Thank you to the individuals and organizations that made this week possible for The Other Comedy Company. What started as an idea on a whim is quickly turning into something real that people actually want. On Thursday, we will be filming our live demo with local innovation centre Venture 13.
A few notes going into this week 👇👇
1) What this demo means to the business:
The single piece of feedback we have received most frequently is that clients want to see what the experience looks like. This is the first major hurdle we've had to face as a company that required building & testing our workshops privately while bridging relationships that were willing to invest time and energy into creating the demo. This required buy-in from a filmmaker, an innovation centre, a company and a sales team of 8. Executed on a low/no budget.
2) What comes after the demo:
A bunch of work! After we film the demo, we'll edit it so it's presentable on the website and use clips from the demo to start marketing the product on the platforms we're targeting. Hopefully the demo is enough to generate interest from clients and press but we see it as the natural next building block we need in order to continue building. Our next step on the stairway to heaven.
3) What leadership looks like at this stage:
Since day 1 I have refused to look at this project as a company-of-one. Being a solopreneur is a viable option these days within the creator economy but not one I'm looking to explore myself. Consider myself more a solo-for-now-preneur. I've always been aware that I'm building a business for others to build with. That I would employ comedians and improvisers providing new revenue streams they can leverage as a reinvestment into their individual careers. That I would employ talented professionals who have been cast aside and undervalued. That I would build the company I always wanted to work for.
It's hard to define leadership when you're the only one in the room but I've taken the time to communicate this build publicly and transparently. My moves, pivots, ideas and actions are all recorded on the blogs I write on this website. I'm taking care of my personal health to equip myself for long-term building. I keep myself accountable on my instagram by posting the times I hit my workout. It's clear if I did it. Clear if I didn't.
Plus, I'm constantly learning. I have been studying 3-5 hours minimum daily since May 4th. Learning what I need to know to effectively run a business but more-so learning about my industry and the ideas that inform the product we're building. I'm the only one in the room at the moment but that's the way it works. The host is always the first one to the party.
4) What partnership looks like at this stage:
The party's getting started. I'm not going to be the only one in the room for long. In the coming weeks we'll be announcing an important brand partnership that resonates with our mission to teach the world's most innovative teams to learn through laughter. Going a step further, they're also going to help enable our initial driver to elevate Canadian comedians to global audiences.
Have a great week!