In case you missed last week’s CRAVE Chat: Building Grassroots Community Organizations, here is a recap of the night’s conversation, advice and inspiration. Our panel featured Kate Atwood of Kate’s Club and Lady Rogue of rogueApron, Lady Rogue Business Network and growBot Garden. They both know all about expanding their businesses through grassroots with great success.
Kate Atwood |
After loosing her mother to cancer, Kate Atwood founded Kate’s Club, an Atlanta-based not-for-profit organization that provides support to children and teens facing life after the death of a parent or sibling. Recognizing first-hand the importance of support Kate’s vision was to build a place for grieving children to have fun and learn to cope with their loss.
Today, Kate’s Club serves hundreds of children through year-round social and emotional support programs. Twitter: @KateAtwood |
Lady Rogue |
Since she emerged on the Atlanta scene in 2008, Lady Rogue has founded an underground dining community (rogueApron), a entrepreneur network (Lady Rogue Business Network), and a speculative agricultural robotics project at Georgia Tech (growBot Garden), which was recently featured at the arts and technology festival, 01SJ.org. |
Q & A with our panel:
(To Kate) As someone not from Atlanta, how did you get started and build your network?
Kate- It is important to take a very social approach. Trust is a huge marketing tool, and the more relational you can be the better. It is also very important to show your face for credibility.
Lady Rogue- How many favors have you done in your business lately? You should give away three times as much business as you are bringing in.
*Do an auction
*Give away a gift certificate
*Go to events that your company wouldn’t necessarily be expected to go to.
From when you started out to today, how have your goals changed?
Lady Rogue- I did not start out really formally, but now I’m finding I’m growing up a bit.
Kate- I always thought that if I can hang on long enough to get myself out of the way, that is where I want to be. When I first started out I was so young and fearless, it was almost dangerous. This time around I am trying to be more strategic, getting investors involved and being smart about my decisions. Also, don’t try and do it alone. It is very important to know your strengths and your weaknesses and be able to ask for help when you need to.
How do you gauge what is safe and what isn’t in terms of collaboration and sharing your ideas?
Kate- Its all about relationships. Be aware of it, don’t force relationships. You can get into trouble by forcing it. I know what it’s like having trouble letting go of your baby, but in business you need to try and let that go.
Lady Rogue- Don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose. And just remember, you will always get burned at least once, it’s going to happen.
Kate- We live in such a world of personal brands. What your trying to sell and do will set you apart from everyone else and your competitors.
When do I know that I am ready to grow my weekend hobby into a business? At what point do I know it is worth the risk of quitting?
Kate- Its going to have to be a leap. I didn’t actually get a pay check for a year and a half after leaving my job. I took on other jobs that took less of my mind like nannying and adminstrative work so I could focus on building my business. If you are waiting for a moment, it’s not going to happen.
Lady Rogue- Take the thing you are really excited and try out an event: if you fail at least it will make a good story 
Kate- Network with people in your industry. Contact people and ask to talk to them. The hardest step is the first one. It takes a unique person to be an entrepreneur.
How have your views on money changed?
Kate- Non-profit is very unique because you never actually own it, so I can’t make decisions about how to spend money. Everything is public and transparent in the world of non-profit.
Lady Rogue- Since I mostly do events, I’ve noticed people have increasingly higher standards but don’t want to pay more. I also want it more than I did before.
Like what you see? Join us for our next event! We will be hosting at special CRAVE Tweet-up at Spice Market for Social Media Atlanta on Thursday, November 11th at 6:00 pm. Entry is FREE. Hope to see you there! Click HERE for more details.
Thank you again to our wonderful panel and our sponsor, Candy Cake Company.
One Response to “CRAVE Chat Recap: Building Grassroots Community Organizations”
Great evening! So great to hear 2 different creative and interesting ways to turn a passion into action.
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