One Producer in the City

Awesome People Thursday: ConnectorCon!

This week's A.P.T. is all about the people who are attending, on panels, and hosting workshops for the next ConnectorCon. I am so excited for this coming Saturday to have so much knowledge and connection in one room. Read below to see the full roster and if you haven't gotten a ticket yet, make sure you grab one. You can use the code "Connectorfriend" for a discount. See you there!

Excelsior! 

Small Pond Enterprises LLC presents

ConnectorCon NYC 2013

 

What makes someone a Connector? The first--and most obvious--criterion is that Connectors know lots of people. They are the kinds of people who know everyone. All of us know someone like this. But I don't think that we spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of these kinds of people. I'm not even sure that most of us really believe that the kind of person who knows everyone really knows everyone. But they do. 

-- Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point

ConnectorCon is a conference for those who are interested in the world of connecting. ConnectorCon seeks to provide a platform for many different industries to mix and mingle and to find ways to collaborate and share ideas. If you are interested in learning about becoming a better connector or in meeting people from a variety of fields, we welcome your input and your energy. This is your conference.

There are a limited number of seats so make sure to reserve quickly. As the conference draws closer we will be updating more information about speakers and panels so be sure to check this page for that info.

We look forward to helping you connect!

Panels and Workshops include:

Taking the Leap - A panel of connectors discuss stories of how they connected to people they thought were beyond their reach. This panel will include connectors who are founders of start ups and other organizations who decided to take a risk and ask someone unexpected for assistance. Hear how they conquered their fear of asking and used connecting as the key to achieving their goals. Moderated by Gray Scott of Serious Wonder Featuring: Jonathan Schnapp of Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club Lucas Nelson of DFJ Gotham, Jenn Mello of Film Forward NYC, Brian Antolin of CoTo Travel,Joaquin Roca, and Julian Boxenbaum of LucidNYC

Never Losing Touch - A workshop about how to make sure you stay in touch with your contacts and never become the person who forgets to follow up. The team from Contactually will discuss best practice for making sure you are the person who always gets back to anyone who contacts you. 

 

Connecting for a Cause - A panel of non-profits and socially driven start ups discuss how they use their skills in connecting to find funds and opportunities. Learn more about fundraising, making the right introductions, and finding the best strategic partners. Moderated by David Homan of the AICF, featuring: Lexie Komisar, Jessica Greer Morris of Girl Be Heard, Joshua Rivedal of The Gospel According to Josh, and Danielle Robin of Charity Connector

 

The Art of the Introduction - A workshop on how to make solid introductions. What you should do to pre-qualify your introductions and how to make sure both parties benefit from the connection. Dig in to the methods and techniques that you need to be a great connector in the room and via email. Taught byCiara Pressler of Pressler Collaborative

 

Connector Discussion Lunch* - Choose a table based on a question that interests you and engage in a discussion with other like minded connectors over a meal and see how many problems can be solved through collaboration and exploring different points of view.

 

*NB: You can grab lunch outside of the venue or purchase a ticket to the conference that includes lunch at the venue.

 

Connectors as Matchmakers - A panel of connectors discuss how they took two industries that were very different and brought them together. What assumptions did they have to let go? What industries are most open to collaboration? And how does one make the best match between two different worlds? Find out more about how these connectors did it. Moderated by Playwright and Connector Drew Larimore Featuring: Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula of Blogologues, Julie Sylvester of Living in Digital Times, Ben Guttman of Digital Natives, Christopher Kelly of Convene, Lauren Rayner andCalla Videt, and Michelle Tillis Lederman of Executive Essentials

 

The Balancing Act - A hands-on workshop about balancing the demands of your life with being a connector. How do you keep it all straight and stay on top of things? How do you use those precious hours of the day and not waste time? More than time management, this workshop is about managing expectations, budgeting time, and seizing opportunities. Taught by Mike Fishbein of Casual Corp

 

Monetizing Connections - A panel of connectors speak about navigating the monetization process. How do you work in a world of referral fees, affiliates, and partnerships? What is the best way to approach a relationship when there is the possibility of monetization? Panelists will discuss best practices when monetizing. Moderated by Pavan Bahl of OS Fashion Featuring: Neil St. Clair ofAlleywire, Megan Hannum of FundedBuy, Michael Rubenstein of Trilliant Funding Inc.,  Phil O'Brien of Climbing Fish, Dani Faith Leonard of Big Vision Empty Wallet and Brian Erickson ofCardwell Beach

 

Being Memorable - A hands-on workshop exploring techniques you can use to be top of mind with your connections. How are you saying thank you? What are you doing to make people remember your name when they are out in the field? Learn the best ways to be the person people are talking about. Taught by Michael Ian Cedar of Ask Yourself Productions

 

Personal Branding - A workshop helping you identify your brand. How do you use the tools of social media to establish yourself as an expert and what else can you do to stand out? How can branding make it easier to find the right connections and get others to connect to you? Taught by Broadway Producer Andrew Asnes founder of Theater Advisor

Closing Keynote- From Zero to Zenith: Jordan Motzkin, founder of Big Box Farms and Partner at PitchWorks, explains how through connecting he went from an entrepreneur with no capital and connections to a 7 million dollar VC offer, a startup with an advisory board from some of the largest companies, and a massive network.

ConnectorCon will be on Saturday, June 1st from 10:00am-6:00pm.

New Work City

412 Broadway

New York, NY 10013

There will be the opportunity before the day of the conference for participants to state their preference for panels and workshops.

At the conference, participants may choose to purchase huddle room sessions for individualized consultations with a number of the panelists and workshop leaders.  There will also be opportunities throughout the day for open networking and one-on-one conversations.

Sponsored by:

 

 

 

 

Retro Wednesday: Go where you're awesome

This week's retro Wednesday post is all about going somewhere where what you do is unique. That would definitely be a place like ConnectorCon. Do you have your tickets yet? 

Excelsior! 

March 30, 2011

Go where you're awesome

My freshman year of college was a time of discovery. I learned a lot that year about acting, directing, tech, etc. 

One of the most important lessons I learned that year actually didn't happen at college. It happened two towns over at my old High School.

I went back in the afternoons and was a drama coach for the operettas. What was pretty amazing about that was that I was second in command to the director, got to take notes during the rehearsals, and do scene work with the kids. These were people who were not much younger than me and yet I was giving direction because I was "in College" This alerted me to a very important principal that applies to every business.

Go where you're awesome. 

I could have volunteer ushered at Trinity rep and been seen as some college kid helping out, or I could go to my old school and be seen as a junior drama teacher. At Trinity I would have been another faceless helper, at Smithfield High I was awesome. 

The same applies for any business. An actor in the Indie Theatre Community could go and speak on a panel that is arts focused and be seen as another actor, or they could go to a college early career acting class and be awesome. 

A music producer who is just getting started could go to SXSW and be seen as another music producer looking to make connections or that same music producer could go to a college radio station and be awesome.

There are places where you are kinda cool and there are places where you are awesome.

Take a second to think about a space that someone in your business has never been.

Where would YOU be awesome?

Feel free to comment below.

Excelsior!

 

Three things of note

First and foremost I hope you all have had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Three things to look for this week. 

1. This Saturday we will be having the 2nd ConnectorCon. The roster of speakers and panelists is fantastic and you can get an extra discount on the tickets that are left using the code "Connectorfriend". We do have a limited amount of space for this, so be sure to grab them soon! 

2. A number of you have reached out to me about one on one consulting. Now that ConnectorCon is almost finished, I will be able to take on some new clients in the month of June. I am offering a two day end of the month special. Today includes the best savings. You can read more and book your spots HERE.

P.S.- Ignore the date of the event. We will book sessions at a time that is convenient for you. Also, if you're fast enough, the deluxe package today is easily the best deal. 

3. It has been three years since I last taught a class and I am breaking that fast with a three month intensive. For more information and to apply for that intensive go HERE. 

Bonus- I am hosting a cocktail party with ConnectorCon alumni, other great connectors I know and a bunch of awesome people this Friday. Sign up HERE  to attend.

Excelsior! 

My interview with @garyvee

Many of you know that I have posted before about how much I have enjoyed reading Gary Vaynerchuk's work. 

He inspired This Post

This Post

and yes, I referenced his book after This Horror Story

So when I found out about his latest offer to his followers, I decided to jump on it. Some folks decided to do a full video or recording, but I decided to ask some questions on connecting and offer my three biggest take aways from our Q and A. So here we go, the top three things I learned from 15 minutes with Gary Vaynerchuk. 

You get what you give- It seems like such a simple statement, but when you think about it, there are plenty of people out there who are wondering why they are not getting more from those they interact with. They may be asking why someone isn't buying what they are selling or why certain people won't take meetings with them, but what they should be asking is how much they have actually given. It's important to look at what we are doing for others before we get overly concerned about what is coming our way. The more value we add, the more opportunities we have. 

If everyone else is giving free-shipping we need to "level up"- It's now expected in the world of customer service to offer some type of perk, but that isn't going to break through the clutter. The question we now have to ask is how are we going to take our service to another level? How can we surprise those we work with? What can we offer that comes from our own spring of creativity? Anybody can write a thank you note, but not everyone will take the time to look at the details of that note. What if the note was on a can of someone's favorite soda? What if you got a box of chocolates from someone that spelled the words Thank You when you opened them? I know I am going to continue to think of ways I can "level up" in my own practice with the people I connect with. 

Authenticity is Oxygen- This was probably my favorite quote from the entire conversation. In a world where everything we do is seen via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. there is very little chance for anyone to do something on the sly. Therefore, if you are not authentic in all of your interactions, you are killing your business and your brand. It's a very strong image and very true that if we are not authentic in our relationships and up front about our intentions, then we are going to lose. So take the time today to think about authenticity. Is everything that you have in your business something that you are able to deliver on? More importantly can you over deliver? 

Thanks to @Garyvee for taking the time and check out his new book Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook launching in November! 

Excelsior!

P.S.- The next ConnectorCon is next Weekend! Hope to see you there! 

 

Awesome Person Thursday: Gym Shorts The Show!

This week's A.P.T. is Eric Robertson and his show Gym Shorts.  It's rare that you get to see shows about the health and wellness space since let's face it, in the theatre there really aren't many fitness stories. The way these short plays take relationships and tie them to life in the gym is both inventive and refreshing. Think of the first time you laughed at one of these commercials and then imagine if that feeling was extended into an entire script. That's what you get when you watch these shows. I've known Eric for a number of years and it's always exciting to see what people decide to go out there and produce. So I'm hoping you can check out the show before it closes. You can grab tickets here. And if you have other things on your schedule, I hope you'll be able to work it out... get it? Work out? Ok. I'm gonna hit the showers. But seriously, all my bad jokes aside, this show is filled with good ones. You can read more below and watch the trailer. Enjoy! 

Excelsior!

P.S.- The Next ConnectorCon is almost here! Grab your tickets HERE! 

 

 

 

 

The Spot

The Toughest Thing

The Solo Flex

Resistance Training

The Cool Down

Starring:​​

Kenton Fridley as Andrew

Sean Boyce Johnson as Tyler

Mike Giese as Craig

Leon Morgan as Warren

David Mazzucchi as Brad

What happens when faithful spotter Andrew hurts his shoulder, and has to take some time off to heal? His workout buddy Tyler starts lifting with someone new behind his back, that’s what. But the drama really heats up when Andrew returns to the gym and catches them working out together! Can the partnership survive this rift?

The gym’s star trainer, Chad, is tough. He expects nothing but the best from his clients, and pushes them hard. Maybe too hard. And whose goal is he striving for? Did he push Shane too hard in prep for a Tough Mudder? Or can he just not accept Shane for who he really is?

Starring:

Cara Maltz as Dawn

Jasson Finney as Chad

Frank Monteleone as Shane

It’s true that Phil and Jimmy’s workout life has fizzled a bit. But Jimmy still gets the shock of his life when he sees the reason fall out of Phil’s backpack: his extensive secret collection of workout videos!​

Starring:

Brock Yurich as Phil

Nathaniel Wade as Jimmy

It was no secret that Chad and the gym’s manager, Dawn, weren’t getting along. But when Dawn fires Chad, who is going to take care of the clients? Enter Craig, the gym’s buff, handsome – and much younger – New Trainer. He may be happy to take over Chad’s position in the gym, but will his temperamental client accept him?

Starring:

Sean Deblat as Jake

Cara Maltz as Dawn

Mike Giese as Craig

Jasson Finney as Chad

Every serious lifter has worked out with a spot. In this day and age it’s a given. But not Brad. Does he not understand the spotting world? Or did he just place too much significance on his first spotter? Either way, when he lifts with Warren for the first time, confusion sets in as to what it means, what each one wants from the partnership, and where to go from here...

Starring:

Leon Morgan as Warren

David Mazzucchi as Brad

W H A T  A R E  T H E  S H O R T S ?

 

Retro Wednesday: "George Lucas" it

This week's retro post is all about marketing techniques I have learned from one of the masters of entertainment. Get out your light sabers and get ready to "George Lucas" it! 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- The next ConnectorCon is less than two weeks away! Grab your tickets HERE. 

March 21, 2012

"George Lucas" it.

When I think of people who have influenced my childhood, teens, and now adult life, George Lucas is at the top of my list and here's why: 

His stories enchanted me as a child so I went to see them again in my teens, and then was happy to see new stories in my twenties, and will regularly watch his films when on cable. 

This is the result of great marketing and many shows as well as businesses could benefit from taking a few pages from his book. Here are the top five things that Lucas did that you can apply to your marketing on any show or business.

1. Tell a story with multiple points of view- One of the coolest things about Star Wars was the fact that we got to be a fly on the wall as a villian was plotting, we got to be inside a starfighter, we got to see what the other characters saw from all angles. Often marketing is focused in one direction and we never provide alternate points of view. Have you ever shown someone what is behind the curtain of your show? Your business? How about done an email blast about what the director of development actually does in your organization? By taking alternate points of view and giving more people access, you can increase your level of outreach. 

2. Leave things out- In all of the films in the trilogy, the scenes usually ended with some sort of cliff hanger moment. Whether it was Han in Carbonite or Luke about to face Vader, Lucas would leave the scene to tell another part of the story which made you want to keep watching to find out what happens. Good marketing leaves something out so that your clients have a cliff hanger. They are waiting for some new piece of information or the conclusion to a point. You see this the most in email marketing when you have to click through to get the answer to a question. Think about your own marketing efforts. Is there a reason for people to stay on your mailing list? Is there a story you're telling that people are hungry for? 

3. If something's a hit, take it away- One of the smartest things Lucas ever did was wait to bring the original movies back to the big screen. He could have done a weekend with all three films as a massive welcome back, but instead he made his audience wait for each film to be re-released on the big screen and when he gave us one, he took it away as the next one came in. If people are clamoring for something, and it's not readily available, they will wait if they want it bad enough. All too often in marketing, we find something we're doing is working like gang-busters, so we milk it as fast as we can. Imagine if just when people started going crazy for something, we made them wait a bit. It may make the demand that much bigger. It did for Lucas. 

4. Galvanize your fan base- There is a reason that people go to Sci-fi conventions and Comic Con. It's because they are passionate fans of the material. Passionate fans want more than anybody else, so what did Lucas do? He took the trilogy, and added bonus features, collectible sets, merchandise and guess who bought them? The super passionate fans. Are there people who are really excited about your show or your business? What are the special bonuses that they get? How do you get your fan base to go to a convention and spread the word about you? 

5. Cultivate a new generation- Whether you loved or hated the new movies, there is one thing that is certain. If you went to any of those films with a kid, they had a good time. While many of us will comment on the power of the original trilogy and our issues with the acting, story line, etc. in the newest films, there is still a whole new young generation running around swinging light sabers. Once your fan base gets older, you have one of two choices, start cultivating a new young crowd, or keep pushing the older crowd to choose you over the others. By exciting a new group of youngsters, there will be teens and adults in the future still spreading the word about Mr. Lucas' stories. 

So the next time you are feeling stuck in your marketing efforts, stop for a second and ask are you George Lucas-ing it? 

If not, the force may NOT be with you. 

Excelsior!

 

The 10 Commandments of email introductions- Part 3

For the final installment in this series, we will tackle following up and following through. Here we go:

Thou shalt THANK the person who made the introduction post-meeting- Likely the introduction that was made for you helped in some way. You either got some business out of it, made a few good connections or just had a great time. The person who made the introduction is always interested in hearing how things went and we all enjoy being thanked. Make sure that is part of your follow up activity. It need not be long or involved, just heartfelt. 

Thou shalt close the loop on the introduction- This can be done in the thank you or post-thank you, but it is really important to let the person who did the introduction know how things went. This includes the good and the bad. If someone is a service provider, you may want to find out how the service was before making future introductions. It's important to know what happened post meeting and the more closing of the loop you do, the more the other party will appreciate it. 

Thou shalt NOT drop off the face of the earth post meeting- Life gets crazy and we often get busy, but if you said you'd make some intros for someone, you should always make sure those intros get made. If you told someone you'd send them website links or other information, make sure to send it. Nothing is worse than having a great meeting and then never hearing from the person again. Stay in touch. 

and the final commandment:

Thou shalt always keep those who introduced you in mind- If someone made a great introduction for you, then you want to always be thinking of a good introduction for them. Pay close attention to their industry and think proactively about how you can help and what you can do. 

So there you have it. If you follow the 10 commandments, not only will you have built a great network from your email introductions, but it will be a network that will help you for years to come.

Excelsior! 

P.S.- Interested in learning more? Check out the next ConnectorCon!

Monday's a great day to connect

So here we are at Monday. 

As many of you know, early bird ticket sales closed for the next ConnectorCon on Friday, but I am keeping the connecting going all week with a "Connector-thon" 

Here are the rules: 

1. If you have not yet already, follow me on twitter.

2. For this week, tweet to me mentioning a problem and using the #Connectme

3. I will intro you via twitter to someone who I feel will help you with that problem. 

Ex. ) "@michaelroderick I am looking for a great web designer #Connectme"

Look forward to doing lots of connecting this week.

Excelsior!

P.S.- There are still tickets avaialable for ConnectorCon and you can grab them by going HERE. 

Today's the day

Today is the last day to get early bird ticket prices on ConnectorCon. If you haven't seen the roster recently, you can see the updated list below and there are even more being confirmed as I type this. I hope you'll join us on June 1rst as it will be a pretty awesome event. See more below.

Excelsior!

Small Pond Enterprises LLC presents

ConnectorCon NYC 2013

 

What makes someone a Connector? The first--and most obvious--criterion is that Connectors know lots of people. They are the kinds of people who know everyone. All of us know someone like this. But I don't think that we spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of these kinds of people. I'm not even sure that most of us really believe that the kind of person who knows everyone really knows everyone. But they do. 

-- Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point

ConnectorCon is a conference for those who are interested in the world of connecting. ConnectorCon seeks to provide a platform for many different industries to mix and mingle and to find ways to collaborate and share ideas. If you are interested in learning about becoming a better connector or in meeting people from a variety of fields, we welcome your input and your energy. This is your conference.

There are a limited number of seats so make sure to reserve quickly. As the conference draws closer we will be updating more information about speakers and panels so be sure to check this page for that info.

We look forward to helping you connect!

Panels and Workshops include:

Taking the Leap - A panel of connectors discuss stories of how they connected to people they thought were beyond their reach. This panel will include connectors who are founders of start ups and other organizations who decided to take a risk and ask someone unexpected for assistance. Hear how they conquered their fear of asking and used connecting as the key to achieving their goals. Moderated by Gray Scott of Serious Wonder Featuring: Jonathan Schnapp of Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club Lucas Nelson of DFJ Gotham, Jenn Mello of Film Forward NYC, Brian Antolin of CoTo Travel and Julian Boxenbaum of LucidNYC

Never Losing Touch - A workshop about how to make sure you stay in touch with your contacts and never become the person who forgets to follow up. The team from Contactually will discuss best practice for making sure you are the person who always gets back to anyone who contacts you. 

 

Connecting for a Cause - A panel of non-profits and socially driven start ups discuss how they use their skills in connecting to find funds and opportunities. Learn more about fundraising, making the right introductions, and finding the best strategic partners. Moderated by David Homan of the AICF, featuring: Lexie Komisar, Jessica Greer Morris of Girl Be Heard, Joshua Rivedal of The Arts Entrepreneur, Clint White of Arts and Culture Network, and Danielle Robin of Charity Connector

 

The Art of the Introduction - A workshop on how to make solid introductions. What you should do to pre-qualify your introductions and how to make sure both parties benefit from the connection. Dig in to the methods and techniques that you need to be a great connector in the room and via email. Taught byCiara Pressler of Pressler Collaborative

 

Connector Discussion Lunch* - Choose a table based on a question that interests you and engage in a discussion with other like minded connectors over a meal and see how many problems can be solved through collaboration and exploring different points of view.

 

*NB: You can grab lunch outside of the venue or purchase a ticket to the conference that includes lunch at the venue.

 

Connectors as Matchmakers - A panel of connectors discuss how they took two industries that were very different and brought them together. What assumptions did they have to let go? What industries are most open to collaboration? And how does one make the best match between two different worlds? Find out more about how these connectors did it. Moderated by Playwright and Connector Drew Larimore Featuring: Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula of Blogologues, Julie Sylvester of Living in Digital Times, Ben Guttman of Digital Natives, Christopher Kelly of Convene, and more to come! 

 

The Balancing Act - A hands-on workshop about balancing the demands of your life with being a connector. How do you keep it all straight and stay on top of things? How do you use those precious hours of the day and not waste time? More than time management, this workshop is about managing expectations, budgeting time, and seizing opportunities. Taught by Mike Fishbein of Casual Corp

 

Monetizing Connections - A panel of connectors speak about navigating the monetization process. How do you work in a world of referral fees, affiliates, and partnerships? What is the best way to approach a relationship when there is the possibility of monetization? Panelists will discuss best practices when monetizing. Featuring: Ryan Bethea Business Development accelerator, Megan Hannum of FundedBuy, Michael Rubenstein of Trilliant Funding Inc., and more to come! 

 

Being Memorable - A hands-on workshop exploring techniques you can use to be top of mind with your connections. How are you saying thank you? What are you doing to make people remember your name when they are out in the field? Learn the best ways to be the person people are talking about. Taught by Michael Ian Cedar of Ask Yourself Productions

 

Personal Branding - A workshop helping you identify your brand. How do you use the tools of social media to establish yourself as an expert and what else can you do to stand out? How can branding make it easier to find the right connections and get others to connect to you? Taught by Broadway Producer Andrew Asnes founder of Theater Advisor

ConnectorCon will be on Saturday, June 1st from 10:00am-6:00pm.

New Work City

412 Broadway

New York, NY 10013

There will be the opportunity before the day of the conference for participants to state their preference for panels and workshops.

At the conference, participants may choose to purchase huddle room sessions for individualized consultations with a number of the panelists and workshop leaders.  There will also be opportunities throughout the day for open networking and one-on-one conversations.

Sponsored by:

 

Awesome Person Thursday: Irene Gonzalez

This week's A.P.T. I met when she was suggested as a marketing intern for me. Not only did Irene do an amazing job of doing coverage for shows and spreading the word about various projects, she also continued her journey as an entrepreneur all while still in High School! Much like Brian, from last week, Irene has a new ambitious goal before she graduates and I think it's awesome and much needed. Take a look at the book she's hoping to publish and show your support if you can. 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- 1 day left before early bird ticket prices close for ConnectorCon. Be sure to grab yours HERE.

Help Publish My First Book!

Over a year ago I created Theater4Teens.com and began to give advice on how to really navigate the waters of theater as a teenager.  It is so much harder to be successful while still being in school and not being "Annie size" or "Elphaba size".  This book is the perfect guide that will allow any teenager to be successful and chase their dream to Broadway from anywhere in the world.

I cannot take all the credit.  What I have learned over the years has come from many people in my life.  Some people more than others, like my amazing mother.  Others are people I saw at one audition and never spoke to again.  My experiences in my life is what makes this book unique and like any other.

As I am graduating from high school in June 2013, I would love nothing more than to self publish this book as my graduation present.  All the money will be spent in making sure this book is the best it can be.  I have plans to present it to major publishing companies in order to create multiple volumes for the future.

Whatever you can give I would greatly appreciate it!  And please do not hesitate to like my Theater4Teens Facebook page and follow Theater4Teens on Twitter.  Please share this campaign with anyone interested in helping the Broadway stars of tomorrow!