Morning Team,

February 12th, I have walkthrough scheduled with our local co-founders to discuss the transition to the new Infrastructure. Late February, then into early March, we’ll be making this happen.

As I told the tech team, “I’m scared.” “You’re nervous.” “I don’t care.”

The time has come.

The day is here!

Together, whatever issues, bugs or setbacks we face, we’ll work them out together. I have hired an additional crew during our launch phase too, to help troubleshoot and provide support. Kind of like a police dept. bringing in police officers for a busy Labor Day weekend, protests, etc…

The hope is that you don’t need them, but if you do, they’re there just in case.

From the start, after interviewing nearly a dozen different firms, I hired the best tech team I could find. So, I don’t anticipate major issues. But who knows? Better safe than sorry.

Also, T-shirts, hats, and other Impact Club Apparel:

In the memo I shared last week, I talked briefly about the need to develop ways to fund Impact Club. I and my co-founders, to date, have funded it. But with growth, comes expense…

And I intend to grow the sh!t out of this!!!! 🙂

Growth = Impact.

Impact = Lives that are/can be changed

So to hold back because we’re limited by funds, would be the conscious decision to Impact less lives. Something I’m not too keen on doing. Impact Club, the reason I invested in the infrastructure in the first place is so that it could become the monster I knew it could be.

Which brings us to Apparel:

Ryan Sloper, my business partner and co-founder, NoVA Impact Club, just held their 5th event. $17,100 was committed to the winning charity. At that event, though, there were repeated requests…

“Do you have any long sleeve Shirts?”

“Do you have Sweatshirts?”

“Any way I can buy a hat or Beanie?”……

Apparel is something I had planned to launch, in addition to corporate sponsorships as brand partners. But frankly, I’m not well-versed in this space. Nor do I have an eye for fashion.

Most days I wear sweats and T-shirt. (I drive to Starbucks in my PJs)

(4:30am… every morning)

My mom says I look like a bum. At Starbucks, I’ve even been confused for a homeless guy. “No, I don’t have a dollar” as one patron said. I remarked, “I just wanted to know the time.”

Needless to say, “Retail/Fashion/Apparel” – ain’t my thing.

I know “Message”

I know “Storytelling” (not apparel)

Which means I have a favor to ask – do you know of anyone I could/should talk to?

Everything from sourcing, designing, setting up the e-commerce platform, to creating promotions and a T-shirt of the month club, etc… I am weak in my knowledge. I want to hire a pro.

If you can think of anyone, please hit me back. (I appreciate it)

Keep inspiring others,

-RYAN

PS: I also see apparel, and a percentage of the profit that results from it, going back to our 2nd and 3rd place local charities from each event. Impact Club is a high stakes, “Winner Take All” format. But that doesn’t mean we can’t supplement that concept with new ways to impact our local charities.

SWITCH TO ONLINE DONATIONS

“Impact Venture Capitalists!”

In the next 30 days, we’re going to start transitioning every Impact Club member away from cash or check donations, and into credit card donations for a couple of important reasons:

1 – SAFETY

With the rapid expansion of Impact Club, where some Impact Clubs have 200+ members, that means huge amount of cash is being collected at the door. Five, ten, even $15,000 at a recent event.

I don’t know about you. But that terrifies me. After the hours of dusk, 7/11 won’t keep more than $100 in the cash register. And here we have five, ten, even 15K sitting in an envelope next to the door.

Then, we send that cash home with the winning charity –

“Here, $15,000 in cash.”

“Safeguard it.”

So yes, this modification from cash/check donations to digital processing, has been long needed. It’s only a matter of time, if we don’t make the switch, that an Impact Club will be robbed – putting everyone in danger.

Being proactive, oppose to reactive, is a must. I would forever regret it, if something happened.

2 – CONVENIENCE

We have heard you. And we have been listening to ALL of you. We know cash and check donations are highly inefficient and inconvenient. Especially, when you aren’t able to make it the night of the event.

Then people forget.

Then they have to find their checkbook. They have to find a stamp. An envelope. Then have to remember to put it to the mailbox, like it’s the 1950’s. Or since cash isn’t sent in the mail, donation requires an actual delivery.

All the while, members have said – “Can’t I just Paypal it to you…”

“Can’t I use a credit card?”

“Can’t I Venmo?”…

Then, did I mention, people forget? So, a month goes by. Then two months. And the charity that won the majority vote, still waits on the donation committed by each member of Impact Club. Which isn’t fair to them. So, in addition to Safety, convenience is a huge factor.

3 – NO ONE LIKES BEING A BILL COLLECTOR

In fact, recently, I’ve heard from several co-founders that they’ve lost friends. Because, when they try to follow-up to collect donations from members who committed to donate, but didn’t make it the night of the event, there has been some festering resentment involved.

Those member promise to send the donation. “It’s in the mail…”

Then forget.

So co-founders remind them. Text #2…

The member says, “Oh yeah, I forgot. I’ll get that to you…” Then they forget again.

Text #3…

And well – you see where there is going!

When someone makes a commitment to donate, to impact their local community. To help and impact local charities. You should haven’t to hound them. And co-founders certainly don’t like it either.

So, in addition to Safety and Convenience, the elimination of Strenuous follow-up is huge too.

4 – MEMBER MANAGEMENT

With the (soon) launch of Impact Club’s new Infrastructure, which includes a full membership site. It will be easy for Members to manage their donations. Update credit card for donation. Etc.

Or even cancel their membership. (which is ok)

Some members, instead of having the courage to just say, “I think I’m going to cancel.” They ignore the communication of our co-founders, when they follow-up to collect donation. Text #1… Email #1…

Text #2… Email #2…

I mean, c’mon folks, we know you’re getting them. People sleep next to their phone.

That said, inside of the new membership site, under Account & Profile, each member can conveniently manage their membership. Stay. Go. Update their form of donation on file, it’ll all be easy.

5 – BETTER FOR THE WINNING CHARITY

Local charities are burdened enough, often struggling to find ways to do more with less. Less time. Less resources. Less manpower. So, to now have to issue 100 or 200 or 300 tax receipts, can be crippling.

So, by integrating with a 3rd party non-profit, as our donation-processor, we have removed that burden from the local charity. You, each member, also, will get your tax receipt instantly.

No more waiting weeks, or even months, for them to be issued.

On top of that, instead of manually collecting donations for months after the actual event. The winning charity, the very next day, will be issued the full of amount committed by Impact Club members. Which means, immediately, they can start impacting lives.

Boom!!

So, those are the five Core Reasons.

Some I’m sure, will reject this shift, maybe even drop their membership. I get that. But like I said, being proactive is essential. On the grounds of Safety alone, this issue can’t be ignored.

Stay tuned.

Big advancements on the horizon! (Exciting.)

KEEP INSPIRING OTHERS!

Once we launch the new infrastructure and work through the process of transitioning all current members, in each local Impact Club, to the new members’ site. We’ll start launching new clubs.

That is, after all, my favorite part. To see the creation of that initial nucleus in each local community. Those folks, “Your voice is more powerful than your money,” then inspire others.

Upcoming Impact Club dates:

Jan 29th – Highlands – $20,500 committed by IC members to Genesis House

Jan 31st – Northern VA – $17,100 committed by IC members to HUGS

Feb 19th – Impact Club S. Canterbury (NZ – 2nd Event)

Feb 20th – Impact Club Frederick (MD – 5th Event)

Feb 20th – Impact Club Conejo Valley (CA – 4th Event)

March 5th – Impact Club Tri Town (IN – 2nd Event)

March 7th – Impact Club Boise (ID – 4th Event)

March 8th – Impact Club Coeur d’Alene (ID – 3rd Event)

March 12th – Impact Club Wilmington (NC – 3rd Event)

March 15th – Impact Club Loveland (OH – 1st Event)

March 19th – Impact Club Fox Cities (WI – 4th Event)

April TBD – Impact Club Temecula (CA – 5th Event)

April TBD – Impact Club Yuma (CA – 5th Event)

April TBD – Impact Club Union City (CA – 4th Event)

More announced soon…

In January alone, nearly hundred thousand will be donated to local charities!

-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.