You already passed the first test…

Really, you did.

Getting here is all I needed to know you’re going to be a success. I didn’t want to say this before we began, but this class really is life-changing and I know it’s the start of what’s next for you. You may not believe me just now, but I promise we’ll revisit it on the other end — I won’t forget.

The one other very important thing I want you to know, is that every part of this course is for you. I did all of this because I was given the chance to learn it all and I know how completely it has changed my life — as a woman, a business owner, a creative, and so much more. There’s nothing I want more than the very same for you.

It’s also important to note that this class and the advice it gives is general and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Please always consider whether the advice is suitable for you and your personal circumstances as you work through it. We are all walking in slightly different paths along this process.

Alright, enough of all that. Now, time to give you a lay of the land.

Overview.

Each chapter begins with a video lecture and it’s here that I offer you an overview of the topic we’re covering, sharing my personal approach, understanding, and application of the topic. I do my best to pepper these lectures with a few good stories (some I don’t want my mum to hear — hi, mum!), practical application, and lots of dialogue around our theories and topic at a practical, fundamental level.

I use these lectures as my chance to ground you in the topic at hand so you’re ready for the lesson to come.

So, in the spirit of things, let’s begin with a video overview of the course as a whole.

From the teacher’s desk: your tips & tricks.

Since it’s self-directed, this course is really an equation where how much you put in equals what you get out. I recommend setting a specific day per week, or a certain hour per day, where you show up to work on this course. I want you to sit down, completely present, and make the most of your time. Don’t be afraid to dig in and get lost in the material — going down rabbit holes and along goat trails is often where I find the most wonderful treasures. Also, I know it may sound odd, but follow your intuition. When you’re engaged in the course, I encourage you to follow what you’re interested in, not what you think someone else may like. Imitating something (or somewhere) you’ve seen before will never feel as authentic as something that comes from just you.

Bits & Bobs.

• Take your time to become intimately involved in the work. Fully commit to the exercises, lectures, and homework. Do them in order. Everything has been designed to flow into one another, building from one chapter to the next.

• You have access to everything here for 15 weeks and all of your downloads, workbook exercises, and so much more forever. Since it is designed as a 10 week course, you should feel comfortable taking your time on certain chapters — there’s no rush!

• Sit in front of a desktop computer (or a laptop…just not your phone). I fear you’ll lose a lot of the depth and impact if you complete the course on your phone so I would highly recommend utilizing a full-size screen. There are plenty of pop-ups and videos that want your full attention.

Chapter Format.

Speaking of chapters, I want to take a moment to explain how the chapters are formatted. I always feel like taking the time to familiarize yourself with things can help you to feel far more comfortable when moving through.

Lesson.

After your lecture, you jump straight into the lesson. This section is where we tease things out more (references made in the video, etc) and I do it this way for a few reasons:

1. It lets me update information and best practices as they change

2. I can add in new things as we learn them —- like answers to QnAs that may be relevant (or just interesting!) to the whole class.

3. It gives me the chance to really explain things in full. Video is wonderful, but sometimes you just need to see lists, diagrams, pictures and more.

4. We all learn differently so I purposefully broke our chapters into sections that allow us to approach out topic from multiple angles and modes of learning. Whether it be visual, auditory, kinesthetic, verbal, social, or solitary, we get to interact with our story in many ways.

Exercises.

This is where we work on your property. Our exercises allow you to directly apply theories we’ve learned to the key areas of your business. Essentially, I have designed every exercise (as outlined in your workbook) to come together as a cohesive, usable, evolving, business plan. If you don’t have a property yet, don’t worry! I’m actually a little jealous of you because you’re in the perfect spot to set yourself up for the easiest project when it eventually comes your way.

A word to the wise: take time to actually do these exercises, in the order given and take lots of notes! This is one of the greatest resources you’ll walk away with and I guarantee you’ll be surprised when you see how much you’ve done, how many ideas you’ve had, and how complete the picture you’ve painted is.

Some exercises are quite short and others very long — some are designed to quickly jog your memory, while others are your opportunity to really flesh out your vision.

Remember to print your workbook out — this is essential — and to put it in a binder or on a clipboard, ready for use. Download it here — be patient, it’s a big file so it might take a minute to download and be ready for use.

Community.

I strongly believe in the power of collaboration and shared experience, that’s why I think the Community portion of this class is so important — you need one another. Sharing your stories, supporting one another, and pushing each other just a little bit further is part of the whole experience. I know the friendships you build and the community you create will be essential to your success as a creative. It’s my goal to organically facilitate these connections, but let you foster them. In other words, I don’t want to toss you into a forced group — I want to provide the space for you to comfortably connect. Together we’ll use social media to share our work and it’s here that you’ll have every opportunity to engage with your fellow students through hashtags and comments.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll see a Community section with specific challenges for you to share with other students. Be sure to post, using our hashtag (so we can find you!) and tag ‘@thehostingmasterclass’ (both in your comment and image). I find it hard to figure out who is a student and who is not, with the wider community that follows and all the new house names that happen throughout this class, so please be obvious and tag me with confidence so I can also enjoy your ride with you. You can follow hashtags so you can see other people’s work, just click on the hashtag in your comment and it will take you to all the other images tagged like yours. Explore these and click ‘follow’ at the top of the page.

…since I know it’s where most of us navigate from, Instagram will be the hub of our community. Knowing this, I want to take a moment to make sure you’re comfortable with the platform and have a level of understanding where you feel confident to engage. I recommend quickly taking through one or both of the trainings here and here.

Case Studies.

There’s nothing quite like watching a project evolve and I have three very distinct real life projects we’ll follow along with to see how we practically apply the theories we’ve been learning. Each of the above icons is linked to a property and you’ll see these three when I want to take you through our case studies. When you click on each icon, a pop up will appear as a break out to highlight a particular facet or treatment used.

Meet the Properties:

1. The row boat is my beloved Captain’s Rest in Tasmania, and it represents our whimsical, faraway property.

2. The little village is Chien Noir in South Africa, a fictional property based on the location I filmed our masterclass, and it is our sprawling, heritage estate.

3. The little girl swinging is Vacay-co on the Gold Coast of Queensland, a modern beach house leaning toward a younger audience.

Click on each now to learn a little bit more and fall in love even before we begin.

Homework.

I cover so much in our lectures, lessons, and exercises but there’s always a little more that I want you to engage with. After all, sometimes it’s not the direct learning that makes the difference, but the supplemental and not quite as obvious inspirations that solidify our understanding (or at least the why behind the things we do).

Most of your homework revolves around additional talks and articles meant to broaden and deepen your knowledge base around the topics we’re covering. I often find myself pouring over articles, watching video upon video of seemingly unrelated topics, but somehow they always come together to directly and indirectly influence the work I do. I think it’s this diverse exposure that makes my approach as a stylist and storyteller so multifaceted and rich.

Q n A’s

This is where I answer common questions from students about the things we’re learning and tease out various scenarios that you all might be entertaining. Whether it’s common problems a few of you are bumping into, or further application of a theory into the real world, I’m here to help guide you. Usually my answers come as a mix of both video and text.

Do you have a question that hasn’t been answered? As long as it applies to our wider community, you can ask it in the form on your Dashboard and we will post it in the relevant chapter. Ditto if you spot a mistake, tech issue or spelling error in the class — many pairs of eyes continue to help us craft this school into the diamond that it is!

If its more specific to you, you might need a little one-on-one help — see below!

One-on-One Help

There’s more out there for you from us if you’d like that! Sarah can help students one on one by the hour for her to work with you on your property. You can obtain that here.

Alternatively, have you checked out our Zoom School? It’s brilliant and reaching cult status around the world. It takes our Online Class even further, and we have the ability to also help you one-on-one with your project with your small student group. Tickets for that class are here!

And finally, ponder this.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”

–Zig Ziglar

Well, just one more thing, not necessarily from someone wiser, but from someone who’s been here a few times before…

I’ve seen people class after class and I absolutely love to follow each student’s personal journey. Along the way, I’ve noticed a few patterns with those who are quite successful and it’s really that they follow the process — doing exercises properly and in order, following along step-by-step rather than jumping about — and it makes all the difference. Those who are patient, who interact with their peers, are generous and kind, they seem to thrive. Also, after class, these students give themselves permission to take time with it all, letting everything sink in and settle.

Remember, you’re going through the process of setting up an entire business (and a lifelong one at that) —- none of this is a quick fix or hacks and a cheese plate (though, where’s the cheese plate?) — believe in yourself. Trust your inner voice. Be vulnerable. You are so very capable, I know it. !!

So… Shall we begin?

Actually, let’s just go ahead and start straight away with your very first exercise.

• {E 0.1 - Having a physical space to do your work at is crucial. I want you to set up the spot from which you will do your work each week —- it may be a desk, a few items of inspiration spread around a special spot — it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you have a location dedicated to the work at hand. Don’t get too concerned, it could be setting up a vignette that reminds you of who you are and what you are working for. Maybe it’s your vision for what’s next stuck up on the wall. Whatever it is, this exercise is open ended and I want you to interpret it however feels right and honest and best for you. Take the time to create a space that makes you feel grounded and focused, but also tells a story about who you are and what you want. Your audience is you, me, and your fellow classmates — we want to see what makes up you, inspiration and all. Brainstorm a few ideas that are meaningful to you and then get to work!

• Now, once things are sorted, photograph it, write about it, and post it using hashtags ‘#thehostingmasterclass’ and ‘#thm00’ — because, as we move through this school, you’ll see that I ask you to evolve your space, make changes, and to tell me more of your story.

• Really, this is a small space where you can practice and apply the theories we are learning throughout the course, regardless of whether or not you also have a whole property to work on, too. This is where you can put learning into practice.

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