Holy $%&!balls (excuse my language). Something totally amazing has just happened.

Today I started a secret Facebook group and reached out to my personal network to see if anyone was feeling frustrated in their careers and would be interested in being in an ongoing online focus group where they would be able to be the first people to experience my new ecourse materials in exchange for honest feedback. I left the message hanging and thought nothing more about it.

I have just logged in and found close to 20 requests to be added to the group. I was a little bowled over but dutifully responded to and added everyone into the group. I asked them to introduce themselves, knowing there were a few feeling frustrated in similar careers and wondered if it would be good for them to connect with others. And they’re actually doing it. 20 people who don’t know each other are there, connecting, seeing each other, understanding each other, feeling hopeful, because of a group I set up, just today???

I thought I’d have 5 responses, tops.

Did I just accidentally set up a community? Oh geez, this just got very real.

:-O

Top takeaways – first thoughts:

1. It’s about facilitating experiences, not ‘telling’.
2. Not having all the answers, even as a leader, is not only cool but actually really helps, because you can get involved with problem solving and walking the talk. I’m committing to being cool with not knowing.
3. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. However, if you lead him to mouthwatering sparkleberry glitter-juice, he probably won’t be able to help himself and take a big old gulp. (And when he’s done that, you should give him some carrots or something so he can save them up and trade them for a trip to that horse ranch in Hawaii.) (Ooh, carrots!)
4. Being honest, and real, and present goes a long long way.
5. I’m allowed to kick back and have some fun too.

I’m so sure there are more! Will keep thinking about this. Thanks @bradleytmorris!

Time for an update.

I think I have a new name. I’m been playing and sitting with the name Career Avengers for a week now and it’s really grown on me. I’m still going to refer to Superwork and call the learning area the Superwork Academy, but I feel happier to have found a unique name. I’m now thinking about the tag line (I definitely want it to be something with KAPOW in it, literally), and letting that percolate too.

Meanwhile I have started writing scripts and storyboard for my first unit. The story is really starting to take shape and I’m thinking about props and green screen kit and all sorts. Exciting and scary!

I have also researched and purchased hosting through Siteground and am getting set up to install Social Learner and all that other platform jazz. Just waiting to get my current WP network install transferred over.

I’ve been speaking to a really good friend of mine and fellow coach about coming on board and she’s really excited. So I MAY have my first team member!

And I have also set up my focus group and have started taking them through the programme I have designed. I’m feeling really encouraged so far,  although it’s really hard to get people being active in the group, I guess partly because they’re all there for free. There’s something about investing your own money in a thing that really makes you commit to it.

I also took on a new client today and she’s the first person I have sold my new programme to. I was getting a great vibe and really felt that she was an ‘ideal’ client. She was so excited and she said she actually got shivers down her spine when I spoke about the superhero thing and why I’ve created a programme with this imagery. It was literally the best ‘sales’ call I have ever had. It’s hugely reassuring to know that this crazy thing I am building is resonating with my market.

There is something I need help with and I wondered if some of you might be willing to brainstorm it with me. I am really struggling to come up with a name for the forums that fits my theme. I have thought of:

The Assembly Rooms (because of Career *Avengers*)

A really British style pub called The Cape and Boots, or something along those lines

The Rec Room,

The Hub, the Plaza

Ugh. Nothing seems quite right. I think the closest is the pub, but for certain of my calls to action to share stuff there it doesn’t quite hit the right tone.

Any ideas?

🙂

Thanks Bradley! These are great.

The phone booth I have already used as one of my module titles, the same with Headquarters, but the conversation cave has real potential. It kind of reminds me of the Fortress of Solitude (maybe there’s even a way to play on that to make it sound a bit more sociable). The Round table feels a little Arthurian (but imagine how perfect it would be for a knights theme!)

But I keep coming back to headquarters and wondering if I could rename my module title so that I could free up this word. The module is about actually starting out on the final mission, I’m wondering whether I could rename it The Command Room or Mission Control instead and take headquarters for the forums.

This would give me the Academy for the learning modules and then right next to it, Headquarters for the forums.

That actually feels pretty good. What do you think?

🙂