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Kickstarter for Outdoor TV Projects?

07 May

I was recently reminded of Kickstarter, the self-described “way to fund creative projects,” website via a favorite drinking show of mine hosted by Zane Lamprey. Zane has hosted two shows, “Three Sheets” and  ”Drinking Made Easy” over four or five cable networks in the last few years. I empathize with Zane as I’m very familiar with the TV business and can relate to his struggles to get a VERY GOOD show on air. (I wish it could air on Sportsman Channel.)  He is now using Kickstarter to fund his international drinking show titled “Chug.” Right now, he still needs $350,000 over the next 24 days, or his vision of this show will not be.

And that’s the bummer of Kickstarter, if you don’t meet your goal in the specific amount of time, all the money gets refunded and your project must find a new route.

Zane has a HUGE following, both socially and when from he toured “Drinking Made Easy.” In fact, my husband and I saw him TWICE on tour in a span of one year.

But his struggles had me thinking – have any outdoor TV shows tried Kickstarter?

Using their search function, I typed in “outdoor TV” and found one, relevant item: a fly-fishing show that tried to get off the ground in 2011. They only had 35 backers giving them nearly $3,000 of their $26,000 goal. That seems pretty paltry, no?

I searched “hunting” and found everything from a show about mushroom hunting (I can see Discovery Channel picking that up) to children vampire hunters (that can be on CW).

The “Fishing” search didn’t fare much better.

So safe to say, the outdoor industry is NOT using Kickstarter. Why not? I dare say, would Kickstarter be opposed to having a hunting or fishing show use them for funding? Or could it be no one in the business has thought of using them? I would LOVE to see a show try Kickstarter and broadcast to the world (you can start by reaching out to Jim at The Outdoor Wire) that you are trying to get your show off the ground. The industry would probably embrace you as one thing I’ve learned here, we enjoy a good story and we want to see all facets of our industry survive and thrive.

Maybe someone who is trying to start an outdoor TV show will see my post and try this. I hope so.

 
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What’s a Solopreneur? Me

01 May

Last Saturday, I attended my first “Solopreneur” conference in downtown Minneapolis at CoCo. (CoCo stands for collaborating and coworking). Besides being an energizing and engaging half day session in the old Grain Exchange building, I walked away with a new sense of who I am. I met other solopreneurs, just like me, which was a big deal for me. I learned other people experience the same things I do – as Seth Godin would say, I think I found my tribe.

They kept the board from the Grain Exchange days up and use part of it as a twitterfall board.

They kept the board from the Grain Exchange days up and use part of it as a twitterfall board.

So what is a Solopreneur?

  • You own your own business. You aren’t a freelancer doing this on the side, but you actually have an LLC, or S-Corp or C-Corp.
  • You are pretty much it when it comes to your business. If you do have a staff, we are talking less than three people.
  • You work out of your home, or in a collaboration space like CoCo. (I plan to write more about collaboration spaces later as the whole idea fascinated me.)

And what exactly did I learn from this conference?

  • Attendees shared CPA’s who work work extensively with LLC’s and creatives, so they understand what you need to deduct etc.
  • The Trip Cubby app, which allows me to quickly post mileage for business
  • That many people bill by the hour while I have a retainer fee. I thought they were crazy to bill hourly and they looked at me like there was no other way. Huh.
  • One lady attended said she was a “virtual assistant” for creatives who helps them keep up with their social media as well as daily calendars. What a unique idea! (Everyone at the conference wanted her card.)
  • A writer is now called an Information Architect and an editor is a Content Strategist
  • I discovered a new woman-only networking group of creatives that you have to be INVITED to in order to attend. (super excited about this)

And…

That its seven more times expensive to acquire a new account than to keep exisiting customers. I haven’t experienced this, but wow!!

Are you a solopreneur? All outdoor TV producers in the business certainly are. What about bloggers? Writers?

 

 
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Having Fun? If Not, You Should Be

03 Apr

I had an interview last week with a sports team in Minneapolis. I realized half-way through the interview how much I was laughing or giggling through the questions and answers. It wasn’t a nervous laughter – this was just a phone screener, but I wanted to have fun on the interview and to see if the HR person would respond. (She sort of did.) After hearing more about the position, all I could think of was how BORING it sounded. It was a newly-created position, so maybe they don’t have all the wrinkles out, but is it too much to ask to want to enjoy your job and Just. Have. Fun?

And then Arik Hanson, a solo PR consultant (like moi), wrote this post on “5 Reasons Why the Solo Consultant Lifestyle Isn’t All Its Cracked Up to Be.” He reiterates in the post how much he loves his job, while pointing out some drawbacks of owning your own business  - but he doesn’t really say he’s having fun.

Can you LOVE your job and NOT be having fun? Hmm….Or do the two go hand-in-hand? I challenge Arik to tell us more about the fun side of his life as a solo PR consultant.

Kayaking the Lake of the Isles in downtown Minneapolis after a client meeting.

Me? I try to have fun everyday. I attend a yoga class here and there. I crank up Pandora on my awesome Sonos system. (If you work from home and don’t have Sonos, you are missing out). Last summer, I took tennis lessons in the morning and I would haul my kayak with me when visiting clients on the west side of town. I believe this left me more energetic and creative on my projects.

Lately, I took on a client in the flower business. Yep, I work in the gun industry and now the wedding industry. I’m having a BALL with this client and wish I could dive deeper in this industry.

You have a choice of how to spend your time. I choose to spend mine by sprinkling in more fun. Notice I didn’t say less work, just more fun.

 

 
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Swearing in Outdoor TV: Yes, No, or It Happens?

18 Mar

Swearing does happen – especially when that shot doesn’t go right or something just spooked your 10-pointer. A quick under-the-breath word is said – or maybe its more of a shout in anger. Either way, for a G-Rated cable network, all swear words must be bleeped out. Unfortunately, most intelligent people can still figure out what was said and that leaves them offended.

Many a time I’ll receive an email from an unhappy viewer asking about swearing on a particular show. That we are to, somehow, ‘put a leash’ on that host. Also unfortuantely, it doesn’t happen that way.

Since most shows are independently produced, each producer – and host – (sometimes one in the same) get to decide if they want to completely cut that part out or if its an integral part of the show.

For some hosts, its a part of their “I’m-a-bad-ass-and-you-can’t-tell-me-otherwise” personality – like Brian “Pigman” Quaca of “Pigman: The Series” or Conway Bowman of “Fly Fishing the World.”  Who knew killing pigs and catching trout is so B.A.? (Reference to bad ass for you Dane Cook fans.)

Those same viewers complain that Sportsman Channel is, in fact, not a G-rated network because we even allow the bleeping to happen. Well, its in the guidelines and yes, the network can.

But isn’t this one of those conversations like ethics in hunting? Should we even have bleeped-out voices on outdoor television? Don’t we already have enough to deal with that we need to portray ourselves as a bunch of angry, stressed out, B.A’s?

Or, are we reaching a different demo with this tactic? The ones who write-in are families – they have kids watching our programming. But its the 20-something year-old men we are trying to reach. And do they think nothing of it and maybe even expect it? Much like the harder rock music more and more shows are using?

I’m not sure there is a right or wrong here. Personally, I would rather NOT see the bleeping on outdoor programming. I agree it should be family programming for your 8-year-old to watch with you and seeing that host let loose a string of bleeps is just plain unprofessional.

What do you think?

 

 

 
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“On the Edge of Greatness”

01 Mar

About 6-7 years ago, I lunched with a collegue who was familiar with the outdoor industry, but really knew communications – especially media training and crisis comm. He intrigued me with his depth of knowledge and I certainly saw him as somewhat of a mentor. So he stunned me when, during this lunch, he said to me, “I see you are on the edge of greatness.”

Those words have stuck with me ever since. And, I’ll admit, plague me.

At that time, I did feel like a rising star at the network. I was heading up the communications dept, hiring people and making good & bad decisions for the network daily. Yeah, I agreed I was on the edge of greatness.

But of what? And where is that greatness? And what the hell does that even mean anyway?

Now that I run my own consulting business, I question – is this my greatness? Or am I still on the edge of being something great? Some might say this is it – I have reached mecca. But I don’t feel it. I don’t feel I have reached my true potential and that I could give so much more.

Random photo of me. Bonus points if you recognize this famous airport

Perhaps I am in the midst of a life lesson here and I won’t know the answer for a very long time. I sometimes regret I heard those words from my colleague’s mouth because it meant someone else saw something in me – and that now, I may or may not be living up to it.

Have you ever been privy to be on the receiving end of a compliment – or statement about you – that has startled you? Or even you wished you never heard it/they never said it? If so, please share because I hope I am not alone.

And maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehole. Please share!!

 

 
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