YFI Graduate Success Story by Cathy
A New Idea
Building Confidence
“Because of YFI, I can look anyone in the eyes and talk about something that I’m really passionate about, and I know that in the future with any project, whether it completely succeeds or fails, that I will be able to communicate and get my point across with a smile. I think communication is a really important life skill, because a good group of people is better than a lonesome leader.
- Cathy
Communication is Key
To her, the most fun part was Research and Development. R&D was the most fun because she got to use the 3D printer at her local library for free to print out new prototypes. The least fun part to her was the business communications aspect of it. Cathy is very shy and she didn’t feel comfortable talking in front of people at first. Then she did the UConn Innovation Quest and practiced my elevator pitch numerous times in front of her mentors. It was really scary but fun.
She learned how to speak at a proper cadence and really focus on the important stuff when she’s talking. She learned how to focus on the problem; what problem are she’s really solving for consumers? In her case it was saving women time. She really became engrossed in communicating that need or benefit.
Soon, the communication aspect also became one of her favorite parts of developing her business. She believes programs like Youthful Impact can also develop this skill in their students because students often do the same things she did in her Innovation Quest program. They think about the problem from the customers perspective, what do they think, feel, see, hear or even taste? Depending on how their businesses work, this can really help them reach their customers.
