Why I’m on a mission to help 150 purpose-driven entrepreneurs
A unique opportunity for budding and early stage founders
If you know me, then you know I love learning new things and sharing what I learn with any one who will listen.
One of my favourite topics is innovation – that is, coming up with ideas and turning them into reality.
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs
It doesn’t matter whether you work in a startup or a large corporate –many of the tools and processes are the same.
The trouble is it’s not always an easy process.
In fact it can be an incredibly lonely and uncertain journey, meaning most people tend to take the easy route – their ideas never seeing the light of day.
Two years ago, I embarked on my own entrepreneurial journey.
Very early on I was lucky to hear about The Happy Startup School and meet the founders Laurence and Carlos.
They asked so many questions that seem so simple now, but at the time were very new and scary to me, questions like:
- Why am I starting this business?
- Who am I trying to serve?
- How do I share my message?
- What should I be charging?
- And how can I design the business from the outset so it makes me happy (and not just others)?
They introduced me to the idea that you can make happiness your business model.
As well as challenging me to think deeper about the business I was creating, they also introduced me to people who were going through the same things I was.
It felt so reassuring to be able to share the struggle as well as the big wins with people who understood me.
Soon I found myself drawn to The Happy Startup School events both in person and online.
While I loved meeting everyone in person, it was the amazing online webinars and blogs that they’d created that had the biggest impact on me.
And I was recently fortunate to attend their annual Summercamp – imagine Woodstock meets TED and you’ll get the idea. It’s an event that is geared towards helping people to harness their WHY (to reference Simon Sinek), but it didn’t go into the HOW as much as they did in their online school.
Introducing Lightbulb💡 to Launch 🚀
So I saw an opportunity to collaborate and in Gandhi’s words be the change I want to see in the world.
After a couple of conversations, they were happy for me to create a new live one-day event that would put a bit more emphasis on the HOW. And that was the inspiration for Lightbulb to Launch.
The event we’ll be held at General Assembly in London on Sat 26th October, who have kindly offered their space to us and to provide food.
Rather than let money be an obstacle, we made a decision at the start that this would be a free event. Normally an interactive workshop with such speakers and mentors contributing would cost around £400, but for the lucky 150 that get accepted there will be no charge. All the speakers have offered their time for free and delicious food and refreshments will be provided too.
We want to inspire, empower and connect a new generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs and we don’t want it to be about whether you can afford to come.
It’s not about whether you even have the best idea – it’s about having the right mindset and attitude, a desire to learn & grow and a need to be part of a special global community of likeminded founders that want to make a positive dent in the world, together.
So why am I doing this?
- I want to get out of my comfort zone and lead by example
- I want to help people who are starting out just like I was two years ago and repay the faith that others have shown in me
- I want them to experience the incredibly valuable content The Happy Startup School created that has helped me and many others around the world
- I want them to experience the incredible support from the incredible community they’ve built, and to meet peers who are at the same point as you on the journey
What to expect on the day
- From idea to action 🚀
Laurence showed me that when you start a business it’s absolutely essential turn your ideas into action quickly as possible, and get them out to potential customers or as he says thingify your ideas. At the London event there’ll be a session on this where you’ll get a chance to learn about the power of prototyping and experimentation to validate your startup idea. - Storytelling with video 🎬
Something else I had to learn was how to share the story of what you’re doing with the world. I was very nervous about making videos and posting them online. Fortunately, Kim Slade from Touch Video Academy who is going to be teaching you how to make stunning video content using only your phone. - Creating a killer web page 💻
While it might sound quite mundane and straightforward, you most probably need to create a website to show people what your business does. I can’t tell you how useful it is to have someone hold your hand through the process and explain how they made theirs. So, Laurence is going to be running a workshop on how to build a Squarespace website in an hour. - Inspiring stories 📢
On top of these workshops Gayle Berry, Kim Slade and Lindsay Lucero will be sharing their startup journeys in short talks — from adventure and online learning, to premium bags. - Getting clear on your idea ⛅️
And we’ll still have a healthy dose of inspiration and find time to help you find your why too. Carlos will be helping you connect you with you purpose and build a business that’s true to you in a short workshop on the Happy Startup Canvas.
This is going to be a really special event and what’s more it’s free. You just need to apply for a ticket so that we ensure everyone that comes is committed and they go to those that need it the most.
Not only will it be super practical and interactive but will also provide you with inspiration, motivation and a readymade community of like-minded entrepreneurs to give you ongoing support.
Apply here for your ticket now – you’ll know if you’ve been successful by October 12th
I’m Nick Himowicz, an innovation consultant and proud member and contributor at The Happy Startup School. I’ll be hosting Lightbulb for Launch and look forward seeing what sparks fly for the 150 changemakers that get the golden ticket 💸. Maybe see you there?
