When is an adventure not an adventure?

When you break down on a deserted road. Alone.

You know how you can set out on a road trip full of excited anticipation, only to experience the depths of frustration a few hours later?

You could be crossing the Rockies and run into a snowstorm–in July!

Or tooling along through the Nevada desert when the fan belt quits.

It's not only not fun to have a break down; it can be dangerous. And if you're alone, the spirit of adventure can fade pretty fast.

Working for yourself is a lot like taking a cross country road trip.

It doesn't matter how well you prepare, something unexpected is going to happen. that's part of what makes it an adventure.

But the adventure can turn into drudgery punctuated by panic if you don't have a support system.

When you take a road trip, you can join an auto club. But what do you do when you have a self-employment melt-down?

Introducing Shaboom County:
Roadside Assistance for Accidental Entrepreneurs

Who Joins Shaboom County?           Bonnie Miller, Therapist and Visual Artist inter-actionconsulting.com Member since February 2008           Lisa, Visual Artist lisasart.com Member since April 2008           Lynne Tolk, Life Coach lifedirectionscoach.com anintegratedlife.com Member since May 2008           Jude Spacks, Creative Life Coach and Visual Artist stinkwanink.com Member since April 2008       Rosalyn Clare Corporate Escape Coach rosalynclare-coaching.co.uk Member since April 2008           Deb D, Visual Artist dedavisart.com/fieldwork Member since April 2008           Elisabeth Condon, Visual Artist elisabethcondon.com Member since January 2007

Shaboom County exists because, in the words of one member, "Square Pegs" need a place to get support for growing their businesses without being shoved into round holes.

And if you are a creative person, perhaps a bit of a renegade, who doesn't see herself in the mainstream of western business practices, there aren't a lot of communities where you can be yourself and work on earning a better living.

No pretensions allowed

If you've ever made a cross-country trip with a friend, you know that it isn't long before you drop any pretensions you might have started with. Sharing gas station restrooms does that.

And Shaboom County is definitely a come-as-you-are community.

As one member put it,

One thing I love is that it is a place we can fail... there is so little room for pretence here... how wonderful.

(By the way, "pretence" wasn't misspelled. That member is from the UK, and the Brits do different things with their esses and cees.)

One of the neat things about Shaboom County is that members come from all over the world. At least I think that's neat.

You can be yourself at Shaboom County, so you don't have to split yourself into two people: the creative spirit and the business owner. You can be both!

The heart of Shaboom County is Town Hall, a discussion forum. Here members gather to ask for help, offer support, and plan community activities. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the community is there to provide a safe haven, emergency support, and reliable directions to your destination.

Again, a member says it best:

For me this place is about having the best possible colleagues – supportive, intimate friendships built over time, pulling together to get our work to manifest in its most authentic, creative, true and successful evolving forms –which includes and depends on the inner work involved.

The honesty, humor, vulnerability and courage here are so nourishing. And you can come and go, which makes it even safer – other's will respond when you don't have anything to contribute at the moment.

What's a community without a library?

As a member, you'll have full access to a library where you'll find articles and resources available nowhere else on my sites. There's even a growing audio archive where you can download classes and community teleconferences.

It is all secure, private, and spam-free.

Pay no attention to the coach behind the curtain

One of the things I love most about Shaboom County is that I can let my hair down.

I try to do that in the ezine, but in Shaboom County I can be even more playful, direct, smart-alecky, compassionate, and vulnerable.

I suppose it's because Town Hall allows for deeper relationships than that between a writer and reader.

Now that might send you screaming into the night, in which case you don't need to join. (And hey, I won't take offense. There are days when I don't want to be with me, either.)

But if it sounds appealing, come on down.

By the way, letting my hair down doesn't mean that I won't be there for you as a coach. Everything I've learned along the way is yours for the asking.

And it will be delivered without image management, perfectionism, or power-plays.
Jump to membership plans.

Who joins Shaboom County?

On the one hand, Shaboom County members are intelligent, authentic, and creative.

[It's so] "fun and exciting to read what's happening around the world with these powerhouse women who are hugely accomplished and competent and brilliant."

On the other, they are real people, and that means that they experience real-life ups and downs. And while they are powerhouses, they don't always feel that way.

Shaboom County is a place to grapple, struggle, and play with questions like "What was I thinking?" and "Who do I think I am to even try this?" without worrying about what others are going to think.

It gives members:

• A safe place to vent, which can make the difference between staying stuck and moving on.
• Multiple points of view that show that there are many ways to get a job done.
• A chance to witness the highs and lows of other members, which puts your own into perspective.
• The problem solving ability of a whole lot of brain-and-heart power.
• A way to be accountable without rigidity. Accountability and flow go hand in hand as you share your plans and progress.

What do you get when you join?

In a nutshell:

• My personal support for growing your business. Ask me anything. So long as you do it in Town Hall, where everyone can benefit, I'll answer!
• Feedback on your web pages, articles, and sales letters. (Enhanced Membership)
• A growing library of audio recordings, worksheets, and other tools accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Members-only teleconferences on specific aspects of building your business–always recorded so you can listen later if you can't attend.
• Members-only discounts on new products and workshops and free previews of work in progress.

Notice, I didn't even try to estimate the dollar value of those things. For one thing, it would sound ridiculous (even if true). For another, if it isn't self-evident to you that it's a good deal, you shouldn't sign up.

Oh God, another way to spend time at the computer!

In a world glutted with information, bargain content is no bargain at all. Nor is one more opportunity to be hypnotized by the computer screen.

So why should you come hang out online?

First, there's a real benefit to hanging out. You get to see you aren't the only one. You get to help others. You're likely to discover you know a lot more than you thought.

And the more comfortable you get, the more likely you'll be to ask when you need help. You'll be amazed at the response.

But rest assured, if you seem to be dithering about in analysis paralysis, I am going to notice. (It takes one to know one.) And I will personally step in and challenge you to get into action.

I'll be nice, but you can count on me to help you make your time in Shaboom County productive.

Enough. How do I join? If you've seen enough, click here to join.

Simple answers to tough questions

I invited current members of Shaboom County what reservations they had before they joined. They asked some tough questions. If you have a question that isn't answered here, you'll find a place at the bottom of the page where you can ask it.

Is this just a way to get me to spend more money?

You know how some sites invite you to sign up and promise support, but once they have your money, you're pretty much left to your own devices?

That won't happen at Shaboom County. Sure, there are times when I get really busy and it can take a while for me to answer questions. But I will always let you know if that's happening.

There's even a whole topic called, "Remind Molly." You don't have to wait and wonder when I'll get around to you; you can ask. (And please do!)

And you'll receive updates, reminders, and invitations to get you involved and keep you involved. We'll even drop you a note to see what's up if you drop out of sight for while. No pressure or should-ing, just a reminder that you have a community of support. Jump to membership plans.

Will I actually feel supported, and held accountable?

Here's what other members of Shaboom County say about that:

"You actually edit, comment, and coach on the practical aspects of marketing and identifying niche."

"I like that people other than the main Moderator feel comfortable to add thoughts, share tips, and ask questions, start topics etc. For me, this feels very productive, and community based, very broad based."

"There's a welcoming and personal vibe, the sense that the members are Doers. Everyone is actually pursuing goals and changes."

Bottom line: You get to decide how much and what kind of support you receive. Jump to membership plans.

Will I end up doing a lot of reading and get lost?

The last thing you need is one more way to waste time or get lost in information overload. You can get a feel for Shaboom County in less than 15 minutes a day, three times a week. Do that for a couple of weeks, and you'll quickly discover where you want to spend your time so that you get the greatest benefit for the least effort.

I'm not very tech-y.

If you can send an email, you have the technical ability to participate. Maggie (also known as the office angel) is available to give you step-by-step guidance in registering, logging in, downloading, and posting. She'll get on the phone with you and walk you through whatever issues you have.

I don't have time.

Do you have enough time to solve your business challenges alone? Give Shaboom County 15 minutes a day, three times a week, for three weeks, and I guarantee you will be clearer and more focused about your work.

How will the site be managed?

The community is self-monitoring. That said, every community can use a few public agreements. These are ours.

1. We will be kind to each other, even when being rigorously honest.
2. We will do our own work (The Work) on anything that upsets us here.
3. What you see or hear here (including in our telecons) stays here.
4. We help each other, giving whatever we have.
5. We are each responsible for taking what works and leaving the rest.
6. We ask for help from each other.
7. We maintain the privacy and confidentiality of our community by not copying or sharing recordings, documents, or posts elsewhere.

What do people talk about in the Town Hall forum?

Recent topics include:

• How to write a sales page for the Web.
• What it means to be an artist.
• How to focus when you need to generate revenue.
• Copywriting for a brochure.
• How to plan a teleclass.
• And doing the happy dance around a clothesline.

Will I fit in?

I changed schools five times by the time I was in 7th grade, so I know what it's like to walk into a strange community. The thing is, if you want to join us, we really want you there. Everyone benefits from a diverse range of talents, interests, and levels of experience.

Are there limits to what I can ask you?

You can ask anything. You can ask me how I plan a teleclass, how I decide what to charge, even how much money I make.

Will you really have enough time for everyone?

Shaboom County can take a lot of time. Some days I spend several hours reading and responding to posts. And there are days when I don't make it in at all (though I try to let you know when I'm away).

Yet I can honestly say that active members get their needs met. That's partly because people learn so fast in community and are generous in passing along their wisdom. It's partly because there's a special topic where you can remind me if I forget to answer a question or fulfill a promise.

And the more people use Shaboom County, the higher a priority it is for me.

Finally, there is a limit to how many people can join. First, only people who have purchased The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur are eligible. Second, a maximum of 20 new people can join in any single month.

The Not-So-Small Print

Before you go any further, you should know that there's a catch. (Actually, there are two of them.)

Catch Number 1: You must own a copy of The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur.

This is the basic text, the trail guide, for our work at Shaboom County.

Catch #2: You get what you settle for.

The secret to benefiting from Shaboom County is to be selfish! Ask for what you want for yourself and your business. The more more you ask for, the more everyone gets.

But to ask, you have to show up. I've joined a lot of groups that I never used, in spite of my best intentions. So Maggie (the office angel) and I make a point of personally helping you to be involved.

You'll get weekly emails pointing to new conversations. You'll receive email announcements of every community teleclass. And we'll personally walk you through how to use the forum. (Yup. You can make a date with Maggie and she'll give you a guided tour by phone.)

 

The Sweet Dreams Guarantee

Self-employment can cause many a sleepless night. And, if you like what you've read so far, I truly believe Shaboom County will help you sleep better.

But how do you know I mean it?

Well, for one thing, I don't want you to join if this hasn't resonated. I'd rather talk you out of joining (if it's not a good fit) than collect your money.

And if you do join? I give you a Sweet Dreams Guarantee. ("Shaboom, shaboom... Life could be a dream..." Get it?)

Join Shaboom County and participate for a whole year. If in that time you don't feel that the community and the resources have helped you sleep better, you get your membership fee back.

And yes, you get to keep any of the ebooks and audios that you may have downloaded during the year.

Think it over. How is your adventure of self-employment feeling these days? Could you use some good company and a solid roadside assistance plan?

© 2008-10 Shaboom Inc., Life could be a dream. All rights reserved.
info@authenticpromotion.com

PO Box 195
Suquamish, WA 98392-0195
360-421-1985