How Does the Online Idea Party Work?
You have a dream or a wish, and an obstacle to getting there. (If you don’t think you know your wish, work through my kick-starter and read this post. To learn why you must put logic aside to find your dream, read the following.)
The online Idea Party is here to help you – and the other fellow party goers – with your wishes and obstacles.
Voices from Success Teams and Idea Parties:
Having a team to report to and hearing what everybody did each week is very exciting. It’s kept me moving all year. In the past I made some good starts on my own, but found, every time, when the energy ran out, I ran out. Now it doesn’t run out.
Jade G.
Children’s Playroom Therapist, New York Hospital
I would do a painting a year, a sketch a year. If it was only me I know I would never do it. Having to tell you makes all the difference. It’s crazy why I didn’t do this years ago, it’s so easy all of a sudden.
Caroline R. Personnel Executive, Macy’s Dept Store
Post Your Wish and Your Obstacle Here!
And help your team mates out when you can. Use the Reply link to help, the form below the comments to add your own Wish and Obstacle.
(Your first comment below has to be approved, so it may not display instantly depending on the time of the day. Once your email address is approved you can post instantly. If you want your own profile photo to show up beside your comments, instead of the cute little design, upload your photo on Gravatar.com and give them an hour or so to make it happen.)
Thank you Maria, you have given me some good Ideas I had not thought about.
I know I just need to get out there and just Do It! Confidence comes after doing – not before.
Kind regards,
Sharron
Hi there,
My name is Sharron. Many moons ago, I was an employent counsellor, but in recent years have worked as a PA.
I would love to start giving personal devleopment workshops on living your passions, but feel stuck and isolated. I have just wrote up a 2 hour workshop, but have no idea where or who to market it to. I have tried local colleges and educations centres, but they dont seem interested. I live in the Uk, and not many people seem interested in this kind of stuff – they are too busy just getting by. I want to inspire people to live a more fullfilled life.
Any suggestions on how to get started? Would be very much appreciated.
What about unemployed people? Or freelancers (for example in coworking spaces, people who thought being a freelancer they would automatically fulfill their dreams but then found themselves “eaten up” by reality). Bored housewives (kindergardens, schools, etc.). Highschool kids who have to decide what and if they study. Or in some kind of self-help groups (for chronical illnesses, maybe they want to hear something different for a change or feel that they would have to be healthy to do what they want, or for overeaters, where the issue behind is not knowing how to be yourself (I know by experience)). Maybe some organisation for blind people? Or elderly. Or parents together with their children? If my kid would be 10 or so I would go to that one! Oh, I think I just got in love with that idea myself! 😀
Hi Sharron
“I want to inspire people to live a more fullfilled life.” That’s an excellent goal, and it’s great that you’ve already created your own workshop. Which people or ideas have infuenced you most in designing it?
I’m British too, although I don’t live there now, and I know that on the whole we’re a rather cynical, downbeat lot compared to Americans. Most of the self-development ideas and methods are coming from the US and may not suit the typical British character. We don’t really do positive thinking, for instance, and talk about passions seems rather over the top. Some of it can also come across as too woo-woo or magical e.g. stuff about body mind and spirit, or communicating with the universe.
That’s why I like Barbara Sher, even though she’s American 😉 She’s very down-to-earth and practical, and funny, and even talks about the power of negative thinking. Have you read any of her books? I think they would give you some good ideas about how to approach this. Wishcraft is a good one to start with. You can read it for free here http://wishcraft.com/
Maybe for the colleges and education centres and other institutions you could change your language a bit, and tone it down, while still surreptitiously teaching the same stuff. Could you disguise your workshop as something like Career Guidance or Redundancy Counselling or Retirement Planning?
Or if you can’t find an organisation that wants to cooperate officially with you, you can do it freelance by hiring a room and advertising, or start taking clients in your home. Rope in some guinea pigs for a free trial run first.
What kind of people do you most want to help, and what are their problems? I don’t think you can start by marketing it to everyone, but need to decide who your ideal clients are, where you can find them, and how you can let them know about your workshop.
Are they male or female? How old? School leavers, science students, single parents, stay-at-home mothers, African immigrants, gay men, mature single women, frustrated cubicle workers, redundant factory workers, burnt-out teachers, retired business executives, ex-prisoners, blind or deaf people, etc. etc.
Are they likely to use a particular physical venue e.g. college campus, shopping centre, youth club, community centre, unemployment centre, library, music festival? If so, you can advertise at that place, leave some free advice leaflets there, give some free talks there, or maybe even run your workshop there.
If your clients or potential employers are likely to be online, you can do a lot to promote yourself and build your credibility by having a website and mailing list, and being active in social and professional networking. Maybe blog or tweet about self development news and tips, or send out a newsletter. And join in relevant group discussions on LinkedIn or any suitable forums.
You can also promote yourself at relevant events, conferences, seminars workshops, public talks etc. Stand up and ask intelligent questions, or make interesting points. Have some leaflets and business cards ready to give out. Maybe you can be a speaker at those events, or have your own table or stand with promotional material.
Hi Sharron,
I remember reading that several speakers got their workshops started by offering them free to family and friends (and their friends). It was a valuable experience as the speakers got to get over stage fright, work out kinks in their material and use the participants’ feedback to further refine the material and overall workshop. It’s also a ‘warmer’ audience being family and friends.
Another step that could be taken after that is to divide the revised workshop up into segments and join a group like Toastmasters and practice each segment in front of an audience that doesn’t know you. Add in their feedback and further refine. Then take the whole workshop and offer it at your local rotary club. How about also offering the workshop at local gyms, integrated health clinics (naturopaths and homeopaths are usually very open to these topics and so are their patients). Maybe you could even market it as a lunch and learn for corporations.
Good luck!
Hi Priya,
Thank you so much for your ideas. I am about to move down south, currently I live in the Coventry, West Midlands of the UK and plan to join a Toastmasters group as soon as I get down there. I joined one up here a couple of years ago, but didnt feel I fit in with the group. The idea of using segments of my workshops as talks is great, will deffinitely do that. Also using it at Gyms, holistic centrs and lunch and learn are also great ideas – I hadnt thought of any of those.
I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much!!!.
Kind regards
Sharron
Kind regards,
Sharron Yardley
You are very welcome!
I just had another idea – when you’re ready, try marketing your workshop to Virgin 🙂 Maybe you could set yourself up with a LinkedIn page (showing only what you want to do), connect away with friends etc, then ask who knows someone who knows someone that can introduce you to a manager at Virgin.
Have a great day 🙂
I’d like to teach art but finding a venue that doesn’t cost too much has been an obstacle – at first I thought about parks but you have to get a permit and they appear to be for only for sports related activities. I am looking into restaurants which are not open during the day. I am open to working for others resources promoting the arts and open to new ideas! Thanks
Brandy
Check out retirement homes in your area. Many have underutilized craft rooms and would welcome an art teacher.
Jennifer
Thanks I will.
What kind of art, Brandy? Would you need any particular facilities? If it can be done with just a sketchbook, you don’t really need a venue, just a meeting point. It could be something like a sketch crawl, with drawing from life outdoors or in public venues, except they pay you and you give them some instruction and guidance. And probably just a couple of hours, not all day. http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/
Other possibilities: Could you start by teaching a few people in your own home or studio? Or someone else’s home or studio? What about church and community halls, or school buildings after hours?
Art supplies shops sometimes like someone to give lessons, using materials purchased from the shop. Shopping malls often like extra activities on their premises to attract customers. Garden centres too. If you like teaching young people, you could work with youth organisations like the scouts, or teach at summer camps. Maybe organise your own art camp.
Retirement homes are a good idea, but maybe also other places like prisons, hospitals, hospices, day care centres. Or centres for homeless people, disabled people, domestic abuse victims etc.
Hi Skannie – these are all great ideas! Thank you!
Yes, this is sketching but I want to start with some tips on how to get started, 3D illusionist tricks, and some perspective basics. So a singular space would be better than outside to start but still not impossible. More advanced classes can be in ever changing locations – I really like that idea!
Art Camp sounds great too.
I really appreciate your ideas!!!
Brandy
You may also check with the YMCA and YWCA locations. Their members are all age groups and they like to offer a wide variety of classes.
its Monday 9-29-14 and I am reading for the first time”live the life you love”.
At 56 I want to change carrier and become a life coach.
Greetings,
Ludwig
🙂 Well, you may have decided at the right time:
http://www.frankfurter-ring.de/barbara-sher-coaching-training.html
Dear friends,
May I ask you ideas for my family? (I mean my husband)
This is our story:
))))))))))))))))
He works as a IT-expert about 18 years at the Bank. The way of work is software support specialist (help desk), work in the different bank information systems. He is very good as a specialist and as a manager in any IT-project. Very accurate in his work.
Obstacles:
he tired of this type of work. He has started to hate illiterate people, who don’t want to take information, who don’t want to learn even basic topics. There is no any other alternative for developing his talents I mean at his work place. Only to be a boss of staff, but he doesn’t like administrative type of work.
Talents: (?)))
He has very good sense of beauty. He interested in art, graphics, fonts, even tried to learn to draw a pencil by nights, but was blown away))).
He was very good as a photographer (but tired of it, he understood that photo he likes as art, not as a craft and maybe our newborn son (6 y.ago)))))) made it so, because wasn’t time for making photo)
He likes to explore all technological innovations. He always in the subject line of all the news of the computer industry. People very often ask him to help to choose new technique (gadgets) like laptops, desktops, photo cameras, smartphones, etc. He is very good in it. But he does it for free.
Goal:
He doesn’t know what to do and how he can earn money for family with his skills and maybe with talents???)))))))))))))))))))))
I will be very grateful for any ideas and hints)
P.S.
Maria, thank you once more) it my first time in idea party (I haven’t had the courage before)))
Oh my God, so much pressure! 😀 By the way, thank you for your compliments before… I will try my best.
— To start with: he could actually help people to choose their gadgets, for example schools, or hotels, or people who want to make a present to someone else, etc.
— Write reviews/reports for gadgets for a specialized magazine. I mean those where they compare different models and help you decide. Cameras would be especially interesting since he likes photography.
— Move to a company that creates software for banks. He could be some kind of manager. He knows the clients, he knows the technical part and is a good manager. Sounds like the perfect employee!
— Make T-Shirts for geeks, like this:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/brain/whereisit.cgi?t=no%2C+i+will+not+fix+your+computer
— Work as IT-expert for some gadget producer or store.
— The cool thing about being an IT expert is that he can be needed almost anywhere: in a museum? in a design shop? in a company somehow related to photography? For all of them as a freelancer?
— Offer consulting for other IT-people, maybe freelancers who work with banks?
— He could design templates/layouts for websites. Or logos, or icons.
— Like before: What about a comic about those illiterate people? Or a book with anecdotes? A calendar with photographies and “quotes”? I am absolutely sure that there is a huge demand for that! People need to laugh about they daily dramas.
— Or writing a “for dummies” book? He has probably explained things so often that he has very good, well rounded explanations.
— Give workshops on “how to keep your patience with those illiterates”. 😀
Maria!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
A huge Sorry for so late answer((( but I missed by chance your reply in my mailbox! And find out it only Now!
I will write later his reaction)))
Once more THANK YOU!!!
Well it sounds like he might be good at websites – I am a graphic designer but have no current website experience and I really didn’t like html, so maybe he could pair with someone like me and start a website business. also email html marketing is big so he can expand beyond websites. Designing for all the device people use today is big also big – there you some ideas – if interested contact me
Love the concept Brandy! There are all sorts of niche markets that could use a combined graphics design and website IT specialist combo. I know that when I finished homeopathic college, all of us grads were looking for someone to set up a website and design logos for us. Same would be the case for naturopaths, or perhaps anyone in the natural health industry? Then there are other niches like voice artists, real estate agents, etc etc. Just some thoughts…p.s. if you end up setting up something like this, post again and let us know!
Brandy,
would you be so kind to give your e-mail address and he will write you by himself. He has some thoughts and doubts about it and wants to discuss it personally.
If you don’t want to post your e-mail, just write to me olgazelens@gmail.com
Hello,
I am clueless as to what is next! I have been practicing medicine and can’t stand it anymore. I can’t find a passionate route to explore. I need ideas. Help!
Douglas, that license of yours gives you lots of options. My childhood family physician took up radiology and moved west when he grew tired of family practice. He says it gave him fixed hours, few crises, and an income that has allowed him to enjoy skiing almost every weekend for the past 40 winters.
Hi Douglas,
What kind of medicine? Are you still interested in working with people and/or helping people in some way? Or looking for something totally new? I am a scientist who was considering medical school after seeing a loved one struggle in and out of hospitals, not getting adequate care for her Multiple Sclerosis. I did a ton of research and found her a clinical trial. I supported her through the entire process, traveling cross-country with her and now she is much better. I’m just not sure if I would be happy as a doc, since I’m more concerned with quality of life issues than treating physical conditions or prescribing medications for mental health conditions.
Ok, let me brainstorm. Since the only thing I know about you is that you are a doctor so I have to build upon that:
– Teach school children (well, and grown-ups) how medicine really works. For example, why some illnesses are so easy to cure (bacteria + antibiotica) why some others aren’t (chronical headaches). This would be a great help to them, to the medical system and to the nerves of so many doctors! 😀
– Carrer constulting for young doctors.
– I know a medical doctor who has a business helping other doctors finish their Ph.D. Or finishing their studies?
– Administration? In a hospital or in a ministry or similar? Or at University? No more patients!
– Somehow collaborate in documentaries? There are people searching for information or making cool graphs to explain the concepts. Or you could have the idea and a designer makes the graph.
– Some kind of journalism?
– Consulting for the film industry. For special effects or for such series about hospitals.
– Write a children’s book (or again for grown-ups?) to help them cope with visits to the doctor or with treatments.
– Draw a “I hate being a doctor” or “I hate patients” comic. I am sure you would have a big audience. Something like this, which was a big success:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Fuck_to_Sleep
If you really want to go as far away from medicine as you can:
– Open a bar for truck drivers: this is for me the absolute opposite of being a doctor. 😀
– Politics?
Give me some keywords and I will continue! 🙂
Maria, It’s amazing! You are the fantastic generator of ideas!))) I’m in good kind of shock! ))) From two sentences so many ideas!!! Terrific!
May I ask you about some more ideas? (it concerns the profession of my husband:)))))))))
You can give it a try! 😀
p.s.: I must say, I was surprised too.
Maria, thank thank thank you!
I’ll post this story in new comment))) here is no place))))))))))))))))))
and will wait for your answer )))))))
Hi Douglas, what do you love to do? What are your passions?
I have been working on my memoir, really a combined biography and memoir of my relationship and very long journey with my mother, who lived to be 101 and ten months. I know I have a rich, poignant story to tell,…I’ve written most of it over the past 15 years, but I am having a hard time with the organization and procrastinate a lot.
I recently met with a book coach for one session, as I’m in a similar boat w/a blog (lots of good content) and the desire to publish it.
Her first piece of advice was for me to get the first 2 chapters in order; choose the pieces, place them in the proper sequence, and then title each chapter (you can search online for guidelines as to how many words per page, how many pages per chapter to give you some framework).
The second was to consider the different means of publishing, ie traditional, self, on-demand, ebook. (I’ll likely opt for traditional – I don’t feel I have the follow-thru for self publishing.)
May not be the best offering, but at least it’s a short, concrete to-do list. Oh how well I understand the inability to get going. ! Best of luck to you!
Thanks!! I have done the first part. I’ve organized the content chronologically, put it in scrivener (great program), but I have way too many words…like 110k. I know it should be around 50-60k. I’m also an editor but to cut my own content and figure out what is going to be of interest as well as which direction…ugh!
I have it by date, but now need to do chapters.
Publishing is another story. I thought I would have to self-publish so your comment is worthy of some thought. Thanks so much for your input. Best of luck to you too!!
It sounds like you need an editor. One that isn’t you.
On guru.com you can hire an editor and ask for quotes and set yourprice. II’ve used it before to sell my services as a proofreader.
Hi Martha,
There are many publishers who are looking for interesting memoirs and offer a deal based on the outline/concept and the first few chapters.
I like what Elizabeth says about getting the first 2 chapters in order, and would also recommend hiring an editor as Katie suggests, or consider looking for an agent. An agent will generally help as well with the timeline, with enhancing a particular focus and pruning revisions, as well as submitting for a potential book deal. I can suggest 2 agents to query to if you like, email me at priyakarani at yahoo.ca…
Is it okay to have more than one obstacle? I have had a series of traumas beginning when I was age six (1965). The last was in 2008. I’m on disability now and I’d love to move to Charlottesville, VA. and work as a librarian while I save for my own creative learning center for underserved and at risk children focused on equine therapy, but also including other therapies as well. I have a GoFundMe to help raise funds to move but I haven’t raised much. I’m also sure I can’t afford to go to Germany, but I live in the Bronx, NY, so if Ms. Sher has a class in NYC, I would love to attend. Thanks!
Hi Charlotte. Sounds like a Sher success team would be good for you. Andrea Reese runs them in New York and is starting one this month.
http://www.andreassuccessteams.com/#!how-to-join/component_71401
I have been working for over two years on a radio drama project. At first it was text, and I did a lot of research over the years to make sure all the accuracy was sound. It turned out to have a lot of humour. I have a knack for character voices so I began creating demos and to my surprise hearing it was so much better. So much about it would improve in later episodes when I listened.
I began to be much more connected to the characters as I acted out their scenes and channeled them. This helped the text version to thrive.
The problem is no one was reviewing. I had no idea the entire time I had a large audience I was making laugh because they would never express it. 19 months after I started one person came in to review and I learned more about how the system I was using worked. I saw the stat records for the past 19 months and was shocked. How could all of these people follow this and not express their enjoyment? My reviewer couldn’t explain it to me either and no matter what I said in my text to request these readers reach out they never would. So I withheld the text and began to remake all of the episodes, revising the text and creating the audio files.
Now I have a podcast version but with thousands of downloads and hundreds of people listening (iTunes reveals no stats so possibly many more) I am still hearing barely a peep out of any of my audience. As a comedienne this drives me stir-crazy. I’ve put a ton of time, effort and thousands of dollars into this project. It feels like my work is essentially taken for granted and my feelings don’t matter.
The bottom line is there is no way I can make money off of this as almost none of the characters are mine, nor the settings. My wish is to make 50-100 of these episodes but without enough positive feedback I feel completely drained and abused. What feedback I currently have I overworked myself to get. The work itself should have been enough.
As it turns out this is a life-long dream of mine. I’ve done so much already, but my obstacle? Finding a vocal audience who will communicate with me about what they enjoyed. I hope you can help. Thank you.
http://xoiscythe.podomatic.com/
from my experience, people love giveaways and freebies. i know many businesses that engage their customers with contests (on facebook or elsewhere) where fans have to guess something, simply comment, or provide a suggestion. maybe you could engage your fanbase in the same way…ask for feedback and tell them you’ll randomly select a winner in a certain amount of days. if you want to keep using that tactic, change your request slightly. in terms of giving something away…it could be a personalized “shout out” to the winner in the next podcast, it could be incorporating a fan’s suggestion, or a physical item (personalized note from one of your “characters” perhaps). it doesn’t have to cost you much if any money, but maybe this will help create a dialogue and connection. i would also suggest social media, but it is getting so bloated these days and can be tiring to stay on top of people’s feed, etc. good luck!
Thanks for the reply! I was thinking about a giveaway. I tell ya, this thing has put me through the ringer. I’ve got a facebook page for me, a facebook community page for the show, the text going to all the fandoms involved (minus a few), I have a tumblr account, a wordpress account, my email address all over the place, I’m on all of the fan groups I can find for all the shows and movies I’m using [insert spiral eyes here], I made 500 postcards, posted links to all kinds of youtube videos, uploaded 4 episodes to youtube, contacted as many of the writers to the various fandoms that I could, and I’ve begged for feedback.
I was sure I’d get a lot more in the podcast when I studied that media and supported other podcasts previously. But when a comedienne hears silence for over 2 years from so many people it can give her the shakes. (My cousin heard about my numbers and he got some serious creeps.)
However, I’m grateful you took a little plunge. I do have one Addams Family writer who just listened to a scene I have at “their house” coming up and told me how much she loved it and my vocal strengths. (She can’t do more what with her own computer woes unfortunately.)
Currently I’m campaigning college radio stations and sending CD packages to a few who showed a little interest. That seems to be what I have to do as folks involved in college radio tend to have longer attention spans. And my cousin suggested a site to request donations. Seems weird but maybe if they are so tongue-tied and want to help me monetary donations might loosen things up. (And I could use the cash!) I don’t know why $$$ gets people talking but it does.
Thanks again! And I’m up for more help either to give or receive!
also, i wanted to add that i listened to bits of your podcasts and you have a fantastic voice and very natural/engaging style. i can see why you have generated a fast fanbase. now let’s hope they’ll start opening up to you more.
hello,
i’m new to this site and have just started browsing all the comments. it seems like a linkedin group might be an amazing way for many of us to network, esp. those of us without a lot of local connections. is there such a group in place? if not, could we get one started? i’m willing to help. thanks.
I have a linkedin account. Was wondering what the heck I got it for as it seems to be all about makin’ cash or networking real estate or something… :/
Would be happy to use it for something of this nature. (I like to solve problems.)
Hi Cordelia and Daryl. If you’re Scanners you can join the Scanner Tribe group on LinkedIn, and there is a Scanner Tribe Group and page on Facebook.
There is also a Barbara Sher Success Teams Everywhere FB group, and you can “Like” Barbara’s page and join in discussions there too.
https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraSherAuthor
There used to be idea parties with Barbara every week on Twitter. They don’t happen so regularly now, but there quite possibly might be one on New Year’s Eve.
Another great place to network is on Barbara’s Bulletin Boards http://boards.barbarasher.com/.
Thanks for the tip, skannie, I’ve just joined the Scanner Tribe 🙂