In this post last month, I told you about IBN member Kaila Westerman's plan for The Big Pour. The event took place this past Saturday, and Kaila says it was a great success!
Kaila was kind enough to summarize some of what she learned so I could share it with you. Be sure to read the pre-event post so you can learn a bit about what kind of advance planning went into the event. As you can see, the slideshow above shares some of the fun!
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The best part was just doing it. Kaila says that so many people fantasize about having a business of their own and doing this or that. But, she says, she has discovered from doing this event that the real “challenge is to press into service your knowledge, team, customers and dreams towards the fulfillment of a specific goal with a specific deadline.”
I'm so glad Kaila mentioned that. After all, anyone can start a business. The real work, as Kaila says, comes when you have to put all the pieces together to make it profitable for the long term. Not everyone is prepared to do that.
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Get a handle on sourcing. One thing Kaila says she will definitely do differently next time is get a better handle on sourcing of supplies and pricing. “This time, I just gave myself a budget and went shopping. I need to get better at bringing in the right variety of products at the right quantity and price,” she says. In this way, Kaila says, she will be able to make the concept of The Big Pour more sustainable over time.
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You don't have to have a grand, long-term plan. Kaila says she plans to host The Big Pour again on November 6, and again in December. One reason she'll do it at least twice more is because she over-bought items and she really needs to sell them. For now, the point is to be available to help people enjoy a good holiday sales season — and just see what happens next.
I love how Kaila is allowing the idea of The Big Pour to evolve. There's planning, sure. But mostly, Kaila is doing this to bring her community together, to create new opportunities, and to try something fun and new. At the end of the day, she says, it was kind of like throwing a party.
If you're in the Bay Area, follow Kaila on Twitter to keep up with all the details. You won't want to miss the next Big Pour!
Question: Does Kaila's experience give you some ideas about how you can bring your local community together around a fun branded event?
About Donna Maria Coles Johnson
