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The launch of the new YATM term. It starts again in September.
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Hi YATMers! I’m Sarah Hogan, a freelance writer and administrator based in Gloucestershire.
I bring order from chaos through creative admin solutions and writing services for small businesses and charities. I love working with people in ways that fit their brain, so they find freedom to do what they’re good at.
My recommendation today is Nudge. Each bitesized episode looks at something related to running a business and breaks down some of the psychology around it. As a psychology graduate, I find it fascinating and appreciate the lessons or questions it throws my way. It's very listenable and Phill Agnew does a great job of hosting.
Non-business related, I’d have to recommend Taskmaster. It’s hilarious, it’s silly, and it’s an easy way to stretch your creative muscles by thinking about how you’d tackle the tasks being set!
Here’s a photo of me living a pretty typical day-off: playing a board game with my husband whilst our dog, George, pretends to be cute, when actually he’s trying to steal the apple I’m eating.
Let's make sure we connect today.
Here I am on LinkedIn
Where I work here
No one needs to attend an event unless it's worthwhile.
There’s a reason people don’t show up to events, it’s not because they’re lazy or disengaged.
It’s because they don’t have to.
It is much easier for us to stay in and manage our days. The work will always be there.
We can consume content on our own terms. Why leave home when you can click to be a part of a webinar? We can get the information we need from podcasts, videos and the newsletters we subscribe to.
This means one thing for anyone running events, if people are going to leave the house/office, spend money, or set time aside, it has to be worth it.
They need to feel that what they’ll gain can’t be found anywhere else.
That’s exactly the challenge and opportunity. I learned this the hard way over the years.
When people aren’t familiar with the format of what you want to achieve, that isn’t what they can already connect with, it takes longer. However, when they understand and people can see the work, the fun and what they can feel a part of, it elevates the entire experience.
It’s not about FOMO (fear of missing out), it’s a willingness to want to join in because it feels right and people know what they are stepping into.
The Standard Has Changed
Five years ago, it felt like getting people to attend an event was a matter of good promotion:
✅ Create a clear message.
✅ Make the timing right.
✅ Promote it enough.
✅ Remind people to come.
What tips the scale is an experience that feels unrepeatable, honest and intimate. It’s something that cannot be fully appreciated while staying at home or living a life online.
People Want One Of Two Things (Or Both)
People attend an event when it offers one or both of these outcomes:
Knowledge gained: They walk away feeling smarter, sharper, a new idea or more prepared.
Friendship formed: They leave feeling deeper connection, being seen, or supported.
That’s it. That’s what the best events deliver.
You can’t download that. You can’t get it from a livestream. You can’t simulate it through a comments section or a Zoom room.
Real events offer something irreplaceable: the moment you were there, and you’re glad you were.
Matt Desmier puts this across well, “Create a space people feel comfortable, amongst friends or full of people they want or ought to meet.
Give them something extra. Make them smile. Feed them something better than stale sandwiches. Involve them."
For instance, at last weeks join event with Bournemouth University, we closed it with a tug of war, on the street.
You want people to leave grinning. Enthused and eager to tell people about their experience. Excited to come back next time.
Learning All The Time For The New Term
The YATM Lunch Clubs return this September.
We’re back in London on the 4th and Poole on the 11th. It’s a reset and clarity on what these events stand for.
Our learning year starts in September and it goes to April, for Creator Day.
It’s not a networking event, but it’s still work.
Over the years this format has changed. In the early days of Lunch Club, the focus was entirely on the expertise and insights of a guest related to a marketing discipline.
It was quite chaotic when it all started, that was because it was all new, not just for everyone, but for me too.
Today, Lunch Club represents learning from each other around topics that are relatable to people fighting their corners. We purposely don’t cover marketing specifics ie. SEO, email marketing, PR, ChatGPT, as you can easily find that information online without needing to seek it out in person. Instead, we explore themes related to staying relevant and fostering a shared community.
September starts in London with ‘curiosity’ and then off to Poole for ‘being genuine.’ In both locations, food that brings people together. We sit together, we eat together, we figure it all out as a team.
When it all starts to connect to the wider world of YATM and not as one off events, that is why we’re heading into 10 years of Lunch Clubs. They’ve just changed and adapted over the years because they’ve had to or we’ll just stand still and fade out.
How Do You Create That Kind of Event?
If you’re thinking about how to bring people together, here’s a framework that might help when it comes to people choosing you:
The 3 I’s of Events People Choose
1) Invitation
This is not about mass promotion. Make it personal. People don’t want to be part of a crowd, they want to be part of a circle.
If you invite someone specifically, they’re more likely to show up. It tells them, “This is for you.” I have found that directoutreach has a greater return than continual posting.
2) Intention
Be clear about what you are delivering, what someone is going to get from it and be honest.
If you want it be about more conversations, make sure you’re clear about that. If it’s about creativity, spark that in the invite. Set the tone so people arrive already feeling like they belong.
3) Impact
Ask yourself: ‘What will people leave with that they didn’t arrive with?’ A new idea? A new friend? A new sense of direction? A good conversation?
Don’t overpromise with the 10x your business rhetoric, focus on delivering something that is going to stick and is achievable for you and for the people attending.
Let’s Round-Up
No one has to come, but that’s the whole point.
So much today is about competing for attention, but very few compete for care.
The question isn’t “How do I get more signups?,” it’s “How do I make this feel like time well spent?”
When you stop thinking like a promoter and begin to think like a host, everything changes.
When you create something real, people will not only show up, they will also want to be a part of it.
Share this with someone else 💌
https://www.youarethemedia.co.uk/reason-people-show-up/
Time Wasting
Convert any weight into bananas, flies, Corgis, black holes, and more
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This Week Around The Web
GROWTH, CREATION & YOUR INDEPENDENCE
10 steps to starting over as a content creator - from Joe Pulizzi
Understated marketing skill: CURIOSITY - from Fab Giovanetti
THE COMMUNITY YOU CAN BUILD
How we mistook being reachable for being real - from Julie By Default
The power is in being different - from Matt King
GROWING YOUR NEWSLETTER
The long peak of newsletters - from Claudia Jazwinska
Five email newsletter must-haves - from Spam Resource
All Of Us Is Better Than One Of Us
A group of committed and thoughtful people can have a greater impact than trying to make a difference alone.
A creative space for people to be seen and invited helps to keep the entire effort relevant as ideas are continually welcomed and encouraged.
An individualistic approach for all our efforts feels dated.
The powerful shared drive where people can attach a deeper meaning to the overall cause encourages longevity.
YATM Lunch Club London | Released Today
The new Lunch Club term starts in London on Thursday 4th September. Our opening theme is curiosity.
It's going to be at The Alma, in their private dining space, in Wandsworth. It looks like this, above.
Until 12pm tomorrow, Friday, you can get the pre release dip for £30. It then becomes £40 (it remains £30 for YATM Club members). This includes lunch and when we're finished around 2pm, why don't we stay out?
If London is easier for you, hope you can join in and feel a part of the YATM community. The events go up to April and then it's time for Creator Day '25 at the seaside. It's all planned and ready, can't wait.
Come And Join In
There's always activity for you in YATM.
🙌 It's Work Together in YATM Club today at 9.15am BST, join us here
✏️ It's Ben's Sense Check on 25th June, book it in here, in YATM Club
💥 Lunch Club Poole is 11th September on 'being genuine,' book here.
Click here to watch the end of newsletter video. See you soon.
