Last Friday what was only a passion project in my head one year ago made a full fledged debut in the real world.

And now what is an event has the possibility to turn into a movement.  To encourage community, healthy activities, and fun for kids.
We held the 1st Annual 97.1 The Fan Youth Basketball Camp this past week.  It was something that I felt could help build community and give an opportunity to kids at no charge the chance to attend a great camp.  No strings attached.
Thanks to the help of so many countless outstanding coaches, instructors, and volunteers it had the look, feel, and takeaways for the kids of a camp that charges $250.00 per kid for a single day.
It's no wonder it reached capacity in just four days and we had a forty kid waiting list even after announcing that we couldn't take any more kids.
It was an incredible day to see my project turn into a reality.  I couldn't have begged for a more successful first year.

There were takeaways from building something from the ground up that I think could benefit to tell you about.  I wanted to share these with you in hopes when you turn your passion project into a full fledged movement what you can look for ahead of time.

1) Be prepared to hustle and grind for little wins. 
From getting ice cream donated to spending an hour with Scott the promotions assistant mapping out game times and the bracket for the tournament there are little things that will take some true hustle and grinding to ensure it's done and executed the way you want it to.

2) Not everything will go perfect. 
There were things that I wished I would have thought of before hand…but it didn't cross the mind of any of the kids who attended the camp.  Not everything will go perfect, but that's okay!

3) Be in the moment when you are there.

Whatever it is you want to build and launch make sure when the time comes and it happens that you actually enjoy the present moment of it.  I had the mindset that I would do that before hand and it happened but it's very easy to run around like a chicken with your head cut off and not take in what's happening around you.

4) Anything is possible. 

You might think your project is a little too far fetched or someone in the community won't get it.  Do it anyways.  There was no basketball camp like this…so I couldn't benchmark us against others.  That's a good thing sometimes because it gives you the opportunity to create something truly unique and great.

5) If you don't do it…someone else will. 

The idea of a free youth basketball camp targeted to help kids was not such a crazy idea even though there wasn't one in our area at that level.  And it would have only been a matter of time.
If you don't put the wheels in motion…somebody else down the road will.  Don't miss out on your creation!

All in all it was an extraordinary day and I have many people that I'm truly grateful to for helping it become a reality for the kids in Central Ohio.
My original goal was to give 100 kids "A day in Central Ohio they will never forget" and I think we accomplished that.

Know this…if I can do that…you can launch yours.  Every company and entrepreneur in the world is looking for a way to stand out.  To do something different, to be authentic, etc.
The best way just might be to launch a community idea like this one to whatever you want to see done in this world.
Take the plunge and if you need my help know that I'm here!  From building the idea, to getting sponsorships, it's a fun ride and it takes a lot of determination but it's well worth the sweat you will put into it.

You can even steal my idea…because a world full of free kids basketball camps would be a great one!

Thanks for reading everyone.  I truly appreciate it.  Newsletter sign up is the best way to hear stories of other people building their ideas into realities and don't forget you can email me at mike@marketingfunwithmike.com if you want to talk about your project that you have in your head more!

Carpe Diem

Mike

PS: We did not serve hot dogs for lunch.  Giant Eagle chose turkey sandwiches instead…but you know I was hoping for some hot dogs!  Here's one final pic!