Nothing I've done has been as personally fulfilling as what transpired in Beacon, NY, on June 7, the culmination of months and months of planning and hard, selfless work with a small, dedicated team.
Save Us. Be Creative!
Think about how many of your friends and acquaintances work for themselves — not just those with their own business, but also those who freelance or consult (whether full or part time). How many consider themselves “creative”? Chances are, you know a lot. While the positive impact of cultural institutions is pretty much conventional wisdom at this point, the larger creative economy that includes DIY (do-it-yourself) makers and small, creative businesses is less understood.
Just For You: 7 Dimensions of High-Impact Branding
I spoke at the premiere NYC Green Festival on "Building Your Authentic Brand Image and How to Incorporate Social Media in the Process." I talked less about "social media" and more about branding. Because you can't do social media properly unless you properly understand your brand. For that talk I created a pretty informative overview I so neatly titled "7 Dimensions of High-Impact Branding."
Breaking the Silence
Dear colleagues, clients, collaborators, comrades…
I'm writing — after what to many of you is a long silence — to share some exciting news I think you'll appreciate. I also have a small request in the form of an offer.
Three years ago I founded BEAHIVE, a new kind of collaborative space for work and community in Beacon, NY, north of NYC in the verdant Hudson Valley. We now have three locations (Albany + Beacon + Kingston), with plans to create a small network of collaborative hives in the Hudson Valley.
(Check out all the media coverage. I'm particularly fond of this recent profile and schematic graphic in social issues magazine Miller-McCune, now renamed Pacific Standard.)
BEAHIVE is aligned with the social impact mission of Antidote Collective and in many ways is a physical manifestation of the collective part.
Now that I have some great partners and a solid structure in place for BEAHIVE, I'm refocusing on Antidote. Here's what's on the immediate horizon…
-> CO-AUTHORING A SOCIAL IMPACT PR BOOK WITH WENDELL POTTER * Details to come. We'll be reaching out to some of you over the next few months to solicit an interview or contribution. You have been warned!
-> SPEAKING AT THE NYC GREEN FESTIVAL, APRIL 21 "Building Your Authentic Brand Image and How to Incorporate Social Media in the Process"
-> ORGANIZING A TEDx * Details to come.
-> AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTING OPPORTUNITIES (ALSO WITH WENDELL) * Which leads me to...
THE OFFER/REQUEST
I'm offering a free consultation to select folks to discuss how best to communicate their message and connect with the right audiences, inspire them to action, and make a better world possible.
I'd appreciate if you pass my name along to anyone who may need such PR and communications support — namely leaders at nonprofits, foundations and citizen groups, and social entrepreneurs and thinkers at the intersection of progressive issues, media, arts and culture, socially responsible business and big ideas.
Wendell is available to collaborate with me. You may know him from his bestselling book exposing corporate spin, Deadly Spin (Bloomsbury), which was based on his experience as the former head of communications for CIGNA. (I helped with publicity.) He's now a contributor to the Center for Public Integrity and regular MSNBC commentator, among other things.
If you're unfamiliar, Antidote offers both strategic and creative guidance — we can analyze, counsel, plan, design, implement or all of the above. Our full offerings here.
MORE TO COME
As Wendell and I are working on the book, I'll be sending occasional think pieces, reports and antidotes to make a better world possible — from me and some of my Collective friends.
Peace + progress, Scott
Hudson Valley's 1st 'Coworking' Space Swarms to Albany
3rd Location for BEAHIVE, Collaborative Space for Work and Community
'Open Hive' Orientation Event - Wed, Feb 8
A new kind of collaborative space for work and community is coming soon to Downtown Albany at 418 Broadway. BEAHIVE is in part inspired by a growing worldwide movement in collaboration called "coworking," where people work in a shared space, alone and together.
The original BEAHIVE — the first such space in the Hudson Valley — opened in May 2009 in the heart of Beacon's (NY) Main Street and a second swarmed to Kingston later that winter. The Albany hive is scheduled to accept members by March 1 and is a partnership with real estate agents TL Metzger & Associates.
An orientation to introduce the space and the idea behind it to the public, dubbed "Open Hive," will be held Wednesday, February 8.
OPEN HIVE / Orientation + Gathering Wed., Feb. 8, 5:30 – 7PM BEAHIVE 418 Broadway, Albany, NY RSVP: (518) 426-5211, sam@tlmetzger.com Details
The original coworking spaces were started by nomadic internet entrepreneurs seeking an alternative to working in coffee shops and cafes or to isolation in independent or home offices.
At the most basic level, the membership-driven BEAHIVE provides a shared, creative work environment for entrepreneurs, the creative class, microbusinesses and consultants. Memberships start at $20/month and range to $350/month for full-time access and your own permanent desk. Non-member day passes are available for $25.
"Given the importance of small business in growing our local economy, I really wanted to create an environment where we can help each other grow our business, generate new ideas and build new relationships," said Tracy Metzger of TL Metzger & Associates. "We expect to have members not only from Albany but also surrounding towns — Troy, Rensselaer, Colonie and beyond."
BEAHIVE also plans personal and professional development workshops and social and cultural events to inspire, educate and bond members — and ultimately, contribute to the larger community. The space is also available to rent for events, parties, workshops and group meetings, with flexible rates depending on the use.
"We’re more than desks and wi-fi and printers," points out BEAHIVE founder Scott Tillitt, who also runs Antidote Collective, a socially conscious communications practice. "We're building a community of members from diverse backgrounds with a range of creative and technical talents and a desire to improve our professional lives, our personal lives and our communities in the greater Hudson Valley."
"Expanding to Albany will grow our community of members and our physical presence, and allow us to better support the growing creative class and microbusinesses in the Hudson Valley," Tillitt adds. "Ultimately we’ll play a bigger role in shaping a Local Living Economy in the region. Our members will collaborate on projects that will have some impact on our communities. Like an incubator with a social mission."
The timing is right for such a space. Many economists agree that record unemployment has and will continue to drive more people into self-employment, as has happened during past recessions. Meanwhile, New York State already has one of the largest populations of microbusinesses (fewer than five employees) in the nation, according to statistics published by the Small Business Association (SBA).
Contact: Scott Tillitt, BEAHIVE - (917) 449-6356, scott@beahivebzzz.com Tracy Metzger, TL Metzger & Associates - (518) 426-5211, tracy@tlmetzger.com
Note: BEAHIVE is a project of Antidote Collective.