Tagged: Winnipeg
The Case for Knowledge Sharing
- by Alyson Shane
The other week I attended the Winnipeg Game Jam, a weekend-long event where local developers, artists and the like got together to spend a furious weekend creating an indie game together. Mostly they worked in teams, but there were also a lot of people who walked around and offered to help other teams when they had some downtime, which I thought was really interesting.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt that what I saw at the game jam was representative of the type of positive, collaborative spirit that I've discovered in Winnipeg. I frequently get the sense that "we're all in this together," and that we're all working towards common, shared goals of lifting each other up and working together towards success.
In the short time I've been involved in our community I've learned a deep appreciation for sharing knowledge and collaboration through attending events like the Winnipeg Game Jam, and with that in mind I'd like to discuss why I think sharing knowledge, experiences and resources is something that we should all strive to do.
Why should we share what we know?
First things first: I wouldn't be doing what I do without the guidance, advice and knowledge of dozens of people who happily shared it with me - over a coffee, over a glass of wine, whatever. The fact that I've been able to meet tons of helpful, knowledgeable people who have been giving with their time has allowed me to grow my business and, in turn, start helping others grow theirs as well.
As a result of these experiences and the help I've had, I've come to believe that knowledge is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal, and considering information economy in which we live, I'd argue that knowledge is more powerful when you share it than when you keep it to yourself.
Here are a few reasons why I think it's good practice to share what you know:
Sharing knowledge makes you a thought leader & an expert in your field
This is something that I've had to repeat to several of my clients who have been wary of posting blog content or articles which they fear will give their competition an advantage. Spoiler alert! Anything you know can be found with a quick Google search... but that isn't the point. By being open and giving with your knowledge people will have a greater respect for you - not just because you know what you know, but that you have the ability to articulate it and the desire to share it with others and help them.
Let's use Paul Graham as an example. For those of you not familiar with his work, Paul Graham is a programmer, venture capitalist and essayist (whose essays you should definitely read) who developed Viaweb, the first application service provider (ASP) which eventually got bought out by Yahoo! and allowed Paul to go on to found YCombinator, one of the most well-known and respected seed funds in the world.
Do thousands of entrepreneurs and businesspeople who apply to YCombinator think less of Paul Graham because he gives away his knowledge for free in essays and in meetings? Of course not. They eat up his words and try to apply his insight to their own lives and challenges, and when he speaks, they listen.
This is because people don't come to you just for your knowledge; they come to you for the judgments that you make based on that knowledge.
Sharing knowledge builds relationships
I've had a variety of coffees and hang-outs with local content-marketing types like myself where we've chatted about our various projects, struggles we're having, and how we can provide better service for our clients. I've received advice and doled it out in kind - but what's important in those interactions is that we've moved from being internet strangers to real-life acquaintances (in fact, if we're lucky maybe we can even level up to being friends, who knows?)
Everything in life is about who you know. This applies to both online and offline relationships, and if you position yourself as someone who isn't willing to take the time to help other people then it's very likely that, in turn, people won't take the time to help you.
Especially in this digital age, the more people you know and develop healthy, positive relationships with the better off you'll be. Gone are the days of lone-wolfing it and trying to alienate everyone for fear that they might use your knowledge against you; by surrounding yourself with a vibrant community and constantly working at growing your network by sharing what you know and helping one another you set yourself (and everyone you help!) up for future success.
Sharing knowledge can change the world
By working together and sharing ideas, information and experience we can make really great things happen.
Case in point: open source software. The PHP language, which powers about 60% of websites, or Wordpress, which powers about 30% are both, open-source. Huge, world-changing websites like Facebook wouldn't exist without open-source tools like PHP and MySQL. Linux, which is the open source code behind Android, powers most of the phones on the market today, and it's creator, Linus Tovald also created an open source tool called Git, which has changed the way that millions of developers work and build collaboratively.
Open source is my favourite example of the benefits of knowledge-sharing and collaboration because it hasn't resulted in mass unemployment or people losing their job prospects because they taught someone else what they knew. In fact, it's only strengthened the developer community and allowed them to make amazing things together.
Why does this matter?
It matters because the world is rapidly changing, and having a mindset of scarcity is something that, collectively, we're moving away from. People are starting to realize that there is in fact room for everyone to be successful, and by lifting each other up we all benefit from it.
I've seen it firsthand at events like the Winnipeg Game Jam, and at local events held by groups like RampUp Manitoba, Skullspace, New Media Manitoba and AssentWorks (to use a few local examples). By sharing knowledge and resources our communities are growing and flourishing, and by helping other people we become more powerful, ourselves. Giving away knowledge doesn't diminish how much of it you have, and we all benefit from a community of people (in whatever profession) who are willing to contribute and make that community the best that it can be.
Why you should share:
Know what the best part in all of this is? Helping people feels good. The feeling that you get when you do someone a favour, introduce them to someone who helps launch their career, or even give them a hand in navigating a sticky situation is so rewarding, and that person will remember you for what you did for them and will be more than willing to help you in the future.
Sure, there are exceptions to this rule -some people are just jerks- but going around assuming that everyone is trying to screw you over or waste your time is a pretty sad and lonely way to go through life, and pretty much guarantees that nobody will want to work with you once your true colours show through (and believe me, they always do).
The world is changing. Like I said at the beginning of this post: we live in an information economy, and knowledge is power - especially when you have a lot of it and share it readily. When you take the time to share what you know with people it guarantees that you will be successful in your endeavours because people will want to work with you and help you. It also guarantees that you will be more respected by your peers, more well-liked, and that you'll be a happier person overall because (and this is really the most important part, at the end of the day.)
What is the most important piece of knowledge that someone had given you? I'd love to know!
Crowdfunding Crash Course: Steve Meier aka Khan Vikshyn - Normal People
- by Alyson Shane
Steve Meier, aka Khan Vikshyn, is a Winnipeg-based poet and hip hop musician. He used Indiegogo to fund his debut album, Normal People.
Can you briefly talk about your album?
My album is called Normal People. I describe it as being inspired by everyday situations I face as a young man trying to find my way in life while working a dead end job and moonlighting as a rapper hoping to someday “make it” in the music industry. It’s available at khanvikshyn.bandcamp.com and in Winnipeg at Into the Music, Music Trader and HMV in Portage Place.
Why did you feel that the crowdfunding model was the best way to promote your album?
I felt that crowdfunding was the best way for me to promote my album because it allowed me to build excitement and a buzz around my project that I wouldn’t have been able to build otherwise. The people who donated to my campaign are still engaged and excited to see what I do next with my album.
Why and how did you choose Indiegogo over other crowdfunding options available?
I chose Indiegogo because it looked like one of the most legitimate and widely known platforms I could find and it didn’t seem to have many barriers in the way of getting started. It seemed more geared towards what I was planning to do and had a lot of projects by independent artists with smaller budgets and networks. It also offered the flexible funding option, meaning I would get whatever funds I raised regardless if I reached my fundraising goal or not.
How big was your budget before you launched your crowdfunding campaign?
I didn’t really have much of a budget before launching my campaign. Crowdfunding forced me to really look at what I was doing and set a budget and a direction. If I didn’t raise money this way I would probably still be in the position I was before I launched my campaign – an artist with a dream but no clear path – and it’d be years before I’d get a project out.
How far along was your project before you felt ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign? In hindsight, would you have preferred to be farther along, or to have crowdfunded earlier?
I had two songs recorded and mixed before launching my campaign. I think I was at the right point in creating my album when I decided to launch my campaign and ask for people’s help with the rest of it.
Can you explain how you prepared for and managed your campaign?
I prepared for my campaign by spending about 6 months absorbing as much information as I could on successful crowdfunding campaigns by reading articles and watching videos on other people’s experiences. I managed my campaign by creating a 45 day plan so I’d stay on track and would know what I should be doing each day and how far along I expected to be. I knew that once I kicked things off I’d be too busy doing things to research and plan so I had to be as prepared as possible.
What tools did you use to market your campaign? Do you feel like you did so successfully, and if not, what could you have done differently?
I marketed my campaign online and offline. I contacted people by phone and email and through Facebook and Twitter to ask if they’d consider donating towards my campaign. I also posted up flyers around Winnipeg and held a series of busking concerts with friends/artists of mine that I filmed and uploaded to YouTube and shared on Facebook.
In retrospect what were your best assets for running this successful campaign? On the other hand, what would you do differently?
I think my best assets for running my successful campaign were being open and transparent about what I planned to do with the funds I raised so people felt more comfortable about giving me money toward my project. If I could do something differently I would have spent more time researching ways to get picked up by media and blogs because I didn’t have much media coverage. I sent a press release to the [Winnipeg] Metro, CBC Radio and Winnipeg Alternative Media, and WAM posted it on their Facebook page.
What was your biggest challenge during your campaign?
The biggest challenge I faced during my campaign was overcoming negativity I sensed from those who didn’t understand what I was doing and didn’t take it seriously. Some people thought it was charity or that I was being lazy but I came to realise that not everyone is going to “get it” but you just need to do it anyway. It allowed me to really focus on the people showing me support and positivity because they’re the fans and the ones that matter.
What’s the most valuable advice you could share with aspiring crowdfunders?
The most valuable advice that I could share with aspiring crowdfunders is to not get discouraged and give up. Also, be prepared. Put in the necessary time to research how to run a successful campaign and have a plan in place for what you’re going to do before you kick things off. Once you launch you should be confident that you know what you’re going to do to accomplish your goal.
This post is part of the #CrowdfundingCrashCourse series. You can find the entire series of interviews and summary posts here.
Crowdfunding Crash Course: Adam Brooks of Astron-6 - The Editor
- by Alyson Shane
Adam Brooks is an actor, writer and founding member of Astron-6, a Winnipeg-based film production company. They used Indiegogo to crowdfund their film The Editor.
Can you briefly describe The Editor?
Yep. It’s an absurdist giallo movie about a film editor suspected of murdering a number of his co-workers in a film studio in the late 1970s.
Why did you feel that the crowdfunding model was the best way to promote the film?
Because it required the least investment for the highest gain - nothing to lose.
Why and how did you choose Indiegogo over other crowdfunding options available?
I didn’t spend much time researching it but they seemed to keep a smaller chunk for themselves than their competition.
How big was your budget before you launched your crowdfunding campaign?
$120k.
How far along was your project before you felt ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign? In hindsight, would you have preferred to be farther along, or to have crowdfunded earlier?
It’s a bit of a long and boring story - we had started to shoot ‘The Editor’ as a fake trailer on SLR and eventually decided we might as well try to make an actual feature out of it. We wrote a script and applied for telefilm’s microbudget program.
Can you explain how you prepared for and managed your campaign?
We brainstormed a list of rewards minutes before taping the pitch video and then uploaded it to indiegogo and posted it all over our social media.
What tools did you use to market your campaign? Do you feel like you did so successfully, and if not, what could you have done differently?
We've built a small audience already, so all the blogs that had previously taken an interest in our material were happy to post the indiegogo without us asking.
I think it was successful - we exceeded our goal.
In retrospect what were your best assets for running this successful campaign? On the other hand, what would you do differently?
I think you need a cool project, and cool rewards…. I really wish I’d budgeted all the postage I’ve had to spend on the rewards though or budgeted to pay somebody to do it for me.
What was your biggest challenge during your campaign?
I don’t know. We already had $120k. Our campaign was just trying to get us an additional $16k to punch up what we already had. A year after the campaign it turned out we really needed that money just to finish the thing, but we kept our end of the pitch’s promise and packed the movie with violence, sex, stunts and names.
What’s the most valuable advice you could share with aspiring crowdfunders?
Make a comic with the Soskas.
This post is part of the #CrowdfundingCrashCourse series. You can find the entire series of interviews and summary posts here.
Introducing: the Crowdfunding Crash Course!
- by Alyson Shane
The other weekend John and I finally sat down and watched Indie Game: The Movie. This amazing piece of cinema is from Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot. It follows indie video game developers as they struggle to develop and release Super Meat Boy and Fez, respectively, as well as interviews with Jonathan Blow, the developer behind Braid.
James and Lisanne ran two successful crowdfunding campaigns to fund the film, and after the movie I got to wondering: what makes a crowdfunding campaign successful?
Having never run a crowdfunding campaign myself, I figured that the best way to gain a deeper understanding of this booming phenomenon was to seek out knowledge from those around me.
With that in mind, I'm launching the #CrowdfundingCrashCourse project, where I'll be interviewing startups, musicians, businesspeople, and anyone else I can find who can share their experiences about running a crowdfunding campaign.
The first post, which will go up this week, is with Adam Brooks of Winnipeg-based film production company Astron-6, who used Indiegogo to crowdfund their movie The Editor.
I'm really excited to be starting this project and to share it with you and am always looking for new participants to share their knowledge. If you've run a crowdfunding campaign, or know someone who has and should be featured as a part of this project, please feel free to give me a shout.
This post is part of the #CrowdfundingCrashCourse series. You can find the entire series of interviews and summary posts here.
The Story of My CBC Mug
- by Alyson Shane
Woke up at 3:30 yesterday with my throat on fire. John was kind enough to give me a lift to a walk-in (it's not strep, yay!) but otherwise I spent the day sucking on lozenges and soothing my throat with honey and lemon infused hot toddies out of my new favourite mug.
I picked up this mug at the #CBCTweetupMB event last week. As I was leaving I saw a huge box with tshirts and mugs and other CBC merch (which I totally love - I'm a sucker for anything with the CBC logo or HBC stripes on it).
There was a nice dude standing next to the box who nicely told me when I asked about it that because I was too busy tweeting and talking and eating little cupcakes instead of filling out the BINGO sheet that they provided attendees, I wasn't able to get a mug.
Damn. Should've filled out that BINGO sheet.
Brokenhearted, I walked away and started to put on my jacket. Then this little boy who was standing next to the table called over
"Excuse me! You can have my mug, if you want it!"
Which is how I met Atticus and his mom, Sharon.
Atticus is not only the super-cute kid who stole my heart with his act of chivalry, but he also is a local 10-year old hero who has done a ton of charity work including raising over $1,000 worth of formula for Winnipeg Harvest back in 2013.
Anyway, Atticus was at the tweetup as well and like a responsible attendee (unlike some of us...) filled out his card, which meant that he got a mug that he gave to me.
Atticus, I told you that I'd write about meeting you and I hope you see this - you're such an inspirational little dude and I loved reading about all of your work for Winnipeg Harvest!
Keep on being a charmer and being a positive force in our community!
xox
yr girl Shaner
Thermëa Winnipeg
- by Alyson Shane
Saturday night for Valentine's Day John and I went all-out and made sushi and drank sake and had wine and danced our hearts out while belting out old songs from our teenage years. It was spectacular and amazing and perfect, but we didn't get to bed until 6am.
Needless to say I was feeling a bit fragile the next morning but rolled out of bed and got myself to Thermëa Winnipeg, which as it turns out is the best way to treat a post-Valentine's Day hangover.
I've been jonesing to visit the spa since the general manager, Frederic, gave me a private tour of the site last winter. At the time with all the dirt and construction equipment it was a bit difficult to picture how everything was going to turn out (though the images from the other Nordik Spa locations helped) but being there in person absolutely blew me away.
You can't take photos in the actual spa area but the photo below (swiped from the Winnipeg Free Press) gives you a basic idea of what it looks like:
Yeah, it's all outside. In Winnipeg. In the winter.
Basically you go from warm, to cold, to warm, to cold, to warm, through a series of saunas to dipping pools and it is so much fun! It was pretty cold and windy but the heated pathways and enormous fluffy bathrobes kept us warm as we scampered from place to place.
The pool in the foreground in the photo is super cold, 10 degrees celsius to be exact, and you bet I took a dip in it like a champ after warming up in the Finlandia sauna (pictured on the left) - it was such a shock to my system and felt so good!
My favourite part of the experience was definitely sitting in the hot tub at the very end. It was pretty windy and frequently the steam would rise up and become so thick that I could barely see in front of my face, which was neat, and even though it was pretty busy the layout afforded us a lot of privacy.
The staff recommend doing the whole experience three times, which takes about three hours, though we only got through it twice because we're slow and spent a little too much time in the warmer parts of the sauna (whoops...)
Overall it was an amazing experience, and definitely something that I'd recommend doing to break up the monotony of our obnoxiously long winters - also, when hungover. I felt like a million bucks afterwards.
Want to check it out, too? Yeah you do. Leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a winner to receive two free passes.
Thanks again to Frederic and the kind staff at Thermëa for treating us so right!
Had a blast at #CBCtweetupMB last night
- by Alyson Shane
Last night CBC Manitoba was kind enough to open its doors to us Twitter folk and host a party just for us! There was music, some familiar (and new!) faces, and the most delicious cupcakes courtesy of Constance Popp:
Natalie aka PegCityLovely was there with her selfie stick which was absolutely hilarious and outrageous - pictured is me (of course) Nat and RON! Amazing to see you in the real world!
The night was full of laughs, smiles, some BINGO winnings, my fab Hello Kitty temporary tattoos (thanks Vince and ChrisD!) and overall silliness.
The best part for me? Definitely taking a selfie with John Sauder on live television! HI MOM!
I even have a super-sweet story which I'll share with you guys in a bit - I've got a busy day ahead of me and sooooo much to do! Check out more photos from the event here.
Thanks so much to CBC Manitoba for hosting such a fabulous event!
Woke up early for Raw:Almond yesterday
- by Alyson Shane
For you non-Winnipeggers Raw:Almond is the annual pop-up style restaurant built on the ice of the frozen Assiniboine River. They do incredible 5-course dinners, cocktail & snack sessions, and an informal weekend breakfast which is divine.
I went with Adam and Brittany and John and also waved at Kevin and Laura K, who were also there but with different groups of people.
Because eating breakfast off of paper plates in your winter coat is all the rage.
All of the food is served at these huge, long public tables which encourages people to share the experience with each other.
It's bigger than it's been in years before, with three separate tables to host all of the people that line up in the cold waiting to get inside.
It's heated but still so cold you have to wear your jackets and toques.
The food is divine, as evidenced by the photo above, and worth every penny.
We sat next to Bart Simpson, a filmmaker who was involved with writing a documentary called The Corporation you might have seen (if not, it's on Netflix!) who chatted about all sorts of things with us and took the photo at the beginning of this post. Hi Bart!
It's almost time for the restaurant to close for the season but if you want to know more check out this documentary that my friend Colin put together.
Stay warm, lovelies!
xox yr girl Shaner
The Suburbs
- by Alyson Shane
The place where I lived my childhood is gone.
The street is still there, but the deep ditches where I used to watch tadpoles and, later in the season, scoop frogs into my tiny hands, are gone.
The bridges that extended over them where I spent hours on my tummy, watching the water rush through the long grass with my friends, have been dismantled and taken away.
The fields on either side of my street, which connects Main Street to McPhillips Avenue, have been swallowed up by cheap particleboard, concrete driveways, and houses in pale, inoffensive shades of beige and grey stucco.
In the spring we would put on our too-big rubber boots and wade through the flooded plain, chasing each other through the tall green and orange plants. We used to pull bulrushes, fat and bulbous, apart above our heads, showering everything in their soft wool and watching it drift away in the wind.
We spent our summer afternoons climbing around an old, small hill covered in trees at the end of a dirt road that ran parallel to a ditch which ran parallel to the train tracks. There were old, large pieces of concrete that we, using all of our collective strength, pushed into "couches" and "chairs" to sit on in place of the long grass, which had spiders hiding in it.
There were small burned-out areas where older kids tried to start fires every summer, and the black, charred remains of the trees fascinated us. Especially when, against all odds, they would begin to bloom again in the following year.
The city would come and re-tar our back lane in the middle of the summer and our naked feet would get sticky-black as we chased each other on bikes or on foot over the newly-filled potholes.
One summer we had mice in our attic. I remember my dad pulling one, stiff with rigor mortis, out of a trap that he had set and saying to my mother, who was delirious with anxiety "we live next to train tracks and have fields on both sides of the street. What did you expect?"
In the winter more City workers came in huge plows to clear the back lane, pushing aside the snow to form a jagged, uneven wall along the lane that we would climb over in our thick snow pants. At night we would toboggan in the glow of the streetlights.
I would to fall asleep to the sound of the trains going by. The sound still soothes me.
I used to look out from my parents' bedroom window, over the lane and over the field behind our house. Before I was born you could see right to the Perimeter Highway, but slowly newer developments began popping up and creeping ever-closer.
We moved when I was ten, before the suburbs crept nearer and took over. There had been talk of a wall to divide the new subdivision with my old back lane; now there is a tastefully-high fence that runs along the outer edge of the yards.
My old street runs like a vein between two new subdivisions, which flattened the hill and cast big, imposing shadows over the little houses on Murray Avenue. It once felt worlds apart from the suburbs, but in recent years has become consumed by it.
I've heard people talk about having to drive up my old street to get to their identical, perfectly-paved streets which lead to their identical stucco houses with their identical yards with a single tree in front.
They talk about the old, dated duplexes with brown wood features and chain-link yards; the useless, weird, vacant space in front of their property where the ditches used to be; the back lanes that spoil their view.
They can't see it for the beautiful place that it was because the suburbs have consumed what made it so magical.
On the surface it feels like I've lost that place forever. That it was surrendered to the inevitable march of progress, to urban sprawl, to hastily-constructed homes with no soul.
But Murray Avenue still has a heart. You just have to know where to look.
Come with me, sometime. I'll show you.
Taking It Easy
- by Alyson Shane
Stayed out way past my bedtime yesterday to catch Attica Riot's amazing set at The Cavern, where I danced my face off with John, Adam and new Twitter-to-IRL-friend Doug McArthur!
Also kinda obsessed with this dude from Sc Mira's style. It's so Mark Ronson, don't you think?
They also played this AMAZING cover of Life at Last from Phantom of the Paradise. Unbelievable!
My #Project365 photo was of this super young couple seated in the whiskey bar where John and I were hanging out before the show. They were so cute, they didn't even look 18! When the dude poured the beer they were sharing (aww) he didn't tilt the glass and basically poured a bunch of foam. So charming to watch.
Was feeling super lazy today so I spent the day hanging from the couch, answering some emails, updating my LinkedIn, posting to Tumblr and watching Twin Peaks. What a weird show.
Hope you had a lovely weekend!
xox yr girl Shaner
