Halal Foods

1. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world and most of them eat Zabihah Halal meat. This is a type of meat that is hand cut, farm raised, and blessed before it's eaten. Kind of like Kosher. This makes getting the meat as well as finding restaurants that use it difficult. Imagine a delivery service like Blue Apron that incorporates this as well as provides an app that provides info on Halal restaurants. 

2. The who: People of the Islamic Faith. More specifically Muslim American's with small families and restaurant owners.
The what: They are unable to get meat delivered to them from conventional super markets like Publix and eating out can feel limiting.
The why: The western world is just now recently diversifying a food system that has stayed the same for many years.

3. Testing the who: Does the Muslim youth still follow this idea of eating Halal. Would restaurant owners be interested in collaborating with this idea.
Testing the what: Can this be expanded out to more conventional restaurants and a broader population. What kind of recipes would people like to see? Is it possible to compete with Blue Apron since Halal meat is generally more expensive. 
Testing the why: Is there any other way to specialize the service. What is the value it provides?

4. I interviewed my old boss form the pizzeria back in Orlando. I also asked my Dad whose a business owner as well as kids from Islam on Campus. Finally I asked random people on the street about the idea. I got a mostly positive response from people but my dad pointed out that specializing would be key. The restaurant owners like the Idea of an app that kind of centralizes food related stuff. After I explained the idea to people on the streets they said that I would need to add value for non muslims as well. However thinking about it I realize that the organic type moment could benefit from this as well. We could also add unique cuts of meat and spice blends. Most of the kids in IOC still eat Halal foods. The biggest challenge would be making the idea economically feasible as explained by my dad.

Eye Spy

Economic Trends

Insane 550% Gains Makes Binance Coin (BNB) 2019’s Most-Profitable
https://www.ccn.com/binance-coin-bnb-bulls-2019-profitable
A) I found the article on CCN which reports on cryptocurrency news and US business insights. It's important to realize that this could add a slight bias to the information reported.
B) The cryptocurrency is at $38.46 and still growing. This far surpasses Bitcoin and is just shy of beating Litecoin. This shows that cryptocurrency actually acts like stocks and was more then a fad.
C) The people with the most opportunity here have money to invest and time to do research on trends.
D) I think this opportunity has some high barriers of entry but anyone can get into it if they really wanted.

Avengers: Endgame’ Breaks All Box Office Records With $1.2 Billion Opening
https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/avengers-endgame-box-office-records-1-billion-opening-828389/
A) As a film Avengers Endgame broke box office records in the United States as well as in France, Brazil, and three dozen other markets. I found this article on Rolling Stones a reputable outlet that reports on entertainment.
B) What this means is that this film will open up opportunities for to make related merchandise and affiliated marketing. It also pushes the agenda of super hero movies forward.
C) People in the entertainment and manufacturing industries
D) I think only really specific people can take advantage of this opportunity

Regulatory Change

Britain in two-week coal-free record
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48473259
A) I found this article on BBC world news which is pretty well known and reports on big events.
B) Britain has not used coal to generate electricity in two weeks and has also broken it's record for solar power usage in the past month.
C) This is huge and shows that countries are shifting to more renewable forms of energy.
D) Big oil and other energy companies as well as tech startups need to be aware of this. Investors also should take this development into account.

SEC Lifts Ban on Stadiumwide Alcohol Sales, Gives Schools 'Autonomy' to Decide
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2838892-sec-lifts-ban-on-stadium-wide-alcohol-sales-gives-schools-autonomy-to-decide?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial
A) I found this information on a small but CNN affiliated new sight.
B) In SEC sports schools are now allowed to decide to sell alcohol
C) This presents an opportunity for beverage companies as well as different universities
D) The barrier to entry is kind of low being more of a ethical decision

Just A Florida Thing

Dry, hot weather continues to roast Central Florida
https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/dry-hot-weather-continues-to-roast-central-florida
Looks like weather in Orlando is about to reach a high of 97 with a low chance of rain. On top of this it'll feel like it's 102.
The problem is the extreme heat which makes out door activities ill advised and can cause heatstroke as well as extreme dehydration.
The people with this problem are of course Floridians. Anyone who goes outside but especially laborers that work in the sun.

Why Florida is struggling to fill more than 2,000 teaching positions
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/03/08/why-florida-is-struggling-fill-more-than-teaching-positions/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6e6cd868b316
Teachers in Florida are being neglected under new legislator and as a result there are huge amounts of unfilled jobs. Unqualified people are being hired to fill said spots resulting in worse education. This can be attributed to the low salary teachers receive in Florida.
Many of the problems were already described but I believe that the teacher problem is very political in nature. Instead of raising pay Florida has tried to use a bonus system based off standardized testing. There is also a shift to more private schooling happening before our eyes.
The people who suffer from this problem are teachers, parents, and students. In a much broader context this probably effects the states economy and colleges as well.

Mumps outbreak hits UF, report says; are more students infected?
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-mumps-outbreak-uf-20190531-47b7u5fivrbavbo36xlce6qvlq-story.html
There have been 12 confirmed cases of Mumps in Alachua and many of them have been traced back to UF. Sharing utensils and cups can lead to the transmission of this disease.
The problem is Mumps spreading all over campus leading to fever and swelling
While the whole area is at risk, specifically UF students and faculty need to be careful.

Orlando ranks No. 1 in Florida for most ‘aggressive' drivers
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/orlando-ranks-no-1-in-florida-for-most-aggressive-drivers
It seems that the overly congested roads and traffic has resulted in Orlando coming in 7th for the most aggressive drivers in the United States.
When you think of traffic big cities like LA or New York pop up. Since Orlando has joined the list we are at greater risk of accidents and need to expand out our roads. This leads to more construction and more traffic.
Anyone driving in or through Central Florida has experienced this problem.

The plastic ban: Gainesville will be 100 percent waste free by 2040
https://www.alligator.org/news/the-plastic-ban-gainesville-will-be-percent-waste-free-by/article_4be9d1d4-1aec-11e9-9b28-dfc39205fdd9.html
Looks like Alachua is trying to become plastic free which opens up business opportunities selling paper bags as well as totes. Also delivery services might see an increase in use.
Getting rid of plastic bags as well as enforcing fees on local businesses will change the way people operate in the current system. 
Students and other people that live around UF

Is SWOL really the goal?

Beginning Point: People of all ages want to get in better shape but can't stay committed to a diet or exercise routine.

Description of belief: I think that while six pack abs and a overall toned physique is coveted by people everywhere most fitness gurus neglect to individualize workouts and cater to ordinary people. Many times peoples lifestyles revolve around food and exercising daily is to insurmountable of a challenge. In short commitment and consistency could be the single most biggest threat to making gains but are the least addressed in the industry.   

Interview 1: For the first interview I asked my little sister who is currently participating in a fitness challenge. She's super competitive so I thought that this wouldn't be a super big obstacle for her. Turns out I was wrong. Out of all the times she wishes she could break her diet it's during family outings and parties with friends. She believes that if someone's need to get in shape doesn't outweigh their love of food it's almost impossible to start in the first place. However she surprised me by saying that after sixty days the routine becomes almost enjoyable and a type of lifestyle. Easing into exercise after starting the diet also helps.

Reflection: I guess the worst foods are the most enjoyable. It seems that if you keep someone on track for at least sixty days they are less likely to fall off after. I suppose breaking down the huge task into smaller more digestible bites also helps.

Interview 2: The second interview I did was with my long time high school friends gone fitness coach. Gabe started out as an extremely skinny kid and built himself a crazy physique. Apparently for him the desire to be strong outweighed any other thought. He told me that the key is making healthy foods tasty. This negates any cravings that someone might have. Also allow yourself to cheat and always lift heavy. When asked about time and individual fitness level he said that a proper plan makes things easier. 

Reflection: These are all factors I didn't really consider before the interview. I guess someone doing this for a longtime has already gone through all the challenges those starting out have. What I'm seeing is that by planning out workouts and meals carefully this becomes a lot easier. 

Interview 3: The last interview was with this retired senior named Paul I go visit every week. He's someone who could never really get behind a diet until he was forced to for medical reasons. To him food was very important being a chef and all. The hardest part of exercise is actually getting started. He motivated himself by competing with other people in his family

Reflection: Paul is an example of it never being to late to make a change in life. He also backs up the theory that motivation comes from within.

Summary: It seems that the key is getting started and making fitness a social experience. Also the problem isn't as far reaching as I originally thought and a good personal trainer helps a lot. 

Generational Bread

A tale so epic that it can only be told as a brief summary

It's crazy because both my dad and uncle are tried and true business men. They've started up everything from tutoring centers to tire stores. Both invested in cryptocurrency and dabbled in Airbnb. One is a high school drop out while the other barely scraped by as an IT guy for a while. They failed hundreds, no thousands of time. Struggled in almost every way imaginable. Lost both relationships and money. But they did what they needed to survive. After all my family immigrated to America in the last sixty years.  Growing up in the back of cell phone stores and car dealerships I got a unique perspective into the business world. A place built on dreams and maintained through creativity.

So why did I enroll in ENT3003? Was it my dream to follow in my pops footsteps, to make him proud? Did I have a crazy idea that I needed to bring to the world? Maybe I just do it on a whim? Sadly you would be wrong to assume these things. Since I'm both an IA student and part of the Heavener School of Business taking this class was almost predestined. That doesn't mean I'm not excited about it though. I think it would be really cool if by the end of this class we started a pop up restaurant or something. Who knows anythings possible!   


 

Stop Bugging Me

Here are 20 things that drive me bonkers 

1. Not being able to settle into a comfortable position while doing homework or studying for a test. This results in more time wasted on social media, less work being done, and less material retained. 
Maybe the room is to hot or cold. I also have a tendency compartmentalize myself while sitting and need to lean back. It could also be because of poor fitness and posture.

2. It sucks when you wake up excited to wear your favorite outfit only to realize that your shirt is two sizes smaller then it was originally. 
The clothes probably need to be washed in a specific way to avoid shrinkage.

3. Your getting ready to walk home just after midnight when your earbuds die out of nowhere.
The earbuds have a set battery life and need to be charged as such.

4. Ever plan a outing with the guys only to have half of them flake a few hours before the actual event? Story of my life. 
Perhaps my ethos is weak or people are just busy on the dates selected. The planning process could be to blame.

5. I think earlier today I swore off sugar and committed to exercising or something. Gotta get them six pack abs! Did I mention how good this cupcake is :)
Food is such an intricate part of our culture and with Ramadan and other life events is hard to eat healthy. Also with 17 credits over the summer it's hard to do other things in general.

6. That moment where your white shoes get destroyed after just one wear and you instantly regret your decisions. This also applies to decimated glasses and totaled phone screens. 
Lack of care while wearing coupled with neglectful maintenance.

7. Try spending all day doing homework and just when you think your done Canvas drops the next batch on you.
There isn't enough time in the day to be ahead. Heck It's hard to not fall behind.

8. The world needs to lighten up. People form these little bubbles and can act cold or even mean at times. 
People come from many different backgrounds and everybody has something going on.

9. Praying 5 times a day means making a bunch of wudu. I wish there was a fast and portable way of doing this other then with water bottles. 
Public bathrooms aren't usually equipped to make wudu in and can be quiet dirty. Also it can sometimes feel like work making it more likely for people to miss prayer.

10. I have all these crazy creative ideas but no clue how to go about doing them or where to find the resources to start.
Time, money, knowledge, and talent are all limiting factors. But in retrospect it's all just an excuse. I have a hard time following through. There might be a bit of fear involved too.

11. Spending hours making a cool drawing or photograph only to realize that I hate how it looks.
I'm super picky about visual art in general. Also judgment from those around me.

12. Sucking at math so bad that it's actually affecting my future goals. 
A weak foundation in math coupled with disinterest. Also almost all tracks in college require math classes.

13. Anxiety is the worst feeling in the world. Your palms get sweaty, your heart rate goes up, and you start pacing around. 
I often find myself in a pickle or overthink things.

14. How temporary everything is and how little any of it matters in the face of inevitable death.
Religion aside, we're all gonna die and eventually our bodies will disappear. Our legacy can only hold for so long before we're forgotten. Most things we do, both good and bad ultimately won't matter.

15. Unorganized thoughts and messy environments make it hard to focus on tasks at hand. 
I have four siblings with the oldest being thirteen. This makes having a plan hard but necessary. Gotta bring order to the chaos.

16. Am I a good person. Is what I'm doing right? Wrong? Somewhere in between? 
Life isn't a multiple choice test. We often find ourselves in situations with no right answer. Maybe I haven't truly drawn a line in the sand and prioritized my life.

17. Committing to things I don't really care about and sacrificing things I do.
This is mostly clubs and organizations I joined out of curiosity and ended up stuck in. It's hard to peace out and walk away.

18. STEM majors making all the big bucks with the humanities increasingly disappearing. 
They have a "harder" job and thus make more. The perceived value of the humanities has gone down in society.

19. Wood floors have this annoying tendency to get dirty every five minutes. 
They aren't any dirtier then carpet. They just don't hide the dirt as well because of the texture.

20. Relying on others for money or things in general. 
Everyone has there own thing going. In college it's hard to study and keep a job that pays all the bills. Also sometimes we need help.

Reflection: Coming up with "bugs" wasn't to hard considering that these are all things that I struggle with on a daily basis. I think the hardest part was putting them into words. It was very cathartic actually and I'm interested in seeing how you guys respond! What are some things that make you tick? Let me know in the comments section bellow. 

The Beginning...

Is just a fancy way of saying start.