One highlight of WRLC 2011 was DECA University, and one session – Entrepreneurship – was run by David Gass. He is an alumni of DECA and has had much experience in starting multiple businesses and being successful at doing so.

I actually arrived about an hour late, but there was much to be said about the rest of the session. When I asked him what he would tell an aspiring entrepreneur if he could say just one thing, he said, “Take action. You can’t start business if you don’t take action.” Learning strategies and techniques from him was extremely insightful – it wasn’t just theory, but someone speaking from experience, and much of it. He presented a few important aphorisms to follow when considering starting a business:

- “Sometimes, it’s better you hire someone you trust rather than to hire someone with ability.”
- “Leverage: Do more with less.”
- “CLARITY equals POWER.”
- “Revenue is for vanity, but profit is for sanity.”
- “Measure business value with net worth, but your own value with self worth.”

Starting your own business may be a confusing and difficult process, but it’s really something anyone can pursue as long as they’re confident in their own abilities and persevere. Remember to speak with power and present yourself with certainty. Of course, nothing will work out perfectly every time; but with a little bit of determination, success will come your way.

David Gass ran WRLC 2011′s Entrepreneurship workshop.

Before I dive into the workshop, I must provide a brief biography of the workshop’s teacher, David Gass.

-He used to be a DECA officer on the State and National level. 
-He started his first business at 15 years old selling fruit on the side of the road.  
-He’s owns 8 businesses, whether he owns and operates them or owns a portion through investment.
-One of his businesses involves buying and selling websites.

The program for his session was really interactive but he did have one rule, raise your hand before you speak. 
A major bonus was that there were scholarship opportunities for winners.

Key info from the workshop:

-The tool to conquer fear = confidence. 
-The fuel for confidence = ACTION.

-There is net worth and there is self worth.
-Net worth = Salary
-Self worth = True value and potential. It’s up to you and it can always change.
-Your net worth will stop growing based upon your self worth. David Gass inspired his students to GetDECA and set their self worth high!

-Trust is key, David Gass once hired someone to so accounting who didn’t know much on accounting due to the fact that he trusted him. He had previously been stolen from by other accountants.

-If you find there’s a market missing for something with potential demand, think about creating the market.
-blacksocks.com sold black socks and nothing else for 3 years and had about $3.5 million in sales. Recognize demand, succeed. 

-If you want to think and speak with more power?
“Lose the words “think” “maybe” and “try” ” – David Gass 

-If you want to understand the power of words, visit http://t.co/HET4MjdV

Hey DECA members,

The final Social Media Intern Challenge was to create a 30-second video on WRLC. Check out my “WRLC Pop-Up Ad” for 30 awesome things about WRLC in 30 seconds!

WRLC Pop-Up Ad

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