This is our documentation of the steps we took when building a subwoofer box and smoking taillights, services that we at VSADS may provide for customers.
Building the subwoofer box was a great way to gain experience as well as learning how to use the CNC machine.
Smoking the taillights helped me with gaining experience with installations and a service that we could possibly provide to future customers.
This is our VSADS website that we created to give customers a way to reach us as well as provide information and show off the quality of our work. Click the button to go to the website.
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Creating the website gave me a lot of knowledge about computers and how to run a website.
This is my Changemaker Story.
1.) A: I’ve always been a “follower” because I was too scared to take responsibility for things if I failed. I would never present my ideas in-group projects and I wouldn’t voice my opinion. So coming up with the idea for VSADS was a big step forward for me.
B: I want to help people like me that have a fear of failure and disappointing others.
2.) My target audience is funders because my story tells of a new solution. I plan to provide a solution to a problem in the automotive and entrepreneurial world that does not currently have one.
3.) I want to raise awareness of our idea to redefine online shopping.
4.) My story is an impact story because the solution I am presenting has a lot of potential for return on investment.
5.) I want the audience to either share my story with as many people as possible, support and possibly contribute to our cause (help advertise, speak with possible business partners), or donate in any way that they can.
6.) Written Story
7.) Throughout high school I’ve been what some might consider a follower. I would listen to the same music as my friends, talk about the same topics, and participate in the same activities, all because I was too afraid to live my own life, not because I enjoy them.
That changed in a big way once I transferred to Riverpoint Academy. I developed attributes such as public speaking, leadership, and team management. All thanks to Riverpoint. These are skills that are valuable in school, your workplace and life outside of these places as well. Had I not honed my newly found abilities, I may not have summoned the courage to present the concept of VSADS to my friend and eventual partner in this endeavor, and I would not be writing this story right now. But I am, so I’ll get to the point.
The inception for VSADS came from two lifelong passions of mine: design and cars. Fast cars, loud cars, big trucks, luxury cars, doesn’t matter to me as long as they are well designed. I had begun thinking how I could combine cars and entrepreneurship when I realized how many websites I’ve looked at parts for my car. Those companies all started with an entrepreneur somewhere who had an idea, so why couldn’t I start my own? Austin has a passion for cars as well so when I discussed my thoughts with him, he nodded in approval. Just kidding, it was more of a loud resounding YES! As a matter of fact Austin had the same idea.
So when Regan (my teacher) came to Austin and I and asked if we would like to switch our focus from our initial project of how to improve sound quality in a large room, to something we may enjoy more, I was hesitant. I didn’t want to propose my idea, in fear of people not liking it. But quite the contrary happened. Regan said it was a great idea and that she was glad we were going to be pursuing a project that can incorporate our interests and capture our attention. So onward we went with this fervent passion of ours.
There was just one problem though (actually we had a lot of problems), neither of us had any experience in business. This turned out to only be a minor setback though as we solved it by just putting the customer first and discussing the idea of what do the customers want. So what exactly do they want? Well, when Austin and I search for parts for our car we want three things: First of all it has to be affordable, I’m not going to buy something for $250 if I can find it somewhere else for $175. Another factor is the ease of use. If a website is convoluted and confusing then I’m certainly not going to go back to it in the future. Lastly, the products/brands/company need to be known for their quality and reliability.
We approached these objectives in steps, with the first being how we would make our business affordable. As it turns out this was really easy. Austin and I have done extensive research in the field of automotive modification (aka we like to look at cool stuff for our cars) that we know where to find all the best parts for lower prices than our local competition and some online retailers as well.
After we finished step one our focus shifted to making the project easy to use for the customer. Well most people do their online shopping, well…online, so we created a website. The website has a contact page which enables people to reach us via phone, email and in person. Austin had the idea to add a blog to broadcast to our (as of right now minimal) audience and let them know of any new updates to the site or any information that will be important to our potential customers.
Final step (finally…), making ourselves known in a good way. This took forever…I’m being serious, we’re still working on this step. It was decided that the best way to do this was to perform installs for friends and spread the word ourselves. This way people can see the quality of our work firsthand. For example, I managed to remove a factory stereo and install an aftermarket one with a mounting kit for a different model car (yeah, I’m that good). Austin also installed a stereo for Nathan (a friend of ours) and now Nathan is potentially going to come back and order speakers through our business.
Because of Austin and I’s audio expertise we made the decision to design and build a subwoofer box to test out the level of difficulty it would take to continue doing so in the future. We found the best tools and materials possible and took our time on each step to make sure it was done correctly. The box was displayed at exhibition to show the craftsmanship and the quality of the materials that we used. Also we presented a pair of taillights of which one of them we “smoked.” When smoking the taillights we only applied enough tint to affect the look of the taillights and not the performance. We added pictures to our website to show how well the smoked taillight performed in comparison to the non smoked light, which was extremely well.
My experience with this project, especially my group, was interesting to say the least. In the beginning, before Dylan joined our group, Austin and I were progressing well but we had a hard time staying on task. This habit only seemed to get worse for Austin as time went on. I often found him playing computer games when he felt we were far enough ahead of the other teams in the Trep Studio class. Additionally he would make excuses as to why he was not inclined to finish his share of the project. As for Dylan, well most of the time he was nowhere to be found.
Throughout the semester I had a desire to take control of my group and demand that the procrastination stop, but my fear overcame that desire and I found myself falling into the same pattern as my team. Later on into the project I started to realize that we were not going to have enough time to finish by the deadline given to us. This concerned me because I really needed to get good grades this semester. If I had to complete all of my group’s assignments I was not going to be able to finish my own personal home and classwork, and therefore I would not end up with satisfactory grades. (Which is what is happening right now as I am writing this on the last day of semester. Oops.)
Finally, I’d had enough. This project was not going the way I wanted nor expected and that needed to change. I gave Austin and Dylan tasks to complete, either before lunch or before the school day was over and if they were not completed to my satisfaction within the timeframe I had given them…well let’s just say they did not enjoy what came next.
Before I knew it, I was appointed leader by my group (and myself) and I had full control of what happened and when. For example, if I asked Dylan to create a poster and print it out he would do it without question, or at least make an honest attempt. In addition, if I told Austin to go survey students, he’d give me an enthusiastic “yes sir” and then go do it (I was beginning to really like this feeling).
As a result of this project I feel like a completely new person. I have a new found sense of leadership and now I would much rather be the shot caller in any upcoming projects than the kid who agrees to everything like I was before. I feel empowered. I look forward to next semester especially with the knowledge and character traits that I have now.
1.) A: I’ve always been a “follower” because I was too scared to take responsibility for things if I failed. I would never present my ideas in-group projects and I wouldn’t voice my opinion. So coming up with the idea for VSADS was a big step forward for me.
B: I want to help people like me that have a fear of failure and disappointing others.
2.) My target audience is funders because my story tells of a new solution. I plan to provide a solution to a problem in the automotive and entrepreneurial world that does not currently have one.
3.) I want to raise awareness of our idea to redefine online shopping.
4.) My story is an impact story because the solution I am presenting has a lot of potential for return on investment.
5.) I want the audience to either share my story with as many people as possible, support and possibly contribute to our cause (help advertise, speak with possible business partners), or donate in any way that they can.
6.) Written Story
7.) Throughout high school I’ve been what some might consider a follower. I would listen to the same music as my friends, talk about the same topics, and participate in the same activities, all because I was too afraid to live my own life, not because I enjoy them.
That changed in a big way once I transferred to Riverpoint Academy. I developed attributes such as public speaking, leadership, and team management. All thanks to Riverpoint. These are skills that are valuable in school, your workplace and life outside of these places as well. Had I not honed my newly found abilities, I may not have summoned the courage to present the concept of VSADS to my friend and eventual partner in this endeavor, and I would not be writing this story right now. But I am, so I’ll get to the point.
The inception for VSADS came from two lifelong passions of mine: design and cars. Fast cars, loud cars, big trucks, luxury cars, doesn’t matter to me as long as they are well designed. I had begun thinking how I could combine cars and entrepreneurship when I realized how many websites I’ve looked at parts for my car. Those companies all started with an entrepreneur somewhere who had an idea, so why couldn’t I start my own? Austin has a passion for cars as well so when I discussed my thoughts with him, he nodded in approval. Just kidding, it was more of a loud resounding YES! As a matter of fact Austin had the same idea.
So when Regan (my teacher) came to Austin and I and asked if we would like to switch our focus from our initial project of how to improve sound quality in a large room, to something we may enjoy more, I was hesitant. I didn’t want to propose my idea, in fear of people not liking it. But quite the contrary happened. Regan said it was a great idea and that she was glad we were going to be pursuing a project that can incorporate our interests and capture our attention. So onward we went with this fervent passion of ours.
There was just one problem though (actually we had a lot of problems), neither of us had any experience in business. This turned out to only be a minor setback though as we solved it by just putting the customer first and discussing the idea of what do the customers want. So what exactly do they want? Well, when Austin and I search for parts for our car we want three things: First of all it has to be affordable, I’m not going to buy something for $250 if I can find it somewhere else for $175. Another factor is the ease of use. If a website is convoluted and confusing then I’m certainly not going to go back to it in the future. Lastly, the products/brands/company need to be known for their quality and reliability.
We approached these objectives in steps, with the first being how we would make our business affordable. As it turns out this was really easy. Austin and I have done extensive research in the field of automotive modification (aka we like to look at cool stuff for our cars) that we know where to find all the best parts for lower prices than our local competition and some online retailers as well.
After we finished step one our focus shifted to making the project easy to use for the customer. Well most people do their online shopping, well…online, so we created a website. The website has a contact page which enables people to reach us via phone, email and in person. Austin had the idea to add a blog to broadcast to our (as of right now minimal) audience and let them know of any new updates to the site or any information that will be important to our potential customers.
Final step (finally…), making ourselves known in a good way. This took forever…I’m being serious, we’re still working on this step. It was decided that the best way to do this was to perform installs for friends and spread the word ourselves. This way people can see the quality of our work firsthand. For example, I managed to remove a factory stereo and install an aftermarket one with a mounting kit for a different model car (yeah, I’m that good). Austin also installed a stereo for Nathan (a friend of ours) and now Nathan is potentially going to come back and order speakers through our business.
Because of Austin and I’s audio expertise we made the decision to design and build a subwoofer box to test out the level of difficulty it would take to continue doing so in the future. We found the best tools and materials possible and took our time on each step to make sure it was done correctly. The box was displayed at exhibition to show the craftsmanship and the quality of the materials that we used. Also we presented a pair of taillights of which one of them we “smoked.” When smoking the taillights we only applied enough tint to affect the look of the taillights and not the performance. We added pictures to our website to show how well the smoked taillight performed in comparison to the non smoked light, which was extremely well.
My experience with this project, especially my group, was interesting to say the least. In the beginning, before Dylan joined our group, Austin and I were progressing well but we had a hard time staying on task. This habit only seemed to get worse for Austin as time went on. I often found him playing computer games when he felt we were far enough ahead of the other teams in the Trep Studio class. Additionally he would make excuses as to why he was not inclined to finish his share of the project. As for Dylan, well most of the time he was nowhere to be found.
Throughout the semester I had a desire to take control of my group and demand that the procrastination stop, but my fear overcame that desire and I found myself falling into the same pattern as my team. Later on into the project I started to realize that we were not going to have enough time to finish by the deadline given to us. This concerned me because I really needed to get good grades this semester. If I had to complete all of my group’s assignments I was not going to be able to finish my own personal home and classwork, and therefore I would not end up with satisfactory grades. (Which is what is happening right now as I am writing this on the last day of semester. Oops.)
Finally, I’d had enough. This project was not going the way I wanted nor expected and that needed to change. I gave Austin and Dylan tasks to complete, either before lunch or before the school day was over and if they were not completed to my satisfaction within the timeframe I had given them…well let’s just say they did not enjoy what came next.
Before I knew it, I was appointed leader by my group (and myself) and I had full control of what happened and when. For example, if I asked Dylan to create a poster and print it out he would do it without question, or at least make an honest attempt. In addition, if I told Austin to go survey students, he’d give me an enthusiastic “yes sir” and then go do it (I was beginning to really like this feeling).
As a result of this project I feel like a completely new person. I have a new found sense of leadership and now I would much rather be the shot caller in any upcoming projects than the kid who agrees to everything like I was before. I feel empowered. I look forward to next semester especially with the knowledge and character traits that I have now.