Millennial Madden
What started as a joke name for all the ideas I had has turned into a serious plan for my future. As such, I used this idea as the basis for my project.
In short (and will be explained further), the idea is to have an organic event farm when I move back to the states and to Raliegh-Durham in May of next year. I want this to be a space where I can start businesses that help the earth and local town.
Project One: Make Meaning
I think of my future farm as a way to make a physical impact to better the world. It is a space that I can hire special needs people to work with me, save animals at kill shelters, host affordable barn weddings, and more.
Project Two: Ask Questions
The questions that inspired me to begin working on this idea all involved how I would be able to leave a positive impact on the world around me. More than anything, I've had the desire to be remembered as someone who did everything they could to help the environment.
Project Three: Make a Mantra
My mantra is, "help people help Earth." I want to be the catalyst that allows for better efforts on sustainability and environmentalism. To me, it's not about climate change. Rather, it's about leaving the earth cleaning and more natural than you found it. Most can agree that the idea of cleaning the earth is good, no matter if the climate is helped. While I hope the climate can be positively affected, I know that change starts at the bottom and takes time.
Project Four: What is My Wow
I want to start a series of sustainable businesses from my farm that promotes an "earth first" way of doing business and thinking. When we put the Earth first, we put our health and the health of other animals first as well.
Project Five: Pitch Deck
For my pitch deck, I wanted to go through the process just for myself. I am not the type of person that wants any type of investment or fast growth. I believe that slow growth is the best path to long term success and value bootstrapping my way to my dreams. With that said, this pitch deck was created to streamline my thought process and have my goals written out in something other than an "idea book."
When I married my husband, my last name changed to Madden. My father-in-law's name is Steve Madden, and my grandfather-in-law's name is John Madden. Neither of them is "the famous Madden." My husband and I made a joke that we were going to be the two that made the "next famous Madden name." Then we talked about how much Millenials are called lazy and how we would never make it. Such forms the name of the idea.
Millennial Madden will be the "holding company" for a host of companies that forms the organic event farm. I will be starting upon moving back to the US after traveling as a digital nomad for a year. My goal is for this host of six businesses to be completely live and positive in the next four years.
Slide Two: Who am I?
My name is Ashley Madden. I am a business owner and digital nomad. My goal is to change the world by helping others make the world a better place. At present, I own Helianthus Advising and am in the process of starting Workshop Terra. Both to be discussed in relation to the farm plan.
I have been volunteering for nonprofits for over ten years and have six years in management and marketing. My education comes in the form of a BBA from Kennesaw State and has helped me learn that experience will teach you more than a " nice piece of paper" will ever provide.
Slide Three: What are my goals?
My driving goal for the next six months if to get to a point where I move back to the USA with decent savings, get land, and start building up an organic event farm. From there, I plan to have a fully started organic event farm by the end of three years, which houses six main businesses and many other side ideas.
Slide Four: What Businesses?
I want my organic event farm to host six businesses to begin. One that has already reached its second form (Helianthus Advising), one that is just starting (Workshop Terra), and others that can only be started after the land is obtained. Keeping with the trend of environmental names, each business calls back to the goal of helping the earth, animals, or humanity.
Slide Five: Helping People
My first function will be to help people. Helianthus Advising has already started and is what is helping me to save money while I travel learning about people and their different cultures. The goal is to turn it from a basic freelance marketing business into an agency concerned with the health and growth of nonprofits and sustainable businesses. That process is taking longer than I thought it would; however, the business remains positive and growing.
The other business on the farm will be an event barn. This space will be the first to be built after the land is obtained. As an affordable event barn with a sustainable focus, the goal will be to provide a space for birthdays, weddings, and other events. With high-profit margins, this space will enable the funding of the rest of the farm while giving people a space they can afford.
As the second function, I want my farm to help animals. Obviously, the best way for an animal lover like myself to do this is through an animal shelter. Artemis Animal League takes its roots from the first business I started with my husband, Artemis Outdoor Designs. This shelter will focus first on dogs, cats, and horses while later expanding to large and small animals of all kinds.
Next, another business that has already started, Workshop Terra. In its first phase, Workshop Terra will be a creative space for videos about people doing amazing things to help the environment. In its second phase, it will get more physical. A barn complex will be constructed that allows for an artist's mecca. Each type of craft will have everything they need to work and each Friday there will be a farmers market showing off their works as well as the works from the rest of the far, (shelter animals, food, etc.)
Slide Seven: Helping Earth
The last function of the farm is to help the Earth. As such, the farm itself holds this feature. Rather than promote mono-culture, this farm will promote the old way of growth using vegetable layering, organic methods, and heritage seeds. In addition, chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep will eventually be brought onto the farm and kept free-range, healthy, and happy while they provide milk, wool, eggs, and meat.
The final part of the park will also be one of the first features as it does not require much construction. Sol Park will be a space for camping and racing, having a 5K and 10K trail winding through the land and spaces for campfires and eventually Airbnb tiny homes. It will serve as a way to bring people onto the farm so they can learn about what we do while also giving a space for the local community to host races and concerts safely and cheaply.
Slide Eight: Timeline
My timeline has already started, with Helianthus Advising's successful launch and growth. Between May and October, I plan to obtain land and start working my way further down the list. While my timeline is not fast growth, I hope to have everything set up within four years from now. The goal is 100% bootstrapping and enough stable income that I never have to worry about outside money or finding another job.
Slide Nine: The Results
If I am successful, the Raleigh-Durham area will see an organic event farm that promotes sustainable off the grid living through a selection of businesses that help the planet. I'll also have a farm that is self-sustaining in terms of money and resources. This will enable me to work only on the farm while also starting up other ideas I have and travel each year.
Slide Ten: Contact Me
While I have no interest in investor money, I never mind meeting like-minded people. This pitch deck was mostly to get my own thought process in order, and it greatly helped. That said, should you like what you see and want to talk about, I'd love to hear from you.
Project Six: The Art of Socializing
For the last project, rather than gather a bunch of clips or posts that I've done. I've gathered the social media accounts I run for my businesses. I fall into the same pitfall that most other marketing agents have, too much time on other social media accounts and not enough time on my own. That said, recently, I've been working harder on keeping my accounts updated and fresh with content that will be enjoyed by my target market(s.)
Helianthus Advising:
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Workshop Terra
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