Happy Friday NPSF! As we mentioned this morning, we’re stoked to be bringing on a new leader next week. We think having a 3rd will allow us to get re-energized and have more bandwidth to plan cool workouts, events, and collabs. While we’ll wait until Wednesday to share more about who it is, we want to take this opportunity to share some of our thought process behind picking a leader – some of you have asked in the past about leadership selection, what goes into it, who we consider, and pointed out ways we can improve the process.
NPSUMMIT 2019 – Las Vegas – Rock N Roll
Below you’ll find the information about our annual gathering of all members and Co-Leaders from all over the world – #NPSUMMIT in Las Vegas, November 15-18. Being less than one month away please keep visiting this link as we will update more and more until we see you. Also, follow the main Instagram & Twitter accounts throughout the weekend for reminders and updates.
THE FULL SCHEDULE
Friday – Travel day.
Saturday Workout 6:29AM – Las Vegas City Hall – Please arrive between 6-6:20AM. Workout will begin at 6:29AM sharp – No shirts will be painted during the workout (see “Post Workout” right below). We understand you’re most likely racing at Rock N Roll, but please move your body with us. Standing around is NOT the way to kick off this weekend. There is a coffee shop with a bathroom within a block of the meeting place.
THE BUS Saturday Post Workout / 8AM Depart City Hall
NP Homework – Runaround
The time has come for another NP Homework brought to you by our friends at Knockaround and this one has a pretty sweet prize for the most creative submission! But before we get to that, let’s talk about:
Theme. “Runaround”. What does Runaround meant to you? Running fast? Running slow? Running in place? Running in circles? Running solo? Or with friends? There are no right or wrong answers so show us what you got! Runaround.
Rules. To enter the contest, post a photo to Instagram and make sure to tag @knockaround @novemberproject and use hashtag #NPKnocks. In your photo, you must be wearing a pair of Knockaround sunglasses. Bonus points for #GrassrootsGear. You’ll be judged on creativity, fun, humor, x-factor, and authenticity so photoshop or other photo altering software will not be allowed. If your Instagram account is private make sure you open it to the public otherwise we won’t be able to see your submission.
What if you don’t have a pair of Knockaround sunglasses? This weekend only go to http://knockaround.com and with code NPKNOCKS receive 35% OFF your entire order. The sale kicks off at midnight EST Friday and will end at midnight PST Sunday, June 2.
Timeline. We’ll be accepting submissions starting Saturday, June 1 and going all the way through Friday, June 21. Our friends at Knockaround will pick 6 favorites, which will be hosted on their website for the world to vote on. The voting will start on Sunday, June 23 and will end Friday, June 28. The photo with the most votes will be named a winner and officially announced Sunday, June 30th.
The Prize. A trip for one person to November Project Summit in Las Vegas, NV (flight and hotel) + a different pair of Knockaround sunglasses for every NP workout week for a full year (52 pairs of sunglasses)! Incredible, right!?
So get your creative hats on and start cranking those homeworks out.
A Peek Under The Hood
In the past few weeks, we’ve made an announcement about adding new sponsors to the global November Project family. We also stated that November Project will start accepting donations as we are now a non-profit organization. Since then we have received requests for more details regarding how we will allocate the funds donated. Hopefully, the following breakdown will help answer those questions:
Leadership Support and Training:
Our leaders are our most important assets. Their willingness to selflessly wake up before dawn and lead workouts is the only reason that this movement keeps growing and prospering. It’s vital to us that we continue to provide them with support and resources so they can continue to excel in leading their city. One way we do that is by connecting them with other leaders at our annual gathering we call the Meeting Of the Minds, or MOM for short. At MOM, the leaders have the opportunity to share stories, learn from each other’s successes and failures, and foster relationships that transcend geographical boundaries and time zones. We discuss everything under the leadership umbrella such as creative ways to recruit new members, how we can improve inclusivity, ways to plan an efficient workout, as well as addressing ‘Corporate’ topics with strategic decisions that we at NP HQ are working on. We also bring in specialists who have a unique perspective on diversity and inclusion to challenge us to shift paradigms. And even though the hashtag #safetythird has seen its fair share of usage on social media channels, we take the safety of our members very seriously and offer CPR certification classes to every co-leader interested.
Day-To-Day Operations:
November Project, Inc. has two full-time employees, Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric, and one part-time contributor, Laura Green. This trio is in charge of all non-workout leading operations including, but not limited to, designing and executing NP strategy, planning and operating an annual budget, communicating with leaders, growing the new and existing NP locations, and collaborating with our sponsors, partners, and local communities. As we move into this new space, the job description is now expanding into the growth of the non-profit/youth program and fundraising that may require bringing on more hands on deck.
Administrative Cost:
And finally, the not-so-sexy yet extremely valuable tools associated with administrative duties which include website hosting and maintenance, accounting, legal expertise and compliance, mailing, and printing, just to name a few.
We hope this gives you a more transparent view on how your donations are used to grow the movement we all love and appreciate. If you’re interested in supporting November Project, click here.
Brooks x November Project = Awesome
Today we’re proud to announce Brooks as the official footwear and apparel sponsor of November Project. Brooks has been woven into the fabric of NP Seattle since the early days. From the CEO down to the newest hires, they celebrate the culture of bettering the world through running and movement. Based on these shared core values, it didn’t take us long to get excited about the potential of our combined reach. The Brooks influence will be multifaceted, including financial support, access to new footwear and apparel, resources for our leadership training and the annual November Project Summit, entries into Brooks-sponsored running events, and activations on a local and global level. We’re ramping up to do some very cool things together and couldn’t be more excited.
#NPSUMMIT
This year’s annual gathering of all November Project members from around the world will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 15-18 at The Rock’n’Roll Las Vegas. The races on Saturday (5K) and Sunday (10K, 13.1M, 26.2M) actually shut down the iconic “Strip” and don’t start until the sun sets. There is so much more to come, but for now, plan to partake in various activities that will kick off with the workout on Saturday morning and conclude on Sunday night. We will be sharing NP-specific registration codes soon but if you’re so excited that you HAVE to register immediately, who are we to say no?
We’re stoked about all the incredible things that are ahead of us but for now, please join us in welcoming Brooks to the global November Project family!
LEADERSWAP
APRIL FOOLS!
Over the past year, it’s been pretty great being an NP leader in the Bay Area. Unlike most of our fellow cities (what’s up, Great Los Angeles and New York City Area), we are blessed to have two tribes SUPER close to each other. We go to each others’ socials. We go to each others’ races. And when we can, we try to go to each others’ workouts. That’s harder on Wednesday, the one day we both have workouts.
Start 2019 on the Trails (SF)
It’s that time of the year again! Time to set your goals for 2019. And what goal list wouldn’t be complete without a few races?!
We missed our ECSCA race this year due to forest fires so NPSF is rallying behind Run for Amma. This is a great local charity race. The proceeds from the race go to support cancer research. There is a 10k, 30k, and 50k option. Something for every level! Sign up here (discount code: NPSF) and join us as we train together.
ECSCA Canceled but Let’s Still Gather
In the wake of California’s most deadly and destructive fire ever and the suboptimal air quality in the Bay Area, you’ve probably heard the news that ECSCA has been cancelled. For more information about the cancellation from The North Face, check this out. You may be understandably bummed and if you’re looking for a way to help those affected check out this Times article.
ECSCA Week Events (EVERYTHING)
UPDATE: Due the fires, many of the events in this post have changed. For an updated weekend schedule, refer to this blog post instead.
Next week we’ve got an unbelievable slate of events leading up to Saturday’s North Face Endurance Challenge Series race. Here is a rundown of everything going on.
Monday
We Need Your Help (DCA)
We believe barriers to fitness shouldn't exist, one of the reasons we are a free fitness group (no money in, no money out) and our members don't pay any fees. Because of this, we need your help.