CHALLENGE AND SELECTION (Tool: Storytelling)

For five years I have been working as an entrepreneurship coordinator at my university in Honduras. The  target of the students who attend this innovation center is between 18 and 25 years old and many of  them have dreams, but not inspiration. Many of these young people come from high-risk communities  where there is not much talk about being a successful entrepreneur. Currently in our country there has  been a lot of corruption, unemployment and a high level of violence, therefore, most of our students  normally live this reality.

For me, the Storytelling tool is very powerful with this type of people, since, through these real stories, I  make them have another perspective of business life. By listening to them commenting on these stories,  I can get feedback that helps me to prepare workshops and conferences on business topics that the kids  are not familiar with. Some of these topics are about technical skills of what they want to dedicate, but  many others are about soft skills that they have not developed and are very interested in doing so.  Through these stories that I tell them, the boys identify and open up, clearly expressing their means to  undertake and tell the obstacles they have had throughout their lives on the personal side and also to  develop their business idea.

APPLICATION

I always have a very curious story and it´s about me. I tell them a very personal history so that in this  way they feel more comfortable with me and thus they trust me because through my history, I am  vulnerable to them.

I tell them that since I was a child my parents never spoke to me about entrepreneurship and that they  always told me to study hard to become the CEO of a large international company. I entered university  and my only goal in life at that time was to be the top student, graduate top of the class, and then get a  scholarship for my postgrad studies abroad. I was the silver medal for my college class, but I did manage  to get a full scholarship for my postgraduate studies at a prestigious university in Madrid. They did not  talk to me about entrepreneurship either in the master, only to the extent of being an intrapreneur, a  concept that was not clear to me at the time as well.

It was the moment when I returned to my country, I got a job in a management position in a company in  the automotive industry, I continued working and 3 years passed when the opportunity to have a sale of  food and beverages at a employers' fair in my city did not hesitate to accept it, even if it lasted only two  weeks. That little experience just with my family to maintain a viable business for weeks and that in the  end turned out to be very profitable, made me believe in myself and filled me with great self-confidence  to be able to think like an entrepreneur and do what I wanted.

After that I became interested in entrepreneurial events and I went to several Ted Talks that took place  in my city and there I began to get inspired and think about what are business opportunities to satisfy  the needs of a market segment or niche. It was like this that two years later I saw the opportunity that  no one existed to sell ornamental plants, cacti or plants similar to this one that were delivered in original  pots made of wood, metal, glass and cement. So, I started with the business called Between Cactus and  Thorns, it was not a food business like the one I started at the beginning, but if I had not set up that first  business for two weeks, I would not have realized that I could start creatively. Now that company that I  started as a plant sale, has become a company that sells clothes with a cactus theme and also as fast

fashion with fantastic designs. That pivot was necessary throughout my entrepreneurial process that  today gives me good income for my family.

This is the story that I tell to all the students who come to the entrepreneurship center that I run at this  university. You cannot imagine how many students are inspired and left very motivated from that first  interview we have to analyze their business idea.

INSIGHT AND APPROACH

Having implemented this storytelling tool, the conversion rate improved from 30% to 70% of students  who come to the center for the first time to discuss their business idea and return to begin their pre- incubation process with us. Before applying this tool, we interviewed them to get to know them better  and have them fill out a physical application to learn more about their business idea.

It also helped a lot in the confidence placed by the student in the entrepreneurship center, especially  with me that I am the head of the area. The entire pre-incubation process with them gets along better  since they feel confident to give their opinion and give their own ideas to improve their own business  idea.

After having applied this tool, what I could do better next time and that I will apply is also Visualization  so that in that first interview or in the second, I will make the students look at things from another  perspective to solve the problem that they visualize. What is on the market and how your product or  service is going to solve that problem in your community. This is with the purpose that from the  beginning they visualize the problem to attack and how to solve it.


CHALLENGE AND SELECTION ( Tool : Storytelling ) For five years I have been working as an entrepreneurship coordinator at my university in Honduras . The target of the students who attend this innovation center is between 18 and 25 years old and many of them have dreams , but not inspiration . Many of these young people come from high - risk communities where there is not much talk about being a successful entrepreneur . Currently in our country there has been a lot of corruption , unemployment and a high level of violence , therefore , most of our students normally live this reality . For me , the Storytelling tool is very powerful with this type of people , since , through these real stories , I make them have another perspective of business life . By listening to them commenting on these stories , I can get feedback that helps me to prepare workshops and conferences on business topics that the kids are not familiar with . Some of these topics are about technical skills of what they want to dedicate , but many others are about soft skills that they have not developed and are very interested in doing so . Through these stories that I tell them , the boys identify and open up , clearly expressing their means to undertake and tell the obstacles they have had throughout their lives on the personal side and also to develop their business idea . APPLICATION I always have a very curious story and it´s about me . I tell them a very personal history so that in this way they feel more comfortable with me and thus they trust me because through my history , I am vulnerable to them . I tell them that since I was a child my parents never spoke to me about entrepreneurship and that they always told me to study hard to become the CEO of a large international company . I entered university and my only goal in life at that time was to be the top student , graduate top of the class , and then get a scholarship for my postgrad studies abroad . I was the silver medal for my college class , but I did manage to get a full scholarship for my postgraduate studies at a prestigious university in Madrid . They did not talk to me about entrepreneurship either in the master , only to the extent of being an intrapreneur , a concept that was not clear to me at the time as well . It was the moment when I returned to my country , I got a job in a management position in a company in the automotive industry , I continued working and 3 years passed when the opportunity to have a sale of food and beverages at a employers ' fair in my city did not hesitate to accept it , even if it lasted only two weeks . That little experience just with my family to maintain a viable business for weeks and that in the end turned out to be very profitable , made me believe in myself and filled me with great self - confidence to be able to think like an entrepreneur and do what I wanted . After that I became interested in entrepreneurial events and I went to several Ted Talks that took place in my city and there I began to get inspired and think about what are business opportunities to satisfy the needs of a market segment or niche . It was like this that two years later I saw the opportunity that no one existed to sell ornamental plants , cacti or plants similar to this one that were delivered in original pots made of wood , metal , glass and cement . So , I started with the business called Between Cactus and Thorns , it was not a food business like the one I started at the beginning , but if I had not set up that first business for two weeks , I would not have realized that I could start creatively . Now that company that I started as a plant sale , has become a company that sells clothes with a cactus theme and also as fast fashion with fantastic designs . That pivot was necessary throughout my entrepreneurial process that today gives me good income for my family . This is the story that I tell to all the students who come to the entrepreneurship center that I run at this university . You can not imagine how many students are inspired and left very motivated from that first interview we have to analyze their business idea . INSIGHT AND APPROACH Having implemented this storytelling tool , the conversion rate improved from 30 % to 70 % of students who come to the center for the first time to discuss their business idea and return to begin their pre- incubation process with us . Before applying this tool , we interviewed them to get to know them better and have them fill out a physical application to learn more about their business idea . It also helped a lot in the confidence placed by the student in the entrepreneurship center , especially with me that I am the head of the area . The entire pre - incubation process with them gets along better since they feel confident to give their opinion and give their own ideas to improve their own business idea . After having applied this tool , what I could do better next time and that I will apply is also Visualization so that in that first interview or in the second , I will make the students look at things from another perspective to solve the problem that they visualize . What is on the market and how your product or service is going to solve that problem in your community . This is with the purpose that from the beginning they visualize the problem to attack and how to solve it .