Confessions with Jess and Cindy From Idea to 1,400 Registrants: Behind the Scenes of the Fractional/Shift Summit
Okay, so you know how Jess has been bugging Cindy FOREVER to host a summit? Well, she finally did it! In this fun behind-the-scenes chat, Cindy spills all the tea on her first-ever Fractional Shift Summit that absolutely crushed it with 1,400+ registrations and $24K in revenue (and yes, she's got the Airtable data to prove it — you should see how happy spreadsheet data makes her!).
Cindy opens up about why she finally felt ready to "take up space" as THE fractional expert, how she convinced practically every sponsor she approached to say yes (only three said no!), and why she thinks the nonprofit world needs way more time to make decisions than those "launch in 3 days" gurus will tell you.
If you've been on the fence about hosting your own signature event, this episode is your permission slip to either go all-in or wait until it feels right. As Cindy says, it's definitely a "high effort, high reward" project — but now that she's built it once, she can rinse and repeat next year with half the stress.
Highlights:
- The moment Cindy knew she was ready to claim her spot as THE thought leader on fractional roles (and why she's glad she waited)
- How she crafted a "curated approach" to partnerships that made sponsors feel like they were getting the golden ticket (and they funded all her speaker fees!)
- Why she started promoting a full two months before launch (and why LinkedIn delivered even better than her email list)
- The hilarious reality of launching her Academy right when the nonprofit world was in crisis mode (and what she'll do differently next time)
- Her secret weapon named Christine who made the whole thing possible (because let's be real, no one does this alone!)
Breaking News Alert! Jess and Cindy also drop the bomb that they're hosting in-person masterminds this year in Toronto (May 21), Boulder (August), and possibly Atlanta (October). Listen to the end for details!
Find Us Online: https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com
Connect with Cindy:
Cindy Wagman Coaching: cindywagman.com
Fractional Fundraising Network: fractionalfundraising.co/
LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/cindywagman
Connect with Jess:
Out In the Boons: outintheboons.me