Friday, June 15, 2018

13A - Reading Reflection No. 1


1) You read about an entrepreneur:
·        What surprised you the most?
    • There was a segment in her biography that referred to her as a prostitute; cocette/”coco”.
·        What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
    • I admired her ability to persevere as a woman who had experienced challenges in her childhood with regards to the absence of her father and the suffering her mother experienced.
·        What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
    • Her affair with Arthur Capel.
·        Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
    • After her mother passed away, Gabrielle was placed in an orphanage. This was the birthplace of her passion, as it was where she learned how to sew by the nuns she lived with. I believe that many people never really expect orphans to be successful or lead a good life. She took all she had and changed everything. Now, she is and continues to be the embodiment of women around the world.
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 
o   Chanel had a will to keep going and challenging herself. Growing up in the era she did, she was tired of dressing up the way most women dressed and she revolutionized attire for women.
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
There was a portion of the biography that discusses prostitution in her professional life, and questionable associations with drug users.
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
o   Did you know Chanel #5 would be such a great hit? Chanel #5 was and continues to be such a powerful fragrance and I believe it is a great sample of the woman she was, I’m just wondering if she actually knew the impact it would’ve had as she pursued fragrances for the purpose of expanding her business; her passion was clothing.
o   If you weren’t placed in the orphanage after the death of your mother, do you believe you would have still learned to sew and gain a passion for women’s clothing? I believe this moment was monumental in her career as a designer.
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
o   While Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was an extremely hard-working woman, I believe her opinion of hard work was being a woman in itself. Losing her mother at a young age, and experiencing her mother cry were moments that changed Gabrielle indefinitely. I believe that having to learn this all on her own, is what continued to push her forward.


3 comments:

  1. Hi Vanessa,
    Before reading your post, I didn’t know much about Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. It seems like she was a real leader and an extremely hard worker. I really liked the second question you came up with to ask Chanel. I am also very curious about what her answer would be. I feel like a lot of the time people become who they are because of everything that they go through in their lives. I wonder if her life would have been different had she not ended up in an orphanage and learned how to sew. You did a great job on your post, but I wished that you would have gone into a little more detail!

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  2. Hi Vanessa
    Since I chose to read the book about Elon Musk instead of Chanel, I found your post to be very interesting and insightful! It sounds like through her perseverance and accomplishments that she has been a huge influence for many women around the world. Although I am not able to relate to many of her experiences, I can still greatly appreciate the significance that she places on the times with her Mother.

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  3. Vanessa,
    I agree that the hard times in her life really shaped her for the future. She seems to have a lot of determination and will-power based on all her success. I did not know much about her, but your reflection makes me want to go read the book.

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