So what is the Unreal Collective?

Jay Clouse runs the Unreal Collective – he brings together talented individuals, entrepreneurs, freelancers… awesome people working on interesting projects, for a 12-week program for each to take their project to the next level by supporting each other. There are goals, clarity, and direction balanced with the support of peers that provides a catalyst for ideas and inspiration that help push progress forward.

I mention the Unreal Collective often in the podcast – I participated in this program in October, and it propelled this podcast forward.  I was introduced to some great people, received feedback that reframed my approach, and the clarity and attention on the goals for this podcast helped me refine my process. It felt transformational, and it the productivity was tangible.

How do you build a community?

Jay’s always had an entrepreneurial streak from his days at OSU, which lead him to pitch ideas, and trying to find a developer for a project… which landed him at the Startup Weekend, and later with a startup called Tixers.  But Jay also has a talent for building communities and networking – for him, this is very intentional and wants to be known for this. In his own words:

If you’re going to build a network and build relationships it has to be based on giving. You have to be providing some sort of value to that person or it’s not a relationship that you can count on.  I would find people who you are genuinely interested in learning from – and perhaps what you’re providing is just genuine interest and gratitude. A lot of people will be happy to provide information if you ask them for advice ask them about their experience and what they’ve learned. People like to talk about what they’ve learned. But don’t make it about yourself. I always try to talk the least in any interaction because if I’m talking I’m not learning.

And Jay lives up to this, and his networking skills are a product of this very vision. We didn’t dive further into this in the podcast, but the notion of being of service is something I’ve heard consistently from a number of different leaders and coaches. We no longer live in a world where we “get ahead” in a world filled with lack. We make progress by helping each other achieve our dreams.  Further… I’d postulate that only by using our personal talents and joy to help others do we find our own fulfillment. In a world where you make a contribution, you can’t win or lose. You can only contribute more or less.

What is the Give Back Hack and the Startup Weekend?

We did dive into the Startup Weekend and the Give Back Hack. Startup Weekend is a hack-a-thon of sorts… people from diverse (not just technical) background coming together for a weekend to develop and launch a business. The experience is intense, but it opens your eyes to what is possible.

The Give Back Hack was started by Suzy Bureau.  As the organizer of Startup Weekend here in Columbus she wanted to refine the structure to support developing and launching social enterprises… in a format that provided them more support to grow after the weekend event. Aunt Flow, DACA Time, and Abe’s Kitchen are some fantastic startups that have been through this. If you have entrepreneurial dreams, participate in one of these events.

Should you check out the Unreal Collective?

And if you ready to take the next step with your project… applications to join Unreal Collective are now open!  Some great projects you might bring to the Unreal Collective include:

• Starting your project
• Validating your business idea
• Building your MVP
• Finding your first customer
• Opening your online store
• Writing a book
• Launching your podcast
• …and more

I’ll testify that you’ll join a community of driven people like you, in a group you’ll meet with every week.  And by joining a community of action-oriented people invested in your success, you will achieve more than you can do alone.

To find Jay on social:

• Twitter: @jayclouse
• Instagram: @jayclouse
• Facebook: fb.com/JayClouse