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with Open Table, as Lead Designer, San Francisco
Thursday, May 29, 2014
The Food Spotting Field Guide
with Open Table, as Lead Designer, San Francisco
Still Times
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Still Times
The House,
Quieter,
Less voices heard
The Mind,
More understanding,
Less shared
Outside, appearances
Kept up
Inside, one wonders
Why?
Friday, May 23, 2014
Sam Weber on Wordpress - Selfless Service in Soccer & Life
Selfless Service in Soccer & Life
“Each
of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as
faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone
speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If
anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that
in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:10-11Throughout my time at Grove City, God has been teaching me how to use my talents to bring Him glory. In case you are unaware, this is a very hard lesson to learn because it means that it’s not about us and it’s all about God. The first step in this lesson is to admit that often times our actions are motivated by our selfish desire to be recognized by other people. Once we are able to recognize how self-centered we are, that’s when the real growth can start to take place.
Bringing glory to God takes commitment and a conscious effort. If we are not consciously thinking about how we can honor God in our actions, then our natural instincts take over and we tend to do things in order to have others praise us.
While this lesson applies to every area of life, I have found it especially convicting when it comes to playing soccer. In general, sports provide many opportunities for our selfish nature to take over. It’s so easy to let others praise you when you score a goal, or run that extra sprint, or organize the next team building activity. But the truth is that playing soccer is a gift from God and that it provides an incredible opportunity to share the Christian faith with a lot of people.
Over the past two and a half years, I have found that playing on a Christian team is one of the most challenging experiences I have ever had. On a team like ours, we are held to a higher standard and are expected to play in a way that brings glory to God and shows others Christ through our actions on and off the field. Sometimes this is really hard to do, sometimes I completely fail at it too, but that’s why I have teammates around me. They pick me up when I fall off the wagon and resort back to my selfish ways, and I do the same for them. That’s what makes playing soccer at Grove City so special. Having this commitment to giving God the glory has also been the one thing that has truly united our team. We all come from different backgrounds, we all have different majors, friends, and life goals, but our commitment to our faith truly brings us together.
This off season has been especially challenging for me. As my junior class moves into our senior year on the team, we are expected to start taking on more leadership responsibilities. I have found this to be really tough because I feel like it is so easy to lead in a way that brings praise back to myself. I don’t want to be like this, but sometimes it just happens.
So, with all of that in mind, I am publicly admitting that I am selfish human being and that I am re-focusing by committing to making a conscious effort to use my gifts to bring glory to God.
If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - Ready, Set, Reboot
Ready, Set, Reboot
I
am a very busy person. Between school, soccer, my business, and a
myriad of other organizations that I am involved in, there is little
time to rest. Yesterday, I was in class desperately trying to pay
attention to my professor lecturing about a Eurodra Welty short story,
but found my mind drifting to all of the things I needed to get done
this week. In a matter of minutes, I was able to make a to-do list with
27 pressing items.While I enjoy living a fast-paced lifestyle, sometimes it all just becomes really overwhelming and I need to take a day or two to just get away from it all. Last week I found myself getting to the point where I literally wanted to just get in my car and drive until I couldn’t drive anymore. Fortunately, I had a road trip already scheduled for the weekend with four friends. We took the weekend and went to Charlottesville, Virginia.
The weekend was such a blessing – I enjoyed spending the majority of Saturday outside watching soccer games in the sunny 60 degree weather. That night, my friends and I played soccer tennis under the lights while wearing shorts. We ate amazing homemade food, watched a movie, and just spent time together hanging out. I even ditched my computer and barely looked at my phone.
While going to Virginia meant spending 12 total hours in the car driving, the weekend was well worth it and really helped me reboot after a tough couple of weeks, and I was able to spend some quality time with great friends.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - Finding Purpose in Soccer
Finding Purpose in Soccer
My latest blog post on http://www.soccerswink.com – Wanted to share it here too.
Have you ever wondered what your last soccer season will look like? What it will feel like to lace up your boots for the last time? To hear the final whistle blow? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. After playing competitive soccer for the past 17 years, my senior soccer season is just around the corner. It’s hitting me that I have less than 25 competitive soccer games left to play. To some, 25 games may sound like a lot, but when I remember that I have played over 1,000 games in my life, I know these last 25 games will fly by. As I think about the end, I have been reflecting on how this game has prepared me for life and how it has made me a better person. If you still have years left to play this beautiful game, take time to evaluate whether or not soccer has transformed you for the better or worse. If you are unhappy with your findings, commit to making a change. There is still plenty of time!
1. Be Intentional in Everything
The most important lesson I have learned from soccer is to be intentional in everything I do. Whether it’s something soccer related (practice, off-season training, etc.) or school or even my relationships with my teammates, I have learned to pay attention to the details. I have learned the importance of getting things right (no matter how small) the first time. There’s a famous Ghandi quote that says “Be the change you want to see in the world.” To me, this means that if you unhappy with something in your life, it’s your job to fix it. ”Fixing it” requires discipline, hard work, and intentionality. I have found that I have reaped the greatest rewards from being intentional with my relationships with my teammates. When I am intentional about spending time with them outside of soccer, my relationships with them are able to go so much deeper, and in the end, we are both incredibly blessed.
2. Value People
People matter. All of them. I have had the privilege of getting to know many, many people throughout my time playing soccer. Some of them have become my best friends, some have become life-long mentors, some have inspired me and some have screwed me over, hurt me, and put me down. But you know what? I have learned to value every single one of those people. I obviously value the people who have been a friend to me, mentored me, and inspired me. That’s easy. Valuing the people who have screwed me over, hurt me, and put me down is a lot harder. It’s taken years to get to the point where I can recognize how much those people have changed me for the better. Those people have taught me to persevere through adversity. They have shown me exactly what I don’t want to be. They’ve shown me the ugliness of selfishness and arrogance. My relationships with these people have also allowed me to appreciate the people around me who are genuine, encouraging, and selfless. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the people who are easy to love or the ones who would be easy to hate.
3. Finding Purpose
“The only thing worse than running is not having anything to run for.” — Scott Frey, Messiah Head Coach. These words really hit the nail on the head for me. What’s the point of playing soccer? Why have I dedicated so much time to something that I am only able to play competitively for 18 years of my life? I did not have an answer to this question until I started playing at Grove City College three years ago. I think everyone who plays soccer is playing for some kind of purpose. For me, soccer has taught me to use my gifts for God’s glory. Playing for this higher purpose has caused me to prioritize sportsmanship, character development, work ethic, and team over individual. This is something that both the Messiah College and Grove City College soccer programs have at the very core of their team missions. And this purpose can be applied to a lot more than soccer. This game has taught me more than just how to be an excellent athlete, it has prepared me to excel at life.
Well, these are my thoughts on how soccer has changed my life
Sam Weber on Wordpress - A Christian's Perspective on Gay Marriage: It's All About Love
A Christian’s Perspective on Gay Marriage: It’s All About Love
If
you’re a Christian and you’re wondering “how to respond” to all the
hype surrounding gay marriage these days, here are a few things to
consider. I am purposely leaving out my personal political opinions on
this issue.Christian Thoughts:
1. The “gay marriage” issue has been a major dividing point among conservatives & liberals, christians & non-christians for many years now. I can barely remember a time before this became such a polarizing topic among my friends. I think it’s unfortunate that Christians have drawn so much public attention to their opposition of gay marriage because it has truly caused this issue to turn into a cultural war. I’m afraid Christians are fighting this war at Christ’s expense. The truth is that we have spent too much of our time condemning gay marriage and not enough time meeting people where they are at and caring for and loving these individuals.
2. Our message needs to change. All people are hearing is, “If you don’t change your ways, you’re going to hell.” Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, and it’s certainly not specific sins that condemn us. In reality, we’re ALL dead in our sin already and deserve to go to hell. It’s only through Christ’s love that any of us have hope. I’m starting to think that reframing this message should be our first priority.
3. All this to say, I do believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I think Focus on the Family sums up my views on marriage best: Where there is anything that’s designed, there is a designer. Whether it’s a truck, building or train — or even marriage — there is always a mastermind behind the masterpiece. God, the mastermind of marriage, also has a plan for how marriage works best. It can be overwhelming to try and understand God’s design and plan for marital love because contradicting and varying messages are everywhere: in books, magazines, movies and music. As a result, many couples fall into the trap of looking everywhere but to the Designer to find out what God intended for marriage. If you’ve tried understanding marriage through the world, there’s a better way.
4. My final thought is that this whole issue really does boil down to love. I have several gay and lesbian friends now and many of them consistently post on Facebook or say that all they want is the right to love whomever they want to love. I know that there are many reasons for people turning to homosexuality, but in my experience, I feel as though many of my friends who have “come out” in recent years are people who have been deeply hurt by people of the opposite sex or by Christians, and have turned to people of their own sex to find comfort, and ultimately, value. We have failed these people. I have failed these people. It is our responsibility to love these people like Christ loves us. We are all sinners, yet Christ loved us enough to die on the cross for us in order to save us. We must lay down our lives in the same way and point not only our homosexual friends to Christ, but everyone we meet. It really is all about love.
I know this is a long post, and I hope that I have not offended any of my friends or family members with anything that I have said. That was definitely not my intention. These are just some of my thoughts on how Christians should respond to the issue of gay marriage as a whole, and how we should approach our gay and lesbian friends and family members.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - South Africa Mission Trip
Monthly Archives: June 2013
South Africa Mission Trip
To
be honest, I never really had a heart for missions until I came to
Grove City and started playing on the women’s soccer team. In my time
here, I have learned that soccer can be used to share my Christian faith
with others. As a team, our goal is to change the culture of soccer by
sharing the love of Jesus Christ on and off the field. When I was
presented with the opportunity to go to South Africa with my team, it
just seemed like an experience I could not pass up.The trip took place May 21-June 5. I am disappointed that I have taken this long to write about my experience, but in my defense, life has been ridiculously busy since I got back (you’ll find out why in another blog post next week!). Before I left for South Africa, I was really excited to see God work in my life despite a very unsettling conversation with a friend right before I left. He really made me question the purpose/impact of short term mission trips, but, after going on the trip, all of my last minute doubts were completely put to rest. The relationships I built with the people we interacted with in South Africa confirmed this to me every single day. One of our South African contacts we had even told us that he was so encouraged by our willingness to come to South Africa. He further explained that South African churches don’t want Americans to just “send money,” they wanted us to come and join in their ministries! This is what confirmed to me that short term mission trips really are worth it.
As for the actual trip, if you would like an overview of what we “did” during our time in SA, you can read our team blog.
While I literally could write an entire book about this trip, I want to focus on my interaction with Ambassador in Sports’ Hope Academy. Even though we only
spent one evening with an official Hope Academy, this turned out to be
the highlight of the trip for me. As it was described to me, Hope
Academy is an intensive and holistic soccer (or “football”) based
program that provides underprivileged children in Africa the opportunity
to fulfill their God-given potential on and off the field.
Ambassadors’ vision for this program is to strategically establish
self-sustainable Hope Academies in disadvantaged communities and to
uplift children in Africa in their football, faith and future. I was
literally blown away by this organization and I hope that I am able to
continue to support its growth and development in the future.This is how the program works: after school, thirty-nine students (mostly elementary school age) come to the soccer field for practice. The coaches serve them a meal and then teach them a life lesson. Before changing into their uniforms, all of the children line up, introduce themselves and shake hands with the coaches. Our Grove City team was blown away by the amount of respect the kids show the coaches. Hope Academy was founded on seven core values, including self-discipline, integrity, humility, respect, compassion, equality, and excellence. The life lesson the kids talked about during our time with them centered on humility. After the whole group discussed humility, we broke into several smaller groups to dive into the lesson further. Each of the Ambassadors coaches took time to ask every single child in their small group how their day was at school and then followed up by asking them how they demonstrated humility at school. It was amazing to hear their responses. It was at this point in the evening that I realized how big of an impact Hope Academy was making in these children’s lives. I knew right then and there that this was a program I had to continue to support. After the lesson, they spend about an hour playing soccer – I was excited to participate in the drills alongside the kids.
Later
in the week, we got to experience “life before Hope Academy” when we
ran a clinic at an elementary school in the impoverished Mamelodi
township. Mamelodi is one of the poorest areas in South Africa and
almost everyone lives in a makeshift shack. Despite the
circumstances, Ambassadors is trying to start a Hope Academy there in
the near future. Most of the kids at the school did not know English,
but despite the language barrier, they all understood the language of
soccer. Though we all came from very different backgrounds, we were able
to connect with them through the game. I don’t think I have ever seen
so many smiling faces or received so many hugs while kicking a ball
around before a practice. Once we were ready to start our official
practice, we divided the kids into groups and helped the Ambassadors
coaches run a clinic for 50 students, all U13 boys and girls. At each
station, we connected soccer to a specific life skill. One thing that
really stuck out to me was the kids passion for soccer. Most of them
had to practice in bare feet on a field that had more sharp rocks than
blades of grass. Nevertheless, the kids practiced hard and it seemed
like there was nowhere else they would rather be than on that field.
For me, their passion for the game and their willingness to give their
all despite what I would say were horrible field conditions and
circumstances, reminded me of what a Christian life should look like.
As Christians, we should be so passionate for Christ that we are
willing to step on the mission field even if we don’t have the right
shoes, don’t speak the same language, and even if the field is filled
with sharp rocks. If we were willing to do this, think about what God
could accomplish through us.Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who supported this trip. Your financial donations and prayer support not only impacted my life, but the lives of hundreds of children in South Africa. I hope this blog post helps you realize that.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - $25,000 Makes a BIG Difference!
$25,000 Makes a BIG Difference!
“Oh, that’s cool…” *cue subtle eye rollThis is the reaction I usually get from people when I tell them that I am the CEO of a tech startup company. I guess I can’t get too upset with them since I probably wouldn’t believe a college student (let alone an ENGLISH MAJOR) could actually start a viable tech business either. With that in mind, I have a feeling a lot more people are going to understand why I was crazy enough to co-found a company at 20 years old while still going to college full time and playing a varsity sport. Today, I am proud to announce ProfilePasser’s acceptance into AlphaLab, a startup accelerator program located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After an intense (and I seriously mean intense) application process, the incubator accepted 9 companies out of over 100 that applied. Each company has been provided with $25,000 in investment capital, office space, strategic business support, mentorship, and educational sessions to help us accelerate the launch and growth of our businesses. At the end of the 20-week program, each startup will present their company at AlphaLab Demo Day to investors and press from around the nation.
Honestly, it’s hard to describe what it feels like to be accepted into such a prestigious and competitive program. I am proud yet humbled, excited yet scared, confident yet insecure, and stressed yet at peace. Now that ProfilePasser has been accepted, we have a lot of momentum and support to make this business a success. At this point, some of you reading this post might be asking yourself, “so what is ProfilePasser anyway?”
Well, ProfilePasser is a mobile app that connects high school athletes and college recruiters. We are focusing on increasing the interactions between athletes and recruiters at showcase tournaments and events so that more athletes can advocate for themselves and more coaches can find talent faster without the hassle of old-fashion recruiting. If you want to learn more, you can also check out our alphalab company page or visit our website.
As I continue to grow my business, I hope that you will help me spread the word to your family and friends. Feel free to read the ProfilePasser Blog, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook!
So
why did I decide to start ProfilePasser? It’s pretty simple really: my
parents raised me to leave things better than how I found them. At age
three, I signed up for my first soccer team and I immediately fell in
love with the game. Growing up, I played for a nationally ranked club
team and made the Region 1 Olympic Development Team (one step below a
youth national team) when I was 14 years old. Like many others, my
dream was to play Division I soccer, but when I was old enough to start
getting attention from college recruiters, I learned a heartbreaking
lesson: it takes more than talent to play at the next level, it takes exposure.
Unfortunately, there were very few tools that helped athletes advocate
for themselves and get the exposure they deserved. I watched many of my
extremely talented teammates fall through the recruiting cracks. Forced
to give up soccer, many went through a grieving process akin to losing a
loved one; some even fell into depression. Often, it was not because
they were not good enough, but because they just could not make the
right connections.While it may seem counterintuitive, I say all of this because I founded ProfilePasser for all the talented athletes who do not get recruited. ProfilePasser will give every talented athlete the exposure they deserve and the opportunity to connect with college recruiters when it matters most: at showcase tournaments and events. We will enable athletes to give 110% towards being recruiting, and if they do not get recruited to play at the next level, they can rest assured that they gave their best effort and that they just were not good enough. It will give them the closure they need to move on and live successful and happy lives. That’s why I started this company—not to make money (although I hope to do that too), but to change athlete’s lives and to leave the college athletic recruiting process better than how I found it three years ago.
To wrap up this rather long blog post, I want to take a few seconds to thank everyone who has supported me or helped ProfilePasser along the way. This includes my family, friends, teammates, coaches, colleagues, attorneys, mentors, and professors. Here’s to a bright and successful future! Let’s go change lives together.
Senior Reflections on my Final Soccer Season
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my final soccer season. What it will feel like to lace up my cleats for the last time (don’t even ask me how I felt about buying my last pair of cleats…). What it will feel like to run out onto the field with the warm up CD blasting and the crowd cheering for my team for the last time. What it will feel like to hear the final whistle blow and walk off the field for the last time. After playing competitive soccer for the past 18 years, it’s really hard to imagine what my life will be like without this game. While I have seen many people take playing this game for granted, I truly have appreciated every moment I have had on the field. Maybe that’s partly because of all of my injuries, but I really think it’s just because I absolutely love playing this game. To be honest, there is no place I would rather be than on a soccer field with a ball at my feet.
And with less than 25 games left to play, I want to make my last season my best season ever. And by “best season ever,” I don’t just mean my best season on the soccer field. Sure, I want to score more goals this season, win more games, make program history (again) at NCAAs, etc., but I want a lot more out of this season than that. See, looking back, I realize that I love this game so much because it has truly molded me into the person I am today. It’s prepared me for the rest of my life. And I want to pass that along to the next generation of soccer players.
As one of nine seniors on the team, there are a lot of high “expectations” for this final season. Earlier today, the upperclassmen were talking about these expectations and the positive and negative effect expectations can have on a team. After listening to what everyone had to say, I agree that it’s so important not to focus on what will happen at the end of the season, but to take every day, every practice, every drill seriously and to appreciate the time we all have together and the time we have left to play. If we accomplish small goals, one step at a time, the rest will fall into place. So, on the field, that’s my goal this season: to take nothing for granted and to appreciate every second I have left to play.
Off the field, my goal is to invest as much time into the underclassmen as possible. As a senior looking back, it has been absolutely amazing to see this program grow into what it is today. Not only are we a really talented group of soccer players, but we are a committed group of Christian athletes who have made it our goal to share the love of Jesus Christ on and off the field. I have been so blessed by this team mission. From my mission trips to Honduras and South Africa with teammates, to praying with the teams we play against after all of our games, to seeing what it truly means to be a servant leader through the example of teammates and coaches – it has truly been an honor to be a part of this program. My only prayer is that this program will continue to grow and to impact the student-athletes who step onto our field in the future. With that in mind, my prayer is that I am able to invest in the underclassmen like the classes above me did for me. And to those people: thank you for your time, commitment, prayers, and faith. Please know that your legacy continues to live on and that I will do my best to keep it going.
Finally, just a couple of thoughts on my overall soccer career. Looking back, it’s crazy to think this journey is coming to an end. I can vividly remember signing up for my first soccer team when I was three and a half years old. I can remember being so nervous when I got my first soccer picture taken in my little green Freeport uniform at four years old. I can remember going to the MLS soccer camp every summer where I was coached by a group of British players. I can remember playing travel soccer with all of the Harmer girls and getting to go to the National 3v3 tournament at the Disney Sports Complex. I can remember watching the 99′ World Cup and dreaming about playing on the National Team one day. I can remember trying out for my first club soccer team and traveling all over the country for tournaments. I can remember winning state cup every year. I can remember trying out for the Regional ODP (olympic development team) every summer and finally making it when I was 14 years old. I can remember playing my first year of high school soccer and being section champs for the first time in school history. And of course, I have so many incredible memories at Grove City, especially getting the 200th win in program history (2011) and scoring the winning goal in OT to make program history at NCAAs in 2012.
And while there were plenty of disappointments, injuries, tears, bad coaches, and even worse teammates, I wouldn’t change a thing because all of these moments have shaped me into who I am today, and I could not be more thankful. And speaking of thanks, I just want to say thank you to my parents for supporting me and encouraging me to chase my dreams. I am forever grateful.
Here’s to the best season ever.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - 2014: The Year I Choose to Eliminate 80% of My Misery
2014: The Year I Choose to Eliminate 80% of my Misery
Recently,
I read a blog post titled “23 things to do instead of getting engaged
before you’re 23.” The girl writing the blog post noticed that more and
more of her friends were getting engaged while in college and getting
married right after graduation. As I read her post, I couldn’t help
but relate to almost everything she was saying. In fact, between
Thanksgiving and Christmas, I watched sixteen of my
Facebook friends get engaged. Think that number is crazy? We haven’t
even gotten to spring semester yet. I might as well kick back in front
of my computer with a bowl of popcorn and watch the “ring by spring-ers”
start popping up all over my social media.Now, I will pause here to say that I truly am very happy for my friends on their engagements and I hope God blesses their upcoming marriages. Marriage is something to be celebrated and many of my friends have obviously found the person that they love and are committed to spending the rest of their lives with. To them, I say congratulations and I wish you a lifetime of happiness!
However, if you are single, you can finally admit that even your happiest moments are clouded by this incessant voice whispering in your ear that these experiences would be better with a significant other to share them with. I mean, let’s be honest, how could you not when every song, TV show, movie, book, and often, sermon seem to center around finding your soulmate?
If I am really, really being honest, I am convinced that 80% of my misery is a direct result of this irrational pressure I feel that I should to be dating someone by this point in college. But the truth is that dating and marriage is a very serious topic for me and I am not ready for something that serious at this point in my life. People change a lot between high school and college. People change even more between college and their first year out of school. With that much change about to take place in my life, I want to make sure that I am changing into the person I want to be, without the influence of a significant other.
So enough is enough. I am done feeling guilty that I am single. Instead, I am committed to making this year about growing spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally into the person I want to be post-graduation. This year is about development, progress, discovery, and adventure.
With that being said, here’s my 2014 Vision Board with a list of 15 things I hope to accomplish this year. Cheers!
2014 Vision Board
1. Read the whole Bible
2. Drink at least two bottles of water a day
3. Raise a seed round of funding for ProfilePasser
4. Lay the groundwork for my book about my brother
5. Become financially independent/move out of the house
6. Support Ambassadors in Sport in South Africa
7. Coach either a club or collegiate soccer team
8. Increase flexibility and core strength 4x/week
9. Make something with my hands and sell it
10. Mentor someone younger than me
11. Learn more about tea and wine
12. Do something radical
13. Thank more people
14. Speak at an event
15. Travel to Boston, Nashville, & Ireland
Sam Weber on Wordpress - Commitment to Graduations
Commitment to Graduation
I came across a quote today that really caught my attention.“We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start.”
This week I began my last semester of college. While I wasn’t really looking forward to going back, I also never thought this semester would start off this miserable either. I knew it would be difficult since I had to take 19 credits to graduate (a schedule in which the registrar so kindly reminded me is “considered an overload and is billed accordingly” today), but I thought it would be manageable. Unfortunately, the week before I came back to school, my schedule was rearranged. I was kicked out of an English class I had chosen to take and placed in a freshman World Drama class that requires me to spend 15 hours working crew for the college’s play, act out two memorized seven minute scenes in front of the class with at least one person I do not know, attend all five GCC drama productions this semester (and write papers on each of them), and read approximately fifteen plays I have absolutely no interest in reading. On top of all of that, my other classes are extremely boring and completely irrelevant to anything I want to do with my life.
So, after the longest first week ever, I decided to come home for the weekend after I pitched ProfilePasser to a group of investors this afternoon in Pittsburgh. The entire time I was in the city today, I couldn’t help but wish I was done with school and that I could focus all of my time on running my business. But, then I read the quote above about finishing what I start. While I am 99% sure this semester is going to feel like an eternity and that I am going to have to do a lot of reading and assignments that I don’t really want to do, I am the kind of person who follows through on my commitments. After all, it’s true: it doesn’t really matter what I start, it only matters if I finish it. So, here’s to my last semester of college, a semester in which I am sure I will learn more about dedication than anything else.
Sam Weber on Wordpress - The Best Startup Ideas
The Best Startup Ideas
The 5th Startup Weekend Pittsburgh
is set to take place March 28-30. While there are tons of
opportunities for entrepreneurs to get plugged into the startup
community, I believe this event is the best. I attended the second
Startup Weekend Pgh almost two years ago when I pitched my company ProfilePasser
and won 3rd place. Coming into the weekend, I had no idea that those
54 hours would allow me to validate my idea and give me the confidence I
needed to turn ProfilePasser into a real, growing business that would
eventually turn into my job after college.Now that I have been working on my business for a coupe of years, I have been asked if I have any advice for people who are just starting out. To these people, I would say: Stop talking and start doing. There will never be a perfect time to start a business, to pursue a dream or to change the world. At some point, you have to stop talking about doing all of these things, and actually take action to achieve your goals. Anyone can come up with a good business idea, but few have the courage to make it happen. Two years ago, pitching my company at Startup Weekend was a really big risk. I’m not going to lie, it can be pretty terrifying to walk up on a huge stage and deliver a coherent and compelling 60 second pitch to 150 strangers if you have never done it before (hell, it’s pretty scary even if you do have the experience!). As a college sophomore, I felt completely unprepared to pitch ProfilePasser, but looking back almost two years later, I can say that it was one of the best risks I have taken.
At the end of Startup Weekend, I finally felt like I had figured out what I was supposed to do with my life and I committed to making ProfilePasser a reality. Since then, I have spent a lot of time getting involved in the startup community in Pittsburgh. At this point, I have met people who run successful startups and I have also met people who ultimately just couldn’t make the business happen for one reason or another.
While there are a lot of reasons that startups fail, personally, I believe that the best business ideas are the ones that solve a problem you have experienced yourself. Why? Because the truth is that starting a business is easy, but having the endurance to stick with an idea long enough to not only launch a product but to actually find real customers is really, really hard. If you are driven to start a business because your number one goal is to make money or to see your name in the newspaper or because you don’t like taking orders from other people, you are probably not going to last very long.
The truth is that you are going to meet a lot of people who think your idea is complete crap. Maybe they don’t understand your problem, they think your market is too niche, you don’t have the right team, etc. etc. etc. You are going to have people say “NO” to you over and over and over again, but if you are working on an idea that you have experienced yourself and that you know is a real problem, you will keep working on it no matter how many times someone says no to you. You are going to work on it until you find the right people who say yes.
I believe that the best ideas, the best entrepreneurs are those who believe in their idea more than anything and are willing to do anything to make it succeed. The people worth investing in are the people willing to stay up all night to meet a deadline, willing to drive three states away in the middle of one of the worst snow storms on record just to get that contract signed, willing to risk it all because they know in their heart that they are solving a real problem because they have experienced it themselves. At least those are the people that inspire me and those are the kind of people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world and actually do.
Do you agree? What kind of startup ideas and entrepreneurs do you think are most successful?
Sam Weber on Wordpress -
Thank you, Mom.
In
exactly four weeks, I will be a college graduate. When I look back
over the past four years, it’s incredible to see how much I have changed
emotionally, athletically, academically, professionally, socially, and
spiritually. This year alone has been full of change. I have had so
many ups and downs, great moments of success and terrible times of loss
and despair. I’ve learned a lot during my time at Grove City, but the
greatest take away from my college experience has been that I have truly
made my Christian faith my own. Not everything about Grove City was
awesome, but the people God placed in my life and the spiritual mentors
who helped guide me through this transitional time helped me see God in everything.
However, none of these people even compare to the impact my mom has
made in my life. Below is a letter my mom wrote to me when I began my
freshman year (and I would recommend all mothers share this with their
children before they go to college!). Her wisdom is unmatched and her
love unconditional. To my mom, thank you for everything you do for me
and I hope I made you proud these past four years.
Written Summer 2010:
Even with your attractive schedule, life in college will be busy,
and the stress of studies and your drive to reach the heights in all
your endeavors will consume most of your time, but all of these things
are still minor in comparison with becoming a student of God and
knowing Him. Every day has 24 hours, obviously, if you could give 1% of
your time to God, that would be 24 minutes; or if you gave .5% of your
day, it would be 12 minutes. Just think on this. When I think of this,
what comes to mind is that we are in charge of how we spend out time
and we need to do that. I need to do that. How many mornings do I lose
time, sometimes a considerable amount of time, because I get sidetracked
by something online! And then I’m off to a bad start, having already
gotten behind in my own *list* of what I believe is important for me to
accomplish on a particular day. This is why I try to start with God so
He doesn’t get shoved out.
So, tip#1 – Put God first in your life and in your day, every day, so that this becomes a habit. God wills peak to you through his Word and direct you. Because he is omniscient and loves and cares for you, checking in with Him is always a great idea.
Tip #2 – journal. When you *hear* from God, write it down. It’s definitely a “Weber thing.” As an English major, you may find having these thoughts written down to be very useful. And journal your college experience too.
Tip #3 – “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord.” This was a verse I used to say over and over again to Zach and Alexa when they were young.
Tip #4 – Give all glory to God! We love praise and to walk in the limelight, but we are called to be “stars” in this regard: A star reflects the light of the Sun (or Son).
Tip #5 – Always, always - expect good things from God. He promises “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his Word.” My understanding is that God has His Story and all good stories have that rising and falling action. The downs are as necessary as the ups for a good story; therefore, do not despair when the downs come because it’s all leading to the happiest endings!
Last, remember the 3 C’s:
CONSIDER the choice
COMPARE it to God
COMMIT to God’s way
COUNT on God’s protection and provision
Know that you will always be in my prayers and not just at a
certain, like when I do my devotions in the morning, but always,
throughout my day. However, while I do this imperfectly, God is always
watching over you!
I thank God for allowing me to be your mother. You have truly been
my joy and I look forward to sharing our futures wherever the twists
and turns of life take us! Have a wonderful, wonderful college
experience, soak up everything that comes your way (with discernment)!
-Love Mom
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Sam Weber Wordpress - "Who Did You Meet in College?"
Who Did You Meet in College?
I
came across a quote this semester that says: “We are judged by what we
finish, not by what we start.” Graduating from Grove City College is not
an easy task. My time here has taught me things about myself, about my
faith, and about life that I never could have learned at any other
school. I discovered that I have more willpower, more patience, more
discipline than I ever could have imagined; I also found out that I have
friends whose love, support, values, dreams and desires are truly
inspiring and push me to be a better version of myself every day. We are
emerging smarter and stronger from the challenges this environment has
placed on us. Graduating from Grove City means that we can be secure, or
better yet, we can be confident in our ability to endure and survive
hardships — hardships in our academic, personal and professional lives –
for years to come. See, it is impossible to truly know yourself, or the
power and grace of God, or the strength of your relationships, until
all of these things have been tested. And I am sure you can all agree,
Grove City has certainly tested us. But it is knowledge like this that
is a true gift, and one that we will carry with us for the rest of our
lives.I wish that I could sum up the past four years for all of us, but the truth is that we have all had unique journeys during our time at Grove City. While we have been taught in our academic lives to analyze and synthesize, real life teaches us that we cannot always draw big conclusions, profound truths, or great significance from the events of our lives. On days like today, we may desire to have some great epiphany or to know what our time at Grove City has all meant, but I can’t pretend to know how God will use our time here in the future.
Looking back over these past four years, the majority of my memories involve boring Friday nights flipping through flash cards, sitting in the library writing research papers into the wee hours of the morning, anxiously waiting for class registration to begin only to find that the internet isn’t working, standing in line for chocolate chip pancakes in the SAC, pouring my heart out in worship at Warriors, sitting on a bus to Thomas More College with the women’s soccer team, and cleaning snow off of my car for what seemed like eight out of the nine months that we are here each year. While none of these memories seem like they will have a profound impact on my life, it turns out that this is okay. It’s actually amazing, really.
A few weeks ago, my friends and I were eating lunch in the cafeteria, not talking about anything very important. In fact, I can’t even remember the topic of our discussion, but it was the kind of lunch you can only have with your friends where it doesn’t really matter what you are talking about, the fact that you are with them is enough to make you happy. It was fun, but not really noteworthy. It was then that I realized that it’s the every day, mundane moments like this, the kind of moments you have experienced hundreds of times over again — like eating lunch with your friends in the cafeteria — that these are the moments that have the biggest impact on us.
See the truth is that it doesn’t really matter what clubs you have been the president of, how many games my your athletic team won, how many A’s you got in your classes, or even what career you have chosen. Instead, true meaning comes from the relationships we have with others. Very few profound life revelations come from the accomplishments we achieve in college. The rest, maybe even the majority, are molded by the time we have with the people around us: the people we see in the library, walking into chapel with us, or sitting next to us at commencement today. And who knows, the people we met during our time at Grove City might turn out to be the next President, the next CEO of Facebook, or maybe the person who finds a cure for cancer.
So, take a moment to evaluate your life at college. What people did you meet? What friends did you make? What professors influenced your life? Who will you continue to share your life with long after we leave here today?
All those seemingly meaningless little moments of your time here, all the trips to the TLC to get your computer fixed, all the IM sports you played, all the times your RA had to tell you to be quiet when you and your roommate were laughing too loudly during quiet hours, all the time you spent proofing each others’ papers: these are the pages that you have been writing in your book of life. These are the things that possess the truest vitality. These are the things that you will take with you from this day forward. So, now that we have started and finished another chapter of lives, where are you going from here? What chapter will you finish next?
Sam Weber on Wordpress.com
Sam Weber
Sam Weber - I love
sports, startups, and seeing hard work pay off. I am a Senior at
Grove City College pursuing a degree in English with concentrations in
business and Legal Studies. I am also a member of the women’s soccer
team and led my team in goals my sophomore and junior years while also
helping the team make program history at the NCAA tournament in 2012.I’m not your typical college student. At 19 years old I had my first startup business idea while visiting my sister (Founder & CEO of @Foodspotting) in San Francisco. Back then, I knew absolutely nothing about business — I was just an English major with a vision of what I wanted the college athletic recruiting process to look like.
Soon, I found myself living out Guy Kawasaki’s thoughts on entrepreneurship: “The truth is that no one really knows he is an entrepreneur until he becomes one — and sometimes not even then.”
With an open mind, a desire to learn, and a passion for athletics, ProfilePasser was born. Since then, I have had to persevere through several challenges in order to find success. But if my own athletic career has taught me anything, it is that hard work and determination are the keys to success in sports, and now business.
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