This will be a bit long, but I will start by talking about what led me to start my own business. When I graduated, I joined an IT company that developed systems. There was little overtime and it was easy to work there, but the culture was that it was natural to follow the leader's instructions. When a close colleague of mine suffered from depression and took a leave of absence, I thought, "Can't I create a company that values each individual's individuality and where everyone has equal relationships and the same goals?" I was inspired by the manga "One Piece" and often use it as a reference. It has an image of chasing dreams on a pirate ship with friends.
However, I didn't know how to start a business or what knowledge I needed to manage it, so I decided to first change jobs to Recruit Co., Ltd. and gain experience. Then, while working in the bridal industry marketing department of the bridal information magazine "Zexy," I realized that "bringing out the good in others" might be a good fit for me. Ever since I was a student, I've been good at finding the good in my friends, and even in club activities, I was conscious of making the most of the good in each member. I thought that "branding" was exactly that kind of field.
Mizuno-san, in what field are you thinking of starting a business?

That's very nice.

It's a lot of fluctuating experiences. I think you'll be constantly worrying about what to value and what to challenge yourself with. That's why I think it's wrong to think, "You have to stick to one thing from the beginning."
As I said earlier, I want to create a company where everyone can work with a sense of purpose by making the most of their individuality, and connect it to society as a whole. This is the "axis" that I value most. In addition to BuddyCompass, I am also involved in the management of a company that operates restaurants and hotels, and a video production company. I started these businesses because I was interested in them and wanted to do them, but these experiences have helped to make my "axis" thicker and stronger. For example, I could suggest ways to spend time feeling a sense of purpose through the hotel business, or create videos to cheer up people who are struggling to find a purpose in life. If you don't want to stick to "just this one thing," and you have the time, I think it's a good idea to be true to your interests and take on new challenges.

I also want to raise the value of Japan through the branding and revitalization of local companies. But the root of this is the desire to pursue dreams and live a youthful life, just like in One Piece.
When I started my business, I was so focused on making it profitable that I didn't really consider the world around me. But once I achieved profitability, my world expanded, and so did the possibilities of what I could do. First of all, I think you should set a goal that you are most passionate about and work towards it. The things you can do and the things you want to do will expand over time.

Once you make a decision, you can't go back, so I understand that feeling very well. Mizuno-san, where are you from?

Did you have any initial anxiety about going to Tokyo to start university?

But I think that once you actually live in Tokyo, you gradually get used to life and it becomes normal. I was also anxious when I first decided to start a business, but once I took action, my worries quickly became nothing. So I try to take action first. And I also think it's important to remember that "it's normal to fail." I hesitate to make decisions because I'm afraid of failure. I don't have any special talents, I'm just a "normal person." That's why I try to make decisions with the mindset of accepting failure even if it happens.
However, this is about individual decisions. Organizational decisions involve the lives of many people, so difficult issues can arise. At BuddyCompass, which now has around 40 employees, including group companies, we make decisions by discussing with members of the management team. This is because, as a "normal person," I cannot make big decisions that affect the entire organization on my own. I am not ashamed to tell those around me about this, and I make time to make decisions together with my trusted colleagues.

Club activities are helpful. I belonged to a baseball club called "ANGELS" and served as its representative, and I was always thinking about how we could all get together and have fun.
These days, it is difficult to keep employees on the payroll with just benefits, little overtime, and high wages. This is the "age of the individual," where each person works with a sense of fulfillment by making the most of their individuality, so top-down leadership alone will not work. The demands of this era are very similar to the way circles are run, where people gather together without any vested interest and no money is given, and the experiences I have accumulated in "doing this to make people happy" and "this kind of situation will revitalize the organization" are very useful to me now.
Mizuno-san, are you in any clubs?

Yes, I know that. Some of my friends were members of that club too. It sounds like a fun club.

As I mentioned in the club discussion, I want you to make friends you can trust wholeheartedly, regardless of personal interests. The friends you can stay good friends with are the ones who don't try to make themselves look good.
BuddyCompass has been growing steadily, and I think the main reason for this is that I have been blessed with great colleagues. Some of the members here are friends from college, and in addition to that, when I started the company and had no results yet, I had many friends from college who helped me.

I was really blessed with good friends at university. Now that I've graduated, I realize that Aogaku had a free atmosphere that accepted diverse ways of thinking without forcing values on others. I think the culture of respecting diversity was deeply rooted. I think the Christian spirit of valuing altruism and the idea of servant leaders* also had an influence. As society continues to shift from an era of "organizations" to an era of "individuals," I believe that Aogaku graduates will be able to play an even more active role in the future.

*A person who finds his or her mission, willingly serves people and society, and whose way of life is a guide.

This is something I would definitely like to put into practice if I could go back to being a university student, but I have one more piece of advice to take advantage of the freedom and variety of the environment I'm in. That is, "Make your own decisions and act on your own." If you have the attitude of "I'll do it because someone else is doing it," you won't be able to get results when you really want to do something. Even something as small as volunteering on the weekend or going to a club meeting is fine. Making a decision and taking action, even if you are hesitant, will become an asset for you. I hope you will try to make your own decisions proactively, without being swayed by those around you.