“Impact Venture Capitalists!”

Hello Team…

That property above, I have history with it.

It was 2013 or so. I was still in transition, trying to figure out my podcast. I hadn’t yet found my message, or truly what I stood for. This was before I wrote my book, before I launched Broken Industry, the magazine that I publish, or really started study how movements were created…

Friends of ours, though, had a timeshare in Cabo. And since there were two bedrooms, Melanie and I got the invite to tag along.

Thinking back, it must have been day 5 or so. We started to get a little “groundhog day” on the resort. Same pools. Same scenery. Same restaurants. Etc. So we decided to mosey down Pedregal Beach – not suitable for swimming.

Locally, they refer to it as “The Widow-maker.” Because of the size of the waves and the strength of the under toe.

So we keep walking… (Staying out of the water)

And walking…

And walking… We didn’t have anywhere to be. And aside from the ocean next to us, having killed more people than could be counted, the setting was beautiful. White sand. Rock formations that extended into turquoise water.

Waves crashing… With Melanie, it was the perfect place to be.

All alone.

About 200 feet further down the beach, we rounded the next rock formation. That’s when we looked up. I then stepped back, to look up further. There was this incredible house. Although, calling it a “house” is probably not accurate.

More like a structure.

It was perched about 150 feet above the shoreline. It just hung there. I half believed if the earth shook even the tiniest bit, that I shouldn’t be standing here, underneath it. But it was huge, and I remember thinking…

“Holy shit.”

I even said to Melanie, jokingly, “Maybe one day.”

Everything about that house, though, was grand. The setting. The placement. The design. It was embedded in a cliff face. If you dropped a plumb-bob off the edge of the pool, I pretty sure it would hit the sand…

The cliff was that steep.

Well, lo and behold, you can rent that place:

So I did.

May 2017.

Not for myself, though – but as a thank you to my clients. Who, day in and day out, help me to fulfill my purpose in life. Which is, “To create a movement of movements, by helping others to create their own.”

This is something, ultimately, I want to do for Impact Club members too.

Once the entire “Impact Club Machine” is built, all the tech, etc. there will be Local & National Leaderboards to measure both Team and Individual Impact on the local communities. And my vision, for those Teams and Individuals who demonstrate the most commitment. And make the largest Impact. Is to rent a house like this to: 1) celebrate that Impact, but also: 2) to collaborate together, to figure out ways to expand Impact Club to have an even greater influence in our local communities.

Folks, there’s so much still to come. I just wish I could finish it sooner.

Northern VA was first…

Now, Temecula CA…

Next up in February, the 3rd Impact Club – Frederick, MD.

“THANKS FOR THE DOPE SHIRT!”

You bet Stephen.

But really, it should be I, Ryan Sloper, Josh Painter who thanks all of you, who continue to sport the Impact Club Swag with pride, knowing that what it stands for will Impact an untold number of lives.

There are very few T-shirts on the planet that, simply by wearing it, and posting a picture of yourself to Facebook, can have direct Impact on a local Community. In fact, I’ll give you an example of its done.

Let’s say you want to Impact the community. Good!

It’s easy.

Step 1: Take a photo like Stephen, Blake, Courtney did. And like Lynn and Kelly, Shishana and Nancy did too.

Step 2: Post to Facebook, something as simple as:

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Look what I got today. The first Impact Club event is January 28th. “Turning small donations into huge impact.” 200 local leaders. 1 hour. $20K donated. Want to join me? My friend Josh Painter posted the details – been viewed nearly 8,000 times:
https://www.facebook.com/joshuapainter/posts/10157974039110440

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Of course, if you’re in the Northern VA Impact Club, you direct folks to your Club’s sepcific link. But now, here’s what happens. A bunch of people see that. Two or three folks, like you who have a big hearts, decide to join. And boom!

With a simple FB post, which took all of 4 minutes, you just “added” $200-$300 in secured donations to your Impact Club’s quarterly donation. That is the power of what we are doing here, inspiring people!

Better yet?

Make your message more personal. The more it connects, the more it inspires!

#ImpactClub

CAN I BRING BUSINESS CARDS?

NO!

Impact Club is not some “networking mixer.” Besides, trust me. No one wants to hear the 30-second elevator pitch. When you have meaningful conversations, business cards simply aren’t needed. Deep conversations lead to real relationships. Not “warm” business contacts. Also, everyone has a phone. You don’t need a business card. You can just text that person right there.

Now they have your phone number.

But this gets to a bigger point. Several Impact Club Members have already been kicked out of Impact Club, because it became apparent that their “reasons for joining” were not rooted in authentic philanthropy.

At the first event (in Northern VA), one person even brought a bunch of branded pens and asked if he could hand them out to members. I said, “No! And if that’s why you’re here, you can leave.”

I’m super strict on this for one reason:

Impact Club!

We can’t be “The Strongest Community In Every Community,” if even a few members have their own ulterior motive. In the words of Judge Judy, “It only takes one rotten blueberry to begin to infect the others.”

IMPACT CLUB UPDATE!!!

Northern VA, total member count: 121 Members

Temecula CA, member count: 123 Members.

That means, collectively, between just these first two Impact Clubs – thanks to every one of you Impact Venture Capitalists – more than $97,000 will be donated to local charities over the next 12 months.

That is the power of ELEVATED philanthropy; utilizing the concept of Impact Venture Capitalism; investing in Story Engines.

The cool part? The Temecula Impact Club is coming down the home stretch with their first event on January 28th. If Temecula’s member growth is anything like Northern VA’s, in those final 10 days, they’ll be close to 170 members.

That’s what I call, “Putting some distance” between the 1st and 2nd place Impact Club. But don’t get comfortable. Because Eric Verdi, February 28th, launches the 3rd Impact Club, in a community where he has real influence.

Oh, the excitement…

Just wait until we have those Leaderboards in place, and 100+ Impact Clubs. 🙂

WE WILL. IMPACT THE WORLD.

KEEP INSPIRING OTHERS!

-Ryan Fletcher

Co-Founder, Impact Club – forever Grateful.

PS: Encourage everyone you know to learn the language of story. If they do, life, business, fundraising, relationships, the attraction of opportunity, clients, money, love, etc. will be much easier for them.