The Planathon: A Behind the Scenes Look at Hosting a Revenue Generating Event Part 2

We designed the Plan A Thon to help you build out your strategic plan for the year so you know what you want and need to get in action on so that you can get results faster. And yes, there is a plethora of research that supports when you build a plan, you're going to get to your destination faster. When you build a plan, implementation is going to be easier. When you have goals, people spin in circles many times, right? Oh, I feel like I'm walking in circles. Wait, have we been here again already? But when you set a goal, you are more likely to get where you want to be going faster, in a straight line, with less distraction, etc. So as I think about how I support business owners and entrepreneurs in reaching their goals, how having a plan is a key part of it. Plan for how you're going to get there hey hey Amber McHugh here we are back with part two of our two part behind the Scenes about hosting a revenue generating event for your business. While we're walking through an example that I have used in my business called the Plan A Thon in the last episode I broke down some of the key elements of the Plan A Thon which I will summarize very briefly before we dive into this episode. And in this episode we're going to talk about what is changing this year and why. So in the last episode I shared some of the tech that we used, why we set the Plan A Thon up in the way that we did with pre recorded videos instead of live presentations. Throughout, I shared some of the tech that we used and why as well as I shared that we had presenters and in that event and that we tried to make the Plan A Thon in highly engaging by including entertainment but also inviting people to move through that experience with purpose to get a specific action or a result at the end. You can listen to that episode for some of the details and more behind the scenes on that. But I now want to dive into the Plan A Thon and what is happening this year as we Prepare for our 11th annual planning event of the Year for entrepreneurs and Business owners. I shared in the last episode that this event came about because I was seen in communities that I was in when I was a new entrepreneur. Questions about how do you plan for your year ahead? Does anyone have a process or methodology they have to get set up for success in the year ahead? Does anyone do their own strategic planning and can you guide me through it? I was like man, I do this. You know, there are those things that we do and that we know and that, you know, maybe come naturally to you or that you have a skill set for established that, hey, this just makes a lot of sense. I can absolutely host this. And one of the things that I saw is in the entrepreneur community then, and it's even more prevalent now, is the plethora of choices and options and ways that you can build, grow, scale your business. And that was leading to a lot of overwhelm for people and a lot of confusion and a lot of inaction while we wait to make a decision on how to move forward, things forward. So with that in mind, we designed the Plan A thon to help you build out your strategic plan for the year so you know what you want and need to get in action on so that you can get results faster. And yes, there is a plethora of research that supports when you build a plan, you're going to get to your destination faster. When you build a plan, implementation is going to be easier. When you have goals, people spin in circles many times, right? Oh, I feel like I'm walking in circles. Wait, have we been here again already? But when you set a goal, you are more likely to get where you want to be, going faster, in a straight line, with less distraction, etc. So as I think about how I support business owners and entrepreneurs in reaching their goals, having a plan is a key part of it. A plan for how you're going to get there. So with this in mind, we designed the Plan A thon and I'm going to dive into a bit of what is changing in year 11 of the planning event of the year for entrepreneurs and business owners. Yes, we have been doing this for 10 years. Number 11 is happening at the end of October. You can RSVP@theplanathon.com and and so I'm just going to dive into some of the things that are changing and why we are making these changes. This way, when you join us in the Plan A Thon, you're going to see like, oh yeah, I see what's happening here. But also you may pick up on some things that you want to reflect on and think about for your business. And when you create a revenue generating event. Why do I call the Plan A thon a revenue generating event? Because we are hosting this event to bring people together to get people a specific result. But also it is tied to us inviting people to take a next step with us and ultimately serve their business in some way, which is a revenue generating event for us as business owners. Right. So I invite you to think about your marketing campaigns as revenue generating opportunities as well. Right. You're bringing people together, you're hosting a workshop and you're giving people information and some people will want to take the next step with you. And this is my favorite kind of marketing because it is purposeful, it is focused, it is intentional and we are walking down a path together. Certainly as we look at any funnel, there are going to be a number of people who say, oh, I've got what I need, I'm not ready to take the next step. So this is where our numbers come in. This is where you're going to want to calculate roi, buy and do some forecasts on your funnel. But that is a conversation for another time. So when I think about a revenue generating event, I want to think about what result am I getting people in this event or in this marketing campaign and what result will this also generate for the business we are running. And the closer you can get the marketing campaign to the time of the revenue generation, the better. It is a beautiful thing when we can close the gap and see ROI sooner and soon is a relative term. So again, conversation for another time. But when we think about this particular revenue generating event, the first time we hosted this, I'm going to dive into some of the changes. The first time we hosted this, we hosted it over five days and I was the guide for your building your plan for your business growth. And we know that there are so many experts out there that you're going to want to tap into to lend expertise to the plan that you are building. So I invited my colleagues and my clients to come into this event as guest speakers, guest expert speakers and to share something very focused, specific, actionable, related to things that were top of mind for people in our community that they may be implementing next year. So, you know, over the years different things have been top of mind, running a challenge, running your Facebook ads, getting set up on TikTok, you know, when TikTok was emerging. So we shifted the topics based on what was current. And again I was wrapping around the strategic planning process for you to set your business up for success in the year ahead. So Eastern standard time, we had five videos for five days. I generally kick it off with some strategic planning. We have expert presentations and then I would wrap it up in a workshop and we pull it all together. Something that is going to change this year is we are going to take those five videos per day for five days, but we're going to compress it so we can come together live in, in an experience from noon Eastern to 2pm Eastern each day for four days, October 30th, 31st, November 1st and November 2nd. And we are going to have less presenters and generally less presentation. And I am going to guide you through very specific activities you want to do to lay the foundation for for your planning and your growth in the year ahead. So we can get more intentional, we can clear the distractions, we can get focused on what's going to get us results. And very specifically, the things we are going to focus on in this year's plan a thon are where are you now? And where are you going now? This is a big change because we used to spread this across five days and on each day things were spread across the whole day and people would pop in and out, although I was there live for every comment, every video, when the video went up because it was a live experience, even though those videos were prerecorded. This year I'm going to be there live delivering and facilitating. I invite you to carve out time to be there live because you're going to get incredible results and we're actually going to do the work together there in the moment moment. So in the past you get there would be a short video, you'd be invited to take an action step and you'd be on your own to do it. And maybe people did it, maybe people did not do it. A okay. But I know that we have overwhelm and we have distraction. We have all of the things going on and if people are able to carve out this time in advance to be there with us for that short window of time each day, live for four days, it is going to be an investment of time that pays off exponentially as distraction melts away, as you get focus, as you get clarity and you're able to get to your destination faster because you built the plan to get there so very specifically in the plan a thon like I said, we're going to focus on where are we now and where are we going? And we're going to walk you through very specific exercises that are going to lay the foundation for your plan for the year ahead. Now notice previously I shared that we had a lot of presenters. There are absolutely going to be less presenters in this year's plan a thon and frankly, there's going to be a little bit less of me presenting because we're going to get in action together. So I'm going to be less presenter and more guide while you, you are guided by me and we collaborate to Build your personalized plan for growth in the year ahead. Those are the big changes. That's kind of it. Actually it's a lot, but it's big because we're going from pre recorded videos to me presenting live. We're going from those videos that are spaced out throughout the day to a compressed amount of time where we will be there together and we will actually focus and get it done and do this planning together. And then we're going to follow up in a different way and there's going to be a different next step which I'm going to get to shortly. But first I want to share why we are making this small but kind of big change. And this is because when we had multiple speakers, like 20 speakers inside the Plan A Thon, y' all the speakers that we have had the opportunity to learn from and inside the planet on so good. So good. In fact, there are presentations that I still go back to. In fact, I was just talking to the Tiny Offer queen Ali yesterday. We were talking about when she presented in the Plan A Thon and actually it was with a group of clients. She was sharing with a group of my clients in a small group about some Tiny Offer strategies and what's current in Tiny Offers and she presented in the plan a thon4 maybe 5 years ago. And someone, one of my clients said I've gone back to that video over and over. Me too. So many of our Planet Thon presentations I have gone back to multiple times. Rachel Peterson, Colin Boyd, Amy Porterfield, Maggie, Megan Flat. I mean I could go on and on of the presentations. Oh Victoria, man alive. I mean the presentations, just such high caliber. And here's the feedback that I got. I took in so much information that I am unsure what I should put into my plan. Oh my gosh. That was not the intent. Even though we shared with people. Please do not watch all these presentations. People tried to watch all of the presentations. We said watch the presentations that are aligned with the strategy and the plan that you are building. And the speakers are just irresistible, truly. So people would try and watch all of them. And a couple of things happen. Peter and off at the end of the week because it's just kind of impossible to keep up. Which is why we shared with people. Don't. Don't even try. Don't even try. In fact, the first commitment we make in every single Plan A Thon and I'm going to share this with you now and you're going to hear it again in the Plan A thon on October 30 if you rsvp@theplanson.com, tell your friends. It's more fun planning together, for sure. So we make a commitment at the beginning of every Plan A thon to commit to not doing it all. And the first challenge that I invite you to say yes to as a part of our Plan A thon experience is say yes to not doing it all. Are you in? And still we're trying to do it all in our businesses, in our lives, in this microcosm of a Plan A Thon. And the design of the event did not support and serve us, who are, yeah, I'm gonna try. I'm gonna go through it all. Oh, my gosh. And then I'm going to feel overwhelmed, and then I'm not going to have what I need to have done. So this is a driving factor for the redesign of the Plan A Thon as we roll into year 11, and we've been doing this for 10 years. So we've got a lot of data, we've got a lot of feedback, and we've got a lot that works inside the Plan A Thon. I mean, thousands upon thousands of comments and feedback and nuggets of why the planethon community. The inspiration, the momentum, the entertainment, the education is so valuable. So you can imagine that making a shift like this is also a little nervous. And with my clients, I also share behind the scenes of changes we're exploring evaluations, you know, the data, what we're seeing, what we're considering. And I was sharing this fairly significant, but also, you know, kind of minor change that we are making inside the Plan A Thon. And I said, this feels risky, but it feels important and it feels right and it feels aligned. And a client came back, Sarah Cannon, and said, yeah, it's risky to change, but sometimes it's also risky not to change. And in case you needed that right now, in case you're in a season of change and you're looking at reevaluating something, I wanted to share that nugget as well. It is risky to change, but sometimes it is more risky not to change. So if you are seeing something that you need to do differently in your business or in your life, consider that nugget from Sarah. Now, people are busy. They got a lot going on. So we are going to invite you to refocus on your strategic plan Inside the Plan A Thon this year. And there will be less information. There will still be entertainment, but the results and the value, I am hoping we take that to the Next level for you. Now, one of the things that may be relevant for you and is certainly relevant for a good percentage of our community is that we are a global community. So that means that many of the people who participate inside the plan a thon with us may actually be fast asleep from noon Eastern to 2pm Eastern the week of October 30th while we are hosting this event. So while we are changing some things, one thing that is going to stay the same is that we are going to still stream this live event into our Facebook group, which you can join when you rsvp@theplanathon.com we'll link you right up to join the Facebook group with us. And we're still going to stream. We're still going to have giveaways and prizes for our live participants as well as our participants that are there watching the stream after they wake up. Because I highly encourage and support everybody sleeping. No one needs to wake up in the middle of the night for the planet on do you need a plan? Yes. I highly recommend you get a plan in place. However, you do not need to wake up in the middle of the night for this. We've got you. We've got you. Australia, New Zealand, Asia. Like, we've got you wherever you are. Even there are sometimes those that are just a little bit funky and it's just going to be a little bit late for you. 8pm Ethiopia, Cape Town, Morocco join us Europe, join us. U s join us. But if you are in some of those places where it is indeed the middle of the night, please sleep, please sleep and you can wake up and join us and participate and we're going to be right there in the comments supporting you live as well. So behind the scenes you can see we are making some big changes as we go live and do this together. We want you showing up live on those days. However, we also want to continue to serve and support our community that is international and global. And so we are keeping that streaming version now. We'll see. Of course we're moving through this together so we'll see how this works. It's our first time hosting this all live interactive working workshop. We're going to do this real time together so it's going to look a little bit different. It's going to feel a little bit different. I am personally really, really excited because I love creating live experiences. We do this quite frequently inside the modern CEO where we host virtual retreats and we host regular live quarterly planning sessions for our clients. There's something beautiful about coming together and going into breakout rooms and connecting with other entrepreneurs and business owners. And we want to do that with you in a big way this year inside the planet. So that's the big change, that's the why, and that is a bit of guidance and behind the scenes that's happening here and some of the beautiful feedback and wisdom that my clients shared with me as I was opening up about what we're going to shift in our 11th annual planning event of the year, the plan a thon. October 30th through November 2nd. Mark your calendar because it is going to be so much fun to plan with you live at this event. And if you can't make it live, we're going to see you in the comments after right in our group. So if you have reactions, feedback, you are excited about this and curious how it's going to go to, definitely let me know. You can find me on instagram @amber McHugh and I am so grateful to be on this journey with you and I can't wait to see your plans take shape. But even more so, I cannot wait to see your plans come to life as we move through the days, weeks, months and year ahead together. Yes, it is October 2023 and we are already talking about and thinking about 2024. You are going to be focused, intentional, strategic and you are going to be way ahead of the game this year. I'll see you at the Plan A Thon. You're right on time.