5 Ways to Take Advantage of Every Opportunity
Things I Learned from My Tow-Knight Entrepreneurial Journalism Fellowship
The Tow-Knight Fellowship in Entrepreneurial Journalism is a rigorous program housed at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York. The program explores monetization and business strategies for new media ventures and the future of journalism amidst a changing landscape.
Through the five month program, I gained valuable experiences and lessons learned, which are summated below in order of my progression through the program:
#1: Be willing to make investments (otherwise called sacrifices) to achieve your goals
As a Tow-Knight Fellow I travelled weekly from Washington, DC to New York, NY to attend programs. Many weeks I would rise at 4:00AM to be on-time for a 9AM start time, dashing down 8th Ave with bags in hand.
Why was I doing this? Because I saw my participation as an investment in myself and my organization, Walker’s Legacy. Framing my perspective to focus on the goal and the means being a process to getting there helped get me through the challenges.
I realized in business there were other ways in which I could apply this philosophy of investment vs. sacrifice as inevitably during the program I ran through business challenges as well.
#2: You never know when what you learned will come up. It’s all directly applicable to real business experiences
Experiences like Tow-Knight are often framed by how intentional you are about your participation. Finding ways to immediately apply your learnings to your business or other endeavors is extremely important. I experienced firsthand a moment where I questioned why we were spending so much time on a particular framework, only to be presented with the exact same framework modeling during an external business committee meeting I participated in.
Needless to say I was extremely prepared and realized that despite my inability to see how this directly related to my business at the time, everything you learn in the program is directly applicable to real business experiences.
#3: Be a part of the program, not just a participant in it…
I personally believe in the philosophy that participation also includes the opportunity to add value, not just absorb it. As a diverse community of fellows all bringing our respective businesses and professional experiences to the table provided the opportunity for us to learn from our cohort and to share knowledge, community and networks. Further, sharing these resources with the program also helped to increase opportunities and enhance the curriculum.
Seeking meaningful ways to share and receive is a great approach to personal and professional growth and an opportunity that will present itself throughout the program that I encourage all to take advantage of.
#4: Follow-up. Probably the easiest, yet least leveraged, tool for success
You will meet so many people throughout the program from a wide array of companies and industries. It is so important to ensure that you follow-up with as many of them as possible. Sending a personal thank you note, attending a program offered by the company/individual outside of their presentation or engaging with them online can go a long way in helping to present future opportunities and to increasing your network.
#5: Learn how to be growth mindset oriented, open to help, and honest with yourself. It’s the best way to grow.
You will reach a peak point in the program where you may feel like your endeavor is not viable, you’re exhausted, you don’t have enough time to tackle your to-do list, or you have found yourself completely outside of your comfort zone.
I personally believe if you don’t experience one or more of the aforementioned, you probably aren’t pushing yourself enough. This is also consistent with a growth mindset. According to the Harvard Business Review, growth minded individuals believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others). They have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset —those who believe their talents are innate gifts.
Asking for help during this time can be the most liberating thing you can do for yourself. Don’t be afraid to share when you need assistance or to be honest with yourself about your need for help.
