Some quick announcements before you meet Spencer…
#justshowup Bounce starts 6AM sharp!
Monday – Centennial Plaza at the Federal Building
Wednesday – Commonwealth Stadium Gate 2 (we need to close the doors at 6 so please be there on time)
Friday – Walterdale Hill
You may know him as the guy with the shiny hat or the crazy outfits. We love Spencer because he is always one of the first tribe members to dive, head first into whatever we are doing. You also have probably given him a high five while running up and down Walterdale Hill. He oozes positivity and if you are lucky to have a real one-on-one interaction with him, you can’t help but like him. He’s a former positivity award winner, and he’s here to share a story with you. Meet Spencer.
Alright, buckle up.
Spencer’s Guest Blog, Part 1 of 96:
Section AA, Subsection 1.1.1.a.i
Yeah… no. I wish.
Quickest blog ever. You’ll be out of here in 5 minutes (+/-5 minutes). Topics of the day are: people named John, conversations in undergarmets, booping, and poetic devices.
During this year’s NP 5ummit in Boston, I was lucky to meet a super awesome fellow in my hostel. What’s his name? His name is John. John is from Hong Kong and was in Boston for an academic conference. This is John:
It was Saturday night and I was tired from a long day in the sun and ready to pack it in for the night. John struck up a conversation with me as he entered the room before I got to my bed. The conversation quickly shifted to my hat, which, yes, I was still wearing at 11:30pm. Before I could tell him it’s a thing called November Project, John was already asking about my shirt that said exactly that, “November Project,” and why I was wearing this ‘interesting’ hat. So I give John the best 30-second sales pitch you’d probably ever hear from a stranger clad in boxers and a rainbow sequinned hat. Still undeterred, John LOVED the idea of a morning workout with hundreds of people at 6:29AM. He loved it so much that he didn’t hesitate to #verbal after an invite to the upcoming Monday morning workout. Keep in mind that Monday morning is still 30 hours away at this point and I’ve known John for like 5 minutes.
Fast forward to Sunday night, t-minus ~10 hours to the workout, it’s getting pretty late and he’s still fully committed. Who is this guy? I’ve had like 9.6 minutes of conversation with him ever and he’s still game? Cool. Very cool.
Fast forward again. Monday morning. John’s up before me (of course), already changed into his gear (of course), big grin on his face (of course). We run to the workout, I introduce him to some folks, John’s blown away, John kills the workout, John gets my buff, John drops a verbal for NP HKG.
John becomes NP family.
The moral of this story? It may not be what you think…
This kind of recruitment situation almost NEVER happens. Think back to a time when one of your recruits was this self-motivated to #justshowup. You can probably count the instances on one hand, maybe even zero hands.
People like John (Johnicorns?) are pretty rare. Most times, you need to put in much more work than I did with John to get that friend / family member / stranger from the bus / person you waved to at the red light to #justshow up at 6am.
So, if you’re a level 100 recruiter, claps to you… I probably sound like a dingus right now. If you’ve never brought someone along, give it a shot. November Project is fun as fuck, but when you can bring a buddy and watch them boop a random stranger on the nose, that’s a whole different kind of fun.
Regardless of your recruiting prowess, or lack thereof, one thing is for sure: your persistence is important to this movement. Keep working on people, don’t give up, get them committed. That being said, remember that your commitment to your friends is just as important as their commitment to you. Answer their questions the night before, encourage them, run with them for a few hills at their first workout, take a goofy selfie with them and your ice-whiskers in the winter. At NP, your commitment to those people sweating around you is just as important as your commitment to your own workout. Those walkers, sprinters, pukers, high-fivers, hopscotchers… everyone that shows up is contributing to your morning in some way. Make sure you make an effort to return the favor.
Anyone can do free fitness, anyone can do free community, but I know that no one can do both at the same time as well as we do at November Project.
And on that note, I send you off with a quick PSA from Ranger Strangerchanger…
(just… just go with it..)
~~~ Hi, I’m Ranger Strangerchanger, here to wager that you’ve had major rage while trying to engage in this strange game of aiming to convey to the friends you’ve made that they should come and play every second day at 6 a……m.
But why, why do they say, “nay, I’ll stay at my place, but maybe someday”? Is it their age? Are they afraid that they may not be in shape like a certain array of people who play sports every day? Maybe they think they need to pay? Do they stay away from stairways? Do they claim their vertebrae are wearing away? Do they think once they stray from their plain work day that the rest of the way will be in disarray?
Psh…-ay!.. You may say…
Do you just pray that one day they’ll be swayed and say okay and appear wide awake on a frosty Monday in …Januaray?
*assonance weakens*
Here’s what I say: don’t …worray. Just have faith that one day they may say “what the hay, okay!”. Refrain from speaking in an angry way, this may make them pull away. Make sure to stay …friendlay; it’s less likely they will delay. They’ll say okay and come meet Lay, who will say “Hooray! A new face to grace this place!”
Finallay….. Make sure they know their day will be made before 6am because they’ve been embraced (‘til the count of eight) by a stranger named… uhm… Jay? James??? Jake?!!? Jade?!!?!? ~~~
See you at the next workout.
Spencer G
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