By Makenna Arbogast
On the beginning day of Business Horizons 2019, July 14, students were introduced to the world of business through the very creative standpoint of David Williamson, who was the first guest speaker for the week.
When talking with the audience, three main points were given that set the stage for the days to come.
One of the first points of Williamson’s speech was the funnel changing into a fulcrum metaphor, which was an example of holding a funnel upright then turning it upside down to become a fulcrum.
The intention behind this metaphor was to help students understand that the funnel is the old understanding we’ve been taught since childhood, while changing it to the fulcrum means that you’re gaining a new understanding from something old.
To encourage listeners to embrace this saying, Williamson suggested that each of us students see “every day as the object” where we attempt to discover new opportunities, people, ideas, inventions, and more.

Another point Williamson described during his presentation was learning to experience the different angles of an object. An example he used most often to express this point was a door hinge where, along with participation from the audience, he would brainstorm ideas of what other items that one hinge could be.
By changing the orientation of the hinge, students saw a pair of boots, a tree stump, a butterfly, and even Santa’s sleigh! To finish off the brainstorming session, Williamson challenged the audience to make it their goal to look at an object and see 25 different ways the object can be viewed almost immediately.
The last point, highlighted multiple times throughout his speech, was seeing a third option out of a given two. Williamson gave various versions of a hidden third option, one of the first being his time in high school.
During his time in high school, it was apparent that there were two options of a school hobby: athletics and the fine arts. What Williamson ended up choosing with three of his friends was to make a rock & roll band. He and the other band members were looked down upon by their school and family, but what they didn’t realize is that Williamson and the others had started their own business.
Williamson urged the audience to begin searching for that third option because of his experience with the incredibly thought-provoking message “answer the questions, question the answers, and question the questions.”
