Assignment 16: What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1) Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list. 

1. Becoming a vegetarian at 12 years old introduced me to the world of ethics and environmental issues at a young age.
2. I am mindful of being morally consistent. We have to have trust in one another and in order to do that, we have to know what we can expect from each other and ourselves.
3. Moving across the country, from a super small town to a huge city, at 11 years old has given me a unique mix of experiences from two totally different environments. 
4. Making YouTube videos over the last 4 years has exposed me to the world of new media as a user and a content creator. Seeing the behind-the-scenes of multi-channel networks and brand deals have given me a unique blend of industry knowledge.
5. I know what it's like to flub up an opportunity and I'm not ashamed to talk about it. A lot can be learned from failing and if you pair that knowledge with ambition, you can get further in life than you once thought. 

2) Interview the five people who know you the best. Ask them what they think makes you different -- remember, focus on your knowledge, skills, abilities, emotions -- in other words, your human capital. Try to stay away from discussing your other types of capital (such as who you know). Record each interview. In your post, please post each interview, as well as a two-three sentence summary of each interview, explaining what your key takeaways are. There is no time limit on these recordings. As long as you cover the information asked for above, that's all you need to do. 

1. He thinks my communication skills from a life long love of talking makes me unique and I found that to be very interesting. He says while I'm an emotional person, I'm also rational and that is a unique mix.
2. Hearing that he describes my main characteristic as reliable was very interesting. I try to be there for my loved ones and it's nice to know that is a trait that they recognize.
3. He thinks my optimism sets me apart. The fact that I haven't given up on my goals even when faced with failure adds to my uniqueness. 
4. She described me as considerate and creative. I never really saw myself as persistent until these interviews.
5. I was surprised to hear the first thing he thought of me is creative. He mentions my changing interests is guided by my creativity and that's not something I had thought of before.

I grouped all the interviews together so that it was easier to upload them on YouTube. It is an audio only video.

3) Reflect on the differences. How do you see yourself, and how do others see you? Are there differences in how you assess yourself compared to others? What do you think causes these differences? Do you think your interviewees are correct about you? Finally, going back to your list from part 1, would you make any corrections to the list? How? I'm so surprised to learn that those closest to me see me in a way that I would not necessarily think others see me. The fact that so many of them thought the same things was also interesting and makes me think they are correct. I noticed they tended to keep their responses more generalized, while mine were more specific. I think that's because I watched the lecture where what we commonly think makes us unique actually doesn't. Also, I am me, so I am able to be unrestrained when analyzing myself whereas others might not want to go that deep or would feel weird saying those things aloud.  From this, I learned that my unique qualities are rooted in my emotional intelligence more than mental skill and that I really need to work on my time management/ organizational skills. Well, to be fair, I knew that last part, but I was in denial. Going back to part 1, my personal experience with being vegetarian from a young age is a direct correlation to this assignment. It helped shape my product and me as a person, which adds to my human capital.