Hey there...
I wasn't planning to send out another e-newsletter for, oh, two weeks or so. But then I changed my mind. Because 1) I've had a LOT of coffee today and 2) There's quite a lot of cool stuff that I want to share!
Diving
right in...
- Traditional publishing or self-publishing? Which is best? Great question. I have some fairly strong opinions. Here's my stance. (Also, did you know that The Joy of Cooking, The Tales of Peter Rabbit, The Celestine Prophecy and Fifty Shades of Grey all began as self-published projects?
Fascinating.)
- Remember how it used to be? Back when you would play with Crayons for hours, write stories just for fun, or do performances with your best friend where you’d both pretend to be members of the Spice Girls? Remember how it used to feel? Before "writing" or "blogging" became a chore or a source of stress? Let's all time-travel back to those days... like it used to be.
- You finished your book/program/project (hooray!) but... what should you call
it? Here's my guide to naming your "thing," whatever your "thing" may be, with tons of real-life examples to inspire you.
- Earlier today, someone asked me if I do
"business coaching." I don't. While I love sharing stories, observations and advice from my career as a writer, I definitely don't consider myself to be a "business expert." But if you're looking for a business coach, I can enthusiastically recommend the following smart people: Ellen, Susan, Melissa, Tara, Hiro, and Michelle.
- If you'll be in Portland, Oregon, on March 5th, feel free to come along for Letters & Brunch. Write letters. Eat brunch. Drink mimosas. It happens on the first
Saturday of every month & it's super fun. (Side note: my boyfriend Brandon is rolling out biscuit dough right now, and he just started singing, "OK, biscuits, now let's get in formation!" to the tune of Beyonce's new song,
"Formation." All I can say is... wow.)
- I am going to be a writing coach/guest teacher at a completely wild, luxurious, over-the-top retreat for female entrepreneurs later this year. It is happening on a CRUISE SHIP. What!!!! I know. It's called: The Dream Boat Cruise.
If you want to come, I believe there are 9 tickets remaining. You'll find info down below in the "PS" area.
A little music to wrap things up:
- Have you ever wanted to listen to a tech-drum battle featuring a jazz band and an electronica artist? If so: listen to this. (That's my older brother playing the sax. He's doing a gig in Portland very soon, too, which I'm ecstatic
about.)
- I'm in love with this music playlist. It makes me feel like I'm
floating through space surrounded by gentle flickering stars.
That's all from me until... March-ish!
Enjoy the rest of your month. I hope it's a great one.
-Alex
PS. Hey again!
Here's the info on the cruise that I mentioned earlier...
The Dream Boat Cruise is a 7-day voyage
across the Atlantic Ocean (from NYC to England) on the Queen Mary 2, one of the fanciest cruise ships in the world. (It has a planetarium, a ballroom, a spa, and like a million other facilities. Magical boat.)
This cruise is for female entrepreneurs. Specifically: female entrepreneurs who want to produce profitable live events: like seminars, workshops, retreats, and
conferences.
While sailing across the sea, you will have training sessions each morning, and you will learn how to put together a clear concept, curriculum, budget, and marketing plan for your dream event... so that once you're back on dry land, you can implement everything, sell tickets, and rock it out.
The Dream Boat Cruise is being produced by my close friend and longtime client, Susan Hyatt, a super-smart business coach who has been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine, among many other places.
Susan will be running the show, but I will be present as the writing coach/guest teacher for the voyage.
If you're working on a keynote speech or presentation that you intend to give at your event, I'll be there to help you refine your language. I'll
also help you to fine-tune your marketing/promotional materials for your event (emails, website language, etc), and basically help you to get your words all "ship-shape." (See what I just did there??). I am so excited about this. I actually wasn't planning to do any teaching gigs this year, but how could I say "no" to a freaking CRUISE SHIP?
AND, lastly, as if this experience could get any
better... when we arrive in the UK, we're going on a private tour of Downton Abbey filming locations. Be still, my beating heart!!!
To sum it all up: The Dream Boat Cruise is expensive, luxurious, and completely over-the-top in every conceivable way—that's just how
Susan rolls. It's definitely not for everybody. But if you're getting chills just reading about it, then it's worth peeking at. I can't imagine a more fun, pleasurable way to map out a plan for the next event that you want to produce or lead.
Maybe I'll see you on the high
seas? What a dream it will be, indeed...
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