We want to do Radical Renovations with 1/2 the effort and 1/2 the prep time. That’s why we are lifting up the hood of HeroWork and getting into the mechanics. Because of the success of our crowdfunding campaign there is a whole range of mechanics we’re working on.
Contractor Directory and Mobilization
Last year our contractor directory was a beta test to see if the darn thing would work. As a beta some things worked and some things didn’t. We learned a lot. Now we’re using those lessons and rebuilding the directory. The mastermind behind this rebuild is Reuben Butterfield of MicroBrand (pictured).
Before Christmas Reuben called me, saying that he’d seen the HeroWork decal on some Hardwire Telecom trucks. He looked up the site and immediately wanted to get involved. He is a gift from heaven, and he’s doing some creative and tech-savvy work. The new site will be simple yet beautiful, robust but with an elegant user interface.
In addition to the new directory there is a small team (led by Kent McFadyen) who have been working diligently to interview and understand our contractors so as to design and deliver a tailored benefits program. Will Doyle and Devon Carr have been working since late 2014 on these mechanics and are starting to see some real results. They just finished three interview sessions (at Vic 42 headquaters) with multiple contractors and will be compiling their findings next week.
Database Management.
For the Threshold Housing project we had 126 companies, hundreds of volunteers, and hundreds more supply components. That is a lot of information to handle! In the future we want to manage this plethora of data elegantly and seamlessly.
Enter Heidi Lackenby (pictured). She was the Aussie from the Threshold build who just LOVED to dig. Turns out she’s got a real geeky side, too, and she offered to put her other talents to use. Since earlier in January she’s been researching and designing what this system will look like. We’ve sat down several times to hash out the details and it’s coming along famously. (I’ll tell you those Aussies are fun to work with!)
Step by Step Manuals
Since late last year a small team of us have been working on the step-by-step system for how to organize and put on a Radical Renovation. Peter Smither (pictured, right, with Will Doyle, left) has been putting his considerable PMI experience to work, developing an excellent template for our program. With invaluable input from Kent McFadyen (the guru of all renos radical) and the strategic planning skills of Victoria Williams we have already made significant progress.
Next we start on the Onsite Manuel—a project that will be lead by Darlene Potentier, who has been the Onsite Leader for the last two events.
Communications Strategy
Ever since HeroWork started, pretty much all of the social media and communications has been done by yours truly. It’s been an important yet daunting task that has been overwhelming. It’s needed to change for a while and now we are in the process of making that happen.
We’ve come up with a researched and savvy social media strategy that will help tell our story and grow our program. With the assistance of Michele Sealey we are putting together a team to inspire a whole lot of people through social media. If you want to help, drop me a line. We’d love to have you on board.
And More…
Also on the agenda is a much needed website refresh, a range of volunteer management documents, plus more—and these are only the mechanics!
So, as you can see we are hard at work. We are taking inspired action so as to be ready for the coming events.
Thanks for your belief and help. Without the community stepping up to support us during our crowdfunding campaign the pace of this progress would slow to a crawl.
If you thought 2014 was a big year for HeroWork, wait for 2015 to unfold! Leave a comment and tell us what you think of our hard work 🙂
