I have been a Seth Godin fan for a long time, since back in the days when each issue of Fast Company magazine was the size of a phone book, and he was a contributing author. (Was I the only one that would get an intense thrill at receiving a fresh issue in the mail? Those were such revolutionary times, before everything went to hell in the dot.com bust, and the issues seemed to vibrate a magnetic energy. I would read them in the bathtub, and would get arm cramps from trying to hold the dang thing out of the water).
Anyway, I just read on his new blog, promoting his upcoming book The Dip, that he is considering Phoenix as a stop on his “Dip Tour.” In true Godin fashion, he is adding a viral networking twist on his promotion, and inviting people to host a stop in their city, with the stipulation that they must get 500 people who are willing to pay $50 each to see him. With that $50, in addition to a guaranteed seat, you get 5 copies of the book, because in his words:
“Why five books? So you’ll give four away. That’s why I wrote the book. So you would buy copies and give them away.”
We here in Phoenix may not have the biggest percentage of sexy tech startups, or venture capitalists or cool beatnik poets that you have in some of the coastal cities, but dagnabit, we have a community of enthusiastic, hard-working and creative entrepreneurs that love to learn.
So if you want to be in a room with 500 motivated, interested, open and creative people to hear one of the most refreshing minds of the 21st century live and unplugged, sign up on Matt LaPrarie’s site where he has an easy to use pledge form. The deadline is April 30.
Don’t live in Phoenix? Don’t let that stop you!
If you don’t live in Phoenix, don’t let that stop you from coming, since in addition to hearing Seth talk, you could plan a mini-vacation with the following scenarios depending on your budget and tastes:
- Stay at the elegant and luxurious Biltmore Hotel where you can revel in Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and take early morning hikes up Camelback Mountain
- Come to Phoenix to hear Seth, then spend the weekend at the rejuvenating Canyon Ranch in Tuscon where you can eat healthy food, do yoga and choose from more than 20 different kids of body therapies, including Thai massage, Ayurvedic body treatments and, for men only per the tradition they practice, participate in a 100 minute sweat lodge
- Take the family, and after staying at any number of nice hotels in Scottsdale and seeing your teenagers squeal in delight at the multitude of shops and malls nearby, head to the Grand Canyon Railway just outside of Flagstaff where you take a very enjoyable ride to the Grand Canyon (where you can also stay overnight, if you so choose) I did the train trip with my whole extended family and it was a blast.
- Hook up your RV and come stay in one of the many camp sites around this beautiful state
- If you are a sports fan, stay to watch a home game of the Arizona Diamondbacks in their cool stadium with a retractable roof
- Although I have never even picked up a club, my golfing buddies tell me that Arizona has some of the best golf courses in the world. (although I don’t agree with using so much water to feed the grass, I understand that I am in the minority here and realize that most people get a lot of joy from the sport)
- Gain exposure to some of the wonderful Native American art from the region at the Heard Museum, then head over to the Desert Botanical Gardens to walk through Mother Nature’s version of art.
- After hearing Seth, head to my favorite spot in the world, Sedona, where the red rocks and beautiful nature will take your breath away and the crystal vortexes will have your tired chakras singing a new tune
It sure would be fun to make this happen … Francine, I see you signed up – with your network alone, we could fill the room. Let’s make it happen, AZ entrepreneurs, shall we?
Don’t forget: the deadline is April 30.
Sometimes the net drowns me in a “color of money” sea of opinion… and leaves me gasping for air.
Sometimes, I find little islands of delight. I stand on one and gaze hoepfully at the horizon.
Bridgette you couldn’t have summed it up better – that’s exactly what drove me nuts about Seth, there is a lack of substance to what he says. I read his blog for about 6 months, constantly waiting for the “pithy” ideas that everyone kept saying he came up with all the time, and I just never saw it. I feel like he makes random observations and tried to blow them up into major lessons, and it just doesn’t work for me. I don’t think he’s visionary. (Although I do think it’s great if he returns emails in a timely manner. That’s hard to find these days, but I still don’t think it makes him visionary.)
Pam I had to laugh at myself though when you reminded me of Guy’s words that you should be trying to polarize people, not make them like you. So my outspoken distaste for Seth means I’m actually helping him. I’m off to zip my lips and pretend I don’t care now…
I tried to get Seth to speak at the Second Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference, but we couldn’t afford him, so I thought I’d try to get him here on the book tour 🙂
Wanna Hear Seth Godin Speak?
Thanks to Pam at Escape From Cubicle Nation for spreading the word on her blog. If you live in Phoenix and are a fan of Seth Godin, you should know that there is a campaign afoot to get Seth to
…and Sedona…my wife and I planned to spend a nice evening watching the sunset — came ever so close to spending a nice night in the desert! Her fault? for lingering too long in a breathtaking sunset induced chakra trance or my fault? for forgetting the stupid flashlight? Guess. I’d love to do it all again!
I too have had “experience” with Seth Godin — preface this — maybe it was timing or state of my mind/life BUT Purple Cow and his blog — they changed my life — but that’s me. Seth does return every email (amazing)albeit succinctly. May not change the world BUT NOW I try to RETURN every email too — thanks Seth — I once bought 20 copies of Small is the New Big! so I get on conference call to ask for some advice on my Buttons of Hope project– I got 2 or 3 profound observations –thing is Seth is a visionary like it/him or not — best description would be a college professor — he knows the answer — he’s not going to make it easy for the student — that frustrated me at first and while it looks like arrogance — I doubt it is. Pam I finagled a galley copy of the Dip — it’s pure Seth — good but not easy!
I would love to come to this, but we were just in Phoenix 3 weeks ago… we live in Milwaukee, WI where today is supposed to be 5″ of SNOW 🙁
Phoenix is a great place. I would love to live there someday, but first I have to get out of my cubicle in Wisconsin… 🙂
Thanks for a great blog.
Best regards,
– Marek
Wow, I thought I was the only one not on the Seth bandwagon. I would just keep to myself while seemly everyone around me lauded his name. I saw him speak at a conference and he was using Powerpoint slides from 1998 (by his own admission) and this was in 2005. It wasn’t just that which put me off, I just don’t think there’s a lot of substance to what he has to say. I think this approach to speaking engagements is kinda hinky. Based on my past experience, I wouldn’t pay $50 to hear him speak. I have to respectfully disagree on this one Pam!
Wow, guys, I am surprised by your opinions, but certainly respect them! I have a very different take on Seth, have found him to be very generous, responsive and thought-provoking. I have numerous blog readers who shared that he responded to their personal emails promptly and with lots of support and encouragement.
Guy Kawasaki said in Art of the Start that what you want to do in your business is polarize people — take a strong stand, and people will either love you or hate you. “your goal is to catalyze passion – pro or anti. Don’t be offended if people take issue with what you’ve done; the only result that should offend (and scare) you is lack of interest.”
I learning this myself, as I come from a sometimes spineless emotional background of wanting everyone to like me … quite limiting and unrealistic!
And I guess that as someone focused on growing businesses, I don’t find fault with an alternative way to promote a book tour. In some ways it is the antithesis of a hard sell … find out where “your people” are that truly want to hear what you have to say, encourage networking and partnership, and make the experience collaborative. There is nothing wrong with making money, as long as you feel good about what you are offering, and people feel good about what they are paying for.
Thanks for stopping by, and I am curious to hear what others have to say, pro- or con- this approach!
All the best,
-Pam
No kidding Dar. He is possibly the most arrogant and condescending blogger in the entire blogosphere, if that’s possible. He seems awfully impressed with his own ideas but I’m not, I really think he’s very overhyped.
Sorry Pam – love your blog, but you wouldn’t catch me dead in the audience for this one!
Wow – what a racket that guy Godin’s got going! He’ll condescend to make a stop in your city – if you can raise $25,000 *and* arrange all the logistical legwork for him. How nice of him!
Nice work if you can get it!
🙂