Civilized Animal Productions

23/09/2024

Join the movement.

Go where you’re wanted: build genuine relationships with entrepreneurs who get you | Check out 'Elevate Your Network' on Indiegogo.

12/03/2024

Thank you for the kind words Karen Gray and Texas Business Women Across Texas

12/03/2024

Thank you for the kind words Karen Gray and everyone at Texas Business Women Across Texas!

03/03/2024

Events begin with ideas! Mindmap as many ideas as you can—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The objective is to get everything out of your head and on paper (...

02/03/2024

1 day to podcast launch

✅ shoulder/back injury led to 24 hours in the recliner so a slow day

✅ did manage to get the preview episode out!

Who wants it??

01/03/2024

2 days to podcast launch

✅ recorded another interview

✅ recorded two more solo episodes

✅ got the first signup for the Elevate Your Podcast waitlist

Who wants tagged if/when we drop a preview episode tomorrow? 👀

29/02/2024

3 days to podcast launch

✅ recorded another interview, battling weather that made connectivity spotty

✅ Paul has dived into the editing

✅ the Elevate Your Podcast summit waitlist is open 🙌

27/02/2024

4 days to podcast launch

✅ recorded an interview

✅ recorded a solo episode

✅ had a headache develop and rescheduled the other podcast interview—good thing I have plenty scheduled in the pipeline so this doesn’t make me behind!

27/02/2024

Having a set of clear objectives for an event helps minimize the emotionality associated with feedback.

Objectives let you be more objective about decisions because when an idea or piece of feedback is offered, the team can simply ask, “does this bring us closer to our objectives?” If not, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, it simply means that thought doesn’t fit with this particular event.

Maybe it will spark an idea for a different event or project. Or maybe not.

No matter what the case, those clear goals and objectives allow brainstorms to flow more freely because there is less pressure to have a “good idea” and more freedom to explore creative solutions.

27/02/2024

Autonomy is a big deal.

This morning my six-year-old was doing a job daddy set up for her, helping clean a new-to-us piece of furniture. She “invited” her four-year-old brother to take over for her and went off to play.

He came whining to me: “sister told me I could do her job—”

And I latched onto his phrasing. “She told you you *could* do that job. She invited you, but you get to decide! If the job seems fun you get to try it, but if you’d rather not, that’s fine too!”

His countenance slowly lifted as he shifted from reacting to his sister’s potential bossiness and actually weighed whether this was something he wanted to do or not.

And then he got to work!

Amazing how autonomy changes the game.

Yesterday I met with our Buyfrost development team and we established the core features necessary to Alpha test the software.

One of those vital features is autonomy.

Sure, randomized breakout rooms have their place. The algorithm exists for a reason.

But in a world driven by algorithms, getting to control a decision feels like kind of a big deal. it’s one of the reasons my clients work with me specifically—I provide an experience for the people who attend my clients’ events that feels almost as autonomous as being in a real live in-person room.

The attendees get to choose where to go.

They get to choose who to talk to.

They get to choose to come and go…

And a surprising majority choose to stay! Just like my son this morning, the freedom to choose makes their decision meaningful, and when it’s meaningful it’s worth taking a moment to consider instead of simply react, and when these attendees consider it for a moment they realize why they signed up for the event in the first place.

And they stay.

(We have the data to prove it 😉)

27/02/2024

5 days to podcast launch

✅ got some help correcting an automation

✅ straightened out (I think) an issue with the private podcast

Is 30 days a lot? It doesn’t feel like a lot for getting an interview-based podcast launched. Still, I’m happy with how I have taken certain things slowly so that I can test and iterate before I’m “actually” using everything. Like inviting only a few people to apply to speak and testing all the flows with them before opening the floodgates to anyone who might want to apply. Or launching the private podcast passion project to be sure I understand how the feeds work. It’s been a wise process these last 25 days.

26/02/2024

Do you mind map?

👍I have before
❤️All the time!
😆What’s mind mapping?

26/02/2024

6 days to podcast launch

✅ napped, resting peacefully knowing I have at least three guest interviews scheduled this week, plus some solo content that’s mostly prepped

26/02/2024

7 days to podcast launch (Saturday)

✅ presented an updated and expanded signature workshop that will turn into the first few episodes of a future private podcast

24/02/2024

I’m back on the (in person) stages! If you would have told me that I’d be giving a keynote seven weeks postpartum I wouldn’t have believed you. After three difficult postpartums I am so grateful that God had blessed this fourth to be so joy-filled and smooth!

Now to rest up 😉 Just because I can be on my feet for one day doesn’t mean I should overdo it quite yet 😅

24/02/2024

8 days to podcast launch

✅ finished preparing my script for the hour long in person workshop I’m giving tomorrow. This is relevant to the podcast because I’m hoping to be able to repurpose the recording as some episode content!

23/02/2024

9 days to podcast launch

Rest day but..,
✅bulk recorded 14 episodes for the private podcast!

Have you signed up yet? The first meditation drops at 7am Saturday morning.