SOMETHING TO BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT

Late last year, at the recommendation of a reader here, I subscribed to Frederick Woodruff's substack which is all things pop culture and astrology. I quickly became a big fan and look forward to his drops. And at the end of the year, he shared this quote from the social reformer, Charles Kingsley: 

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about. 

Something to be enthusiastic about. When I teach marketing, I teach the 5E's, and the very first one is enthusiasm. If you're not enthusiastic about your own work, your audience won't be either. It doesn't matter if you're product-based or service-based, DTC or B2B. Enthusiasm is infectious. And it's infectious because, at the core, it unconsciously holds a certain amount of vulnerability. Think to yourself - how often have you been timid in sharing exactly what you're enthusiastic about? How often have you questioned your own capacity to be enthusiastic thinking instead you had to follow the ways "others are doing it"? How often have you not given yourself permission to feel enthusiasm about how you market your own business instead think you "should" do certain things because "that's the way it's done"?

NEW CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT - BEYOND THE FEED: BUSINESS AND CREATIVITY IN A POST-SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

That's typically what I see with entrepreneurs' approach to marketing. Lots of shoulding and assumptions that things are the way they are and they need to follow suit. But marketing shouldn't be a drudge, it should be joyful. And usually, the reason we don't find it joyful is that we don't realize we have options. That's why, this February, I'm partnering with writer, teacher, and mentor, and fellow social media disengager Bob Doto, to bring you a different kind of marketing seminar, one that looks specifically at how you choose the platforms you do for your business or creative practice so that you aren't conforming to what you think you should be doing and instead intentionally amplify your work in ways that are meaningful and lucrative to you. 

Rather than being an ideological seminar, "Beyond the Feed: Business and Creativity in a Post-Social Media World" will focus on both the practical and self-exploratory aspects of what it takes to market your business, maintain your reach, and stay connected with others.

Platforms are not one-size-fits-all and shouldn’t be approached as an obligation. Instead, we’ll teach you: 

• How other entrepreneurs and creatives navigated their move off social media
• How to think intentionally about why you choose the platforms you use
• How to make marketing decisions that align with your values
• How to take the leap from social (if that’s your path)
• How to plan financially for the transition
• How to figure out who your audience is, what platforms speak to which audience, and how to find your audience outside social media entirely
• Why collaboration is so important when building a community beyond social media
• The ways in which people create revenue off social media
• Ways to stay relevant and engaged 
• How to gain confidence in the boundaries you set regarding your social media consumption

Your relationship to social media is a personal one. Bob and I will each be bringing decades of experience in both creative and entrepreneurial fields to help you make informed decisions that best suit you. Whether you want to leave social media entirely or find a more considered and intentional way of relating to it, this course can help.

DETAILS & REGISTRATION

WHEN: Thursdays in February (3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th) from 12pm-2pmEST.

WHERE: Via Zoom. Please note that meetings will not be recorded, this is for in-person attendance only. 

FEE: $500 

REGISTRATION:  You can register here. Once your registration is received, you'll receive an invoice via Quickbooks. Once paid, your registration will be approved. 

INSTRUCTOR BIOS

For almost twenty years Bob Doto has been teaching and mentoring people on how to live an intentional, inspired life. Starting out in 2003 as a substitute teacher in the public school system, Bob has since taught in settings as diverse as punk warehouses, living rooms, online, and for the past five years at the college level.

Bob is also a prolific, published author, publishing his first spiritual punk rock zine at the age of sixteen (thanks to his mom’s photocopier at work). He is the author of the book Sitting with Spirits: Exploring the Unseen Margins of the Christianity and writes the weekly newsletter, “The High Pony: Really Good Insights on Living and Inspired Life.” 

Between 2005–2010 Bob was the Managing Editor of internationally acclaimed journal of esoteric studies, Parabola magazine. He was a founding member of renegade yoga blog, The Babarazzi, and between 2011–2015 wrote on the margins of spirituality in NYC on his blog Not New York. Throughout that time, Bob has published many zines, tracts, and booklets. 
Bob is the owner and director of the Ditmas Park Yoga Society in Brooklyn, where he teaches and practices Ashtanga yoga and Tui Na bodywork, and is a faculty member at the Pacific College of Health and Science in Manhattan. His books Press Here: Acupressure for Beginners and The Power of Stretching are available from Quarto Press.

Holly Howard works with creative entrepreneurs who are building locally and growing globally. By catalyzing culture change, constructing a stable infrastructure, unifying teams, and clarifying the company vision, her clients gain creative freedom, financial prosperity, and a clear path towards establishing their legacy. Since launching Ask Holly How in 2012, Holly has worked with over 1,000 businesses through her private consulting and business growth program. She has a rich background as a professional ballet dancer, music therapist, medical researcher, bassoonist, VP of Operations and Finance, and Visiting Professor of Business at Pratt Institute. She holds a degree in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music, A Certificate in Pre-Medical Sciences from Columbia University, and is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Religions of the World at the Harvard Extension. She is at work on her first book. Each of these pursuits has allowed her to shape her approach and philosophy to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses without sacrificing their souls. 

You can read about my year without social media here.  

RESEARCH IS FORMALIZED CURIOSITY 

The most important and productive way to approach marketing is with Curiosity. As American Anthropologist and Author, Zora Neale Hurston said:
 

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. 
 

I hope you'll follow that curiosity about what's possible for your own approach to marketing. Whether you want to fully disengage from social media or take a more intentional approach to the platforms you do choose to use in your business or creative practice, this seminar will provide you with the structure and tools you need to do your own research, to engage your curiosity, and to most importantly, connect to the enthusiasm you have about sharing your creativity with the world.  

ZOOM BOOKCLUB RETURNS!

This January we'll be reading Anthro-Vision by Gillian Tett. We will meet on Tuesday, January 25th at 7pmEST via Zoom. This is a free event, please email me to register.

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