Happy Friday Syndicate Fam! We made it through another week and I hope you have some successes to share with the group! Let us know in the comments any Wins of the Week! I said last week that we are less than 2 months away from the traditional Pride Month of June. As I work with clients in my own business as an lgbtq business and marketing coach/consultant, I thought on the next few Fridays, I would share some of what I thought were great Marketing Campaigns and ask you a question. What has been one of your best offers or campaigns that helped boost your business? Share with the group as it may help someone else here in the Syndicate. Pride Month gives brands a golden opportunity to boost their reputation, establish deep connections with their customers, and drive growth. But only if your Pride Month marketing comes with the right intentions. Today’s buyers are looking for more than just great products. They want to support brands that align with their values and support important social causes, including LGBTQ+ inclusivity. You need to show that your business is genuinely committed to diversity and inclusion. If you nail that, your ideal customers will choose you over your competitors. That means more repeat buyers, higher order values, and more cash/credibility in your pocket. in 2021 Lego premiered its "Everyone is Awesome" build set, released during Pride Month. This set was designed by LEGO®’s Vice President of Design, Matthew Ashton, who is himself a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The global toy company showcased a vibrant lineup of LEGO® figurines representing the diverse identities of the LGBTQ+ community. LEGO® went beyond the normal Pride flag and included the colors of the transgender flag and a drag queen figurine. (They're still available). It was a great twist on their Lego Movie's tune about how "Everything is Awesome." It gave a quick nostalgia nod to the movie and it kept very on brand for other lego figurines they have made in the past. It was packaged to look like a regular Lego products, although the colors were definitely Pride-centric, all of Lego's bricks are colorful, so it felt congruent, and it included assembly instructions, just like every other Lego set does. And it was very On-Brand for the company, which already had a very good rep for inclusiveness and diversity: https://www.lego.com/en-za/sustainability/diversity-and-inclusion

Happy Hump Day Syndicate Fam! Welcome to the group our newest member, @Joelle Gomez, a Life Coach and Yoga Teacher who offers Holistic Pain Relief, (as a bear of a certain age, YES!). Hopefully we can get a Success Chat on that sometime soon. Today is our Wednesday Visibility Boost, so share with the group, what’s one thing about your brand, business, or story that makes you unforgettable? Visibility is about being seen in a way that feels authentic, memorable, and enjoyable for your audience, because “fun” is about creating enjoyment and engagement. Be sure to join us tomorrow, Thursday at 10am Eastern Time for our Coffee Success Chat, here LIVE in the Syndicate. The topic will be talking about Decision Making and how to make a framework around it to help you in your business. Would love to know your strategies for making quick, informed business decisions too.

Hey Syndicate Fam, hope you are ready for a most excellent week ahead. Here's a few things I thought I would recap from last week and what's coming up. First I hope you all had a fantastic Easter/Passover weekend. I enjoyed with some extended family and a trip to the movies. Today we are having a Gratitude Success Chat at 3pm US Eastern Time, where we will just catch up and be thankful for the friends and colleagues we made here in the Syndicate. Be sure to bring any wins you have had and any questions or requests for upcoming or future projects to the group. If you missed @Pk Kulasegram talk last Thursday on "What If Things Go Wrong," they gave an excellent presentation and it is available for re-watch under the "Discussion" tab. https://www.skool.com/successsyndicate/success-chat-replay-with-pk-getting-things-wrong Congratulations to member @Richard Jones for returning and hosting the second season of the Bear World Podcast. If you haven't checked it out, his interview with Ravi Roth, be sure to check it out. https://bearworldmag.com/podcast/ If you haven't checked out @Aidan McClain revamp of his "Hollywood Rebound" website, it really was done so great and looks professional, artistic and I really love the articles and interviews he does. https://www.hollywoodrebound.com/ I am thinking about doing a new podcast. It would be a "Re-watch" style, that is pretty popular right now and I want to use my "Gay of a Certain Age" status to review movies from the 70's, 80's 90's and 200's that some of our younger gays, may not be aware of. I also wanted to include some "straight films" that may have lead to a gay awakening, lol. My first thoughts are "Beautiful Thing," a UK classic and "Newsies" because guys singing and dancing..um ya! I would LOVE to have some recommendations from you what movies I should put on my list. I would really appreciate it.

I'm back — and I have genuinely missed being fully engaged with each of you. When I have my Thursday coffee without you, it’s simply lonely. The past few weeks, I've been immersed in a leadership program at Harvard Business School, focusing on power, influence, and how to use both for good. I entered curious. I'm leaving changed — and honestly, a little more grateful for the people already in my corner. Here's what stayed with me most: power isn't just positional — it's relational. It exists in our ability to gather people, clarify what matters, and spark movement. And influence isn't about who speaks the loudest — it's built through credibility, consistency, and trust over time. But the idea that really stuck with me? Systems don't change because they're challenged once. They change because people stay engaged long enough to reshape them. That's this group. And here's something else worth reflecting on — if there's no friction, we're probably not making enough of a difference. Progress creates resistance. Friction is where real change happens. What we're building here isn't just community. It's capacity — the kind that compounds. The ability to influence, to lift each other, and to move things forward in meaningful ways. I'm so glad to be back. I've missed your energy, your thinking, and the work we do together. I'm coming back with fresh eyes, a full heart, and many ideas I can't wait to explore with you.

Hi all, a big win for last week was getting our Production Insurance sorted out in rapid time (due to our previous insurance falling through) all thanks to the help of fellow member Norman Wagner he helped me find the perfect company who walked me through everything and we had it all sorted, arranged and finalised within a day. Was a great relief as the impact of no insurance was HUGE! Big thanks Norman.