Ennis T.​ Henderson

The discovery of the Class

 

Like many college students, I too struggled with the question of what I wanted to be when I grow up.  As I was registering for spring 2013 classes, I couldn't figure out which classes would be the most beneficial to me in my future endeavors.  I met with an advisor, and she asked me a series of questions in an effort to match my interest with the appropriate classes.  As a result of my expressed interest in entrepreneurship and innovation, my advisor recommended the Innovation Scholar Program.  She thought that this course would be the ideal environment for me to explore my ambitions, and maybe tap into undiscovered potential.  I had never been a part of a class environment like that before, so I concluded that at my age, I had nothing to lose.  As it turned out, the recommendation and the decision to enroll became one of the best things to ever happen to me.  From the first day of class, I observed an instructor that had a clear idea about why she was there.  Right then and there I knew that I had hit the jack pot.  

Class Environment & Exercises

 

Our instructor, Mrs. Kathy Hajeb, created an environment that made it possible for brand new, timid, shy and introverted students to bare their inner most thoughts. It was readily apparent that her ability to get others to relax, and to feel at home in this new environment was nothing short of extraordinary. In this class, I was surrounded by the most diverse bunch of individuals that I had ever been around in such close proximity. This experience brought out the best in each person sitting in the room. Our weekly assignments were to write and post our thoughts on a number of different topics. Each of which caused us to utilize critical thinking.

 

We also engaged in very in-depth classroom discussions that routinely evolved into a discussion about the individual’s passions and ambitions. What was so amazing about the experience is that everyone felt comfortable enough to speak about their passions without any fear of judgment or embarrassment. Those exercises resulted in some of the most forward thinking and ambitious ideas I had ever witnessed coming from such a small group of young people. As a nontraditional student, and father of two daughters in college, it was refreshing to see the potential of the next generation of American leaders developing right before my eyes. This class has shown me that everyone has the potential to add something positive to our society, given the right stimuli.

 

My Moment of Clarity

 

For more than four decades, I have always had a sense of things that were important to me. The problem was narrowing my focus onto my most important interest to where my concentrated efforts would have a precise and predictable effect. As Mrs. Hajeb went around the room asking one person at a time to share their thoughts, she asked us to express our motivations in life. More importantly, she skillfully morphed the conversation into the question of what would we like to see improved in society, and what would we do to fix it. When I realized the depth that I would have to go to answer her questions, I began to dig deep down into my subconscious mind for logical answers. Suddenly, the answers to my lifelong questions popped into my mind. It was just as clear as the nose on my face. By the time she made her way around to me, I had literally just had a moment of clarity.

 

The pressure of having to give something other than a generalized description of my interests forced me to use my entire brain to identify an issue that I was passionate about, and to come up with a solution. I was raised by a single mother of five children, and we survived off of $6,000 per year, and much of it was food stamps and welfare. The rest of it came from the farms that we worked as a family to make ends meet. Changing this lifestyle became my life's mission and passion from an early age. Although I've always wanted to be able to help others avoid a similar fate, I had no idea of how my skills and efforts could actually make that happen. This class helped me to recognize that my 46 years of passion, 15 years of hard training as a military and firefighting veteran, and 25 years of hands on business experience has adequately prepared me to do just what I have always wanted to do, but with maximum effect.

 

My Next Chapter

 

The quality experiences that I've had at the University of Utah have helped me to identify and refine my passions for business and serving others. The courses, programs and instructors have prepared me to effectively meet the many challenges associated with helping others to become self-sufficient. In order to convert my passion into a usable system or tool that can help aspiring entrepreneurs to escape the fear of business failure, I will create a Non-Profit organization that will be dedicated to helping the powerless to change their economic circumstances. The center piece of the organization will be the educational and direct assistance provided to aspiring entrepreneurs in need of essential business skills, techniques and resources. I am currently building a one-stop-shop, self-help website at www.GoStartABiz.com. This is a place where new and experienced entrepreneurs can access much of the business information and assistance required to launch their new enterprises.  It can be accessed at any time from anywhere with a device, and a simple internet connection. In the early years of my entrepreneurial career there was no shortage of people that were willing to provide all sorts of theoretical assistance.  The assistance that I will provide will be relevant, current, and based on more than 25 years of hands-on experience.  I have actually walked the exact same paths that many new entrepreneurs are currently walking.  I can, and will help.