this week's agenda, plus a pottery studio in the woods

this week’s agenda (pick up the phone and dialll)

You’ve heard me say this over and over, and I’ll say it again: in this phase of building inOregon, I need data. Data is how I know wtf I’m doing, and whether or not it’s worth doing. It’s also necessary for pitching… this spring? It’s also been very slow-going to obtain (see any mention of the survey in the last 4 months). Before data, however, I’ve learned that this phase is very much about connection. In person, first and foremost, followed by online (DMs and cold emails) and over the phone.

This brings me to cold calling—or at least semi-tepid calling—which I did a little bit of this past October, and wrote about here. Thanks to that first rip-the-bandaid-off round of cold calling (or, as I like to call it: phone sweats), the act of calling strangers and asking them to give me information I need no longer terrifies me.

So, starting today and continuing through Thursday, I’m Gaga on the phone. Here’s to hoping the people on the other end of the line can hear me, and aren’t k-kinda busy.

Some things to keep in mind (that I’m borrowing from a book written by two dudes in 2024, called “Cold Calling Sucks (And That’s Why It Works).” In the first 60 seconds:

1. Lead with context (mutual connection, industry insight, relevant situation) to signal relevance quickly. Open with something the prospect recognizes or cares about before introducing yourself.

2. The exact words matter less than how you sound—confident, deliberate, and human rather than scripted.

3. Objections aren’t “no”s—they’re natural reactions to interruption and opportunities to advance the conversation.

4. Schedule regular, dedicated blocks for calling (often mornings), minimizing multitasking to maximize focus and volume.

5. Not all calls have equal value—success comes from dialing the right prospects with contextually relevant triggers. Research to find one or two genuine reasons to call each prospect so your opener has meaningful relevance.

6. Prioritize decision makers with authority and actual need to increase connect rates.

7. Most importantly, consistency and practice beat perfection. Cold calling mastery comes from repetition and refining talk tracks until they feel natural—so set daily dial goals and track outcomes.

I’ve got a long way to go, but/and to my utter surprise, I’ve been doing some of these things naturally—whether on the phone, over email, or through DMs. Onward we go!

A magical pottery studio in a barn in the woods

Months ago, the owner of Sandy River Studio reached out via inOregon, saying that she would love to host us. Fast forward to the last weekend in January, when my co-founder and I attended a pottery session and farm-to-table dinner at the studio in Sandy (a small, mostly rural town known as “The Gateway to Mt. Hood”).

Located on Flying Coyote Farm, the studio comes to life inside an old barn—refurbished by owner/operator Jaime Holub with equal parts care, attention, love, and magic. While this section of the newsletter is neither a review of the studio nor its food, I will say that both were undeniably fucking magical. And the owner? The people in attendance? Salt of the earth I tell you. I cannot recommend this place enough.

As to how this half-day experience in a barn in the woods relates to inOregon, here are some things that stood out to me from the trip:

• Once again, meeting and talking with humans in person is the best—in life and in business. You can’t fake the energy of a shared table or a half-day in a barn.

• Not only do we appreciate who Jaime is as a person, but we also now have a mutually beneficial relationship with yet another small business owner—we’re happily highlighting Jaime’s studio on IG and she’s been sending us connections, other businesses we need to be in contact with. The wins go both ways and that makes me really happy. Oh, I also connected Jamie with a Bend-based client whom I’ve mentioned before, and it sounds like the shop is going to carry her pottery. Fucking love that shit.

PS: Subscribe now if you're into this messy build-in-public energy. Miss the last issue? It’s right here. Also literally none of this is ever advice. I’m sharing what I learn through Babe, and perhaps you’ll learn from my mistakes. Hopefully, maybe, who knows, ily.