#plus size swag competition

[plus-size-swag]

Alright people, let's do this one last time

Get ready forrrr

THE PLUS SIZE SWAG REMATCH!!!

inspired by blogs like @autismswagsummit @ultimatepinkgirl @adhd-swag-competition @t4tswagcompetition @asexual-swag-competition and many more, I'm about ready for this rematch to get bigger than the first run!

So I'm opening up the form again, and I'd love y'all to spread the word!

Rules:

1. No IRL people!

2. You can submit your OCs, but please ask permission from others before submitting their OCs!

3. You can submit multiple characters, but I will not accept multiples of the same character!

4. Submissions will close about a week from today, so get yours in soon!

[cobreja88]

Marketing and Sponsorship Strategies

Implemented correctly, sponsorship can be an extremely useful marketing strategy tool. The key is finding partners who align with your brand ethos; instead of taking one-size-fits-all approaches which rarely deliver results. Sponsorship strategies must be designed in tandem with advertising campaigns to maximize impact, while experiential marketing techniques create deep engagement between audiences and the brand. Brand awareness Brand awareness is a critical marketing metric that allows marketers to assess the efficacy of their campaigns. It provides companies with a measurable target, aligns their marketing efforts, creates engaging brand messages, selects appropriate promotion channels, and tracks progress toward reaching their desired levels of brand recognition. For instance, one may set out a goal of increasing recall by 20% within a specified demographic. Brand awareness should not be confused with brand preference. While brand awareness may serve as a precondition to purchase, it does not guarantee that consumers will choose your product over those from competitors. Even when consumers become aware of your product, they may not like or use it according to your expectations - therefore marketers closely monitor brand awareness throughout a product's life cycle; should awareness levels drop, intensifying advertising and promotional efforts to bring awareness back up again to desirable levels. An effective brand image can inspire loyalty and increase profitability, but creating one takes patience and persistence. Building your brand awareness campaign could take three months or more before increasing visibility among your target audience - the key is targeting the correct audiences with relevant messages at appropriate times. Start by engagingly sharing your story. Pinpoint the most significant aspects of your brand - such as its origin, mission, or impact - then craft an engaging narrative around these points - for instance, if your company started in a dorm room share this fact! Effective storytelling will set your business apart from competitors while drawing in new target customers. An excellent way to raise brand awareness is through giving away free swag. This might include items like T-shirts, koozies, and pens featuring your company logo - giving this away will increase brand recall as people use these items every time they see them! Plus it helps associate positive emotions and associations with your company! Brand positioning Brand positioning is an effective marketing strategy that helps businesses establish themselves in consumers' minds. By understanding what separates your company from competitors and creating an identity of its own that stands out in a saturated market, brands must differentiate themselves to stand out. Writing a brand positioning statement can be difficult. It requires research, customer data analysis, authenticity and flexibility in your approach. Begin by understanding your competitors' positions in the marketplace and what makes them successful; take an introspective approach when considering your strengths and weaknesses so you can create an effective marketing plan reflecting the unique value proposition of your business. When creating a brand positioning statement, start by identifying your target audience and understanding what motivates them to take action. Next, assess where your current position stands relative to those of competitors - you can do this through surveying existing customers, conducting market research, or using competitive analysis tools - then write out a positioning statement that highlights one emotional or physical benefit you want your business known for in the marketplace. Once you have created a brand positioning statement, all marketing messages must reflect this position. Branding must remain consistent across channels to strengthen this strategy and increase the chances of success. Not only should branding be visible in marketing materials and consumer interactions but it should also manifest in employee actions and interactions with them. An effective brand positioning makes it easier for consumers to understand and trust your products or services while justifying your pricing strategy by emphasizing its unique qualities - for instance, if your positioning emphasizes quality or exclusivity then higher prices can be justified more easily. Positioning your brand effectively will lead to top-of-mind recognition and help create a unique identity that sets it apart from competitors, while simultaneously strengthening customer retention and loyalty. Brands such as Kleenex, Spotify, and Jacuzzi have developed powerful associations between their product names and identities that have created brand equity over time. Reputation Reputations is the collective perception people hold about you, including how people view your character, behavior, and strengths. A good reputation can give your business an advantage that rivals cannot easily imitate; it's harder to copy than any other aspect. Reputations can either be quantitative or qualitative; qualitative reputations often encompass perceptions such as empathy or intuition while quantitative reputations often revolve around physical qualities such as sincerity pleasantness forgetfulness or grumpiness that come to mind when someone thinks about you. Reputation is key to business success; a positive and strong one will draw customers, build brand recognition, and increase sales. But you must remember that your reputation is an ongoing process, so you must constantly work on improving it. A negative one could quickly devastate your business; investing time in developing an effective reputation management plan is well worth the investment. Reputation is one of the most precious assets any individual or business can possess in today's globalized society, where negative information spreads faster than neutral facts, and rumors become more powerful than truth. A person's or company's reputation can shape relationships, professional opportunities, and financial futures alike. Reputation is so vital to people that many spend large sums to enhance and protect it. They hire PR professionals and pay for celebrity endorsements to make sure their public perception is positive. A favorable public image can also help businesses expand by making it easier to attract investors and enter new markets; additionally, forming strong alliances is also easier when investors see a good public impression of them. Reputations can be affected by everything a person or organization does, says, and sells - from how they treat employees to the products and services they offer and their social media presence. A company's reputation not only speaks for itself in terms of product/service quality; it can also sway customer decisions to purchase. A poor reputation can have detrimental repercussions for finances as well as sales/profit margins. Financing Financing is a key aspect of marketing and sponsorship, involving securing financial support from sponsors in exchange for branding, promotional opportunities, product/service endorsement, or brand preference. By setting clear sponsorship goals marketers can secure funding by linking exposure and activations activities upstream with downstream sales/brand preference as well as demonstrate how investing in sponsorship activities contributes to growing profits, revenues, and firm value. An innovative communication startup that created a networking platform attracted sponsors by producing thought leadership content and engaging an online community, ultimately securing enough funding to realize its vision. Resources: Social Media Body (Click Here to Unlock Your Social Media Supremacy) Article Forge (Click Here and try the Most Affordable, Unique Human-like Articles Writing Platform) Entre Institute (Click Here to Find the Secret to Become Millionaire) GetResponse (Click here to try the Best Email Marketing Platform For a Huge Discount)  Hostinger (Click Here to Start with One of the Best Webhosting Solutions at a Huge Discount) Pictory (Click Here to try the Easiest Video Creation Tool for Content Marketers) Fiverr (Click Here to Find the Perfect Freelance Services for Your Business Honest Loans (Click Here to Sustain Your Business With More Founds) Read the full article

[dalby64mccray]

Several types of Custom Reusable Grocery Bags for Your current Logo

Reusable bags are usually durable, well-constructed, plus made to last long. Frequently, they? re made of higher than a single substance to provide the handbag with added sturdiness and strength. And, in some cases, they also include an attractive look. These people also help saving money in the long term. Reusable bags have got a positive environmental effects too. Consumers select reusables because that they wish to accomplish good regarding the environment, nevertheless reusable bags are just good if you reuse them. Not to mention, you will discover different types of reusable bags intended for different purposes. Below you? ll understand different types regarding reusable bags you can use more than and over to produce a positive impact about the environment. Several different types involving reusable bags consist of: one Non-Woven Material Non-woven fabric is crafted without knitting or weaving, nevertheless instead via a heat or chemical course of action, making it less expensive. This is typically the main benefit of tailor made non-woven bags in addition to totes. Simply because they? lso are so friendly in order to the budget, you can distribute them along with every purchase or provide them like swag bags loaded with branded advertising items. Also, they compress in to a small size and are ideal for grocery shopping use. Therefore, you? ll gain useful visibility of the brand at a low cost to a person. Some benefits regarding non-woven fabric recylable bags are: Competitive pricing 100% recyclable Lightweight Greater sturdiness, meaning they? re also more reusable Capable decomposed No water or even PVC coating utilized in the manufacturing process Strong second . outdoor bag factories is a popular material for recylable shopping bags due to the fact it? s tough and soft. That? s one regarding the several recylable bag types of which you can clean, which means a misfortune or spill in the course of a food shopping trip received? t ruin the branding. Various not-for-profits and companies choose custom wholesale cotton bags for their own branding since their own great look may most likely be serviceable far longer than other choices, such as custom non-woven hand bags. Some advantages of 100 % cotton reusable bags will be: More efficient More convenient Are clean in addition to crafted from fabric, therefore you can throw out them within the clean Are environmentally friendly 3. Jute Luggage Jute is a form of all-natural plant fiber that may make strong strings. These types regarding bags are created with these posts, therefore they? re extremely strong. Jute plants grow inside aspects of high rain fall and don? to require pesticides (or very little). It has natural alternative resources and is some sort of compostable plant fiber, thus, after an extended useful time, it could get used using no negative impact on environmental surroundings. Several benefits of personalized jute reusable luggage are: Fairly affordable to buy Natural renewable resource Tough Biodegradable and compostable Can be blended using other varieties of textiles such as non-woven polypropylene 4. Together with PET Bags Personalized recycled plastic purchasing bags feel plus look like the fabric, but these people? re actually manufactured of plastic. This sort of plastic is recycled from post-consumer cheap recycled containers in addition to bottles. Recycled PET bags are earth-friendly and durable, creating a market intended for post-consumer recycled substance. When you employ recycled PET elements, you? re lessening waste. Additionally, this conserves a variety of non-renewable source. You could have got it in custom designs and it also? h also employed for: Advertising campaign Promotion Gifting Shopping Some advantages of recycled PET bags usually are: Durable and solid Using recycled ANIMAL materials conserves a non-renewable resource and even reduces spend May be blended along with other types of fabrics such as polyester or hemp to help make a nice recylable bag material Calls for two-thirds less energy to manufacture DOG products 5. Painting Bags Canvas carriers make the perfect custom promotional tote for the company logo design. They? re a single of the greatest reusable bags to be able to deliver your information. They can work for various companies and brands from frozen yogurt stores to educational providers and more. Many benefits of canvas reusable bags will be: They? re cleanable They? re sturdy Outstanding strength-to-weight proportion They? re affordable They? re herbal They? re environment 6. Nylon Recylable Hand bags Nylon is definitely a form regarding synthetic polymer in the beginning made for switching silk in materials. The fabric also might compact into a small ball for ease of use plus storage. Benefits associated with custom nylon reusable bags are: Light-weight material Nylon is durable and strong Water resistant Quickly dyed, creating ideal material color alternatives Compacts easily 6. Lunch Bags Instead of tossing single-use document or plastic lunch time sacks away daily, you can support save the surroundings and money by making use of recylable lunch bags. Reusable lunch bags will be a green accessibility to carrying your lunch break to work or school. They? picnic bag manufacturer and have got insulation so they really keep your food plus beverages cold or hot for hours until it? t time for lunch time. Reusable lunch hand bags are completely recyclable and you may easily palm wash them to be able to keep them thoroughly clean. If saving the planet is important to an individual, then you can do your current part by utilizing recylable lunch bags each day for your lunch. By relocating away from plastic-type or paper lunchtime bags, you? re also helping to save water, trees plus more. Eco-friendly reusable lunch bags aid decrease pollution that will gets into typically the oceans, helping marine creatures avoid personal injury and illness. While plastic bags certainly are a big problem for the environment, paper bags aren? t that great both. The U. H. cuts around 16 million trees along each year to be able to meet the paper bag demand. Typically the benefits of recylable lunch bags are: Eco-friendly Saves normal water, trees, gas and even oil Reduces air pollution Saves sea creatures Which Reusable Case Will You Make use of? Even the standard recylable grocery bags (high-density polyethylene) offered simply by grocery stores experience potential for high reuse. But, precisely what you should be asking is which custom reusable carriers on the industry will provide the cheapest environmental impact. No matter what material the bags are crafted coming from, on a life cycle basis, the heavier, stronger hand bags will provide typically the greatest environmental influence. This is mainly because the heavy luggage use more resources also because of this kind of, have a bigger ecological impact. The point is, a person can use virtually any of the reusable bags above to assist save the atmosphere. They? re some sort of practical, eco-friendly plus cheap substitute for a lot of of the throw-away bags. Consumers can use them above and over with regard to years, given they? re so sturdy and each time they? re using them, that? s the potential of getting the word out on your manufacturer.

[m0onbean]

Bonfire (Camp Counselor AU!) Chapter 4

category: floofy

pairing: sanha X reader

warnings: cussing

note: WOW I FINALLY UPDATED THIS SERIES! sorry it took so long... i lost inspiration to write anymore, was caught up in requests, and a whole bunch of other shit. enjoy!

What you expected for your first night at Camp Moon was definitely not a shirtless MJ running around the cabin clanging pots and Moonbin screaming BTS lyrics.

"EXTRA PLUS ORDINARY... GEUGEOTTO BYEOL GEO ANYEOOOO!!"

Groaning, you used the pillow you brought from home to muffle your ears. "DO NOT WAKE ME UP UNLESS YOU ARE RAP MONSTER."

Hurt, Moonbin clenched his chest but left the room anyways. You heard groaning from above you which reminded you of Sanha's presence.

"Good morning Sanha," you sighed and started to climb out of your scrambled bed. You heard some shuffling of blankets above you and a lengthy yawn. Chuckling, you finally manage to leave the room to brush your teeth and get ready for the day.

When you finished and closed the lights to the restroom, you were taken aback by the glowing face standing in the door way.

"AH!" You yelped and stumbled back. Upon closer inspection, you realized that it was just Rocky... being Rocky.

His customized flashlight was shining under his chin and he was smiling mischievously. "Good morning (Y/N), ROCKY SWAG. It's currently 6 am, congrats for waking up earlier than Sanha!"

"Kinda difficult to not wake up when MJ is literally slamming metal pots together and Moonbin is screaming lyrics to Not Today," you sarcastically replied and headed back towards Sanha's room.

Rocky chuckled and followed behind you, "Be prepared for that every weekday morning. Which reminds me..." he pulled out a crumpled paper from his hoodie pockets and tried to straighten it out. After failing at straightening out the completely wrecked piece of paper, he just handed it to you.

You looked over it curiously and saw that it was a document that held this entire week's schedule. "Right now we're going to eat breakfast in the mess hall and come back and start preparing for our kids to arrive later at 12," Rocky explained as you read everything.

Nodding your head, you attempted to fold it neatly and place it in your pockets. "Sounds great! I'm excited to meet our kids."

He smiled, "They're always wonderful every year. By the way, since we have some time, head over to the office to get your own flashlight right now."

Obeying him, you quickly changed into a shirt, jeans, and hoodie, and marched down to the office. As you headed there, you caught a glimpse of the other camps' cabins. They were of all different sizes, representing how many people were in each camp. Clearly, Camp Moon had the smallest cabin, but possibly the nicest one.

At a glance, Camp Sun's cabin could definitely be mistaken for an office. It was no wonder why you accidentally approached them first, mistaking them as the office instead of an ACTUAL cabin. It was ENORMOUS. Different flyers and posters were taped on the front door and it basically gave off that official vibe.

A shiver ran down your spine when you were reminded of your encounter with Howie. To think that you shook his hand even frightens you to this day,

Upon arriving at the office, you noticed some adults working at the front desk, occupied with their work. You opened the glass door to be welcomed with a powerful heater blasting warmth. Sighing in relief, you walk up to one of the workers and greet them.

The woman had round glasses on, brown bangs, and a cute camp outfit. "Hi my name is Leslie, nice to meet you!" she shook your hand and sweetly smiled.

"Nice to meet you too! My name is (Y/N), I'm new here." you cheerfully replied.

"Ah, are you the new Moon everyone's been talking about?"

You were caught off guard. "H-huh?"

Leslie cocked her head at your unawareness. "Yeah! Everyone's been talking about how Camp Moon finally got a new member after years... and how it's a girl!"

Scratching the back of your neck, you looked down to the floor in embarrassment. "Oh... yeah. That's me."

"Well, welcome! It's really amazing how you fit into that camp. I'm in Camp Venus, I just got duty to work in the office for now."

"Oh, nice! About that, I'm here to customize my flashlight."

"Okay, follow me!" she gestured you to another room where different sorts of machines lined up against the wall. Shelves and cabinets were everywhere, making the room really look like an arts and crafts room.

"What color do you want your flashlight to be?" Leslie asked while looking through the different cabinets.

"What colors have been taken already?" you asked while watching her.

She hums and takes out a document. "Jinjin took green, MJ yellow, Eunwoo blue, Moonbin black, Rocky red, and Sanha pink." (these are based on their power ranger colors from ASTRO OK READY)

"I'll take white then," you answered while remembering how Sanha showed you his snazzy pink flashlight.

Leslie nodded while scribbling on her notebook. "I'll make the flashlight right now and give it to you during lunch."

Thanking her, you were about to turn out the door before she stopped you.

"Wait... You know Jinjin right?" she hastily asked and a pink tint rose on her small face.

You rotated your body to face her again. "Yeah. The one who talks slowly right?"

She laughed, mouth curling up and eyes smiling. "Yup, that's him! He's always been like that."

"What about him?"

"Oh... u-uh... can you ask if..." she shyly lowered her voice. "-he likes me?"

Upon arriving at the cabin, you saw that everybody had woken up and was running around the house in a rush. They all screamed good morning at you not before rushing in and out doors.

"What's going on?" you asked curiously while dodging all of their movements.

"We're behind schedule!" Eunwoo screeched while trying to pull up a sock on his foot.

Shoving your hands in your pockets, you took the crumpled schedule out and tried to read the text. Indeed, you all were supposed to be at the mess hall by now.

"It's all because Sanha couldn't get out of bed earlier!" Rocky whined while sitting at the couch casually, waiting for everybody.

Once they were all done washing up, everybody walked out the door, bodies shivering from the morning air. Although you put an extra layer of sweater on, it was still cold. Why didn't you bring any winter coats?!

Sanha noticed your arms shaking so he walked up behind you and hugged you tightly while waddling like a duck. Giggling, you copied his motion and the both of you waddled together with his arms wrapped around your body.

"Get a room," Moonbin groaned and hugged himself alone.

As you all walked across the mountain to reach the mess hall, you spot another group also heading towards there. The group was made of a TON of people marching simultaneously.

"Who's that?" you quietly asked.

"Camp Sun." Jinjin answered in a low voice.

It was pretty obvious considering the extremely buff and large man leading them all, Howie. Sanha hugged you tighter as you all kept on walking while keeping wary eye contact of them.

Inevitably, the both of your camps met at the front of the mess hall. Howie gave your group the stink eye. "You guys are late... as expected of you Moons."

"We could say the same about you," Eunwoo scoffed.

The buff man scowled, "Be prepared to get your asses beat in the tournament next month. We have practiced all the games together and let's just say you'll be faced with another defeat... again."

His eyes met yours and he examined you carefully. "Huh, a new girl? Aren't you the menace who came up to my door on the first day?"

Your body stiffened, "Yes. I'm so glad it was the wrong door."

He cackled, ice driping off the edge of his voice. "All of us agree. We wouldn't want a weak girl like you here anyways."

"HEY! Don't fucking call her that when you don't even know her." Sanha suddenly barked while gripping tightly onto your hoodie.

Howie eyed him suspiciously, "Why? Defending your GIRLFRIEND I see?"

A blush crept up on Sanha's cheeks. Before Jinjin could beat Howie's ass, the door to the mess hall flung open. Behind the doors stood a tall lady with tied back blonde hair.

"You guys are so freaking late! Get your asses in here!" she scolded and turned around back to the cafeteria.

After giving eachother one last death glare, the two of you entered the huge auditorium. Loud conversations boomed in the room as soon as you stepped in. Lunch tables were set up with a bunch of people sitting at them together. The boys lead you to a table near the walls of the room and you all sat down together.

"Sorry you had to see that (Y/N)... we have bad tension with Camp Sun." Jinjin muttered shamefully.

"Oh, it's fine." you waved off.

"They're way too competitive, but we don't accept their hate like that," MJ spitefully said, venom dripping off his voice much different than his usual honey sweet vocals.

Sanha stayed silent with his head bowed down shamefully. You nudged his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

He nodded at you but said nothing else. As the other members talked amongst themselves, your hand found Sanha's and your fingers interlaced.

"Sanha... tell me what's wrong," you quietly urged so the other members wouldn't hear.

He sighed in defeat and glanced at you, "I just don't like how Camp Sun is probably going to pick on you now for being a 'girl' which I don't even understand..."

Giving him a reassuring smile, you squeezed his hand. "It's fine Sanha. I can handle myself."

He crooked his eyebrow silently but squeezed your hand back anyways. "I'm trusting you to stay strong (Y/N)..."

"What are you two talking about?" MJ nosed in by stretching his arm and leaning next to you guys.

"What did we say about choosing favorites!" Jinjin pouted solemnly.

"Ah, I'm sorry guys! It's just that I had something to ask Sanha, that's it!" you urgently insisted.

They all rolled their eyes and gave you a we're salty and you should further explain yourself look. To your defense, Sanha also spoke up, "Don't worry, she was just checking on me."

Moonbin suspiciously eyed how you two were still holding hands under the table. Realizing what it looked like, you quickly released your hand from Sanha's and shoved it back in your pocket. "I-It's not what it looks like..."

MJ gasped dramatically and stood up. "(Y/N)... You're cheating on us?!"

Everybody else except both you and Sanha's burning faces all stood up and gasped.

"What about us? What about everything we've been through?" Eunwoo sang with his face in his hands.

"And what about trust?" Moonbin continued and sobbed.

"Guys sit down everybody's watching!" you hissed at them like a mother while forcing their bodies back down on their butts.

To your relief, the High School Musical performance was immediately ceased once a familiar round glasses girl walked up to your table and tapped your shoulder next to you. "Hi (Y/N)!"

"Oh, Leslie!" you exclaimed more happily than it should've sounded.

"Since you're new here, want me to give you a tour of the camp? That is, if you haven't seen it yet," she pushed up her glasses.

"That sounds great!" you jumped up to her offer.

Sanha pouted and grabbed your arm carefully. "I thought you were going to eat breakfast with us."

Leslie looked at him weirdly, "I think she should have a tour here first."

Moonbin jumped in, "No, she should stay here with us since we've only known eachother for one day and we hadn't had breakfast together yet. The tour can wait."

"Well, I think the tour should be now since she won't have a chance to go on it later due to the incoming children," Leslie firmly tugged on your arm.

Looking back and forth, you were left speechless.

"Why don't we just let (Y/N) decide by herself?" Jinjin offered. Leslie's facial expressions immediately softened when her eyes met his.

"U-uh yeah. Sounds good," she retreated like a cat moonwalking back to the shadows.

Everybody's faces turned to yours expectantly.

[forgeline]

This year's special sale swag: Forgeline Logo Competition Driving Shoes. ----------- It's become something of a tradition, over the past few years, to include some free Forgeline swag with each set of wheels that are ordered, during our annual November sale. So as part of our 2017 "Twelve Days of Forgeline" Sale, we're including our newest apparel item, these Forgeline Logo Competition Driving Shoes. These attractive low-top racing shoes are perfect for track days and HPDE (high performance driver education) events, since they can be worn, not only behind the wheel, but also around the paddock. They feature black suede uppers with red trim & the Forgeline logo (on the outer side) plus a cool rubber "tire tread" sole. They are available in men's even sizes (no half sizes) 4 through 15 and are normally priced at $69 per pair. The 2017 "Twelve Days of Forgeline" Sale ends on Monday Nov. 27 at 5pm ET, so if you haven't already, please get those orders finalized and deposits ready! 👍

[highschoolharrier]

Scott Bliss is the head coach of Champlain Valley, a program from Vermont that has completed the trip to Portland 3 times in the past 9 years.

High School Harrier: What was it like for your team to qualify for NXN this past year?

Scott Bliss: Well if you aren't one of the normal qualifiers then it is an amazing feeling.  We had made NXN in 2010 & 2011 but we missed by 4 points in 2016.  That close miss makes it even better because to be honest it is a really hard thing to do.  We had a great chance to make it that year and didn't so you always wonder if you will have another shot or not.  We also did not go into last season knowing that team would be as good as it was.  It ended up being the best girls team I have ever coached and we had no idea that was going to happen.

HSH: Four of your top 5 set their personal records in Portland. Is that a testament to tough courses in New England or smart racing/peaking for your team?

SB: I think it really was a testament to the focus of the kids.  Obviously your training has to play a role in things but they were focused all year and it is a tough stretch at the end of your season when you have your state meet, New England Championship, Nike Cross Regionals and then Nike Cross Nationals all in a row.  It is also a testament to them that they could compose themselves and not let the atmosphere at NXN affect them.  If someone hasn't been there it is a challenge to have all of the stimuli that is coming at you from the pro athletes, to the swag, to elite level HS runners, the show that it is, etc.  We do race tough courses throughout New England but we also race in New York in Section 2 multiple times throughout the season and that helps us immensely.

HSH: Compared to last year, where do you see your program this fall?

SB: I'm not sure.  Every year is different.  We return 5 girls who are sub 20 and all sub 19:50.  I hate using track times for XC but they had good track seasons so hopefully they will springboard off of that and improve even more this fall.  We have a couple of good 9th graders coming in and you never know who might surprise you from your returners.  We had one girl as a senior who was normally probably in the 40's on our team and she trained all summer and was in our top 7 her senior year.  It is amazing what some training and motivation will do at times!  We have had a number of situation like that with the boys and girls teams.

HSH: Do you have any athletes you believe are ready to have a breakout season?

SB: I think that we have some girls who have put the work in and could have some big improvement.  It is amazing what experience and the continuity of training can do for them.  Plus the added experience of going to NXN and dealing with that pressure should help them this year in pressurized moments.  We just try to stay the course and ask them to do the best they can every day.

HSH: How many assistant coaches do you have throughout the year?

SB: I have 3 assistant coaches.  We usually will split the team in half and 2 of my assistants work with one group and myself and the other assistant works with the other half.  I am not sure if we are going to do that this year or not.  It may depend on the size of the team.  When we are 100 or more I don't feel I can give the amount of time that every athlete deserves because of the size of the team.

HSH: How big is your school and how big is your team?

SB: CVU is now in the range of 1,300 or more depending on the year.  The team is normally 90+ to 100 or more.  That is boys and girls combined.  Girls alone is normally 45+.

HSH: Do you have any big regular season meets your team will be participating in this fall?

SB: We race more than a lot of teams probably.  The big meets will be Thetford Invitational because it is the site of our State Meet.  Our priority is the State Meet.  Anything else takes some luck so that is the focus and then see what happens.  Manchester Invitational in NH.  Manhattan Invitational Eastern States is always big just because of the great competition and the race being a bit different because it is 4k.  And then obviously our State Meet is #1.

HSH: What is your philosophical approach to coaching that shapes how you run your program?

SB: Easy.  The team is the most important thing.  Individual state champions....awesome but if we don't have the individual state champion and we win the team championship that is the most important thing.  But probably even over that is our motto of do your best today.  If you do your best on that day and you get beat then you have nothing to be upset about and you should be proud of yourself.  Then we can reflect on are there things we can do better and improve on and go from there.  If you did your best you should not be upset and then respect the effort and talent of the teams/people that beat you.

HSH: What is a sample week of training for your program during the cross country season?

SB: Our long run day is normally Monday.  We will actually do a workout usually on Tuesday.  Wednesday medium distance run.  Thursday 2nd workout which will probably not be as hard as Tuesday was.  Friday easy day.  Saturday meet.  We always do strides when we don't run fast or we end our run with what we call "pickups' were every 20 seconds for 2 minutes they increase their tempo so that they are running their fastest at the end of the run.  Teaching them to switch into faster gear when they are fatigued.

HSH: What type of mileage does your average top 7 runner do during their base phase?

SB: It obviously varies based on each individual and their experience.  The range is probably going to be 30-35 mpw up to 50ish mpw.  But again it depends on the age and running experience of the athlete.  Everybody is different so we will do what we feel is right for each kid.

HSH: Do you have a staple workout you like to do with your program?

SB: Our state course is VERY hilly so our staples are probably hill workouts.  We are called Champlain Valley for a reason though.  Our school is in a valley and no matter where we run we are going to be going uphill at some point and it will probably not be an easy uphill.  I think that is a piece that really helps us because we can't avoid hills.  We also do what I call "combo" workouts where we will work multiple different systems - tempo 10 min. - 4-5 hill repeats - 4-5 simulated finishes.  The workout kind of ends up mimicking a race at times and that is what we are trying to get our kids do...learn to race better.

HSH: What type of ancillary training does your team do?

SB: Before we run we do some shin splint drills to start, toe taps, lunge matrix, leg swing matrix, skip/form drills and agility ladders.  After we will do SAM(strength/mobility), static stretching(rollers and lacrosse balls for their feet or pressure massage).  A few days a week we do Core X and 2 days a week we will do a group strength workout.

HSH: What do you think is the most important aspect of your training program?

SB: Regulated effort.  I'm not into big tough guy workouts or hero workouts.  We work with a purpose and they usually have ranges of reps or times.  They need to be honest with themselves.  If they are spent then stop.  It's not worth the effort.  We want quality effort.  We don't do something just to do it.  There is always a purpose.  I'm not going to go online and see a Great Oaks workout and then have my team do it because they can't.  Can it give me an idea of something to do....yes but we can't do the same workout.  I would destroy my kids.  

I also think one of the other important pieces is we look at the season as a stair case.  We are continually trying to improve and learn as we go up the stair case to get to our state meet.  If we don't perform well during that process then maybe that was good.  What can we learn from it.  We don't overreact and we try to stay even keel and enjoy the process.

HSH: What was the most influential book or coach that helped you get to where you've brought your program?

SB: I will start with the easiest one - Jack Daniels.  My first years coaching using "Daniels Running Formula" as a guide was immense.  Now I use it more as a guide for track and cross I kind of do my own thing.  The book I think that transformed me into I a better coach was "Take the Lead" by Scott Simmons and Will Freeman.  Their attitude toward coaching  and what our job as a coach is really stuck with me.  I absolutely love to talk running and coaching so I try to steal (in a good way!) from anyone I can.  I feel like I have good relationships with the coaches I am competing against and enjoy picking their brain.  Especially Tim Cox from Coe Brown in NH!

HSH: Do you have any team traditions that you do each year?

SB: This an area I wish we were a bit better at.  We name our training groups after famous runners, usually current US runners, we volunteer at a local marathon(organized my assistant coach Cari Causey) and we always meet in a circle with our arms around each other to do our pre-race talk.  We don't have a ton of traditions and I sometimes feel like maybe I have dropped the ball on that area.  I think we try to build a group of people who like to work with each and that is our tradition.

Photo is from Champlain Valley Twitter

[adrenalineguide]

Kia Sorento, Granby International and the Adrenaline Souvenir Album

Text and photos by Michael Hozjan

Let me first apologize for my absence over the last few weeks but as you’ll see I’ve been busy coming out with yet another publication in the Adrenaline automotive line up.

Kia’s Sorento

Regular readers know that each year I make the annual pilgrimage to Quebec’s largest automotive event, the Granby International Car Show, and each year I bring along what I think will be a new car that will be a hit with the show goers that have come to see vintage iron of all sorts. In the past there have been days that I’ve spent more time showing people around the vehicle parked in my booth than my publications, Ram’s ProMaster is a case in point.

Of course there has to be a certain criteria to my ride of the weekend; first and foremost it must be able to carry my entire show booth which this year included three folding eight-foot tables, two chairs, my 10’ x 10’ tent, boxes of Klassic & Moto, several boxes of Klassic Plus magazines as well as the last three remaining boxes of the Adrenaline Car Show Agenda. On top of which some promotional swag, tarps in case of rain, a cooler, duffle bag of clothes and lots of blankets to keep the truck’s cargo bay from getting scratched. Lastly it must accommodate my six-foot frame in the cargo bay, as I tend to sleep in the truck. This came about one year when while staying at a local motel, a sudden storm nearly ripped my tent from its mooring. Others weren’t as lucky. From that day on I’ve been staying on sight enjoying the first rays of the sun as it rises over the grounds of the flea market area.

Admittedly the mid-size Sorento was not my first pick for the weekend, but as they say, the best laid plans…so when my ride that I had booked months earlier became unavailable, the folks at Kia Canada stepped up to the plate offering me a brand new SXL. Still, I was apprehensive that everything would fit into the curvaceous suv as past experience often proved curves and cargo volume do not always mix, and indeed, “Does all that into the Sorento ?” was the question not of the day bit of the weekend. The answer was yes.  It may have been loaded to the roof, but it all fit. Well all except ten cases of our latest publication, which we picked up at the printers on route to the show with a buddy’s truck. The Sorento easily swallowed up what was left on Sunday afternoon.

The Sorento has matured nicely through its three generations to be a viable contender in the mid-size suv niche. Now in its fourth year of the latest generation, for 2019 the Sorento has received a mild facelift including the new corporate grille, LED fog and taillights, a new front fascia and rear bumper. Under the hood the 185 horsepower 2.4L inline four mated to a 6-speed automatic is still the entry-level powerhouse while the 290 horsepower, 3.3L V6 gets a new 8-speed automatic in lieu of last year’s 6-speed. The 2.0L turbocharged four has been retired. 

Prices start at a reasonable $30, 205 for the front drive LX FWD model powered by the aforementioned 2.4L four. Add another two grand if you want all-wheel-drive.  For $34,705 you can get into the 290 horse 3.3 V6 with LX trim, with cloth seats and a third row of seats. Yes you read that right the Sorento is available with seating for seven, making it one of the lowest priced seven passenger suvs on the market.

Getting into the techno world with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto will cost you, beginning with $37,005 EX trim with four-cylinder power and leather seats. Included in the package is UVO Intelligence which links this suv to your smart phone for remote start/stop and set your climate control remotely.

In all, there are a total of eight trim levels topping off with our SXL tester’s tag of $51,075.

The 252 lb.ft. of torque in the V6 scurries the Sorento down the road very nicely thank you and the new 8-speed tranny is a perfect match with seamless shifts and powering up when called upon. Towing capacity is a respectable 5,000 lbs. Smoothing out our wonderful third world roads is another Sorento strong point with a compliant, quiet ride.

The Harman Kardon sound system and sat radio made the drive down to Quebec’s Eastern Townships that much more pleasant.  Oh and thanks for keeping a dial for tuning the radio stations when opting for others than the pre-selected posts.

Two visitors to the show who surrendered their 2004 Sorento in 2012 were surprised by the cabin revisions and refinements including the heated/cooled Nappa leather seats, panorama sunroof and 8-inch touch screen. The SXL’s larger touch screen (7-inch screen is standard) and 360 degree camera came in handy when it came time to squeeze into my tight, roped off parking spot.

With the third row seats up there’s 11.3 cu.ft. of cargo room, drop the third row and you get 38 cu.ft. of usable space. For my Granby trip, with both rows folded, that space jumped to 73 cu.ft., a respectable number considering the Kia’s exterior dimensions.

The 3rd row seats appear more as jump seats lacking some padding,

And while the two front buckets and the second row seats offer an abundance of head and legroom, the same cannot be said about the third row. Fitting seven full-sized adults will be a tight squeeze, made tighter by cup holders and arm rests. Honda’s Pilot, the Toyota Highlander and VW’s Atlas may be a better choice if you regularly haul a truckload of adults.

At just over 50 grand the Sorento may first appear to on the high side, but taking a look at what you get, like the panoramic moon roof, the dual climate control, power heated seats and steering wheel, a long warranty and a slew of safety awards and this mid-size wagon starts looking pretty good. Yes its smaller in size to its competition, but that doesn’t take away from the Sorento’s value. Oddly enough the four cylinder, according to Kia gets superior gas mileage over the V6, 10.7city/8.2highway vs. 12.5/9.7. My average was a tad better, even with a full load  (9.1L/100kms), running the truck mostly in eco mode through the 760km voyage on the brand spanking new Sorento. Which means that after its break in period, the V6 might just be getting closer to the four’s gas consumption.   

If you’re looking for a handsome mid size hauler that can swallow up loads of cargo, don’t forget to make the Sorento down on your short list of must drives.

Price as tested: $51,075*

*Includes Delivery and destination charges

Granby International

A couple of future enthusiasts no doubt.

Contrary to popular belief collector car enthusiasts come in all ages.

No that is not a 1972 Plymouth Satellite but another creation by our friend Martin (See Klassic Plus Issue #2) on a Chrysler 300

Our friend Stephane (Klassic Plus Issue #5) vrought some of his amazing cars down.

Spotted in the Car Corral was there rare VW Thing that was up for sale.

The ‘61 Caddy stole my heart when I was young, nice to see a pristine example.

From sports cars to muscle cars and everything in between...

Adrenaline Annual

Our first Annual, above, features 64 pages of 12 years of car pics and life styles. We’re already working on our second issue.

Until next year!

[plus-size-swag]

[timetorage]

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[graphicpolicy]

Iconic cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues its 20th anniversary celebration during San Diego Comic-Con with a special fan event hosted by Legion M in conjunction with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products.

Coinciding with San Diego Comic-Con, the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 20 Years of Slaying” fan event will be held Saturday, July 22 from 6-9 pm at Side Bar in the Gaslamp Quarter (exact address is 536 Market Street).  Fans interested in attending the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 20 Years of Slaying” event can register on the official Buffy Facebook page here. A portion of this event will also be livestreamed to this Facebook page.

Scoobies, Slayerettes and Whedonites can take part in a night of slayage that will include the following:

Buffy Fandom Feud Trivia Contest – Fans will get the opportunity to win Slayer Swag as they team up to show off their Buffy knowledge!

Buffy Cosplay Contest – Damian Beurer co-host of Super Power Beat Down, and executive at Legion M, will host this Buffy Cosplay showdown. Calling all Buffy Cosplay fans to bring their best Scooby Gang cosplay for the opportunity to win Slayer Swag!

Once More, With Feeling! – At the party, fans can show-off their improv skills when they get to reenact their favorite Buffy show moments.

Fans will be treated to select appetizers and a Buffy 20thanniversary cake as they sip on signature Slayer drinks, available during the event.

Photo opportunity with a life-size image of The Gentlemen from the popular episode “Hush.” Fans who share on social media will receive an exclusive spell in a small glass vial, a perfect keepsake for Buffy fans, from the forthcoming book Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Official Grimoire(Insight Editions, October 2017).

Various stations including an in-person Buffy table-top board game competition from Jasco Games, and an interactive wall-sized Buffy coloring book pages from Dark Horse. Fans will be able to color and create their own Buffy art for a special digital mosaic in celebration of #BuffySlays20!

Plus, additional giveaways and surprises!

Also at San Diego Comic-Con, fans will have the opportunity to pre-order the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition DVD boxed set at the Fox Booth #4229 for $99.98. Available everywhere on September 19, 2017, the DVD collection includes an official “Buffy” Dark Horse Comic Book featuring an exclusive cover available to fans for a limited time.

  About the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition DVD Boxed Set

The teen years can be brutal. Especially when you’re Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) –  a Sunnydale High School student destined to slay supernatural, blood-sucking baddies instead of hanging out at the mall. Over the seven seasons of this thrilling, witty show, Buffy struggles to maintain allies in the fight against evil, while also engaging in on-off romances with a moody vampire (David Boreanaz) or two (James Marsters). Now you can own this 39-disc set containing all 144 episodes of one of the smartest, funniest, most action-packed series ever to slay on the small screen – also starring Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head and Nicholas Brendon.

  Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20th Anniversary Consumer Products:

A wide-range of key licensees and retail partners are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer including Hot Topic, BoxLunch, Dark Horse, Simon & Schuster, Insight Editions, Funko, Harper Design, AC/DC Apparel, Jasco, Upper Deck, Ripple Junction, among others. They are sharing with fans a unique collection of Buffy apparel, accessories, board games, new books, comics and more. Among the recent highlights:

Coming this August, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is joining the Funko Rock Candy line! Unable to escape her destiny, this series includes the Vampire Slayer herself, Buffy Summers, and her academically-excelling counterpart Willow Rosenberg…Together they’ll save the world! Add them both to your collection this Summer.

The eagerly awaited Buffy the Vampire Slayer fashion collection is now available online at hottopic.com.  Hot Topic, the retail destination for music and pop-culture inspired apparel, accessories, collectibles and more, is celebrating 20 years of slaying with a fashion collection inspired by the style of beloved Buffy characters. The line features six pieces including Willow’s iconic 90s sweater, a long trench coat inspired by Buffy, a black motorcycle jacket inspired by Faith, a white high-low dress inspired by the dress worn by Buffy in Prophecy Girl, as well as tops featuring iconic lines from the series.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 20 Years of Slaying at #SDCC #buffy Iconic cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues its 20th anniversary celebration during San Diego Comic-Con…

[un-enfant-immature]

Prices for Disrupt SF 2018 passes increase next week

It’s not easy for budget-conscious founders to part with cold, hard cash. Or for time-strapped investors to push a to-do item higher up the priority list. But do it you must if you plan to attend Disrupt San Francisco 2018 on September 5-7 (and if you aren’t planning to go, you have some splainin’ to do).

On July 25, the prices go up on passes to Disrupt SF 2018, and while these three program-packed days provide outstanding value at any price, there’s just no reason to pay more if you don’t have to. Go buy your passes today and — depending on the type of pass you purchase — you can save up to $1,200 for your trouble.

Let’s talk about experience and the content you can expect at Disrupt SF 2018. First, we’ve moved to seriously comfortable digs over at Moscone Center West, which also triples the amount of our floor space. There’s plenty of room for the 10,000 attendees — plus more than 1,200 startups and exhibitors you’ll find showcasing an amazing array of tech in Startup Alley. This huge, vibrant exhibit hall is the pulse of Disrupt and a veritable vortex of networking, collaboration and opportunity.

And when you’re exploring Startup Alley, don’t forget to swing by and check out the 50+ startups that earned a Tech Crunch Top Pick designation. We chose five companies to represent each of these 12 category tracks: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Gaming, Healthtech, Privacy/Security, Space, Mobility, Retail or Robotics. It’s a phenomenal cohort, indeed.

Of course, Disrupt events always feature tech glitterati, business titans, fearless founders and leading investors, and Disrupt SF 2018 is no exception. Our stellar roster of speakers includes, among many others, Sophia Amoruso, CEO, GirlBoss; Roelof Botha, partner, Sequoia Capital; and Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO, Dropbox. You can take a look at the full lineup of speakers here.

It’s not Disrupt without Startup Battlefield, the premier startup competition and hands-down the best platform from which to launch an early-stage company to the world. In keeping with the bigger, better, bolder nature of DSF ’18, we’ve doubled the prize money, and this year’s champion will claim $100,000 in non-equity cash. Startup Battlefield is always a wild ride, and given the stakes, you do not want to miss this one.

Startup Battlefield isn’t the only Disrupt event to get the super-size treatment. We upped the ante on the hackathon, too by making it a Virtual Hackathon open to anyone anywhere in the world. Thousands of the world’s best hackers, developers and programmers are hard at work. Come to Disrupt and see what tech magic they’ve conjured. Who knows, you might just witness The Next Big Thing.

We’re still just scratching the surface of Disrupt. Enjoy interactive workshops and Q&A Sessions, find the founder/investor of your dreams with CrunchMatch, our easy-peasy networking platform, collect swag and, whatever you do, don’t miss the after party.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. The price increase goes into effect on July 25 at 5 p.m. PST. Don’t miss your chance to get the best price possible. Buy your tickets today.

[readersforum]

Patreon ups its revenue cut, but grandfathers in old creators

New Post has been published on http://www.readersforum.tk/patreon-ups-its-revenue-cut-but-grandfathers-in-old-creators/

Patreon ups its revenue cut, but grandfathers in old creators

Patreon couldn’t survive charging all creators just a 5 percent rake on the monthly subscriptions they earn from fans while building commerce tools like CRMs and merchandise to try to stay ahead of Twitch, YouTube and Google. But it also didn’t want to screw all its loyal early creators.

So today, Patreon is overhauling its pricing. Any creator can still get a 5 percent rate, but just for a Lite version without bonus tools or different fan tiers. All of Patreon’s extra features will now be in the Pro plan, with an 8 percent rate, but with existing creators grandfathered in at 5 percent. And the new Premium enterprise plan for 12 percent (9 percent for existing creators) will offer full-service merchandise sales, multi-user team accounts and dedicated customer support.

If you want the lower grandfathered rates, you’ll need to join Patreon in the next few weeks before the new rates go into effect in early May.

“With this change, Patreon is a long-term independent company that doesn’t need anyone else. That’s the move we’re making here,” says Patreon’s SVP of Product, Wyatt Jenkins. More sustainable pricing means creators won’t have to fear Patreon selling out in desperation to someone like Facebook that might neglect or exploit them.

Instead, Patreon CEO Jack Conte tells me he wants to balance powerful features with right-sized pricing for different creator types to become the platform-agnostic home for subscription patronage when tech giants are each trying to build their own. “To have a different membership for each distribution platform, that’s not going to work. You need a single place for the bottom of your distribution funnel,” Conte explains.

Balancing rates and resources

Patreon now has 3 million fans paying 100,000 creators more than half a billion dollars per year, and it will cross $1 billion in payouts in 2019 after six years in business. But Patreon was starving on its 5 percent rate, which some venture capitalists tell me is why they passed on its funding rounds totaling $105 million led by Thrive Capital and Index. Now it might make enough to keep the lights on, retain ownership and maybe even earn a profit one day.

Jenkins tells me Patreon spent a year talking to more than 1,000 creators to figure out how to re-price its offering. “People don’t like change. But I think in terms of change, we’re going to be able to invest in the different products in different ways. We can put a lot of horsepower into membership,” he explains. The company didn’t want to screw up like when it changed its payment processing rates a year ago, leading to creator backlash and some exodus. “We unilaterally did something that impacted creators’ patrons. That was the real landmine we stepped on.”

Patreon’s new rates

What Patreon discovered was some creators, especially individuals and hobbyists, didn’t care for bells and whistles. They wanted cheap and easy recurring payments so they can focus on their art, so Patreon made the 5 percent Lite plan that strips out the extra features but keeps the old rate.

More serious videographers, illustrators, comedians and pundits wanted to offer different price tiers for different levels of exclusive content. They need analytics, special offers, integrations with other productivity and commerce apps and priority customer support when things break. That’s what creators will get for 8 percent, unless they’re grandfathered in at 5 percent.

But Patreon also found there were whole media organizations with 50 employees built atop its patronage platform. They needed to be able to share accounts and get immediate support when necessary. Meanwhile, tons of creators see merchandise as a powerful way to lure in fans who want signed photos, stickers and other swag each month. “Eighty-five percent of our creators tell us we need merchandise. ‘We spend our days in the post office licking stamps. You can get great negotiation leverage since you have scale, so why aren’t you helping us with this?’ We can’t build that on 5 percent,” Jenkins tells me. They’ll all pay the 12 percent Premium plan price unless grandfathered in at 9 percent. Patreon will, in return, process, pack and ship all their merchandise.

Patreon is also changing its payment processing fees to make sure it doesn’t overpenalize smaller contributions, like creators’ popular $1 per month tiers. Now all transactions over $3 incur a 2.9 percent plus $0.30 fee similar to Stripe’s industry standard, while microtransactions under $3 cost 5 percent plus $0.10. Existing creators get the old rates, and people paying via PayPal from outside the U.S. get hit with an extra 1 percent fee.

The battle for fan subscriptions

Surprisingly, one of Patreon’s most popular creators told me they actually felt bad about being grandfathered in at a lower price, because why should they get special treatment compared to other artists who just might not be as tech savvy. That said, they weren’t going to voluntarily pay a higher rate. “I guess I’m not surprised,” Conte responds. “I’ve found that creators are really humble and selfless, always thinking about other people. I can imagine them saying ‘What about these people? Why am I paying less than them?”

If Patreon can power through the rate change without breaking momentum, it could have a bright future. It’s started a patronage trend, but leaked documents show Facebook plans to charge creators up to 30 percent like YouTube already does, and Twitch charges an astronomical 50 percent. But with far more restrictions on content and far more distrust accrued after years of forsaking creators and tense negotiations, Patreon’s neutral platform with the cheapest rate could remain the fan subscription leader at a time when ad revenue shares are proving inadequate to support turning one’s passion into their profession.

Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte

When TechCrunch broke the news that Facebook planned to charge up to 30 percent, Conte said, “Honestly, it was relieving but really disappointing in some way. I think competition is good. I hope there are many membership products. I hope they’re successful and [give creators a choice]. Right now, it’s not a choice. Facebook’s product is not usable. The folks that have used Facebook’s product have turned it off. From a competitor standpoint, it confirmed my thought that Facebook doesn’t understand creators.”

That’s also why he hopes that one day the tech giants might just integrate Patreon rather than compete, and they could each get a cut of subscription revenue.

Looking forward, he says the toughest challenge for Patreon will be building three different products for three distinct types of creators without the infinite wallets of its rivals. “I think Patreon will be raising for a long time,” Conte says. That will fund Patreon’s plans for eventual international operations, where 40 percent of patrons and 75 percent of creators live. Right now Patreon is offered only in English and supports U.S. dollars. But if it can spin up local languages, currencies and payment processors, Patreon could be where creators around the world go to share with their biggest fans.

[sheminecrafts]

Patreon ups its revenue cut, but grandfathers in old creators

Patreon couldn’t survive charging all creators just a 5 percent rake on the monthly subscriptions they earn from fans while building commerce tools like CRMs and merchandise to stay ahead of Twitch, YouTube, and Google. But it also didn’t want to screw all its loyal early creators.

So today, Patreon is overhauling its pricing. Any creator can still get a 5 percent rate, but just for a Lite version without bonus tools or different fan tiers. All of Patreon’s extra features will now be in the Pro plan with an 8 percent rate, but with existing creators grandfathered in at 5 percent. And the new Premium enterprise plan for 12 percent (9 percent for existing creators) will offer full-service merchandise sales, multi-user team accounts, and dedicated customer support.

If you want the lower grandfathered rates, you’ll need to join Patreon in the next few weeks before the new rates go into effect in early May.

“With this change, Patreon is a long-term independent company that doesn’t need anyone else. That’s the move we’re making here” says Patreon’s SVP of Product Wyatt Jenkins. More sustainable pricing means creators won’t have to fear Patreon selling out in desperation to someone like Facebook that might neglect or exploit them.

Instead, Patreon CEO Jack Conte tells me he wants to balance powerful features with right-sized pricing for different creator types to become the platform agnostic home for subscription patronage when tech giants are each trying to build their own. “To have a different membership for each distribution platform, that’s not going to work. You need a single place for the bottom of your distribution funnel” Conte explains.

Balancing Rates And Resources

Patreon now has 3 million fans paying 100,000 creators over half a billion dollars per year, and it will cross $1 billion in payouts in 2019 after six years in business. But Patreon was starving on its 5 percent rate which some venture capitalists tell me is why they passed on its funding rounds totaling $105 million led by Thrive Capital and Index. Now it might make enough to keep the lights on, retain ownership, and maybe even earn a profit one day.

Jenkins tells me Patreon spent a year talking to over 1000 creators to figure out how to re-price its offering. “People don’t like change. But I think in terms of change, we’re going to be able to invest in the different products in different ways. We can put a lot of horsepower into membership” he explains. The company didn’t want to screw up like when it changed its payment processing rates a year ago, leading to creator backlash and some exodus. “We unilaterally did something that impacted creators’ patrons. That was the real landmine we stepped on.”

Patreon’s New Rates

What Patreon discovered was some creators, especially individuals and hobbyists, didn’t care for bells and whistles. They wanted cheap and easy recurring payments so they can focus on their art, so Patreon made the 5 percent Lite plan that strips out the extra features but keeps the old rate

More serious videographers, illustrators, comedians, and pundits wanted to offer different price tiers for different levels of exclusive content. They need analytics, special offers, integrations with other productivity and commerce apps, and priority customer support when things break. That’s what creators will get for 8 percent, unless they they’re grandfathered in at 5 percent.

But Patreon also found there were whole media organizations with 50 employees built atop its patronage platform. They needed to be able to share accounts and get immediate support when necessary. Meanwhile, tons of creators see merchandise as a powerful way to lure in fans who want signed photos, stickers, and other swag each month. “85 percent of our creators tell us we need merchandise. ‘We spend our days in the post office licking stamps. You can get great negotiation leverage since you have scale, so why aren’t you helping us with this?’ We can’t build that on 5 percent” Jenkins tells me. They’ll all pay the 12 percent Premium plan price unless grandfathered in at 9 percent. Patreon will in return process, pack, and ship all their merchandise.

Patreon is also changing its payment processing fees to make sure it doesn’t overpenalize smaller contributions like creators’ popular $1 per month tiers. Now all transactions over $5 incur a 2.9 percent and $0.30 fee similar to Stripe’s industry standard, while microtransactions under $5 cost 5 percent plus $0.10. Existing creators get the old rates, and people paying via PayPal from outside the US get hit with an extra 1 percent fee.

The Battle For Fan Subscriptions

Surprisingly, one of Patreon’s most popular creators told me they actually felt bad about being grandfathered in at a lower price, because why should they get special treatment compared to other artists who just might not be as tech savvy. That said, they weren’t going to voluntarily pay a higher rate. “I guess I’m not surprised” Conte responds. “I’ve found that creators are really humble and selfless, always thinking about other people. I can imagine them saying ‘what about these people? Why am I paying less than them?”

If Patreon can power through the rate change without breaking momentum, it could have a bright future. It’s started a patronage trend, but leaked documents show Facebook plans to charge creators up to 30 percent like YouTube already does, and Twitch charges an astronomical 50 percent. But with far more restrictions on content and far more distrust accrued after years of forsaking creators and tense negotiations, Patreon’s neutral platform with the cheapest rate could remain the fan subscription leader at a time when ad revenue shares are proving an inadequate to support turning ones passion into their profession.

Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte

When TechCrunch broke the news that Facebook planned to charge up to 30 percent, Conte says “Honestly, it was relieving but really disappointing in some way. I think competition is good. I hope there are many membership products. I hope they’re successful and [give creators a choice]. Right now, it’s not a choice. Facebook’s product is not usable. The folks that have used Facebook’s product have turned it off. From a competitor standpoint, it confirmed my thought that Facebook doesn’t understand creators.”

That’s also why he hopes that one day, the tech giants might just integrate Patreon rather than compete, and they could each get a cut of subscription revenue.

Looking forward, he says the toughest challenge for Patreon will be building three different products for three distinct types of creators without the infinite wallets of its rivals. “I think Patreon will be raising for a long time” Conte says. That will fund Patreon’s plans for eventual international operations where 40 percent of patrons and 75 percent of creators live. Right now Patreon is only in English and US dollars. But if it can spin up local languages, currencies, and payment processors, Patreon could be where creators around the world go to share with their biggest fans.

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Patreon couldn’t survive charging all creators just a 5 percent rake on the monthly subscriptions they earn from fans while building commerce tools like CRMs and merchandise to stay ahead of Twitch, YouTube, and Google. But it also didn’t want to screw all its loyal early creators.

So today, Patreon is overhauling its pricing. Any creator can still get a 5 percent rate, but just for a Lite version without bonus tools or different fan tiers. All of Patreon’s extra features will now be in the Pro plan with an 8 percent rate, but with existing creators grandfathered in at 5 percent. And the new Premium enterprise plan for 12 percent (9 percent for existing creators) will offer full-service merchandise sales, multi-user team accounts, and dedicated customer support.

If you want the lower grandfathered rates, you’ll need to join Patreon in the next few weeks before the new rates go into effect in early May.

“With this change, Patreon is a long-term independent company that doesn’t need anyone else. That’s the move we’re making here” says Patreon’s SVP of Product Wyatt Jenkins. More sustainable pricing means creators won’t have to fear Patreon selling out in desperation to someone like Facebook that might neglect or exploit them.

Instead, Patreon CEO Jack Conte tells me he wants to balance powerful features with right-sized pricing for different creator types to become the platform agnostic home for subscription patronage when tech giants are each trying to build their own. “To have a different membership for each distribution platform, that’s not going to work. You need a single place for the bottom of your distribution funnel” Conte explains.

Balancing Rates And Resources

Patreon now has 3 million fans paying 100,000 creators over half a billion dollars per year, and it will cross $1 billion in payouts in 2019 after six years in business. But Patreon was starving on its 5 percent rate which some venture capitalists tell me is why they passed on its funding rounds totaling $105 million led by Thrive Capital and Index. Now it might make enough to keep the lights on, retain ownership, and maybe even earn a profit one day.

Jenkins tells me Patreon spent a year talking to over 1000 creators to figure out how to re-price its offering. “People don’t like change. But I think in terms of change, we’re going to be able to invest in the different products in different ways. We can put a lot of horsepower into membership” he explains. The company didn’t want to screw up like when it changed its payment processing rates a year ago, leading to creator backlash and some exodus. “We unilaterally did something that impacted creators’ patrons. That was the real landmine we stepped on.”

Patreon’s New Rates

What Patreon discovered was some creators, especially individuals and hobbyists, didn’t care for bells and whistles. They wanted cheap and easy recurring payments so they can focus on their art, so Patreon made the 5 percent Lite plan that strips out the extra features but keeps the old rate

More serious videographers, illustrators, comedians, and pundits wanted to offer different price tiers for different levels of exclusive content. They need analytics, special offers, integrations with other productivity and commerce apps, and priority customer support when things break. That’s what creators will get for 8 percent, unless they they’re grandfathered in at 5 percent.

But Patreon also found there were whole media organizations with 50 employees built atop its patronage platform. They needed to be able to share accounts and get immediate support when necessary. Meanwhile, tons of creators see merchandise as a powerful way to lure in fans who want signed photos, stickers, and other swag each month. “85 percent of our creators tell us we need merchandise. ‘We spend our days in the post office licking stamps. You can get great negotiation leverage since you have scale, so why aren’t you helping us with this?’ We can’t build that on 5 percent” Jenkins tells me. They’ll all pay the 12 percent Premium plan price unless grandfathered in at 9 percent. Patreon will in return process, pack, and ship all their merchandise.

Patreon is also changing its payment processing fees to make sure it doesn’t overpenalize smaller contributions like creators’ popular $1 per month tiers. Now all transactions over $5 incur a 2.9 percent and $0.30 fee similar to Stripe’s industry standard, while microtransactions under $5 cost 5 percent plus $0.10. Existing creators get the old rates, and people paying via PayPal from outside the US get hit with an extra 1 percent fee.

The Battle For Fan Subscriptions

Surprisingly, one of Patreon’s most popular creators told me they actually felt bad about being grandfathered in at a lower price, because why should they get special treatment compared to other artists who just might not be as tech savvy. That said, they weren’t going to voluntarily pay a higher rate. “I guess I’m not surprised” Conte responds. “I’ve found that creators are really humble and selfless, always thinking about other people. I can imagine them saying ‘what about these people? Why am I paying less than them?”

If Patreon can power through the rate change without breaking momentum, it could have a bright future. It’s started a patronage trend, but leaked documents show Facebook plans to charge creators up to 30 percent like YouTube already does, and Twitch charges an astronomical 50 percent. But with far more restrictions on content and far more distrust accrued after years of forsaking creators and tense negotiations, Patreon’s neutral platform with the cheapest rate could remain the fan subscription leader at a time when ad revenue shares are proving an inadequate to support turning ones passion into their profession.

Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte

When TechCrunch broke the news that Facebook planned to charge up to 30 percent, Conte says “Honestly, it was relieving but really disappointing in some way. I think competition is good. I hope there are many membership products. I hope they’re successful and [give creators a choice]. Right now, it’s not a choice. Facebook’s product is not usable. The folks that have used Facebook’s product have turned it off. From a competitor standpoint, it confirmed my thought that Facebook doesn’t understand creators.”

That’s also why he hopes that one day, the tech giants might just integrate Patreon rather than compete, and they could each get a cut of subscription revenue.

Looking forward, he says the toughest challenge for Patreon will be building three different products for three distinct types of creators without the infinite wallets of its rivals. “I think Patreon will be raising for a long time” Conte says. That will fund Patreon’s plans for eventual international operations where 40 percent of patrons and 75 percent of creators live. Right now Patreon is only in English and US dollars. But if it can spin up local languages, currencies, and payment processors, Patreon could be where creators around the world go to share with their biggest fans.

from Social – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2Og8DFA Original Content From: https://techcrunch.com

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[toomanysinks]

Patreon ups its revenue cut, but grandfathers in old creators

Patreon couldn’t survive charging all creators just a 5 percent rake on the monthly subscriptions they earn from fans while building commerce tools like CRMs and merchandise to stay ahead of Twitch, YouTube, and Google. But it also didn’t want to screw all its loyal early creators.

So today, Patreon is overhauling its pricing. Any creator can still get a 5 percent rate, but just for a Lite version without bonus tools or different fan tiers. All of Patreon’s extra features will now be in the Pro plan with an 8 percent rate, but with existing creators grandfathered in at 5 percent. And the new Premium enterprise plan for 12 percent (9 percent for existing creators) will offer full-service merchandise sales, multi-user team accounts, and dedicated customer support.

If you want the lower grandfathered rates, you’ll need to join Patreon in the next few weeks before the new rates go into effect in early May.

“With this change, Patreon is a long-term independent company that doesn’t need anyone else. That’s the move we’re making here” says Patreon’s SVP of Product Wyatt Jenkins. More sustainable pricing means creators won’t have to fear Patreon selling out in desperation to someone like Facebook that might neglect or exploit them.

Instead, Patreon CEO Jack Conte tells me he wants to balance powerful features with right-sized pricing for different creator types to become the platform agnostic home for subscription patronage when tech giants are each trying to build their own. “To have a different membership for each distribution platform, that’s not going to work. You need a single place for the bottom of your distribution funnel” Conte explains.

Balancing Rates And Resources

Patreon now has 3 million fans paying 100,000 creators over half a billion dollars per year, and it will cross $1 billion in payouts in 2019 after six years in business. But Patreon was starving on its 5 percent rate which some venture capitalists tell me is why they passed on its funding rounds totaling $105 million led by Thrive Capital and Index. Now it might make enough to keep the lights on, retain ownership, and maybe even earn a profit one day.

Jenkins tells me Patreon spent a year talking to over 1000 creators to figure out how to re-price its offering. “People don’t like change. But I think in terms of change, we’re going to be able to invest in the different products in different ways. We can put a lot of horsepower into membership” he explains. The company didn’t want to screw up like when it changed its payment processing rates a year ago, leading to creator backlash and some exodus. “We unilaterally did something that impacted creators’ patrons. That was the real landmine we stepped on.”

Patreon’s New Rates

What Patreon discovered was some creators, especially individuals and hobbyists, didn’t care for bells and whistles. They wanted cheap and easy recurring payments so they can focus on their art, so Patreon made the 5 percent Lite plan that strips out the extra features but keeps the old rate

More serious videographers, illustrators, comedians, and pundits wanted to offer different price tiers for different levels of exclusive content. They need analytics, special offers, integrations with other productivity and commerce apps, and priority customer support when things break. That’s what creators will get for 8 percent, unless they they’re grandfathered in at 5 percent.

But Patreon also found there were whole media organizations with 50 employees built atop its patronage platform. They needed to be able to share accounts and get immediate support when necessary. Meanwhile, tons of creators see merchandise as a powerful way to lure in fans who want signed photos, stickers, and other swag each month. “85 percent of our creators tell us we need merchandise. ‘We spend our days in the post office licking stamps. You can get great negotiation leverage since you have scale, so why aren’t you helping us with this?’ We can’t build that on 5 percent” Jenkins tells me. They’ll all pay the 12 percent Premium plan price unless grandfathered in at 9 percent. Patreon will in return process, pack, and ship all their merchandise.

Patreon is also changing its payment processing fees to make sure it doesn’t overpenalize smaller contributions like creators’ popular $1 per month tiers. Now all transactions over $5 incur a 2.9 percent and $0.30 fee similar to Stripe’s industry standard, while microtransactions under $5 cost 5 percent plus $0.10. Existing creators get the old rates, and people paying via PayPal from outside the US get hit with an extra 1 percent fee.

The Battle For Fan Subscriptions

Surprisingly, one of Patreon’s most popular creators told me they actually felt bad about being grandfathered in at a lower price, because why should they get special treatment compared to other artists who just might not be as tech savvy. That said, they weren’t going to voluntarily pay a higher rate. “I guess I’m not surprised” Conte responds. “I’ve found that creators are really humble and selfless, always thinking about other people. I can imagine them saying ‘what about these people? Why am I paying less than them?”

If Patreon can power through the rate change without breaking momentum, it could have a bright future. It’s started a patronage trend, but leaked documents show Facebook plans to charge creators up to 30 percent like YouTube already does, and Twitch charges an astronomical 50 percent. But with far more restrictions on content and far more distrust accrued after years of forsaking creators and tense negotiations, Patreon’s neutral platform with the cheapest rate could remain the fan subscription leader at a time when ad revenue shares are proving an inadequate to support turning ones passion into their profession.

Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte

When TechCrunch broke the news that Facebook planned to charge up to 30 percent, Conte says “Honestly, it was relieving but really disappointing in some way. I think competition is good. I hope there are many membership products. I hope they’re successful and [give creators a choice]. Right now, it’s not a choice. Facebook’s product is not usable. The folks that have used Facebook’s product have turned it off. From a competitor standpoint, it confirmed my thought that Facebook doesn’t understand creators.”

That’s also why he hopes that one day, the tech giants might just integrate Patreon rather than compete, and they could each get a cut of subscription revenue.

Looking forward, he says the toughest challenge for Patreon will be building three different products for three distinct types of creators without the infinite wallets of its rivals. “I think Patreon will be raising for a long time” Conte says. That will fund Patreon’s plans for eventual international operations where 40 percent of patrons and 75 percent of creators live. Right now Patreon is only in English and US dollars. But if it can spin up local languages, currencies, and payment processors, Patreon could be where creators around the world go to share with their biggest fans.

source https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/19/patreon-ups-its-revenue-cut-but-grandfathers-in-old-creators/