“Small Potato BIG Dream” Guest Speaker Session

A few weeks ago, Prof. Caric Hon reached out: "Jenny, can you be a guest speaker for BUSI3057 Managing Entrepreneurial Ventures? Your company has grown so much since BIG 10.0 – SPBD is no longer a startup. You're managing a venture in the growth stage." My honest first reaction? "Hmm… what did I actually do?" Between running a social enterprise bakery, empowering individuals with special educational needs (Autism, ADHD), managing six courses, and handling daily operations – I rarely stop for reflection. Easter gave me that rare space. I refined my slides, traced my actual decisions, and added honest, raw lessons to the class session. Here are a few takeaways I shared with the students (and myself): 🧠 Mindset ≠ Business Entrepreneurial mindset is universal – but not everyone needs to start a venture. Knowing when not to start is a superpower. ⏱️ Time management is survival Balancing courses + venture means instant responsiveness and creating your own structure. No one hands you deadlines. ⚡ Idea abundance is a struggle So is writing clear instructions for delegation. I've learned to outsource what I suck at (or hate doing) and use AI – but always double-check. ❤️ Emotions first, decisions second Trade-offs are constant. Managing my emotions before managing the venture changed everything. Adapting to every challenge that is coming ahead! 🍪 Mission in action Our bakery is a social enterprise. We train interns with special needs before they start. The most important thing is how to take action from idea to testing out the market. 💡 One more truth I'm still learning A startup is not about "wow, I got a business". It's about customer relationships, uniqueness, differentiation, and managing your team. Still learning while doing, and we are serious about it. 🙏 Gratitude Thank you, Prof. Caric Hon, for the invitation and for seeing growth in me before I saw it myself. And thank you to the BUSI3057 class for your energy and thoughtful questions. 📌 To fellow student founders (and overworked dreamers): You don't always feel your own progress. But reflection can show you how far "small potatoes" can go. #SmallPotatoBIGDream #StudentEntrepreneurship #SocialEnterprise #ManagingEntrepreneurialVentures #BUSI3057 #GrowthStageNotStartup #EmotionalManagement #NeurodiversityAtWork