NYC Tuesday Incubator - "Last Night Was Amazing!"

by, FashionMista

"Last night sas AMAZING" was the first sentance from our Tuesday night Incubator leader, Karla, the day after our first meeting. I felt like I'd just had this secret weeknight rendezvous with some new man! Everything clicked with everyone! We keep replying to this same email, so it keeps generating the same feeling in me and makes me giggle.  :)

But the first night of the Incubator did make for a good week, as it got wheels turning as to how I can make my goals happen. Launchwork for our second meeting was to write our visions of everyone's projects, or goals. Everyone's ideas for each other were so revealing, and fun for the writer because their mind could exercise dreaming without borders for others. And because of the nature of the openness of these Incubators, and the non-linear way of feminine thinking, there could be a few goals per person at this stage in their life.

I of course did my homework...slightly off course from what it should be. As a kid who often did not do homework in high school, and when I did, it could easily be on the wrong chapter, I was reeling in old feelings of "Gaaaah!" However, Karla stressed, and I mean stressed, that this was OK. As David (my boyfriend) would say, "more than OK." (He also says I do things the way I want to no matter what.) But I couldn't help it. I had to critique everyone's website (as it's fun for me and second nature at this point), and suggest blogs and websites to others where I felt it could help their businesses grow. This leads me into the results of the night...

The theme of the evening was "synchronicity." Each girl (can we all be girls here..."woman" is too matronly to me...maybe "lady" is the appropriate word here) went around the room reading their visions for the lady in the hot seat who could do nothing but listen, laugh, register major excitement, and say "thank you." Similar concepts appeared from each reading.

We discovered, that while Iris, an acupuncturist, clearly should open her own practice or studio, she was also a secret romance writer! And Tanea, the calligrapher of MyPerfectPenminship.com, who may explore the magic of font making, was pinpointed as an outstanding stand-up comic and motivational speaker, when as a child, all she wanted to do was be an actress, but when she founded out that "actresses don't EAT!" (aka starving artist), she quickly abandoned that idea. A PR girl of the bunch was practically signing us all up as clients and forming pitches in her mind, despite her jet leggedness from a business trip to Ireland.

The synchronicity for me turned out to be that I am going to start freelancing as a website consultant for companies such as these ladies to help them "know what they don't know" and guide their websites to technical efficiency and make them as appetizing for Google as possible. This is all so that I can continue developing Katie James accessories at the pace which is comfortable for me for now (aka freelance as my day job while making my own schedule). One comment from Jillian, the future concierge service owner, affirmed some direction that I'm taking Katie James. She had downloaded the Katie James geraniums desktop wallpaper and liked it because it made her feel "happy." That is an exact adjective I'm using in my mock business plan for Katie James. I felt little angels in the glowing light singing softly, for it means that I'm on target and someone else felt it.

Jane, the goody bag queen, had a direction for me - develop one new product and market it, making it the "it" product of its kind. Done! This is the second post I've written on the subway, and I dare say, it's quite inconvenient waiting until I can sit down in a subway car, versus typing when I'm standing on the platform...and I'm not about to type all of this into a Blackberry! If only there were guitar straps for laptop computers...Are there any other rock star computer users in the house??

Comments

[Mary Richmond]

I started a focus group with a bunch of like minded entrpreneurial ladies about 6 months ago and I have to say I like this idea of writing our visions of each other's projects. It helps us see where we are and are not clear, I would imagine...if I'm understanding it right. Are you reflecting what each other is putting out there or are you interjecting your own thoughts of what each might do in addition or instead of their own ideas?

[Katie]

We were doing all sorts of things, actually. But the intent is to hear what the person's project is, and then put your vision for that person's project into words. It wasn't until after the readings were complete did other actual observations start to immerge (like the romance novel observation for someone...totally unrelated, but was quite funny, and I'm ready to hook her up with someone if she produces the beginnings of a manuscript). The intent is to see your situation from outside of yourself, and move from there.

[Mary Richmond]

sounds great--I'm going to suggest our group try it...it's a different spin on what we do and I think it helps to see from a new perspective...thanks!