Thursday, December 31, 2020

Day 6 - Kuumba - Celebrate Kwanzaa!

 Kuumba - ( coo - oom - BAH )

Creativity!

(It is also my 25th wedding anniversary!)



On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, we celebrate creativity!

Leave the world a more beautiful place than when you found it through your creativity!

This year?

I told lots of stories with lots of people -
I colored with my mother who lives with Alzheimer's -
I co-created ASST to help others fulfill their Kuumba -


What about you?

What did you do this year to make the world a more beautiful place than when you found it?

A quick story - 

The Crow and the Pitcher - an Aesop's Fable

Once, a thirsty crow came upon a pitcher. There was water in the very bottom of it.
The crow stuck his beak in the water, but it was too far away.

He tried to push the pitcher over to no avail.

He beat at it with his wings, pulled the handle, and cawed at it as loud as he could.

He stopped and looked around him. He started picking up stones. 

He dropped the stones into the pitcher. Little by little, the water level rose until the water was right at the top. The crow drank his fill, and then went on his way.



The thing I love most about this story is that crows have been observed doing this in the wild - using stones to raise the water level in a closed container.  Creative thinking - it's not just for the birds!

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Day 5 - Nia - Celebrate Kwanzaa!

 Nia - (NEE - uh)

Purpose



Habari Gani?

Nia!

Nia means purpose. It is important to move through life with a purpose or goal. This is not an overarching goal that moves everything in your life, but it could be.

Without focus or a goal, then you have no way to know if you are moving towards achieving something or not. Having a purpose also focuses your choices. Is this choice moving me towards my goal, or is it going to ultimately prevent me form achieving what I want?

Looking back on 2020, I can honestly say that when the year started my goals were the ones they always were.

Goals -

- Keep our company afloat

- Support my children in the way that is most helpful to them

- Volunteer in the communit when you can

- Financially support local social services organizations

- Support our neighbors

- Pay attention to local state, and national politics so I can be certain my voice is counted

The purpose in all of these things is to do my best to support my family and the communities in which I participate.

After COVID... it turns out my goas didn't change and neither did my purpose!

How did I live Nia this year?

- Took our business virtual

- Supported my children as jobs ended and everything went virtual

- Co-founded ASST with the amazing Sheila Arnold

- We have financially and pysically supported our local food pantry

- One of the. things I have found amazing is how active our neighbors have been with the Little Library we erected on our corner. People came from all over the place to exchange and share books during the pandemic.

- And, of course, I vote, comment, and participate in politics.

How did you live Nia this year?

What were your goals and how do they interact with your purpose?

- A short poem

The Seedling

As a quiet little seedling
Lay within its darksome bed,
To itself it fell a–talking,
And this is what it said:

“I am not so very robust,
But I ‘ll do the best I can;”
And the seedling from that moment
Its work of life began.

So it pushed a little leaflet
Up into the light of day,
To examine the surroundings
And show the rest the way.

The leaflet liked the prospect,
So it called its brother, Stem;
Then two other leaflets heard it,
And quickly followed them.

To be sure, the haste and hurry
Made the seedling sweat and pant;
But almost before it knew it
It found itself a plant.

The sunshine poured upon it,
And the clouds they gave a shower;
And the little plant kept growing
Till it found itself a flower.

Little folks, be like the seedling,
Always do the best you can;
Every child must share life’s labor
Just as well as every man.

And the sun and showers will help you
Through the lonesome, struggling hours,
Till you raise to light and beauty
Virtue’s fair, unfading flowers.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Born in 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African-American poets to gain national recognition. He authored numerous collections of poetry and prose during his life.




Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Day 4 - Ujamaa - Celebrate Kwanzaa!

 Ujamaa - (oo- JAH - mah)







Habari Gani? 

Ujamaa!  Cooperative Economics

It is important for African Americans to start and maintain businesses. The only way they can maintain them is if they have customers. Ujamaa is about making sure that we shop and participate with businesses owned and operated by African Americans in our community.

Being able to open and maintain businesses helps African Americans build wealth in their communities. They hire local people, and that means that the money enriches the surrounding area instead of being sent far away to a large corporation.

These days, I include all sorts of local shops in Ujamaa as more and more of our small stores struggle to compete with multi-national corporations. Some stores - I'm looking at you Walmart - I won't go into for any reason at all!

I especially include indy book stores in this group. Support local book shops!

Oh, and if you are near Durham, NC keep an eye out for this cafe and bookshop opening in March of 2021!


So, how did I express Ujamaa this year?

I purchase hair and skincare products from African American owned businesses.

I buy my performance outfits from African American owned stores, and I pick up meals at black-owned businesses.

When Rofhiwa opens, I will buy books from there!

What about you? Is there an African American owned business you could support today and through the year?

A quick story - 

There was once a cook named Kaliah. She worked for a chef named Michael in a rich man's kitchen. She spent her time flitting from one dish to another putting the finishing touches on everything. Nothing left the kitchen unless Kaliah had tasted it first.

The rich man was famous for the wonderful meals that were served at his table, and people yearned for an invitation to eat with him.

"Your cook is a marvel!" his guests would proclaim after a sumptuous meal. 

The rich man would chuckle proudly. "I know!"

"We would love to meet him!" 

The mayor would bellow, "Send for Michael!"

Michael would appear to collect his applause and praise.

One night, after a very large supper, Kaliah went to speak to Michael.

"Excuse me, Michael."

"What are you still doing here? You should go home. You have to be back early to start the bread."

"I would like to talk to you about increasing my wages."

"Why?" he demanded. "You make what everyone in the kitchen makes."

"I am here before everyone else, I leave after everyone else, and I am in charge of all of the stations. You ask so much more of me than you ask of anyone else. I think you should increase my wages."

Michael laughed. "Do you think you should make as much as I do? Ha!" 

Kaliah went home to her family. They were struggling to get enough money to put food on their own table. It wasn't fair.

The next morning, instead of going to the rich man's kitchen, she went in to see the local baker and offered to help him. He was grateful for her assistance. He paid her in two loaves of bread.

Next, she went to a stall that sold soup. It was still early. She helped him get his soup ready for the day and added a few touches here and there. He swore it was the best soup he'd ever made. He paid her in soup.

That day,  her family had more than enough to eat. Kaliah never did go back to the rich man's house. She continued to help the local cooks in her area. It made quite a difference for the people who lived and worked in the town. 

Eventually, Kaliah, with the help of her friends and neighbors opened up her own little cafe. She and her family did very well for themselves.

As for Michael? In the end, he started ordering copious amounts of food from Kliah's cafe. It was the only way he kept his job.

Invest in local merchants!








Happy Kwanzaa!





Day 1 - Umoja - Celebrating Kwanzaa!





Monday, December 28, 2020

Day 3 - Ujima Celebrating Kwanzaa

 Habari Gani! - "What's the news?"


Ujima - (oo-Gee- muh) - Collective Work and Responsibility




On the third day of Kwanzaa, the Nguzo Saba is Ujima! 

We are called to work together to build what my friend Sheila Arnold calls "the beloved community".

If we want our communities to be stronger, safer, and more welcoming, we must work together to achieve that.

In the year 2020, there were many ways to show Ujima

- Did you wear your mask?

- Did you self isolate when necessary?

- Did you keep your physical distance whenever possible in public?

- Did you work to reduce mixing your household with others?

Working together cooperatively to staunch the spread of COVID is an act of Ujima that saved many lives.

Oh yes, and the big thing I and many other Americans did this year was vote! VOTING is also a part of Ujima. Standing up to be counted - no matter who you vote for - is part of building our community.

This has been a year of standing up and being counted. We have had marches for justice and an overwhelming response to police violence and systemic racism. 

Many of these peaceful marches were marred by people who were not practicing Ujima and sought to cause chaos, damage, or harm. 

It is always up to each of us to stand up and stand against those forces that would tear our families, neighborhoods, communities, regions, states, and country apart.

(Some people wonder why I am such an outspoken advocate for peace and justice - this is part of it)

The organization I helped co-found has a weekly meeting on Monday afternoons for performers who are interested in discussing our artform, learning new strategies, and working through our concerns as well as celebrating our triumphs. If you want to know more about Artists Standing Strong Together - ASST for short - click the link. 

If you are a storyteller who is struggling financially, please click here. ASST has a fund that provides grants if you are having trouble with necessities like rent, medicine, food, or any other urgent need. 


So, how did you live Ujima this year?

A quick story - 

In the 1950s my mother was living with my great grandparents in a black neighborhood called The Bottoms. Every year when there was to be a vote, some of the white men would come into the black neighborhoods and break their windows, burn crosses on their lawns, and do random damage.

They did this because in Texas there was a poll tax. Poor black families would have to choose between paying the tax or using their money to repair the damage done to their property before winter came.

The black people called these acts of violence the white riots.

Some black families were so scared of this intimidation tactic, that they wouldn't dare go near a polling place. What if they were recognized and something even worse happened to them?

The families on my great grandparent's street decided they'd had enough, and one year, they banded together to stand against the rioters.

Despite being afraid that there would be dire consequences that might include lynching, the men and women of Kent Street stood together and prevented the white rioters from coming into their neighborhood. 

They were successful.

That was the last year the white riots were held.

We are all responsible for building stronger, safer communities. One person alone can only do so much. 

The job of uplifting our neighbors, keeping those we love safe, and choosing hope, possibilities, and opportunities over hatred, violence, and systemic oppression falls to us, the citizens. We have the power to change the world if we work together.


Happy Kwanzaa!


This explains how to celebrate Kwanzaa


Day 1 - Umoja - Celebrating Kwanzaa!



Day 3  - Ujima - Celebrating Kwanzaa




Sunday, December 27, 2020

Day 2 of Kwanzaa - Kujichagulia - Celebrating Kwanzaa

Kujichagulia - (coo - JEE - cha- goo - LEE - uh                                      Selfdetermination 



Each day begins with a single phrase -


"Habari Gani?"  (huh-Bar-ee  Gah - nee) - It means "What's the news?" You answer with the Nguzo Saba (n- Goo-zo Sah-bah) of the day.

Today it is Kujuchagulia.

On the second day of Kwanzaa, we celebrate our inner strength and our right as human beings to forge our own path through life and make our own mistakes!

Historically, African Americans have not had the legal right in America to plot their own course, choose for themselves what job they would have, where they could live, or even get an education. 

Today we light the green candle in the middle of the Kinara and a red one.

Reflection - How have I lived Kujichagulia over the last of the year?

In 2020, I decided - along with my husband - to revamp our business model to include pre-recorded videos. I made sure there was plenty of material for clients to choose from, and I worked hard to roll with the punches that 2020 threw at us. I decide what types of performances I would and would not do, and what type of work I am willing to take. 

How did you show Kujichagulia this year?


A quick story - 


Mr. and Mrs. Dunch grew carrots. They sold carrots. They ate carrots. They loved carrots. They lived carrots.

Mr. Dunch's father had been a carrot farmer. He had inherited the farm from his father who also grew carrots. In fact, the Dunch family and had been growing carrots for four generations.

Everyone in those parts knew about the Dunch family. They were honest, kind, thoughtful, and very industrious. 

The eldest Dunch child was their son Elmer. Elmer was a very good Dunch. He was a carrot chemist. He knew everything there was to know about how to care for, fertilize, plant, and harvest carrots. He was taking the family into a new era.

The second Dunch child was Peony. Peony was a very good Dunch. She was an artist who spent her time creating beautiful works of art featuring carrots in very creative ways. Her work was the star of the gift shop and was featured in cafes, restaurants, and hotel lobbies all over the world.

The third Dunch child was Henry. Henry was allergic to carrots. This caused all sorts of chaos in the Dunch family, and some speculation that Henry wasn't actually a Dunch. Despite Mr. Dunch trying to force Henry to work the farm, Henry couldn't wait to get old enough to flee the horrors of the Dunch family, the judgemental community, and the pressure of being a Dunch.

So, Henry went off to community college, got a degree in mechanical engineering, and moved to a big city to escape the Dunch name. They changed their name to Dale and ended in and out of rehab a couple of times before they got clean.

They found an amazing partner, went back to school to brush up their skills, got married and was pleased to have all of the Dunch family come to their wedding. They were hired by a small firm that designs all sorts of industrial equipment.

One of the harvesters Dale designed improved the yield of carrot farms fivefold. 

Dale was a very good Dunch.

Plot your own course! You are what is needed!


Now in Paperback!!!



Happy Kwanzaa everyone!


Day 1 - Umoja - Celebrating Kwanzaa!

Day 2 - Kujichagulia - Self Determination

Day 3 - Ujima Celebrating Kwanzaa



Day 5 - Nia - Celebrate Kwanzaa!



Saturday, December 26, 2020

Day 1 - Umoja - Celebrating Kwanzaa!

 Unity



A story for Kwanzaa - 

Umoja is the first of the Nguzo Saba. The Nguzo Saba are the principles of Kwanzaa. These principles are meant to guide us through the year.

The first is Umoja - It means unity. It means we must work together to accomplish our collective goals. 

First - Consider the things you have worked for in your life over the last year.

For me, the biggest one that comes up is co-founding Artists Standing Strong Together. ASST is how I lived out Umoja in my community this year. My husband and I also donated to food pantries, donated our time to our church. 

In what ways did you exhibit Umoja this year?

So, here is a quick story to share about Unity.

Once there was a house. For many years it stood strong and tall. It did its job of keeping out the weather.

A family moved in that was prone to quarrel. The house could not help but notice.

One day, the roof announced in a loud voice, "I am the most important part of this house. I keep out the harsh sun, the snow, and the rain. Without me, this house is nothing.

The floors took offense. "You? The most important? Ha! I bear the weight of all of the furnishings in this house. Without me, this house would be nothing.

The ceilings chuckled. "I hold all of the lights. Nobody could live in this house without me!"

The basement complained loudly, "You think I'm less important because I am partially buried? I am the foundation!"

The attic was incensed. "Without me, where would people store their memories?"

Over the course of the next month, the house became discontent. 

One day, while the family was away for the holidays, a huge winter storm blew through the area. The roof refused to do its job unless everyone agreed it was the best. The same was true of the floors, walls, basement...well, you get the idea. As the wind howled, the house could not withstand the weather, and the whole thing collapsed.

The debris was cleared away.

When spring came, a new house was erected on the spot. This new resident of the neighborhood looked all about it to learn what it meant to be a house.

"Excuse me," it said to its nearest new neighbor. "Do you have any advice on how I can best serve my family?"

"Remember only this. Every single part is very important, but no matter how important it is, that doesn't mean it doesn't need help from everyone around it."


So it is for us - 


We live in families, neighborhoods, communities, states, regions and nations.

No matter who we are or how important we are, it doesn't change the fact that if we want to create a better present, safer neighborhoods, stronger bonds with others, and a brighter tomorrow, we must work together to achieve those goals.

It is only through unity that we can make a brighter future. When we work together, we can overcome most obstacles.

Now in Paperback!!!


Happy Kwanzaa!


Umoja - Day 1 Unity





Friday, December 18, 2020

Part 9: The Virtual Storyteller - We Are An Evolving Business

This is a Tigon - Hybrid Tiger Lion mix

I live with my business manager. That means that someone else is living inside of my head when it comes to business. 

I read him the opening paragraphs of this blog, and he pointed out to me that I am...what is the word...antiquated.

He disagrees that's what he said, but that is an apt description of what I had written - oh, and I've erased it so you will never know how right he was. Trust me. He was very right.

I think of storytelling in a very specific way. I love the way I think about it, and I love the way I have always done it. 

I would never have called myself the "old guard" in a million years. And yet, I think I have been living in the past million years.

Why do I say that? Well, I was thinking about storytelling - this business I love - as becoming a hybrid of some kind. Like the Tigon or the Liger, but that is not what has happened.

The David pointed out that we are evolving.

"Take Netflix," he said, "When it began, you rented DVDs and sent them back without a fee - they were competing with the big name in the industry - Blockbuster! Now, you stream their content, and Blockbuster, which had a very successful but static business model, died almost immediately."

"That's true," I said.

"Think of Disneyplus," he continued. "You used to buy their videos one at a time, now, you can watch them all in one place. Technology is evolving everything. It is also evolving storytelling."

hmmm




I can't say I like this idea, but I can see that it is/has happened. We, as storytellers, are evolving. Some of us are doing it kicking and screaming, and as my friend, Caroline Welkin is like to say of me, "whinging". 

Evolving???

I don't want to evolve! Can't this new nonsense wait until I am very old and very dead? Who has time for all of this evolving?

What does it even mean???

I think it means Rachel Hedman has been so far ahead of the game that we can't even see her dust. Luckily, she has been dropping breadcrumbs. Check her out.

The David is still complaining about my use of the antiquated. He came into the bedroom as I was typing this. I read him my new opening, and he once again objected. 

Then he said, "Well if you are going to be that way about it, I'm going to get all Meta on you."

"Go for it."

"The modality of storytelling has always changed. The first humans probably used the rocks and sticks to sing or share the first stories. They used rock walls to "write" the first stories. They switched to word of mouth for generations before moving to the printed word. Now, you are virtual. You have always been evolving. This isn't new."

I informed him I was going to write that down and he abruptly left the bedroom muttering something about going back to his desk before he got into more trouble for trying to be helpful.

Now I really feel like a dinosaur.

That doesn't mean I'm not trying to face this strange new world.


I have learned a great deal about virtual performance which is why I am pretty dang sure I know next to nothing about it. 


Here are some things I think I know. 


1. Virtual performance is never going away - 

The number of venues that could never afford to transport, house, and feed me that are suddenly able to afford a show is astounding. I have been able to work with venues all over the world that I could never have managed to visit! Post COVID, I imagine that will still be true. Not only that, I have tons of shows available online that will still be there after the pandemic ends, and we intend to keep marketing them.


2. The Pre-recorded shows are doing well -


One of my favorite business ideas is "making money in your sleep". For some kinds of artists, this is tricky. We do our best, but it is not so easy. Selling merch is the only way we do that in the storytelling world. As an author, passive income happens when people buy your books. For the first time, my business has a "storytelling" angle for passive income. Basically, we turn shows "off" and "on" with a password. It requires very little effort on The David, and the shows run for a week. Every single school can decide how they use that material over the course of the week.




3. Live Virtual is not as fundamentally odd to some schools

Since some school districts had already had distance learning as part of their set-up, virtual storytelling is not as odd to them as it was to most of us. I am hearing about teaching artists who are engaging with this format, as well as many other types of performers. Some of you have become masters of this work, playing with cameras and getting effects you could not do without the video. I have created several one-woman shows and hour-long stories that are specifically designed for a camera. It is the first deep character work I've done in years!


4. Despite the vaccine, there is a good chance we won't be able to be in person until the fall.

I think it is reasonable to expect that we won't be in schools until the fall of 2021. So, start planning your summer virtual programs right now.


5. Work and work-flow has changed, and it may not go back to the way it was - I blame Zoom

For all of my storytelling life, arranging shows was pretty standard. Venue calls, they talk to The David, they arrange a time and sometimes a theme, and then we are golden. Now? Now people are realizing that the virtual landscape offers all sorts of options that a single live human being cannot accomplish. The end result is that after an initial phone call, The David is finding himself in Zoom meetings arranging more and more elaborate types of performance schedules for school districts! We just booked nine "live" shows over the course of five months for all different times for multiple aged audiences that will take place at times ranging from 10 am to 7:30 at night! Everyone in the district will have the option of watching any of the shows they'd like, and all of them will be publicized like a tour. The more school districts, library systems, and venues start thinking about what can be done without me having to move from place to place, the more ambitious they are becoming! Brave new world indeed!

6. I am still torn about live virtual shows, but it doesn't matter because I'm doing them


7. Some platforms are terrible, but you just deal


8. We are going to have to really watch the schedule to make sure I don't burn myself out. 

Without needing to factor in travel time, you can work every single day and be in different places from Maine to Nevada on the same day! I had a looney day a few weeks ago where I was in Connecticut in the morning, Scotland in the afternoon and California in the evening. That's cool, but that doesn't mean the work isn't still tiring.

Speaking of tiring...

9. It isn't less exhausting to perform for a camera. I'd actually go so far as to say it is more intense.

I find pre-recorded stories hard because I need to focus on nobody, but I can always stop and go back. Live virtual is even harder because there is a live audience! I have to watch myself to make sure I am actually in the little box and not performing outside of it, but I also need to focus on the audience...the real one, not the glorious imaginary one that absolutely loves me!

10. Staring at a green light when I am performing live is annoying. 

We have all felt that. I am always tempted to look at the participants when I'm performing live, even knowing that if I do that, then I am looking at nobody!

11. With little kids, it is better to be able to see them...I think. I love watching them participate in their homes. I think they would do it whether I can see them or not, but it is cute to see them. I watched parents who had turned on the computer and left, come back into the room to play with the stories. Of course, the very fact I can tell you that means I wasn't looking at the green dot which means that at times the kids thought I was looking down at...who knows?


This virtual world is wild and strange...but I don't think it is going anywhere. 



Then again, I could be wrong. Maybe once we can do in-person storytelling the outside world will eschew virtual telling, but I doubt it.

I, for one, hope I can still sneak away to Ireland for stories on a Saturday afternoon.

I, for one, hope that ASST keeps its platform rolling so that people who could never get to a storytelling event can keep coming to share with us. Maybe they will choose us over television...it could happen!

Peking Duck

Virtual storytelling has brought stories to more places than we ever have in the flesh, and it has expanded our audience. 

So, we evolve. 

The nonavian dinosaurs walked the earth for 165 million years

The avian dinosaurs are still with us...and some of them are absolutely delicious.

I guess it is time to adapt even though it might get me roasted and served with delicious sauces...

Happy Virtual Telling!









Thursday, November 5, 2020

Part 8: The Virtual Storyteller - The Internet Gods Are Not Always Kind

 

source

Okay!


You've invested, designed, and marketed this beast!


You've defined, discussed, and practiced your approach!


You've uploaded content.


Tonight, you have a live show!

So, let's get ready!



There are any number of things that can go catawampus during a live show. The internet cuts out. The camera does something odd, the computer starts acting strange, you can't hear anybody, they can't hear you, the camera freezes, etc. etc. etc.

Well, there are some things you can do to give yourself the best possible chance of having a successful live show:

1. Make sure you have a good internet connection! If you have been limping by, or you have not invested in a really strong connection or server - do it. If you live in a place with not great connectivity, see if there is a way to get to a safe place that has better connectivity.

2. Close all tabs. Don't make your machine do more work than it has to do. Close your games, your open internet tabs, and anything else that might occupy your computer. 

3. Always check everything before you get ready to perform. Check your lights, background, microphone. Use the camera on your device to see how the setting looks so you won't have to scramble around right before the event begins.

4. If you find a place that is ideal for the internet in your space, try to make that your performance space if at all possible. (Hopefully it is not up near the ceiling above your laundry machines or something equally annoying.)

5. Make sure you practice that story for the little box you are going to be in! Make sure you are performing to the camera and that you are comfortable and relaxed.


Even with all of the preparation, the internet gods are not always kind, if something goes awry:


source


1. Don't panic - You are not the first, nor will you be the last person who has to deal with a technical error. We understand. We will wait.


2. If you get kicked off the internet, take a deep breath, make sure your tabs are closed and that your computer is connected, and get back on.


3. If your audio goes haywire, sometimes you have to stop, disconnect and reconnect. Sometimes if you stop and wait, it will sort itself. Sometimes speaking slower is the answer.


4. Make sure you are muted if you are not speaking. I've been on several live events where technical problems are suspected, but it is actually someone's live mic.


5. Make sure you are not near someone else who is on a different device on the same link. The feedback can get scary!


6. No matter what happens - Don't Panic! You are not the first person to have technical problems, and you will not be the last.

(an aside, if I may, I do love  Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy!)


Wishing You Luck and Hoping You Don't Need It!


Happy Live-Virtual Telling!






Part 9: The Virtual Storyteller - We Are An Evolving Business







Thursday, October 22, 2020

Part 7: The Virtual Storyteller - How Do You Market This???

 

You're on the virtual road!

1. You have decided how you want to interact with the virtual world.

a. pre-recorded

b. Live Virtual


2. You have acquired the appropriate gear for your choice.


3. You have found where you are going to do your recording or telling.


5. You've gotten used to the camera 


6. You're on the way to becoming an editing guru


7. Now comes the next important step. What is your marketing strategy? 

That depends entirely on what you have decided to do!

Here is the way The David and I decided to think about it.

As a business, we have two different kinds of things we do that generate income.

1. We contract out a service.

What I mean by "Service" - I show up, do a gig, and they pay me for it. That concludes our contract and contact unless or until they decide to hire me for another interaction. That includes any in-person or person to person contact that is hired for a fee.

2. We produce products.

What I mean by "Product" - I produce audio recordings that an organization or a person can purchase and own. They can download it onto their media accounts, and they can share it with friends. They can resell it even. 

-  Are our virtual programs going to be a product or a service?

- Will people be able to record the live shows?

- Will people be able to download them?

- Will people buy them as a service or a product?

- How will we package them?

- Where will we host them?

- How will we offer them to audiences?

- Who controls access to the virtual material?

- What will a venue get if they pay for pre-recorded v.s. Live Virtual?



This is how we answered these questions - 

- Our virtual programming is a service, not a product 

What that mean?

 - No, organizations do not get unlimited access to any of the virtual shows

- No, organizations cannot have unfettered access to record the live shows


Okay, so how do we limit access to virtual material?

- We need to find a platform that gives us control of the material

- We need to have control of our Live Virtual Shows whenever possible


What resources do we need in order to do that?

- We got a Premium Vimeo Account. 

- We got a Business Zoom Account.

The Vimeo account allows people to watch shows with a password, but it doesn't allow them to download the shows. As soon as the password is changed, you can no longer have access to the video.

The Zoom account allows us to share our link instead of using other people's links.

Now, how do we market this so people are willing to buy a one-off pre-recorded show that they cannot download or keep as a product?

Pre-recorded shows come with all sorts of perks.

You can keep the pre-recorded show for longer. You can't download it, but you can share it as many times as you like so that teachers, families, and all people affiliated with that group can watch the show at their convenience.

The pre-recorded shows are cheaper.

If they want any live components from a live Q&A to a discussion of any kind, all of that is extra.

You can have any date, time week you want with a pre-recorded show. Live shows are not as easy to schedule.

We can sell Pre-recorded shows all over the country and in various markets without me having to even be aware of it. The David just changes the passwords and makes them go live at different times.

So, that's the model we chose.

Live Virtual is just like all of the other virtual shows you might encounter right now.

We discourage those. If there is a technical glitch, some people can get kicked out of the show, cables can be cut, people can forget the time and hour. It is also more expensive.

We still have a few live shows, booked, but most of them have gone pre-recorded.

I got this message from one of the teachers at a school that is currently viewing a pre-recorded set:


Thank you for making my students excited for Social Studies today! They loved the Boo Hag story!

Your virtual marketing plan might not look like ours. You have lots of things to do and lots of plans to make!


Wishing you luck, hope you don't need it!

Happy Marketing!