Alumni Spotlight – Dylan Fetterman

Preparedness

How has LTS defined or redefined preparedness for you in your personal and professional life? Recognizing the power of voice and leading with a positive attitude was a trait reinforced in LTS. While we often view our personal and professional lives as separate, the reality is that they overlap, and our personal hobbies and ideas can indeed translate into a successful professional life. One of the most important aspects of integrating personal and professional life is effective communication and articulation. The constant pitching, refining of presentation skills, developing a resume/LTS portfolio, and reflecting in the LTS journal helped me lead with intention and understand the steps necessary to achieve my goals. This program has truly prepared me for my professional life, equipping me with the skills to highlight my work, its impact on the community at large, and the steps I’m taking to address challenges. Learning to condense and tailor my message to my audience was a crucial skill, honed through pitches related to my personal brand, problem pitches, business/startup profiles, and industry analysis. It’s all about understanding what you want your audience to take away and delivering that message with purpose.

Ability to Network

What was your knowledge of networking before LTS vs after? How has LTS impacted your ability to network? LTS impacted my ability to network by emphasizing the idea that everything is an opportunity, and you won’t know unless you ask. I was fortunate enough to attend a significant portion of the industry expert sessions they organized, as well as the summit. Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of entrepreneurship, but I also had the chance to interact with leaders in their fields. This experience allowed me to connect with them for follow-ups, build connections on LinkedIn, and—most impactful for me—practice mock presentations with them and receive valuable feedback on the direction I was heading.

Failure

How has LTS impacted your experience with failure? Failure, often a taboo in society, took on a new meaning throughout this program. From day one, Mrs. Hall introduced the concept of failing forward and embracing failure. As someone who always aimed to have the answers and a clear direction, this was a very new approach for me. However, it allowed me to break barriers and truly explore the opportunities available. It pushed me to consider problems and startup ideas I might have previously avoided due to discomfort or unfamiliarity. This shift in mindset also made me reflect on what failure truly means and its long-term impact. More than anything, this mentality fueled my success throughout the program and encouraged me to venture into uncharted territory and explore new directions. Failure doesn’t always have to be perceived as a negative; instead, it can serve as a redirection toward achieving something better and figuring out what went wrong to prevent it in the future. This was especially true when I pursued the idea of sustainability, particularly in the education and clothing industries.

At the time, I believed it was a brilliant idea and was eager to conduct market research, demo potential solutions, and raise awareness about the problem. However, the project ultimately failed. Through this experience, I learned that while the problem existed, the extent of its impact on consumers and whether it would drive them to change their behavior or pay for the solution (essentially, the payment over convenience concept) were critical factors I had overlooked. Ultimately, this knowledge helped me consider future business endeavors differently and helped shape my future success.