My Entrepreneurship Story





This assignment explains why I decided to take this class out of the countless other courses at UF and what I hope to take away from the experience. 

I met the Founder and CEO of Sushi Maki, a Miami-based sushi restaurant, and his story inspired me to enroll in this class. He grew up in the restaurant business helping his father run their family owned Canto Chinese Restaurant. He later went off to Cornell University to study in the School of Hotel Administration, got certification from the California Sushi Academy, as well as completed the Owner President Management Program at Harvard University.  

He endeavored to create a modern sushi experience through his new restaurant. Through trial and tribulation, he built his business from the ground up. However, what I thought was truly badass was his efforts in convincing local Whole Foods to sell his sushi instead of sushi from other competitors. He was persistent in engaging with Whole Foods, showing them how partnering with him would allow them to grow. Despite countless rejections, patience, and proposals, he finally left triumphant, with signed contract in hand stating that Whole Foods would sell sushi that bore the name of the restaurant he worked so hard to create: Sushi Maki. 


That's why I took this class. I hope to come out of ENT 3003 with more confidence in pursuing my own entrepreneurial endeavors. I hope I can gain the knowledge, cultivate the mindset, and build the tenacity of all good entrepreneurs and one day create something that will outlast me. And, excuse the mushiness, but hopefully, I can inspire that scared college freshman to take that entrepreneurship class that will take her God knows where…

Comments

  1. The Tavern TimesSeptember 1, 2017 at 2:35 PM

    Thank you for sharing your story Emily! I am also very interested in the restaurant and customer service industry as a possible track for entrepreneurship. It seems like your inspiration comes from someone who was very passionate about their product and never gave up. Those are the type of people that inspire me to chase my dreams and aspirations. Without passion and a desire to make a difference, we would not have many of the innovations that we have today. I would like to hear more about your personal experience with the entrepreneurial mindset and the direction you would like to take this new found inspiration.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 3, 2017 at 9:06 PM

    I like this story a lot Emily because it reminds me that hard work and good service can lead to success even when facing stronger competition. It is inspiring to hear that the CEO of Sushi Maki was able to get the large food retailer to carry his product while he might not be the largest or even the cheapest option out there. I agree with you that this story is very inspiring as it also strengthens my desire to strive for greatness in the future.

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