Carolyn Jack

Editor and CEO, Geniocity.com
A project of The Genius Group LLC

Creative Nerve: What It’s Really Like to Start a Business

Little steps.  Well, I’ve been trying to make marketing a habitual part of my daily business life and I think it’s beginning to become ingrained. If guerrilla marketing equals raising awareness one person at a time, then I’m starting to earn my camo.

For a over a year now, I’ve carried business cards at all times – lately, I’ve added brochures to the other 8 lbs. of stuff in my bag, and am beginning to walk like Igor. (Eyegor, for all you other “Young Frankenstein” fans. And what hump?) 

Whenever I make a new acquaintance or encounter some uninitiated friend, I bend their tolerant ears with a quick description of Geniocity.com and whip out those materials. I try to be as conversational and light about the elevator speech as I can, because I just don’t think friends or strangers appreciate having to listen to a sales pitch, but at least each of them hears the name Geniocity.com and gets a general idea what it’s about.

In the last few days, I’ve talked to quite a few people. Another 10 or 15 down – about 6 billion to go. 

I’m also beginning to work on marketing collaborations, starting with such things as trade-outs (providing free services to another organization that in turn provides some to you). Of course, I’m also trying hard to use all the online viral tricks I’ve heard about to get our name around, but am working on local advertising, as well.

One place you should see the Geniocity.com name soon is on the website of IngenuityFest Cleveland (www.ingenuitycleveland.com), an annual celebration of arts, technology and cool combinations of both that runs July 25-27 downtown in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square area. Like Geniocity.com, IngenuityFest aims to show how fascinating, fun and important creativity can be, especially when it involves using cutting-edge science and media as means for artistic self-expression. This is Ingenuity’s fourth year - I’ve been to every one of them and they offer an outstanding mix of performances, installations, exhibits, street happenings and activities for people of every age and creative taste, so if you can get to Cleveland next week for it, do.

Maybe you’ll see me - I’ll be the one with the big bag, the bent back and the brochure in my hand.