Joining a committed group of women in a mastermind is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ve joined mastermind groups before, but never one that gelled this well. I have one particular member of this mastermind to thank for inspiring me to hold my first live event: a book launch and fundraiser for 57 Secrets for Branding Yourself Online and the Unstoppable Foundation.

Marie Green is the owner of Curves Long Beach East. She was so excited about the online book launch I was doing she wanted to participate. However, she is a local business, and promoting to a national (possibly even worldwide) audience didn’t make sense. So I decided to hold a live event so that business owners in the greater Long Beach Area, like Marie, could benefit from what I had to offer.

Then the magic started happening.

First, Marie offered her space for the event … becoming my first official sponsor. And then she started coming up with other ideas to bring in more sponsors. Then the rest of the mastermind group got involved, too. And the sponsors are signing on … with just as much enthusiasm as Marie.

What’s great about holding the event at Curves Long Beach East is manifold:

1. It is a very large space … much larger than any of the restaurant spaces I was looking at that were within a reasonable budget. So now I can probably have as many as 100 people show … rather than only 40 – 50.
2. It shows my support of local business by thinking outside the box … something I encourage in my book. You wouldn’t think to hold a book-signing event at a fitness center if your book wasn’t about fitness, would you?
3. Marie is very connected with local business owners, especially women business owners. Having her as a sponsor is helping me get other sponsors. Many authors don’t think about how the venue they hold their events can help them get people to the event. But this can be a crucial resource for making the event a success.

Take Aways

Ask for what you want. I almost held the event at a much more expensive place because I didn’t think Marie would be interested in holding my event there. When you ask for what you want, the worst thing that can happen is you won’t get it. But guarantee not getting it if you don’t ask!

Be a master of the win-win-win scenario. Always keep foremost in mind what you can do to benefit your sponsors and attendees. When attendees win, sponsors win … and so do you. Yes, the goal of an event like this is to increase my visibility, sell more books, and attract new clients. But if that was all I was thinking of, I wouldn’t attract the sponsors or the audience I needed to accomplish that goal. Be of service first and you will get what you want and need.

Be open to strange and wonderful synchronicities. Don’t discount a potential opportunity just because it doesn’t look obvious. Holding a book event about branding online at a fitness center is far from obvious. But, there are so many good things attached to the decision to do that, I would have been leaving money on the table if I had said no.

Step outside your comfort zone … even if just a little bit. Holding a live book launch is a big step for me. It means trusting that all the things I need to pull it together will come together. Add to that the fact that I’m giving away some of my profit and it feels both better and scarier. What if I don’t make enough to pay for the expenses? What if the money I raise is so small I’m embarrassed to announce it (like I’ve promised)? I’m feeling the fear and doing it anyway, trusting everything to work out. And in doing so, I’m growing as a person and an entrepreneur.

Come Join Me at the LIVE Book Launch and Fundraiser!

If you’ll be in the Long Beach, Calif., area on Sunday, July 14, 2013, I urge you to set aside some of your time to attend this event. You can learn more and get your advanced tickets at 57secrets.splashthat.com.

Also, if you are a woman living in the Long Beach area, you might consider joining Curves Long Beach East. The space is clean, fresh, and open. The people are warm and friendly. And the workout follows a proven system for incorporating both cardio and strength training.