Throughout my journey as an MBA student at the Argyros School of Business and Economics, my classes have inspired me to be a lifelong learner by continuously seeking professional development opportunities both inside and outside of Chapman University.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I visited Honolulu, Hawai’i where I was invited to attend a Hogan Entrepreneurs Program speaker session at Chaminade University. The Hogan Entrepreneurs Program welcomed
Alice Inoue
, Chief Happiness Officer of
Happiness U
 to their meeting. She presented on the topic of “Change as a Catalyst for Success” and spoke about how founding Happiness U fit into her career goals.

The Road to Happiness U


Alice Inoue’s organization focuses on teaching professionals what they don’t teach us in school- how to reach your goals and take your life to the next level. Inoue worked in over 40 jobs and professions ranging from a hair dresser and aerobics instructor to a tv show host and wedding officiant. As a business owner, she came to the conclusion that if you love what you do, someone will pay you for it. Even though she had a limited background in starting her own business, she was determined to learn from the very best.

Inoue soon realized the need to teach emotional intelligence, a psychological theory that can hinder job performance if not recognized by managers and leaders. This inspired her to start Happiness U, which offers courses such as How to Say No 101, Getting Over Guilt 101, Life Purpose and Vanish Worry & Failure. Inoue believes in the importance of educating others in positioning, reinvention, and challenge management.

How Attitude Projects Reality


Human potential is defined by the shift in opportunities and we are able to shift to success when we surround ourselves with supportive environments. In our careers and lives, we are constantly learning and evolving. Our perception plays a big role in how we see things, which ultimately affects how those scenarios play themselves out. Inoue’s presentation focused on how to have a positive mindset when analyzing the challenges we face on a daily basis. Our journeys include both successes and failures and how we see what happens relates to the outcomes we experience. To further describe this relationship she gave the following example:

Imagine you are in a bank depositing a check. A bank robber enters and shoots you in the arm. Would you consider yourself lucky or unlucky?

After presenting this example at multiple corporate training sessions, she collected data that about 70% of participants considered themselves unlucky for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In contrast, about 30% of participants considered themselves lucky meaning they were simply lucky to be alive.

Facing challenges create counterfact, which are scenarios that our brains create to help us evaluate and make sense of what really happen. When we see ourselves as lucky, our lives are open to a variety of possibilities. When we consider ourselves unlucky, we shut down opportunities. If we learn to focus on the good things in our lives, we are able to navigate through challenges faster.

How to Develop a Positive Mindset


Synchronicity happens more frequently when we start positioning ourselves so that challenges become an advantage. It is easy to focus on the negative things that happen in our lives. In order to have a positive mindset, we must have constant momentum influencing ourselves to think this way. Inoue used the Tetris Effect as an example on how to reinforce a positive mindset. In 2008, Harvard released a study about how extended play of the game Tetris caused players to see the game in reality. Their findings prove that what you focus on becomes reality. When we are interested in something, we see it more frequently. In order to have a positive mindset, we must practice control to create reality.

How to Stay Balanced


Alice Inoue stated, “The best way to move through life is to move with balance.” Life is not meant to be easy. Success happens when we stop wishing for life to be something it’s not and accept it for what it is. If we embrace challenges, we will be able to pursue our passion. One of Happiness U’s guiding principle states “Nothing happens to you, everything happens for you.” We must learn to take responsibility for what happens, whether we want to or not. Opportunities will create possibilities, we just have to look for them. Inoue believes that there are no mistakes in life and everything happens for a reason. There is never a moment where we won’t have challenges in our lives, so we must grow from these challenges and seek support.

The secret to success is having a positive mindset when handling challenges in our lives. When we are realistic about the present, we are able to maximize potential for the future. The more we practice this idea, the more natural these feelings become. The reality that we see is linked to emotions and how we feel. Since emotions are tied to motivation, they are the building blocks to a positive mindset that will help us develop the potential to reach our goals.

Everyday Work Wisdom from Happiness U


Even though it is important for us to develop a positive mindset, Alice Inoue concluded her presentation with knowing the importance of caring for others. We are all in this life together and if we take responsibility for those around us, it will help us grow and develop in a supportive environment.

“Life is 1% of what happens to you and 99% of how we perceive it.”


Student next to Newport Beach Inc. sign


Alice Inoue, founder of Happiness U, and I at the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program

At the end of Inoue’s presentation, I had the opportunity to meet her and thank her for an inspiring presentation. As a graduate student, maintaining a positive mindset can be difficult, however, it is an important characteristic to practice while handling a full-time job and part-time courses. I hope to integrate Happiness U’s Guiding Principles into my everyday life. Inoue explained that a positive mindset doesn’t happen overnight- it is key to know the “why” of the challenges we face while also being consistent in finding how those challenges benefit our lives.



 About Happiness U


Everything offered at Happiness U is designed to give you the tools to live life in a way that is authentic and true for you, resulting in a more positive and ease-filled approach to life.

Happiness U is based on universal principles of life and embraces a mind-body-spirit focus. Their purpose is to provide useful insights and support in the form of classes, events and gatherings. Their offerings are designed to appeal to both those who are already doing great and just want a little positive support, as well as to those who are going through challenges and want to learn how to see things from a different perspective.