The Tao of Life Itself

# 2021 Plan

Source Drawing (opens new window)

# Primary Focus Area

Estabishing the Bergerac Hubs and community.

# Secondary Focus Areas

  • Bergerac Hub Infrastructure
  • Finding Residents and Pioneers
  • Thought Leadership, Consulting and Research
  • Community, Comms and Cross-Hub Connection
  • Finding Capital: Mortgage and Real Estate Fund

# Establishing Bergerac

# Objective

The root community is solid, strong and sustainable. Bergerac hubs are livable, full and generating revenue (€50k) and energy.

# Key Results

  • €65k+ in revenue
  • 20+ visitors
  • 6+ paying residents (including team)
  • 3 events
  • Connection with the mayor to develop partnerships
  • Place barbacane €35k rent paid to Life Itself real estate
  • Little house: 2 residents in little house
  • Main house: Rufus/Sylvie (+ Benedetta) + 2 other residents
  • AirBnB in Rue St Michel
  • PBM: €15k rent paid to LI Real Estate

# Initiatives

  • Hub operations Issue Tree Place Barbacane Bergerac
  • Event planning
  • Wider outreach (mayor, practice sharing etc)
  • AirBnB approach management (Barbacane)

# Bergerac Hubs Infrastructure

# Objective

Both bergerac hubs are livable and we have planning permission.

# Key Results

  • PBM: Main house and gite renovated to Life Itself standards and rented and garden started
    • Main house renovated
    • Gite renovated
    • Barn cleared and kitchen installed for summer
    • Gardens started
    • < €150k invested
  • Barbacane: roof renovation done and two houses rentable and rented
    • Roof renovation done
    • Two houses rentable and rented
    • < €30k invested
  • PBM New build: Planning permission for buildable land

# Initiatives

  • Spaces development PBM:
    • Find and hire builder(s)
    • Main building and Gite renovation
      • Renovation design
      • Building works and management
      • Interior furnishing
    • Building festival?
  • Planning for buildable land
  • Spaces development Barbacane:
    • Barbacane roof renovation
    • Barbacane other renovations?
    • Plumbing/heating in two small houses
    • Two houses interiors
  • [Optional] Garden development esp at PBM

# Finding Capital

# Objectives

  • Real estate fund is operational and on way to viability
  • Have obtained some financing for our projects via mortgages

# Key Results

  • Real estate fund is launched
  • Real estate fund has €5m in AUM
  • Life Itself is receiving money for management work from Real Estate Fund even if very small amount (and payback for some of investment?)
  • Mortgages: €500k+ in financing against existing building or new projects

# Initiatives

  • Real Estate fund setup and active marketing / sales
  • Real Estate Fund set up (website, legal)
  • Mortgage: applications

# Finding Residents and Pioneers

# Objective

Establish and expand the community and ensure both Hubs are financially viable (lower costs per person).

# Key Results

Both Berlin and Bergerac Hubs are filed to the maximum capacity agreed by Life Itself.

# Initiatives

  • Process development, including distinguishing offers/needs
  • Advertising
  • Resident selection
  • Trial stays

# Thought Leadership, Consulting & Research

# Objectives

  • High profile coverage and grant funding.
    • Coverage to grow awareness of our work and attract engagement.
    • Grant funding so that we can sustain and increase our efforts.

# Key Results

  • Coverage: at least 1m views via at least 8 appearances at different events/podcasts (each with > 300 viewers)
    • In person talks at non LI events count for coverage x10 based on number of people actually in the room (so 20 participants = 200 views) etc
    • 2x counts for online events we run ourselves (if >= 300 views for that online item)
  • €100k in closed grants/consulting
  • A single “big vision” conversation brand (e.g. pragmatic utopianism) agreed and all material on the website consolidated around this.
  • 5 academic quality essays (ie not blogs) integrated with this theme

# Initiatives

  • Shadows of enlightenment publication and publicity
  • Pragmatic Utopianism development to have a single “big vision” conversation brand …
  • Paper writing and publishing
  • Grant finding and funder liaison
  • Side projects
    • Contemplative Activism
    • Ontological Politics
    • Untitled

# Community, Comms & x-Hub Connection

# Objective

Building the Life Itself community both intra and inter hubs and with the wider community both online and offline, so that we can strengthen intra and inter-community bonds and exchange.

# Key Results

  • 2+ focal projects Community and comms including “focal projects”: work on a project together
  • One project completed through collaborative work of all LI community members
  • 4+ community days attended by 90%+ of residents and team
  • Online calls with 400+ participants
  • Strengthened comms: ?? ?active instagram account
  • Hubs communicate closely on at least a monthly basis

# Initiatives

  • TBC project
  • Calls
  • Social media management
  • Community day organisation

# Backburner

  • Support Berlin Hub in their activities
  • Berlin roof
  • Datopian

# Ongoing Essential

  • Ops and admin
    • Finance
    • Hiring
    • Restructuring legal entities
    • Workaway management
    • Real estate/LI general ops
  • Website