So I wrote this very personal ad last week about my November “Amplified Client Management” workshop in Phoenix. It was an exercise I had never done before but I’m always open to doing new things (understatement) so I gave it a go. I promised an update.
The What I Want part
Hmmm. I am amazingly hard on myself about this stuff. I typically set my expectations very high. I also have a hard time asking for what I want, so we have a double-whammy here.
I realized that a lot of what I wanted would be hard to realize until after the workshop is done. However, the part about needing “20 fun-loving, talented, awesome creative freelancers and biz owners to attend and become amazing client management experts” still needs some work. As in I still need them.
Sign-ups are low. Granted, I only launched this thing on Friday and found a venue on Monday. It’s early. I will be patient.
The How This Could Work part
I feel really good about this. Elated, even. Apparently I have an astounding amount of friends and acquaintances that are thrilled to help me get the word out. I mean, wow (If you subscribe to my e-mails then you know what I’m talking about). I’m humbled by the amazing people who are helping me get this show on the road – in the literal sense.
I hope I haven’t been disgusting about it. Such a fine line there. I want people to know, I want people to come so they can receive this ridiculous stuff I’ve been keeping to myself, but I don’t want to become one of “those” tweeters or bloggers about the whole thing. So I probably haven’t done enough out of fear that I’ll annoy.
I did set up an affiliate program so people could make some money for getting the word out. I do the things I think are cool and helpful and right and then I have to let it happen. Get some sleep.
One awesome thing that’s come of this is that I’ve started to meet some great creative people in the Phoenix area. I grew up there, but I was never part of the creative community and apparently it’s flourishing. Outside of the workshop, it appears I’ll be busy meeting some incredible people for coffee, happy hours, and networking events. People I’ve never met before who I now can’t wait to meet. The circle grows. Or tightens. Or one of those spherical metaphors that mean bringing people together.
So I should mention that if you’re reading this, live in Phoenix, and we haven’t already made plans to hang out, I’ll be there the first two weeks of November. Get in touch and let’s meet.
The My Commitment part
Well, I should be committed. I set up a workshop with a very short lead time, without knowing any creative groups in the city I’m leading it in beforehand.
I should be jailed for marketing malpractice.
However, the content is amazing. That’s the part I’m so excited about, whether I get 3 people or 20. I realized over the past few months that I have all this client communication and awesomization stuff stacked up on a shelf in my brain, but I’ve never thought about sharing it. I kept it locked away, all for me, this is stuff only I can do, protect it, keep it secret, don’t create competition… blah blah blah. So yeah. Exciting to bring it to other people for a change and not be so proprietary about my stuff.
The coolest venue in Phoenix? Check.
So my good friend Mark Silver refers me to his good friend Pam Slim, who lives in the Phoenix area, who refers me to Chris Conrey of Gangplank HQ, which is hands down the best venue I could have asked for. Libby Unwin of LU Graphics and the coolest cat in the “other” Portland @revjaydub lent me their vast Phoenix knowledge and support. I was also talking to some swanky hotels, but when a gallon of coffee is $75 and you can’t bring in outside food… the warm, happy feelings about sharing in the workshop turn to thoughts of resentment. Not what you want the guy leading your workshop to feel. So Gangplank HQ. Saved the day. So exciting, that.
The chocolate and song will be there, of course. Although I’m starting to think I’ve frightened some of the dudes away with the threats of puppetry and singing.
I’m already starting to think about ways I could share this stuff outside of a one-city live workshop. That’s coming slowly and won’t be here until I know for sure there’s some kind of grasping need for my wacko rock star client management skills on a bigger scale. I can only do so much.
The Personal Ad – what I think
Well, I kinda dig it. It helped me clarify a lot of things I wanted to give in the workshop and what I wanted to get out of it. Framing it in a personal ad format was fun. Thinking about how posting an ad could bring in exactly what I want was weird, but it felt good to do it. In a lot of ways it’s working.
So we’ll see. I’m sure I’ll do this again.