Expanding Our Reach

Resilient Life Public Resilient Life
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Autumn officially arrived last weekend, not that we had much time to notice.

It's a busy period here at Peak Prosperity. For a number of good reasons.

While we wait for the markets and our elected leaders to emerge from their cocoon of "consequence-free fantasy," we've occupied ourselves with developing new content for the site. When reality matters again (and it definitely will), a lot of people are going to be urgently looking for insight and answers. We plan to be ready and waiting in advance. More to come on that new content soon, but not in this post. Apologies for the tease.

We've also been busy coordinating with the media and other potential partners interested in helping us spread our message to larger audiences.

We're very fortunate and very grateful to have some meaningful opportunities on the table right now. As we assess our options, Chris and I wanted to share our thinking with you – as well as solicit your input.

In the past, we've written in depth about our mission and goals for this site: namely to create a "tipping point of awareness" around the 3Es, and to "create a world worth inheriting" by inspiring and guiding individuals to take informed action in the here and now.

Key to these goals is reaching and influencing a lot of people (eventually millions upon millions) and doing so effectively.

So each time a big partnership opportunity comes our way, we evaluate its promise towards helping us achieve these goals. But we also need to look at it through the lens of our brand to make sure we don't enter territory inconsistent with our values and culture.

Usually, the judgment calls are pretty clear-cut and relatively easy to make. Sometimes, though, it's harder. Typically, the bigger the opportunity, the less control we have and the less "perfect" the fit is.

Our base navigating principle is that it's better to be tolerant than overly choosy. Meaning: if reaching sizable new audiences requires us to venture out of our comfort zone, we should be game for that. As long as, of course, it doesn't make us do anything seriously off-brand or unethical/illegal.

I'm sharing our thinking openly here, as Chris and I are assessing a few proposals that offer access to large audiences that we don't have much penetration into at present. One in particular promises to put the Crash Course into the hands of tens of thousands of new viewers within a very short period of time.

There's no money exchanging hands here. The prize is getting the Crash Course widely distributed to a lot of first-time minds.

These potential partners are new to us, and their audience is different enough from the typical PeakProsperity.com reader that we're taking our time in our evaluation. We won't have complete control of the overall experience in which our material appears, but we will have editorial control over what we say and how we say it.

We've done enough due diligence to feel the odds of this experiment working out well are pretty good. But we can't completely discount the risk that it won't, either.

So, we're left to decide whether to roll the dice or not – and we likely will. But Chris and I both want our readers to understand the thought process we go through, and we invite you to share your own. After all, Peak Prosperity is a brand we're building together – each of you is a stakeholder.

I suppose this is the burden of success. The more people you attract, the more complex the decision-making becomes. No complaints here, though – this is a high-quality problem!

Thanks for any feedback you may provide in the Comments section. And for your role in building the positive momentum underway here at PeakProsperity.com.

cheers,
Adam

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/expanding-our-reach/

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Roll them dice.

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Go BIG or go home!

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Thanks for the heads-up, Adam. Along with advancing age comes a fair measure of caution, and little warning flags are flying in my mind. You have explained that you and Chris Martenson understand the risks. On the one hand, the opportunity to get the message out to millions of people is pretty enticing. On the other hand, even though you will control your own content, how the material is introduced, along with any following comments, will greatly influence the viewer/listener.
Let us assume for the moment that a major TV network is willing to feature the Crash Course as a one-time program or a series. It would depend greatly on which network, and let's not forget how tightly controlled is ownership of the mainstream U.S. media. I can think of one such outlet that would be sure to discredit the message, while I can think of another that might be more sympathetic.

So it depends on which outlet(s) you deal with. You know this, of course; I'm just musing that the risks are very substantial. Peak Prosperity is already successful. That said, it's probably fair to say that most of us have found just how difficult it is to convince our friends and neighbors to take these issues seriously, and to take a few sensible steps by way of preparation. It's another way of saying that most people have their minds made up that tomorrow will look pretty much like today. When talking to people I know, I can usually get them to listen to such suggestions as having a couple of weeks of food in the pantry and some bottled water. Beyond that eyes glaze over.

So I wish you success in this new endeavor and I will keep my fingers crossed. Let us all hope that it succeeds. Best wishes.

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It seems that the one constant is change and part of that is adapting to what we see happening around us. You, Chris and the staff at PP have proven to be very proficient at staying the course and continually getting the word out about creating a world worth inheriting.
I say go with your gut instincts and see what happens. Know that I will be somewher in the field helping with the ditch digging and pipe laying!!!

I'm teased! When will you announce?

Coop

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The possibility of reaching a much larger audience is definitely hard to pass up. My only comment would be that many of the people that are part of this community now had to do a little digging to get here and have a variety of opinions that add to the depth of discussions. I would hate to see a large group of people overwhelming the site from any particular political group or ideology and losing the diversity that makes this community so great.

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The message needs to grow.  Roll the dice.

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I concur with Daniel Judy's comments.  Human being is a very interesting species.  We are a product of our environment.  Our thinking and decision making processes are heavily influenced by the deep conditioning that we have accumulated over the years.  We take action or decide on thing based on the model of information that can be in the conscious or in the sub-conscious level.
Depending on who you plan to expose the idea to, my personal experience is I find it more difficult to talk with more "senior" people (in age) regarding this idea not to mention changing their mindset (this anecdote supports my model above).  I am not saying that it is a "slam-dunk" doing the same with more younger crowd.  Again, it depends on the individual's background, their willingness to open their mind, cast aside their conditioning and accept new information.

In any event, thank you Adam and Chris continue reaching out to a broader audience of this important work.  I trust your confidence you will do the right thing within your control.

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Would the information be used (or abused) to advance a particular political or ideological agenda?  Your editorial control will be extremely important to guard against this type of abuse. 

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I have a few "suggestions" for spreading the message, taking into account the mindset of much of the public.

  1.  Create "The Crash Course Combat Video Game" and if you're really creative "Grand Theft Central Banker" video game.

  2. Weave soft porn into "The Crash Course."

  3. Sponsor a NASCAR team.

  4. Get this dog to present "The Crash Course" on a youtube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

On second thought, just do what you're doing and we can get back to my ideas later.

"Welcome to the Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

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[quote=Daniel Judy]The possibility of reaching a much larger audience is definitely hard to pass up. My only comment would be that many of the people that are part of this community now had to do a little digging to get here and have a variety of opinions that add to the depth of discussions. I would hate to see a large group of people overwhelming the site from any particular political group or ideology and losing the diversity that makes this community so great.
[/quote]
This is one of the many variables we discuss when considering a new opportunity.  On the one hand, we're sensitive to the idea that a big block of new people could alter the ecosystem, but we also have great faith that the community here will remain solid and then the new people will have to decide if this place is a good fit or not.
Are they curious and open-minded?  Do they like facts?  Then great!  Welcome aboard.
Of greater concern to us is that our current and highly valued members will assume that because we've 'gotten in bed' with some other outfit that we are somehow endorsing everything about that other firm.  If we do ever fully endorse some other firm, like we do with our financial advisor partners, we'll tell you.
Instead, these media partners have their own styles, messages, practices, and clientele.  Sometimes we do things similarly along these dimensions, and sometimes quite differently.   They're like neighbors; take the good, know that you cannot change them to your particular liking, and if and when it's possible to help each other out, do so.
It's really complex, as Adam has said, to enter into such partnerships, and so we do the best we can, knowing that there's a bit that is simply out of our control.  Such is the nature of relationships.

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If you where to create a program or a series, the media would create a website to mirror the series, behind the scenes etc etc… This would pull the viewers to this website where you will loose control over the content in the long term. Potentially creating a monster you have to compete with. The problem is not the competing website but the message within it could become distorted.
You also want to be careful that this does not turn out into a National Geographic preppers parade. (This happened once before i believe)

I would keep control over are the essentail keywords that your website is being accessed with. Put those keyword in a contract specifying that these will not be used in the website the network or media outlet will create if any for the programs.

I personally think that most people are happy to sleep their way through this  disaster, but it does not hurt to awaken the few that do not want to ignore the message…

my 2c

 

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Your job is to spread the message, ours is to hear it and act.  The "you" needs to be somewhat different to reach a larger audience, instead of long talks around a ktchen table many years ago the distance and reach of media cuts both ways. I imagine a larger community to be less of one, more diverse but also more mainstream as well in some sense if successful and just as I prefer a small town to a big city I expect to be less connected with the comments such reach may gererate (Zero Hedge comes to mind…).  But I will still hear the message and it will help me to act (now dialing in my new solar thermal sytem for the heating season) which is the overall purpose and value of this site.  I'm thankful for the sense of connection a more niche site has provided but I would hate to feel selfishly like I want to keep it small for my benefit when its time to love it enough to let it go.  Fly away when your wings are ready…but try to keep in touch.
And thanks so much!

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Hard to judge based in the info. Are we talking about an HBO special? A network like RT?  Are there political affiliations?  Are we talking about a parent company? An RIA?
I sell financial products to institutional investors for a living.  Having to explain complicated ownership structures and affiliates really makes for a tough sell, and for good reason. I'm a big fan of organic growth. Hire an expert to penetrate new markets.  Just my opinion, sans context. 

 

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            The whole point of the crash course is to get a message in clear and concise terms to whoever will listen.  The need for this message is more urgent now than when Chris began.
Five years ago I stumbled upon the crash course as I was trying to make sense of the economic catastrophe which appeared to be brining the world down around me.  Chris’s logical presentation of our situation made immediate sense to me.  Since then I have watched those initial insights discussed, expanded and extrapolated.  So many fine writers, commentators and posters have added to the process of growing understanding.  In that time something evolved that I did not expect. A community of like minded people came together to express their ideas and hopes and ended up providing great education and support to each other in the process.

I know I have rarely commented over the years but I have been here, listening and learning.  More recently I have begun to comment on issues where I hope I can provide insight or support.  One part of me would like Peak Prosperity to stay right where it is. There is still so much we can provide to each other.

The more forward looking part of my brain says it is important for this to grow.  There are other people who need to hear this message.  There are other people who have messages we need to hear.  Will this change Peak Prosperity?  Of course it will.  Will the change be good or bad? That’s really up to us and how we approach the change and the new people we will encounter.

Chris and Adam, my vote is go for it.  I will support your efforts to reach out to others who have not yet heard or realize what is ahead.

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I say the more people who go through the Crash Course the better. The more people who get their light turned on the better it will be for all of us in the long run. It's nice and cosey here inside our PP community but change will not happen unless the gospel of Chris is spread!

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I was hoping for this: When reality matters again (and it definitely will), a lot of people are going to be urgently looking for insight and answers. We plan to be ready and waiting in advance. More to come on that new content soon, but not in this post. Apologies for the tease.
Most people aren't interested in our message right now, but when the next stage of the collapse hits, there will be a lot more panicky people interested in what they can do to save themselves.  I want to be ready with a list of answers even at that late stage.  It seems you are thinking along the same lines.  I look forward to what you will come up with.

I'm also hoping what you come up with will be helpful in informing our opinions about what the next steps for our neighborhood, state and nation should be.  For instance, the international financial system will have to be reinvented, but if we leave it to those who are in power now they'll just find another way to scam us (such as SDR's!!!).  At that time, our opinions will be very influential in re-forming public opinion and that kind of thing should help us come up with actual sustainable solutions instead more can-kicking techniques and strategies for burying one's head in the sand.

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[quote=thc0655]Most people aren't interested in our message right now, but when the next stage of the collapse hits, there will be a lot more panicky people interested in what they can do to save themselves. 
[/quote]
Most people including most of my family think I'm out of my mind. When they hear I've pulled out of the stock market and put all my money in tangibles they think me a fool. They either don't see or don't want to see the illusion that is the stock market.
I'm going to try my hardest not to say I told you so when it all comes tumbling down.

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I can imagine this is a very difficult decision to make. Going "bigger" is always filled with trade-offs, and I'm sure you are weighing them carefully. Co-option is one concern I would have. Larger partners often have political or ideological leanings, not to mention political parties are experts at co-opting ideas and messages. That's when the message begins to lose its value or impact. I'm thinking of things that have already been co-opted by big business/government such as sustainability and organic. It's not that these messages haven't had an impact, it's just that if all our food on the shelves say organic, and all our buildings get the stamp of "sustainable" it leaves you wondering what it really means and a little distrustful. Really tough call! I would also like to piggy back on the others and give you your own advice to trust yourself. Does this partnership seem like a natural next step? If so, then take the leap and hope for the best. Faith is good at times like these:-)
Good luck either way!

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I have been a member of more than one size of church over the years. When a church grows, the groups inside it provide the sense of community. In a large church, you might be a member of the choir, or part of running children's programs, or be a maintenence of gardening volunteer.
Here, we have Groups, ready to go, and they will provide the sense of community we will need as events make our message more palatable and important.