SOFest: Behind the scenes
04/11/25 • 17 min
Join me, Kirsty, as I share insights into the planning and financial aspects of SoFest.
I share the exact costs of running the festival, how much money we have raised to date (4th April 2025) and how much of a financial hole there is.
I also share my excitement for the festival, the success of the impact tickets, who some of the sponsors are and the importance of community support.
I talk about value of attending SoFest for networking and personal growth, while also inviting listeners to join the inaugural festival.
If you are listening to this before 30th April 2025 there is still time to buy a ticket!!
SOFest headlines
- 80 people are coming to SoFest, which is exciting.
- The 'spreadsheet of greatness' helps track costs and revenue.
- 73,000 pounds have been raised so far for the festival.
- 7 Impact tickets have been funded.
- The total cost of the festival is around 90,000 pounds, excluding my teams costs
- Networking opportunities at SoFest can lead to valuable connections.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to SoFest
02:48 Funding and Financial Insights
06:08 Cost Breakdown and Financial Challenges
09:00 Community Support and Sponsorships
11:46 The Value of Attending SoFest
14:52 Final Thoughts and Invitation to SoFest
I invite you to grab a cuppa, join me on the pink seat, and tune in your ears.
____
A Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your business as a facilitator or trainer.
You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.
Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more.
Key Links:
Book your tickets for SOFest HERE
Visit the School of Facilitation website HERE
Connect with me on Instagram HERE
Connect with me on Linkedin HERE
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join me, Kirsty, as I share insights into the planning and financial aspects of SoFest.
I share the exact costs of running the festival, how much money we have raised to date (4th April 2025) and how much of a financial hole there is.
I also share my excitement for the festival, the success of the impact tickets, who some of the sponsors are and the importance of community support.
I talk about value of attending SoFest for networking and personal growth, while also inviting listeners to join the inaugural festival.
If you are listening to this before 30th April 2025 there is still time to buy a ticket!!
SOFest headlines
- 80 people are coming to SoFest, which is exciting.
- The 'spreadsheet of greatness' helps track costs and revenue.
- 73,000 pounds have been raised so far for the festival.
- 7 Impact tickets have been funded.
- The total cost of the festival is around 90,000 pounds, excluding my teams costs
- Networking opportunities at SoFest can lead to valuable connections.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to SoFest
02:48 Funding and Financial Insights
06:08 Cost Breakdown and Financial Challenges
09:00 Community Support and Sponsorships
11:46 The Value of Attending SoFest
14:52 Final Thoughts and Invitation to SoFest
I invite you to grab a cuppa, join me on the pink seat, and tune in your ears.
____
A Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your business as a facilitator or trainer.
You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.
Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more.
Key Links:
Book your tickets for SOFest HERE
Visit the School of Facilitation website HERE
Connect with me on Instagram HERE
Connect with me on Linkedin HERE
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Episode 37: Common Challenges Faced by Entrepreneurs and the importance of community
As business owners there are many common challenges we encounter, such as time management, financial planning, and the importance of having a clear vision and strategy. Working these out on our own can be lonely and quite frankly boring, with little fun.
Enter Ed Reid the MD of The Alternative Board, UK. This is a community aimed at alleviating the loneliness faced by SME owners and is in over 20 countries worldwide! Ed has wide-ranging knowledge from working with small businesses and supporting the owners, to helping them develop, grow, and stay sane.
Kirsty and Ed discuss the significance of accountability in business, the benefits of peer support, and the importance of planning for transitions. We also cover the significance of professionalizing a business and the various structures one can choose when starting a business.
These are some of the topics we discussed
Common Challenges Faced by Business Owners
Professionalizing Your Business
Setting Up a Business: Key Considerations
The Power of an External Board
The Importance of Accountability in Business
Combating Loneliness and Business Growth
I invite you to grab a cuppa, join me on the pink seat, and tune in your ears.
__
A Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your business as a facilitator or trainer.
You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.
Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Episode 38: The Importance of Streamlining Operations and Processes in a Small Business
This episode is all about the importance of having your business processes streamlined and documented, whatever your size!
Sneha Morjaria is the founder of The Growth Chain and School of Operations. She helps founders stop doing it all ie she shows us how to operationalise our businesses so that we have time and space to do the work we love - facilitate, train or coach.
In this conversation, Kirsty and Sneha delve into the importance of operations in business, particularly for solopreneurs. Sneha shares her expertise in helping small business owners streamline their operations, emphasizing the need for a solid operational infrastructure. They discuss the significance of documenting processes through SOPs and how this can enhance efficiency and client experience.
The conversation touches on the use of AI tools to aid in business operations and creative tasks, showcasing how technology can support growth and efficiency in a business setting. They discuss various project management and CRM tools, the necessity of pre-qualifying clients, and the value of regular therapy for entrepreneurs - yes we cover it all in this conversation!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:46 Understanding Operations in Business
05:53 Building Operational Infrastructure
08:52 Client Success Pathway
12:03 Documenting Processes and SOPs
15:06 Leveraging AI Tools for Efficiency
17:56 Creative Tools and Their Impact
23:55 Understanding Client Language and Pain Points
27:41 Tools for Business Efficiency
36:10 Mapping Workflows for Success
40:12 Quickfire Questions and Final Insights
I invite you to grab a cuppa, join me on the pink seat, and tune in your ears.
____
A Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your business as a facilitator or trainer.
You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.
Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more.
Key Links:
Visit the School of Facilitation website HERE
Discover SOFest HERE
Connect with me on Instagram HERE
Connect with me on Linkedin HERE
Follow Sneha on Instagram HERE
Connect with Sneha on Linkedin HERE
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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