A series of free entrepreneurial lectures began recently at the Middlesboro Southeast Kentucky Technical College campus. The lectures will extend through May 1 with the remaining time slots being April 10, 17 and 24.

The focus of the lectures uses the book “Who Owns the Ice House: Eight Life Lessons From an Unlikely Entrepreneur” by Clifton Taulbert and Gary Schoeniger. Taulbert is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and business owner and Mr. Schoeniger is the co-founder and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI).

The overall theme of the lectures is that success in entrepreneurial goals does not require some of the aspects people think it does. There are eight chapters in the book, and the lectures highlight each of the eight topics that include choice, opportunity, action, knowledge, wealth, brand, community and persistence.

“The book teaches that entrepreneurship is a mindset that empowers ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and that the key to success is the ability to recognize, and then act upon, an opportunity to create value for others…at its essence, the goal of these events is to introduce the idea that having an entrepreneurial mindset way of thinking is obtainable to anyone who wants to be successful in life and in business,” said Jeannie Allen of SKCTC, director of Selling to the World.

Allen stated that these lectures have a particular importance to the area.

“Bell County, and all of southeastern Kentucky, is dealing with the negative impacts of the loss of coal-related jobs. Many people have skills that can be turned into viable businesses, but they need to realize what they can do with those skills. We encourage participants to start thinking about how they can create businesses, to provide a means of income for themselves and others. This training is also for people who already have jobs, but want to learn how they can employ an entrepreneurial way of thinking within their companies,” she said.

The remaining lectures will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Troy Welch Science Building, room 238 at the SKCTC Middlesboro campus. To register for the event visit www.khic.eventbrite.com.