the worst week of the year – big mistake – black tuesday

good morning,

what a rubbish week.

probably the worst of 2025 so far.

that’s not like me to be negative, but let me paint the picture.

it’s august, and we are behind where i would like to be with regards to selling places in our project 1 million 2.0 fundraiser.

last week we had 39 people pledged to join us on the 29th of november to ride 100 spin bikes, to help us with our goal of raising one million pounds.

one million pounds to help fund therapy for people that need it.

to help save people who without our help end up killing themselves.

harsh facts but the very simple truth.

our work saves lives.

monday started well, but then came tuesday.

tuesday was an implosion.

one person who had come in to our offices twice, and was deeply passionate about helping and joining us raise this mammoth amount, contacted us saying they were having to withdraw from the event.

then another.

i sat opposite our pop up banner with the names of 39 teams, and played through the act of having to cover the names of the two cancellations.

a minor detail, but a practical solution had to be found.

i felt a knot in my stomach.

then came a third cancellation, and i thought i was being pranked, what was happening, our hard work was disintegrating before my very eyes.

finally, on what i am now going to name black tuesday, news came that two friends who had taken a bike each, were going to join each other, and ride one bike instead of two, which in real money meant one less bike.

39 had become 35 in a single day shift.

what was going wrong?

how could we stem the tide.

when i had the idea to attempt to raise 1 million in 24 hours i hoped people would believe in the cause enough to join us, and the addition of only being able to fundraise within the 24. hour period added to the jeopardy.

so i thought.

but i was wrong.

big mistake.

i had been listening to potential participants for a while, and their concerns were always not being able to start fundraising until the start of the event.

we needed to change things.

and we did.

forthwith.

the first person we told that they could start fundraising immediately was so relieved.

and the second.

and i realised what a massive barrier to entry i had created.

now, black tuesday could have broken us, could have put doubts into our minds, and made us fear our big hairy audacious goal wasn’t achievable.

but it didn’t.

we used it as fuel to drive us on towards our dream.

and being realistic, it has been better to discover the huge flaw in our plan this early, which gives us time to make changes that make things easier now rather than closer to the event.

i am seeing black tuesday very much as a half full glass, allowing me to see the error of my ways, and correct the plan accordingly.

so, as i sit here reflecting, as well as black tuesday, this week i completed my 15th talk of the year.

so that was good.

also, chloe and crawfords potential kidney donor is a match, so they are just doing some last minute tests, but, fingers crossed the transplant will happen in september.

so that’s brilliant news.

and, finally we heard back from a bigmoose graduate that we saved them from suicide, becoming our 110th life saved.

actually, on reflection, what a brilliant week, we learnt a lot, made changes, which hopefully will see us grow stronger, and achieve our goals.

so, to finish the week strong i am going to set a self imposed target of getting 50 bikes sold by this time next week, come onnnnnnnnn! (beats chest in a very caveman like style)

pressure, but pressure is privilege i believe.

see you next week, wish me luck.

blue skies,

jeff

p.s. 113 days until 29th november.