Reading Reflection No. 1

Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney

• What surprised you the most? I was very surprised to learn about the unconventional methods Chanel used to fund her work. Coming from a less than affluent family, she used money from a string of wealthy lovers, and later a German intelligence officer at the start of WWI, to build a name for herself and create House of Chanel.
• What about the entrepreneur did you admire the most? I admire Chanel's hardworking and ambitious work ethic. She came from nothing and was able to revolutionize women's clothing post-WWI. Although she died almost four decades ago, her name has been able to live on. She created a brand that has lasted, and will probably continue to last, generations from now.
• What about the entrepreneur did you admire the least? I didn't like Chanel's deceit about her background and upbringing. She fabricated her origins and childhood to appear more glamorous, but I think that her actual story is much more fascinating and would make her more relatable and inspiring to other entrepreneurs who could relate to her.
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? I think the biggest obstacle Chanel had to overcome was at the beginning of her life, after being born into an impoverished, nomadic family. Once her mother died at age 12, and her father sent her to live a covenant orphanage, she was forced to choose whether she would succumb to her adversity or turn it into a success. It was as this stage of her life that she learned  how to sew, worked as a seamstress, and began to build her career that would later transform her into one of the biggest icons in the fashion industry.
• What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? I noticed that Chanel was able to create opportunities out of any situation. She could turn disadvantages into advantages for herself, which helped her build her brand.
• Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you? I was confused about her relationship with the German intelligence officer, especially with the timeline so close to WWI. There are a lot of indications that he was affiliated with the Nazi and that she assisted him with spy activity which in turn helped her brand, but I was confused as to how that would happen.
• If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why? I would ask her if she regrets lying about her background because it might alter how successful she became if people knew the truth. I would also ask how she felt about being involved with someone affiliated with the Nazi given the nature of their beliefs.
• For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? I think Chanel valued hard work over anything else. I partially agree with this opinion, but I would have to reconsider when it came to ethics.