13A- Reading Reflection No.1

Shoe Dog

1. After reading Phil Knight's book, I was amazed by how difficult the process was at the beginning. Of course, I expected it to be challenging to start a global shoe company, but I didn't realize how dedicated someone had to be to make their dream happen. When typing this out, it seems silly. But I was blown away with moments that Phil would fly to Japan to fight for his company. He had no money to his name, gave up relationships, and even his dad stopped lending money. Somehow, he continued to fight and make things happen. 

When thinking about what I most admired about Phil had to be his absolute focus and dedication to making his dream come into fruition. He heard "No" 100 times more frequently than he heard "Yes," but regardless of the obstacle, he found a way to make ends meet and to get things done. 

The thing I disliked the most would have to be the way he viewed himself. I believe he had a continuous battle with the fact that he truly belonged in the shoe game. That his passion, desire, drive, and vision were enough to get him into any deal, he desired. Plus he had the partnership with Coach Bowerman which became a bonus. 

Whenever the entrepreneur faced adversity, he had small moments of doubt or weakness and would question how to proceed. Eventually, that fire inside got him back on the horse, and he would tackle each obstacle head-on and with a can-do attitude. He was getting to the point where "No" was just not acceptable.

2. I believe Phil had a lot of experience under his belt. He was sharp, personable, and committed. When he set his sight on something, it was tough to veer him from this. I believe this was a massive strength of his and made him a desirable person to work with. I also think he did a brilliant job with making and building relationships with almost everyone he met. Somehow, a lot of those relationships came full circle and would be valuable connections in some way. 

3. One part I struggled with was the battle he faced with keeping a relationship. I believe an entrepreneur must make his product or company their baby. If you are doing this business with someone and a relationship builds from this, it's one this. But to try to be fully invested in starting a business and trying to keep a relationship, possibly a distance relationship, doesn't seem to be a smart decision. I believe these moments took away from reaching specific goals sooner or differently as he would describe being in a slump for weeks to months after the relationships failed. 

4. a) If you would do it all over again, what would you do differently, knowing all that you know now? I believe asking this question can provide valuable insight for anyone attempting to work and reach their dream. I think there will be a consistent answer on hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. But I would be intrigued if there would be something outstanding that set him apart. 

b) Would having his father's support make a difference in the earlier stages or did the risk of going out on his own help him? As an athlete, I believe when you work for something, it is even more rewarding when things work out. Having this edge makes someone a bit more aggressive, a bit more hungry. I wonder if his dad's challenge at the beginning to go and get loans, really made him have a little more edge to his work. 

5. I believe he viewed the entire process of hard work. This whole journey was extremely tiresome and so much went into making the dream happen. I do think, support, and try to live this action out also. I put everything toward reaching my athletic dreams, in hopes of reflecting on the journey and knowing that I gave it my all.