#I basically know how it’s constructed but whether my sewing machines can do it is another question

[vashti-lives]

My cat tree needed some new posts so in addition to doing that I cleaned and recovered it over the weekend and Theda was so mad the whole time.

All of my cats were confused, but Theda was mad. I stole her cat tree!! Mother is evil!!!!!! Every time I added a new layer she had to climb on it, regardless of it was screwed down yet.

She’s finally at peace again. In time I may be forgiven.

[aurorajay]

I love making costumes but I always feel bad about my skill level being far below everyone else’s. Even though I love making costumes they never look good quality. Any advice?

It's easier to answer specific questions about a project vs. a general "how to be good”, but I'm gonna give it my best shot.

First off, go easy on yourself, you're learning! I know I'm still learning. Hell, the seasoned pro of 3 decades is still learning! Every fuck up and mediocrity is a step of improvement. I won't tell you that practice makes perfect, because it doesn't. It will make you better, great even. But it won't make you perfect. No one ever achieves perfection. And that's okay! Literally every single piece I've ever made has multiples elements I would change if i could. Even the ones that look good, like the now-popular moth cape. I will do lots of things differently when i make my next one.

Also, I know from experience how hard it is to avoid comparing yourself to others, especially online. So when we (inevitably) do, I think it's important to remember that there can be a BIG difference between in person and photos. That cool looking cosplay armour? Upon closer inspection it might be held together by hot glue. That pretty formal gown? It might have a real shitty fraying seam down the back. All we see is a carefully curated version of reality.

It's hard offering practical tips without more info to go on, but hopefully some of this will help. I think what makes a good looking costume can be broken down into 4 basic elements, so here’s what I think are the most important things to consider

Design: This is the part that people seem to have the easiest time with, and I can help the least with. Coming up with the idea. And when you’re costuming just for the pure enjoyment of it, there are no bad ideas! Now everyone approaches this differently, whether it's sketches, moodboards, or diagrams. Unless someone else is executing the concept, it doesn't even need to look remotely good! As long as you understand what the design is supposed to be, it works.

I will say to design with practical considerations in mind though. Think about where, how, and why it will be worn. Plan for things like zippers and buttons to get in and out, the weather where it will be worn, how much movement will be required, etc. You don’t want to end up sweaty and stuck in a polyester bodysuit that can only be opened with the help of two assistants in say, an outdoor summer event in LA.

Materials: This can be tricky, because it’s dependant on your resources. Materials are expensive, and quality ones even more so. But researching options and picking the best fit for your project is important. Making a historical piece? Stick to natural fibers. Cosplaying a superhero? You're gonna need spandex.

If you're short on funds, going through second hand stores can be real handy. Bigger ones will sometimes have actual yardage, but you can find sheets, curtains, saris, and all sorts of things to take apart and use. Get familiar with the properties and names of different textiles. You'll eventually develop a skill for spotting the nice stuff.

More specialized tools/materials like say fosshape or sewing machine attachments are harder to stumble across, but there will be online sales. If i find something good for cheap I buy it and hang onto it for later projects. If possible, take advantage of sales and rare finds while you can. You're a dragon and materials are your hoard!

Construction: Obviously you want your costume to be well-made, but this means knowing and mastering different techniques. It's a slow process, but one everyone is capable of undetaking! Firstly, you need to familiarize yourself with technical terms to make finding the actual tutorials easier. One of my go-to resources for this is The Sewing Book, by Reader's Digest. (There’s also a newer version available, I’ll include it below). It covers a wide variety of techniques, materials, etc. and has fantastic diagrams. Can’t recommend it enough

Companies that sell specialized stuff like thermoplastics or casting resin often have tutorials on their websites which can be indispensable to learning to use them properly. As well as very important safety precautions. They will also sometimes list external how-to sources or sell instructional books.

Take a close look at clothes and costumes you own to understand how they are put together. Figure out what techniques are appropriate to use where. A flat fell seam is great for jeans and french seam is perfect for chiffon, but try the reverse and it will be a pain. Take pictures and make sketches of interesting details that catch your eye. You can come back to them for ideas later.

I try and incorporate at least 1 new technique into every project I make, that way I'm always learning. But don't jump straight to trying it out on the final piece! Always make a sample (or several) beforehand. And keep the samples for later reference! I'm trying to amass a big scrapbook-style binder of samples, which is sooo so handy to come back to when it's been a while since you've done something.

Fit: This is the final, and possibly most difficult element of costuming. No matter how cool the design, how fancy the materials, and how good the construction, if something doesn’t fit right it’s going to look and feel wrong. Most of us here are making costumes for ourselves, which means you're going to need help. Measuring and fitting clothes on yourself is a nightmare, so enlist a friend or family member to give you a hand.

The other thing you can do it is to get a dress form/mannequin. These are pricey, and will probably need to be customized with padding and such anyways, so I recommend you DIY it. Again, you will need a helper, because the easiest way to get a custom dress form it to just straight up duct tape yourself into a crappy old shirt, cut it off, then stuff it. There’s tons of tutorials online for this, it’s a tried and true cheap method.

I highly recommend learning some basic pattern drafting, and that’s honestly the hardest part. You can rely on store bought patterns, but they are extremely variable in quality, and unless you’re in the rare minority who are a sample size, it will need some altering to fit you right. They can be a good starting point, but ultimately I think pattern drafting from scratch is much faster and more adaptable, if you're able to learn it. This is where you will need some good books or video instructions. I don’t have one single resource to recommend for this, but I will list some books at the end. If you personally know ANYONE with this skill, try and get them to teach you everything they know, because they are worth their weight on gold.

It’s important to note that some pattern drafting is easier than others, Stretch fabrics are MUCH more forgiving in this area, and that’s how i got started. Because the fabric will accommodate your form, the pattern requires fewer parts and darts, and there’s more leeway for mistakes. The one downside is that stretches can be more difficult to sew. Personally, I feel like they more than make up for it by being simplicity of drafting. The resources I’ve linked are geared toward drafting for non-stretch, but if you’re not following a similar tutorial i recommend stretch.

One last thing in regards to fit. ALWAYS MAKE A MOCKUP. You can work out so many fit issues just by making your costume in crappy material first, taking note of the fit issues, and adjusting them with pins, marking them with a sharpie, etc. Then you can change your pattern accordingly. Whether it’s a breastplate made of cardstock or a dress done in old sheets, you should always make a mockup. Sometimes several! The material doesn’t matter as long as it behaves roughly like the good stuff you plan on using. Don’t use a heavy blanket for if your costume is going to be a gauzy nymph robe, for example. But it doesn’t have to look nice. It just has to be wearable.

Resources:

*These are mostly tailored towards women’s garments. A lot of the same principles apply, but making men’s costumes will have some separate considerations not covered here. Just something to keep in mind if you want to draft for guys. These are all just starting points anyhow. There’s tons more out there

https://www.amazon.ca/Sewing-Book-Alison-Smith-2014-02-03/dp/B01JXQQ9Y2

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Step-Step/dp/1606522086

https://www.handimania.com/diy/your-own-shape-sewing-mannequin.html

https://www.fearlessmakers.com/measurements-for-pattern-making/

https://opensourcestitches.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/pattern-drafting-101-drafting-the-basic-bodice-block/

https://opensourcestitches.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/pattern-drafting-101-the-mens-shirt-block/

http://isntthatsew.org/pattern-making-101/

https://sewing.wonderhowto.com/how-to/draft-basic-pant-pattern-0126850/

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/063206501X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[creative-poptart]

Long Rant Incoming

If you don’t want to read this, that’s fine, just keep on scrolling and your life will remain as it is in the moment. What I have to say caters to very few people, but if you’d also like some insight on a personal topic of mine, keep reading. I can’t promise it’ll be fantastic, great, or even exciting, but it is informative.

That being said, if you’re still interested, let me tell you a little something about theater.

This is inspired by a neighbor of mine, one I’ve known since my childhood. He’s pretty nice, used to babysit me for my parents, and overall a great dude. He’s a lot older now, and his wife is no longer with us, may she rest in peace, but that’s just a little backstory. The real reason I write this is not only because of him but because of so many people doing the exact same thing he did.

I happened to come across him walking through the neighborhood, and he stopped to talk to my dad, so I thought I’d say hi. We chatted for a bit about the usual stuff, how’s life, what are you doing for work right now, do you have a boyfriend, etc. etc. Then he asked me if I’m still in school (I am), and then asked where I’m going to school. I tell him the name, and he asks what I’m studying, so I tell him: theater. 

He gives me the look.

You all know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that, the one face that someone makes when they don’t want to say anything, but they do. The look that practically screams, “I’m too polite to outright diss you, but I’m very clearly questioning your choices in life.”

I don’t like to be questioned a lot, because it makes me challenge myself, and I am trying to stay out of a mindset where I don’t know things about myself. This face got me thinking, and I am pissed.

On to the actual meat of the topic, then, the theater. When most people hear the word theater, they automatically think “actor” as the next word. That’s about the extent of their thought process, and I don’t blame them for that, I used to be the exact same way. All theater is, is just a bunch of people on stage, singing or talking their way through a show while wearing fancy clothes and prancing around under hot lights with a set-piece or two behind them, right?

Wrong.

I mentioned in that last sentence three jobs that have nothing to do with the actors themselves. Clothes, lights, and set-pieces. Those three things are all jobs that have nothing and everything to do with the people on the stage. Let’s take a closer look.

First off, clothes, more specifically costumes. That seems simple enough, right? The purpose of the costume is to clothe the actor/actress in a way that they aren’t just naked on the stage. Another use of costumes that people often forget is that it’s supposed to put you in the world on the stage. A shoddy, two-dollar outfit from the party store down the street is going to look terrible under the lights of the stage, and people will automatically be able to tell that it’s cheap. So when you don’t want that to happen, what do you do?

You make them. Sewing’s super easy right? Not for the theater.

Like any average amount of sewing, you have to know how to piece together fabrics and work a sewing machine or needle and thread. There’s more to that though when it comes to theater. The colors have to give the intended effects to the audience that the director wants to portray. Is the character supposed to pop when they make it on the stage, standing out? Are they more of the invisible type, blending in better with the crowd? Are they clean and rich or broke and dirty? All of those and more have to be factored into the costume design.

When the costume is put together, you also have to make sure that actors can move in it as needed. A stiff suit in a physical fight scene may need to be modified so that the actor can actually move around accordingly. The costumes also have to be sensitive to what era/time the show is taking place. Are we in the 1930′s or the modern-day? What sort of thematics are we going for, sci-fi or hyper-realism? There are several other categories of course, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to theater. 

What about the lighting on the stage? Is it soft, harsh, blinding even? Are we going for a pattern on the floor? What color is it? How many colors are there? Is it dim and low for dramatic effect, or are we going full brights to illuminate the stage? Is there a spotlight highlighting a certain actor? That has to be designed and crafted for the stage to look its very best and set the mood for a scene. When the lighting is off, it can throw the entire thing into utter chaos and make the stage and the actors terrible. No matter how good your acting is, if your audience thinks you’re looking awfully yellow and sick when you’re not supposed to, they won’t focus on what you’re doing.

Lighting technicians are a huge part of the theater, and wouldn’t you know it, but there’s actually other jobs that require lighting. The best example to go for: concerts. Think about it, if you can’t see your favorite band on the stage, what’s the point of listening to all the music? Part of the experience at a concert is getting to see the musicians working live, in action. If the lights suck, then you have an issue right from the get-go. 

Another thing, while I’m on the topic of concerts, is sound designing. Sure, your musicians are playing the music, but they have to set up microphones, speakers, wires, the whole shebang. Theater also requires a lot of sound design. Do you have a door slamming sound effect for an off-stage door? What about a musical interlude between scenes? Is a television playing cartoon sounds? What about a radio with a cue to cut off at a particular time? All of that has to be carefully cued up and ready to go before a show starts. Who else uses sound design? Music studios. This is not a singular skill just made for the theater.

Now the third job that I mentioned way back in the wall of text above set pieces. Someone has to make those, and sure, while there are people who just buy certain things in, most of the theater stuff is made nearby in a scene shop. Any stairs, platforms, windows, seats, walls, etc. that are made for a show can be made in the scene shop. The funny thing about the building of stuff in a scene shop, though is that all the tools, equipment, and materials that are used in there are things that you can find at any hardware store. The same techniques that you use to build a platform in a scene shop, or a wall, are the same kinds that are used in construction work for building houses. The dimensions, purposes, and durability of these things are far different, but they are all made the same way. Wouldn’t you know it, but there’s also a whole lot of options in construction, and that’s a “real job” in the world.

But sure, I get it. Some of these things aren’t that great to think about, and they don’t make a whole lot of difference. Let’s take a step back from the actual theater though, and take a breather. What about using the acting side of it somewhere else? Is there anywhere else?

I’m glad you asked.

The courtroom.

What? There’s no way that acting can be done in a courtroom, right?

Think about this: what’s the job of a lawyer in the courtroom? They have to present their cases to the jury and the judge, give the evidence, and hopefully, they’ll win the jury over to thinking that they’re right and give the verdict in their favor. That’s the bare basics of it, but also consider this.

Is a lawyer genuinely effective in their job if they don’t convince the jury that they’re telling the right side of the story? 

A lawyer has to learn how to capture the attention of the room to make sure that everything they give is compelling evidence. They have to make use of their bodies, their facial expressions, their tonality when they speak, all to get the answer that they want to see in the courtroom come to pass. Do you think law school teaches them how to do that? Not really, they’re focused more on giving them the appropriate laws and regulations they have to follow.

Theater does that. 

When they act on a stage, a good actor/actress will captivate you. Every single word that comes from their mouth will compel you to want to know a little more. That’s how it should be. A lawyer’s job is much the same, but instead of having an audience of a few hundred, they have an audience of twelve to convince. One of my friends is gearing up to be a lawyer, and he told me that a theater degree in law school is more desirable than a criminal justice degree. Theater also teaches improvisation, which is handy to have when your opponent brings up a point in their case that you didn’t prepare for.

If none of that has convinced you that theater degrees are not totally worthless, then I just have one last piece for you to chew on mentally. Actors and actresses have one of the hardest entertainment jobs that we know of. They have to be able to remember what to say, where and when to say it, where they stand, how they move, where they’re moving to, what’s coming up next, and they do it for hours on a single night, not including all the prep work in rehearsal. On top of that, there’s no do-overs if something goes awry. 

If one actor forgets their line and they can’t get back on track, the other actors have to improvise, or basically make something up on the spot, to try and get themselves and the other actor back on track. If something physically goes wrong, like an actor getting hurt or a set-piece breaking mid-show, they can’t stop everything and start again. The show must go on, and they all have to do it with a smile on their face and keep everything running as smoothly as possible. 

Additionally, actors have to believably portray emotions and feelings to an audience all night long. This is done, mind you, before a live audience who watches their every move, analyzing whether that actor feels the emotion. It can be exhausting to do, and many actors train for so long just to be emotionally open enough to get one or two feelings on the stage.

To summarize: theater contains so much more than just people standing on a stage and acting. My school makes me experience all the backstage stuff, working in the scene shop, helping to build costumes, learning about the lighting, and set designs. All of that says nothing about props, actual furniture pieces, who’s actually running the freaking show mid-performance. Theater is more extensive and more diverse than people really think.

To all of you who say that theater isn’t a real job, or that I’ll never get anywhere with this degree, read this first. Read this, do some digging, talk to people who work in the backstage areas of actual productions.

Then come talk to me. My degree is not useless, but until you at least take a look at some of the other facets of theater, I really don’t care what you have to say about my degree.

[arbitrarilymine]

Tuesday, 04.06.2019, 22:24

Liking something can be such a huge motivation. And such a big motivating factor to just learn and do things. Like -

Because I like dolls, I:

Figured out, at the age of 15, how to buy things online without a bank account or credit or debit card. (The answer is, buy through group orders, or someone else doing the order, and request to pay in cash.) But also, when I did get a bank account (and still no card), I figured out how to get paypal (properly, not the fake your age method), and how to buy things and get them shipped to me without my parents knowing (send it to a friend)

Figured out how to do faceups with online forum tutorials. Back then, photo and text explanations were the norm, video tutorials weren’t really a thing. But anyway, a totally new skill picked up. It’s helpful to have drawn alot before this, but still, pastel and painting were new grounds for me.

Figured out what a respirator is, why it matters, and how to use it properly

Figured out a way to manage my expenses (done on excel) even though back then it was just doll related

Figured out how to sew because I didn’t have the money to buy them clothes. Figured out how to make patterns even though I’m still not really sure how to do it. Also learnt how to use the sewing machine from my mum though I’m not that good at it.

Figured out how to sand and mod a doll. Sanding from rough to smooth grit, what to use, how to sand with water so I don’t get so much dust

Figured out how to remove faceups using isopropyl alcohol and acetone, and where to find such stuff in Singapore

Learnt how to take photos, decided to learn more using a DSLR

Figured out how to use photoshop to edit photos and the effects in it way before I did started doing Architecture

Started making videos on youtube because I wanted more doll videos

Figured out how to cut wigs, furwigs and fibre wigs alike, to make the hairstyles I wanted my OCs to have

Figured out how to make costume jewelry for dolls, with simple tools bought off the shelf

Because I like Kpop (Infinite, Monsta X, Block B, Exo...), I:

Figured out how to make gifs in one day using online tutorials (already had photoshop skills then, which helped)

Started writing fanfic and now I have 4 years of fanfic written (a total 82 works, 453491 words published online, and there’s more in my drafts)

Through fanfic, learnt how to make stories that are appealing, did alot of research on tropes, different genres of story, different ways of story telling (kishotenketsu aka plot without conflict, which is different from the usual western way of plot with a distinct conflict etc). I figured out that I like slice of life alot for it’s mundane-ness, but also vampire fics alot. And that any sort of relationship with imbalances in power dynamics is not my jam. What I like and what I like to read have similarities but don’t overlap exactly. I also learn what polyamorous relationships are and generally a lot of lgbtq+ relationship dynamics and things that I don’t really get in traditional media

Made a ficfest with two online (Singaporean) fans for Infinite to encourage people to write more fics. Sure, we weren’t very successful but we tried really hard and we did this for almost a year, got a few authors to write a few stories, and we ourselves made over 50 moodboards for inspiration

Started looking at exercise as something positive, like, if the people I like enjoy exercising so much, and talk about its benefits, maybe there’s something in it for me. The biggest inspiration was Wonho who went from scrawny kid to buff dude but like, still remained really kind-hearted and soft and just, this whole combination wasn’t something I really learned to value from the way I was brought up, but it was an attitude I really admire regardless. And I learnt that I have the capacity to be moved by things like this, and to also adjust the biases or inherent assumptions I have

Did alot of research on BDSM and kinks and a lot of non-traditional things that I think I was always interested to know about and felt okay about actually reading up and knowing and writing and reading and discussing such things in a community of writers who did similar stuff. And realised there’s so much more in the dynamics behind these kinks, why people have them, how people can engage in them safely, what are safe practices and good practices, and just, having that knowledge also brings with it a better awareness of how similar power dynamics affect normal (unkinky) relationships

In a similar train of thought, to reserve judgement when I see people write or know or whatever certain things, because you can know something, write it, but not necessarily be agreeble to it (that’s why warning tags agree. It conveys self-awareness without telling the writer, no, you can’t write about this touchy taboo topic)

Learnt how to think horizontally when writing fics

Learnt how to get a beta to read my fics, or even why test readers (and cheerleaders) are important in a project like writing a fic. It’s my name on that fic but it’s with the help of alot of people sometimes, and that’s also why community matters

Thought about fandom, private spaces in online spheres and also constructive critique and non-constructive criticism and feedback on creative work

Read up on copyright laws, both for image use for moodboards, fanart and fanfic rights and ownership and whether one can make money off of it

Because I liked piercings, I:

Did research on how to get them safely, so so much research. From videos, from articles. Trying to figure out what’s credible, what’s not

Got piercings, also realised how biased I can be when someone has piercings. It’s a positive bias and completely groundless, like I see someone with piercings, it’s like +2 impression points or something, like I don’t know why. But it’s definitely something I should be aware of because of how seemingly groundless it is

Because I like unnaturally coloured hair, I:

Learnt how to bleach my hair with youtube tutorials and articles and learnt the dangers of doing so before I did it

Learnt how to dye my hair myself, how to transition between shades of cool and warm colours

Experimented and figured out the rest by actually dyeing my hair, enlisting the help of dorm mates

Learnt that purple is a colour that never shows up on my hair, maybe unless I bleach my hair to almost white

Learnt that I am/behave like a slightly different person with a different hair colour, and that such things affect not just my mood but how I perceive myself. And unnatural hair colours make me feel fun, but more importantly, that I can have them means I have time for myself (to dye my hair and to maintain it), and that kind of mindset is something I miss right now with my natural hair colour

Learnt that I am more open to change and okay with people talking about my hair than I thought, and that it’s fun to keep changing, but also maybe necessary for my psyche, to avoid feeling stagnant and boring

Because I like Peppertones, I:

Set up a tumblr and a blog for them in a day (helped that I’ve had a blogspot and tumblr account for ages before for other things)

Figured out a way to translate Korean songs to English even though my Korean is really really really basic. Like I can read Hangul, I can understand some words, but I can’t really write properly sentences by myself. But despite this, I wanted to know what their song lyrics are so much that I figured that I can use my ability to check a dictionary, my ability to read Chinese (so many things have Chinese translations compared to English), my cross referencing skills, and my Sec 2 literature inference skills to translate their songs despite my language incompetency. And so far I’ve modified 2.5 songs (i.e. added onto existing English translations to make it more accurate) and properly translated 1.5 songs with Chinese lyrics for reference. And there’s more songs in my drafts.

Figured out how to navigate Naver with mostly ctrl-c and ctrl-v of keywords

Compiled playlists of their live performances by individual songs, and created masterlists of their appearances and performances

Looked into Search Engine Optimisation to see how my peppertones blog can be more searchable for people like me who wanted translations of their songs, realising that blogspot is way more indexable than tumblr and finally understanding after so many years why my blogspot doll blog would show up on google image searches while my tumblr never really did

What I’m saying is, like things. Love things. Let your heart do what it wants. And then let these serve as your spark, your driver, and your direction (if for a little while). Let them inspire you, let them bring you to action, and let them remind you a little of why life is worth living. So much of this is not necessarily apparent at first glance because a lot of times, what we like may seem so trivial and trite and pointless, but the energy it offers can be so much more. I’ve learnt and picked up so many things along the way because I liked something so much that I HAD to learn something to do what I wanted to, and I cobbled my way to learning it with whatever available skills I have, and to research the heck out of whatever I didn’t know. And that is such a valuable lesson. 

I got a bit caught up in the details while listing some of the things above, but I just wanted to write down what I could before I forget. Obviously if we want to assess, some of these skills are probably more valuable than others. But the point is, all these are things and skills and abilities and learning experiences that can be picked up, and built upon, and they don’t exist in isolation. And maybe the tiny pieces don’t make particularly good sense at this moment, nor do they seem particularly useful, but like leaves falling, over time they’ll make a pile, and if you like something enough, that’s going to be a big pile of leaves, and it’s up to you what you want to do with that.

Me? I’m going to make a bed to lie on with that pile of leaves with my mediocre sewing skills and listen to all the songs I like.

[marsalexb]

Week 3

Final Evaluation – Alex Butler

Section 1: Purpose/ Theme/ Concept

My project is based off my chosen word ‘Transform’ tied in with my specialism of fine art. I was able to narrow it down and get to my chosen word as I thought in my mind that the word has such a vast meaning and really can be tied in with anything allowing whatever creative ideas I had to be able to tie in and be brought to life. In my opinion in is such a fun theme to explore.  My main purpose for my project is trying to showcase anything can be transformed and created with a new lease of excitement and life yet still showcasing the true beauty within. Anything should be expected to transform whether that be a country or someone as an individual.

The main problems I faced along the way were mainly to do with a small amount of sewing issues either being a little untidy is some areas but, in a way, it wasn’t too much of an issue due to the areas that were not as refined were later hidden with crystals so to the audience/ viewer the little mistakes would not be as visible but in my mind I still know that they are there.  In all honesty, my project took a easy journey as my mind had already known the type of concept I wanted to produce and skills I am familiar with so the outcome/ practical work was not an issue. The part that maybe didn’t go so swiftly was the blog/ written work because I needed to catch up due to unfortunate circumstance where the practical side of things took a little longer than I expected but I was still lucky to complete the written work as well in time. I personally feel like my decision making in regards to choosing the idea of transforming the traditional beefeater guard look that hasn’t really been explored or played with before helped me push my creative vision and drive into making something unique and original that I now feel that the decision has defiantly paid off and really represents my whole concept and idea of exploring the vast meaning of ‘Transformation’

 Section 2: Media, Techniques, Skills etc

During this project I have used a range of different materials such as 2 different style of velvet fabrics – one being sturdier and stronger for the base of the whole costume, the other was a lycra stretch in order to create the under-garment leotard. A Range of glass hot fix crystals were used varying in sizes between 3-5mm in diameter as well as different colours – Red, Gold and Crystal AB. The reason behind the different size crystals is to extenuate that they all have different purposes and the way they perform. The larger size has bigger surfaces so they do not dazzle/ reflect as much as the smaller sizes where in comparison to the bigger surface areas, they have more thin and small cuts of the shape allowing light to reflect on each side bouncing off from any angle. The crystals all over the outfit are supposed to represent the crown jewels in which the beefeater guards would protect. The choice in regards to using the type of style called ‘Cross grain’ for the trims over the costume have more of a higher quality to them, keeping in mind theses are figures who represent the royal family so I wanted materials that looked high quality. The other materials in regards to constructing the garment e.g., cotton thread, sewing machine, scissors, rotary fabric cutter where all basic materials needed and essential to create the outcome. I could have sewn it by hand but then I defiantly would have been over my time schedule. The other remaining materials were a blonde lace front wig that I styled using a curling iron and hair pins/ grips, wig head & stand for styling the wig, a series of make-up products for the transformation of the face, Photography backdrop and stand as well as Photoshop for the final image outcome.

 The techniques I have used through out the project are mostly self-explanatory with the materials I’ve used e.g., sewing/ stitching with the sewing machine for the garment and details on it. The way I apply all of the crystals is by using a hot fix wand which heats up over 80 degrees and that allows me to place the crystals where I desire them to be and apply heat onto it resulting in the glue on the back of each crystals to melt and fuse to the fabric or any other surface. With the transformation of the face with the use of make-up and products the biggest technique to get right is gluing down my ‘Boy’ brows with a purple glue stick that dries clear which you have to use to coat your brows in the glue and lay them flat to the face while drying them in place with a fan or hairdryer to keep everything down. Its then just a case of powdering them to keep the glue from melting and then covering over the top with a colour corrector to cancel out the dark undertones to the brows which then results in the brows looking more invisible ready to be covered with the makeup. For this project I logged my practical development journey on my blog in which I explained in detail how I achieved everything as well as analysing it and talking about specific parts. Personally, I feel my research could have maybe been pushed further to support my whole concept but I am still happy with the outcome of everything. One of the artists that I looked at during this project was the costume designer ‘William Ivy Long’ whose work I adore and am always looking to him as inspiration to push myself further and I think has helped me go out of my comfort zone for this project to try something new.

 Section Three: Evaluation Methodology

For the strengths of my project, I personally feel like I have shone in the costume side of making for my outcome and I am incredibly pleased with the result. Although I am not a digital artist or photoshop editor, for my first time editing a digital image as an outcome, I feel very proud of myself and what I have been able to achieve with basic skills. For the areas of weakness, I feel like its mainly focused on written work/ research but that’s something I am going to work on to get it up to the standard of my practical. I think a significant part where my project took to shape and was brought to life was definitely the full week I spent creating the garment as I could the concept come to life Infront of my eyes ready to be put together with all the other the elements.

I solved practical problems as soon as they came up whilst in the middle of making the garment which were simple, quick and easy fixes. In regards to theoretical problems, it was mainly a case of having to go back and read over my work if something did not make sense or wasn’t explaining my vision properly so it needed to be reworked. During this project, I have learnt that I can push myself out my tradition comfort zone in what id produce in regards to concept/ ideas but I feel it has been a good change and challenge to myself to allow me as an artist to explore different avenues I can include into my work somehow. Due to myself already having a pretty clear idea on what it was that I wanted to create, the planning was fairly simple by explaining my vision on what I wanted to create in order to achieve my desired goal.

[eliyashimel-blog]

How to Start a Successful Clothing Brand or Clothing Line

Many people want to start a clothing line or clothing brand. After all, how difficult could it be?The truth is that clothing brands become successful in part because they’re created by people who are passionate about clothing.

But, a clothing brand needs more than just an exquisite apparel design to create a lasting business. It needs all the trappings of a successful business as well. Apparel retailers need to master 1) marketing 2) manufacturing and 3) retailing, among other things.

1. Develop Your Clothing Brand

A strong brand has a recognizable personality. It’s that personality that resonates with the people who want to wear your clothes. Without a distinct brand personality it’s hard for anyone to connect with your brand or be inspired to wear your clothing.

So, it’s important for you to consider the identity that you want your clothing to project. Here’s an example

The now-famous House of Chanel became a fashion icon because it embodied a fresh new personality that had not yet been seen in women’s fashion. 

Coco Chanel founded the brand in 1918 - as women’s clothing was just starting to leave corsets behind. She embraced the new corset-less style and pioneered fashions that embraced women’s freedom of movement and independence.

Here are a few more examples of brands with well-defined personalities to inspire you…

·         Vans - youthful, rebellious skaters and punks

·         Lululemon - trendy yoga devotees

·         REI - environmentally conscious outdoorsy men and women

The importance of your brand identity cannot be understated – especially in the world of fashion. Clothing is very personal because our clothing choices are one of the ways that we define our identity – to both ourselves and to the world. As a result, the brands we choose to wear and the labels we display on our clothes become an extension of who we are and how we see ourselves.

So, before you sketch your first rendering, ask yourself these important questions:

What identity do I want my     clothing brand to project?

Who will want to wear my     clothes?

What can customers get from my     clothing brand that they can’t get anywhere else?

What makes my clothing unique?     Is it high-end?

What is the most important part     of my customer’s experience?

2. Fill in the Business Blanks

Once you define your brand, you can begin to think about the vitally important details of actually starting and running a clothing company. From choosing a fashion business structure to pricing, licensing and permits to business plan…

There’s a lot to think about.

First, you will need to choose the legal structure for your new apparel business. Sole proprietorship or LLC? Incorporate or register a partnership? A sole proprietorship is the “most basic type of business to establish. After you determine your business’s legal structure, you’ll need to file the necessary paperwork.You shoul take a plan for your brand. Any experienced entrepreneur knows a company without a business plan is like a fish without water. The plan does not need to be lengthy at first. Rather, it should be one or two pages, identifying the key elements of the clothing line’s business strategy. Your plan should include (at minimum) a statement about your clothing brand, a general description of your products and a strategy for how you plan to sell them. In a detailed business plan, you may want to include your anticipated pricing structure. But, whether you include pricing info in your business plan or not, it’s an issue you must consider.

3.  Crunch the Numbers

When starting any new business, it’s important to understand “the numbers.”

But not all numbers are equally important to all businesses.

For a fashion business, you’ll obviously want to track your sales and profits, but there’s so much more to think about before you can get there. You’ve got to start at the beginning –  with your start-up costs.

For a clothing line, these costs will include:

your brand     design (logo, business cards, and website)

any     license or permit fees

deposits     and rent for a physical work location if you plan to lease your own     workspace

basic     infrastructural costs like phone and internet service, invoicing software,     etc…

marketing     and advertising costs

sewing     or design tools (sewing machines, scissors, rulers. fabric printing     accessories, etc)

materials     for your first collection (fabrics, notions, and embellishment decor)

hourly     wages to cover your design and construction time

If you plan to hire any employees, you’ll want to budget their wages into your start-up calculations as well.

To create a smart and effective pricing strategy, you have to start by knowing how much it costs you to produce your clothes – also know as cost-per-unit or “CPU.” The small business finance experts at Bond Street explain: Toby Nwazor of Entrepreneur magazine recommends that you aim for prices 30% – 50% higher than your expenses in order to ensure a profit. Profit is, after all, essential to your business’s success.

 4. Build a Web Presence

Your website is one of your clothing line’s most important ambassadors. Today, it’s impossible to reach most customers without a website. This is especially true for new small businesses and startups trying to compete in an increasingly noisy world. but it’s also true for even established companies. Your website’s visual design and marketing copy should project your brand’s voice and identity. Here are some suggestions:

Use     your brand’s colors.

Prominently     feature your logo.

Write     copy with your target audience in mind.

And,     showcase your fashion design aesthetic.

5. Plan Your First Collection

starting a clothing line is a business.

But, your creativity and designs are the fuel for that business. Planning your first collection is an integral step in the process. So, let’s talk about how to get started.

Before you can even consider the details of your first season’s designs, you have to decide what kind of clothing line you’re going to offer in the first place.

There are many different models for fashion businesses. Here are a few of the most popular:

Print-on-Demand – This business model enlists the aid of a     third-party to print and ship pre-existing wholesale garments (like     t-shirts, hoodies or leggings) to your customers. Your custom patterns or     prints are applied to the appropriate garment and then shipped out to     your customers as the orders come in. So, there’s no need for you to store     inventory or manage fulfillment. It’s one of the easiest fashion business     models to set up; but, it also yields some of the lowest revenue since     much of your profit goes to the third-party that is fulfilling your     orders.

Custom     Wholesale – Custom wholesale     businesses purchase pre-made wholesale garments and then customize the     clothing by hand. You can print, applique, embroider or otherwise     embellish the existing garments to fit your vision. This model requires     some time and financial investment. You’ll need to purchase the garments     upfront and pay for the materials and labor to customize them. You’ll also     need to store inventory and fulfill your own orders. However, you’ll take     home more of your profits than the print-on-demand model since there’s no third-party     to pay.

Cut-and-Sew/     Private Label – This is the business     model most people think of when they plan to start their own clothing     line. You will design your own clothing and then have it manufactured to     your specifications. (You can learn more about finding a manufacturer in     the next section.) This model will require you to shop and purchase the     fabrics, decor, and notions needed to build your garments. You will also     need to store your inventory and fulfill your own orders.

Custom     Couture – Custom couture may be     the riskiest fashion business model. Couture garments are hand-made to fit     each individual client. This level of detail is time/labor-intensive and     expensive to execute. This means that each piece will come with a very     high price tag – the kind of price tag that is only really accessible to     the wealthy. This limits your potential customer pool. However, if your     designs catch the eye of wealthy clientele, your business could     sky-rocket.

6. Prepare for Manufacturing

Unless you personally plan to sew every garment you sell (a business model that would be impossible to scale) you’ll need to consider how your collection will be manufactured. A manufacturer is not just the means to an end – it’s the partner that will help you make your ideas a physical reality. So, making the right choice of clothing manufacturer is critical.

 7. Create a Sales Plan

There’s more to a clothing line business than manufacturing. Once you have manufacturing well in hand, build your marketing plan and consider how you will sell your new clothing line.

Where do you plan to sell your clothing line? In an online shop or online clothing store? In a brick and mortar clothing store of your own? Or maybe you want to sell in local boutiques that feature many different clothing items?

Selling a clothing line in an online store is cheaper and less labor-intensive than setting up your own physical store. There’s no monthly rent, mortgage or property taxes to pay, and no fixtures to buy. It’s also relatively easy to create an e-commerce presence nowadays without a lot of technical knowledge.

Most template-based web design services offer some form of e-commerce functionality. And some, like Shopify, are built specifically for e-commerce. But, think carefully before you decide to use a template-based service like Shopify.

Remember how important your unique branding is? The templates on those e-commerce sites are available for every other new fashion brand to use, as well. As I mentioned in a previous article,

It’s not enough to have a website… You also want to be sure that your site’s design is unique and that it showcases your products and you.

Just like your logo, your web design should start with your personal brand. A well-designed website will expand upon and support the values and personality traits that you’ve identified as being core to your business. If web design is not among your many DIY skills, know that there’s help available.

If you plan on selling wholesale to boutiques it is important that you have merchandise ready to sell during the correct buying season… You need to figure out when you need to have production ready to ship to stores or customers and then work backwards from there through the development stages (leave enough time!) to make sure that you are working on the correct season.

 8. Spread the Word

If you’ve made it this far, you know your brand inside and out, all of your legal business details and business plan are in place, you have a manufacturing partner producing your garments, and a plan for selling them.

Now it’s time to focus on getting the word out about your fabulous new clothing business, a new line of clothes, and to find potential customers!

As a new, up-and-coming business owner, you’ll also want to take full advantage of the inexpensive and easy exposure that social media marketing offers you. As we previously explained,

Social media gives you the ability to easily keep customers up-to-date on new products, store policies or sales. It also enables you to build a social rapport with current customers, while building low-pressure relationships with future buyers.

9. How to Find Partners or Investors

One of the biggest challenges for every new startup is saving enough capital to sustain and grow the business.

In a perfect world, we could all fund our own business ventures without any outside help. But, the truth is that most people can’t do it alone.

This is where business partners or outside investors can make a real difference.

As with any aspect of your business, start by giving the matter some serious thought. Here are a few questions to get you started:

What     do I want to gain from this partnership or investor?

How     involved do I want them to be in the decision-making processes?

Am I     looking for a long-term or a short-term relationship?

In any relationship, it’s important to know what you’re hoping to gain. Partner and investor relationships can come in a multitude of forms. Are you simply looking for someone to invest capital? Or are you looking for leads, someone to split costs with, or exposure and success-by-association with an established brand?

Only you know what is most useful for your business. But, you should absolutely know what your goals are before meeting with any potential partner or investor.

Once you’ve determined what your relationship goals are, it’s time to start thinking about the type of relationship that will best meet those goals. Not so long ago, angel investors and venture capitalists were the standards. But, then crowdfunding changed the fundraising landscape.

Here are some options for you to consider…

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indigogo offer the opportunity to raise money from a crowd of anonymous strangers. These fundraising projects are easy to set up and allow you to raise cash without granting any one investor or partner any influence over your clothing business. You will, however, need to follow through on any promises made to your backers.

As we pointed out,

Reports have shown a consistent increase in crowdfunded investments since the great recession in 2008. In a recent study on the Crowdfunding Industry, World Bank predicted that the crowdfunding market could increase to between $90 and $96 billion, which is approximately 1.8 times the size of the global venture capital industry today.

If you want a true business partnership, crowdfunding may not be the choice for you. But, it’s a great option for raising cash to fund your next collection. If you decide to give crowdfunding a try, check out Design Tips From the World’s Most Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns.

Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists

Angel investors and venture capitalists provide a more traditional route to raise funds for your new fashion business. But, you’ll need to work hard to sell these investors on the financial viability of your clothing line.

It’s essential to walk into your pitch meeting knowing what you’re looking for and how you’re going to get there. No one wants to invest in someone who doesn’t know their business.

And, be prepared for these investors to expect to play a larger role in your business. After all, these investors are investing their money in your clothing business in the hopes that they will make a return on that investment. So, they’ll want to be sure that you’re running your business in a way that is likely to ensure that return.

For that reason, you’ll want to make sure that the investors you work with get you and your vision for your business. Autumn Adeigbo, designer and ethical fashion entrepreneur, recently found an investor for her fashion startup. She explains:

To make a [pitch] deck that reflected my brand aesthetic, we created beautiful and colorful imagery as eye candy. The imagery wasn’t appealing to all investors, but our heavily branded deck struck the right chord with investors who got our vision.

Like Adeigbo, you’ll want to prepare a pitch deck to walk investors through your plans and goals for your clothing business. To learn more about the pitch process, read Alejandro Cremade’s article How to Pitch Investors.

Partnership

Business partners can come in many forms. A true business partnership occurs when both partners are equally invested in the success of the business. Both partners devote equal finances, resources, and labor into making the business work.

But, if you don’t already have a deeply committed partner by your side, you can also establish more casual or temporary partnerships with existing brands, boutiques or retailers.

Look for brands that are complementary to your brand rather than competing for your business. And, make sure that you share the same goals for your partnership.

Here are two examples…

Example #1

Who: Partner with a local retailer

What: To host an event supporting a local non-profit

Why: To build exposure over the holidays

Example #2

Who: Partner with  complimentary clothing brand

What: To open a pop-up store

Why: To drive sales during a season of slower revenue

There are many other creative ways to partner with an existing brand or retailer. And, as long as you and your partner have the same goals, you’ll be motivated to work together to achieve them.

10. Find the Right Help

At times, every entrepreneur has felt like they’re in it alone.

And, when you first start your clothing line, there’s a good chance that you will be.

But, in order for your business to scale and grow, you’re going to need help.

Eventually, if all goes well, you’ll hire many employees. But employees must be paid. So, at first, you should only hire for positions that will provide the most immediate benefit to your business.

There’s no one right answer for what those positions might be – every business is different. But when thinking about what positions to hire for, consider what aspects of the business are posing the greatest challenges. And, consider your own limitations.

Hire an employee who is an expert in those areas in which your business is currently lacking. Building a strong, well-rounded team will create a stable foundation for your business.

So, what does your business need?

You may want your very first hire to be a part-time assistant. Look for someone who is a jack-of-all-trades, eager to learn new skills, and with a strong work ethic. You’ll sleep better knowing you’ve got someone in the trenches with you that you can rely on.

If you’re a newbie to marketing, consider hiring a marketing manager to help you strategize your business. If you’re not confident with the manufacturing process, hire a manufacturing liaison. And, if you’re struggling to keep up with orders, a fulfillment manager might fit the bill.

The Legal Stuff

Of course, hiring staff for your apparel business means that you’ll have to deal with all sorts of the legalities and paperwork. This isn’t an area where you should really “wing it.”

So, we went straight to the source. The hiring experts at Indeed recommend that you:

Get an Employer     Identification Number (EIN) by applying on the IRS website (you’ll get     your number immediately after applying!).

Register with your state’s     labor department.

Fill out paperwork to     withhold federal taxes from your employee’s wages.

Set up workers’ compensation     insurance if it is required in your state.

You’ll also need to decide whether you’re hiring full or part-time employees.

Part-time employees cost less. So you may want to start with part-timers. As the business grows and you can afford it, you can expand their hours.

Full-time employees also require more paperwork to get set up.  To gain more complete insight into the hiring process, read Indeed’s step-by-step guide, “How to Hire Employees.”

And if you need help with employment or contractor agreements or agreements with your vendors, take a look at Quickly Legal, which offers entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups an easy and inexpensive way to create, sign and manage legal contracts and agreements.

   #Fashion

#ClothingBrand

#T-shirt

#Ecohutbd

#RedBel

#Apparel Zoo

#Ekarkhana

[smoothshift]

1999 Opel Corsa B, my 2 year ownership report via /r/cars

1999 Opel Corsa B, my 2 year ownership report

Hey guys this is my first post on this subbredit and my first car review. Constructive criticism is welcomed and I dunno maybe I'll do a video about the car if enough people even care about it.

History

The Corsa B was the second generation of the Corsa, built from 1993 to 2000. It came with three cylinder and four cylinder variants ranging from 1.0 liters all the way to 1.6 or even a 1.7l Isuzu diesel. In the UK the car was known as the Vauxhall Corsa and in China it was rebranded as the Buick Sail or the Opel Vita in Japan. The base price for the model was… well… money, but not lots of it and nowadays they can go for as low as 200 euros(228$) for a rust bucket or 600 (684$) for a more taken care of example.  The model that I am reviewing is my very own 1.0 liter, 54 horse power (if it still makes that) 2 door little “Bug”, as a car that I’ve owned for two years at the point of writing this review the experience was full of ups and downs.

Styling

The styling of the car surprisingly still holds up to this day, it doesn’t look that dated and most people wouldn’t notice the fact that you’re driving around in something that is about 20 years old at this point. Considering the fact that the car was built by a company that started with sewing machines and bicycles was at one point owned by General Motors (oh yes good ol’ GM) it still is a german car that look strikingly similar to the Golf mk3 but with insides.

The interior is on par with the exterior, other than the stereo that has dissapeared a long time ago that I’m pretty sure didn’t have navigation or even aux in the car is pretty basic. Yes, it does have powered windows and some sort of “AC’ that doesn’t cool air it just moves it around the car to create the illusion, but the mirrors are mechanically adjusted and of course there is the legendary ASHTRAY with the added car lighter (BECAUSE ITS 1999 AND I NEED TO SMOKE) but other than that the glove box…it’s a decent size glove box and it holds things the the chairs are adjusted by big heavy bars under them and the dash light has pretty little Christmas lights that show up when something is wrong. 

All in all when it comes to styling outside and inside the car is pretty basic and o the interior not many things can brake because there aren’t even many things to begin with.

Driving

How does it run? well it runs, it can take you from point A to point B and then back again if you need it to and if the battery is in a good condition otherwise it’ll leave you stranded in the middle of the city just as dissapointed as the day that Santa didn’t leave the gifts that you wanted under the tree and all you got was a red an white candy cane (because dad spent all the money on booze, everybody knows it and they all try to deny it but oh you know), but if it starts it goes and with 56 horse power it doesn’t go that fast but it can reach 100km/h (60 mph even though the manual says 150km/h or just about 90mph) except at that speed it blows a bunch of heat at your legs for no apparent reason and sometimes going uphill with 5 people in the car….yeah…no.

The gears are pretty far away from each other and the clutch pedal catches anywhere, the acceleration pedal doesn’t do anything until about halfway through so you can pretty much change gears whenever. It also takes it about 18 seconds to reach 100 km/h, oh and one of the greatest feature of the car, it doesn’t have a rev limiter, it doesn’t even have a gauge that shows how many revs you are on. Am I at 3000 rpm? am I at 5000? 12000? who knows? the sky’s the limit, that 1000 cubic centimeters engine can go as fast as your dreams..or until it blows up.

Steering is pretty snappy and actually really good, it corners well and the body doesn’t roll that much, but you won’t be driving at speeds that you might turn upside down anyway so for little city streets and country roads it’s amazing.

Fuel consumption wise it drinks somewhere between 0 and I don’t know because the fuel gauge is broken and it goes from half full to empty depending on whether you’re going uphill and downhill. On a more serious note it’s a 1.0l petrol engine that does 6l/100km combined (or 39mpg ), that number grows when in the city, not the best but it’s respectable to say at least.

Reliability

It’s made in Germany and has a chain distribution, something will break at some point because they are old but they won’t break often, it’s an old car and at this age don’t expect it to last more than a few years. Be very careful about rust, mine has the floor all rusted out and one of the most common rust spots on this model are the door hinges, they tend to rust out, start sagging and not closing properly anymore until they just fall off.

Another common problem is the EGR valve error, alright I’m not a mechanic but basically what this valve does is it regulates how much fuel goes into the engine and it has a few second tolerance to activate buuut sometimes it takes a few seconds more than it should to do it’s job (especially if the valve hasn’t been changed at all) and the engine starts shouting error codes at you and then the car will refuse to start until you turn it on and off for about 5 times. Try not to forget that the clutch pedal wire or string or whatever it’s called if it rusts out it will just snap, the pedal will stick to the floor and it will not go back up again until you replace it.

Conclusions

All in all for such a cheap and old car the Corsa B really does it’s job well, it works 95% of the time and the 5% of it that it brakes it won’t cost you much unless it’s a rusted out gas tank or your feet randomly go through the floor then you don’t have to invest in it really that much and in the few years that I’ve owned it, the little “bug” has made it’s worth quite a bit. Do I hate it? Yes and with a passion it decided it wouldn't start when I needed it the most too many times. Is it bad? No but it isn’t good or the best either it’s just meh goodish? and for the price that you can get one maybe a good deal.

[itswomanswork]

TAS 534: 5 Lead Magnet Offers to Build Your Email List and Attract BUYERS

What does it take to create lead magnet offers that appeal to your target audience? How do you build off of that offer and use an email list to grow your ecommerce brand? Where do you even start? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he provides five lead magnet offers that sellers like you can use to start your email list and attract the right buyers you need for your brand. You don’t have to leave it all up to guesswork! Find out how you can create compelling lead magnet offers by listening to this helpful episode, you don’t’ want to miss it!

Why build an email list?

Is building an email list really worth all the trouble? Can it really serve as a valuable asset as you build your ecommerce business? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott breaks down why email list building is so important and why sellers like you shouldn’t skip this important step. The primary reason why Scott is such a huge fan of email list building is due to the fact that he’s seen it work! In multiple test runs and in his own brand, Scott has seen the impact a well-constructed email list can have for an ecommerce brand. If you are ready to take the dive and find out how you can start building an email list today, make sure to catch this episode!

Launch a giveaway contest.

You’ve heard the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” right? The same goes for people too! If you want to connect with your target audience, a great way to do that is by offering them a sweet deal. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott explains how you can craft a giveaway contest that appeals to your target audience. A great tip that Scott provides on creating a great contest is making sure that your prize is something that is valuable to your audience. It would do you no good to offer a $200 sewing machine in a contest for bass fishermen! Learn more from Scott’s expert perspective on list building and giveaway contests by listening to this episode!

Feature an ebook or PFD guide.

Let’s face it, just about everyone knows what they aren’t an expert in! That’s why we often seek out the wisdom and advice of people who have been where we want to go. This same logic applies to your target audience! If you want to connect with your audience and provide them with something that is valuable, an ebook or a PDF guide is a great way to draw them in. If you are targeting the bass fisherman market, a great way to appeal to that audience is to offer an ebook that explains how to improve your form and get better results. There are so many great applications for this strategy! Learn more from Scott and how you can use this option and many others to connect with your target audience by listening to this episode!

Take action!

Too often highly motivated and energetic business people get overwhelmed by the large variety of options that are available. Has that ever happened to you? What is the solution? How do you cut through the noise and find a clear-cut path toward where you need to go? One way to silence all the noise and get moving is to just pick an option and start moving in that direction. If things don’t work out, it’s not failure, it’s a useful lesson! The last thing you want to do is look back a year from now and see no movement. Follow Scott’s wise words and pick a direction to start moving, take action today!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!

[2:45] Why should you build an email list?

[11:30] Create a contest to connect with your audience.

[16:00] Feature a PDF guide or an Ebook.

[19:00] Offer a video series on your niche category.

[21:20] Make a checklist for your audience and create a free plus shipping offer.

[24:40] Scott recaps all 5 lead magnet offers.

[28:00] Action steps you can take today!

TRANSCRIPT TAS 534

TAS 534: 5 Lead Magnet Offers to Build Your Email List and Attract BUYERS

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:02] Scott: Well, hey, hey, what’s up, everyone? Welcome back to another episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast. This is episode number 534 and in today’s episode, we’re going to be talking all about five lead magnets that…

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…you can offer to build your email list and attract buyers and if you’re asking yourself, “Scott, what the heck is a lead magnet?” Well, we’re going talk about that as well but it’s kind of self-explanatory. It’s where we’re putting something out there that will attract people that are in our market and I’m going to talk about five of these that you can use or you can consider using. You could pick one, start from there, but this will allow us to start building that email list that we’ve talked about time and time again about how powerful that is but also how we can leverage that to launch our new products on Amazon or just launch our own products on our own e-commerce site or just get more of our content out there in people’s hands that can spread the word about our brand and our business.

So, that’s what we’re going to be talking about here today. Now, I did cover this on a past Whiteboard Wednesday where I went over these five lead magnets and I kind of draw them out for you on the whiteboard. If you have not watched any of the YouTube content that I’ve been creating, you definitely want to do that. This is part of our Brand Building Tips series. Definitely check that out. You can find that by heading over to YouTube, actually our channel is TheAmazingSeller.com/YouTube or TheAmazingSellerTV.com and that’ll take you to The Amazing Seller page where you can go over there and you can subscribe to the YouTube channel and all the content we’re creating over there, also answering questions over there just like we do here on the Ask Scott session, just I’m doing them in person, on camera, and I’m also grabbing these questions that are coming in from the Ask Scott page whether that’s on YouTube or if that is on the blog. So, definitely go over to YouTube, check that stuff out but that’s what I’m going to be covering here today.

[00:02:05] Scott: Now, if you want the show notes to this episode, I’ll also embed the video in the blog post. You can actually see that. That can be found at TheAmazingSeller.com/534 and everything will be linked up over there. I’m going to give you some action steps that you guys can do here at the end of this episode because you guys know I want you guys to listen, I want you guys to really absorb what I’m talking about, but then I want you to take action on it. I want you to go out there and start applying this to your business or at least start the process.

[EPISODE]

[00:02:38] Scott: Now, let’s kind of go back to basics here for a second. Why do we want to build a list? Now, I don’t want you to think of a list as just a random list that you’re getting of people that might be interested in your stuff or I’ll give you another example. A lot of people will do print ads and I’ve done that in my photography business years ago and my video film transfer business. We used to run full-size page ads that would go to a certain zip code and that would go out to a list of zip codes. Now, here’s the difference from what we’re doing now and what we were doing then. I was just targeting different homes in different areas. I’m like, “Well, that area is a pretty nice area. Their income level is about whatever, maybe 75,000 to 150,000, somewhere in that range. I’m going to go ahead and hit that section of the area, not even the people that are interested in stuff. It’s just that area. But they’re people, right? It’s people’s mailboxes. This is getting shipped to people’s mailboxes, physical thing.

And I’m hoping that by someone reading through that, they’re going to be interested in my service or in the thing that I offer. In that case, it was either family photography or maybe transferring your old home movies to digital like that was the offer. There’s going to be a small portion that will say, “Yes, I’m interested in that.” Well, what we can do now is we can create these things that we call lead magnets which get people to raise their hand and then we only speak to the people that have raised their hands. So, it’s not like we’re going out there into like a pool of just everyone. We’re actually going out there and going, “Hey, everyone, raise their hand if you’re into bass fishing,” and then everyone raises their hand. I go, “All right. Can everybody step over here in this room over here and we’re just going to talk about bass fishing.” That’s what we’re doing in a sense. We’re getting people to raise their hand by putting something out there that will attract them, get their attention, and then they raise their hand and then we say, “Okay. Cool. Let’s speak to these people.

[00:04:42] Scott: “Everyone else that’s not interested, it’s okay. We’re not going to speak to you. We don’t want to bother you, or we know you’re not interested in bass fishing.” That’s really what we’re doing. So, I want you to kind of visualize that. You can send a postcard to a whole bunch of mailing addresses and hopefully get a small portion that will raise their hand but you’re going to waste a lot of money going to those other zip codes because we didn’t target properly or we targeted the best that they could. And then the other way is to go online and use all of the different things that we have available to us, Facebook ads or just Facebook in general, people can share stuff, Instagram, YouTube, all of that like we have all of those things that we can use and a whole bunch more but we’re not going to go into those but just understand that we can go out there and find our target market and say, “Hey, you interested in this? You are? Cool. Let’s go over here and talk.”

The other thing I want you to really think about is when we’re getting someone to raise their hand, it’s someone, it’s a person. It’s an actual person. I was recently at a concert. I actually went to a Def Leppard and if you guys that are my age that are listening, I’m 45, so the 80s, the 90s, it was Def Leppard and it was Journey. My wife and I went with a couple of friends. We had a great time. Awesome. So, inside of this arena, there were 20,000 people there. They actually sold out. 20,000 people. The reason why I know there’s 20,000 is because when I was sitting in this arena, in this venue, I’m thinking to myself, “I wonder how many people are in this venue.” They’re all interested in Def Leppard, they’re all interested in Journey, one or the other but they’re interested and I’m thinking these are people. I want to know how many people are in here so I can visualize how many people are in this arena.

[00:06:34] Scott: And I pull out my phone. Nowadays we got our phone. We can just Google it really quick and I Google it and it said I think it was like 21,000 was the capacity. I’m like, “Okay. Let me see here. I’ve got 20,000 plus people that listen to the podcast. Holy cow. Like, that’s like me being on stage and then talking to people.” It’s crazy. Then I said, “Well, wait a minute here.” And actually, there’s quite a few more than that. There’s probably right now, as we’re recording this, over 80,000. So just to give you some context. Downloads were at 10 million like there are thousands of downloads a day like all of that so that’s that. It’s like crazy. I always think about that stuff and I try to put it in perspective because a lot of people think it’s about the big numbers. It’s not. I’m going to kind of share with you what I mean by that here in a second. And the reason why I’m letting you know all this before we get into the five lead magnets because I want you to understand that you’re talking to people and these people that you’re serving in your market and your brand can help to drive your business if you understand that you’re talking to people.

So, the other thing is in our new brand that we’ve built from scratch and we’ve got an email list of over 30,000 people so again one of those concerts plus 10,000 is who we get to send a direct message to whenever we want because we have them on an email list. Now, some might say, “But, Scott, they’re not all opening the email.” You’re right but there is a minimum of 15% and a lot of times it’s higher. It’s 25% or even 30%. So, there’s a lot of people. Let’s say it’s 6,000 people. You take 6,000 people and put them in a room or a venue and you get on stage and you can talk to those people that are only interested in bass fishing, do you think you’d have a better chance of selling them something or a better chance of them getting to know, like, and trust you through some content that you create?

[00:08:44] Scott: Of course. I think we all know the answer to that. But I want you to understand that you’re talking to people and by us doing this putting out these lead magnets, it’s a way for people to be attracted to what we are talking about and raising their hand, we’re able to attract the right people through doing this. Now, there are some better ways than others and there are some pros and cons to all of these but I’m going to go through them in these five that I’m going to be talking about. So, I think they all have their place but just understand we’re talking to people. We’re not just selling to people. We’re talking to people that are interested in our market. Now, before I do jump into these five lead magnets, I did want to remind you that if you’re at all interested at building your own email list from scratch, Chris Schaffer and I, we actually did a free workshop where we walk you through every single step of the way.

I would definitely go check that out. It’s totally free and you can find that by heading over to TheAmazingSeller.com/BuildList and we talk about lead magnets and we also talk about building the email list and various ways that you can do it and then also how to communicate with that list. Because there’s so much more that you can do with it than just having the email list, but I want you to understand you are talking to people and when you write the email that you’re sending, I want you to think that you’re talking to people, to maybe one person. I like to think of the one person in my audience or in that email that I’m writing to as if I was writing it to a friend, if you can imagine that, who is the ideal customer or person that’s in your market, who are you writing to, and then from there you’ll have a lot better communication through that email with who you’re actually communicating with.

[00:10:52] Scott: But that’s for a whole other conversation. We’ll talk more about that later and also in those Whiteboard Wednesdays, I’m diving deep into brand building tips. This has a lot to do with it because for us to be able to attract someone is great but then we have to communicate with them, we have to deliver value, we have to have them want to keep coming back to our stuff. We want them to know that when we send them something, it’s not just going to be a sales message and all that stuff which I have a lot more stuff that I want to share with you and that’s also happening over on YouTube so definitely check out the YouTube channel. All right. So, what do you say? Let’s dive into these five lead magnets. So, here we go. Number one, you’ve heard me talk a lot about this and that is contest. Contest work really, really good because people love contests. They love to win something.

And an easy way to do this is to take your product and then maybe put a few other people’s products in there that support it but then aren’t directly in competition with you. Now, I’ve had some people that say, “Well, Scott, what if I don’t have my products yet?” Well, that’s exactly what we did in the new brand. We didn’t have our products yet but we wanted to start building that list so what did we do? We went out and found something that we knew the market would want and that wasn’t going to be a direct competitor of ours and we just offer that. Now, I definitely would say you want something that’s $100 to $150 or even $200 price point and you want people to get excited about it. Now, we’ve tested different time periods. We’ve done a 14-day and we’ve done a 30-day. We haven’t found much of a fall off as far as it being like longer out. So, if we do one for 30 days, we might slowly build up. It might take a little bit longer to get some things moving, maybe five to seven days. Some people have said if you do them shorter, people will get more excited about them because they’re going to be coming to an end soon.

[00:12:39] Scott: We haven’t really found that to be the case. It might start a little bit slower but then once it starts building momentum, it just starts building even faster so we like that approach and we get more bang for the buck because we get to promote it longer. But our first one that we did I believe, well, we did one and I shared this one publicly and I do share it in the Build List Workshop where I talk about the Sneakerhead world where my son who’s he’s 20 now but he’s into the whole Kicks and Sneakerhead type stuff and we did that just as a test. We built a list of over 7,000 people in our first contest and we’re only shooting for 1,000 and we used a pair of I think it was Air Jordans as our – maybe it was Kobe. It was something like a popular sneaker, $175 sneaker, $200 sneaker, and we use that as our offer as our lead magnet.

Now, some people argue, and they go, “Well, aren’t you getting people that don’t buy?” Like, and the answer is, “Yeah. You’re going to get some of those people,” but you have to think about it this way too, that one person that wants to win, they’re also going to do more sharing of it. So, that one person even though they might not have bought for me, they might have shared it with 10 other people and one of those 10 could buy. Now, there are ways that we kind of filter it down too. So, if we get the list of let’s say 5,000, we may then send another email after the contest after we’ve kind of like, okay, the contest is over. We gave a second-place runner-up prize. We might get the few people that take us up on it, and then after that, we wanted then, we do want to clean up the list. And then from there, what we’ll do is a lot of times we’ll send out like an email that will segment those people or if people don’t open the email then we just delete them. So, there are ways to kind of filter it down so this way here you’re not just having people on the list that aren’t opening your emails and that aren’t engaging or that aren’t buying.

[00:14:39] Scott: But the one thing that I don’t want people to think is that you’re just doing this list in the beginning to sell product. Because there’s so much more that you’re going to use that list for. One thing that you can do, let’s just say, for example, you do have 5,000 people on an email list from a contest and those people all raise their hand and they say, “Yes, we’re interested in bass fishing.” Now, those people might not be all the people that are going to buy your stuff but what you can now use that list for is you can upload that into Facebook and now you can start running look-alike audiences of those people because they have similar interests of the people that you just acquired. So, that’s another way to use it. The other thing is if you can publish content and get those people to share it. Now they’re going to share it out for you. So, just think about like someone’s like, “You know what, I’m not much of a buyer but I’m into this market but I’ll share it with like 10 people,” well, then that’s still worth something like, yes, they aren’t officially right now buying something, but they can share this stuff for me or amplify my content as I like to say.

So, just understand that the contest model is great, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have people that are going to buy right out of the gate and that’s okay but just understand that going into it. Okay. So, number two is PDF downloads or e-books. Those work really well because it’s a resource. If you are in the bass fishing market, it would probably be a good idea to come up with some type of e-book that would help someone do a better job fishing or fish out of a pond. Maybe it is the how-to guide to catch bass in a lake or the how-to guide to catch bass in a pond or maybe it’s a how-to guide on how to start kayak bass fishing which is actually a thing by the way.

[00:16:36] Scott: So, if you could come up with some type of how-to guide, it doesn’t have to be that long and there are ways to create these e-books or these PDFs. You could literally go through and come up with five points that you want to talk about or get someone to talk about and then have them talk about it or yourself talk about it for 15 or 20 minutes, bullet point out all of the key things, talk about them, elaborate a little bit on them, and then you can have it transcribed and have an editor go in and edit it. For $100 you can probably have an e-book done and that’s an asset that now you can offer as a way for people to, number one, raise their hand and then you give it to them in exchange for the email address. So, that’s another great thing and that can be used to all different places. It can be used on your blog. I talk a lot about creating your home base which is your blog and your website. I talk a lot about that in the brand building tips series on YouTube so definitely go check that out but, yeah, so you can use this.

Once you have this asset in place, now you can be on YouTube and you can be shooting a video and you can say, “Hey, go check out my how-to guide on bass fishing or kayak bass fishing,” and then you direct them to this download or maybe you’re on a Facebook live. You can then mention the special link there or maybe you are podcasting like I am, and you say, “Hey, go to TheAmazingSeller.com/Workshop and then you go there and you’ll get the workbook or something like that. In this case that would go to our free workshop, but you get the idea. That’s what you would do. So, again, it’s an asset that you’re building for your business but you’re also using it as a lead magnet to get people to be attracted to you that are raising your hand that are into your market. So, PDF downloads work really good, e-books, to get a cover made and you can go to Fiverr and get a nice cover made. Even have an editor there do it. I would definitely recommend getting it transcribed. I’ll leave some links and some resources in this episode to where you can get that stuff done.

[00:18:33] Scott: I’ve used a variety of different transcription services, some that are $1 a minute, some that are $0.10 a minute and they all work. It’s just how much more editing you do want to do on the back end but anyway, that’s for a whole another series which we probably should talk about that in an upcoming episode as far as creating your lead magnets. But anyway, I want to keep moving here. So, number three is a video series. So, if you are at all interested and you can and you’re able to create the videos, you could take those same five things that you talk about in the e-book and you can create five mini videos and those could be a video series that could be added to the e-book or maybe the e-book is one and then one lead magnet and the video series is the other or maybe you have the lead magnet of the e-book and then you say four additional videos I’m going to give you those as a video series and then that can be an extension of that so you give them even more value. Or maybe they sign up and you give them a video series and then you give them one video every week.

So, I like to look at it like just breaking down those things that they need to know about the market or the thing that they’re doing like if it’s five things you must know when kayak bass fishing. Well, video one is going to be all about the setup. Video 2 is going to be all about what to do when you are in certain types of water or whatever. Maybe another one that the next one would be like how to, I don’t know, I’m making up stuff here, how to bring the fish into the boat and then maybe keeping them alive well. I don’t know. Totally making up stuff here. So, guys, you guys know that I’m not a kayak bass fisherman at all. I’ve just proven that right there. You get the idea. So, video series, the other thing is, is if you’re doing a video series or any type of videos, why not post those up on YouTube as well.

[00:20:39] Scott: Have YouTube host them for you and then you get some YouTube traffic. You get the YouTube channel built which I’ve talked about in some past episodes and I’ve covered that on the Whiteboard Wednesday branding tip videos over there on YouTube. So, yeah, I’m a big fan of using YouTube to leverage their searches and all that. So, video if you have it, put it up on YouTube but you can create that video series. You can host it on YouTube. You don’t have to pay for hosting. You can make those private so only people that you share them with so those could be delivered via email or after someone opts in. All right. So, the next thing, number four, this is an easy one, a checklist. If your audience needs a checklist or you think it would be beneficial to them, I know a lot of times in like meal prepping for maybe you’re into paleo or anything like that, you might come on and teach something and then be like, “Hey, if you want my grocery checklist or my grocery list, go to XYZ.com/checklist, and you can grab it,” and then that would be an opt-in to get the checklist.

It’s a lead magnet. It’s a way for you to get someone to raise their hand for something that will help them a little bit further from what you just helped them with. So, that’s another great thing. Checklists are easy to do too, and you can make them really look nice. Again, if it’s five things, you elaborate on each one, you can have that put into a one or a two-page checklist and if you don’t want to do it you can have someone do it. You can go to Fiverr for that. No problem. I know that and have it really dress up and make it look professional and nice and that could be another lead magnet. So, it’s again, something you can add to your business and create that asset that will be another thing to bring people in that you know are interested. And then the last one I want to cover here, number five, is free plus shipping offers. Now, these ones are a little bit more complicated, but it is going to be a little bit of a higher quality lead.

[00:22:35] Scott: And what I mean by that is when you’re doing a free plus shipping offer you are giving them the item for free but they’re being charged for shipping or shipping and handling and that could be $3.99 or $5.99 or whatever you want it to be. The difference is they have to put their credit card in to cover shipping which then turns them into a higher quality lead because they’ve actually went through and typed in their credit card number which again that elevates them a little bit because now they’re technically a customer. Even though they didn’t buy anything from you, they did purchase shipping to receive your things so they wanted your thing enough to pay for the shipping to receive it. So, yes, they are worth a little bit more as far as they’re a little bit more higher quality because they’ve gone that extra thing. They’ve jumped through that extra hoop. It’s not just an email address. So, you get their email address, but you also get their information as far as where you know that they are a customer and they have bought from you before.

So, it’s a little bit of a higher quality lead. Again, a little bit more complicated. We’re actually doing that right now in the new brand and it’s a slow go though. I mean, it’s like you can’t just turn on the floodgates and all of a sudden, you’re going to have 1,000 leads coming through like you would one of these other things but it’s a slower process, but the quality of the lead is better. So, again, you might want to mix it up and do a few like we’re doing a contest. We actually just wrapped up a contest and we’re also doing a free plus shipping on the side. So, we’ve got to different kinds of leads coming into our world or into our brand so this way here, but we know that too. On our email list, we have a contest list and we have a free plus shipping list. So, we have those two and we kind of can see which one is performing better or what offers we want to send and how we want to send it or what kind of content, all of that stuff because we know what they technically purchased through the free plus shipping offer on the contest then we don’t know what they’ve purchased but we know what they’ve raised their hand for. So, hopefully, that makes sense.

[00:24:40] Scott: So, let me just give you a little recap here. Number one, the simplest way and I think the way that I would always start is with a contest, some type of giveaway. I think it’s a great way to just build up that email list from the get-go and from there you can start communicating with that list. Little side note here, I’m doing a little experiment right now actually with my wife that is she’s into a certain market so I said, “You know what, let’s go ahead and just test this and see what we can do here similar to what we’ve done in the past,” and we did. And as of right now, I think we’ve been running for about 10 days and I just looked this morning we’re at about 650 emails that are on that list and they’re highly targeted for this market. So, again, it does work. We’re spending around $20 to $30 per day but the cool thing is, is now we are emailing at least once a week and we’re letting them know who we are, get to know, like, and trust us. We’re pushing them to a piece of content that we’ve created.

So, the contest model really allows you to also take that list and then let them know who you are and your brand and your content and all of that stuff. So, it’s not just about the purchase. We don’t even have a product to sell these people right now. Now, on the backside of that though we can send them offers to products especially even the product that we’re using as our lead magnet, I can use that which we will, I’ll use that as an affiliate offer that I can say, “Hey, if you want to go check out more details on the prize, go here,” and that can be my affiliate link. They would then go over. Now, I wouldn’t do that in the email. I would do that in a blog post because it is against terms of service to do that in an email, so I would just direct them over to a piece of content on my blog or my website that talks about the product that we’re giving away and then in there will be a link that will direct them over to Amazon and then that way there you’re one click or two clicks away from them making a purchase.

[00:26:39] Scott: And the cool thing is with being an affiliate for Amazon is anything that’s in their cart you’re going to get credit for within a 24-hour period. So, even if they don’t buy that they had other things in their cart and they check out, you will get credit for that. So, that’s pretty cool too. So, the contest, big fan of it. I think it’s where we all should start especially when you’re just getting started to kind of build up that list of people that are in your market to get them to raise their hand. All right. So that’s number one. Number two, PDF downloads another great one that’s e-books or just standard PDFs but I like e-books better. You can make it a nice cover, make it look a little bit nicer. Number three, video series. I like that as well. You can do a three or four video series. I think that’s great, even five if you want to. Four, a checklist. And then five is – did I just say five? It was supposed to be four. Four was checklist. Five is free plus shipping. I like that one a lot too because we actually have credit card in hand although it is a little bit more complicated but nothing to be afraid of and again I’ll be going through more of that stuff on the Whiteboard Wednesdays on YouTube so definitely subscribe to the YouTube channel over at TheAmazingSellerTV.com.

All right. So, action steps for you. I want you to think about this, everything I just discussed, and I’m sure your wheels are already spinning. They’re already probably spinning. You’re like, “Okay. Yeah, I could do a contest. What would be a good contest?” You can’t see me right now but I’m kind of like having my chin and I’m kind of looking up, kind of how you see like, “Hmm, what could I use for a contest? Oh, I know. I could grab that JB 6700 fishing rod and I could grab, let’s see, I could grab the fishing net for bass. I could grab whatever,” like I’m putting together this bundle that I know my audience would want and they would raise their hand for. That’s what I’m doing and that’s what I want you to do. I want you to do that.

[00:28:38] Scott: I want you to think about what would be a good e-book that you could create? A short one. It doesn’t have to be long. What are five things that people need to know when getting started? One little tip here for you is just go to YouTube and go in the search bar there where you can go ahead and search for something and type in your market like even bass fishing. If you just type in bass fishing and you’ve seen what came up. I’m going to go there right now. I’m going to type in “bass fishing” and it says bass fishing tips, bass fishing tournament, bass fishing videos, bass fishing with frogs, bass fishing for beginners. So, maybe yours is a beginner’s guide so here I have bass or here we go, Beginner’s Guide to BASS FISHING – Part 1 – Introduction. 126,000 views. So, maybe that’s what I do. I’m going to go ahead and click on this thing and I’m going to say, “Okay. Let’s see here.” He’s got it’s called HatCamBass. That’s the name of his channel. He’s got 37,000 subscribers.

My point is this. He’s giving me the guide in a sense. He’s got another one. Beginner’s Guide to BASS FISHING – Part 2 and then he’s got Part 3 and they’re all on YouTube. This is so funny that I actually came across this as I was recording this episode. I literally went over there and did that. You can literally go through and find the four-part video series that I was just talking about. He’s already done it. If I go in to I’m just going in here to the other one, Beginner’s Guide to BASS FISHING – Part 2 – The Bass. So, what’s crazy about this is every one of these has over 100,000 views so do you think people want this and they need this? Yes, you could take this exact thing. Here’s another thought. You could take this exact four-part video series that have it transcribed, put it into an e-book and now you have an e-book with those four videos that you recorded and now you have that piece of content, that lead magnet, and now you also have a video series. Boom. You’re done. You got to lead magnets now that you can use for your business to get the right people in the door.

[00:30:40] Scott: Some people like to read. Some people like to watch. Okay. So, you get to hit them up a couple of different angles there. So, that was totally random but I wanted to do that so that was kind of cool. Anyway, so that’s what you want to do start thinking about your market. Who do you want to attract? That’s the other thing. Who is it? Who is it that you want to attract? If you’re talking about bass fishing that’s kind of broad. Maybe you want to go kind of kayak bass fishing so now you’re going to want to drill into the kayak bass fishing market. Who is that? What do they want? What’s their thing? And then you would go and start doing the research. Right there, it took me literally five minutes to find the four-part guide that I could put together, right there. So, that’s all you have to do. Search other brands. What are they doing for contests? What are they doing for lead magnets or e-books or checklist or like what are they doing? Don’t copy it but get ideas, get inspiration, by looking at other brands or look at other brands that aren’t even in your market, what are they doing, and then you can just kind of think about how you can take that same idea and adapt it to your market.

So, those are action steps. All right. The other action step is, well, I got two of them. Go to the show notes, grab them, download the transcripts, look at the whiteboard video that I did of these as well that I will embed inside of this post, TheAmazingSeller.com/534. And then the other thing is go to our free training, TheAmazingSeller.com/BuildList and that will give you a really, really good overview and action steps on how to start building your list from scratch. So, definitely check out that training, grab the show notes, go there, and make sure that you bookmark this one probably especially if you are looking at the website or the blog and you’re visiting that, definitely bookmark this one because this here to me is critical because if you can attract the right people, build this asset.

And also build a skill set because when you’re building a list, you’re building a skill set that you’re able to use over and over again. And once you understand this, you can plug this into pretty much any business. I’ve been building email list now for over 10 years and it’s pretty much all the same. Things have evolved, tools have changed but going out there and finding your audience, attracting the right people, and bringing them into your world and into your brand so you can communicate with those people, that to me is game changer stuff because a lot of the competition is not going to go through this work to make this happen.

[CLOSING]

[00:33:13] Scott: All right. So, guys, that is it. That is going to wrap up this episode. Definitely go check out the YouTube video that I created as well, TheAmazingSellerTV.com and I will be delivering more brand building tips there on the whiteboard, so you can actually watch me draw this stuff out. All right, guys. So that’s it. That’s going to wrap it up. Remember, as always, I’m here for you, I believe in you, and I’m rooting for you, but you have to, you have to, come on, say it with me, say it loud, say it proud, take action! Have an awesome, amazing day! And I’ll see you right back here on the next episode.

[END]

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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

www.theamazingseller.com/youtube

www.theamazingseller.com/buildlist

www.theamazingseller.com/workshop

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2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Review

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR you will have seen that face 1000ps power, however most likely wouldn’t fret that McLaren couldn’t do 1014HP. This would permit you to call a genuine auto, the all the more conservatively these qualities were figured in the 1000 hp, doubtlessly. In any case, the PC a little more than a 986bhp somewhat “less alluring and should remain it.

You can perceive that it is so natural to enter the quantity of such smooth autos and now that I drove as quick as I can go and do it until the main groan the consuming torment shot through my neck muscles, I discovered this entertaining. The execution is fascinating – exceptionally intriguing. Be that as it may, it is a great deal less fascinating than a portion of alternate things that do the auto.

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2017 Mclaren P1 GTR 0-60

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Accessories

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Black

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Powertrains and Performance

As you built up the 2017 Mclaren P1 GTR is an auto much know an indistinguishable work from the Ferrari FXX and its posterity and most likely some place in the work of doing it, the individuals who are reluctantly appreciative to Maranello are to demonstrate the idea of millions Car that is utilized neither on race nor out and about. As strategies for success appeared to be probably not going to go, however Ferrari went for the same.

As McLaren. It offered the proprietors P1 RWGs just existing and was pummeled down the request book when an assume that expects offers of a little more than 30 broken parking spots 40 units. Like Ferrari, which will be given to occasions on the principle courses the world over, its pilots will prepare in wellness and sustenance and offer upward lessons to a set out toward the individuals who need it.

Be that as it may, the proprietors can likewise take their auto home and do with them the way they need. I cannot envision an excessive number of individuals are confronted with a day of “running what you bring” in Mallory Park, yet in the event that they needed it they could. You could likewise take the Nürburgring.

While McLaren’s main pilot Chris Goodwin trusts that the GTR in the vicinity of five and 10 seconds for every lap is speedier than P1 on the North Loop Losail around four circumstances the length of the Losail and P1 has as of now passed under seven minutes, T require a mini-computer to get the genuine Frightening potential inside these shot-pumped-shot pumps.

However, in all actuality a little part of this additional speed originates from the crude vitality and extra weight reduction of 50 kg. The downforce is a critical device, yet the distinction amongst day and night is the tires. Goodwin portrays the P1 tire out and about on the grounds that the auto combine the powerless connection in its plan and you can perceive any reason why.

Despite the nature of his work, Pirelli has dependably possessed the capacity to make an adequately capable tire to work in every single climate condition for a huge number of kilometers over an unmistakable quantifiable life in months and years.

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2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Front

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Inside

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Price

Envision such a tire without these restrictions, with the need to take a couple of minutes and no more assault. P1 on slicks, in light of the fact that in basic words advanced streamlined Imagine is put away that the GTR. The lodge of the GTR is at any rate known. Boss specialist Dan Parry Williams said that for all shows from the fiction of the auto, individuals still needed the P1 GTR to associate their autos and in this way, be consoled.

McLaren street auto run number one and comes in covered catches, not just for the control of the “push to pass” existing frameworks and DRS detailed by the road auto additionally say that the breaks in the driver’s seat, additionally the limiter of Speed catch pit lane high bar and starter.

I wound with your thumb and a little bomb detonates behind his correct ear as the 3.8 liter bi-turbo motor blazes by his new and unclear titanium and Inconel deplete pins. Bends on the entryway, and they are in a case of carbon fiber alone trusting that the machine feeling moved and not me.

Take the P1 GTR, how a twofold programmed grip: Pulling an oar on the pedal pushers and guide into the obscure. How would you manage what will come next? I need to help me in the experience however today the McLaren presents the GTR to potential clients and clearly in the event that you have two million pounds to spend on what makes you more imperative than me. So, I put my foot on the floor and feel promptly physically debilitated.

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2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Review

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Interior

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Rear

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Driving Impressions

This is the thing that happens when your internal ear on the less than desirable end of something absolutely sudden. It is not the power and torque you get as much as it can make various adaptable tablecloths also, and that is, toss all the group of hot black-top Qatar.

Just now that we understand frameworks how great and discrete footing work that typical P1. Be that as it may, I cannot remain here asking why the lunch counter in light of the fact that there is no work to be finished. So I begin at a similar speed variator as I utilized as a part of a stage had P1 auto way on which practically no one could a machine on the premise of a street configuration could envision a treat. In any case, in the GTA is not a sort of test.

I can feel GTR look irritated at the clock and asked where Goodwin went. Oversteer or understeer or on the off chance that you don’t fluid around the quick dissolving top, and P1 as these channels. Heads. It feels lighter Arcade and in this sense truly not as much as the additionally energizing personality of his sister with the tags.

Pushing harder does that exacerbate the situation, in light of the fact that your failure to feel insufficient is to discover its cutoff points emerge as to making a polygon through the base of the brain. We attempt to overlook the requests of your feeling of survival as you tilt at a specific speed in a bend and ludicrous is the P1 GTR delicately stroking the upper cladding at the exit and saving its nails as it does.

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2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Side View

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Specs

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Proficiency and Execution

So, you need to stop. Going out to drink espresso by walking to do is take this wicked machine. I thought, now I am over by compel and power would be inebriated; truth be told, I never felt calm in my life. We have to investigate the matter in the eye and inquire as to whether you are better than sufficiently average to carry out this employment to drive this auto to have the capacity to recount its story.

My lone comfort is that Goodwin is not astonished by my response, nor is Parry Williams, sufficiently kind to disclose to me that I neglected to inhale when he drove it. Also, “this sort of auto.

When I carbonafide riding for the second time, it was as though I had the McLaren autos supplanted by P1 GTR dream constantly. I won’t be the first to notice that the mind is an astounding organ and, only a bit ‘time to handle the stream of data that has quite recently been sustained, it can give its practically interminable ability to adjust to its condition.

This time, I am neither perplexed nor foul in human cannonball over each time I turned the gas throttle just energized the press, what I introduced the limit of a street auto, however it was just a follow climate changed at the level worldwide are.

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Body Styles, Trim Levels and Choices

Presently the P1 and saved her sewing Optionally costs move through the suspension and its wings started to talk once more. Course appeared to be clear overflowed and we feel beat once more, he disclosed to me that the auto begins to slide. In any case, this is not unnerving, but rather consoling. Presently I know where the cutoff is and I like what I listen.

I thought it would be built up as a present day GT3 driver to acknowledge beneath the greatest speeding up, with no time without quickening agent on both pieces adjust between the two, the most extreme braking. Be that as it may, the GTR is most certainly not.

It’s quicker to delicately facilitate the ability to include somewhat ‘additional square, constructed understeer steadily, yet it is significantly more enjoyable to break with a marginally hot foot football in this. There is a minute I expected that I can achieve such a stage in Bahrain, however now I can hear the auto approach a wonderful state way lack of bias more from supply administration framework and each corner all controlled with a deferral of zero politeness the half breed drive provided.

Eventually, it is the fast breaks for the ensuing agony. With the twist in the correct bearing, it comes to the P1 GTR right around 200 mph all over is sufficient weight on the pedal at that speed.

The yield is so huge thus solid Akebono plates that I can score on this pedal with all the vitality I can summon, and all that the world is going ahead around me, is pushed in the face like a dolly zoom in Hitchcock film. I need to go an alternate, yet my time with McLaren P1 GTR and the Losail circuit is available.

Leaving the circuit, it is that toward the finish of the second session at the top of the priority list, the increasing speed that had actually harmed me at an early stage the initial introduction, it is not typical, then in any event common and not more than satisfactory in the earth in which I got myself. Furthermore, I know how this is ludicrous.

By a wide margin the most remarkable is a casing that will draw in more than 2.5 g page, however recall that, regardless of his cadence splash, what is most critical is not how quick you go, but rather you have a fabulous time to go quick.

What does this mean 2017 Mclaren P1 GTR ? Envision an auto with as near 1000 hp, which has no effect that weighs under 1,400 kg dry. Think can quicken that are educated, lead and after that, this is the minimum intriguing thing back. This is the genuine measure of the P1 GTR. Notwithstanding, shockingly it appears to you to take my pledge that no composition chequeen the machine down not completely retain.

2017 Mclaren P1 GTR – As Strategies for success appeared to be probably not going to go, however Ferrari went for the same 2017 Mclaren P1 GTR Review 2017 Mclaren P1 GTR you will have seen that face 1000ps power, however most likely wouldn't fret that McLaren couldn't do 1014HP.