entire venture since that has been known. It allowed me to realize that the resources will come from the University and thus allowed me to better understand my options.

26A- Celebrating Failure

I'd say that this semester I experienced failure the most when I was applying for internships for this coming semester for my major. This semester, I applied for several internships in the sports industry hoping to be accepted for a January start. I applied to Auburn University as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars among others. Despite applying for several internships, I received interviews and responses by only 2 out of the dozen I applied to. To say the least, this was a very disheartening experience when I experienced failure because it seemed as if I would not be able to succeed in my career. This lasted over 3 months this process and took a toll on me as I believed I was at my lowest.

I learned a lot through this experience. I learned to trust myself even throughout the adversity and failure. I believed enough in myself despite the discouraging responses and ended up securing an internship with the Miami Marlins in January.

I realized that despite failure, you must continue to push through the adversity. By quitting or giving up, you do yourself no favors and end up sulking and not getting anything done. How we respond to failure is the difference between greatness and weakness and I believe I handled that well.

I previously did not handle failure well due to lack of failure because I was not put in many stressful situations career wise and also I believe I was not mature enough to handle it appropriately. Recently though, I have handled failure in stride and been able to deal with it and turn it into positives and success.

23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Financial Capital
• UF has the financial capital to house a men's soccer team at the University. It is difficult to copy as many sports programs around the country cannot afford the sports programs to the extent that we can. It is rare to have the financial capital from the start.
2. Education
• UF contains the ability through their education to adapt to situations and find solutions.
• The resources at the University are invaluable and rare considering how prestigious this university is. We could outsource the research and capabilities but having it on campus is easier 
3. Brand Recognition
• The Gator Brand is so strong that it is valuable as the following that comes with it. It cannot be copied but it can be competed with by other strong school brands. 
4. Marketing
• Marketing becomes much easier when the brand is strong and this University does a great job marketing other sports programs. It is difficult to copy because of strong branding but is not rare to have good marketing for an organization.
5. Organizational stability
• Being able to already be a part of such a powerful organization/school is invaluable and rare. We have stability already in place and thus it is non-substitutable.
6. Labor Power
• The organization already has all the man power needed to succeed and thus that is rare to have. Yes, it can be copied and imitated but to have it right at the beginning is a positive 
7. Knowledge in Athletics
• The prestige this university has with athletic programs is rare and valuable and hard to be copied. It can be provided by other resources but difficult to sustain.
8. Knowledge in Business
• Similar to the last one, rare and valuable and hard to be copied because of the standing of the university. Other resources could provide this benefit
9. Infrastructure
• The infrastructure is built already, the stadium, athletic office, etc... as well. This is rare and invaluable because it saves money and provides much needed flexibility. 
10. Market Growth
• The market of sports here is incredibility vast and is rare and invaluable to our venture. If there was no market there is no venture.

My top resource I believe would be the Organizational Stability. I say this because being able to have a branch under a large organization opens so many doors to us that all the other resources cannot compare to and even file under. 

21A- Reading Reflection #2

Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky

1. The general theme of this book is that the internet allows us to become active members in creating great things that require multiple people collaborating. However in our society, we spend so many hours participating in passive activities that produce no growth like watching TV. Active participation by multiple people will allow us to take on tasks we never thought were possible and thus gives us a cognitive surplus.
2. I think this directly connects to what we are doing and learning in ENT3003 because I have learned not only in my idea but also through lectures at just how important the concept of active communities make in solving issues and creating great things. Not one person can accomplish these tasks and technology and the internet have done a great job bringing all of us together.
3. I believe the exercise that I would recommend would be to solve an issue or create a solution as a group without face to face interaction. Yes, it seems very unconventional but I believe our society has developed so much technologically that this exercise would show at our capabilities that we have come to.            
4. I think the thing that really stood out to me was the fact that we have no excuse for not connecting with others with our ideas or whatever we do. The world is at our fingertips and by participating in passive activities like watching TV or not being part of a connected community, the damage is done not only to ourselves but to our society.

22A- Elevator Pitch #3

In my feedback I received, I was very dynamic and engaging and I tried to stick to that as well. I think that boosted my confidence for this elevator pitch and showed that I can connect with an audience with my communication skills.

I definitely believe my hook has been memorized and allows me to reel in the audience. I have shortened my elevator pitch down to a minute in order to keep the audience interested as well as be concise. I am so much more comfortable in front of the camera than my first elevator pitch where I was told to be more fluent. I also decided to dress more professional in order to convey professionalism and confidence.

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

Will Pantages, Assistant Director of Digital Content for Football:

1. Will handles the communications side of the football program at the University of Florida and has a background with connecting and interacting with Florida Gator fans through social media. He works to engage fans and create buzz around the program as well as many other things. He has worked for the University of Florida for a few years so has a good idea on fans and Florida sports.
2. I am filling him in the expert on my market because he is engaged in the football at Florida which is similar to soccer and involves Gator sports. He knows a lot about the idea and market to give valuable insight.
3. I found Will through working at the UAA and contacted him through a meeting.
4. Will was able to give me information on how to market to Florida fans and create a buzz around the idea regardless of the on field performance. You have to know how to interact with fans in order to get a successful result. All Gator sports work can work cohesively to help each other so a successful soccer program can only help the association as well as allow us to share ideas on fan engagement.
5. He can enhance my opportunity to exploit an opportunity because his past experiences and knowledge can help us start our campaign with insider information on how to approach our market.

Maureen Tartaglione, Cox Sponsorship Regional Contact:

1. Maureen handles approval of sponsorship for Cox cable Communications. She represents the Gainesville/Alachua county region and supports the community through sponsorship. Sponsorship is important because it can provide funds for giveaways, events, etc... to further our ideas.
2. I am putting her in the important supplier because Cox already sponsors football, volleyball, etc... so their partnership is no doubt important to us as we get started and must create a program. 
3. I found Maureen through research on their website and email.
4. Maureen was able to explain the approval process for sponsorship and funding for our organization. Obviously each situation is different but with an involvement to the University of Florida it may make it easier and more viable for them to help. We know what kind of service sponsorship is and thus the return will work both ways.
5. I think we can exploit the opportunity by using the sponsorship to create marketing events to get fans and students into the games like T-shirts, etc... Fans will come out with an extra incentive besides the game itself.

Jamie McCloskey, Senior Associate Athletic Director

1. Jamie oversees Athletics here at the University of Florida and assists Athletic Director Scott Stricklin and Jeremy Foley in approving budgets, sports, etc... He has represented the University of Florida for many years and can offer my insights on the logistics and policies surrounding a Men's Soccer team. 
2. I am putting him in the Domain expert in my industry because of his vast expertise and experience here. 
3. I found Jamie through a class as he was my professor previously and talked to him.
4. Jamie was able to lay out the reasons why a Men's soccer team has not been fielded here and it seems to be because of the Title IX legislation. Few SEC schools even have any sort of soccer program because of this and also budgeting. The information he gave me was eye opening but steps can be taken later to possibly field the team here. 
5. This person will enhance my ability to exploit the opportunity because his knowledge and insight will allow us to take the proper steps to follow protocol and make sure we are not breaking laws. 

This experience definitely shaped how I will participate in future networking events. I believe before I was too narrow minded in who can help me when the truth is almost anyone can help or knows somebody who can aid in steps towards the goal. This experience differed in the sense that I am use to only talking to people in the sports industry when there are people who participate in sponsors, etc... who have just as much knowledge to learn from.

19A- Idea Napkin #2

My name is Anthony Mozzott and I am a 4th year Sport Management major. Sports have been a major part of my life since I can remember which I believe can help me in this idea. I have a hard work ethic, communication skills as well as experience in the sports industry that I believe will help further this project. I work in the Athletic Association's Communications Department as of now and hope to someday work in the professional sports industry. I think by getting this business concept running would definitely play a role in my life as to be able to bring a functional sport model to a University such as Florida would no doubt be an accomplishment of great value.

I will be offering consumers the service of bringing a sanctioned NCAA Men's Soccer team to the University of Florida.

It will be offered to fans of the University of Florida and their sports teams. Some fans will show more interest than others based on their love for the sport of soccer in general. Besides people at the University of Florida, people who love soccer in the surrounding areas and of other school will show interest in the program.

I believe the brand of the Florida Gators is so strong and creates such a strong identity in their fans that it produces value to their fans. People consume sports on a daily basis and are willing to shell out money and time to see and support their favorite sport and team.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and though it will not be the most popular on our campus, people will come to the games and support the team because people have the need to consume soccer on this campus. Also, male sports do produce more popularity as we see in basketball and other sports. Though women's sports are popular, male soccer is seen as more popular for people to consume.

I believe these elements fit together very well. When you look at all the elements as a whole, you see interest generated as well as an already great foundation laid in a top sports program. Logistically work will need to be done to jump over hurdles but that is not to say that it is weak. I think the market and popularity for this idea make all the elements fit well together.

The two main points of feedback I got was that my credentials enhance the idea which I believe my work experience in the sports industry gives me some knowledge that I can take and translate it to this idea. The other feedback I got was on the popularity of men's sports and that women's are just as popular. I believe that at the end of the day, men's sports are more popular even though our population here is more female. When you look at all sports in general, male sports bring in more revenue and popularity even though women sports generate interest.