Friday, May 6 — Scrappy Drafts and a Mother’s Day Weekend Plan
It’s 1:06 PM in Dallas, TX.
I’ve decided to write as I go and hit publish instead of “Save Draft” — but only because I’m out of post it notes. And it’s time to step into the arena.
Game Plan:
- Launch the most basic SquareSpace site ever, as the rebrand & repositioned Second Shift, LLC. Will be introducing Second Shift // Impact Media Ventures. Ridiculously stoked and so on fire about who the company is right now, and what it has planned.
- It’s just me and this little empire for now. And the fire.
- This morning I decided on launching this little venture Full-Tilt. All Chips In. I’m not a gambling woman, so I’m putting all of my cards on the table to see how everyone else will play.
- First (like, right now): launch new site, start collecting data/feedback/surveys from all industries, fast Instapage landing pages for all (quick early testing in the next few weeks), and finish first full scrappy draft of The Game Plan — Business Plan, Road Map and Soul — version 1.0.0. — May 2016, and setup shop for tshirt sales. Swag. Obviously.
- “Skipping Small & Chasing Momentum — A Real Story of Resilience, Self-Awareness & Audacious Vision — Making a Tiny Tech & Media Empire from Scratch”— Publish Part One. Like now. Start sharing the story and selling digital downloads. Start generating cash in order to continue to stay. See if I can get on anyone’s radar.
This book project started as a personal source of inspiration, originally drafted for myself — it was meant to be a reminder for myself to stay committed to the big vision, tune out the noise, to not let the wrong advice seep in. I wanted to make something for myself, that I trusted would give me the advice and the right kick in the ass to stay in the game. The nuggets I’ve collected, the bigger picture problems I’m tackling, and the “Bigger Story to my Story”. This is part memoir/20-something/startup/lessons learned/motivational. This is on the way to #girlboss.
I’ve decided to digital self-publish in 3 parts over the next year. It will keep me in the game — I don’t want to write a story about watching it all passing me by, as I sit on this mountain of drafts and post it notes. I’ve got to push myself out of draftmode and get out of my own way. Have got to keep the momentum. Everything else just keeps getting faster.
Part 2 will be published this summer. It will be about advocacy, big vision, going all in, and will tell the story of what is about to happen over the next 45 days and what happens when you put your whole vision/self out there. Part 3 will be about my final push to 30. And a closure to 20-something.
- Mother’s Day Weekend: Sell first 100 downloads, Presales of shirts, start building lists & targets, intros, new data, advice/feedback. “Single mom launches tech & media empire for Mother’s Day — What did YOU do this weekend?”
- Prep for the May 16 Launch — should be the ultimate experiment on growth hacking the launch of a startup. (there is definitely a strategy behind this). Impeccable timing. First experience with raising money, acting like a startup and publicly pushing a vision worth getting behind.
- 28 Days of ALL IN/Rapid Feedback/Initial Fundraising & Awareness: engage, social, content, promo, blogs, etc. Put it all out there, across industries, generations, decision makers, fundraising types, fundraisER types, consumers, investors, press, seasoned, clueless, everyone. It’s nobody’s call and will be a solid benchmark to move to “Next” from.
- June 9th — get my butt to NYC for the World Premiere of Dream Girl, a film about female entrepreneurship and story that I’ve been following since their Kickstarter 2 years ago — instinctively purchased ticket to event (IN NY) and should probably figure out how to squeeze that into my “budget” of Scrappy Crowdfunding Dreams and Industry Revolutionizing Solutions. Should cut back on ramen until then. Here’s the link. It will be epic … in the most “female power, hustle, lean in” kind of way … and is just the Milestone of Inspiration to keep my eye on right now. http://dreamgirlfilm.com/film-screenings/find-a-screening-near-you/
- June 23rd — My 29th birthday and launch of the “29 before 30” Personal Project that will drive the upcoming year. Again, truly testing individual capability and possibility. Should be interesting.
- Summer 2016: Publish Part 2 of the book Skipping Small.
- That’s all I have dates to right now. And that’s okay. I know I’m all in. This is year 3. The next few weeks will give a good indicator of where I stand in the realm of “innovation”. I’ll growth hack initial traction so I can get data and proof on concepts for the tech side of things.
- In the mean time, I’ll continue to keep freelancing, consulting, and working the ad hoc project side of the house — doing whatever it takes to keep in the game.
I’ll be back. -Sam
