Hey y'all!

So this week we did our personal presentations. I was so nervous the whole time, but I liked having to only rely on myself to get the grade I wanted. My favorite part of our personal presentations was that every time you presented, you were given feedback, and with that feedback, you were asked to apply and make better. I really liked that process and it helped me improve my presentation skills.

Later in life when I have to give presentations, I am going to try to find a way to rehearse multiple times either in front of a camera or family, and get feedback to apply to make better. I hope I am going to become a better presenter in the future.

Hey y'all!

I am doing so many posts this week! I am tired of writing!

Recently, I have been very busy with my kolache business which has left me no time to do anything. It was definitely a challenge to take on such a project with my two brothers at the end of a semester, but rewarding at the same time. Because our whole day on Tuesday was presentations and we are already supposed to do a blog post about that, I am going to share some thought about owning a business and how communication skills can help.

I am in charge of all social media and basically customer relations and PR. I post updates and pictures, and manage our Facebook account, page, and Instagram. Also, I respond to customers who post recommendations or feedback. Because of this class, I have learned to be professional in how I communicate and interact with customers.

Owning your own business changes your perspective on going to work. You aren't just going to work to be paid, but because you want to be successful. It's now MY name and reputation on the line, and everything we do, reflects personally on us as professionals and as people. You are very careful in what you do because the amount of care and passion you have for something that is yours, is a billion times more than when its not.

I am glad I have gotten to use this class in my everyday life. I am busy all of the time, but it is good to be busy. My dad always said, "If you want to do something, you gotta do it all".

Hey y'all!

I remember Professor Middleton mentioning a blog post after our presentations, but since she never mentioned anything in class about it, I'm assuming we didn't have to. None the less, I will write one anyways.

As I was watching my presentation, I have to say I was really proud of myself. I kept my cool, even though I was so nervous I was shaking up at the front. My voice was loud and clear, and if I got off track, I picked myself back up.

Two things I did well
I had a clear voice and spoke loudly. Also I looked at the audience and kept them engaged in what I was saying. I think those are bother very strong things.

Two things I can work on
Because I was so nervous, I used filler words to keep myself from freaking out. Even though I am nervous up in front of a crowd, I still shouldn't use filler words. Secondly, when I am not speaking, I tend to play with my fingers or rings. Maybe when I present next, I should take off my rings so I am not tempted.

One thing my group did well
My team and I worked very hard on our project and presentation. I feel something that we did very well on was simply knowing our information. We spoke with confidence and I think that is very important. Not only that, we support each other very well.

One thing my group can work on
As a team, our eyes tended to focus on the person speaking or on the slide, but we didn't have much balance between the two. Some members of our group didn't look at the crowd she we talked or we just looked at the slides. This is something that we could work on as a team and individually to better our presentation skills.

My team put a lot of work into this project and presentation. It turns out, that Brady turned in our proposal and report to eBay and they are considering implementing our ideas into their company. We are proud of what we did, but I am sure we are all glad it is over!

Hey y'all!

So I am going to be posting 2 things tonight. The first one is on the meeting over a webcam.

As a group we used Google Hangouts. This worked really well over the week because all of us were very busy. I had to use my phone, and my other group members where on their computers. This method of communication is very useful and helpful. We all live very far apart and being able to meet without actually traveling was really helpful for our group. While on our webcam meeting, we all were very professional. My phone actually ended up dying towards the end of our discussion, but I discussed that with my team members from the beginning so that made it less of a setback.

In addition, we did all of our work on a Google document. This was such a convenience to our team because sit kept things simple and everyone could see the work we had done and edited it at all times.

I think these kind of meetings will help me in the future because I know to be ready for anything, to a computer or phone dying, or noise in the background. Also being familiar with Google documents can help me with group projects in future business. I hope that I can use the methods that I have learned later in the my business future.

Hey y'all!

So this week has been crazy to say the least! I am starting my own business with my brothers that is going to open April 1. We are opening a kolache shop. To most of you, this word is foreign...because it is. I am in charge of the social media, marking, and some sales for our business, Hruska's Kolaches. I have been able to use my skills from MCOM already which I am truly grateful for. So for any of you who want to come by and see me at my OWN business, feel free to grab a kolache as well. Like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram at @hruskaskolaches! For more information, visit whattheczech.com.

From painting and decorating, to building countertops and moving in equipment, I still managed to learn something in class this week. After looking through the magazine for the Marriott School of Business, I know how to incorporate CARBS into everything I do. For my Business Article, I need to add graphics and make it more appealing. According to the man that came and talked to us about it, the content needs to be the main focus, but I want to focus on everything! I plan to make my article informative, and entertainment o read along with appealing to look at. From what we learned about CARBS in class, I will focus on contrast, alignment, repetition, balance, and spacing.

Hey y'all!

Guess what?! I am writing my blog post from Sugar Land, Texas tonight, and it is the most wonderful feeling ever! I am so glad to be back home in the motherland. I have shopped and done some serious partying at the Houston Rodeo. If any of y'all ever have to chance to make it down to Houston in March, get tickets to this AMAZING event. My southern accent is back, so that is the greatest outcome from this entire trip.

So, on to the important stuff! This week in class we went to the computer lab to gather research for our upcoming Business Article paper due. All my life I have wanted to be a wedding planner, and that is the main subject of my paper I am going to write! I am really excited to see what I can produce.

Besides doing research, we peer edited our persuasive and bad news letters. From what my peers had to say, I was very persuasive when it came to making them want to date me (but honestly...who wouldn't?!). Even though I had my male readers graveling at my feet for a date, I could definitely improve on my bad news letter. I am breaking up with Bob Barker and I need to do some tweaking here and there so I don't come off too harsh. I don't want to break the man's heart! For bad news letters, you want to be straight forward but not form a bad relationship. This can be hard, but anything done poorly can come back and bite you in the butt. Polite and refined, but to the point are the things I got out of my peer editing sessions.

I am going to work hard to edit my papers to the best of my abilities so I can successfully break up with Bob without any hard feelings, and gain a date in the process.

Hey y'all!

In my opinion, online interviews are way less intimidating than face to face interviews. I was way less nervous to talk to my employer and that made me more confident in myself. I kept my cool and didn't panic if I didn't have an answer to a question right away. I think I improved a lot since the mock interviews with my confidence and composure.

Some of the things I need to work on are my filler words. I used the word "um" more than I would have liked. So I need to watch for that. Also, I didn't incorporate as many PAR storied into this interview as my last. I think that might have been because of the questions that I was asked, but none the less, I need to remember to include those in my answers. Lastly, I tried to keep my background very plain and neutral, but it effected my over lighting and caused my side to have a colder tone.

For future employment, I need to include more PAR stories to emphasize my strengths, and keep up the confidence to sell myself.

My employer was Jonathan Juretich with a score of 5.

Hey y'all!

The week has come to and end, and I am swamped with homework. Darn you, BYU, for not letting us have a spring break!! Besides listening to extremely entertaining date stories from Professor Middleton, we had out mock interviews. They were so scary, but in all honesty, a HUGE benefit.

I loved being the interviewer and seeing how my partners responded. They both were professional, calm, and collected, and their resumes both were very impressive. Listening to how my partners responded gave me ideas on how I should act and think during an interview. The thing my partners did the best was selling themselves. Both of them made me want to give them the job they were interviewing for!

My interview went so-so. I was very nervous because it was the first formal job interview I had ever had. The only other one I have experienced, I had already had the job and I want basically getting an overview of the rules. Besides being wishy-washy and saying I was nervous, I think I did okay! One thing I was complemented on was my creativity with my PAR stories. I managed to make my interest of watching movies into a comparison of learning lessons from the things I watch and using them in my work experiences. If I can be less nervous, and more confident in myself, my answers, and my talents and abilities, I can nail any interview I have. I just need to be prepared.

One question that a potential might ask me in an interview is, "Why should I hire you over someone else?" My answer would be simple. "WHY WOULDN'T YOU?!"

Hey y'all! 
So first off, I want to express my deepest sorrows for Lexi and her family. She was the first person that I became friends with in class, and she is such a sweet girl. I am praying for her recovery and know The Lord is watching over her and her family through this difficult time.

This week, we had a special guest speaker who taught us a lot about resumes, interviews, and getting a slot into the business world. We need to use the sources around us and take advantage of the opportunities available, like job fairs and networking socials.

I really loved how she answered all of our questions we had. The question I asked her was, "how could I stand out, if on paper, I am average?" This is my biggest issue with applying for jobs. I am very good in the work field and am a great people person, but I am not a good test taker. Because of this, I have mediocre grades, but the desire to do so much with the abilities I have.

This weekend, even though we have a ton of homework, I am excited to practice applying for a job and getting the practice I need for when real life hits me in the face. Hopefully my resume will impress, and I will show my fellow classmates who are interviewing me that I am more than what my resume states I am.

Hey Y'all!

So I don't really know what to write about this week because we didn't have class. In fact, I'm not even sure if this post is necessary because we are supposed to write about we we learned in class. Since we did not have class, I'm assuming that I can post about anything.......

Do y'all know what I have been doing all weekend? Absolutely nothing. I should be doing homework and studying for my 3 tests this week, but I have decided to put it al off as long as I can. I have filled my time with countless hours of Netflix and HBO Go. My new fixation is a show called The League because it cracks me up. Also this weekend, I have wanted to watch musicals so I put on Rent and Les Mis, and to satisfy my sappy, romantic side, Sabrina starring Harrison Ford came to the rescue. Oh, Harrison. You are one classy man.

One productive thing I did do this weekend was study for my bowling test. On our review sheet, I was so upset with the wording of something I read. THE GRAMMAR WAS TERRIBLE!
"Mark: Making either a spare nor strike in a frame.

Open Frame: A frame having neither a spare or strike."

These compliments were completely off, and the sentences weren't parallel. It drove me crazy trying to read and understand these two definitions. The person who wrote this needs to take MCOM 320.

For the week with no class, I wrote about whatever I wanted to and still ended up writing about grammar. What has this class done to me?!

Hey Y'all!

This is my evaluation for our team presentation. Unfortunately, for the groups last Tuesday, the sound didn't record, so Im evaluating based on Professor Middleton's comments and what I can see. So if this boring, I apologize beforehand.

List two things I did well
Individually, from what I can tell, I had great energy and I kept smiling. This drew the audience in and made me appealing to listen to and look at.

List one thing I can work on
I speak super fast and I play with my fingers when I get nervous. I need to slow it down and relax! My nerves definitely get to me.

List one thing my group did well
Because my team was very well prepared, we had smooth transitions through each person presenting, as well as through each slide.

List one thing my group can work on
We all spoke very fast. We didn't have a lot of time at all and we had a ton of information to get through. Also sometimes we looked at the slides rather than the audience so that lost connection between us and our listeners.

Hey y'all!

So my presentation went well!! This isn't my "presentation" post, but I do want to reflect on what I learned on Tuesday about presenting in general.
While watching other presentations, I really noticed how often people use filler words. The word "um" is a killer word. It is distracting and takes away from the quality of the message you are trying to give to your audience. Also, one thing I noticed, was word pronunciation. The most important thing before presenting is knowing your material and how things are pronounced. Mispronouncing a word that is not hard to say diminishes your credibility. The last thing that I took away being a "no" of presentations was reading off slides on a screen. I find it so important that a presenter is prepared with their detail. If you don't even know the material you are talking about, what were to happen if you had technical difficulties and you were left with no slides? KNOW YOUR MATERIAL! Professor Middleton shared a story about that, and it really left an impression on me. When you present, you almost should feel like you are talking with the audience rather than talking at them.
Some good things I liked about the presentations were the way people flowed. All three groups presented differently but all seemed to work on how they organized the flow of things. I liked that a lot. Secondly, I really liked how one group got the audience involved. It caught my attention and made me listen more intently to what they were saying.
My whole take-away from Tuesday was preparedness. Being prepared is key, and it really does make the difference.

Hey y'all!

One thing I love most about any teacher is humor. Professor Middleton really hits it on the nose when it comes to this. I am never bored in her class!! Even when I stop to text or do something else, I get distracted by HER! She is so entertaining to listen to and she alway tells us things that can be applied to our future.

I especially enjoyed her performances of the different things someone can do while they are presenting. Was I the only one that caught the comment about men keeping their hands out of their pockets??? I laughed so hard!! People tend to do weird things during speeches and presentations that we don't even catch ourselves doing. I say the phrase "in fact". My brother has told me over and over again to stop, so I have tried to get out of the habit. During speeches, I tend to sway. This week when I have to give my class presentation, I am going to focus on not doing anything that would distract the audience from what I am actually telling them about. People do NOT need another reason to stare at me because I'm already beautiful! All joking aside, I am going to try really hard to have better presentation skills by pronouncing my syllables and consonants and staying engaging to my class and not distracting them with useless filler words and/or movements.

Hey y'all!

There are three things in this world I despise: lizards, colored toilets, and grammar. Grammar doesn't come easy unless you memorize your rules, or you're a genius. But to be fair, words just aren't my thing. I say words like "y'all" and "boughten", and I didn't even know "boughten" wasn't a word until I was a senior in high school. You learn something new everyday....

In class this week, we had a grammar review. The TA's are great because I really learned a lot from their grammar knowledge. We took a pretest in preparation for the real test this weekend. To my surprise, I actually didn't do that bad! With some studying and practice, I should do quite well!

One thing I am really good at is figuring out what kind of sentences are simple, complex, compound, or compound-complex. I take pride in the fact I do well at recognizing those. Identifying these kind of sentences is all about knowing the difference between clauses and phrases. Is that a dependent clause or independent? Is that even a clause or is it a phrase? If you get that down, you are going to ace this section of the test! Know your sentence types, so you can avoid creating run-on sentences in business letters or proposals in the future.

I don't know about y'all, but I haven't taken the grammar test yet. I'm saving myself from agony until Monday morning. I am going to use my skills of knowing my sentence types to my advantage. But that alone will not get me the grade I want or need, so I am going to practice, practice, practice. While everyone is at their Super Bowl parties, I will be sitting on the couch practicing my grammar, rocking my Texans jersey. Good luck to everyone who hasn't taken the exam yet! Hopefully studying and going to class will be enough to prepare for this grammar test!

Good luck on the grammar test this weekend y'all! I thought this would lighten the mood. :)

Hey Y'all!

Connections are everywhere, but how do we get them? This week in class we learned about networking. Networking is sharing information between people to build relationships that could potentially help you in the future.
On a plane ride down to Houston recently, I sat next to a woman that was playing the game Candy Crush. Since I was sitting by myself, I decided to spark conversation with her about the game which led to more conversation about life and careers. She worked for a company in Salt Lake in their marketing department. I instantly got excited and told her that's what I wanted to major in at BYU, so she gave me her card and said if I needed help, give her a call. I should remind her of me as "the nice girl on the plane ride to Houston". We network everyday by building relationships with people we come in contact with.
I never really knew how important networking was until this week in class. Will I ever use the Candy Crush lady's card as a connection? Who knows, but I gave myself the opportunity of a future internship possibly. Not only did I give myself the opportunity, but Candy Crush lady did as well. Networking is a two way street. You never know how you can help someone or someone can help you.
When do we need to start networking? The answer is now! Our teacher gave us the assignment of attending a professional networking meeting to get our names out there. Networking isn't a new thing, and is used everywhere because it works. I need to get into gear and get myself out there! One day soon, I am going to use the connections that I get today, so I can have a better tomorrow.

Hey y'all!


No matter what profession you are going into in the business world, everyone needs to know proper table etiquette. Look back to the movie Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts, a hooker, knows nothing about how the upper class works. She gets hired by a professional businessman who buys companies for a living and is asked to attend a dinner with come clients. After receiving training by the hotel staff, she learns how to be proper and learns the etiquette needed to impress her employer, Richard Gere, and his clients. Why do I elude to this story? I cannot stress enough how important it is to look professional and act professional with fellow employees and employers. Back in Houston where I am from, I attended a lunch provided by a company that was showing me their product I was supposed to sell for them. Out of every food joint their was in Houston, they chose a salad restaurant. Eating salad is difficult enough without being messy, but add the pressure of trying not to look ridiculous in front of your superiors while eating it is even worse! I made sure I sat up straight and acted like a lady. With a napkin in my lap at all times, I ate slowly and never spoke with my mouth full of food. A prime example of what not-to-do is in Miss Congeniality. When Sandra Bullock, Gracie Heart, meets her pageant coach for the first time, she acts like a pig! She eats steak and he is absolutely repulsed by her terrible table manners. Never talk with your mouth full! In my MCOM 320 class this week, we learned proper table etiquette for business settings. I learned everything there is to know about table manners from place settings to who should pay. Whenever I have my next business dinner or lunch, I will make sure to follow these simple etiquette rules so I never get embarrassed.
!http://www.anyclip.com/movies/miss-congeniality/victors-consulting-history/#!locations/

Hey Y'all!
It's me, Devin Hruska, your fellow, Texan MCOM student.
As I'm sitting on my couch this Tuesday night, all I can think about is school...well actually, school and boys. Unfortunately this blog's purpose isn't to delve deep into the inner thoughts of Devin Hruska and her nonexistent love life, but to enhance the writing skills of her ever-growing, intellectual mind. So don't get your hopes up for a blog that is full of juicy stories, unless you consider my Tuesday night, Business Writing class juicy. Blogging will be a new experience for me, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it and have some fun in the process.