A surprise twist at the end of this STORY…

I’m excited to tell you this update.

Some of you have been following the STORY of my STORY and here. For the sake of time I won’t recap, just click the links if you aren’t in the loop…

It was  lovely surprise, and I was taken aback on Friday. Well, in a surprise twist, and a gracious gesture going to the STORY conference in Chicago is now possible.

I’m blown away!

I just need to scrape together some lodging and a plane or train ticket. But, it’s GOING TO HAPPEN!

Choices: Plane ($266 + tax and fee via Southwest, trip take a few hours.)

or  Train ($168 + tax and fees via Amtrak, trip takes 19-20 hours, but I can really see the countryside)

Seriously…What would you do?

If anyone knows someone I could lodge with in Chicago, that’d be awesome. (Did I mention I was poor?)

I’m super stoked to record my journey and share it with you as I travel to #STORY2012. Look for more on this in mid-September.

WEDNESDAY’S post will be on using Social Media better.
With that in mind: 
How do you need help with this for your project? Do you have any questions about social media? I’m going to set to helping with this. Stay tuned.

Official Launch of “Game For Adventure” @Kickstarter

Snail Mail gets an upgrade.

It’s official. I have an genuine Kickstarted project accepted and LIVE.
Backers make this creative project happen and get rewarded in the process.
Or click image for promo video:
LAUNCH PAGE

Will this Story have a Happy Ending?

CLARIFICATION: I initiated 2 projects at kickstarter. 1 is LIVE (and involves an interactive game through the mail)…and the one below is in the admin editing stage.

This project is about a STORY.

7/31 UPDATE! With some changes this may go through. I got some encouraging news from Kickstarter today!

7/27 UPDATE! Another twist. Today, Kickstarter declined this project on the grounds that it was “charity funding”. I have appealed because no funds will go to Little Free Library, but rather to my trip to share my essay about the organization.

7/23

HERE’S the STORY!

Months ago…I wanted to promote the amazing organization called Little FREE Library; so I submitted an essay for inclusion at the September STORY Conference in Chicago. It was accepted to be featured there. I was overjoyed.

Then our car died. So, no money for the trip to the conference. No way to tell the story of the Little Free Library movement face-to-face.

This Story needs a happy ending in just 20 KickStarter days when the Project launches there early next week. Crowd-sourcing can make the improbable become feasible. And BUZZ is ensuing!

Will it happen? How will the Story end?
Stay-tuned. And, pitch in if you can. They make it VERY easy over there at Kickstarter to make sure great Stories happen.

CHECK IT OUT!

Preview the project beforeit’s live.

Watch the video I made about it, check the details, learn the scoop on the rewards backers get, and please tell me what you think.

 

Aren’t you kinda curious?

The media’s been alerted, supporters are being rallied, and if we succeed in crowd-source funding, the entire Journey to STORY will be well-documented for all involved.

No twist, elation, disappointment, or irony will be left out:
• Photos,

• video footage,

• travel journal,

• and surprises are forthcoming.

Much gratitude and heavy doses of humor are imminent. 

It’s more than a little ironical that I might not get to tell my Story at the STORY Conference, am I right? It’s an amazing Story.

I thank you for your love and devotion, dear friends and readers.

-Lisa

(Bloggers: Help the cause. Copy and paste this Story into your next post. Let me know, and I’ll drop by and field reply comments.)

Surprise Has a Payoff

(Yes. There’s a surprise message inside)

I’m hand-crafting a Superb Snail Mail Package for Chris Guillebeau the best-selling author of $100 Startup and The Art of Non-Conformity.

It’s a tribute of gratitude really to some of the things I learned from Chris, especially from his guest post at Tim Ferriss’s blog: Chris advises,

Put happiness in a box…and make people feel special.

That’s infused into the premise of Superb Snail Mail.


Though Chris is aware of the upcoming delivery, he won’t know what he’s getting until it arrives. I’m shooting for memorable, personalized delight and wonder.

My Startup that has it’s challenges…
to really know how good Superb Snail Mail is one should experience it. But a pre-customer hasn’t experienced it.

I say pre-customers optimistically…
because I have this gut feeling that with some diligence the value and “preciousness” of Superb Snail Mail will gain bona fide traction, and not merely among postal enthusiasts. In many ways this can be possible because of the power of surprise.

It’s sobering: Surprising someone runs the risk of misunderstanding…failure.

While most people like good surprises what a good surprise is varies from person to person. So, it takes some work ahead of time to do well.

What I love is that when we offer a surprise that brings delight there’s a positive payoff: A relationship is built.

 

TRY THIS:

Figure out how you can offer a good surprise for your team, your customer, a new friend, or someone you care about. Remember that good surprises build relationship. That means something and it builds your legacy.

How will you build relationships this week through good surprises?

 

psst.
Ready for my Surprise?


News from a Hostel Environment

I just got some postcard love from across the country. Lara lives in this amazing hostel near the Golden Gate bridge. I haven’t been to the West Coast yet, but now I know where I’d love to visit! I’ll take that Hostel Environment any day!

Reaching out though my creative experiment Super Snail Mail has brought new friends into my world. It’s been far more fun than I even imagined with surprises almost everyday. The power of shiny stickers, some creativity, and generosity has a Pay It Forward vibe, and I’m feeling the love.

If you want in, check out this page.
Or you may get your postcard featured here
if you send it to me:
Superb Snail Mail, PO BOX 10 Cressona, PA 17929.
 Create your own 4″x6″ card and send it my way.

Peace out.

-Sparky