Oscar Proud is a fictional character from the Disney show The Proud Family. He is the founder and CEO of Proud Snax, which produces snacks with unknown ingredients (though in S2, E22: Culture Shocks, it's revealed that pork rinds are used), that makes all but one character (Peabo), sick. Despite no one actually liking his snacks, he still manages to stay in business. This begs the question; what are the lessons Oscar Proud can teach us about entrepreneurship? Read on to learn more:
1. Always Strive to Improve
Getting feedback is important if you want to stay and grow in business. One thing that can help expand your business is collecting feedback from both your target audience and loyal consumers on certain product(s). This proves that you care about consumer experience and creating the ultimate product. You can accomplish this via social media, email lists, focus groups, surveys and more!
While testing your food recipe (or any product) really shouldn’t be done by a monkey called Mr.Chips, or forcing said monkey to partake in free labour, this is how Oscar conducted his business. I doubt his results were favourable...
2. Remain Invested in Your Business
A dad of three and husband to one, Oscar only participated in family or relationship-building activities once in a while, like that time he organized a camping trip (S2, EP 7: Camping Trip) or refused to go salsa dancing with his wife. Some might say he was too selfish. Despite that, Oscar was very invested in all aspects of his business from testing to branding and marketing. He used TV ads, sponsorships and spokespeople, and samples to increase awareness of Proud Snax.
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to be organized and keep your brand voice and content consistent. Even when business picks up and new team members need to be hired, an all-hands boss is better than a passive one. This ensures things continue to run smoothly, which brings me to my next point:
3. Take (Almost) Every Opportunity You Can Get
Whether pursued or offered, opportunities can help with your brand exposure. For example, in S2,EP 25:The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Oscar takes advantage of the fact that LaCienega (his daughter Penny’s frenemy) is participating in a citywide singing competition to sponsor her via Proud Snax.
A good way to find or be given opportunities in entrepreneurship is to maintain a good social media presence and engage with followers and other industry leaders. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have thousands of groups that gather for specific topics like marketing, or even more niche like email marketing. What are you waiting for? Join an entrepreneurship group today to connect with like-minded people and collaborate on cool projects.
Once in a while, people will pitch an idea or propose a deal that may not advance your business due to reasons like difference in values. Politely decline the offer and trust that something better will fall into your lap. Money isn’t everything.
4. Be Eager To Learn
While Oscar thought he knew everything and his way was the best, he missed out on many entrepreneurship learning opportunities.
Oftentimes, especially at the start of the journey, entrepreneurs wear many hats in their business. This includes creative director, social media manager, photographer, business developer, marketer and much more. This path is challenging and unique to every entrepreneur, but the end result is almost what defines accomplished individuals. And that’s because they put the grind behind their dreams and spoken wishes. Put yourself out there, learn from your peers and leverage platforms like LinkedIn to reach your learning goals.
Whether you enjoyed Oscar’s overprotective, zany and borderline money-obsessed character or not, you can’t deny his ambition when it comes to being an entrepreneur. When all is said and done, being proactive through these four key steps will help your entrepreneurial path.
Xo,
Aissatou