Keep Failing: Is failure the key to success? Thomas Edison, the acclaimed American inventor, was credited with creating many devices for mass communication, sound recording, power generation, and motion pictures. Perhaps, most notably he invented the light bulb in January of 1879. Wonder how many times Edison failed before succeeding? Edison made 1000 unsuccessful attempts at creating the lightbulb prior to success. However, Edison never believed he failed, instead he stated, “”I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” My first Ted Talk idea is to talk about celebrating failure, because it is the root to success. As an individual and leader, I have always believed in failing fast and learning faster and I seek to create a working environment where that is one of our core values.
Finding your Miyagi: When I first arrived at UC Berkeley, I was completely overwhelmed by my surroundings. It seemed like everyone around me was accomplishing so much, but I didn’t even know what dream to chase. The summer of my freshman year was pivotal for my development, I interned at a fintech company and the CEO became my mentor. He both reshaped the way I thought about venture success and more importantly motivated me. In other words, I found my Miyagi. For my second ted talk idea, I wanted to talk about ways to align with the right mentor. This would encompass methods to find the right mentor and how to leverage human capital.
Just Make Wine: Pick the grapes. Crush the grapes. Ferment the grapes. Age the wine. Bottle the wine. Growing up it has always been my dream of mine to own a winery. I was always intoxicated with the idea of turning seeds into something of great beauty and appreciation through the practice of patience. For my third ted talk, I wanted to speak of the importance of patience when building value for others. As a leader, this has not always been my strong suit, but this is a skill I work tirelessly at perfecting.