Zachary Mannheimer, founder and Director of the Des Moines Social Media Club, joined me last week on BlogTalk Radio. You can listen on-demand at this link.
What is the Des Moines Social Club? Their mission states:
The Des Moines Social Club is dedicated to providing a physical space for the residents of Des Moines, Iowa to congregate, drink and live out whatever artistic passion they may desire, bringing together all walks of life. You may come for a drink. You may come for a show. You may come for a class or just a conversation.
The Des Moines Social Club is a movement uniting all Iowans who wish to participate with passion in their hometown arts scene.
Over 250 volunteers, from all walks of life came together to build this dream. It's built. It's your space! COME AND USE IT!
Zachary shares his story and that of the Des Moines Social Club to show the power of community resources to make your city livable. His is a story of the challenges and rewards of a startup, community organizer, leader, collaborator and the power of community resources to make your city livable.
Zach, can you share with us some of the significant milestones and recent achievements of the Des Moines Social Club?
That came from us keeping it flexible and diverse to use the space for a variety of productions, with different events every night.
Some significant milestones and achievements:
1. Signing the lease in January: which was a culmination of the assistance of 50 different people in the process.
2. Opened doors on March 6 with over 250 volunteers to prepare the building for the grand opening.
3. Our Black Box Theatre is booked every weekend through February.
In considering these achievements within this fantastic resource, what is the importance of the physical space for the residents of Des Moines Iowa?
Any community needs a space similar to this, to congregate in a physical location. We are getting away from the physical and we can’t forget the importance of being live in front of people. People are able to recognize their differences on sight and if we don’t have people congregating, people will on be online, be virtual. This venue offers people the opportunity to experience something new and exciting.
The art is a catalyst to get people together to engage and have a conversation; to learn something new.
Some of the most creative outputs came from all of the communities coming together.
One of the largest is Subjective Vaudeville to combine all of the cultural pools in Des Moines. The goal is to mix the audience, broadening their horizons a bit and introducing them to new types of entertainment.
Letʼs talk about your story first and then letʼs move on to the power of Des Moines
Social Club and thatʼs the volunteers. Iʼm fascinated and I think our listeners will be fascinated by your story of coming to Des Moines, with this purpose. Why you? Why this mission?
I was living in NYC. I ran a not-for-profit theater group there. And it's still running today. But I found there wasn't a lot of diversity of thought. There is not a lot going on between the coasts in the larger cities. There are major out fluxes of people leaving these cities. I visited many many cities in search of the perfect venue, settling on Des Moines because it did have a growing cultural scene. The city is unique in the amount of reinvigoration to change the downtown and try to keep and attract people, creating a better community, but there was not enough being done providing nightlife and the arts. There wasn’t really a place for a local artist to grow up and have a career. The Des Moines Social Club has become that place for the city.
Des Moines was my top choice. Reno Nevada was the second choice. Des Moines was the ultimate choice because I wanted four seasons.
What was your reasonable aspiration* or hoped-for goal when you set out on this quest to find a city, to first disrupt then unite its artist community in a collaborative endeavor.
My reasonable aspiration was a blending of the two worlds between artists and business people.When we look at each other on paper, we look so diverse and different, but in person, in the community, we are exactly the same. Many times people don’t think they have anything to talk about and tend to congregate with like minds. I knew that art makes people talk.
The Social Club wants to be a place for everyone, combining a great mix of art and blending of people learning what is available and becoming more engaged with one another. It is about reinforcing community. The worlds are going to blend and the conversations we have will be more compassionate and understanding of one another.
When did you know you’d made the right decision?
The moment I knew it was right was when the 250 volunteers showed up.
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Why Des Moines? What opportunities did you see here that you didnʼt see elsewhere?
People here have such a desire for the cultural arts!! People love it and want to be a part of it. The business community was the greatest surprise with this endeavor. They provide an unmatched amount of support.
You're also two calls away from the CEOs of any company. That kind of access to leaders in the community, decision-makers, is rare. And when I started this project I called the CEOs in Des Moines. And each of them agreed to meet with me to talk about this project.
How did you announce this project to the community? What was the reaction?
I used viral methods via social networking to spread the word. It came out slowly through word of mouth at first, and then it was picked up by two local papers in February of 2008. Once artists learned about it, the word spread like wildfire.
Your focus is on the artist community. What reactions have you received from the other tribes, or other communities that make up Des Moines. Itʼs the state capital, a conservative business community dominated with financial and insurance companies.
Relationships have already sprouted from this venture. The biggest challenge was removing the stigmatism that art is a “bad word” or it's just for elitists or we need to bring in art from outside the community. We have to help people understand that art is just as important as food, shelter or air. We need it the cultural diversity. It is necessary in everyday life, without making it flowery. Art is essential and you need it.
You and your volunteers provide a physical site to network, socially, in-person, 3-dimensionally. Why is that so important in this world of 2-D, social media and
networking?
It is so important to provide a physical place to network and communicate...a physical touch vs the 2D relationships of the virtual life. Physical connection is so vital. We need to be amongst each other and reminded that we are all in the same place. This can only be accomplished when we look each other in the eye.
Whatʼs the value of your resource to a communityʼs livability? Do businesses looking for a new location see Des Moines Social Club as an asset, a plus?
The value of the Des Moines Social Club is to provide the city with a cultural experience, with an experience they have never had before, to see something new that makes them think of they next innovation they can think of, allow people to see and experience art, while giving the artists a chance to live out their passions.
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Do new businesses see the Des Moines Social Club as an asset to bring new businesses to the area?
Yes! We're a great benefit and draw to the community with a creative business model. They are a non-profit, being self-sustaining without being reliant upon too many donations and grants. They applied a for profit model by utilizing the bar at the club. These profits are then applied to the non-profit. This keeps the money within, helping them continue to grow and create other viable, profitable venues within. They have an in-house for profit funding the non-profit and this is a new way of thinking of creating art without using tax payer’s dollars.
The business community has greatly added to the success of DMSC. They participate in the club-are active players.
I see Forbes ranked Des Moines as the 3rd most livable city in 2009. Did you and your crew of volunteers help in this? What makes DM more livable now? How does that both support you and benefit from you?
1. You don’t need a lot of money to live here. It is very affordable.
2. It is very family friendly.
3. The business economy and how the businesses can thrive
4. Businesses can expand
5. DMSC offering culturally and artistically
Letʼs talk about the reasonable aspirations for your volunteers. Is there a common reasonable aspiration or hoped-for goal for their support of DMSC? How are you working together to help them achieve it?
The volunteers share common goals:
1. Their desire to see Des Moines Social Club grow.
2. There is a selfishness as well as they will be the ones to reap the benefits of DMSC –whether hired into a paying position or a place to showcase their art, or use the facility
On your about video you mention you have 250 volunteers. That sounds like a lot. Is it?
How are they organized? Leaders rise to the top, for a project or task or series of each,
come in and pick up a brush...howʼs it work?
Coordinating the common goals, aspirations and volunteers revolves around their spirit for achievement of all involved. When you have people who already have two jobs, they have a bundle of energy and excitement for this project. For example, one of the poets is also an electrician. It is about finding their strengths and utilizing them to the best of the community.
There are three networks of people: in-house of paid employees, volunteer core staff (equaling about 35 total between these 2 groups) plus other limited volunteers who make up the balance of the help, even if they can only provide 2-3 hours, all of whom are basically self-managed.
I see your expertise as leadership and collaboration. Can you share your three tips for leaders who want to inspire this type of passion for collaboration in their members?
- Listening to what people want and letting them do it, whether I agree or not.
- Judge the idea upon their passion and creativity. When you let people go out there and try it, it can be great or if it doesn’t succeed, you can then see their strengths and determination.
- You can only discover this if you give someone the opportunity to try.
What are three coolest events coming up at DMSC?
1. 1st Saturday in August is the next art opening – largest show yet.
2. Fantastic show in September called “A Gaggle of Saints,” a one act play by Neil LaBute
3. Continuing series of barn dances and wrestling
You can follow Zach and the successes of the community at the Des Moines Social Club here:
Twitter: DesMoinesSocialClub
FaceBook: Des Moines Social Club
Website: Des Moines Social Club
* Reasonable Aspiration is a term coined by author and consultant, Erika Andersen, in her book Being Strategic.
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