I don’t think you can learn how to run a business in a classroom. You can learn about it. But at some point, you have to dive in, try something, and figure out what to do when it doesn’t go to plan. (And it never goes to plan.)
That’s the idea behind my newest workshop, Plot Twist: Practice Running a Business When Things Don’t Go to Plan, which I’m bringing to the Beyond Startup series at Bounce Innovation Hub on October 21st.
Instead of explaining the concept, I want to walk you through what happens if you’re in the room.
You Start By Making Something
Before we talk about business at all, you’re making something with your hands. We’ll use the How You Create Is How You Lead zine that comes with packs of air dry clay. You don’t need to be good at art, and nobody’s judging what it looks like. I’m interested in how you make it. Do you plan first, or jump in? Are you a rule follower, or go your own way? Do you stop when it’s done, or when it’s perfect?
Finding Out How You’re Wired
Next, we’ll do a quick quiz to figure out whether you lean toward being a Dreamer, a Doer, or an Improviser. It’s not a personality test, and there’s no right answer. It’s a fast way to notice your own instincts before you’re put in a situation that tests them.
(If you want to take this one on your own time, it’s part of my free Aducate Academy tools.)
The Part Where Things Fall Apart
Those quick activities are meant to get us warmed up for the bulk of the workshop. This next part is where most of our time goes.
You’ll get into small teams and receive a real business scenario, based on real (anonymized) situations I’ve worked through with actual clients. An owner who is so used to doing everything themselves, they struggle to trust their team. A solopreneur with a beautiful brand and almost nobody signing up. Business partners who’ve built something that works and can’t decide if that’s enough.
Your team works through it together: one of you dreams up a few possible directions, one of you turns the strongest idea into an actual plan, and one of you is on deck for what happens next.
But just when you think you’ve got it figured out, I hand you a plot twist to factor in.
- A client backs out.
- The numbers come back worse than expected.
- Someone finally tells you the truth you didn’t want to hear.
Your team has to figure out what to keep, what to drop, and what to do instead. I have a lot of these cards. You will not run out of plot twists. Kinda like real life!
Comparing Notes
Once every team has been through their scenario, we come back together and hear from each other. You’ll find out what the team next to you was dealing with, how their plan held up, and where it fell apart. Half the value of this workshop is realizing your business problems aren’t as unusual, or as unsolvable, as they feel at 2am.
What You Leave With
You’ll leave having made something, learned a little about how you naturally operate, and spent real time in someone else’s mess (which, if you’re in the middle of your own, might feel like a relief).
No business plan required to be in the room, and nothing about your own business required either, unless you want to share it.
This one works best if everyone jumps in. Come ready to get up, make something, and play.
Plot Twist runs October 21st, 10:00–11:30am, at Bounce Innovation Hub, as part of the Beyond Startup series.