Burnout - Introverts need time to recover.

This weekend I experienced burnout. Too much activity. No down time.

I felt as if I was hanging on to each day trying to convince myself to keep producing one more item. The tanks were so low that I just wanted to crawl into a cave and pretend that I didn't exist.  A friend reached out and invited me to spend the day just being present. No agenda. 

As an introvert, I restore my energy tank in times of silence and nothingness.  Allowing my thoughts to process what all I am experiencing and to make some connections with the new information. This friend allowed me the time and space to be one with nature. 

This conference is really requiring me to stretch myself beyond my personal limits. 

In regards to conference, there is something EVERY day that pulls my attention. Finding the time to be alone and not be obsessing about what needs to be done, seems impossible. If I keep going and pushing myself to deliver the conference on my efforts, I will likely be done with Toastmasters.  

Having given so much of my own effort and finding that others aren't stepping out to offer assistance is frustrating. I understand that we are all busy. I too would likely not want to take on another task. I wonder... what could I have done or said that would have driven a different response from those that I asked ?

This struggle is familiar - consider the drive recruit new members.  How do we ask folks to join us in our meetings? How to convey the fun of Toastmasters when the meeting attendance is low enough that folks do multiple roles during the meeting?  How to be okay with someone saying NO.  

I am  okay with the answers that others give to me. I struggle to keep asking. I can see that I have an expectation that the energy I put forward would soon be matched in affirming responses as well as no responses.  It just doesn't seem to be working this way. 

I remember trying to market my business years ago.  I put out a lot of money to pay for various levels of marketing.  Each sales associate that got a meeting with me sold me on the value of their method of driving awareness to my business. With time I was able to see the ad's that were working. The best ad's did not best represent the needs of my business.  I struggled then as I do today, trying to understand what will reach my ideal audience. Determining what you, the reader would be willing to do in order to support my project and the district conference?  

I just don't know what I can do to get the turn about that I am hoping for.  There has to be a way - THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY!

I have big ideals when it comes to making the conference happen.  Ideas are flowing every day. Some ideas are simply to big. These ideas will be tabled for future conferences. In the beginning I had hoped to create a conference so spectacular that members would look forward to attending again in future years. However, I don't have an adequate plan that would drive the numbers. My efforts in networking and goal planning are not sufficient.

Here we are at 15 weeks out.

First of all, I must admit that I have not on boarded any new volunteers.  

I had hoped that the blog would be something that my fellow Toastmasters would  read.  I had hoped that my efforts of conveying the process of 'carving my path' to make the conference happen, would unite others to join in assisting the process. However, if no one reads the blog then how could this be an effective tool? It would appear that I must increase the effort for marketing to include the blog and conference.

Second, the sponsorship package is ready for review.  The next steps will be to get some feedback from folks in my circle and then to find a way for the document to be posted on the website.

Third, Education presenters are slowly getting recruited. Hopefully this effort will get some momentum and allow the marketing of the conference to propel the awareness and desire to join us.

Emotionally I am low. My energy needs to be restored. 
This week I will put my energy to work on creating the agenda for each of the events that will take place during the conference.  This information will be useful for me to better promote the conference by knowing what volunteers and effort will be useful throughout the weekend.

Pray for the conference, may things turn around and expand the momentum.
This is it for this week.

Division C TLI - Great Job Division C director and area directors!

First thing First: Division C Toastmasters Leadership Institute 

Great job Lucas, Anitha, Jaymes, Barbara, Karl, Cindy and Kim!  
The way that you pulled the event together was very well executed. Very good job reaching out plenty in advance.  The result felt like a comfortable, stress-free training event. The team was comfortable knowing that they had communicated well. Thank you for the variety of members from within various clubs that led officer training and sharing their experience as leaders.

Thank you to my Money Talks friends.  Each of you that offered potato toppings made the day so much easier. Those of you that were able to help out during the day -- YOU ARE THE CREAM TO MY COFFEE!

Conference Talk:

I experienced two large task projects colliding havoc on my schedule.

Whew - this year I am learning a BIG lesson about over-commitment.

This week I had the idea to generate marketing materials so that I could make the documents available on the conference website. 

The logic that came to mind - was that each and every member of District 32 can now be a member of the conference team, as they can now download the information and then present to local business owners and encourage the owner to support the Toastmasters conference.

As the idea continued to simmer, I soon came to see that I would need to produce a PowerPoint that will convey the 'What Is In It For Me (WIIFM).

I love that I came to see that I am able to access the largest number of TM members by utilizing this blog.  I am hopeful that many folks will join in with some conversations.  Giving feedback, words of encouragement and digital support.

I pieced together a simple marketing piece, nothing exciting, nothing fancy.  Last night, after having washed and wrapped 50 lbs of baking potatoes, I quickly put the document together. Initially the squares had color - then I remembered that printing in color cost is 39 cents per page. I sent the document to the printers and drove over to pick the stack up.

I shared a little from my heart with the process and plan of creating our District 32 conference. I look forward to seeing each of you at the 2020 conference.  

I missed the newsletter deadline for submitting something about conference for Tuesdays release.
I ask myself if I intentionally missed the date?

I don't believe that it was intentional.  I have a tendency to put things like this off, as I really don't feel inspired about what to write.  

So, I wait for inspiration. The inspiration just didn't come amid my marketing focused processing.

I find it odd, because I love writing - letters and words of appreciation.

This is a week that helps me to realize that I wont always be able to do ALL the ideas and action items that come to mind.

Life is amazing. The gifts: ideas and creativity are abundant.  I LOVE knowing that I will enjoy the Conference most, because I have worked diligently to take steps to reach the daily goals.

Thank you for visiting the blog. The visitor rate will ideally go up as a result of my TLI visits.  I certainly am looking forward to seeing what we will end up doing together.  Reach out.  Let me know that you are reading along.

If you would like to volunteer, please let me know. Below is a list of things that need to be completed this week. The goal is to have these things done by Friday, which is the next TLI 

ACTION ITEMS NEEDING TO BE COMPLETED:

• TICKET PRICES - KNOW THE ASKING PRICE
• SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES AND PRICES - KNOW THESE
• CHECK THE STATUS OF REGISTRATION
• EVENTBRITE - CHECK IT OUT
• REGISTRATION EMAIL - CHECK AND FORWARD DAILY
• DETERMINE THE PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK.
• TALK WITH JOHN HANSMAN - OLYTECHGUYS - ABOUT COVERING CONFERENCE AUDIO FOR Division C CONTEST.
• DRAFT SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT LETTER
• COMPLETE SPONSORSHIP POWER-POINT
• CAPTURE INFORMATION  
• GENERATE THANK YOU LETTER #1
• GENERATE THANK YOU LETTER #2 - PAYMENT RECEIVED
• ADD NEW DOCUMENTS TO THE WEBSITE SO THAT MEMBERS CAN DOWNLOAD THEM.
• UPDATE BLOG WITH  HYPERLINKS TO CONTENT RESOURCES
• REACH OUT TO UPCOMING AREA/DIVISION DIRECTOR TEAMS THAT ARE PLANNING AND COORDINATING THE TLI'S - ASK FOR OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE CONFERENCE.
• CAPTURE BRANDING MATERIALS SUCH AS LOGO FOR PROGRAM.
• SET UP PROCESS FOR REQUESTING BRANDING MATERIALS.

Marketing Audience Question?

I am working on a marketing package packet. Check back soon for the link to the marketing package details.

Why are we marketing?
Marketing is something that we face in every club. Every year we are trying to recruit new members. In reality we market everything. Market the value of you the Toastmaster to your employer. They market your value to the teams. Ultimately, we seek to get the best out of each other. 

Have you mentioned Toastmasters to another person this week?  

Marketing is to be utilized to promote to business sponsors the story that communicates the value that we / Toastmasters bring to a potential business.  

If I had endless amounts of time and energy - and removal of the sense of dread I feel in having to go market face to face.  

I sit here and face my obstacles by taking action. This is truly the "Carving your Path" kinda moment. I tell myself that I just need to take things one step at a time.  
Today - that is coming to determine a fair market asking price for the business to 'get to' market to each of us.  

So here is my determination of how I am going to present you as an audience:
* Adults interested in personal growth.
* Finding connections and telling stories.
* Folks that invest into their ability to create results.
* Dedicated team and lifetime members.
* Several are first time attendees
GOOD LIFE PEOPLE!

What do you think of my description?  

My goal in this task:
I want the brander to see that we are in a happy place and therefore we are more open to purchases and imprinting.  I convey that we are people that enjoy quality in our lives.  If they feel that they offer items or products that speak to the audience then they are welcome to join us with a sponsor package that is just right for both of us.

Give me your feedback.

Did I manage to sway you to consider putting an effort to recruit a business that would consider supporting you, and your fellow Toastmasters buddies?

Would you being to print out the Letter of Request and leave it with the business? 

Are you willing to do follow ups on this letter?

This is similar to the ask when you reach out someone to come check out Toastmasters.  How often do you touch back with the person? Have you considered other ways to invite others?  

Perhaps we should ask ourselves similar questions - similar to the Moments of Truth questions?
How can we make the club/district better?
How can we have more fun?

When each of us serves a role in the club and brings our best and most engaged selves, we bring the gift of our diversity. We present ideas and energy toward the new perspective.  This is the greatest gift you can give to a friend. It is with this dedication that we all get to become better.

How many weeks until conference?

17 weeks remaining .... 

A lot of things are in the works.

PP has made great progress with the catering company.

Registration is just about ready.

SP has done a tremendous job creating the Eventbrite Conference Event.  I am nervous about going live.  Oh MY.  Here we go....

can you feel my anxiety?  I feel like my heart is a thundering meditative drum.  Placing the go switch starts the count down clock.  Wow - 17 weeks out.  Oh .... how I hope that each of you will attend.  

Please attend.  My heart would be so grateful.

The process of determining what to provide is challenging when you are new to event planning. When I am in the high charged energy and fear-filled moments, I feel like making decisions closes down to a trickle.  So many things to focus upon and yet time is minimal. Not only am I working to make a decision, I'm also trying to find YOU - the team member that is hoping to join the team .... YOU - the one with zip and enthusiasm for promoting Toastmasters.

Drafted a ad marketing cost analysis.

Composed an ask from a division director, asking to help promote the conference.  I sent off my request to SK.

Researched finding Sponsors, these are the folks that help make the conference affordable.  Sponsors get to invest in the conference and gain a prospective new customer.  I need to draft a sponsor letter to help with the sales.  This will also allow the team to come along and utilize the information as promotional materials to canvas the states.

I am currently trying to work up the courage to approach some perspective vendors.  I haven't determined the vendor table projected cost, but assumed that I could give them a quality package. Perhaps one of you is experienced in this area?  I could really use assistance with this area.

Created a mock up website for a Fundraiser for Prison Clubs.  I can see the potential for marketing the men and their businesses, art work and craftsmanship. I need to determine if I am going to learn how to make a fundraiser page or find someone that already has the skill?

if you are interested in creating the fundraiser site, let me know at tm.Debbie.Baker@gmail.com

Sent out some requests for content that will be utilized to promote the prison clubs along with the Conference planning.  These folks are working as sponsors for Toastmasters living within our district.
I request your entry of a personal story, if anyone out there in out community that has first hand experience with Toastmasters behind bars,

Educated myself on how to draft a Sponsor letter? Outcome Goal: I would present our ask.
This is what works best for driving the conference costs.  I am trying to figure out how much to charge? The target audience are those of you that can promote the business' in the program. This event helps our community to bond and find wisdom of diverse paths.  Some of us will meet folks that will become friends of a life time. Everyone will get an opportunity to interact with our weekend long Scavenger Hunt.

The challenge for this area, is to determine the benefits for the branding. Taking in the perspective of the value for our specific target audience. I am not aware of statistics regarding the continual years and growth in Toastmasters... I imagine that those 'long term' members among our community would talk highly of the network.  We are an audience that enjoys "Making a Difference".  Mentors are everywhere in this crowd.  Every Toastmaster that has actively participated in regular meetings, has the skill of effective evaluations.  The evaluations lead to feedback that changes lives.  People in our rooms enjoy giving and listening to speeches.  This is content; now someone, ideally NOT ME, would take this information and draft a promotional toward business owners that seek similar values in their employees or serve clients such as ourselves.

Changed my approach to acquire team members.
If you have a skill that could fill any of the conference needs, I would love to have a conversation with you.  The more team members that assist with the conference, the more folks that will share information  and enthusiasm for the conference weekend into their communities.  Each of you team members not only help in the hands on actions you bless us twice by talking up the participation.  Thank you for your assistance.  Thank you to those of you that support D32Toastmasters conference.

If you see that I am not addressing an area that would benefit the conference, please offer to assist the conference in tending to that task.

This week I learned a few things about myself:

• I Fear Success.
• I believed that I must struggle in order to produce quality outcomes.
• I must do all the work in secret.  *
• Finding team members must be difficult, no one wants to volunteer.
• I have a high fear of approaching strangers. 
• I am extremely busy in our TM community.
• I love the fact that I get to utilize a TM project as my learning for TM Pathway. 
• I need to make time for the things I love. 

* Putting on a conference (Actually TWO) is certainly not a task that can wait for evenings and low energy moments within my daily life.

Positive notes to add into your self talk:
I commit to work as though my work makes a different in this world.  
I put my time into projects that bring value into our communities. 
I make excellent choices.

Please promote this conference to your fellow Toastmasters.  I look forward to seeing each of you at the conference.