Social media has become a keystone in profitability for startups

by: Courtland Schwerdt

SALT LAKE CITY— Thousands of companies have found success marketing through social media and keeping their operations online. It may be the era where physical locations are no longer needed.

There are approximately 2.34 billion users of social media worldwide, Pew Research Center reports. In the United States alone, daily social media users are estimated to exceed 221 million people by 2021, and will revolutionize how companies market themselves. It is free and provides millions access to content provided through media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

Instagram has payed out over $1 billion to celebrities and “fashion influencers” who market themselves and products from a variety of businesses. Social media is now a center-point in marketing strategies for businesses all over the world, with access to a billion users who spend an average of two hours each-day scrolling through content. Instagram has become a dominant platform for many fashion startups, because it allows them to lower overhead costs and maximize customer interaction.

Taking advantage of these mediums, Giorgio Verdi, a custom suit company that operates through Instagram and Facebook, has created a large following. The company was founded in 2017 by Ronnie Green and Giorgio Cuellar, two former students at University of Utah dedicated to providing unique and high-quality Italian fabrics.

Founders of Giorgio Verdi, Ronnie Green and Giorgi Cuellar

Through the remote nature of Instagram, Giorgio Verdi is able work all over the world without the need for a physical location. This is important since Cuellar lives in Dallas, Texas, and Green lives in San Diego, California. One of the greatest benefits for Giorgio Verdi operating through social media is being able to save money on building a headquarters. This has allowed them to focus on working with clients remotely. Some of their most high-profile clients — and an example of their influence in the online market — are Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte, professional skateboarder, Nyjah Huston, the Dallas Cowboys, and various MLS soccer players.

Among the benefits of social media marketing for Giorgio Verdi—the ability to interact with their clients on a personal level. They are able to make impressions on thousands of their followers in their target audience which has also built their success as an online company. 

“You know what, the easiest way to target our direct demographic is not through traditional marketing avenues, it’s directly through social media,” says Green. “When we first started marketing we decided that we wanted to target young new athletes and young professional who are starting at financial firms, guys that are young and want to look good, who wear suits everyday. So, really the only option that we had was through Instagram.”

Giorgio Verdi communicates with clients by searching for young athletes that are moving to new cities, sending them direct messages, promoting their suits and giving discounts directly to those who provide free advertising by posting photos of their newly tailored suits.

Social media marketing is unlike most traditional methods of marketing, with direct messages and the ability to target desired demographics, it’s easy to influence other followers because all the marketing is done in one spot, when a customer posts a picture of a product, they are distributing that content to their friends who fit into similar demographics. It’s essentially a trickle down effect and heavily increases brand awareness.  

“Social media marketing has been huge because it is so intimate and people are taking a chance on us,” says Cuellar. “It has really shown previous clients what we have done, whether that’s celebrities or athletes, it builds a lot of credibility. As a young company it really boosts consumers’ confidence when they can see people that inspire them and can purchase these products right on their phone. We don’t want to be out of reach with our consumers and social media allows us to have a conversation with our customers and really makes them feel included in what we are doing.”

Instagram stories have been a successful marketing tool for companies like Giorgio Verdi by allowing them to show their clients how they create and design products. It also allows consumers to get an honest perspective on how those products are made. 

“With a social media-type business, if you have a product that you are pushing, it’s all about finding who your typical consumer is,” says Chad Hernandez, founder of Cash & Co, a children’s hat company operated online. “Ninety-nine percent of people that follow that person share similar interests. It’s also important to consider your followers, they’re just like people walking in your store, but with social media it’s so easy to catalog and display your work and get your product out in the market.”

Hernandez believes that operating online has several distinct advantages. “I feel like there’s going to be a day and age where there will be no stores. With the rising cost of real estate it’s really an advantage to be purely online and why not cut costs if you can. It’s been huge for us not to have overhead costs and as a small business other companies purchase our products and put them in stores for us.”

Online companies are finding success by cutting costs and focusing budgets on social media while lowering overhead costs, meanwhile stores like Sears and Toys ‘R Us are closing doors for good. The ability to compete in a market where consumer can purchase a wide variety of goods with a single touch is invaluable. Online businesses are paving the way for the future of commerce.

MY LINKEDIN:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtland-schwerdt-5463749b/

MY BLOG:

My Reflection Blog

MY STORY:

• Social media has become a keystone in profitability for startups

MY BIO:

• Courtland Schwerdt

MY LINKEDIN:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtland-schwerdt-5463749b/

MY BLOG:

Thinking about what I wanted to write about for my enterprise story I knew I wanted to write about something that I’m passionate about and would be informational to my audience. My story centers around two subjects that I think applies to a lot of college students, startups and social media. A critical component for this story is developing interesting leads to interview. I immediately thought about my two best friends that I did summer sales with four years ago. In 2017, they created a startup company, Giorgi Verdi, a custom-suit company that markets purely through social media. Originally my story was going to investigate if the Lassonde Institute and the David Eccles School of Business have incorporated social media marketing into their curriculum. The sources that I wanted to interview are the two founders of the suit company and one marketing director of the Lassonde Institute. When dealing with finding sources to develop my story I really learned about how different sources can affect the development of the story. I encountered a huge obstacle when trying to follow through with my sources. One of the key interviewees for my story was unable to work with my deadline. I was unable to contact someone from one of the business schools, so I had to come up with a third interviewee, fast. Coming up with a different source for my story, totally changed what I was going to write about. I actually think this was pretty cool about creating story because finding a new source changed my story completely. Instead of interviewing someone from the university about social media and its inclusion in the academic curriculum.  I decided to interview another company that operates through social media. I decided to change my story and focus on how social media has saved startups huge costs in marketing and how it has contributed to their success. I also wanted to write about the benefits that a company can have when purely operating out of social media. It was really cool working with what I had developing my story.

Pumpkin Nights influences the lives of artistic professionals 

Three artists and an event organizer, illustrate the impact that the event Pumpkin Nights can have in the life of an artistic professional

By Tyson Zullo

SALT LAKE CITY — Since 2016, Pumpkin Nights has been an organization dedicated to showcasing local artists via a very unique medium. Pumpkins, (most of them artificial) of all different shapes and sizes are used, not only to showcase the superb talent of local artists, but to create a memorable experience for their audiences. Pumpkin Nights is held in four cities: LA, Auburn, Denver, and Salt Lake City.

“I’ve done a few things building up to this,” says Toby Draper, who became associated with the Pumpkin Nights organization last year. “I’ve done tech jobs before I was an

A giant Octopus which is located in “Pirate Land” is being displayed, November 3rd, Salt Lake City, Utah. The artists Toby Draper and Katie Kasen assisted in the production of this artwork.

account executive. Now it’s hard to describe exactly what I do, but it’s definitely more fulfilling,” says Draper. This year Draper participated in the Pumpkin Nights production of the Giant Octopus and both of the Pirate ships.

Being affiliated with Pumpkin Nights has played a significant role in Drapers’ artistic career, “It’s mainly helped me with my creativity, I’ve really learned how people interact with the things that you build,” he said.

Katie Kasen, also became involved last year through her sister Chelsea Kasen who is both one of the founders of Pumpkin Nights. While she was studying at BYU Katie was offered a job to work with the organization, and she decided to take a semester off studying. This year Kasen was tasked with the Styrofoam projects, and the nine foot giant Jack-O-Lynn. “I was able to use so many of my artistic skills, but at the same time develop more, there is so much that they don’t teach you in school.” she said.

This experience inspired Katie to change her major from chemical engineering to graphic design. Since then she was interviewed by BYU radio, and engaged in a freelance project for a local haunted house. “Pumpkin Nights has been a milestone in my career,” she said.

The Friendly Spider is being displayed, November 3rd, 2018, Salt Lake City, Utah. Artist Katie Kasen assisted in the production of this artwork.

Alysa Orton graduated with a degree in illustration from BYU and became involved with the Pumpkin Nights project via a graphic design internship. “When I was in school I never thought that I would be working on Pumpkins” she said. Orton mainly worked on the owls, and the Day of the Dead sector. Along with working at Trader Joe’s, Orton would work two days a week at Pumpkin Nights, and she relished the experience. “It was really cool to have two days a week where I could be surrounded by a lot of creative people.”

Orton believes her portfolio has been “boosted” having participated in this event. Rather than just drawing, she was given the opportunity to be trained in, and utilize sculpting tools. “I had to learn how to simplify, which is such a big thing in design.”

As an event organizer, Chelsea Kasen has been involved for two years. At first she was seeking to start an event in Manhattan, but then she teamed up with John Tanner, and they decided to create an event inspired by Jack-O-Blaze in New York. Planning this event requires a full year, and before the event ends, the organizers are already planning for next year.

“As the event is going, I am thinking about what other markets we will go into next year,”

A Mariachi Pumpkin is being displayed at the “Dia de los Muertos” sector, November 3rd, Salt Lake City, Utah. Artist Alysa Orton assisted in the creation of this artwork.

says Chelsea Kasen. The organization utilizes feedback from participant surveys to develop future plans, and as an event organizer Kasen not only works on the product, but sets up guides for current and future event directors.

The artists who work at this event, possess the skills to implement the vision, however they have never done it on such a large scale. “Working here they are forced to streamline processes, think of better ways to do things, use cheaper materials, and figure out how to make something last for a while,” says Chelsea Kasen.  Not only does Pumpkin nights showcase the talent of these artists, it also focus its efforts on recruiting other industrial design companies such as TEA, a company that specializes in global networking for artists.

The main entrance to the event Pumpkin Nights, November 3rd, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pumpkin Nights is much more than it appears to be on its surface. Artists who engage in the vision of the organization are presented with opportunities that challenge their abilities to think critically, work well with a team, and become more efficient. Pumpkin Nights not only focuses on showcasing local artists but training them as well; helping them reach new heights both in their knowledge and artistic abilities.

It is an unforgettable experience which enchants its audience, and provides the artists an opportunity to truly “do something that is meaningful,” says Draper.

WC: 883

Tyson Zullo LinkdIn

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Reflection Blog 

When I learned that the primary mission of the organization Pumpkin Nights was to showcase local artists, I was really fascinated with the idea. It drove me to ask questions such as “To what extent does this organization go, to aid the artists in achieving recognition?” and “How has being affiliated with the organization Pumpkin Nights, benefited the artists?” I began to look at this organization through a new scope, and I was suddenly overcome with a desire to discover the answers to these questions and learn the truth for myself.  I decided to tell the untold story, of how Pumpkin Nights has made an impact in the lives of artistic professionals.

On the website there is no direct number that can be used to contact an event organizer, fortunately however the company does have a section on their Instagram page that contains the contact information of the participating artists. Via direct messenger, I was able to message artists Toby Draper, Katie Kasen, and Scott Hard. I never heard back from Hard, however Draper and Kasen responded immediately, they were very supportive with this story, and they referred me to their fellow colleague Alyssa Orton, and an event organizer, Chelsea Kasen.

I strongly feel that these sources were the best for this story in particular, because they all have experienced the benefits of being affiliated with this organization on a first-hand basis. It was so fascinating how each of the artists were able to provide diverse angles on the story, and have benefited from their association with this organization in their own unique way. The most remarkable thing that I was able to learn while writing this story is, Pumpkin Nights not only strives to help local artists gain recognition, but they also train, and help these artist develop the necessary skills in order to take their artistic careers to new heights.

My Story

 My Story: Pumpkin Nights influences the lives of artistic professionals

About Me: Born, and raised in Salt Lake City Utah. I Enjoy, Hiking, Boating, and spending time with my family.

Experienced Guest Services Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit industry. Skilled in communication, analysis, adaptability, teamwork, and critical Thinking. Strong operations professional, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree focused in Strategic Communication at the University of Utah.

My Story

By Laura Child

The “Me Too” movement and the effect on college campuses

As the Me Too social movement has become more prevalant in the last two years, I thought it would be a great topic to write my enterprise story on. I have become passionate about inequality issues surrounding women’s rights and wanted to learn more about how this movement has effecting women. Our enterprise story was supposed to be tied to the University of Utah so I thought that putting an emphasis on how sexual assault affected college campus’ would be my main focus. I hoped to provide a background on the movement and how it has affected universities and their safety protocols when dealing with sexual misconduct.

In order to find my story content, I wanted to provide on-campus resources, statistics, and personal experiences. I was able to interview some of our campus advocates and understand some of their hopes as sexual assault counselors. By talking to them, I was also able to gain a better understanding of how we can prevent these assaults on campus. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to interview anyone that had had a personal experience to share with the story. I felt like this was going to be a stretch as this information is so sensitive. There were a lot of different angles I wanted to include within the story which helped shape my story beginning with the history of the movement to how we can improve our own safety at universities.

As I wrote this story, I was surprised by some of the statistics I came across. It has become such a significant issue that is in constant need of safety improvements. I wish I was able to connect with more of the police force on campus and individuals who have gone through their own personal experiences. I felt like I was able to create an interesting, educational piece which has allowed me to be more educated on the issue.

By Amy Boud

SANDY, Utah — The changes made to Hale Centre Theatre’s location, budget, and casting starting November 16, 2017, have increased the size of Utah’s footprint in the performing arts world and opened up job opportunities for aspiring performing artists.

Hale Centre Theatre (HCT) is a long running performing arts theatre company in the Salt Lake Valley. The theater’s founders, Nathan and Ruth Hale, opened the doors of their first theater in 1947 in Glendale, CA, to just six patrons. Now their legacy lives on in their home state of Utah through a theater that has become one of the nation’s longest running.

The Hale’s grandson, Mark Dietlein, serves as the CEO and executive producer of HCT. On November 16, 2018, Dietlein released a statement to celebrate the first anniversary of HCT’s new location in Sandy. “Our two new theaters are filling to capacity on a regular basis and we have added over 70 additional performances in this first full year,” he said in this statement.

“By the end of this year, our regional, non-equity professional theater company will have staged 800 performances over 10 productions.” According to the same press release, since opening the new Sandy location, HCT has grown from 280,000 to 540,000 patrons and is now one of the highest attended theaters in the nation.

HCT Front of New Building

“The public’s support has been breathtaking!” said Sally Dietlein, HCT vice president, and executive producer. “We would not be here today if not for the community’s love and demand for well-produced, innovative, family-oriented theater. We are incredibly grateful to our patrons, sponsors, elected officials, HCT board, amazing staff and performers for helping make our first year in Sandy a positive experience that has exceeded our expectations.”

HCT New Building

In Fall 2017, when long-time HCT patron Christian Winder attended Aida, he was amazed by the new updates and was excited to see if the new theatre would contain the same charm as the old West Valley location he had come to love.

The new theatre lived up to expectations. Winder said he was delighted to see some new additions that enhanced the audience experience such as the new screens surrounding the top of the theatre that are used to expand the perceived space and mood of the show.

HCT Poster of The Scarlet Pimpernel starring Dallyn Bayles

HCT Poster of The Wizard of Oz starring Lexi Walker

There are many reasons behind the rising patrons numbers beyond the new building and fancy decor. With the new donor budgets, HCT is able to hire higher caliber and more popular actors. For example, Utah sweethearts, Dallyn Bayles and Lexi Walker, appeared during the 2018 season and have brought with them additional advertising through posts about HCT on their personal social media platforms.

HCT also selected plays for the first season that have shown well in the past. Shows like Aida, Newsies, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and The Wizard of Oz are just a few examples of successful plays specifically selected to kick off the opening season of the new building.

In addition to the 900-seat, 10 row theater-in-the-round Center Stage Theatre, HCT built a smaller, 467-seat theater called the Jewel Box Theatre (JBT). The JBT has a proscenium thrust stage, a traditional rectangular shaped stage with one end open towards the audience and the other ends leading backstage.

The extra stage has allowed HCT to produce two shows at once, a first in the theatre’s history. This way HCT can expand their repertoire to support lesser-known artists, musicals, plays, or interactive shows that require a smaller space, all without losing any revenue from having to reserve the larger stage. This has expanded opportunities for local artists, playwrights, and production teams.

HCT 2018 Season

Naturally with two stages, HCT must now also hire more performers.  “This growth has made Hale Centre Theatre the largest theater employer in the state, with 62 full-time and 150 regular part-time employees and 500 paid actors,” said Dietlein’s press release, “compared to 40 full-time and 75 part-time employees and 300 paid actors in 2017.”

Working in the performing arts has always been difficult for people who need a consistent income. “There are definitely more opportunities in Utah than there used to be and that’s exciting,” said Katya Wagstaff, a current student at the University of Utah double majoring in Musical Theatre and Communication. As a performer, Wagstaff has dreamed of making her career on the stage but said that any actor in Utah needs a day job as an acting teacher or private coach just to find some financial stability.

HCT is opening up some room for performing artists to grow more in their chosen field without having to leave the state for work. “I definitely want to work at HTC someday when I’m not a student,” Wagstaff continued. “Two theaters gives more job opportunities!”

HCT Info Graphic

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By: Trevor Hofer

My Story: Poor air quality continues to be an issue for residents of Salt Lake City

My first choice of what I wanted to do my enterprise story on was the American Football Association team starting here in Salt Lake City. However, finding sources for this story proved to be too difficult to find and to get a hold of. My next choice for my enterprise story was the poor air quality in Salt Lake City. The reason why I chose this as my enterprise story because I have lived in Salt Lake City my entire life and have dealt with this my whole life. Everyone to whom I talked about with this was always complaining about the air quality, and so this led to me being curious about how the city has plans for improving the air quality.

I first looked at the department of environmental quality for the state of Utah to see what they have planned for the air quality for Salt Lake City and what were their plans for improving our air quality.  I also chose to look at the American Lung Association because the air quality affects our lungs and one of the articles which I read mentioned the American Lung Association. I then decided to reach out to one of their experts to see how poor air quality can affect our health. One of the main things that I found most surprising was that how much of an impact the pollutant particles and the ozone can affect our health especially our lungs. I would suggest that one would study up more about this topic because us as residents of the state of Utah we should care about the environment. We should treat the world like our health, and we all desire to be healthy. Therefore, we should want the same for our city.  It is crucial to look at the programs and regulations that the DEQ has set out for us to improve the air quality.

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Reflections on A little side hustle never hurt nobody.

By Nicholas Gruet

When I was given this assignment, the first thing that came to mind was reselling. It’s an easy side hustle that anyone can do. All you have to do is a little research about what’s hot and what’s not and then buy and resell it later on down the road.

When locating my sources, I immediately thought of my friends. Many of my friends make all of their money reselling trendy items. My friends would bring first-hand knowledge to the story and how they got into the business. This would ultimately bring credibility to the story.

Continuing on with my story, I never came upon a problem. It was fairly easy to get in contact with my friends and get them to do an interview with me. The interviews were great and I was able to gather a ton of information. It was tough deciding what angle to attack this story from and in the end, I decided to make it a story about how college students can make a little side cash with an easy hustle.

The writing process was fun. I was able to write a story that I had much interest in and it was pretty easy to make the longer word count.

An important detail that didn’t make it into the story is that the majority of the items that you buy and resell are going to be about pop-culture. So, having a broad knowledge with pop-culture will help you decide what will sell best.

Overall nothing really surprised me in this story. I have been around reselling for many years and understand how it works. It was just really awesome to share something that interests me on my blog.

Reflection Blog:

Scooting around Salt Lake City, the debate over the Lime and Bird Scooters

Scooters have been a big presence among this past year. I have seen them everywhere within the Salt Lake City downtown area and always wanted to try one out. When trying to come up with a story idea, I was walking around campus of the University of Utah and almost got hit by one of the riders who was riding throughout campus.

Then the idea came to me, to talk about the safety of scooters and whether they should stay or go. So I decided to contact the city, and talk to the director over transportation of Salt Lake City. I thought talking directly to the city would be a good source. I learned that overall the city is approving of the scooters. I then decided to interview one student who was supportive of the scooters and one businessman working downtown who is against the scooters. I wanted to see their opinions, so I could get some real life opinions about the scooters and their safety.

I already knew the direction I wanted to take with the story, so after gathering the interviews I knew they would fit in perfectly with each section of the story. The writing process went well with the story, it was a good flow and easy to connect the pieces. The most surprising aspect of the story would be how supportive the city and schools are of the scooters considering the safety issues that have been of concern.

Overall If I was asked whether I was supportive of the scooters, I would say yes. I think that the safety issues are being addressed and it is a great way to transport through the city and schools in a friendly environmental stance.

Link to story:

https://wordpress.com/post/unewswriting.wordpress.com/9710

By: Shane Bryan

Photo by: Shane Bryan

I felt the need to write, “Biking into the Future with Bike Utah,” because it was a topic that I cared a great deal about. Coming from a small town on the East Coast and moving to Salt Lake opened my eyes for the need of safe ways for people to travel via bicycle. Where I come from, there were no such thing as commuting by bike so I was never exposed to all the things required to do so safely. I personally never wanted to ride on the roads with cars, however, in the last few years I have grown increasingly confident due to the infrastructure around Utah’s cities.

I decided to write this piece to educate both cyclists and car drivers that riding bikes is a form of transportation as well as to shed light on the work organizations do to put infrastructure in place to make it a safe environment for everyone. I contacted Bike Utah, an advocacy group for cycling, to understand how they help educate cyclists as well as take part in advancing cities and towns to better promote bicycle riding. After I spoke to one of the organizers of Bike Utah, I sought out a cyclist using one of the bike paths to see his opinion of the current bike lanes, traffic patterns and maybe what he does to stay safe on the road.  Lastly, I wanted to end the piece with some tips for people who commute or plan to commute by bike, and present ideas that could help them stay safe on their daily ride.

I hope this piece shows that bicycle commuting can be awesome, safe and rewarding if done right. People opposed to sharing the road with cyclists hopefully can see that bike riders are not lawless and abide by rules of the road. With the current and  future improving infrastructure, bikes and cars will be able to peacefully co-exist. 

By Nicholas Gruet

SALT LAKE CITY – College students normally don’t have a lot of money, and what money they do make goes straight to paying for college tuition. With a side hustle, students can make the money to go out and enjoy themselves during college.

Introducing the world of reselling — fashion, hype, and trendy products — the “side hustle.” It may sound silly at first, but the people doing it, known as “hypebeasts,” are smart, savvy, and can talk a customer into buying almost anything. It is so simple that kids from high school are making thousands of dollars a month reselling trendy items.

Initially, it wasn’t all about Supreme, Bape, Yeezy’s, and all of those other trendy brands that have taken over the reselling business. Air Jordan sneakers were among the first products to resell. Why? Because Jordan changed the game of basketball and brought a new swagger to the game. He was fly and tons of people wanted to be like him … like Mike. Over time Jordan grew into a lifestyle and eventually into a business. Demand for Jordan sneakers was at an all-time high. Every time there was a new pair 

White cement retro 4 Jordan’s. One of the most coveted shoes on the market.

 that dropped everyone had to have them. There was a limited supply at each store, so they would tend to sell out fast. Some recognized an opportunity in the demand and began selling the sneakers for three times their original price. Why would anyone buy those sneakers for that outrageous price? These shoes represented a lifestyle that brought a community of people together. They represented memories and in some cases, they determined whether or not you had some extra cash.

See, many people couldn’t afford to buy shoes or even buy them for the resale price, but because they were so special, people saved up to make sure they could grab a pair of fresh Jordan’s.

 Mike O’Brien has first-hand experience with reselling and is a manager at a sneaker store named Finish Line. For O’Brien, sneakers have been a way of life. They are what makes him happy and what he likes to spend his money on. Sneakers are a big part of who he is and has grown to be.

Mike O’Brien holding a pair of Space Jam retro 11 Jordan’s.

“When I was little I loved the game of basketball,” says O’Brien. “Jordan was like my idol and I wanted to be like him. I always thought the shoes were cool looking and I wanted to have every single pair.”

As he grew up, he saw the opportunity at a young age to make a little money with his passion for sneakers.

“I used to camp out all night back in high school for a pair of some fresh Jordan’s,” he says. “It didn’t matter if it was a school night or if I had a test the next morning if there was some fresh Jordan’s about to drop then you already know I was going to be there.”

Today, reselling has shifted more to the fashion side of things. With brands like Supreme, Bape, Off-White, and many more, these companies are creating products that are desirable to people. The hype of these products and what it means to own them, drives the resale price sky high. Especially when these companies team up with a high fashion brands like Louis Vuitton — those resale prices are insane, and the profits, impressive. 

Supreme x Louis Vuitton backpack.

Just like a business, it takes dedication and time to build credibility as a reseller. It requires a clientele, research to avoid wasteful products that won’t resell at a high value, and some finesse. Finesse, is perhaps the most important of them all — the skill to use words in a way that convinces people to buy, what to buy and who to buy from. Jack Zhang, is interested in fashion and has become a successful local reseller.

Jack Zhang

“Fashion is one of my passions. I love looking and feeling fresh with some of the most exclusive clothing items on the market,” say Zhang. “Once I learned more about the business of reselling I was hooked. Buying these hyped up products and selling them for double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple the price is something you can’t pass up.”

The side hustle is easy; show up, buy it, and then resell it once all of the items have sold out. Soon there could be a nice little cash flow. Sometimes, a patient buyer who holds onto items for a year or so can make even more money. With Supreme products, a buyer who purchased 25 percent of the 149 items released in a year could pocket a profit of $10,000. Now that, is some serious cash, especially for a side hustle.

Reflection Blog

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My Story: Poor air quality continues to be an issue for residents of Salt Lake City

My Blog: Trevor Hofer-Blog

About Me: Trevor Hofer was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Trevor is a student at the University of Utah. He is currently studying at the College of Humanities he is majoring in Strategic Communications and as well will be minoring in Business Administration. His goal after college is to pursue a career in marketing. Some of Trevor’s hobbies and activities that he enjoys participating in are photography, watching and playing sports.

 LinkedIn

Clara Welch

I spent a full year volunteering 10 hours a week with homeless and low-income populations at the University Hospital and Fourth Street Clinic. The concerns, realities, and needs of these people became very real to me. Trying to figure out a story for this project was hard and I went through a few ideas for it. This idea wasn’t even one of the two stories I pitched earlier in the semester. The idea came from another student. When she was talking about her idea to look at Operation Rio Grande, it hit me that I have a lot of personal experiences and feelings towards the things going on.

Figuring out that this is what I wanted to write about was easy, but it was hard to know what direction I wanted to go. My research began with learning more about Operation Rio Grande. Utah actually has done some things in the past that have brought national recognition when it comes to helping homeless. One of those thing is “housing first”, which I talk about in the article. Then I needed to get my interviews done, but was still unsure the direction.

My interviews were all exactly what I needed. The questions asked were general questions, but the conversations went to places that formed my story for me. It reminded me of the things that I had learned when I volunteered with these people that I came to really know.

Sitting down to write Curing homelessness with a focus on the individual, the ideas came once I had everything that I needed. It’s a cause that means a lot to me and ideas that I believe are most important in everything that you do.

MY BLOG: 

For my enterprise story, I chose to write about the University of Utah Alumni Association after becoming more involved over the course of the past semester. As I became more involved, I was exposed to a plethora of opportunities and resources for current students that I had no idea about, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’d found.

Since the Alumni Association is located right on campus and part of the University of Utah, it was very easy to find sources from the office. I feel like when people already work for the U, they feel the need to give back and help students further their education. As for finding alumni sources, I just asked friends if they knew anybody that could help me out, which turned out successful. I feel that these were the best sources for my story because they demonstrate each step of the transition from student to alumni.

After gathering information, I tried to put it in perspective to write a story that the audience would be interested in. As a current student, I felt as though other students would be most intere

sted in the AlumniFire program, since we all have the constant fear of finding a job looming over our heads.

While writing this story, I really saw how tight knit the University of Utah community is and how students and alumni are constantly willing to help each other out. It’s been really cool to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

MY STORY

ABOUT KATE PEKURI