Today's YATM newsletter is brought to you by...
The Lunch Club Special on Friday 6th June, with Bournemouth University.
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Hi YATMers, I'm Keith Gould, a Chartered Surveyor and solopreneuer in the world of property.
I guide people through the often-fraught process of buying or valuing their home - whether they be first time buyers, those seasoned in the process, or those facing a life event, a probate sale or a matrimonial upset.
My approach is to take time to understand the biggest purchase we make, there is no returning the property if it doesn’t fit!
I am also developing a new digital platform to assist property owners getting this most important asset ‘sales ready’ before they even call the first estate agent. Power to the people!
When I’m not with clients, you can usually find me by/on the sea (hence the above photo), or walking/cycling. I’m grateful that I’ve lived in Poole for a few years which gave me a new impetus for life.
When the weather takes a turn, you'll find me re-watching ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ from back in 2005, there’s a message in there for us all.
Let's make sure we connect today
Here I am on LinkedIn
Where I work here
People don’t resist because they don’t care, they stop because they’re unsure of what they are being asked to do.
We put a lot of effort into what we say, but not enough into making it easy for others to understand.
For the past few years, the latter section of Creator Day is a moment for people to come together. For something that is new, it’s taken a lot of figuring out, so people feel comfortable.
Let me share how I have figured this out for people to join in with you.
Current Work To Share With You
I am currently working on the final touches for Creator Day, and specifically the Work Together section of the day.
This is where people split into small groups to create something of their own. No one sits back. People are invited to contribute. It’s collaborative, practical, and one of my favourite parts of the day.
Here's the thing I’ve learned over time: if people don’t get it, they won’t go with it.
I’ve changed myself over the years. I assumed everyone would be as excited about the idea as I was when it was delivered for the first time. It is not the case.
When we started the Work Together format in 2022, my enthusiasm may have confused. I can picture the blank look on people's faces the first time we did it. The reason was people didn’t get it. That wasn’t their fault, it was mine.
Enthusiasm can’t fill in for understanding. New formats, especially ones that ask people to contribute, need guidance. They need clarity. They need to be made obvious.
It’s not about what you want to say. It’s about what people need to hear.
The Problem With Being Clever
A lot of what I have delivered over the years has been propelled by my own belief that something can work. That doesn’t mean that other people are on board.
We often dress up ideas because we want to sound professional, creative, or smart. But in doing that, we can wrap our messages in too many layers.
And then we’re surprised when people decide to not take part.
The truth is, clarity carries more weight than cleverness. If people don’t understand what they’re being asked to do, or why it matters, they won’t take that next step. They’ll hesitate, unsure of how to proceed.
This doesn’t mean dumbing things down. It means making adjustments to get to a place where it feels easy and more assured to commit.
The Power Of Familiarity
Concepts land when we make them feel familiar.
I want to make the Work Together part of Creator Day feel like a point when people are ready to step up.
It’s at the end of the day around 3pm and our last step of focus before we all kick back with photos, chat and before we head to the after party.
Let me explain how it’s changed and what I’m doing to make something that feels new to people, to be accepted as ok.
It's not complicated, but it is different and active. Everyone participates, though it's a voluntary part of the day.
What is different this year is that it is woven as part of the occasion, it’s explained on the website with it’s own page, it is highlighted in the fortnightly emails to attendees and I need to explain during the day of the event, rather than at the end.
I know that it will only work:
- If people understand what they’re stepping into
- If they feel prepared
- If the room is set up to help them succeed.
This year, what I did was not just be prescriptive and just explain the format, I made it feel normal. I said things such as:
- “This is a chance to explore an idea together.”
- “You don’t have to be perfect or it to look perfect, you just need to have a go.”
- “We’re in this together, let’s make something happen.”
Small shifts. Simple words.
But the intention is to help the unfamiliar feel safe. That’s when people step forward.
Participation Starts With Understanding
When people understand what something is for, they join in.
When they know what’s expected, they step up.
When they feel part of the rhythm, they bring their own energy.
That’s how collaborative work happens. That’s how communities are built. Not through impressive language, but through inviting participation.
It’s not through complicated formats, but through accessible ones. And not by trying to control everything, but by guiding just enough that people feel confident to take part.
I’ve said this before, but it feels truer now than ever: participation is the product. And participation starts with understanding.
How You Help People Get It, So They Go With It
Here are five ways I have changed over the years by tweaking what the audience needs to hear.
1) Clarity Beats Cleverness
What I now know: Don’t wrap your message in creative jargon or metaphors that you think are clever.
2) Make New Feel Familiar
What I now know: Anchor new ideas in a language and structure people already understand.
3) Guide People, Don’t Overwhelm
What I now know: Make people feel safe so they can step in confidently.
4) Speak To What People Need to Hear
What I now know: Shift from self-expression to audience clarity. Focus on what helps other people act.
5) Understanding
What I now know: When people understand how it’s going to be of benefit, they join in.
Let’s Round-Up
There’s something quietly empowering about calming down intense enthusiasm.
Clarity is respectful. It conveys that I’ve considered how this affects you. It indicates that you’re not merely trying to prove a point or perform, but rather, you’re aiming to connect.
That’s the work. That’s the shift. From “this is what I’m saying” to “this might help people get involved.”
If people don’t get it, they won’t go with it.
But when they do get it, when the message feels familiar, relevant, clear they go further than you ever expected.
The goal is to keep making it easy for people to show up and say, “I’m in.”
Share this with someone else 💌
https://www.youarethemedia.co.uk/if-people-dont-get-it/
Time Wasting
Click on the map, listen to a recording of the soundscape at that location.
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This Week Around The Web
GROWTH, CREATION & YOUR INDEPENDENCE
Want more engagement on your LinkedIn company profile - from Ann Gynn
Did marketing create the manosphere? - from Campaign
THE COMMUNITY YOU CAN BUILD
A research-backed way to ramp up our social skills - from Katherine Goldstein
Why community helps your creative recovery - from Matt King
GROWING YOUR NEWSLETTER
How to maximise conversion rates - from Daniel Bustamante
How to find your THING - from 5 Tweet Tuesday
Creator Day is next Thursday (15th May).
Everything about next week has taken months of planning, tweaking and getting to a place that feels right.
There is something special about an occasion that brings people together from miles around.
Whilst for many people this is their first time, it's about joining in and feeling a part of a special occasion.
The experience is centred around what resembles a conference (that's what people are familiar with) but delivers so much more. Even one of the presenters is going to be spending 12 hours walking to Poole, don't believe me, click here.
We learn together, we figure out as a team and we make new friendships.
If you're coming to the seaside next week, I promise to make sure it's a highlight of your year. If you haven't booked yet, take the newsletter offer, below.
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Use YATMnewsletter to save £45 on your Creator Day place, book here
Check out the programme for next week.
A 'We’re All In This’ Culture
The future of marketing, business, and creativity isn’t about competition, it’s about collaboration.
Those who embrace a ‘we’re all in this’ culture will build the strongest communities, the most impactful collaborations, and the most meaningful work.
The real question isn’t whether you have an audience, it’s whether you’ve built a space where the right people can actively contribute and support each other.
Raising Your Canva Game with Emily (on Monday)
YATM friend, Emily Sedgewick, has a dedicated hour next Monday (12th) at 12pm to Canva.
This practical session will show you how to use Canva to set up a brand kit, create high-quality posts, and make simple, professional videos, without needing any graphic design experience. There's time to ask questions at the end and Canva has beome a trusted part of Emily's toolkit.
Read more and book here (£20)
People Of YATM
"As an improv-fuelled performer and speaking coach, I’m guided by curiosity and spontaneity.
I just looked up the word YATM and in Latin it actually means “a gathering of supportive individuals who want to build you up and in the process, they find themselves rising as well.”
The only thing I’d add to the Latin is that this crew energises the hell out of me."
Come and join in
There's always activity for you in YATM...
🏡 This morning at 9.15pm is when we Work Together in YATM Club, join here
💥 It's the YATM Summer Special on Friday 6th June, read more and the gift
✏️ New season of Lunch Club starts Thursday 4th Sep, in London
Click here to watch the end of newsletter video. See you soon (maybe next week?).
