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Absent in the last week of term 1

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We spent majority of this week working on our marketing pitch in preparation for Week 3. We finalized our product ideas and cause. We ultimately decided to tackle fast fashion as our problem, as fast fashion is one of the world's largest contributors to carbon emissions and worker exploitation.

The first franchise we decided on was a brand called GreenStitch - with the concept being a clothing store where people can donate damaged/old clothing to, which will then be upcycled and sold as new pieces. This idea will reduce the amount of old clothes sent to landfill and encourage people to shop circular. Our second idea was a product called TagTrace - an app which scans the barcode of any piece of clothing and provides a detailed manufacturing history, encouraging the user to make educated decisions on what they purchase.

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As a group, we put all the necessary equipment together for the expo - including a clothing stand, hangers, our prototype, cookies & candy, business cards, posters and stall decorations. We also made sure to practice our pitch so we were fluent in front of parents and judges.

After spending the term solidifying our knowledge and fluency of our product, we felt confident in ourselves and are looking forward to the expo.

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The INNOV8 Expo has been something we've worked towards for the past term, and fortunately we were able to make it to finals!

During the expo, we aimed to demonstrate the skills we've acquired throughout the duration of the semester, such as being engaging with our speech, using persuasive techniques and using emotive language in particular. With the bright set-up of our stall, we were able to capture the attention of many people and visually engage them while speaking.

During our final pitch, I tried my best to speak with power and authority in order to effectively spread our message to the audience, however we did end up as one of the runners-up. However, I still believe that this is a great achievement and that Action Project has provided me with many entrepreneurial skills that will benefit me in future career paths.

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One of the main techniques we wanted to utilize in order to capture the attention of our audience during the expo was story-telling. To incorporate story-telling into our pitch, we decided to tell the stories of exploited workers within the fast fashion industry to appeal to the audience's emotions and successfully emphasize the severity of the problem. We researched two fast fashion workers and highlighted their unfortunate circumstances to bring light to the "dark side of fast fashion".

After completing the story-telling aspects of our presentation, we moved onto factsheets and statistical data to show the impacts which fast fashion has had on both workers and the environment. This allows us to put the problem into numbers which the audience can picture.

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Famous Scientists Student Creation Biography Poster in Green, Black and White Illustrative Rustic Style (Poster (A3 Portrait)) (1)

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In order to prepare for presenting our products at the INNOV8 Expo, as a class, we participated in an activity in which we were required to select a random product and pitch it without stating the product name. The rest of the group was then required to guess what the product is.

This activity supported me in solidifying my understanding on how to pitch a product/idea in an engaging way and how to break down what a product truly is. I found it very enjoyable to witness others pitch their randomized product ideas as well, and I was able to observe what my peers did well so I could further improve my abilities.

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On Friday, we pitched our two products (GreenStitch & TagTrace) to the judges and received feedback. Overall, the judge enjoyed our pitch and stated that we spoke strongly and included everything we needed to within our slides.

The judges agreed that GreenStitch was the stronger of the two franchises. She s also suggested that in order to appeal GreenStitch more to potential customers, we could implement a membership opportunity where customers can acquire discounts with the more clothing they donate or the more they purchase from GreenStitch as opposed to fast fashion brands.

Overall, I was proud of the way we presented to the judges and I feel that I have undoubtedly improved with my public speaking skills through practice. We have taken the feedback into consideration for out INNOV8 Expo in Week 8.

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Another activity we were assigned this week was receiving a random product along with a celebrity to endorse it with. We were assigned a knitting kit and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In the limited timeframe we had, we decided to focus on his wrestling career, claiming that knitting gave him the chance to "calm down and unwind".

This activity gave us the opportunity to think outside the box and improve out creative and critical thinking skills. Now that we have the skills to work efficiently and create a pitch in such a short timeframe, we will be able to effectively prepare for the INNOV8 marketing pitch and future expo.

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By witnessing other groups present their ideas, I was able to get a gauge on where I could improve and what I could do better for the INNOV8 expo. Many other groups managed to pack much more information into their short presentations. With the fear of overwhelming the audience, we had decided against this however after witnessing other groups succeed with the opposing strategy, we are considering having a more informative presentation for the expo.

Additionally, many other groups incorporated interesting graphics and transitions to their slideshows, which made the presentation appealing to the audience. As our slides were fairly simple, we aim to work on them more for future reference.

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I was away for majority of this week due to being sick however I was informed that my group started to work on their elevator pitches for the INNOV8 Expo in Week 8.

I look forward to creating an engaging presentation and stall set-up in the next couple weeks and hope that I can finally demonstrate all the skills Action Project has provided me with over the past term and a half.

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During this activity, we were assigned a random/non-existent product and we were required to present a short pitch to the class. This activity improved my creative and critical thinking skills, allowing me to learn how to create persuasive and catchy pitches in a short amount of time.

This will support me on my journey to develop entrepreneurial skills and be successful in our upcoming action project assignments.

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The drawing above shows our general picture of what we as a group want the stall to look like in order to appeal to viewers. The visual aspects includes fairy lights, themed bunting, patterned table cloth and posters - all with green coloring to match our eco branding.

As a treat for the viewers, we also aim to incorporate frosted cookies (again, green) which the viewer can win if they correctly answer a trivia question based on the information we've stated and whats displayed on our posters. We will also leave out Mentos which the audience can take along with a business card, complete with our website QR code, emails and brief brand information.

We will also keep prototypes for our franchise; the prototypes being clothes that we've upcycled ourselves. This aspect will give the viewers a tangible visual to imagine what the clothes we sell would be like.

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Throughout the duration of Week 6, we primarily focused on working through the smaller details of our expo stall. I created a website using Squarespace which briefly outlined what our brand is, the provided services and our cause. During the expo, we will display a QR code of our website on one of the posters and on our business cards so the audience can view our details.

Sophie worked on creating a finance spreadsheet to demonstrate where we aim to invest our money. As the fabric needed to create clothes will be provided to us for free (as it is donated by the general public) we can advertise that majority of out money and investments will be spent on labor - high wage workers - and other aspects such as equipment, facilities and stores. Due to this, our clothing will likely be around the same price as fast fashion pieces, which is one of our strongest areas.

Kiara and Katrina worked together to create our Elevator pitch in case we reached finals. They both worked on the slides and script, making sure whatever we displayed and said would be impactful and persuasive in order to appeal to the audience and the judges.

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I found that some other groups' stalls were rather simple and ordinary, resulting in less people visiting the stall due to the lack of eye-catching decor and limited visual appeal. Opposingly, many groups incorporated a “bribe” tactic into their stall, drawing in the audience members and allowing them to leave with a reward. As a group, we aimed to also utilize this idea to our advantage. Some of the ideas which stood out to me in particular were the rotating solar panels and Clarity - the translator for foreign articles. I thought that both these ideas were very innovative and relevant to current times.

In terms of our own stall and idea, I was particularly proud of our set-up and visual appeals as it allowed us to attract audience members and effectively spread word of our product and cause. Additionally, making story-telling such a large part of our marketing tactic ensured that with every explanation, we were able to capture the audiences’ emotions and therefore emphasize the need for a franchise like GreenStitch. However, for future reference it would be highly beneficial to our presentation if we made the posters much simpler, that way the audience members aren’t required to strain to read it and could listen to us speak instead.

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The images above show some of the slides we incorporated into our marketing pitch. Through this presentation, we aim to give a sufficient amount of information about both of our chosen products in order to introduce the audience to our ideas. Due to the limited timeframe we have to present the pitch, we are trying not to incorporate too much information which could overwhelm the audience.

Overall, at this point in time I feel that our pitch is concise and effective, and I look forward to presenting it next week!

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Over the past semester, I have significantly developed my public speaking skills, which has been a transformative aspect of my learning journey. Engaging in various pitches and presentations with my group has provided me with invaluable opportunities to enhance my ability to present information in an engaging and compelling manner. I have focused on speaking clearly and confidently, ensuring that my message resonates with the audience.

This experience has not only improved my communication skills but has also fundamentally boosted my entrepreneurial abilities. By learning to articulate ideas effectively and persuasively, I am better prepared to navigate future business ventures. The course has equipped me with the confidence to present innovative concepts and the skills to engage stakeholders, which are essential for success in the entrepreneurial world.

Overall, this course has laid a strong foundation for my future endeavours, empowering me with the tools and confidence needed to pursue business opportunities with assurance and creativity.

Throughout this course, I have gained invaluable insights into my personal and academic growth. My communication skills have improved, allowing me to express ideas more clearly and listen actively. Collaboration has taught me the importance of teamwork and leveraging diverse perspectives. Creativity has flourished as I explored innovative solutions, while critical thinking has sharpened my ability to analyse and evaluate information effectively. This experience has also strengthened my character, fostering resilience and adaptability. These skills are not only essential for academic success but will also guide me in future endeavours, enhancing my ability to contribute positively to any team or project.

In terms of the personal knowledge I have derived from this course, I have been able to identify my introverted nature much more clearly and therefore been able to encourage myself to adequately step out of my comfort zone. I am extremely pleased with my growth as a holistic learner through this course and hope to demonstrate my newfound skills in situations to come.