What is Mike Up To Now – Sept 27, 2020
If I can be honest, got close to burn out again last week. Just feel like “almost there” but then a pile of new projects and tasks and emergencies come. Have been meditating twice daily now (been doing mornings since 2014, but last month added mid-day) which helps.
Still, I do believe “almost turned the corner” making massive adjustments still in a post covid world. Big update – investing in an online meeting software in a big way and getting big responses:
* More online meetups next week, will do a free webinar as well and make a dedicated membership plan for it separate from GFAVIP (which is more expensive and exclusive).
* Brainstorming a way to do “full time” online meetups with 24/7 team to moderate the rooms.
* Adding back the Ecommerce Gladiator sessions to GFAVIP members, each week a new session
* Further developing the client services team to help me communicating to clients and members.
Here’s the full week plan for Shadstone (removing names and sensitive info)
Week Plan Sept 27 – Oct 3, 2020 Shadstone Limited
We are wrapping up September, can you believe this – entering Q4 and the end of the year is coming. The start of the decade has been a wild one, no need to rehash how 2020 has been, but believe we are turning it around and re-inventing the company and adapting to future.
The big one is the moving to online events. Our main project in Shadstone is Global From Asia – and one of the big things we did to support the company was at least one main event each year – Cross Border Summit, with sponsors and ticket sales. Well that isn’t happening this year – and many even predict offline events won’t be able to happen in 2021 either. Thus the deep studying we have been doing for online software the last few weeks (as well as a client project for it).
So last week we started to use the white labeled software – on our brand – Cross Border Matchmaker and it has raised eyebrows, re-engaged inactive members in the community and attracted new ones. The idea is to host more and more of these online round tables – everyone enjoys the freedom to move from one table to another – and it is evolving into multiple events per day for members. Looking into making a new level of membership just to attend these sessions, calling it a Cross border Matchmaker membership – and it will be a lower price point that our more exclusive, application only, GFAVIP level. People are interested and sending the screenshot of the round table rooms wanting to join it.
From this, we are also starting to do free webinars again. This Wednesday we will have a morning session and evening session, to cover various time zones. We will engage with people using the new software and hope to sell memberships for this who want more of it.
One big change for the company if we do that (full day ongoing meetups) – we will need people on the team to moderate these rooms. It would become an online meetup space, like an online coworking or online coffee shop for people in the community to meet with old friends and make new friends. Even make it during USA time, with the events being a few hours long and then having a schedule all day to repeat the rooms.
We are also lucky enough to have been making huge migrations and updates to our new CRM system and that will line up perfectly with this new virtual ongoing meeting rooms. As we can have people tell us which themes and times they want to get the room schedule and we can keep them updated.
Our first site we are “letting go” will be wrapping up mid this week, have about 40 people interested in it and on Wednesday or so the final price will come in.
Other updates, I am happy to see our client services and community team more engaging with our members and clients directly without my intervention. This is the goal, to build this company where I am not the “bottleneck” needing to be the gatekeeper with all the users and clients. There is ongoing improvements – as everything in life – but I am seeing great progress.
Sorry I am overwhelmed with wechat messages and share screenshots in Slack – again, wish we could have others on the team help me with communicating to some clients and members, but still I am the middle person – it is a transition that will be ongoing.
Also don’t forget – our second Shadstone team building is Oct 9, Friday, 8pm HK time
Some of the team updates (to help you all understand what is happening and who is doing what)
– helping find our Cross Border Matchmaker logo he made and discussing infographics and future projects
– doing great work as always – more and more 1 minute videos coming in.
– adjusting to the changing of the online events, and CRM.
– learning and adopting new ways for her and I to prioritize SEO sites and budgets on sites.
– in “overload” mode, CRM campaigns, landing page creation overload.
– great work fielding inbound emails, working with podcast guests, new clients and member on boarding.
– writing epic content for us, as always. Thanks for it.
– moving the facebook ads to webinars/ events (bottom fo funnel) and help with client for lead magnets on some of their guides.
– helping with the CRM cronjob, and all sorts of IT as always thanks for that. Made a update to the Amazon seller directory site too to help monetize it more.
– helping with the Jewish directory
– getting more involved with the Amazon projects, plan to do more account management,
– assisting with all content editing and writer oversight, as well as newsletters and the popup on GFA.
– making epic updates to our Venture Seed directory
– brainstorming more illustrations to make
– making it happen with organic social media posting and helping get the general public to know about our membership and webinars.
– always our “rock” helping make sure tasks and the portal are in order.
– Property Online site development.
– getting the podcasts online ,and hopefully can join our next company team building.
– overloaded still, but appreciate others getting more involved with the company to assist. Making the various postings and designs for the site ,thank you!