Dave Olson and students at Social Marketing Kung-fu Workshop / Spiel in May 2013
“What to do on day one of any new start-up project” – whether for business, nonprofit profit, campaign or revolution including: naming / branding, media kit and various descriptions, and building culture, excitement and a posse – all without spending much money – are covered in part 1 of a fast-paced *master class* workshop by Dave Olson from May 2013.
Community Feasthouse podcast feed – All manner of discourse from media interviews to various lectures and presentations. Topics include social web fu, creative culture, podcast making, DIY publishing, community cultivating, art making and related adventures.
Sometime around 2004, i went to a pal’s wedding in Connecticut – knowing i would see some old pals from Utah, unseen for many years, i assembled a run of (whopping) 4 copies of (an obviously handcrafted/bound) chapbook.
This little tome called “Shoebox” contained stories written while living in Utah alongside some of these lads in hopes of sparking memories and giving a little something of myself in thanks for their inspiration and friendship.
Cover photo is a thistle growing inexplicably from the red rocks of the Grand Canyon’s north rim on a wander i did with the groom of the aforementioned wedding.
Shoebox, chapbook / title page
As it goes, i never heard anything about the booklet, and forgot about the project until again Utah (autumn 2018) and buddy Dane’s copy surfaced during a move. I dutifully snapped a few lousy pictures for documentary evidence of creation.
The stories were written mostly in the “sudden fiction” style i’d experimented with after encouragement from James Thomas and Francois Camoin.
These note cards are residual evidence of a “lunch ‘n learn” and/or other spiel presented in some context or another.
As it goes, i can’t cover all of my Social Marketing Kung Fu(n) topics o’ wisdom in one session, so i make a “game show” where attendees choose their own adventure by choosing from these little prompts.
Shared here for future reference.
PS You can hear loads of my spiels about topics including: marketing, start-ups, PR, renegade social community building etc. via the Community Feasthouse podchannel if inclined.
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 1 – Everything is ephemera (maps, tickets, pins, pennants) #daveostory
Artifact dossier: Collage art boards from “Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions)” spiel presented in various formats at Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver, All-start edition, and Northern Voice 2013 closing keynote. Video and roundup of both prezos exists elsewhere in this archive.
Each collage “slide” was handmade (obviously) with ephemera from my personal collection (exceptions credited on final “slide”) then, arranged on hemp cloth “storyboards”, photographed by Rachel Ashe, then disassembled. An analog to digital remix of sorts. Presented here in rather large size for your printing/screensaver/ amusement and posterity.
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 2 – Young time stories
Artifacts from likely forgotten places. Resurrected with fresh stories augmented with inky pens, broken typewriters, scissors and glue. Possibly sent to you.
Storymaker Dave uncleweed Olson shares an eclectic variety of stories from Vancouver’s counter-culture history on a stage adorned with a record player, campfire & cub scout blanket, art easel, flowers and an Expo 86 mug – plus pulls artifacts from an old-timey suitcase to illustrate forgotten past of a city which is/was much cooler than most realize.
Presented at Northern Voice, June 2013 in Vancouver, Canada, his 11th presentation to this noted personal expression conference (and his last talk before a medical “retirement”).
Dave uncleweed Olson shares Forgotten Vancouver Stories
Topics:
Frederick Varley – Group of 7 painter who lived in Vancouver for 10 years
Grateful Dead – (tried to) play free shows at Second Beach and Kits Beach in 1966
Bob Masse psychedelic poster artist
Gastown Riots, March on Blaine, Rock Against Racism
bev. davies – rock n roll photographer, community chronicler, punk rock mom
Blues in Vancouver – Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at the Bunkhouse
Vancouver punk rock glory days DIY spirit and fanzines (+ final days of The Clash and importance of ephemera)
Clayoquot Sound logging blockades
Jake Milford and the Canucks recruiting Swedish players in the 1970s
United Empire Loyalists + Burner Boys bringing jam band culture
Venues of note: Afterthought, Retinal Circus, York Theatre, the Cave, the Bunkhouse
Cubscout campfire blankets
Howard Hughes, Errol Flynn
++ bits of Kris Krug, Bob Kronbauer, Rebecca Bollwitt, Dan Mangan, Jason Vanderhill and campfire helpers: Mark Blevis, Kemp Edmonds, John Biehler, James Lester, Ariane Colenbrander, Nicholas Demers
From time to time, I visit various classes associated with B.C.’s Simon Fraser University’s fine publishing program under the stewardship of Suzanne Norman. This time around, the class was something about personal publicity and brand building. As such, I share anecdotes gleaned from Hootsuite and dozens of other personal social and community projects from over the years of activism, media outreach and marketing.
Dave (L) and Richard Loat shoot swag from atop the Hootbus at SxSW HootHockey event in 2012 (photo by ?)
Creating memorable, keep-able promotional items can enhance your brand / campaign rather than getting tossed out. On a hiking trail, Dave shares “rules” and considerations from experience, including many examples and anecdotes, ergo:
Rules:
Light enough to travel
Photo-op-able
Sizes suck
Quality goods
Metaphorically yours
Will it fly?
Thrifty for lots
If you’ve seen it before, don’t do it
Examples:
Scarves (muted design, subtlely design, useful in chill too)
Flags (simple design, sized to fold, wear like a cape, bonus for decorating event)
Beer coozies (low cost, party-friendly, connect to home)
Passports (independence, handy for notes, interactive)
Pins and stickers (easy giveaways, make a bundle for excitement, mailable, each unique)
Temp tattoo (inspired by Sailor Jerry rather than just a logo)
Masks (remixed from users, great for events, provides interactive activity)
Plush owls (remixed from user, take like a traveling gnome, shoot from cannon!)
Other Considerations:
Design for your audience and crew
Workshirts with patches + bandanas
Swag-box exchange and unboxing
Budget guidelines
Making best t-shirts
Breaking rules:
Lighters and pint glasses with etched logo (renegade “hippie” culture)
Coasters (allowed us to leave bread crumbs, bars/restaurants find useful)
Recorded spontaneously in May 2013 on Varley Trail, Lynn Valley, North Vancouver
After a recent appearance discussing HootSuite culture, i sat down with Fiona Forbes and guest host Peter Verge to share a few of my favourite – somewhat-forgotten – Vancouver-centric stories. This time, the set was on-location at the Museum of Vancouver.
I shared anecdotes about rock and roll photographer Bev Davies, the Group of 7 bohemian painter Frederick Varley, and the elusive Grateful Dead shows in 1966 + name check for Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company.
The show also broadcasts a livestream which includes all the in between banter and offside comments and anecdotes from the Twitter stream.
Dave performs “Crowd Sourcing Community Projects like Tom Sawyer” at SxSW 2012 (photo by ?)
Public speaking is often/usually undertaken for a purpose beyond simply giving a talk. Indeed, starting and continuing a conversation is important for gigs relating to business endeavours, civic causes, art projects. After capturing attention and sharing ideas, documenting the reactions, questions, and reviews, as well as following-up in a meaningful manner, give a speech a life beyond the lectern.
Along a trailside stream, Dave shares practical tactics – both off-line networking and on-line curation – for doing so learned from diverse gigs for myriad purposes. Unedited and spontaneous, transcription also available.
Unedited and spontaneous, transcription also available. Recorded April 2013.
