InspirED: 10 Years of Brilliant Ideas

Just as it’s hard to believe we became grandparents last year, it’s also hard to believe that InspirED School Marketers turns 10 this year.

When Rob and I had a lightbulb moment in 2013 that turned into InspirED, we knew we wanted to help private school marketers be the most brilliant you can be. We thought you could use a place — one place — where you could call home, gain inspiration from your peers, get information from your colleagues and consultants, and acquire new skills and insights through the information we would provide.

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(Above) The postcard announcing InspirED in 2013.

Begin at the Beginning

There were two levels of InspirED then, paid and free. We based our business model on the paid version, of course, with encouragement from more than 50 advisors we spoke with, both school professionals and business peers.

By our first anniversary, we knew schools weren’t going to join for $750/year in the numbers we thought necessary for a vibrant community, even if the subscription included all admins and faculty at each school. When we realized our mistake, we made InspirED free to all and sought revenue elsewhere.

(Above) InspirED’s first-anniversary present announcement. Filmed by our son with a hilarious blooper reel.

Learn lessons

We learned other lessons such as 1) $150,000 in a custom Drupal website is a lot to swallow when your business model flames out. 2) Folks don’t want to be early adopters, especially if money is involved, even if they say they do. 3) It’s difficult to run a robust branding and design firm with 5 full-time employees while launching a dream like InspirED.

Pivot, Pivot, and Pivot Again

Altering course is necessary for any business, especially young ones. I loved some ideas that didn’t work out such as 5 Questions (short blog posts with movers and shakers in the private school marketing world); Firestarter Awards (for school marketers who were at the top of their game); and — the big one for me — the Portfolio (where school marketers would upload samples of their work…think a beta version of Issuu…to share with peers).

Find Success

You’re probably familiar with what worked: the SparkCast podcast and the Daily Jolt (Rob’s babies); the Private School MarCom Survey and Report; and, of course, the Brilliance Awards, celebrating private school marketing worldwide. We are also honored by the Senior Partners, members of the Photographer and Filmmaker Guide, and Daily Jolt sponsors that have supported us in this endeavor. From the start, our goal was to supply inspiration, education, and information in whatever form worked for school marketers.

Build Relationships

Rob and I have found lasting relationships through InspirED and have come to respect and admire so many of you in our niche industry. This industry is unique in many ways, not the least of which is that it attracts warm, friendly, welcoming folks who reach out a hand even when they compete with one another.

Explore What’s Next

“What’s next” is, indeed, the question. At this writing we’re 71 and 70, so we talk about it often, but without a decision. Our granddaughter is influencing our opinions — in the most delightful way.

Be Grateful

Private school marketers worldwide have made InspirED what it is today. Thank you to our followers, supporters, guests, Brilliance Awards entrants, and all who have made this decade-long journey possible. You are brilliant.

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