The “2x20 Work With Me” Experiment: Behind the Scenes.

How to go from idea to thing in days, not months or years.

Okay, first, you know something’s getting real when I decide to make a logo for it! 🤣

Following the publication of my giant 2x20 6-month update a few weeks ago, I thought I’d take you inside one of the experiments that’s unfolding in real time, and in public…

[Quick refresh, the 2x20 is my project where I’ve been asking, “what might I learn, do, or build in the next two years that would allow me to craft my next 20 around simplicity, significance, and joy?”]

The whole concept is designed around running simple, low-risk experiments that yield big insights, lead to joyful action, and forward movement. In my recent update, I shared a bunch of experiments, and some big awakenings. And I mentioned I’d been getting nonstop questions about the whole 2x20 concept, the main one being…

“How can I create my own 2x20?”

So, true to the experimental 2x20 way, I decided to run my own experiment.

I wondered whether reconnecting with coaching, advising and facilitating group experiences might be a joyful, valued element of my own next season of work and life. So, I decided to open up a bit of time to coach a small number of individuals, and maybe a group through the process of crafting your own 2x20 adventure. And, because we love hosting people and crafting immersive communal learning, connecting, and growth experiences, we decided to add in a potential 3-day 2x20 retreat option.

I jotted down some very basic details, dropped them into a simple online form that invited people to express interest, and mentioned it in a pretty casual way at the end of my 2x20 update post, and the companion podcast.

Within hours, we got way more interest than anticipated.

Okay, strong signal.

So, the next day, I sat down and better defined what each experience would include, along with price-points, enough for people to make a decision and commit. It was all about finding the sweet spot between what I believed I’d truly enjoy offering, and what would be most beneficial, and desirable to others.

Then, we spent the rest of the week scouring the country for a retreat location we felt would be soulful, breathtaking, and conducive to dropping in and doing great work. I have to admit, I had an ace up my sleeve here. My wife, Stephanie, is a stunning experience designer, so she took the lead. We found this gorgeous estate-style home in Palm Spring, California, and locked it in, with a 48-hour cancellation window, giving us an out, if needed.

Hours later, we sent an email with the details, along with links to sign up for any or all experiences.

For context, this is all happening within a matter of days, not weeks or months or years. Keeping simplicity at the heart of it. No fancy launch, funnel, landing page, video, social media, or email series. Just me and my tiny, but awesome team, responding to what I’m excited by, and what people keep saying yes to. Moving forward with any element only when we get enthusiastic green lights.

The whole thing took a week or so to organize, get feedback, and move from idea to defined concept to concrete plans to rapidly-forming community and clients.

This is the 2x20 way.

Keep it simple, move quickly, gather data, follow the energy.

So, here’s what has unfolded in the last 72 hours:

• Less than 10-minutes after sharing the details, the two individual 2x20 coaching spots were taken. Which, in a strange way, made me feel kind of bad, since 24 people have expressed interest. Right now, I’m trying to figure out if I have the bandwidth to accept a few more individual clients later this week.

• Two days in, half of the 20ish retreat spots were already gone. There are only 10 left, probably fewer by the end of today. And, that’s five months away, in October.

• And, in a fascinating twist, it seems most “group oriented” people are opting for the 3-day 2x20 retreat in October over group coaching. So interesting!

I’m going to give it another few days to see where things balance out.

If strong enough interest in group coaching isn’t there by mid-week, then we’ll likely suspend that part of the experiment/programming and, instead, add in a few new individual coaching spots (since those went in the blink of any eye, and we keep getting new interest in them daily). Then I’ll focus in delivering a fantastic experience for those who’ve said yes to coaching and retreating.

Would it be a “failure,” if I ended up moving forward with individual coaching and the October retreat, but not the group coaching? Not at all.

This, again, is the 2x20 way.

It’s all a series of joyful experiments. It’s about learning and growing, not forcing something to have to succeed. In doing this, you can more easily and quickly shed what’s not working (or never create it in the first place), and shift energy to what is. It brings so much more space, play, and ease into the process.

Why am I sharing this?

I thought it’d be interesting to take you behind the curtain on how rapidly you can ideate, develop an idea, then get out of your head and test it in the real world.

We often get stuck in analysis paralysis, which is usually just fear masquerading as rationality and intellectualism. One of my mantras is: you can’t think your way to an answer only lived experience can deliver. You’ve got to do your way to it.

The 2x20 way is about knowing yourself deeply, streamlining, getting out of your head, taking action, running the experiments, and seeing what they reveal. It’s a fun, growth-oriented, momentum-building process.

This is how we go from wondering to doing, then teasing out the sweet spot between what we want for our next season of work and life, what people are excited to participate in, and how much that last part even matters to us.

And, by the way, in case you missed it, and are interested…

Here are the details for the individual and group 2x20 coaching experiences, as well as the fall 2x20 retreat (in a stunning Palm Springs oasis).

Click here for more info, pictures of the retreat location, and links to sign up.

Love to have you join me and my tiny team of awesome humans, as we explore crafting and building your own incredible 2x20 adventure!

PS - if you click to register, but the page or sign up button no longer works, that just means all coaching and/or retreat spots are now filled. No worries, we’ll start a waitlist after that.

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Wake-Up Call #55 | Run the Experiment

Whether you choose to 2x20 structure, or any number of other ways to develop, test, and implement ideas, find some way to get out of your head and into the world.

Don’t just think about what might be amazing, find a way, a guide, a community, that’ll support your quest to explore, grow, and craft the life you want to live.

Ask yourself, what is the most simple, irrefutably doable first step. Then, go do it. See how it makes you feel. How others respond. And tap this information to take the next beautiful step.

And, as always, feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.