Imagine you’re on a football team with a quest to head to and win the Super Bowl and put your small town on the map once and for all. You’re a new team, a motley crew of talent but not much professional experience. Well how does one get professional experience? No other way than by doing. This new team is your break, because you’re not playing with the Ravens, the Seahawks, the Giants or the Panthers just starting out. But each of them were at one time new teams who had to work themselves up to Super Bowl status. They started off with no more greater talent than the team that you are now on.
The first thing that this time must begin doing at once is winning. This may mean by starting out beating up on some unheard of lackluster teams who simply don’t take the game and business of football seriously, they just want to have fun. But with them, you can begin learning how to win by just executing some simple and easy tasks like carrying your team’s ball from one end to the other, because the opposing team is not going to get in your way too much. As you begin learning how to win, you can refine that skill with trainings and drills but you build up your confidence with each win. As you grow in your experience you can begin taking on slightly more competitive teams and pick up the skills of strategy by winning and losing some games and studying your approach. You started out with potential, then you picked up experience, then you pick up strategy.
The next and final step is to attain GREATNESS. You do this, by setting you standard above the standard. The other team may be fine with partying late before a game, but OUR team is in bed by 9PM. We eat breakfast better than the other team. We trained the day before harder than the other team. So when we show up on the field, we’ve already beat them weeks before GAME DAY. GAME DAY is only the day we cash the check we’ve already written ourselves and our confidence ensures that we’re good for it.
Now imagine the Super Bowl has come, we show up on the field and we’re looking around for our quarterback. Where is he? You and all who are there have worked hard for this day, sweating gallons, bruising knees, breathing your lungs out, crying from muscle soreness, giving up leisure time with the family and friends. Your wide receivers shows up late and without his gear. How about your coach has not run the plays days before and has no strategy for you?
How we do one thing is how we do everything. The simple steps to winning, showing up, showing up on time and showing up prepared should have been ironed out in those beginning stages while you were still yet some motley crew team, or there would have never been any chance or talk of ever going to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl? Smirk...snicker….giggle...full on guffaw belly laugh. But if starting out with their affairs in order, committed, orderly, diligent and disciplined and infused with purpose as best as they can be in the beginning, it might not be wise to laugh at them or sleep on them. They're coming to eat your lunch.
With respect to our team, if we’re not in this to not only make history but to change the course of history for our community, our city and our people nationwide, to finally DO what many have been talking about for generations but never created a plan and much less executed, then what are we doing this for?
I do my best to make this fun for all of us. But, if fun is what you’re in for, there are much better ways to go about having fun. Those teams who are okay with losing are about having fun. Money? There’s lots of it to gain through this, but if we lack the discipline even the guy with the hot dog cart business has when he gets up at 7AM every weekday morning to get ready to catch that lunch hour rush, we’ll never see one iota of a dollar sign with our name on it. If we are in business for the Black LGBT entrepreneur, then let’s in ourselves be the model of excellence for that and not the stereotype; lazy, late, unprepared, unprofessional, and out of stock on everything except for excuses and much attitude. Why many Black businesses fail for a variety of reasons, the business owner him/herself I am sure is the root cause in many situations. Let not us become our own worst liability while we are due for many others to encounter and overcome...and we shall overcome.
Going forward, Champs:
Our meeting schedule has been reset to bi-weekly beginning with this Saturday, March 12th at the College Park library branch at 2PM. If changes are made you will be notified. Our business plan project has now been given to the direction or Harold in conduction our workshops and will be mastered authored by Steven. By then please add your input to Steven’s template and reach out to any of us if you are having trouble locating the document. GO TBP!!!
Because some of us are SURVIVORS! We are at team of warriors.
"Failing to plan is planning to fail." -Benjamin Franklin
THE SITUATION ANALYSIS OF METRO ATLANTA's BLACK LGBT COMMUNITY
1. Est. Pop.: 550,000
2. Est. Buying Power: $10 Billion. (Which would average roughly $18,000 annually per person)
3. Area Concentration: Zip Code 30314
4. Median household annual income of Atlanta's African Americans: $41,800 (Black LGBT Households might be lower perhaps half that.)
FROM SURVEY (Currently 23 respondents):
5. 74% are transplants living in Atlanta less than 3 years. (Diverse Values)
(Concern for community loyalty.)
6. 94% see a need in our program.
7. On question about support of Black LGBT businesses replacing consumer needs for same quality: 100% supportive
8. On distance willing to travel: Up to 25 miles 50%. Up to 10 miles 39%
9. 89% believe in entrepreneurship
10. 66% would be interested in starting a business.
11. 83% would support businesses that we promote. 11% more would wait for positive word-of-mouth.
12. 39% are currently saving money.
13. 61% are currently investing (Includes passive investments such as 401k)
14. 89% would be interesting in investing at a level which fits their budget in The Baldwin Project Capital Pool.
15. 83% would promote The Baldwin Project through their social networks.
16. Only 44% believe we act as an integrated community. (We need to work on fostering community loyalty and unity.)
PART #2: Goals, Intents and Strategic Responses
GOALS:
To institute group economics among Atlanta's Black LGBT population to achieve community self-sufficiency.
HOW? #1:
By building community support behind by Black LGBT business existing and providing capital, community, educational and marketing support behind new Black LGBT businesses.
HOW? #2:
Marketing: The Baldwin Project Magazine providing attractive, inspiring, intriguing and educational content to this target market and interspersing it with marketing from Black LGBT businesses and a directory for Black LGBT businesses organized in an index.
Investing: We provide an economic incentive for our community to support Black LGBT businesses by allowing them a share of the profits of the businesses they have contributed to the pool to capitalize.
Networking: Our Networking Mixers provide an opportunity for Black LGBT entrepreneurs to seek out mutually beneficial relationships with each other and to personally engage new clients while building a community movement for group economics by enrolling new contributors into the TBP Capital Pool and our classes.
Education: We provide top notch and specific business trainings and coaching to Black LGBT Entrepreneurs wishing to do business with their own market in how to establish, manage, profit and then give back. By completing the TBP program full cycle, one would have established a new enterprise with a track record of success and profit attractive as a viable investment to individual capitalists who could help them grow and expand to the next level.
HOW? #3:
With Market Size estimated to be 550,000 it should be our goal to capture 1% of that within 10 years which is the percentage of critical mass (5,500). Capturing for our purposes would mean those contributing to our pool. To reach this number, we must capture 550 a year.
HOW? #4:
The 1st step in finding contributors is to get them to attend one of our mixers wherein our business presentations are given to the public and opportunities for enrollments on the spot for prizes. All contributors will get complimentary subscription to our magazines to build our readership base attractive to those willing to market in our magazine by buying ad space.
To capture 550 contributors a year with holding monthly networking mixers, we would need 46 new contributors every month. If we hope to ensure this number in one sitting during our business mixers, we are going to need to entertain close to 500 people to count on 10% of our guests enrolling. The costs of marketing to gain the committed attendance of 500 people and entertaining them with a space, and at least hors d'oeuvres and appetizers if not free drinks can run close to $6000 a month which will be daunting in the beginning and might exceed the capacity of the magazine and our course (our initial funding sources) to cover just starting out. But, we can feasibly entertain the 46 or 50 we need and simply progressively ramp up our transfer rate through our consistency, professionalism, increasing community support through the networking of our DPR (Man Perryman), and enjoyability of the events to attract repeat attendees (Food, Music, Games, the chance to win money through the lottery draw, attractive guests with attractive personalities, a great motivational speech until the next time and perhaps celebrity appearances a little further down the line.)
Given six months to organize from March, we can feasibly launch our first mixer Friday, September 16, 2016 from 7PM-11PM with presentations and the lottery draw occurring from 9PM-10PM with a closing party celebration following leading to the nightclub of whatever club sponsor is willing to assist us with marketing and funds. Our mixers should occur on whatever Friday follows the 15th of the month to coincide with most people pay days which are not hit with the majority of bills.
These are feasible goals of ramping up our transfer rate:
September 2016: 10% (4-5) contributors
October 2016: 20% (10) contributors
November 2016: 40% (19) contributors
December 2016: 80% (38) contributors
January 2017: 100% (46-50) contributors
Once locking in that base, we can then begin to focus on ramping up our attendees to 500 in this fashion:
January 2017: 10%= 55
February 2017: 20%= 110
March 2017: 30%=165
April 2017: 40%=220
May 2017: 50%=275
June 2017: 60%=330
July 2017: 70%=385
August 2017: 80%=440
September 2017: 90%=495
October 2017: 100%=550
Next, after consistently garnering over 500 attendees every month, we should then focus on ramping up our transfer rate with this group by 1% over the next 100 months which will take 8 years. At that time, if you are still with us, it might be a good time to retire to simply the Founder's Committee.
After capturing 1% of the market within 10 years, the next board can focus on ramping that number up by 1% each year to 100% over the following 100 years or as much is possible. However by then all of us are likely to be dead, so our goal should then be to simply set in motion a viable platform for them build upon and you will have sealed your legacy.
The moral of this story is that we must commit to simply STARTING, DOING OUR BEST, and then CAPITALIZING upon our successes. This is called leveraging and it will become easier the further we go along.
HOW? 5:
How do we start the mixers just focusing on getting 46 attendees?
The estimated cost of this is $525 on a very low budget but respectability can be achieved. If we are getting no outside assistance from businesses or organizations starting out for exchange with allowing them time to promote during our presentation segment or leading our mixer into their club, and our magazine is our only funding source, this is how we can raise the necessary capital with any ONE of these goals. Let's attempt to hit them all.
For Whole Page interspersed throughout our magazine= $500
For Half Pages interspersed throughout=$250
For Quarter Pages interspersed throughout=$100
For Business Cards filling up pages interspersed throughout=$50
For monthly listings in our indexed business directory at the end of the magazine (yellow pages style) $10 a month, or $75 a year upfront.
All those purchasing any of the ad space packages get 1 year complimentary subscription.
For those non-contributors wanting a subscription: $10 a year
To raise $500 from our magazine, any ONE of these will work:
1 or 2 whole pages
2 or 4 half pages
5-10 Quarter Page ads
10-20 Business Cards
50-100 business directory listings
50 Non-Contributor subscription
After enrolling students into our classes, when can raise $500 with just 4-8 students. At that rate, our classes can begin by January 2017 with 10-40 students. Class Cost is $250 ($125 goes to TBP operations, $125 per student is to pay our contracted teachers or Harold himself if he is actually teaching.)
If running a $10 lottery and everyone participates in the beginning ($5 goes to TBP operations, $5 goes to winner.) we can raise $500 with 100 lottery entries which is possible if we allow multiple entries with $10 each entry increasing chances of winning. If this ever happens, our next mixer is paid for.
HOW? #6:
How do we simply get started
Step 1. Set up the The Baldwin Project to conduct organization business. Meaning:
A. Incorporation $100
B. Bank Account
C. Full Board
D. Any Necessary Licenses
E. Office Space ?
F. Administration Material ?
G. Marketing Material ?
H. Initial capital necessary to start our first funding source, The Magazine. ?
I. 1st Year Volunteer Stipend by December 2016 $8100
GRAND TOTAL (? We have some blanks to fill in.)
Step 2. Launch the magazine at least 30 days before the first mixer.
HOW? #7:
How do raise the necessary capital to just get started if we may need to wait some time on any grants or loans?
1. We need to establish our starting budget.
2. Next, we need to collect board member investments. We are all owners in this enterprise and the design is for you to get more than you give. However, there is no getting without giving. While your volunteer work and time is important, we're going to need seed money as well. This is how we can fairly and reasonably do this, and I am to be the first practitioner of this suggestion:
1st Year Stipend:
ED- $1300, should donate $130 by December 2016 + .01% of personal income monthly income and .1% quarterly. (For ex: $50K income would be $5 month, $50 quarterly) Come on tax refund!
DD- $1200, should donate $120 by December 2016 and the same small portion of personal income.
EA- $1100, should donate $110 by December 2016 and same small portion of income.
Tres- $1000+ 1% of TBP income, should donate $100 by December 2016 and same small portion of income.
LC- $900, should donate $90 by December 2016 and small part of income.
CMO- $800 should donate $80 by December 2016 and small part of income.
DPR- $700 should donate $70 by December 2016 +small part of income.
Edu- $600 should donate $60 by December 2016 +small part of income.
Pub- $500 should donate $50 by December 2016 + small part of income.
If we do this plan, we raise at least $810 in initial capital which can be used as leverage in generating other forms of seed capital, such as:
*Online Crowd Funding with Thank you Gifts Attached:
$10-Magazine Subscription is the gift
$20-Magazine and 1 Book of their choosing (We can get used books from Amazon for just a few dollars of Wealth Classics such as "Think and Grow Rich a Black Choice" "The Wealth Choice" "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" "Cash Flow Quadrant" Kiyosaki's: "The Business School" "Increase your Financial IQ" "Own your own Corporation"
$30 Magazine and 2 Books
$40 Magazine and 3 Books or T-Shirt
$50 Magazine and 4 Books and Tshirt
$60 Magazine and 5 Books and T-Shirt
$70 Magazine and 6 Books and T-Shirt
$80 Magazine and 7 Books and T-Shirt
$90 Gold Nugget Package (1939 Think and Grow Rich, 1911 The Science of Getting Rich, Business Plan Workbook, Business Starter Dummy Guide and 25% off Course Voucher, T-Shirt in a shoe box wrapped in gold gift wrapping)
$100 Become a Panelist at Documentary Screening (Suggesting "7AM" covering group economics for Blacks)
$10,000 Join the 10 member Legacy Committee, Co-creating a new community with the The Baldwin Project:
*An Award for Business and Community excellence named in honor of you for businesses fulfilling your criteria
*We will groom startup business ventures into viable investments for you to help them expand. We accept the risk in the meantime and you get first investor opportunities once they graduate from our program (paying off loan).
* You get to interview and examine graduates from our course in front of our contributing community to strengthen the voting process (Think Shark Tank)
*For those donating $10K, we can take them out for a fancy dinner with the Founder's Committee to discuss the details of our relationship and these funds should not be collected online but invited to contact our DPR to arrange a dinner. However, building up an investor committee should be a very important part of our services offered to our venture businesses. Part of the "NETWORK"
Other Initial funding methods:
*Monthly Documentary Screenings on the subject of group economics with talk back session: like the film 7AM
1st Month Ticket: $10
2nd Month Ticket: $20 with $5 lottery entry included.
3rd Month Ticket: $30 with $5 lottery entry included.
4th Month Ticket $40 with $5 lottery entry included.
5th Month Ticket $50 with $5 lottery entry included.
*In support of the Arts: Talent Shows for $25 tickets with $5 going to the prize of the winner. 50 attendees raises $1000 which might net $500 after paying the costs of hosting. However, these can be done monthly
*About 6 months out, Cleon forecasted grants could begin coming available.
*At this time loans if we choose to take them can also become available by then.
*I'm sure there are other ideas which would be great. Get creative and pitch them. Once our main funding sources including Mobile Money as we learn more about how that works gets running and pouring in the necessary operations capital, we can decide at that time to drop off some of these initial funding methods or continue them as our needs dictate. So, let's START!
The next step is to begin adding your input to the template Steven is mastering to package all of these ideas into a neat business plan and then nothing else is left to do but immediately begin working our plan.
Making our priorities clear and concrete every step of the way, as the foundation of our corporation is in the midst right now of coming together: Constitution (check), Incorporation (in-process), Business Plan (next workshop), Board (2 remaining open positions), Bank Account (as soon as we incorporate) and Fully Supplied and Furnished Office (being researched), the success of all these things and the proceeding steps are going to come down to 2 things:
SYNERGY
FUNDING
SYNERGY: How we work together is going to be crucial. Our plans are calling for a board of 9 members, as much as baseball team. How we work together can make this a major asset or a major liability. Having 9 brilliant and committed individuals working together on a common cause can tremendously accelerate our progression toward fulfilling our VISION and MISSION as a strong and established corporation in a relatively short time. Having so many decision makers of varying commitments and interest and needy egos can also prove to be a major handicap slowing down progress to a halt or dissolving the organization altogether. I can not allow that to happen and will dismiss anyone I see causing this problem. We all have a goal in mind for the benefit of all of us, and if one is not going to help us realize it, that one is not needed. They may go and we will be better off without them.
Our founding principles are G.O.L.D. Grow, Organize, Lead and Discipline. Under the principle, "Organize" this involves a stable structure in how we are to work with other. If understood and respected for only the purposes it serves, we will work together just fine. If ego creeps in, we will have the dreaded experience many organizations have which is "politics". If you are with us so far, you actually sit on 2 teams of the organization, The Founder's Committee and The Executive Board of Directors. When we are in Founder's Committee mode which will be any involving The Constitution or interviewing new members for our board, we are all peers and equals as owners and business partners of the organization. When we are in Board mode, which is during any of our board meetings, our powers are not equal. We have different jobs and different levels of influence on the Board, just like any sports team. You will do well if you understand your role and play your part and respect the positions of the others with humility, professionalism and dependability. We are all here to help each other to get something we all want. Outside of Board Meetings or Founder's Committee settings, we are then really all equals and I hope that we will begin to build bonds as friends. If we can keep these situations separate and distinct in our minds and in our interactions with one another, we are bound to do amazing work together. To give us a foundation for all of this, we will be creating a non-official "covenant" with one another which should only respected with an honor system with integrity as its basis and security. This will be for our administration only and we can start is as a tradition for any proceeding administrations. We will deliver our covenant orally and have each member handwrite it on a piece of paper for their keepsake and to remember. The covenant will include these parts: 1. Your personal reasons you said "YES" to this mission. 2. What we can expect from you as your best effort. 3. Deciding to bring your "A" game, what do you expect from each of your co-workers?
I found this article to explain our situation best and am copying and pasting it here: V IS FOR VICTORY
As the geese take flight from the Canadian shoreline, they lift off from the water in squawking discourse. Yet, in a matter of seconds, a line begins to emerge from the mass of brown feathers. This line straightens, arches slightly, and then, as on cue, bends sharply to form a perfect V shape. Canada geese fly in V formation for a very pragmatic reason: a flock of geese flying in formation can move faster and maintain flight longer than any one goose flying alone. Synergy is a law of nature.
What is synergy? How does it relate to leadership?
We have a lot to learn from these geese.
By flying in "V " formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. =>People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. =>If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same as we are.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. => It pays to take turns doing hard jobs, with people or with flying geese. These geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. => We need to be careful what we say when we honk from behind.
Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with their group. => If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other, protect one another and sometimes make new friends who seem to be going in our direction.
Synergy is best explained as, 'One plus one equals more than two'. Today's world requires a critical mass of transformational leaders who will commit to creating a synergy of energy within their circle of influence so new level of social, economic, organizational and spiritual success can be reached. Synergy helps you realise the value of others, and secondly, encourages you to find the right people. Synergy is a dynamic form of leverage. Avoid using it, and end up working four times as hard for half the results. Use it and watch the results expand exponentially!
After we get this all down to a science, with the proper FUNDING and there are many avenues which we will be exploring, our success is already spoken for. All we have to do then is just DO THE DAMN THING and walk in it. We are making history!
"Fires can't be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks."
-James A. Baldwin
It is true. That gritty drive and persistence described by many of the most successful people may seem daunting and tiresome to those who struggle to just get out of bed in the morning, much less take over the world...their own world. This is not so once you have discovered your passion. Yes, a journey of hard work likely lies before us, especially if we are interested in accomplishing anything of value and meaning, but the fire in our hearts for the goal we are pressing toward will give us the drive and tenacity we'll need to get there. Either this, or you will be a drag on our forward march. We will work hard, but we will be having a blast while doing it. Why work hard under any other circumstances? Do you think marathon cyclists aren't working hard, such as those who travail the 2200 mile Tour De France? Chile please!!! Those who complain about being drained at their office setting job will get tired just watching them for one day. Truth is, if you're not burning yourself out from sheer passion, you're not tired, you're uninspired. I want you to know that the work that we are engaging in, institutionalizing group economics among Atlanta's Black LGBT citizens as a model for all Black People and minorities groups worldwide, do you get how powerful that is? It is indeed possible. The worst case scenario, you will end up at least a millionaire within 10 years or less. You know most people have no plans of ever attaining a million dollars in their lifetimes. And you have it here, based upon how scientific we are in our approach in systematizing it for duplication in other cities by packaging and franchising our educational program, our magazine and other marketing platforms, our networking apps and tools and our investment apps and tools. Atlanta is one of the best laboratories for us to get this done. You know by seriously engaging in this work, we stand to make history and change the course of the destiny of our people, no less significant than the March on Washington or the Selma March. The million dollar question is, will we have half their passion? Can we march 27 miles in our efforts of the 54 miles they marched under mortal danger for the right to vote and change their destiny, our current situation? Do we not owe them this, at least our best attempts to take it to the next level? I can not answer that for you. It is really then all up to that. We have a plan, we have the intelligence, it is legal, it is sensible, it is possible, our intentions are pure and noble all we need is the gasoline of passion to get this car rolling. Think about that, between now and our next meeting on January 9th, and when it is settled join us then ready to work. Otherwise, let us know now that we should look for another.
Just before our last meeting on 2016, Harold Leffall agreed to come on board with us as our Dean of Education if we should have him. There will be plenty of time between now and when we official sign the legal paperwork on our officers to get to know this man and confirm his fitness for this position. Just to give you a preview, he has taught entrepreneurs the world over and counseled 2 million dollar corporations. Do you then think we are in good hands, not only for forming our unique educational program of using business and entrepreneurship to improve and edify a community, but good guidance for us to get up and running on solid ground?
After then, our Deputy Director and I met for what will be our at least quarterly Director huddles to map out the direction for the 1st quarter of 2016 and more detailed in the 1st month of January.
The BOTTOM LINE goal for us by the end of the 1st quarter of 2016 is to be in a position to goal public within the 2nd quarter of 2016. That means beginning to host Business Presentation and Networking Socials.
To achieve this BOTTOM LINE, these are some of things we will need to get done of the next 90 days:
Completing Constitution and Bylaws
Completing Business Plan for the first 2 years
Fully Recruiting Board of Directors
Incorporating
Contracting all officers of the First Administration of The Baldwin Project Board of Directors
Setting Initial Budget
Securing Funding For Initial Budget
Establishing as a fully functioning business with all necessary parts.
We set our calendar pattern to progressively get this things done. To increase the organization among ourselves, we are adding a Saturday Morning Conference Calls on those Saturday's we are not schedule to meet in person at 10 AM for about 30 minutes to 1 hour for the sole purpose of "Tying our shoelaces" getting updates, touching bases and getting prepared for our meeting the following Saturday where we must "RUN" in making progress and getting work done on our agenda. We will have these briefer meetings facilitated round-robin by members of the board, to give each board member the opportunity to give us a deeper insight into the overall developments within their department of the organization and direct us from that vantage point.
While we will still need to come together in person on the same bi-weekly schedule to for our 2 hour sessions, giving more detailed updates and determining, proposing and voting on next moves, we are going to need to alternate this format with a (work-til-we're-done) workshops wholly focused on one project at a time and nothing else, such as putting together our constitution and bylaws, and then our business plans and other projects we may need to work on together as a group. To give us the time, we may need to start our workshops earlier such as 2PM and work until we're done and I can probably find another location for us to meet where we will be able to bring food and get work done. At our next meeting, we can fine tune these proposals to scheduling needs of our group.
So to name these formats:
Biweekly 30 min-1hr "Catchup" Teleconferences
Bi-weekly Huddles alternating between 2 Formats:
1.) D DAYS: Report and Decision Days (monthly)
2.)Workshops: Group Projects (monthly)
We should also begin scheduling fun social events ONLY for Board Members to build camaraderie and friendship ideally once a month, but at least quarterly.
So to start us off with this pattern this will be our January Calendar of Meetings: Please connect with our Google Calendar for this: Please Bookmark it.
Saturday, January 9th 4PM: D-DAY (Introductions of ourselves and 2016 calendar pattern and goals, rescheduling of meeting originally set for December 16th, 2015)
Saturday, January 16th, 10AM: Catchup Teleconference facilitated by Executive Director, Branden Mattox
Saturday January 23rd, 2PM: Workshop (Constitution and By-Laws)
Saturday, January 30th, 10AM: Catchup Teleconference facilitated by Deputy Director, Cleon T. Day
"Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex, you thought of nothing else if you didn't have it and thought of other things if you did." -James A. Baldwin
Could it possibly be that money's ability to remove the concerns surrounding survival allows our minds to be able to tend to the more spiritual, altruistic and purpose driven matters of life?
Preparing to head into the 1st Quarter of 2016, we must make this period about establishing ourselves on Terra Firma. By the DEADLINE of March 26th, 2016. These are our goals.
Completing Constitution and Bylaws
Completing Business Plan for the first 2 years
Fully Recruiting Board of Directors
Incorporating
Contracting all officers of the First Administration of The Baldwin Project Board of Directors
Setting Initial Budget
Securing Funding For Initial Budget
Establishing as a fully functioning business.
Begin Business Presentation Parties.
As you can see starting off the year, we've got our work cut out for us so might as well get ready to roll up our sleeves. To increase the organization among ourselves, I am going to propose that we add Saturday Morning Conference Calls on those Saturday's we are not schedule to meet in person at 10AM for about 30 minutes to 1 hour for the sole purpose of "Tying our shoelaces" getting updates, touching bases and getting prepared for our meeting the following Saturday where we must "RUN" in making progress and getting work done on our agenda. We can have these briefer meetings facilitated round-robin by members of the board, to give each board member the opportunity to give us a deeper insight into the overall developments within their department of the organization and direct us from that vantage point.
While we will still need to come together in person on the same bi-weekly schedule to for our 2 hour sessions, giving more detailed updates and determining, proposing and voting on next moves, we are going to need to alternate this format with a (work-til-we're-done) workshops wholly focused on one project at a time and nothing else, such as putting together our constitution and bylaws, and then our business plans and other projects we may need to work on together as a group. To give us the time, we may need to start our workshops earlier such as 2PM and work until we're done and I can probably find another location for us to meet where we will be able to bring food and get work done.
So to name these formats:
Biweekly 30 min-1hr "Catchup" Teleconferences
Bi-weekly Huddles alternating between 2 Formats
D DAYS: Report and Decision Days (monthly)
Workshops: Group Projects (monthly)
We should also begin scheduling fun social events ONLY for Board Members to build cameraderie and friendship ideally once a month, but at least quarterly.
We should work on putting together our 2016 1st quarter calendar with these meetings at our next meeting this Saturday, December 19th.
ORGANIZING BOARD
Harold Leffall who will be interviewing for our Dean of Education position is scheduled to be vetted on Saturday, December 19th at 11AM.
We will still continue our process for recruiting for the remaining position on our board using the process listed below.
Please view our system for recruiting, by clicking HERE.
Right now our Board looks like:
Executive Director: Branden Mattox
Deputy Director: Cleon T. Day III
Executive Administrator: Kacey Frierson-Nixon
Treasurer: Steven T. Austin
Steven is to follow up with Lee Perrimon for Director of Public Relations
Soon enough we may need to schedule a workshop session where will phone bank our contacts to set up meetings with prospective nominees for our board.
CONSTITUTION
At our next Board Meeting we will need schedule one of our bi-weekly meetings to be wholly devoted to a workshop on putting together our Constitution. To get prepared for this, please answer the questions below.
So far, Cleon has begin adding his input to the constitution.
Questions for us to begin answering:
What impulse happened to bring us to the resolution to create The Baldwin Project?
After the racist statement hung on the front and back door by Blakes’ management, the Atlanta Black GLBT Community needed to make a stand. “Black Lives Matter” even in the gay community!
Why are we doing this in the first place? What is the need? What is our purpose?
We are doing this to fill a void, to transform a community who has been asking to have a seat at the table for years. It's time for us to make our own table, build our own chairs, then sale them and keep the dollars flowing in our community.
What if we don't do this?
The profound saying comes to mine, “if not us then who and if not now then when”.
What's possible for us when we do pull off a success with The Baldwin Project?
The Black heterosexual community will finally get it and realize it took gays, lesbians, Bi-sexual and Transgender to show them how to create community wealth! What is that worth?
It could possibly put a dent in homophobia in the Black heterosexual community when they see we are more than an orientation.
How will we know when we've succeeded?
We know when The Baldwin Project has succeeded when the Black heterosexual community comes to us to get a piece of the pie or even duplicate our model.
What is our mission? Our mission is to create and set into motion wealth building principles within the Black GLBT community.
What is our vision? What is our Manifest Destiny?
I believe our vision is to support Black GLBT in their vision to become successful business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors through providing finance, education and mentorship. Our Manifest Destiny is truly having our real "Black Mecca".
What is our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project?
Our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project is maintaining our integrity throughout our vision.
How do we need to be organized to execute these strategies?
First of all, we need to keep an open mind, to listen, defy logic and maintaining our faith in "the process". To begin drafting this, I will email this to you through the Google Groups so that you can plug in your answers. Once, we're done, I will organize your answer into a draft we can begin revising together.
PREPARING THE FIELD
SURVEY
Intentions:
To stimulate public awareness to the social constructs which pose a challenge to the development and achievement of The Baldwin Project, and begin considering how to make changes to support what The Baldwin Project promises.
To provide an accurate picture of the field in which the The Baldwin Project will be operating to assist The Founder's Committee and Board with smart planning.
Sample invite script: "Please take part in this survey to help the board of "The Baldwin Project" strategize for the implementation of a group economics, investing and entrepreneurial program among Atlanta's Black LGBT Community. After completing, please share this with at least 3 other members of our community. Our goal is to poll 500, but at least 100. Thank you!"
Marketing Strategy:
1. Use the link above to email to 10 Black LGBT Atlantans in your email list, asking them to share with 3 others.
2. Please directly Facebook IM 10 Black LGBT Atlantans asking them to share with 3 others.
Over the course of 30 days.
3. share the link above in 1-3 discussion groups for with a Black LGBT audience at most daily, at least 3 times a week.
4. Respondent Goal: 550
5. Status toward achieving this goal: was 3% last meeting, now 4% with 20 respondents
Our next steps beyond this is now under debate. Please read the details about this debate determining our next direction HERE and be prepared to vote at the next or following Board Meeting.
BOOK CLUB
Intentions:
To condition our market for the psychology conducive to enterprise, entrepreneurship, creativity, community leadership and hope.
For our new book selection in December, I have been polling this group to set the best meeting time.
"Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor."
-James A. Baldwin
Truer words may never have been spoken when considering, interest rates, insurance, healthcare costs brought on by poor health stemming from economic stress, lacking of time and space to exercise and how food is more expensive and at a lower quality at corner convenience stores in economically distressed parts of town. The school districts are lacking in competence and material which depresses opportunities for higher education which often can only be obtain by the poor through burdensome school loans which damages credit and causes high interest rates. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Because of the desperate condition of the poor, car dealers, renters, bankers, creditors, realtors, pawn shops, title loan sharks, check cashing facilities often take advantage of their situation and make hand over fist in dealing very shrewdly with them. So, if you can afford to be poor, you can certainly afford what it takes to become RICH!
Our Next Meeting will be our first official BOARD MEETING with the Board Members we now have in place assuming their positions.
ORGANIZING BOARD
We will continue our process for seeking and vetting members for our board, but in order to attract decent talent, we will be adding to our compensation package, not only the stipend, but ownership in the corporation at 11% for all members of the first Board of Directors and a seat on the Founders Committee. This adds Gratuity (stipend), Ownership and Legacy.
Harold Leffall is excited to help out with provided us a curriculum and organizing our educational program as our Dean. I will need to send him the information regarding that position and if he wishes to move forward, we will schedule a confirmation interview before inviting him into our Founders Committee.
Please view our system for recruiting, by clicking HERE.
Right now our Board looks like:
Executive Director: Branden Mattox
Deputy Director: Cleon T. Day III
Executive Administrator: Kacey Frierson-Nixon
Treasurer: Steven T. Austin
Steven is to follow up with Lee Perrimon for Director of Public Relations
CONSTITUTION
So far, Cleon has begin adding his input to the constitution.
Questions for us to begin answering:
What impulse happened to bring us to the resolution to create The Baldwin Project?
After the racist statement hung on the front and back door by Blakes’ management, the Atlanta Black GLBT Community needed to make a stand. “Black Lives Matter” even in the gay community!
Why are we doing this in the first place? What is the need? What is our purpose?
We are doing this to fill a void, to transform a community who has been asking to have a seat at the table for years. It's time for us to make our own table, build our own chairs, then sale them and keep the dollars flowing in our community.
What if we don't do this?
The profound saying comes to mine, “if not us then who and if not now then when”.
What's possible for us when we do pull off a success with The Baldwin Project?
The Black heterosexual community will finally get it and realize it took gays, lesbians, Bi-sexual and Transgender to show them how to create community wealth! What is that worth?
It could possibly put a dent in homophobia in the Black heterosexual community when they see we are more than an orientation.
How will we know when we've succeeded?
We know when The Baldwin Project has succeeded when the Black heterosexual community comes to us to get a piece of the pie or even duplicate our model.
What is our mission? Our mission is to create and set into motion wealth building principles within the Black GLBT community.
What is our vision? What is our Manifest Destiny?
I believe our vision is to support Black GLBT in their vision to become successful business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors through providing finance, education and mentorship. Our Manifest Destiny is truly having our real "Black Mecca".
What is our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project?
Our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project is maintaining our integrity throughout our vision. How do we need to be organized to execute these strategies?
First of all, we need to keep an open mind, to listen, defy logic and maintaining our faith in "the process". To begin drafting this, I will email this to you through the Google Groups so that you can plug in your answers. Once, we're done, I will organize your answer into a draft we can begin revising together.
PREPARING THE FIELD
SURVEY
Intentions:
To stimulate public awareness to the social constructs which pose a challenge to the development and achievement of The Baldwin Project, and begin considering how to make changes to support what The Baldwin Project promises.
To provide an accurate picture of the field in which the The Baldwin Project will be operating to assist The Founder's Committee and Board with smart planning.
Sample invite script: "Please take part in this survey to help the board of "The Baldwin Project" strategize for the implementation of a group economics, investing and entrepreneurial program among Atlanta's Black LGBT Community. After completing, please share this with at least 3 other members of our community. Our goal is to poll 500, but at least 100. Thank you!"
Marketing Strategy:
1. Use the link above to email to 10 Black LGBT Atlantans in your email list, asking them to share with 3 others.
2. Please directly Facebook IM 10 Black LGBT Atlantans asking them to share with 3 others. Over the course of 30 days.
3. share the link above in 1-3 discussion groups for with a Black LGBT audience at most daily, at least 3 times a week.
4. Respondent Goal: 550
5. Status toward achieving this goal: was 2% last meeting, now 3% with 18 respondents
FORUM
Intentions:
To publicly stir the conversation surrounding the need for an organization like "The Baldwin Project"
To convict an audience into our first group of supporters and followers to fill any remaining Board Positions or committees not yet filled, to join The Founder's Committee if we have not reached 10 members, and those committed to attending, supporting and promoting our first social.
Primarily, we will be capturing emails from the survey to form the base of our market to invite to this forum.
Our first Business Presentation Party (BBP) is scheduled at Kacey's house in Jonesboro, Saturday, January 30th from 3PM-5PM with a game of Monopoly for those who wish to stay after 5PM for a more social setting. Starting small, each of us would be expected to focus on inviting only ONE friend to this event who may have the slightest interest in what is developing with The Baldwin Project. We can potluck this event. This event is to be given to Kacey's direction (You're the leader on this.)
I have some fundraising ideas to include in this which will be given to Steven's direction.
BOOK CLUB
Intentions:
To condition our market for the psychology conducive to enterprise, entrepreneurship, creativity, community leadership and hope.
For our new book selection in December, I have been polling this group to set the best meeting time.
"When a man asks himself what is meant by action he proves that he isn't a man of action. Action is a lack of balance. In order to act you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking."
-James A. Baldwin
MEETING #6: DOWN AND WE KEEP PUSHING FORWARD- Thanks, Steven and Kacey!
FOUNDER'S COMMITTEE CURRENT AGENDA:
ORGANIZING BOARD
It looks like we will not be meeting our deadline of rounding out our board by November 21st. So per the suggestion of our candidate for Deputy Director we will forge ahead with who we have and reach into our community to recruit able persons to complete our board from the survey and upcoming community forum.
I have met with Antoine Nolan Carter and he is interested in assisting whoever will be serving as our Treasurer with accounting, but can not at this time accept any leadership responsibilities on our board.
Harold Leffall is excited to help out with provided us a curriculum and organizing our educational program as our Dean. I will need to send him the information regarding that position and if he wishes to move forward, we will schedule a confirmation interview before inviting him into our Founders Committee.
Please view our system for recruiting, by clicking HERE.
Steven has nominated: Lee Perrimon for Director of Public Relations, Brian Moon for Dean and Jonathan Andry for Director of Public Communications and Aubry for Publisher. Great job, Steven! We will follow up with Steven on this at our next meeting.
CONSTITUTION
So far, Cleon has begin adding his input to the constitution.
Questions for us to begin answering:
What impulse happened to bring us to the resolution to create The Baldwin Project?
After the racist statement hung on the front and back door by Blakes’ management, the Atlanta Black GLBT Community needed to make a stand. “Black Lives Matter” even in the gay community!
Why are we doing this in the first place? What is the need? What is our purpose?
We are doing this to fill a void, to transform a community who has been asking to have a seat at the table for years. It's time for us to make our own table, build our own chairs, then sale them and keep the dollars flowing in our community.
What if we don't do this?
The profound saying comes to mine, “if not us then who and if not now then when”.
What's possible for us when we do pull off a success with The Baldwin Project?
The Black heterosexual community will finally get it and realize it took gays, lesbians, Bi-sexual and Transgender to show them how to create community wealth! What is that worth?
It could possibly put a dent in homophobia in the Black heterosexual community when they see we are more than an orientation.
How will we know when we've succeeded?
We know when The Baldwin Project has succeeded when the Black heterosexual community comes to us to get a piece of the pie or even duplicate our model.
What is our mission? Our mission is to create and set into motion wealth building principles within the Black GLBT community.
What is our vision? What is our Manifest Destiny?
I believe our vision is to support Black GLBT in their vision to become successful business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors through providing finance, education and mentorship. Our Manifest Destiny is truly having our real "Black Mecca".
What is our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project?
Our overall strategy for achieving the mission of The Baldwin Project is maintaining our integrity throughout our vision.
How do we need to be organized to execute these strategies?
First of all, we need to keep an open mind, to listen, defy logic and maintaining our faith in "the process". To begin drafting this, I will email this to you through the Google Groups so that you can plug in your answers. Once, we're done, I will organize your answer into a draft we can begin revising together.
PREPARING THE FIELD
SURVEY
Intentions:
To stimulate public awareness to the social constructs which pose a challenge to the development and achievement of The Baldwin Project, and begin considering how to make changes to support what The Baldwin Project promises.
To provide an accurate picture of the field in which the The Baldwin Project will be operating to assist The Founder's Committee and Board with smart planning.
Sample invite script: "Please take part in this survey to help the board of "The Baldwin Project" strategize for the implementation of a group economics, investing and entrepreneurial program among Atlanta's Black LGBT Community. After completing, please share this with at least 3 other members of our community. Our goal is to poll 500, but at least 100. Thank you!"
Marketing Strategy:
1. Use the link above to email to 10 Black LGBT Atlantans in your email list, asking them to share with 3 others.
2. Please directly Facebook IM 10 Black LGBT Atlantans asking them to share with 3 others.
Over the course of 30 days.
3. share the link above in 1-3 discussion groups for with a Black LGBT audience at most daily, at least 3 times a week.
4. Respondent Goal: 550
5. Status toward achieving this goal: was 2% last meeting, now 3% with 18 respondents
FORUM
Intentions:
To publicly stir the conversation surrounding the need for an organization like "The Baldwin Project"
To convict an audience into our first group of supporters and followers to fill any remaining Board Positions or committees not yet filled, to join The Founder's Committee if we have not reached 10 members, and those committed to attending, supporting and promoting our first social.
Primarily, we will be capturing emails from the survey to form the base of our market to invite to this forum.
Deadline for putting on the forum will be (This may need to be adjusted toward the beginning of the year after completing the survey.
We may need to being with an intimate setting of 10 at a home with committed individuals discussing the questions and responses to the survey and setting up next steps from there.
BOOK CLUB
Intentions:
To condition our market for the psychology conducive to enterprise, entrepreneurship, creativity, community leadership and hope.
For our new book selection in December, I will be polling this group to set the best meeting time.
