Pssst… it’s almost time for the Academy doors to re-open for applications.
And you, special human, are invited to apply.
Leave me your email and I promise, you’ll be the first to know when applications open.
Do you have a project idea - a dangerous dream that you want to turn into a highly-targeted marketing plan that you can’t wait to get started on?
Or maybe you're an independent business or social enterprise who needs to be more focussed targeted and confident with your marketing and social media?
Or maybe you just need someone to MAKE YOU DO IT!
Now is the time to slay your social media demons, find your tribes and make a plan!
After 26 years of working as a brand and content consultant for some of the most complex organisations in the world from BP to M&S, I've put my tried-and-tested process and tools into an Online Academy, so that I can help more people get their ideas out there at a fraction of the cost of hiring me as a consultant.
We’ve just come to the end of our first fabulous cohort, and I’ll soon be opening the doors for applications for my second cohort. I’m seeking just six Dangerous Dreamers to work with intensively over three consecutive weeks. You might be furloughed. You might be self isolating. You might be worrying about an uncertain future. You might have a social innovation idea that has the potential to make a real difference.
Whatever your situation, if you’ve been harbouring a secret dream in the shoebox underneath your bed, NOW is the time to get it out and get a clear, actionable plan together to make it happen in a way that is authentically you.
Is the Academy for me?
If you have a dream project or business that you want to get out there (or pivot/be more targeted with an existing business), but are wrestling with any of the following, then read on!
“I don’t know where to start with my branding/marketing/social media, it’s so overwhelming.”
“Which audience should I target first? With what message?”
“Which social media platforms should I be on and what type of media should I focus on?”
“What sort of online content should I be creating - and why?”
“How do I improve my confidence and social media and blogging skills?”
“How do I make peace with my discomfort about social media and selling?”
“How do I create a content marketing plan?”
“Who else do I need to get my message out there? How do I bring the right people on board? How do I find them? And what do I ask them?”
Or maybe you know what you should be doing, but you just can’t seem to DO IT and need some accountability? Or encouragement? Maybe you find it hard to prioritise your own personal project over the day job and other commitments? Or maybe there are some underlying demons holding you back that are preventing your project from seeing the light of day?
If you answered yes to more than one of the above, don’t panic Mr Mannering! You’re not alone, and you’re most definitely in the right place.
What’s the Academy method?
Step 1. Find your why
Step 2. Find your who
Step 3. Plan your how
‘We also look at your ‘why not’ and have a brew with those pesky demons that are holding you back.’
Step 1. Find your ‘why’ (AND YOUR ‘WHY NOT’)
“I now have a clear purpose, a ‘why’ for my project.”
Dangerous Dreamer Cohort 1
Get clear on your ‘why’ for your project and create your own ‘ahaha story’.
Learn how to articulate your project purpose in a way that will inspire and focus you, and that is guaranteed to make the hearts of your target tribes flutter.
Have a sit down with those pesky demons that have been holding you back and develop some emergency medicine for when they come a knocking.
Step 2. Find your ‘who’
”I now know who I need to target for Book Bench and how I reach them. The tribe mapping process so rich with insight. It really helped me to think differently about my project as a concept, and will shape the whole way that it runs moving forward”
Dangerous Dreamer Cohort 1
Learn my Tribe Mapping process and get a detailed understanding of the tribes who are most likely to care about your ‘why’ - who they are, where they are, what’s actually important to them, and how to get to them.
Learn how to use social media to research and identify which tribes to focus on, with what type of content.
Use my ‘Values Questionnaire’ with potential customers as a starting point to find out about what your tribes REALLY care about.
Use your Tribe Map to make smarter marketing and content decisions based on real insights, not assumptions! This will make your marketing more targeted, and prevent you from wasting your hard-earned money on the wrong things and the wrong platforms.
Step 3. Plan your ‘how’
“I now have a content plan and an approach I believe in, that has been well thought through.” Ali, Viewpoint Research and Dangerous Dreamer
Create a HIGHLY TARGETED and realistic content and social media plan to get your idea out there to your target tribes.
Create a plan that you are 100% confident that you are able to deliver and can’t wait to get started on.
“Doing the research into my tribes and competitors made me realise I DO have something useful to contribute to discussions on social media.” Ali, Viewpoint Research and Dangerous Dreamer.
Know who and how to get the right people on board to help you deliver your message in the most cost and time efficient way.
Not only that, you will also get all this…
Access to my tools, techniques and insights from my 26 years of working as a brand and marketing consultant and content creator.
Masterclasses to build your confidence in marketing, social media and content creation such as my blogging and branding masterclasses.
Case studies and working examples from previous cohorts and clients for inspiration and to get you thinking: “oo, that’s given me an idea!”
Know all that you need to know about the key social media platforms that are relevant to your target tribes (strictly on a need-to-know basis, my social media cheatsheets will give you the 5 most important things you need to know, and you’ll learn how to not worry about the rest!)
Access to my little black book of freelance legends that I trust WITH MY LIFE, to help you deliver specific parts of your plan that you can’t do yourself, in the most cost effective (and enjoyable) way possible.
And if you if you’re the type of person who needs accountability to make things happen - you’ll have me and your fellow cohort ‘considerately cheering each other on.’
The Academy will soon be open for applications. Leave me your email and I promise you’ll be the first to know when applications are open.
“Justine’s thinking is inspirational, and she brings it all to life with examples from her own practice and how to apply the tools. She really gets you thinking and gives you a quick ‘in’.”
The self-isolation challenge
I’m currently working my little socks off to pull my three-month Academy into a shorter lockdown version to help those who have been furloughed or are self-isolating.
Everyone's experience of lockdown is different, but amidst the horror and overwhelming distress for so many in the world right now, there are also a few of us for whom this presents an unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get our heads down and finally turn our secret dreams into action.
Yes, I’m talking about you, my fellow furloughed employees (though probably the ones without young families, or with a VERY understanding partner, obvs).
If you want to come out of lockdown with more than just a Marie-Condoed-Wardrobe and a PHD in Performing-DIY-as-a-Functioning Alcoholic, then why not put your money where your mouth is and apply to join our small, but merry gang.
Imagine how it will feel to finally have an achievable plan for your dream project or new business, AND the confidence to deliver it.
Even better than nicely folded socks. Almost.
What you will need to apply for the Self-isolation Challenge
> A project idea - a Dangerous Dream you want to turn into an achievable plan in just three weeks, or be an established social enterprise or small business looking for a smarter way and more targeted way of doing your social media and getting your message out there to the people are most likely to care. A Dangerous Dream does not need to change the world in a huge way (although Audacious Dreamers, I’m listening!) It could be a small personal thing, like setting up a blog and having the confidence and skills to write and promote it regularly.
> A minimum of 4 hours a day x 4 days a week for three consecutive weeks and the commitment to make every Meet Up and complete every challenge.
> An application that proves that you are not only my kind of Dangerous Dreamer, but also have a decent track record of ‘getting stuff done’ and are 100% committed to getting your project out there.
> The ability to access Zoom on a desktop computer in a quiet space, and make yourself available for every group Meet Up at a fixed time each week.
> Enough experience to use a computer and you’ll probably have experimented with at least one social media platform - all be it with limited joy/success SO FAR!
> To find/beg/borrow/steal the money to pay for it. Because I only work in small groups and will give you my heart, mind and soul for three weeks, it’s not the cheapest. But it’s not the most expensive either and is a fraction of the cost of hiring a consultant. But what it IS, is value for money and a wise investment in your own personal development that will save you the pain and money of making poor marketing decisions for years to come.
“There’s no question of being short-changed! You clearly put in huge amount of hours above what we were paying. This was appreciated and recognised, but also a big reason that it worked so well. I imagine with other courses like this (if they exist!) that the host puts in minimum effort and it feels ‘off the shelf’. The Academy felt very bespoke even though we still had a clear path through it. If I’d gone to you as a consultant, it would have been at least six times more, and you wouldn’t get the benefit of six brains helping you through!”
Ali, Viewpoint Research CIC by day, Dangerous Dreamer by night.
Interested? Leave me your email and I’ll give you the heads up when we are open for applications.
“The Academy has really helped me structure my thinking and my planning. The method helps you be precise and targeted and stops you from being scattergun. ”
How will the Isolation Academy work?
In a small group of just six other inspiring, carefully-selected people, we’ll work together through my three step process: Find your ‘why’, Find your ‘who’. Plan your ‘how.’ The more time you can commit, the richer the output, but as a guide, each week you will:
Carry out 20 minutes a day of online learning, where I’ll introduce you to the topic and tools.
Carry out up to 1 hour of action-based activities on that topic focussed on your own project.
Share your reflections online with the group and reflect on others.
Actively participate in each week’s online Meet ups (1 hour) to share your learning and considerately ‘cheer each other on’.
Each week in the Meet Up, I’ll also brief you on an assignment where you’ll put your learning into practice to move your project forward.To help you with these assignments, you’ll have the option to be paired up with a buddy to support each other through these assignments.
Each week, you’ll also have the option of:
A masterclass on a specific topic/skill such as blogging, social media, and content marketing.
Access to learning and cheatsheets on specific social media platforms relevant to your target tribes.
A 1-2-1 video consultation with me to help you overcome any barriers and keep you moving!
A chance to get feedback on your assignments - your ‘why’, your tribe map and your content marketing plan from me and others in the group.
By the end of the Academy, you’ll have a realistic plan to get your idea out there to your target tribes - one that you will feel 100% confident that you are able to deliver and get the right people on board to help you deliver your message in the most cost and time efficient way.
You’ll also have an online toolkit of all the resources, tools and cheatsheets from each week, in addition to the recordings of the Masterclasses.
Interested? Leave me your deets and I’ll give you the heads up when applications open.
“Justine brings both breadth and depth to the question of how to effectively market a new venture- there is no skimming the surface here!”
“Thank you SO much dear friend for our 1-2-1 yesterday. At long last I am clear where I am going and what I have to do to get there!”
“I now have a clear purpose, know who I need to target and how I reach them.”
“I’ve just come off the phone with my first client! ”
If you’ve got any questions about the Academy, please email me. Here’s to dangerous dreams!
Justine x