27A- Reading Reflection No. 3

Shoe Dog, Phil Knight

1.       I was most surprised by the fact that Nike only made 8000 dollars in sales in the first year. This was so surprising to me because it is now one of the most popular athletic brands out there. Being a sales associate at Orangetheory Fitness, I am surrounded by gym clothes all the time and Nike is by far the most popular brand I see on members. I most admired that Phil created the product based on his own needs. I think it is really nice to see an entrepreneur bringing a passion of theirs into the product. In his case, he was a runner and wanted supportive shoes. I least admired that he started out by hiring just people he knew. I think it is more beneficial to hire people outside of your inner circle because they will have differing mindsets and views than you. Phil did encounter adversity, especially in the beginning of Nike.

2.       I noticed that Phil was a very strong delegator. He believed in telling people what he wanted and would allow them to produce what he wanted in their own way. I thought that was a great quality to have because then his business could prosper in a creative way.

3.       I was confused about how Phil was first working with a company in Japan. How was he able to produce quickly and efficiently especially back in the 60s?

4.       I would ask Phil what made him want to continue after having such poor sales in the first year? Also, I would ask him his tactics when it came to networking and if he found them valuable?

5.       I believe Phil’s opinion of hard work would be to always push through something even if it takes ample effort. It clearly shows that he did not want to give up because he was passionate about his product and believed that it could succeed. I share this opinion. In my school work if I do not understand something I will try and try until I can grasp the concept or problem, so that I can succeed.