1. The
thing that surprised me most about Phil Knight is that he has a very
introverted personality. This surprised me because many of the “sneaker heads”
that are out there today have very extroverted personalities. They want
everyone to know they have the newest and coolest shoes. Phil Knight kept more
to himself and quietly went about his business.
I really
admire the fact that Phil Knight was able to use a $50 investment from his parents
to begin the creation of the brand we all know and love today, Nike.
The thing
I least admire about Phil Knight is that he began his first shoe business by
importing shoes from Japan. While this is still a huge accomplishment, it would
have been nice if he could have sold shoes that were made in the United States.
Phil
Knight encountered a lot of adversity. His first company, Blue Ribbon,
struggled to stay out of debt. Knight had to constantly take out loans so that
he could afford to keep his company in business. He also struggled to keep
strong relationships with his shoe contractors in Japan.
2. Phil
Knight is extremely smart. He noticed there was a need for quality running
shoes, so he went out and started a shoe business. He was very dedicated and
never quit even though he struggled mightily along the way.
3. One
part of the writing that was confusing to me was the part about the $50
investment Phil Knight got from his parents. The book failed to mention how
Knight was able to get more money to keep his business afloat. While it did
mention he took out loans, I don’t understand how he was able to get enough
loans, especially being the young entrepreneur he was at the time.
4. If I
was able to ask two questions to Phil Knight, I would ask him when he first
knew he wanted to become an entrepreneur, and I would ask him how he was able
overcome the constant obstacles that were thrown his way along his journey. I
would ask him these two questions because they are both very personal questions
that I would be very interested in hearing the answers to.
5. I
believe Phil Knight thinks hard work is the key to success. He had to work
extremely hard to grow his companies and he continues to work hard, even today.
I do share these same opinions because I learned at a very young age that
nothing in life is going to be given to me and that I have to work for
everything I want.
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Phil Knight’s journey was a great read! I love reading about big time entrepreneurs like Phil because it is amazing how they got started on their entrepreneurial journey. Their journeys are almost always something along the lines of “I started with $50” or “I lived in my parent’s basement.” However, I personally find that inspiring and it relates to what Professor Pryor stresses: you don’t need a lot of money or an innovative idea to be a successful entrepreneur.
~Izzy C.
Hey Tyler! I think everyone has heard of the Nike brand but very few actually knew about Phil. I think it’s interesting that he started out importing shoes, since it seems most entrepreneurs start at the retail level before starting something bigger. I think struggling and failure are a part of the entrepreneur process, since like Phil many first time business owners struggle to stay out of debt. Overall it sounds like a very interesting read and it sounds like you enjoyed it.
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