Business Plan...

Hey guys....

Just wanted to give you a heads up.  I will be going to Mississippi at the beginning of May to visit my sis and go on a cruise.  My sister, who works for the Miss. Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce helps new businesses craft business plans and helps them make existing ones better.  Just wanted to let you know, in case you had anything to add to ours(or the thought of ours).  Jordan, I know you have been working on it some, and I plan to in the very near future.  

Anyways, she has offered to look at what we have.  I thought it would be helpful for me to go over with her what we have in person.  P.s. she absolutely loved the idea of our business, how it creates an outlet for us to put our main efforts into spreading the gospel in whatever way we can. I just wanted to let you know...you may or may not have anything to add, and that's ok.  Jordan, when you get a chance, can you send me what you have done with the business plan thus far?  

Also, I was bored the other day, therefore, that equals me making lamo BW stuff. 

Peace. 

Life Church Miami

Hey, just wanted you guys to see the new website from my church down in Miami. It was done by the same company that did one for one of the largest churches in the Miami area, called Christ Fellowship. I think it looks pretty sharp. Their "Staff" page is pretty cool, with the way they have the pictures set up and stuff. Just another piece of inspiration.

lifechurchmiami.org

Stock Footage

One idea for a service we could offer via the website:

We could begin a library of stock footage. We could have categories of different types of shots, geared more for use in ministry. Of course, stock footage would be a little more difficult to exclusively make for ministry, but that's not a problem. Our library could include all kinds of random things, like "beach footage" or "nature footage" or "people" or something like that.

Another thing that we could have to always be available to make us a little bit of money while other stuff is going on. Once we have a sufficient amount of shots for any kind of "library," that is.

Inspiration: Part Duex

So...I was just browsing through some of my files and found these. I know I have sent some of these but wasn't sure which ones. I thought it couldn't hurt to just post these...just call it Inspiration Part Duex. If you have seen them, just entertain me and act as if they are the most amazing thing you have ever seen. Basically, I know some of these are a "little inolved"...and that's ok if you feel that way. I do too. I think the main reason I'm posting these, is a source of inspiration, just like the title says. Basically, when creating these(which was gosh, probably 6 months ago), the intention was to generate logo ideas. However, looking at most of them now, I feel they could lead to other ideas of website background, letter head, watermark, advertsing, promo, video intros, flash design, maybe even some friggin sweet name tags(that was a joke), etc...

- this may seem way off, but hey who knows, but the top left and 2nd row designs I can visualize as possibly some sort of moving "transition" slide or tab(from one section of website to another). as in the wave could "crash" into the breaker as you click on it or something.

- the road pic and the last pic(one with breakwater in white, blue, red) i can see as some sort of video intro or moving background. the water could be rippling as breakwater fades in and in the other one, it could be a shot as if you we're traveling down a road as it zooms out to breakwater. not sure how it relates to breakwater but just thought it kinda looked cool.

Anyways...as I said before, take a look at these, don't feel like you have to add comments or critique or say they're awesome. Just take them for what they are and use them to think of bigger and better ideas.

As I mentioned in the email, I feel like I haven't really held up my end of the bargain when it comes to the "idea" and "birth" of BreakWater. I feel bad because, right now, one of the main things we need is a plan, whether you call it a business plan or not, we need it. With my experience in the business field or should I say business school, cause let's be honest, I work with kids for a living, i feel I have kinda let you guys down. I know one main reason I haven't put too much focus on it is frankly because I'm busy with other things. But you guys are busy too. I mean, I freaking have a Business Plan template that I created for a real company and I can't even spend a few hours to just do a rough "rough" draft. I should be more committed, and for that I am sorry. Whether you think I should be sorry or not, I feel I should so you can't do anything about...Ha.

For me personally, I think something that would help would be some sort of timeline in which we want to accomplish certainthings. I know Jordan, that you crafted something like that up but I don't have it anymore....could you send it out again? And there should be a consequence for not getting things started or done on time like we each get to hurl really sharp objects at each other if we don't get something done...ok, well not really, but maybe if we get really lazy.

And, as far as 1st draft for the 'about' section, I really think you did great job. I don't know if this was your intention but a great mission statement could be birthed out of this. I feel a combination of the first paragraph sentences could accomplish this.

Alright, well that's all i have for now, but keep thinking of bigger and better ideas on how to make this a reality.

L

Inspiration

Here's a group on links to be inspired by:

Design/Style

Crush+Lovely - "Meet the Crew Page"
Erskine Design
Pen Collective

Purpose

EchoLite Media

Logo Mockups

Here is a set of mockups that I put together. I just chose a group of colors to work with so the focus would be more on the design aspects than the colors; since those haven't been officially set-in-stone yet. Hopefully I'll be able to crank out some more ideas here pretty soon. But anyways, check'em out and hit me with some feedback. Peace.

TP

Of Meeting with the Wise: Part II

Well, I just spent about 40 minutes with David Platt and another pastor at Brook Hills, from the global team, Jim Foxworthy.  It was very encouraging and they had some great insight and affirmation for me.

Here is a little rundown of what I told them to start:

• I told them about the origins of Breakwater, and how we wanted to team up with our different abilities to start this media production company with a Christian focus, but how I've been wrestling with our purpose...as in, for me, I don't want to make a living off of giving people who are already Christians a cooler way to experience church.  While I don't know alot about what all this means, I know two things:  1) that God has given me a passion for film, and 2) that as a Christian the only purpose I have is to spread the gospel.  So naturally I want to combine those to realize the goals and dreams God has given to me in the last few months.
• I told them about the combination of things that has led me to this point:  going to Africa, reading C.S. Lewis, going to church here, the Leadership Summit that was at Bradfordville, and our own idea for our company.  And then I mentioned the idea I've been working through that has evolved out of that, for the organization that would do documentaries about international situations and campaign here to go back and help them start their own remedial organization to begin solving some preventable problems.  But also, I know how hard that would be, and how much I would need to learn.
• However, I also talked about how I feel that God has put this on my heart, a concern for the people overseas that we don't have to think about.  But also, he's put on my heart a concern for the inner city African-American community in the states, as well as, for some reason, a concern for celebrities.  It would be cool to take a celebrity on a trip with us, to have an effect on them while also helping people, because they have so much influence.
• Although it would be so much, and all of it would be difficult, I feel like God has called me to pursue them, and not to limit myself.  And I feel like it makes sense that way:  having so many obstacles in our way shouldn't prevent us from moving forward; that should motivate us to move forward.  Because then, we will have no choice but to trust in God's provision and not in ourselves, like we would in a "comfortable" setting.  And I know that's something I have got to work on, putting my trust in God.  (I think all three of us do).  But I want to find a balance between trusting in God and being smart about it, you know, doing my part.
• So from there, I asked for advice on how to access resources, since I'm willing to do that, and in essence, how to approach this from the beginning.  Because I am (and really, we are) at a place where there isn't much tying me (us) down, relative to say, someone in their 40s with a wife and three kids, saving up for their college funds and for IRAs.  While I want to have a wife and kids, and I want my kids to be educated, I think that God will provide what we need in His timing, if we leap out in faith.  We need to stop behaving as if there is nothing after life on earth.  So I dont' want to waste the time of my life where I can most easily resist the temptation to "be realistic."

So, to summarize, here was their response to me:

• Platt said, "First of all, 'YES' to everything.  Definitely yes."  And he encouraged us to think without limits.  Which was encouraging.  He was excited to hear that I've been wrestling with these things, and wanted me to really feel affirmed in what God has put on my heart.  So hopefully I can do the same for you guys...definitely know that if God has called us to something, and I believe that something to be much greater than we are imagining, then we have to be faithful, whatever that means.  Only then will we truly trust in Him, and only then will we really get to be a part of what He's doing.  Sounds better than 9 to 5 in a cubicle, even if it's making $200,000 a year.
• Then he encouraged me to keep talking with people, to call up or email people who are doing what I want to do, or who share the same passions that we have, and find a way to learn from them.  He said that's how he got to where he is now, because God showed him a person to learn from when he was getting into seminary, and that relationship is the reason why he's where he is.
• Jim Foxworthy ("Fox") is a really intelligent guy, who knows a lot about business and global ministry, and he mentioned a few organizations to talk with and try to network with and learn from, even piggyback off of if we have to, as an extension:  obviously, the International Mission Board, then Samaritan's Purse, Compassion International, and others.  Also, in terms of funding, there are a lot of foundations out there we might want to try to search for, like the Eli Lilly Foundation, who give away money every year for humanitarian projects.  Also federal grants would be a good road to go down (also mentioned in a previous post).  Fox and Platt were saying that there is a lot of money that goes untapped every year, so we need to do a lot of research on that (by "we," right now, I mean "I" so take a deep breath).
• But the thing I needed to hear the most, I feel, is that at each stage, we need to focus on what we can do at that point.  Right now, I need to research because that's something I can do right now.  And through doing what we know we can do at that point, we will be staying active, while also God will be opening up opportunities and ideas that we hadn't seen coming at all, through the people we meet and the conversations we have.  So like I told both of you guys before, please be talking with people, even if it's just your friends, about what we want to do.  And even if we just start with a website that has 10 videos for sale on it, we can have that going on while we continue building and growing and learning, until God shows us the next door.  But the hard thing is keeping the same passion and excitement we have now for 10 or 20 years.  So they challenged me to guard that passion, and to guard my heart.  So, just pretend you were in there with me.  Stay strong with that passion that we have.  Don't get too distracted, and I'll try to do the same.

Again, they both sounded really excited about this, and they want me to keep them updated on what and how we're doing.  Man, it was a jumpstart for me.  I needed it big time, because I've been really discouraged about my job situation here, and not knowing how I'm going to be able to accomplish any of this.  But I know what I can do now, and I am going to do it.  Be thinking about what you can do now, and then, just do it.  I'll challenge all of us.  Taylor, if it's just creating a basic logo, then let's get it done.  Luke, if it's just a matter of accepting that it's time to get uncomfortable, haha OK that's what needs to happen.  Let's all give God more credit than we have before.  I think that He has been behind this thing from the beginning...no, I know He has.  So He's going to do some awesome stuff.  But let's keep the ball rolling, and keep each other updated.

Let me know what you're thinking, dudes.  It's gonna be good.