Author Topic: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!  (Read 6784 times)

TheDianiaTimes

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Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« on: August 16, 2018, 11:26:25 AM »
Hello fellow Mustachians!   I am in the exploratory phase of a side hustle/passion project and I'm looking for a collaborator/partner in crime! I'm fascinated with public speaking as a medium for sharing information and inspiration. I'm also passionate about frugality, minimalism and the path to financial independence. I'd love to combine these two things into a conference called Frugal As F*ck!.... it would be best described as Ted Talks for Frugal Fanatics (I know, I know, this description needs some work, I'm just a real sucker for alliteration lol). I've done a number of things to get the ball rolling but I recognize that it will be more successful and a hell of a lot more fun if I found 1 or 2 people to partner with. If you're interested, send me a private message and let's chat!

I live in Cincinnati and intend to have the conference here, but open to partnering with someone who isn't based here. 

Here's my story:

Reading Mr. Money Mustache was like a refreshing punch in the face for me.  I started my frugal journey in September of 2015 when I discovered this blog.   At the time, I was $30k in debt because I was living outside my means in NYC and took out school loans despite getting a full academic scholarship.  After I came to my senses, I stopped wasting money, became creative about getting my needs met, and used my newfound resourcefulness to get out of $30k of debt in 11 months.  I cooked every meal I ate, got all my clothing from clothing exchanges, shared my internet with my neighbors, and charmed people into giving me free shit. 

My interest in frugality and onset of an early mid life crisis prompted by my 30th birthday helped me save money.  I moved to Cincinnati, took 2 months off of work to walk the Camino (a 500 mile trek across Spain), and bought a house. I discovered so much freedom in the lessons surrounding frugality and want to share this with others in a way that isn’t as polarizing as much of the currently available content.  Frugal as Fu*k will be an exploration of the different shades of frugality. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

mozar

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2018, 08:14:32 PM »
What do you want a collaborator to do?

ketchup

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2018, 09:08:40 PM »
I'd recommend dropping the *.  We're all adults here.

AccidentialMustache

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2018, 09:22:11 PM »
You want to attract people who are frugal, or you want to attract people who aspire to be frugal because they are in debt/poor?

Neither of these markets seems likely to shower you with $$$$ for your conference. MMM makes his hustle off advertising, but that seems like a hard sell in a conference setting. Are you expecting to rent booths to companies in a vendor floor or such? How do you feel about renting to payday loan sharks?

G-dog

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2018, 09:29:26 PM »
What do you want a collaborator to do?

Yep. No way I go in on anything until I have a way to figure out if you are any good at public speaking, marketing, developing good materials, finding other good speakers, etc. 

And, there are already Camp Mustache (s) at various locations, and Camp FI, and Dave Ramsey, and... chataqua.... and....

And @AccidentialMustache makes a good point about getting $$$ out of frugal people... or those who need to become frugal

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2018, 01:55:42 PM »
What do you want a collaborator to do?

I'm looking for a cofounder to help solidify the overall vision and strategy, help with outreach and logistics... basically build this badass conference with me!  Ideally it would be someone who is good with graphic design/website/techy stuff as that's not my forte.  Would be great to find someone that would complement my skill set (cold calling, sales, logistics, planning, task management is more in my wheelhouse).  If you're interested, let's chat over the phone... feel free to private message me!

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2018, 01:56:24 PM »
I'd recommend dropping the *.  We're all adults here.

You're right AS FUCK Ketchup! :)

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2018, 02:13:44 PM »
You want to attract people who are frugal, or you want to attract people who aspire to be frugal because they are in debt/poor?

Neither of these markets seems likely to shower you with $$$$ for your conference. MMM makes his hustle off advertising, but that seems like a hard sell in a conference setting. Are you expecting to rent booths to companies in a vendor floor or such? How do you feel about renting to payday loan sharks?

I want to attract people that are frugal but are looking for inspiration and connection with other like minded people.  When I was in debt, I wouldn't spend $ on something like this and I'm not gearing it towards that audience.  I'm looking to attract people who are financially stable (like myself) and are flirting with financial independence but perhaps looking for more resources to build up their frugal muscles.  There are so many other resources to get this kind of info including blogs, podcasts, books, etc but I find something really powerful about the medium of public speaking.  Yes, you can watch Ted Talks online but its not the same.  Similar to how listening to music at home isn't the same as seeing your favorite band in concert.  In my personal experience, the energy of the performance and the people around you can move you in ways that sitting in front of a screen can't. 

I don't expect to be showered with money but no business is sustainable if it isn't profitable.  So if I discover in this exploratory exercise that no one is willing to pay for this, then great.  I'll move on to another idea. 

However, I think there are frugal people in the world like me who don't see frugality as not spending money, but rather spending money on things that matter to them.  I spend $600 each year for my ticket to World Domination Summit and it's worth every penny for the amount of inspiration and connection I get there.  I spent about $5,000 to take 2 months walking across Spain on the Camino.  It was a life changing experience that was worth every penny.  So if I'm going to bring Frugal as Fuck into the world, I need to make it worth the money.  I wouldn't charge $600, it would be much more reasonable and the cost of the event would be supplemented by sponsors and grants.  There will be no booths or vendor floor, it will be a program of speakers talking about different aspects of frugality, minimalism, and financial independence. 


TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2018, 02:41:59 PM »
What do you want a collaborator to do?

Yep. No way I go in on anything until I have a way to figure out if you are any good at public speaking, marketing, developing good materials, finding other good speakers, etc. 

And, there are already Camp Mustache (s) at various locations, and Camp FI, and Dave Ramsey, and... chataqua.... and....

And @AccidentialMustache makes a good point about getting $$$ out of frugal people... or those who need to become frugal

Totally agree, I wouldn't want to partner with someone who I didn't feel brought a skill set to the table.  I find it easier to talk over the phone but I'll try a quick snapshot here...

Regarding my public speaking skills, I do stand up comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_6Fo4bMok&index=3&list=PLaz8eJ8ZTd-IPsXMpNnWUA4GCEbLI_nEK&t=0s

Regarding marketing, I work for the largest brand extension company in the world (responsible for $12.8B in retail sales of licensed product):http://www.caa-gbg.com/.  I work with companies everyday to build business and marketing plans for licensed products.  Attached is my "resume" to demonstrate my ability to develop good materials and my track record of sales success.  Some of my clients include Anheuser Busch, Jelly Belly, Cheesecake Factory, Hershey's, Bob Marley's estate, and Drew Barrymore. 

Finding other good speakers comes down to cold calling, selling, and networking which is a strong skill set of mine from my professional career. 

I'm also producing a clothing exchange event with a local non profit that is expected to attract 400 people this fall (to further demonstrate my marketing skills): https://www.facebook.com/events/315676305672107/

We just launched marketing for this event this week and were already contacted by channel 9 news so I get to be on camera on Oct 18 further promoting this event!

I'm participating in an accelerator this fall to further validate this venture (and even if it turns out to be a dumb idea, this course will be beneficial no matter what I decide to pursue): https://aviatraaccelerators.org/.  And I've consulted with 4 founders of other successful profitable conferences who've given me great advice thus far. 

Yes, there are other gatherings of people like Camp Mustache, etc.  There were also other blogs about this topic when MMM launched his... aren't we all glad that didn't stop him? Should no one open a restaurant or start a farm or have a child because those things already exist in the world?  I believe I can create something unique despite what already exists.  Doing the market research, understanding the landscape for this stuff, and how to position Frugal as Fuck are questions I'm in the process of answering during this exploratory process (and a cofounder could really help with this!)

Love this speech on DUMB ideas which might be relevant for this conversation (as maybe this is a dumb idea, time will tell!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URDcfCzeIdw

Very much appreciate your feedback!


G-dog

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2018, 03:13:51 PM »
Dumb ideas are better than no ideas - and lead to better ideas. You’ve got to start somewhere.

mozar

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2018, 07:03:27 PM »
Quote
graphic design/website/techy stuff

That stuff can easily be outsourced. You can use Fiverr for graphic design. You can make your own website pretty easily. And you already have a youtube channel which is a good place to put your talks.

Instead of using an asterisk for easy to offend people, how about F.A.K.? (I think FAF looks weird, I would take liberties with the acronym)

I don't think it's a dumb idea, plenty of people have careers as an aspirational speaker. It just seems like a one person gig to me.

Editor

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2018, 08:22:56 AM »
Have you heard of the "unconference" format? Two of my largest clients are conferences (I'm a video producer) and the one using this participant-driven format is smaller, cheaper to produce, and doesn't have any vendors. They do line up one keynote speaker, but the rest organizes itself. Speakers are encouraged to share their projects and insights, or to use their time to ask the audience for advice. They cap attendance at 50 people.

The other conference I shoot is more likely to generate profit with several hundred attendees, and a high ticket price, but they don't rely on vendors either.

Just thought that might be encouraging if you have trouble finding vendors interested in a frugal audience :)

Best of luck!

FIFoFum

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2018, 09:28:14 AM »
I think it's a little presumptuous to have just started posting on these forums to solicit someone to help you start a conference/business. It's like walking into the MMM living room or HQ and saying, "Hey, you don't know me, but anyone want to create a conference around these ideas with me?" without having any clue about all the people who have contributed knowledge and experience here (and elsewhere) that are already running businesses in adjacent financial/lifestyle advice giving.

Have you been to FinCon or talked to anyone who has gone there? Have you looked at any other conferences aimed at people who want to do what you're doing (with people doing many of the things you're talking about or "competing" with some of the same target audience)? Have you talked to any of those people with all the skills you are soliciting that are currently using them for their own blogs, websites, etc.?

Shortcutting the process of networking OR participating in this community and posting just to solicit a business partner/business ideas comes off as either really naïve or flat out rude.

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2018, 11:15:03 AM »
I think it's a little presumptuous to have just started posting on these forums to solicit someone to help you start a conference/business. It's like walking into the MMM living room or HQ and saying, "Hey, you don't know me, but anyone want to create a conference around these ideas with me?" without having any clue about all the people who have contributed knowledge and experience here (and elsewhere) that are already running businesses in adjacent financial/lifestyle advice giving.

Have you been to FinCon or talked to anyone who has gone there? Have you looked at any other conferences aimed at people who want to do what you're doing (with people doing many of the things you're talking about or "competing" with some of the same target audience)? Have you talked to any of those people with all the skills you are soliciting that are currently using them for their own blogs, websites, etc.?

Shortcutting the process of networking OR participating in this community and posting just to solicit a business partner/business ideas comes off as either really naïve or flat out rude.

I'm sorry if I came off as rude, that certainly was not my intention.  I'm in the exploratory phase of an idea, and all feedback is welcome.  I have reached out to the founder of FinCon who didn't seem to find this competitive as we have different goals and positioning.  From the research I've done, the other gatherings I'm aware of are Camp Mustache, Camp FI, FinCon, Dave Ramsey programs, and Chautauqua.  As with FinCon, all are distinctively different than the conference I envision and I don't see them as competitive.  I'd very much appreciate any insight you may have on others I may have missed?  You're right, I haven't posted much on this forum, but I'm not sure that should preclude me from adding something new to the community as I'm very passionate about this topic.  I've found most people in this community pretty welcoming and collaborative and I'm surprised that my attempt to network could be interpreted as disrespectful.  Apologies again and thanks for the feedback.

ixtap

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2018, 11:37:13 AM »
I think it's a little presumptuous to have just started posting on these forums to solicit someone to help you start a conference/business. It's like walking into the MMM living room or HQ and saying, "Hey, you don't know me, but anyone want to create a conference around these ideas with me?" without having any clue about all the people who have contributed knowledge and experience here (and elsewhere) that are already running businesses in adjacent financial/lifestyle advice giving.

Have you been to FinCon or talked to anyone who has gone there? Have you looked at any other conferences aimed at people who want to do what you're doing (with people doing many of the things you're talking about or "competing" with some of the same target audience)? Have you talked to any of those people with all the skills you are soliciting that are currently using them for their own blogs, websites, etc.?

Shortcutting the process of networking OR participating in this community and posting just to solicit a business partner/business ideas comes off as either really naïve or flat out rude.

I'm sorry if I came off as rude, that certainly was not my intention.  I'm in the exploratory phase of an idea, and all feedback is welcome.  I have reached out to the founder of FinCon who didn't seem to find this competitive as we have different goals and positioning.  From the research I've done, the other gatherings I'm aware of are Camp Mustache, Camp FI, FinCon, Dave Ramsey programs, and Chautauqua.  As with FinCon, all are distinctively different than the conference I envision and I don't see them as competitive.  I'd very much appreciate any insight you may have on others I may have missed?  You're right, I haven't posted much on this forum, but I'm not sure that should preclude me from adding something new to the community as I'm very passionate about this topic.  I've found most people in this community pretty welcoming and collaborative and I'm surprised that my attempt to network could be interpreted as disrespectful.  Apologies again and thanks for the feedback.

You did not come here to add something to the community; you came asking from the community. It is that kind of tone deafness that is going to make potential partners wary of you and your skills.

plantingourpennies

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2018, 05:56:07 AM »
You did not come here to add something to the community; you came asking from the community. It is that kind of tone deafness that is going to make potential partners wary of you and your skills.

Shortcutting the process of networking OR participating in this community and posting just to solicit a business partner/business ideas comes off as either really naïve or flat out rude.

Ya'll sound like a buncha neckbeards who don't want to let somebody join their weekly game of Magic the Gathering.

@OP-Good luck! I've been to fincon a month ago, camp mustache back in 2016. Fincon is explicitly targeted at bloggers/influencers-the vendors there are hoping to have the bloggers push their products for greater influence in their audience. It has fuck-all to do with frugality...

I think that the guys running camp mustache are trying to do something similar to what you're describing, but I don't think they have your background in actually running an event. The one I went to in Florida was about 75% bloggers and 25% real people. The organizers didn't tell us ahead of time, but it was at a church camp, and we had to pray and sing before every meal. I wasn't impressed with the content they had, but it was their first or second time running a camp and things have probably gotten better.

The Chataqua that JL Collins runs is probably the premier event of this type-best presentations, best people, etc, but it's effing expensive. I think tickets started at $2600 last year, and that doesn't include airfare to Greece!



TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2018, 07:25:16 AM »
Have you heard of the "unconference" format? Two of my largest clients are conferences (I'm a video producer) and the one using this participant-driven format is smaller, cheaper to produce, and doesn't have any vendors. They do line up one keynote speaker, but the rest organizes itself. Speakers are encouraged to share their projects and insights, or to use their time to ask the audience for advice. They cap attendance at 50 people.

The other conference I shoot is more likely to generate profit with several hundred attendees, and a high ticket price, but they don't rely on vendors either.

Just thought that might be encouraging if you have trouble finding vendors interested in a frugal audience :)

Best of luck!

Appreciate the suggestion, this is really interesting!  I'd also love to pick your brain on the audio/video side of things.  I got some great insight from a Ted Talk producer recently who talked about this element being the most important aspect of a successful event.  If you're open to talking more, please send me a private message and we can find a time to chat. 

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2018, 07:46:36 AM »
You did not come here to add something to the community; you came asking from the community. It is that kind of tone deafness that is going to make potential partners wary of you and your skills.

Shortcutting the process of networking OR participating in this community and posting just to solicit a business partner/business ideas comes off as either really naïve or flat out rude.

Ya'll sound like a buncha neckbeards who don't want to let somebody join their weekly game of Magic the Gathering.

@OP-Good luck! I've been to fincon a month ago, camp mustache back in 2016. Fincon is explicitly targeted at bloggers/influencers-the vendors there are hoping to have the bloggers push their products for greater influence in their audience. It has fuck-all to do with frugality...

I think that the guys running camp mustache are trying to do something similar to what you're describing, but I don't think they have your background in actually running an event. The one I went to in Florida was about 75% bloggers and 25% real people. The organizers didn't tell us ahead of time, but it was at a church camp, and we had to pray and sing before every meal. I wasn't impressed with the content they had, but it was their first or second time running a camp and things have probably gotten better.

The Chataqua that JL Collins runs is probably the premier event of this type-best presentations, best people, etc, but it's effing expensive. I think tickets started at $2600 last year, and that doesn't include airfare to Greece!

Appreciate the encouragement! And thanks for confirming my understanding of what currently exists.  I envision something much more similar to a Ted Talk than a camp or networking event.  From what I can tell, what currently exists are for smaller more intimate audiences which requires a higher ticket price per person.   I'm looking for larger audience, and lower ticket price. 

SubL stache

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2018, 08:03:26 PM »
If I wasn't already spoken for, this would be my ideal woman.  Comedy, frugality, public speaking, and drive.  Keep up the good work.

On another note, I would drop the vulgarity if possible.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2018, 08:08:02 PM by SubL stache »

MaaS

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2018, 07:46:11 AM »
First of all, congrats on having an idea and pursuing it. With that said, there a few possible hurdles:

  • Cincinnati is a very small market for this short of niche conference. To get a substantial crowd, you're likely going to have to attract people from at least the surrounding states.
  • As people will need to travel, the biggest cost isn't the ticket, it's the plane/gas, accommodations, and time off work.
  • With that sort of cost, the content/presenters need to be of a high and proven quality.
  • Quality presenters typically require big checks or (proven) big crowds

I think you have a classic "chicken or the egg" dilemma here.  IMHO, your odds of success are higher if you start off by doing this as a digital event.  Getting presenters and attendees is going to be much easier as the investment and risk is lower.  Take this to a physical conference once the concept is proven and you've built credibility.

Just my 2c, good luck!

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2019, 01:52:27 PM »
Hi again fellow Mustachians!  In case any one is interested, I thought I'd update you on how the conference is going...

I found a co-founder through this post!  2Saving4Life (Adam Hergert) has been absolutely fantastic to work with and I couldn't imagine producing this conference without him.  We've worked very hard to refine the concept (which led us to changing the name), find a venue, set the date, build a budget, validate the business is viable, etc, etc, etc. 

The conference is now called EconoMe and will be a one day event of speakers at the University of Cincinnati on March 7, 2020!  I've attached a presentation that explains the entire concept and welcome your feedback!

We've just launched a landing page to start collecting email addresses from people who might be interested in attending: http://economeconference.com/

We've also started reaching out to potential speakers and the response has been incredible, we are going to have a pretty amazing line up.  We're casting a very wide net to make sure we curate the best line up of speakers that we can (and build relationships with potential speakers for future conferences).  If you have any suggestions on people you'd love to hear speak after checking out the presentation, definitely let me know!

So many people on this forum have reached out to me with amazing advice, suggestions, and encouragement... thank you, thank you, thank you!

Xlar

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2019, 03:08:55 PM »
Congratulations! Good to hear that it is coming together and I look forward to hearing how it turns out.

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #22 on: April 25, 2019, 07:09:35 AM »
Congratulations! Good to hear that it is coming together and I look forward to hearing how it turns out.

Thank you so much!! :)

Missy B

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #23 on: June 07, 2019, 02:17:27 PM »
Thanks for following up and letting us know. I think it looks great, and found it interesting to get a snapshot of this idea at the beginning and then at fruition. I wouldn't have gone to 'Frugal as F***' but this one I would consider if it was in town.

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #24 on: June 08, 2019, 07:29:46 AM »
Thanks for following up and letting us know. I think it looks great, and found it interesting to get a snapshot of this idea at the beginning and then at fruition. I wouldn't have gone to 'Frugal as F***' but this one I would consider if it was in town.

It has been quite the journey!  Changing the name took about 3 months of pondering... ultimately, we ended up doing a post on the sub Reddit "I need a name" and some genius offered up EconoMe.  It really is so much better than "Frugal as F***" as the conference isn't really about frugality.  EconoMe allows us to keep the topics a bit broader and lends itself to our concept of exploring "A New American Dream".  We offered that guy a free ticket but he didn't respond to my message, I really hope he comes so he can see how we brought his name idea to life!

Working with my cofounder Adam has been incredible, we're creating something so much better than what I could have done on my own.  We met from this post and have been working together remotely for many months.  We just met in person for the first time at Camp Mustache a couple of weeks ago!  It was so much fun to finally meet him and his wife after talking to them over the phone for so long. 

We're solidifying our speaker line up over the next 5 weeks, and starting scheduling to run the podcast circuit now.  Our kickstarter launch is happening the second week of September, immediately after FinCon (who is one of our sponsors, PT is hosting our speakers dinner the night before our event).

We'll be filming our kickstarter video in Portland at the end of this month.  It's unreal how well it's coming together, I could have never imagined when I first made this call for a cofounder that the conference would be where it is now.  So much fun! :)

We really appreciate your support, glad you like the new name!!  Attached is an updated presentation as we added some snap shots on us as cofounders as well as further explanation as to what we mean by "A New American Dream"


Linea_Norway

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #25 on: June 12, 2019, 05:06:21 AM »
On your website:

Economy
noun
1
: the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of gooods and services

Typo: gooods

I think the f*ck word is mostly used and accepted on this particular forum, but might not appeal to everybody outside it. The new name is indeed better.
And I personally wouldn't visit an event kosting 2600$, to talk about frugality/FIRE. So it sounds like there is a market for a more affordable event.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #26 on: June 12, 2019, 05:10:57 AM »
Have you heard of the "unconference" format? Two of my largest clients are conferences (I'm a video producer) and the one using this participant-driven format is smaller, cheaper to produce, and doesn't have any vendors. They do line up one keynote speaker, but the rest organizes itself. Speakers are encouraged to share their projects and insights, or to use their time to ask the audience for advice. They cap attendance at 50 people.

The other conference I shoot is more likely to generate profit with several hundred attendees, and a high ticket price, but they don't rely on vendors either.

Just thought that might be encouraging if you have trouble finding vendors interested in a frugal audience :)

Best of luck!

Appreciate the suggestion, this is really interesting!  I'd also love to pick your brain on the audio/video side of things.  I got some great insight from a Ted Talk producer recently who talked about this element being the most important aspect of a successful event.  If you're open to talking more, please send me a private message and we can find a time to chat.

This also reminds me of a Lean conference I once visited. The attendees could get their 5-10 minutes on stage to speak to the audience about something related to the subject. Do keep in mind that not everyone wants to do this. And that you don't know what they will present.

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2019, 05:15:08 AM »
On your website:

Economy
noun
1
: the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of gooods and services

Typo: gooods

I think the f*ck word is mostly used and accepted on this particular forum, but might not appeal to everybody outside it. The new name is indeed better.
And I personally wouldn't visit an event kosting 2600$, to talk about frugality/FIRE. So it sounds like there is a market for a more affordable event.

Good catch!! Thank you!!!

Glad you like the new name... we are playfully calling ourselves "economeists"... pronounced like economist.  Perhaps this will enrage some internet trolls but people who "get us" will know that we aren't claiming to be actual economists. 

My name is Diania... pronounced like Diana... so I'm weirdly a fan of silent letters and spellings that don't make sense lol

If you sign up for our mailing list, you'll be notified when our kickstarter goes live the week after FinCon.  Thanks for your interest!!


TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #28 on: June 12, 2019, 05:19:46 AM »
Have you heard of the "unconference" format? Two of my largest clients are conferences (I'm a video producer) and the one using this participant-driven format is smaller, cheaper to produce, and doesn't have any vendors. They do line up one keynote speaker, but the rest organizes itself. Speakers are encouraged to share their projects and insights, or to use their time to ask the audience for advice. They cap attendance at 50 people.

The other conference I shoot is more likely to generate profit with several hundred attendees, and a high ticket price, but they don't rely on vendors either.

Just thought that might be encouraging if you have trouble finding vendors interested in a frugal audience :)

Best of luck!

Appreciate the suggestion, this is really interesting!  I'd also love to pick your brain on the audio/video side of things.  I got some great insight from a Ted Talk producer recently who talked about this element being the most important aspect of a successful event.  If you're open to talking more, please send me a private message and we can find a time to chat.

This also reminds me of a Lean conference I once visited. The attendees could get their 5-10 minutes on stage to speak to the audience about something related to the subject. Do keep in mind that not everyone wants to do this. And that you don't know what they will present.

We did consider this format but we decided to go for a more "Ted Talk" style rehearsed talk.  We are very close to solidifying our speaker line up... 9 speakers with 30 mins each to do their thing.  We offering for them to do a 15-20 min talk and leave the rest of the time for audience questions/interactions.  We are going to use this service called Slido to make audience questions really efficient (a tough thing to do with an audience of 700)... https://www.sli.do/features-questions

I went to HustleCon (another awesome conference!) last fall and they used this, it was really cool.

 

monstermonster

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #29 on: June 17, 2019, 11:32:18 AM »
Ohhh I might be a really good fit for this - attendance or speaker wise (I'm a professional speaker).

I definitely identify with being Frugal as F**k and I'm from Cincy originally ;) And I have feelings about the American Dream these days...

Sounds exciting! Thanks for the page Lhamo!

TheDianiaTimes

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Re: Frugal As Fu*k Conference- looking for a cofounder!
« Reply #30 on: June 17, 2019, 12:00:48 PM »
Ohhh I might be a really good fit for this - attendance or speaker wise (I'm a professional speaker).

I definitely identify with being Frugal as F**k and I'm from Cincy originally ;) And I have feelings about the American Dream these days...

Sounds exciting! Thanks for the page Lhamo!

Awesome!! I just sent you a private message! :)

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!