This abroad trip in Greece provided me with many new experiences and shifted my overall perspective, and a large part of that is relating to conducting business activities with individuals passionate about starting their own business. This trip has allowed me to gain insight into the vast differences of entrepreneurship in Greece compared to the United States, and an immigrant’s perspective of the challenges and goals of starting a business. Going into the trip, I was fairly uncertain about the interactions we would have with the clients and just how much of a plan they would have. I anticipated they would be unfamiliar with many aspects of business, and potentially be difficult to communicate with. What I discovered was a young man who is fluent in English, passionate about the life he wants to pursue, and has put himself in a position to succeed even though he has had a rough journey. While he didn’t have extensive knowledge of business practices, he was attending school and had already made connections in his area of work, which made our job very easy. In this experience, I have also learned some challenges that migrant business owners face that shifted my perspective even further. Being unfamiliar with online financial bookkeeping, our client was extremely grateful when we put together some spreadsheets for him to use. He also wanted to expand his brand and reputation, so we assisted him in that aspect as well. It made me aware of just how challenging it is to start a business as a self-made entrepreneur, especially as an immigrant. The biggest shift in my impressions, however, came on a more personal level. I went into this class with a more closed mindset, expecting to treat this like an assignment and not find much real meaning in it. However, after interacting with our client and seeing what a kind and dedicated person he was, I was able to develop a meaningful relationship with him and change the way I see the world.
