Jacob Young is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business management and marketing at BYU-Idaho. He has 3 years of retail experience at Sam's Club and Wal-Mart, where he has taken on responsibilities like running produce and electronics departments. Jacob is motivated by lifestyle and security and has strong interpersonal and leadership skills from his experience earning Eagle Scout. He aspires to a career in digital marketing or finance that allows him to provide for his family while staying true to his values.

1. 1
Jacob B. Young
Business Management 100: Fall 2016
Major: Business Management
Emphasis: Marketing
Minor: Finance
Career Aspirations: Digital Marketing Manager
Fender Musical Instruments corporation
B100 Review by BYU-I Alumni: Michael Espinosa: Online

2. 2
Jacob Young
9/29/16
B 100
Me in Thirty Seconds
My name is Jacob Young and I thoroughly enjoy working with the advertising and
marketing side of business. I have been in full time retail for the past three years and I have
gotten an excellent sense of what appeals to the consumer and what does not. During those three
years I have gone from cashiering, sale floor, fresh, carts, all the way to electronics. On more the
one occasion I have been in charge of entire departments and been asked countless times to set
up displays that would result in an increase of sales. I believe then when you come to work you
work, that you put your all into it. I am a dedicated worker, trustworthy, able to problem solve,
able to defuse personnel problems, and as working in retail would suggest, I have a generous
amount of patience. I have a knack for knowing what catches the customer’s eye and I believe
that I would be especially effective in the field of marketing.

3. 3
Jacob Young
9/29/16
B 100
What Matters Most to Me
One of the most important characteristics to me as a person besides faith and family is
being trustworthy and reliable. Not only in business but it is just as applicable in life. Whether
it’s a meeting with a potential client, or perhaps with an investigator while on a mission, or even
with a family you are home teaching, being punctual is crucial. It is what builds a trusting
relationship and lets others know that you are reliable. Even if you are just two minutes late, it
can have lasting negative repercussions and tells them they aren’t important enough for you to be
there on time. Always be there early or you can lose a client or investigator in the blink of an
eye. On the same note you have to follow through with your promises as well as being punctual
to keep building that reliable foundation. That is perhaps one the most critical things to me, is
that people know they can trust me just in general and with tasks or jobs. People remember that
sort of thing when a worker or friend is always at least five minutes early and you can rely on
them for anything. That is what I believe makes someone a good worker and person.
Another one extremely important characteristic to me is not compromising your integrity
or values for gain or any reason whatsoever. It is the sign of a weak willed person and if they are
willing to go back on their beliefs so quick, then they never held them in mush esteem to begin
with. It is an additional part of being trustworthy and honest, no one would trust you if claimed
to have such high beliefs then just turned out to be a big hypocrite. A perfect example is coming
as a LDS member to a LDS school and just cheating and doing whatever you can to get the
highest grade, honorable or not. That is one thing that fills me with immense anger is when I hear
of events like that. To me at least, it is not that difficult to stay honest in your dealings. I also
have a knack for being able to tell when people are lying or just being able to read most people I
come across, so it can let me know quite quickly if I can trust someone or not. It is very
important to me to be a trustworthy individual who is honest, not a hypocrite, and holds strong to
their beliefs no matter the circumstances.

4. 4
Jacob Young
10/26/2016
B 100
Your Whole Souls as an Offering Unto Him
Elder David A. Bednar
Within the very first paragraph I was immediately hit but the first message of being
faithful and competent. Since BYU-I is a church campus it is something that you would expect to
hear, but when Elder Bednar started to talk about not taking the path of least resistance,
something important stuck out to me. I am only a freshmen in the first semester, however during
my short time here I have heard more often than not all the things that he described as what is an
easy A or who is the easiest teacher. I will admit that has been partially true for me, though at the
same time I have not sacrificed a class that I wanted to take because it will be too hard. I came
here to learn the skills for the job that I need and that will mean not taking the path of least
resistance. It sounds all good in the start of it, but I know for me it would get boring extremely
quick. I want to be challenged and have to figure out new ways of doing things. That is why I am
so excited for the course when I will be running a business. I say bring on the challenge.
There were a lot of things that I absolutely loved about this talk; Elder Bednar has such a
talent for mixing spiritual with the academic. About near the bottom he said that we will not only
die for the gospel but we will develop ourselves and live for the gospel. That reminds me of one
of my favorite quotes which was something along the lines of that anyone can die, but it takes
true courage to live. Not only should we be excited to live and especially in the gospel, but we
are commanded to in the scriptures to be anxiously engaged. We should be motivated to serve
and participate in charity, to really just reach out and help others. Along with that train of
thought we should do the same thing in our education. To not do the bare minimum, but to make
sure we do the best thing for ourselves and when have to provide for a family. I had all of these
thoughts in an instant when I saw that quote sticking out like a sore thumb. We should do as
Elder Bednar directs, and try to follow the mission statement and not only get a quality
education, but also make sure that our testimony is being built up the same way, with diligence
and competence. That is what is so wonderful about having education and religion mixed
together in a way that allows us to complete both without taking away from the other. However
most importantly of all, is the eternal family, and that must remain the priority.

5. 5
Jacob Young
10/26/2016
B 100
Brigham Young University–Idaho: A Disciple Preparation Center (DPC)
Elder David A. Bednar
Elder Bednar refers in the first section of his talk about the three things that BYU-I is,
and the first one he said is a temple of learning. Not a Holy House of the Lord, but a temple of
learning. Shockingly enough I had never come across that in all the tours and friends and family
telling me about this campus. It is just so fantastic that the church is able to fund a place of
higher education and make sure that both the testimony and knowledge are being equally focused
on, to prepare us for a job in the real world and to eventually have a family of our own. I realize
that great deals of students see the rules as far too restrictive, but they are indeed there for a
reason. I mean we are right next to a temple and just like Elder Bednar says, we act a little better,
dress a little nicer and think more deeply about the things that really matter. And getting fed up
with some petty rules is not one of them. I will admit that I have complained on occasion about
some of the rules that I have believed to be a little too tight around the collar so to speak, but I
managed to get over it because I know it is for my benefit. Even though I am paying to be here it
is still a privilege for me to be able receive a higher education while at the same time keeping the
spiritual component. Since I came here from Maine, to have this much church presence so
clustered I consider it a blessing, because back out east by the time senior year rolled around I
was the only LDS person in my high school of 1,100.
The next two sections of Elder Bednar’s talk have to do with the surrounding of the
stakes of Zion which I already expounded upon, but also the proximity of the Rexburg Temple.
Even if I was not LDS the temple simply draws the eye from just about anywhere in Rexburg.
One of my favorite things on the way from work around 11pm each night is seeing the temple on
a hill all lit up. Back in the east, where I lived the temple was roughly 3 ½ hours away. I think in
no small part to this is why I absolutely love seeing the temple so much. I think it really adds to
the spirit on campus in addition to the prayers in each class and religion classes. Elder Bednar
quotes that the temple is a constant reminder of what we are trying to achieve and I have to agree
with that nothing embodies what we should strive for any better. It truly is a blessing to have a
house of the Lord so close and I know that sometimes just sitting in the parking lot after work or
when no one is there is something I thoroughly enjoy.

6. 6
Jacob Young
9/21/2016
B 100
Article One: Making a Living and a Life by Elder Lynn G Robbins
One of the first things that stuck out to me in Elder Robbins talk was how he described
Satan using our own possessions and career against us. When Adam and Eve were first created
there was no way to use any of the tools he now has, but the first murder was to get gain by Kain,
to increase his material worth. To use his pride against him, which is what happens to so many of
us today, and not just in the business world. People from all walks of life seek to get increase
their material worth and always find ways to make more money. With however successful we
get, we must remember to keep our pride and greed in check. Or otherwise we will be no better
than those who seek to get gain no matter what happens to the people.
A little further in the talk Elder Robbins outlines a list going from grade A to grade F,
and it really stuck with me to make sure to always love God and our fellow man first, then focus
on income. As he continues to expound upon, there are too many of those in the world who are D
or F and are interested solely in making a profit no matter what happens to the customer. I may
not end up as successful as others but as long as I make sure God and my fellow man are my first
priorities, I will still able to present myself as a trustworthy person. Also thanks to the teachings
of the church a large number of recruiters are looking to the Latter Day Saint youth coming out
of BYU-I much more often because we are being taught to be respectful and reliable workers.
There is a disturbingly close parallel to Jacob Marely’s chain that was forged “link by link”, we
have to make sure we do not make our chain by compromising our values to cut costs or make it
just under the budget in a quarter. It is better to fail honorably then to succeed with dishonesty.

7. 7
Jacob Young
9/29/16
B 100
Career Assessment Insights
This was perhaps one of the most accurate tests I have ever taken regarding interests and
what type of person I am. All of the other tests I have taken, they usually get components correct
but more often than not, half of it is wrong. I suppose that is what you get when you pay twenty
dollars and take a professional test. The first test about interests was dead on, but it also let me
know that I was interested in things I had not noticed until it was spelled out on a sheet in front
of me. It said that I was creative and interested in new approaches to problems, like to plan out
the early big ideas before they are implemented. I do not think I had realized that before, that I
would be really good at the early process creative phase instead of the later maintenance phase. I
would prefer that either way because so many people have a hard time working through the
beginning and planning it out. The surprise for one of my high interests was that I am inclined to
be a coach and mentor to my employee’s, that I can help them reach their full potential. I had
once again had never thought about that before, I have known that I am skilled at resolving
workplace disputes, though being a coach and mentor is quite different from that. I am looking
forward to see how much truth is in that.
My motivators were no surprise, the top two being lifestyle and security. I truly want to
make sure I have a career I do not hate and also one that brings in a generous income. Ahead of
that is definitely my family. They have to come first over work, because like the general
authorities say; “No man ever looked back on his life and wished he had spent more time
working”. What is the point of working when all you do every day all day is spend time away
from your family and life? If someone gets to that point they have to reconsider what they are
doing in their career. When I was much younger and my family was living in California, I recall
my father working double and even triple shifts on the railroad. It was what he had to do to
support all of us, but after we got to a more stable point financially he made sure he was home
more. He obviously still had to work a lot of the time but I always saw him at least once a day,
and that is one of my strongest motivators for when I have my own family. I will do everything I
can to provide for them, but when it comes down to it, my family will always come first.

8. 8
Inside the skill section it went on to confirm the surprise I got in the interests section, that
I would be really skilled at interpersonal skills with both employees and coworkers. That I have
an innate ability to listen to other people and be able to discern what they actually mean and
where they are coming from. It was a wide variety of skill that I was unsure I had until I saw it
all on a list. The list ranged from being able to be an effective manager who has the trust of
others, to being a team player who can collaborate with others and accomplish large and small
projects. I had a real authentic taste of leadership when I doing my Eagle project for Boy Scouts
of America. It was the restoration of a battle monument in southern Maine, and it was no small
project. I had to plan out every single detail and find out all the materials needed along with
delegating all the smaller projects to make sure by the day we got there, we could finish it. It
forced me out of my comfort zone, but once I realized that it was one hundred percent my
project, I started really diving into it. I worked hard and made sure everything was in place, both
materials and people. We got it all done that day too. That was a lesson I know I could apply to a
much larger scale. The skills list also went on to explain that I am good a quantitative analysis
with a mixture of quick thinking and decisiveness. Those exact qualities are why I believe that I
would be good in the world of finance and marketing. This entire assessment really assisted me
in confirming that I want to pursue this major.

9. 9
Jacob B. Young
Rexburg, ID - 207.651.2747 - trekkman1@hotmail.com - linkedin.com/in/jacob-young
Education:
Massabesic High School, Graduated in July 2015, Waterboro ME
 Participated on the school soccer team for four years
 Graduated with honors
 Heavily involved in metal technology and small engines, took two independent classes in
addition to the required three classes that had to be completed previously
Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg ID
 Currently a freshmen involved in general education
 On track for a bachelor’s degree with a major in business management and marketing
Work Experience:
Associate of Sam’s Club in Portland ME, and Wal-Mart in Rexburg ID February 2014 - Present
 Have been with the company for approximately two years
 Started at Sam’s Club as a cashier, after showing excessive ambition to move beyond the
front end was trained in electronics as a merchandiser and sales associate
 Trained in the fresh produce department
 Singularly ran both the produce and electronics departments on multiple occasions
 Asked consistently to walk the floor and convince customers to engage in the upgraded
Sam’s club Card Plus and Sam’s club Credit card due to high rate of applications
 Often had to rearrange sales floor to meet needs of change in product quantity and
seasons in order to keep increased sales and customer satisfaction
Volunteer Experience:
Boy Scouts of America, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cornish ME
 Obtained Eagle Scout rank through nine years of merit badge work, volunteering,
camping, hiking, leadership of entire troop for four years
 Preformed a variety of service to people in the local area ranging but not limited to
cutting and stacking firewood, lawn and gutter maintenance, furnace work, building a
wheelchair accessible ramp, repainting damaged siding
 Planned and taught lessons to help others in their personal endeavors including fellow
volunteers in both knowledge and stronger interpersonal skills

10. 10
Jacob B. Young
Rexburg, ID • 207.651.2747 • trekkman1@hotmail.com • linkedin.com/in/jacob-young
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Business Management September 2016 - Present
Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID
 Currently a Freshmen taking general education and studies
 On track for a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on marketing and finance
WORK EXPERIENCE
Produce Merchandiser Associate February 2015 - Present
Sam’s Club Portland, ME
Wal-Mart Rexburg, ID
 Have been with the company for approximately two years, moved from Sam’s Club to Wal-Mart in
May 2016
 Started at Sam’s Club as a cashier, after showing excessive ambition to move beyond cashiering,
was trained in electronics as a merchandiser and sales associate
 Trained extensively in the fresh produce department
 Singularly ran both produce and electronic departments on multiple occasions
 Was requested consistently by management to engage customers on sales floor and register to
upgrade their membership to the Sam’s Club Plus Card and to apply for the Sam’s Club credit
card due to high rate of success
 Often rearranged sales floor to meet needs of change in corporate layout, product quantity and
quality, seasons, and holidays in order to keep increased sales and customer satisfaction
 Rewarded on multiple occasions for high number of applications of Plus Card’s and credit cards,
and also for specific customer appreciation reviews
Sales Associate and Team Member June 2013 - September 2013
Target Bangor, ME
 Started off being trained as a cashier, but due to excessive ambition was cross trained in a
myriad of departments including front end express cashier, hardlines merchandiser, housewares
merchandiser, grocery merchandiser, electronics sales associate, cart attendant, and backroom
team member
 Effectively was able to engage customers to apply for Target Red Card on a regular basis both on
the sales floor and on cash register with a sales window lasting less than two minutes on average
 Rewarded on multiple occasions due to high applications of Target Red Card’s and sales
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Eagle Scout and Community Service December 2007 - December 2015
Boy Scouts of America/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Cornish, ME
 Obtained Eagle Scout rank through eight years of merit badge work, volunteering, service,
camping, hiking, leadership of entire troop for four years as senior patrol leader, and organizing
scouting events
 Preformed a variety of service to people in the local area ranging from but not limited to, cutting
and stacking firewood, lawn and gutter maintenance, furnace repair, building a wheelchair
accessible ramp, repainting and replacing damaged house siding and carpentry
 Service and volunteer projects were combined at local church building due to it being the troop
meeting place because of distance and also to increase efficiency in making sure church
members and members of the community got the assistance they needed with as little delay as
possible
 Planned and taught lessons to assist others in their personal endeavors and goals, including
fellow volunteers in gaining both knowledge and stronger interpersonal skills

11. 11
Jacob Young
10/12/2016
B 100
Industry Analysis - Musical Instruments and Supply Stores in the U.S.
I decided after we had in class the brainstorm session on what our skills and talents were
that I became very interested in marketing and advertising in the music industry. I was
particularly in the instrument and supply store portion of it. It had to be narrowed down, you
cannot just say the music industry, it is far too general. I am interested in the companies like
Fender or Gibson who deal with the actual musicians and helping the people get what they need.
However in the past five years prior to 2015 the industry has taken a pretty large hit, even
though it has generated 15 billion in sales with roughly 6 billion in revenue. While some
companies are thriving a generous amount of others are not. Though, even with the sharp
decline, it is expected that the industry will increase slowly but consistently over the course of
the next five years. This is not a cheap hobby, and the sales have decreased when the economy
did, but now it is making a comeback. Consumers are finding a love for music again, and there
have been bold steps taken in marketing, the most recent being the weeklong festival that Fender
held across the nation. It is what makes the industry so attractive is the willingness to work with
the consumer and make sure they are happy. As a result they are willing to pay more for a quality
instrument or pedal. There are estimated around 4,000 establishments around the U.S. but the
main amount of sales is centered on the top 50 companies. The name brands that most are
familiar with, the top being Fender, Yamaha, Gibson, Warwick, and Ibanez. These are the main
suppliers to the retail stores and businesses, along with their own chains. All of these companies
are making much more efficient decisions after the disaster of the past five years and as a result
the industry is growing.
Usually an industry as large as this one would require a great deal of education, however
this one does not. You still have to have a college degree and a high school diploma, but they are
not looking for that as much. They are actively looking for those with a good attitude and a
willingness to work with people not just for a sale, but to truly make sure they are happy. A vast
majority of the business they receive is from those who come to music as a hobby. It is what they
want to do in their own personal time, and the consumer does not want to be treated as an atm. If
they continue on the path that leads to making the customer happy first, then they will see the
increase that is slowly rising. Rising middle-class populations in emerging markets are driving
the growth as well, and if they continue to market to them and let them know they come first, the
revenue will follow.

12. 12
Jacob Young
10/12/2016
B 100
Company Analysis - Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
The one thing that has been consistent with all of the business professionals I have visited
with is that you have to do what you love, or at the very least like. You absolutely cannot work at
somewhere every day that you hate. It is the worst thing that one can do, because you spend
more than half your life working, and if you hate your job, then you are spending most of your
life hating it. I only recently got interested in music and instruments just two or three years ago.
That is why once I got the idea to work in my major in something that I love to do, there was no
argument. I may not necessarily get into the world’s leading seller, but that is in no way going to
stop me from entering marketing and advertising in the music instrument industry.
Fender is in direct competition with Gibson and both are trying to make a profit on the
slowly growing market in the instrument industry. The five years before 2015 were rough for
most musical instrument suppliers, but Fender fared better than most and is now in a consistent
groove of growth. Fender is branching out much more online with aggressive advertising on
social media and with applications. The applications are catered towards consumers trying to
learn an instrument and direct them to stores and online videos with tutors to assist them. All the
while Fender is making money off of that. It is actually genius, to not only get their name and
product out there but to also associate themselves with being very beginner friendly. I have had a
decent amount of experience with them, and they are indeed very catering to the newcomer. That
is not to say that is all they do, they also have very specific programs and supplies for those who
are very advanced. That is why it is no surprise that a myriad of famous musicians use them. An
example being the guitarist for one of the biggest bands in the world, Pink Floyd’s David
Gilmour almost exclusively uses Fender products. That is another way that Fender is advertising
expertly, showing off their products in the hands of the musicians that we know and love to listen
to.
This is in small part in thanks to the new management which has increased the sales and
brand of Fender significantly. He is trying to spread the name and let people know of all skill
levels that Fender is the one for them, to let the consumer know that you are paying for quality
and playability. He has to do this especially in light of the competitors trying to do the exact
same thing, which could significantly subtract from sales. That is why focusing so heavily on
marketing has been such a benefit for the company. They have to keep it up with new advances
in pedal and equipment or they could lose their momentum. So far they have done an excellent
job with making sure the public knows about both the new advances and as well as the things

13. 13
that have been around for 50 years. Their revenue at 2015 was at $173,768,000. It all has to do
with their focus on making sure that the consumer is happy with a real quality instrument or
equipment. That is what they have crafted their name to be known for. One of their slogans is to
focus on the music, on the feeling. In addition to that the consumer today wants things to be
made in America or more importantly have the same “feel” and a great deal of the instruments is
in plants in the U.S. but there is also a great deal of them in Mexico and it doesn’t detract from
the quality though. They stand by their product and will not just let some slip through the cracks.
It may not be the most profitable business or industry, but I want to be part of company known
for its integrity, honesty and willingness to be there for the customer.

14. 14
Jacob Young
10/12/2016
B 100
Role Analysis - Fender - Digital Marketing Manager
I have searched through all the available jobs in marketing on the Fender website, and I
found that a job that feels as though it was catered to someone exactly like me. I would like to
work as a digital marketing manager for Fender, in the Musical Instruments and Supply industry.
I want to be able to still work on a large scale but at the same time still be able to interact with
musicians and help them get what they need to keep loving music. It truly is fantastic because I
would also be able to lead and manage a team and be able to face the company with advertising
projects, while at the same time being able to work with people with the same passion as me.
The first requirement for the job is to have experience with digital advertising and second
to that is a degree in the field. It was not too specific on either a two or four year degree, the
emphasis was on having real world experience. It also said that you need have efficient
interpersonal skills both verbal and nonverbal with presentations and leading marketing and
social media teams. The day to day life would include working with and leading the teams, along
with making presentations, and constantly working to try to catch the attention of all audience
groups. It would also include being able to be flexible and able to deal quickly with changing
social and cultural trends, and with all advertising, able to consistently meet deadlines. The
reason that education is not number one is because it far more crucial that the person have a
positive attitude and be able to get along with others easily. You cannot hate people or working
with the public. A negative personality will most likely result in rapid termination. You also have
to be self-motivated and have a can do attitude, and be willing to work with others as well as the
consumers and public relations. However above it all, you must be passionate about the work
and have a good knowledge of Fender and what they stand for. It is the most important because
you will essentially be the face of the company.
You would not be able to start out in a management role immediately with no experience,
so you would either be placed on one the teams being managed to get a feel for how it is
supposed to work and what you would expect from your teams. It would most likely be an
internship or training for a month or two. And depending on whether it is an internship of
training the pay could go all the way from zero dollars to 40,000, and then 60,000 to 80,000 for
the full job once the training is concluded. Though the job may have changed slightly by the time
it is acquired because it has changed drastically in the past two years thanks to the new plans and
overall management of the company for the better. The future looks very encouraging; Fender is
slowly but consistently growing, majorly in part to the marketing and advertising campaigns.

15. 15

16. 16
Jacob Young
9/22/2016
B 100
Visit with a Business Professional
I visited with my Grandfathers brother, Brother Barry Boyle who owns his own business
that deals with supplying farmers and deals with millions of dollars’ worth of deals each year.
Question 1: What do you wish you knew when you were a freshmen in college?
Answer: The very first thing we talked about was what to make sure happens in college. To
make sure that everything is put in writing for each and every credit. If anything seems to be off
or doesn’t make sense, question it or you will do more work then you have to or “be screwed out
of what you deserve”. He was very adamant on making sure that I stay on top of what I am
taking and finish it. The other component was staying true to the end and following through. To
make sure you know what you want to do and take that major and graduate with it. His wife lost
credits while trying to transfer from Ricks to BYU Idaho and he almost lost credits as well. They
both said that they wished they had chosen the field they wanted sooner and stayed in school
until the degree had been earned. That is exactly what I plan to do.
Question 2: How did you get to where you are at, and would make any changes along the way?
Answer: When I asked this question immediately he looked over at his wife and they both
answered make sure you are completely honest that way you don’t have to remember what you
lied about and also to make sure you are kind and cater to the customer. Which is something I
full heartedly agree with, people are far more likely to trust you if you are respectful to them and
treat them the way you want to be treated. It is the simplicity of the golden rule. I would much
rather be known as trustworthy and successful then filthy rich and to put it bluntly, a scumbag.
He also went on to say to give the farmer or customer the benefit of the doubt. Even if you are
completely in the right and they are dead wrong, do not try to smack them down. Another piece
of advice he gave, which I found rather unique was that when you work under someone, first
confront them with a problem and the solution and plant the seed, and let them think about it.
Don’t be discouraged when they reject it, let it sit for a couple weeks and then bring it up again.
You repeat that process and then suddenly it is their idea! It is a strange piece of advice but one
that he used before he had his own business, but it worked time and time again.

17. 17
Question 3: What do you look for in one of your employees or someone you would hire and what
advice would you give them?
Answer: It took a little while for him to get to this question but he led with some quality advice
which answered the forth question I was going to ask which was do you have any advice for me?
He told me that he is a workaholic and that he is seventy and still puts in 60 plus hours a week.
He also told me that I should find a job that I like to be at, because nothing is worse than pulling
into work and hating to be there. It is also crucial that you be a trustworthy worker as much as it
is to be a trustworthy boss. Whether you hate the job or not, do your best and attempt to be as
honest as possible. That was the reoccurring theme and as simple as it is, a generous amount of
people have a problem with it. The first thing an employer will notice is if you are a liar or not.
One of the biggest accounts that he picked up with a farmer was on the farmers’ porch at ten at
night while he was in his shorts. As important as it is to cater to the customer it is equally
important to develop a rapport with them as well. Establish a base of trust. He went on to offer a
great deal of advice, but another principle that really stuck with me is one we have all heard at
one time or another; never put off till tomorrow what can be done today. When you work a
hundred hours a week you have extremely long days, and he also said that what he tried to put
off would always come back to bite him in the butt and I can second that with work and school.
Finally near the end of the conversation, he told me to always stay close with your banker in all
financial decisions, and to contact who owe money to and absolutely do not avoid the person or
the debt. Talk to the other party and make sure they know you have not forgotten and are
working on it. It is another big step to creating that relationship of trust with clients and
customers. The final advice he ended with it something that I once again, totally agree with, is
that don’t second guess a decision. To accept it and move on, and to not look back and with
regret wished you had done or said something else. He went into depth about a lot into his
company which I thanked him for, and really gave a decent dose of real world experience which
is exactly what hoping to get from this interview, it was very successful.

18. 18
Jacob Young
9/29/16
B 100
Business Professional Two
I had the opportunity to visit with the lead accountant who is also the manager of the
Chesbro’s in Idaho Falls, Jed, for a good forty minutes, it was fantastic.
Question 1: What do you wish you knew when you were my age and in your freshmen year of
college?
Answer: The first piece of advice that he led with was one I have heard time and time again and
it was that find out what you want to do before you get too far into school. You do not want to
have to keep switching majors and use up valuable time that could be spent gaining real world
experience. I also told him about what BYU-I is doing with the internships for freshmen and he
told me to take as much advantage as I can with that. He also went on to tell me to get a variety
of skills and classes to find out what would be the best for me and don’t discount an opportunity
without at least giving it a try. To broaden my perspective and be willing to try out new classes
and see what is the best fit. Another large component of that was to make connections, with
anyone and everyone in the business world; it really can come down to who you know. We also
agreed however that if you have internships under your belt and that you stay honest and
trustworthy, while being a hard worker, you have a much higher chance of getting the job you
want.
Question 2: How did you get to where you are currently at in your business and would you have
made any changes along the way?
Answer: He went on to expound upon connections and making sure that you make as many as
you can and importantly, do not burn your bridges. You never know when you might need to call
them back or get a reference or any number of things, don’t burn your bridges. He also repeated
what I used to hear a lot back out east, be careful of what you post on social media. Companies
both large and small will often check to see what you post about. Chesbro’s is a family company
and if they are going to hire you for a management position then you are the face of their
company. They are going to trust you with their image and if you are spending each night
passing out drunk in dumpsters and then posting about it then you are going to get passed right

19. 19
over. They will never say that is the reason but just to be careful about what you let others see. It
applies in general, not just with potential jobs, but with friends and family as well.
Question 3: What do you look for in an employee and any other advice you feel is important?
Answer: The number one answer as it is with everyone else I have talked to is to be trustworthy.
The second and equally important is being trusted to do the work without having to be told to do
everything or micro managed. Just being able to be trusted to do the job and let the worker be
able to figure things out, a smart worker. We also go into a conversation about how rare smart
hard workers really are. I told him about of all my experience in retail that at least 50% of my
coworkers are just simply lazy. They come in to do as little work as possible and then leave. It
simply does not make sense to me, because both of what type person I am and also how I raised,
when you come into work, you work. You should have pride in your work and be able to be
happy that you specifically made the work go smoothly or made the department look good. We
actually agreed on a great deal and I told him about my time at retail and he said to really
observe how I am managed now and that way when I am a manger, I will know to manage more
effectively and learns the traditional do’s and don’ts. Being flexible is also a crucial part of
managing because every worker will not be the hardworking and smart type. Not all of them you
can trust to do their job on their own, so you will have to adapt and give them pushes and at the
same time learn how to deal with lazier workers. The last point we ended on was to make sure
you stay true to your word and make sure you don’t lose your integrity and convictions. It can be
very easy in that position to screw over people and be able to make an easy profit off someone
who has no idea what you are doing. It can be equally likely that you wouldn’t get caught and the
only person, who would know, would be you. That is why it is so important that we have a
sturdy foundation before we get into those situations and make sure now that we decide to be
honest in all our dealings with our fellow man.

20. 20
Jacob Young
10/5/2016
B 100
Business Professional Three
I had the opportunity to visit with Shaun Fitzgerald from the Guitar Center in Boise
Idaho, and he was just fantastic in telling me about what wanted to hear, which was what it is
like to have your hobby be your job in the music world.
Question 1: What do you wish you knew when you were a freshmen in college?
Answer: He had a rather surprising answer and one I have not heard while interviewing people,
he said that there is really not much he would change. He has always had an interest in music and
decided early on that is what he was going to major in. With that in mind he followed what he
wanted to do all the way through college. Then out of college he applied to Guitar Center.
Question 2: How did you get to your position in the music industry and would you change
anything along the way?
Answer: He went on to explain that his constant and most useful companion was a positive
attitude and hard work. To just chase the dream of what you want to do or where you want to
work. However not everyone can have their hobby be their job and if that is so “Don’t quit your
day job” but on the same note, and this is one I have heard every time is that you cannot hate
your job. You spend more than half your life working and if you hate job, then you already hate
half of your life. He also went on to say that you really have to be engaged in what you plan to
do for your career. To really spend the time learning as much as you can when you start out on
bottom, try out new things and see what you can get accomplished. And most of all, you have to
love it.
Question 3: From your point of view, what is most important to the customer?
Answer: His answer is why I have consistently come back to Guitar Center, he said it is to put a
smile on their face. I could tell he really meant it, and that is what really attracts me to the music

21. 21
world, the fact that it seems to be one of the few business worlds that still for the most part,
focuses on making sure that the consumer is happy. For generous amounts of people, music is
such an integral part of their lives. It has a large effect on them and they trust the sellers to help
them that. Shaun also expounded upon that and said that what helped him really get passionate
about music was helping other musicians. To either help them with technical help with recording
or how to produce a certain sound. Or to more importantly inspire them, to either break a
boundary or to get involved with an instrument in the first place. He also said it is another reason
why his employee’s like him and haven’t left because they like the atmosphere. The customer
does and I certainly do. Even if someone goes into the store and doesn’t buy anything, they
remember the people and the way they were treated. Not only is the good for business but it
provides a pleasant experience for the customer.
Question 4: What would be most crucial to you, in looking for an employee?
Answer: This is when he had yet another answer that surprised me. He said it would be nice to
have a hard worker but even if they are lazy, if they have a really positive attitude, that is what
matters. As long as they are positive and upbeat, and just have general positivity he can overlook
the laziness. That was not something I would have expected to hear from a manager, but once
again that is what is unique about the music world. You could take the laziest worker in the
world that never does anything and basically just hates everyone. However if you take that same
person and put them in a job when they deal with music, they could become the most chipper
person around and start putting in real effort because music is the one thing that speaks to them.
There is a certain feeling you get while playing can be the feeling you get while working and that
is why I am interested in going into the music business world. What a joy to have something you
love to do in your free time be what you get to do with other who also love music and customers
who love it as well. I have been dealing with grocery retail for too long; so this idea of working
with musicians, and being paid for it is very appealing.

22. 22
Jacob Young
10/12/2016
B 100
Business Professional Four
I had the opportunity to visit with Austin Holverson who is a VP of Marketing at
CarrierSales and their company deals in hundreds of thousands of dollar deals and he deals with
all parts of marketing.
Question 1: How did you get to the position that you are at, and would you make any changes
along the way? (This can also include anything you might have wanted to change when you were
a freshmen in college.)
Answer: One of the first things he said to me was that he listened to his gut and would drown out
other people’s opinions, and never settled for a job that others thought he should get. He knew
exactly what he wanted to do with his life and just went for it. Not letting others try to dissuade
him. Even before he was at his current job he stayed up on current marketing trends while
networking heavily at the same time. Then when he finally got the job he said that he was not
afraid to take out the trash so to speak, never be above doing anything and I have also always
believed that. He also advised that I pick an area or two in marketing somewhere I really excel in
leadership. He ended with and I quote; “Don’t listen to people who tell you that you are too
young or inexperienced to achieve what you know you can do. Age and experience don’t always
equate to success and productivity.” That is exactly what I have thought for a long time and to
hear someone so high up say it, is a great reaffirmation.
Question 2: Was there a steep learning curve to cater to what the public and consumer wants via
marketing and advertising, and is there any way I particularly can prepare myself better for that?
Answer: He said that every industry is different and depending on the consumer it can drastically
change. One of things he said to avoid was focusing on your self-interests and desires vs.
knowing and determining what the consumers are asking for. To stay ahead on the latest
marketing trends and most importantly spend time and listen and observe consumer habits. Do
not change things too quick before having a good handle on the market.

23. 23
Question 3: What is the most important thing to the consumer from your point of view?
Answer: He and I both agree that customer service is failing in a lot of regards all over the world.
There are all these companies that all do and say the same things from a marketing perspective,
but actually catering to the customer and making sure that the consumer is happy always placed
first, is a rare thing. Consumers are more impatient then ever behind their keyboards and will
give companies bad reviews at the drop of a hat. The standard is raised higher than ever and
there is a real struggle for excellent customer service, but the customer has to know that they
come first.
Question 4: What is the most crucial advice you can give me right now as a freshmen in college
pursuing business management with an emphasis on marketing and finance?
Answer: The first thing he told me when I asked this question was that I should be involved in 2
or even 3 projects doing consulting work for businesses. This relates to what we were talking
about in class on how we should offer our help for free and say that we just want real world
experience. He gave me a couple of examples being to manage a company’s Facebook page or
do a full review of their website. The more expierence I gain before graduating will be the most
crucial. It will show on my resume that I am willing to work for free because I am dedicated,
hungry, and passionate to my craft. He ended with a quote I would also like to end on;
”Remember, people don’t get jobs offers because they aren’t qualified, people don’t get job
offers because they don’t know how to market themselves.” What a perfect quote to have on say
maybe a linkedin profile, either way it speaks volumes.

24. 24
Jacob Young
10/19/2016
B 100
Business Professional Five
I had the opportunity to visit with L.J. Nielsen, who is a Finance Manager at Xbox. Or to
be more specific is THE finance manager at Xbox and has an integral role in advertising and
very large decisions dealing in multimillion and billion dollars deals. I have never thought about
joining Microsoft, but the point was to broaden our horizons and I thought why the heck not and
I got to rub elbows with a pretty high up business professional.
Question 1: How did you get to the position that you are at, and would you make any changes
along the way? (This can also include anything you might have wanted to change when you were
a freshmen in college.)
Answer: He has had three different jobs since he graduated from BYU-I, and while they may not
have been what he wanted to do, he was not sorry in the slightest. It gave him real world
experience and a well-rounded resume. The first one he had was an accounting job and he
admitted it was rather painful and he would never want to go into the accounting field, but it was
necessary to have an understanding to go into finance. That was not the end either, he also really
hit hard on exploring as much as I can and gain as much experience as possible. To get the best
internship possible and dive deep into the career you choose and just like every other interview,
you have to do what you like. You cannot hate your job because marketing is a very involved job
and you have to want to do it.
Question 2: Was there a steep learning curve to cater to what the public and consumer wants via
marketing and advertising, and is there any way I particularly can prepare myself better for that?
Answer: I was so glad that I asked this question because the first thing that he led with was that
client services are extremely demanding, you have to be able to adapt quick. Luckily he said that

25. 25
client services are just a gateway to the bigger picture things like marketing and finance, but you
have to put in the work beforehand. With client services you are overworked and underpaid, but
it is excellent work and lets you gain a really good amount of experience while building your
resume up. He was only involved for about a year because he said that is all he could take.
Question 3: What is the most important thing to the consumer from your point of view?
Answer: His answer was just like all the others, but a slightly different variation of to do right by
the customer. Make sure that you are doing what is best for the company and customer in equal
terms. He also said to make sure that the right product comes out at the right time. A good
example would be when the Xbox One first came out, it was released too early because of the
PlayStation 4 coming out, but since it was released to compete it ended miserably anyway. There
was another thing that got him to where he is and I certainly do not have a problem with it, and
that is to be passionate and vocal. You have to be especially in tune with the customers and
market, to be involved in aggressive expansion and advertising and to know exactly what the
consumer wants.
Question 4: What is the most crucial advice you can give me right now as a freshmen in college
pursuing business management with an emphasis on marketing and finance?
Answer: The first thing he told me to was to keep doing what I am doing now, and that is to
keep doing informational interviews, and to keep expanding linkedin and networking in general.
He said that networking was a major reason he has gotten the jobs he has, and he still goes on
linkedin every day. The nest thing was a reiteration of get as much experience as possible and do
not feel obligated to accept any job or internships, but you still have to keep working and gaining
as much internships as you can. You cannot always work where you want to or work at your
dream job immediately. It is a snowball effect using informational interviews and connections. It
will also include what you do at other jobs and internships because not all connections are just on
linkedin, build a network both online and in person. The more connections you make, the better
chance you have of getting your dream job.

26. 26

27. 27
Jacob Young
10/5/2016
B 100
Extra 20 Percent
My first installment of the extra 20 percent was to continue to work on my linkedin
profile because I really enjoyed the networking and wanted to expand upon it and I got my
profile to All-Star level and managed to get 70 plus connections in companies that I could see
myself working for. I also spent time trying to enhance profile by adding volunteering and in the
skills section, and I am really glad I did, because I was able to get in connection with some
influential people as soon as I started adding more. These people also offered to help me get in
connection with even higher up executives, which will be very useful when I get back from my
mission. (Three Hours)
The next installment of my work was another informational interview with a BYU-I
alumni involved in marketing. His name is Darrin Caldwell and he works at Zappos as a Internal
Culture & Communications Sr. Coordinator. He advised me in a very similar way to the rest of
my mentors and said to not immediately dismiss jobs because they might seem beneath you.
Take jobs that will help you get to where you want to be to learn the skills, in either excel or
programming or the math included. It will all lead to where you want to go if you just stay the
course which means doing jobs you might hate for a little while. However above all, just like in
every interview I have had, is that you have to make sure you are doing something that you love.
Pick what you want to do now or at least the company and start working towards it. I was also
advised to keep networking and making connection not just on linkedin but with emailing and
phone calls, relationships speak louder than words. (Two Hours)
Finally, I read Return by Robert D. Hales and I took some pretty powerful insights the
most important to me being in the chapter about important life decisions, and when he was asked
to serve a mission with his wife, his only answer was yes, wherever you need me. He never
complained or tried to come up with an excuse he did what the Lord asked him to do without
hesitation. Then about another two or three chapters later he has one quote along the lines of, do
we ever stop to ponder how many gifts we have been given but have not discovered or
developed? This was particularly important to me because if we do not work on our abilities that
we have been given, then we are essentially wasting what the Lord has given us. We have a
responsibility to seek them out and use them to help others and ourselves. (Five Hours)
(Total of ten hours)