November Meeting Information
So many fun things happening this month!
Hello friends!
There are several fun new things happening in November! If you’ve been here a while, you may be used to skimming through to find the date and time of the next meeting and then getting on with your day. But, there is a LOT of important and new information in this email. Giving you a heads up so you don’t miss it!
TWO Meetings On Different Days and At Different Times
First of all, there will be TWO meetings in November, scheduled on different days and at different times to better accommodate the fact that we are scattered all over the world. Find the date and time that works best for you or join them both!
Both meetings will be 90 minutes and held on Zoom.
Wednesday, November 5th: 11am, New York (EST) Hosted by Rebecca Blackwell.
Wednesday, November 12th: 8am, London (BST) Hosted by Liza Debevec.
(*Both meetings will follow the same format. You’ll find all the meeting info below. )
Introducing: Office Hours
In addition to the two Mastermind meetings, a 2 hour Office Hours is scheduled on Wednesday, November 19th at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time with host Chef Carla Contreras.
Office Hours is a quieter, more collaborative way to get feedback, work through blocks, and spend time with people who get what you’re creating. Whether you’re refining your Substack, working on a recipe, or just need a focused window to work, this space is for you!
This isn’t a networking call and it’s not content you’ll consume. It’s the community joining to focus on creation. Come as you are, bring what you’re working on, and choose how you want to show up that day.
Who Office Hours is for: People actively building or working on something for your Substack: Writing, recipe development, or perhaps, something in the backend of your publication like your welcome emails, about page or a new bio.
Office Hours Structure:
Open coworking session: Come and go as needed
Choose your mode: Quiet focus time or real-time feedback in small groups
Optional opening share prompt: Tell us what’s one thing that you will work on during this session? Please share a link to your publication.
Breakout rooms created at random for connection + clarity (10 mins)
Mini hot seats (5–10 mins) available for anyone who wants eyes on something. Put your ask in the chat and we will ask the group who wants to share and support you in a breakout room.
Optional closing share prompt: Tell us what’s one thing that you will take away from today’s session?
Wednesday, November 19th: 12pm - 2pm , New York (Eastern Standard Time)
Meeting hosted by Chef Carla Contreras
Follow this link to register for this month’s office hours: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-sEt-k7HQ72sam1QBvwi9Q
You must be a registered Zoom user to sign up for this meeting. After you register for office hours, you will receive an email that will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar in your time zone.
About the Office Hours host: Hey! I’m Chef Carla Contreras, a food creative, content strategist, and the host of the Nourishing Creativity podcast. When I am not working 1:1 with my clients, recording an episode of the podcast, or food styling, you can catch me going to the farmer’s market with my family, doing Pilates, or sipping ceremonial cacao.
New Mastermind Meeting Agenda with a Mini-Masterclass
I read a fantastic post from Jeannine Ouellette who publishes Writing In The Dark that sparked an idea for our monthly meetings. Jeannine writes: “learning is not a download. It’s a duet.”
The opportunity to learn from each other is one of the main reasons I started these mastermind meetings. Every single one of you has something (many things!) to teach. Every single one of us would benefit from your teaching it.
In last month’s meeting, we enjoyed the privilege of learning from Dianne Jacob and now we’d like to learn from YOU. For the next few months, we’ll open the mastermind meetings with 30 minutes of learning something from someone else in the group who has volunteered to teach it. A mini-masterclass, if you will.
A few ideas. Please don’t be limited by this list! It’s only there to communicate the concept and get you thinking.:
How to run a Substack LIVE
How to run a class on Zoom
How to start in-person cooking classes
How to set up a content calendar/ editorial calendar
How to run a giveaway that grows your readership
How to pitch article ideas to publications as a freelance writer
How to write a recipe so people in different countries all over the world can follow it
How to find a writing schedule that works for you
How to integrate Substack into your other email marketing
How to create more engagement with your subscribers
I’ve set up a google doc for those of you who are brave enough to volunteer to be one of the first to teach a Mini-Masterclass. On the document, you’ll find the meeting dates for November through February. Select the meeting that works best for you and then add your information. There is also space to volunteer to teach something later in the year.
After the 30 minute Mini-Masterclass, we’ll divide into breakout rooms. Continue the discussion about the thing you just learned or dive into another topic. It’s up to you. The breakout rooms are a chance for a deeper discussion with a smaller group of people. Breakout room discussions last 30 minutes.
For the final 30 minutes we’ll all return to the large group to wrap things up and take care of any announcements and housekeeping items.
How to join the meetings
Choose the meeting that works best for you, or attend both! Both meetings will be recorded and the links to the recordings will be sent out to everyone who subscribes to this publication.
Wednesday, November 5th: 11am, New York (Eastern Standard Time)
Meeting hosted by Rebecca Blackwell
Follow this link to register for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dhSAy4eqThCz1Fu3Aygz_g
After you register for the meeting, you will receive an email that will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar in your time zone.
Wednesday, November 12th: 8am, London (British Standard Time)
Meeting hosted by Liza Debevec
Follow this link to register for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Nq_n330YQwm9h7tN3Nc2Ig
After you register for the meeting, you will receive an email that will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar in your time zone.
About Rebecca: Hi! I’m Rebecca Blackwell, a cookbook author, recipe developer, and food photographer. I publish two recipe websites and a Substack newsletter. My husband and I are nomads who divide our time between an RV and a sailboat, so I write about life on the road and on the water, the incredible places we visit, and the inspiring people we meet along the way.
About Liza: Hi! I’m Liza Debevec, a social anthropologist, African studies specialist, and coach. I write two Substack publications that bring together my love of stories, food, languages, and personal growth. Originally from Slovenia, I now live in Lisbon, Portugal, after many years in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and other corners of the world. My work is inspired by the ways people connect through meals, words, and meaningful conversations.
Future Mastermind Meeting Dates
For those of you who like to plan ahead, Liza and I scheduled the meetings through February of next year:
Wednesday, December 10: 11am, New York (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday, December 17: 8am, London (British Standard Time)
Wednesday, January 14: 8am, London (British Standard Time)
Wednesday, January 21: 11am, New York (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday, February 11: 8am, London (British Standard Time)
Wednesday, February 18: 11am, New York (Eastern Standard Time)
One final request
I would like to keep a list of any of you who are willing to step in as a meeting host in the event that myself, Liza, or Carla have a scheduling conflict, illness, or anything else that interferes with our ability to host that month’s meeting.
If you are willing to volunteer to step in and host a meeting in our absence, or if any of us should require the assistance of a co-host for any reason, would you add your name and contact information to this google doc?
Volunteer Sign Up Sheet to Guest Host or Co-Host a Mastermind Meeting or Office Hours
Thank you!!!
Ok. One final, final request
Please share this post as a note and/or link to it in your newsletter so we can get the word out that there is a second meeting in a different time zone. I imagine there are food writers on substack who might have previously discounted these meetings because they were held at an inconvenient time for their location. Please help us spread the word!
And, as always, please let me know if you have questions or suggestions!
This is so AMAZING Rebecca 👏🏼 I am so excited to watch this community grow 🌿 I can't wait to host our first Office Hours on 11/19 ❤️
Rebecca, I want to be you when I grow up. You are a force!