Advent Coworking Booth at Yelp Event (Thursday, 8/4/2016, 6p-9p)

*** Read all the way to the bottom as more details have now emerged :-).

Hi Awesome Advent People!

My name is Adrienne Craighead and I am the "Chief Illuminator" at TorchBearer Sales and Marketing Consulting. I am also a proud member of Advent Coworking and because of that I sometimes do "sales and marketing" projects for Advent.

If you are like me (and you believe that the key thing that makes our co-working space the best spot in town are the people) then please help me show the community how awesome our members are by showing up at this fall's YELPER PARTY on Thursday, August 4th from 6p to 9p.

What would your involvement entail? Mostly just hanging out, being cool, playing corn-hole and wearing an ADVENT sticker proudly on your shoulder.

If you are interested and available, zap me an email at Adrienne@TorchBearerOnline.com and I will hit you back with additional details.

*Don't forget to save the date on your calendar!

** It will be ultra fun . . . Read all details below!!

*** Read all the way to the bottom as more details have now emerged :-).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

What's a Yelper Party, you ask? Why, it's only the biggest, boldest, baddest event that Yelp throws! Think tons of amazing, local businesses (like yours!), cool activities, entertainment and just general good times.

It's 100% free to participate and get your name/product out in front of hundreds of Yelpers from across the area! Please fill out the following form to indicate your interest and availability for taking part in this awesome promotional opportunity.

WHEN: Thursday, August 4th. 6-9pm (6-7pm a special preview hour for Elites, Media and VIP. Rest of the general admission guest list 7-9pm)
WHERE: The Underground (The Fillmore's new venue located next door at the old Boot Leggers)
FOR YOU: It's a chance to showcase, sample, and show off the very best of what you do to the most active tastemakers and urban adventurers in the region!
FROM US: We take care of all the planning, promotion, guest list management, and logistics!

***The event is guest list controlled. Guests have to RSVP on Yelp and receive a confirmation email and party pass/QR code that will be scanned at the door. The event is FREE, but we will be collecting donations for our AMAZING non-profit partner Behailu Academy http://www.behailuacademy.org/

***Theme: Yelp Live & Local @ The Underground. We're embracing our music scene. So, channel your inner rockstar and get creative.

LINKS TO OUR LAST YELPER PARTY:
Blog (including all sponsors) https://www.yelpblog.com/2015/12/yelp-gets-lucky
Reviews and user pics https://www.yelp.com/biz/yelp-gets-lucky-charlotte
Professional Pics from Poprock https://www.flickr.com/photos/yelp/sets/72157661184672491/

Promotional Exposure:
- On-site promotion to 500+ Yelpers attending the event
- Event promoted on Yelp
- Your business will be listed as a sponsor of the event with your name, logo, link to Yelp page
- Dedicated email blasts to the Yelp Elite Squad (the most active users on the website)
- Dedicated Charlotte edition of the Weekly Yelp Newsletter to the event (187,000+ subscribers in the CLT area)
- Dedicated Talk thread in Yelp forum
- Social media promotion - Facebook, Twitter (11.9k), Instagram (11.5k)
- Potential for promotion in other media hits -- TV, radio, blog, newspaper, etc. (There will be TV segments on both WCCB with Wilson's World and on WBTV)
- Recap blog post on the Yelp International Community Blog
- Follow up emails sent out to attendees
- Reviews and user pics of the event posted on Yelp
- Event is professionally photographed (Poprock Photography)
- And more!

After filling out this form, I will be in contact with you to discuss the details of your participation in more detail and see what makes sense. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to email charlottenc@yelp.com!

* Required

********************************************

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Nikki Wolfe" <nlwolfe@yelp.com>
Date: Jul 11, 2016 1:48 PM
Subject: Yelp Live & Local--- 24 days out! Raffle prizes
To: "Nikki Wolfe" <nlwolfe@yelp.com>
Cc: 

We are 24 days out!! PUMPED for this amazing group of 45+ sponsors!

RAFFLE PRIZES: the event is free, but I am encouraging/forcing (unless you're a lawyer, than ignore that 2nd word) guests to give a donation of at least a minimum $10. How do you get people to donate more? With raffle tickets. I do $5 = 1 raffle ticket... or $20 gets you 5. Great way to push people to give more. If any of you would be willing to donate a raffle prize of some sort, please let me know. I want to compile a huge list. The Behailu volunteers will handle all the money. raffle tickets, etc. I know the Fillmore is going to do some concert tickets.

CREATIVE PIECES:

Attached. Please do not post or put out there until Wednesday. And remember: language is that you must RSVP on Yelp to attend. I'll send out a bitly to share for the landing page either Tuesday night or Wednesday AM.

THE HASHTAG FOR THIS EVENT: #YelpLiveAndLocal

MARKETING DATES:

TUESDAY NIGHT- The landing page will go live and the RSVPs will open.

WEDNESDAY AM- the special promo issue of the Local Yelp will go out to more 130,000 inboxes across Charlotte.

FRIDAY- my weekly TV segment on WBTV (the CBS affiliate) will air at 4:20pm to promote the event.

MONDAY, JULY 25TH- CAN'T MISS TV. Chris and I will be doing Wilson's World. I don't want to spoil what we have planned... but you'll want to watch.

CONFIRMED SPONSORS:
Eats (setup outside with trucks)- Street Spice, Improper Pig, JJ's Red Hots
Eats (inside)- The Roasting Company, Just Dumplings, Fran's Filling Station, Cupcrazed, Fahrenheit, Luciano's, Cannizzaro Sauces, Iva Jean's Fudge, Polka Dot Bake Shop, Modern Muffin, Nellie's Southern Kitchen, Draught, Flight, WP Kitchen & Bar, Tupelo Honey Cafe, Chipotle, Smoke Modern Barbecue, Vivace, Coaltranes Char Grill

Bevvies: Tito's Handmade Vodka, American Born Moonshine, RNDC brands TBD, White Street Brewing Company, Bayne Brewing, Three Spirits Brewery, Shiner Bock, ZICO, Red Bull

Transportation: Cruise Carts

Interactives: (the key is to be super interactive. Get creative!)
Shutterbooth, Advent CoWorking, Crossfit Mecklenburg, First Wind, Pearl Dentistry, T Reid Salon (brow and braid bar), Core Revolution, Massage Works of Charlotte (massages), NC Yoga Bar

Photography: Poprock Photography

Working on a couple more tricks up our sleeves.

Again, please do not hesitate to email or text with any questions. 704-307-7523

Basics: I'll have a table, tablecloth, ice, barback, and napkins for everyone. You'll need to bring whatever paper/plastic products you need to sample. Feel free to bring whatever you want for your table. 

--

Regards,

Nikki Wolfe
Yelp Charlotte Senior Community Manager & Marketing Director

Follow me on:
Yelp • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook

Claim your FREE business listing at biz.yelp.com! It's free and you have the ability to do things like communicate with your customers, track how many people visit your business page, and add photos, detailed business descriptions, up-to-date information, history and specialties!

Educational Update from AC

A HUGE WIN for my kids' education: An exceptional educator and leader has been selected as Lake Norman Charter's new high school principal!

*****

Dear Lake Norman Charter Families:

It is my pleasure to announce that after conducting a nationwide search, which resulted in applicants from across the country, Mr. Craig Smith was offered and has accepted the permanent position of Lake Norman Charter High School Principal, effective immediately. As you are aware, Mr. Smith has served as our interim high school principal since last July.

The interview process began with the screening committee narrowing the applicant pool to six candidates, three from out of state. From there, the final two candidates were identified and participated in day-long interviews with our panel consisting of various LNC stakeholders. Mr. Smith was the standout candidate in this comprehensive process. Thank you to those parents, students and staff for their help in this important process.

Prior to joining LNC, Mr. Smith was assistant principal for four years at Ashbrook High School in Gaston County, a diverse school of approximately 1,400 students. He also has experience as a teacher, coach and Dean of Students at Hopewell High School. Mr. Smith taught high school math before entering administration.

Mr. Smith was a successful leader at Ashbrook, achieving many accomplishments including being selected as a finalist for Gaston County Schools Assistant Principal of the Year in 2015, increasing the school’s graduation rate each year, and being named one of the “Top 25 NC Educators to Follow on Twitter” an affirmation of his exceptional communication skills. Mr. Smith earned his B.A. from Western Michigan University and was an Honor Graduate when he received his M.A. from Gardner-Webb University. 

In the short time that Mr. Smith has been with LNC he has spread his enthusiasm and energy for our students, staff and school, encouraging all of those stakeholders to “Embrace the Expectations” to achieve the highest level of performance possible.

I am confident that Mr. Smith is the right person to lead LNC HS. I believe he will continue to improve and build upon the high level of academic rigor, the vital partnerships with our families and the support of our top-notch high school faculty and staff. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Smith permanently to LNC!

Sincerely,

Shannon Stein

Superintendent

BIG SPLASH - Support BBBS Charlotte AND Enjoy Great Wolf Lodge's Water Park!

Tickets to Big Splash 2014 will go on sale Sunday, April 27 at 6 am.This year's dates are May 4 -22. 

Click the links below to purchase your tickets. 

Week 1 - May 4 to May 9 click here

Week 2 - May 11 to May 16 click here

Week 3 - May 18 to May 22 click here

Great Wolf Lodge has been a generous supporter of BBBS by donating tickets to Big Splash to support our mission of serving youth. 100% of the proceeds goes directly to our program.

 We have no control over the number of tickets or the dates/times they are offered. Thank you for your continuing support of this family-fun event.

Date(s) you purchased are exclusively reserved for YOU

THERE ARE NO: REFUNDS, DATE EXCHANGES, CHANGES, OR FREEBIES.
ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS.

ALL TICKETS WILL BE SOLD THROUGH EVENTBRITE. ONCE YOU MAKE YOUR PURCHASE, YOU NEED TO PRESENT TICKET(S) AT THE GATE FOR ENTRY TO WATER PARK. 
Great Wolf Lodge and BBBSGC will not be able to print tickets during the event.   

Again, BBBS receives a limited number of tickets per day for attendance to the waterpark. Once tickets are sold out, there will be no more offered. 

Please read the following list of  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What time is the waterpark open?

A. Tickets are good from 10 am-8pm during the week and from 2-8 pm on Sundays.

Q. Where do we park?

A. Great Wolf Lodge has generous free parking available on site.

Q. Can I exchange the date I purchased for another date?

     Can I get a refund?

A: Date(s) on ticket(s) you purchase especially RESERVED for YOU, so:

NO REFUNDS or DATE EXCHANGES. NO EXCEPTIONS.

You MUST bring SELF-PRINTED TICKET(S) for ENTRY. (No tickets will be mailed.)

Q. Will more tickets be made available?

A. Great Wolf Lodge has been generous to offer BBBSGC this EXCLUSIVE opportunity. To make sure everyone is safe, we have a set number of tickets to safely fill the venue’s capacity.

Q. Can I leave the waterpark and come back without buying another ticket?

A. Yes. You are able to leave and return during the day your ticket is valid.

Q. Why don’t you have tickets on Saturdays this year?

A. We rely on the generosity of Great Wolf Lodge for tickets to Big Splash. They were unable to offer tickets on Saturdays this year.

Q. Why are tickets priced at $19.99 during the week and $36.99 on Fridays and Sundays this year?

A. Please understand that Big Splash is a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. This pricing structure reflects the number of tickets and the available dates. For comparison, a birthday party package at Great Wolf Lodge costs $40 a person. When you support Big Splash, you are getting a great deal AND you are also helping to change the lives of children right in our own area.

Q. Can I call Great Wolf Lodge to get more tickets?

A. No. Great Wolf Lodge has already donated all the tickets they can to BBBSGC. They are not selling any additional tickets from their location.

Q. May I go in order to supervise my child without purchasing a ticket?

A. Great Wolf Lodge's policy is that everyone must have a ticket to enter the water park.

Q. Are there any restrictions for children?

A. Great Wolf Lodge recommends that children under 48" wear a life vest, available at the water park. To maintain the safety of all guests, there are height restrictions on certain rides

Q. May I bring food?                                                                         

A. Absolutely not. Great Wolf Lodge has a variety of foods available for purchase. No outside food is allowed. If you bring any food from outside, you will be asked to leave. Visit Great Wolf Lodge  for a sneak peek of their fun facilities and refreshment options.

Q. Do I need to purchase a ticket for my two-year-old?

A. Children two and under do not need a ticket.

PLEASE NOTE: Children wearing diapers may use the pool if wearing a swim diaper. If you do not have a swim diaper, they are available for purchase at the resort's gift shop.

Q. Can I get help printing my tickets?

A. For technical issues, please call Eventbrite customer service at 1-877-297-6805. Great Wolf Lodge and Big Brothers Big Sisters cannot print tickets.

Q. Why do I see two dates on my ticket?

A. One date represents the date of purchase; the other is the attendance date.

Q. I forgot to print my tickets—can you help when I get there?

A. You MUST bring A TICKET(S) for ENTRY. BBBSGC and Great Wolf Lodge cannot print tickets during the event.

Need more help? Please e-mail BigSplash@bbbsclt.org with questions. We cannot accommodate phone calls to our office.

Thanks for supporting Big Splash!

This special event provides an opportunity to do something enjoyable while supporting a great cause.

Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Visit Great Wolf Lodge to learn more about their fabulous facilities and packages.

How Does Your Online Strategy Measure Up?

If you ask a small business owner about their digital marketing strategy, they're likely to identify with one of these three camps.

1) DIGITAL WANDERER - This is the group for those that dabble in online marketing and they represent about 30% of all business owners. They usually have a website and maybe a few social media channels, but none of them are linked to each other, employ consistent branding or messaging, and they probably haven't been updated in the last 90 days. These folks KNOW that we live in a digital age, but readily admit that they have no cohesive strategy or understanding of where to focus their time, or why.

2) DIGITAL COMPETITOR - This is where the vast majority of small and medium sized business owners find themselves (estimated 60%). They know just enough about online marketing to be convinced that they don't know enough so they often put their trust into an employee or relative (my cousin's out-of-work nephew built my website). Many times they are not even aware of their digital gaps (ie: their website is not mobile responsive, or they can't be found on Google), but wary of spending time or energy or money on fixing them as they feel that they are already handling their online marketing "well enough."

3) DIGITAL DOMINATOR - Only the top 10% of all SMBs will fall into this category. They have a strong online presence and reputation and a plan for keeping their edge over their competition. They are utilizing all the tools that make sense for their customer base and their industry and testing new channels against their "tried and true" inbound marketing on a regular basis.

Until recently, I used to focus my attention on the first two groups exclusively. . . but recently discovered that a large portion of group three needed my services as well. The reason was because they were not digitally educated enough to be able to assess how well (or poorly) their digital provider was handling their needs. In most cases, a free digital review would provide them with an objective report card on what online areas they were excelling at and where they were falling short. Additionally, if they were willing to share pricing information with me, I could identify if they were being billed fairly, or taken to the cleaners.

The good news is that it doesn't matter where you fall on the spectrum of business owners using digital tools to grow their business - every company has something to gain from an initial free consultation from a representative of TorchBearer Online. And the best part is that we come to you! Click here to schedule your session today.

*** Calling all SPEAKERS and WRITERS ***

Have you always dreamed of being a KEYNOTE SPEAKER? Or do you know that you've got a great story to tell and you want to learn how to get PAID TO PUBLISH it?

Check out these incredible Charlotte workshops for aspiring speakers and authors that are sponsored by my new company: TorchBearer !

Friday, 12/13/13 WORKSHOP:
https://charlottepaidtospeak.eventbrite.com/

Saturday, SAT 12/14/13 WORKSHOPS:

You can choose the AM session / the PM session / or both since the content is different in each
http://paidtospeakpublish.eventbrite.com/

*All of my friends and family can save major dollars off the price of registration - just reach out to me via email to ask how you can save money too!  Adrienne.Craighead@gmail.com  !

To learn more about TorchBearer - Follow me on Facebook and Google+ using these links:

http://bit.ly/TorchBearer-Consulting

http://bit.ly/TorchBearer-GooglePlus

How Can You Repay Me? That's Easy. . . Just PAY IT FORWARD

Recently, a LinkedIn connection that I admire asked me if I would do the honor of introducing her daughter to a business associate of mine that worked for the firm she was hoping to join.

Naturally, I was only too happy to facilitate an introduction of the daughter to my connection. . . but after talking to her on the phone and learning a little bit more about where she envisioned herself at the firm . . . it became apparent that the real objective for her should be to meet my friend's BOSS who might (or might not) be willing to set aside the time.

You see, the company in question was in the middle of their busiest season and there were not any "openings" in the manager's department posted. Nonetheless, it's always a worthwhile call to request an "informational interview" when there are no immediate jobs available and so I dialed up the manager and made the request.

Thankfully, I did have some context for the call (I'd been a prior client of this company in a past job) so I knew the person tangentially. I made a call and sent an email and as I'm awaiting their reply I get this lovely email today. . . 

On Nov 7, 2013 7:04 PM,  Jane Doe wrote:

Adrienne,

I'm sorry I missed your call earlier!

Wow! When you say you're going to do something, you REALLY mean it. Thank you SO much!

I want to tell you that I have already taken your words (how do you repay me? Just Pay It Forward!) to heart and have started passing it on in small ways immediately. A student came to me with a few questions today. Normally I'm happy to help answer questions when they come for career advice but today I thought "What would Adrienne do?" and went the extra mile for him. He left my office in a bit of a daze but with e-mails already sent on his behalf and some informational interviews set up in the law school and public policy school so that he can start making some grad school decisions. So you're already making a difference.

I look forward to hearing from you AND to meeting you in the near future.

Best wishes to you,
Jane

******************************* 

That just made my day! 

So the next time someone asks you what they can do to return the favor. . . just suggest they PAY IT FORWARD and watch the ripple effect in action :-). 

Enough with the Excuses . . .

One of the things I'm really (really) good at doing is justifying my actions.

This handy little crutch allows me to dodge any guilt associated with how I've been spending my time (ie: exploring this rabbit hole known as the world-wide-web under the banner of "getting ideas", reading magazine articles I'm not really interested in just so I can feel satisfied that I've really read the whole mag before I recycle it, cleaning tiny bits of lint out of the back of my hairdryer's intake filter so it doesn't overheat, break down, or make leave a smoke smell in the air when I'm using it.)
\
Well, I've been just as prolific thinking of reasons NOT to do more blogging and frankly, it'd be waaaay more productive to just type them here and call it a blog post.

But that's a post for another day because another one of the things I'm pretty darned good at is sharing awesome content I've picked up and here is my new favorite:  http://www.thecreativeham.com/blog/


Click the link above for a short, witty, and dead-on step-by-step description of how to build your "book" if you want a job in advertising. Your book is basically your portfolio of your work and it's like a resume / but for graphic design folks and writers and all sorts of others in the visual arts space.

Which makes me wonder what they call the portfolio of folks who write great radio ads? An MP3 perhaps? Or a "highlight reel" if you want to share your best TV ads (or acting clips if you are a performer?)

And alas . . . this reminds me why my coworker and dear friend Debbie Benton once dubbed me as the irritatingly curious "Wonder Woman" of the office . .  . I wonder if she'll ever read this?