Hi, it's Trish :)
I’m on vacation this week in Georgia, so I’m not posting an episode of the show today—but I feel like there's a lot to talk about, so if you'll indulge me:
Change is hard (but worth it).
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been working really hard to give Fold of the Week a makeover of sorts. I’m adding overhead views, changing my set, improving my sound and lighting, and focusing more on the stories and the “why” rather than just the what. I can tell you that after shooting the show the EXACT same way for 12 years, any change to the format and the process that I know so well is like going against muscle memory. It’s so incredibly hard. And it’s time consuming to make a better show. But change feels good to me, so I'm moving in that direction.
It’s a work in progress, however, and each week I seem to be tweaking something or trying a new approach, and it’s going to be like that for a while. So, I welcome your suggestions and feedback (positive or negative) for how you think it’s going, or what you think could make the show even better. After all, the show is for you. Just hit Reply to this email and your message will come to me.
What happened to FOW #562?
I’ve gotten a lot of emails asking about what happened to Fold of the Week episode 562. The episode was up for a week, and then it was gone. Well, in the “there’s a first for everything” category, I was given the go-ahead to feature a sample, but apparently it was not the *right* approval that was needed. So, in a Fold of the Week first, I was asked to take the episode down. I’ll be honest, it took the wind out of my sails for a few days. So much work goes into an episode, and it just felt awful to delete it—but I respect the other side of it, too. It takes me back to my agency days. If you can't share it, you can't share it.
But . . . I now have a gap in the show order, and at the time of the takedown request, I had just posted episode 563, which meant I couldn’t make 563 the new 562. So, I’m trying to decide what to do with the gap. Do I fill it with a “Lost Episode” or something special? Do I go back and shoot a substitute episode for 562? Am I overthinking this, and do I just keep moving forward and ignore the inconsistency? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
What's interesting to you?
When I relaunched
Foldfactory several months back, I started blogging more consistently, which has been fun for me. I love to write. You may have seen my
Featured Format Spotlight posts where I’ve been deep diving into one particular format and showing how and when to use it, plus possible variations. Working on the spotlight series has given me a chance to share some of the other great samples in my collection that have never been featured on Fold of the Week—not for lack of merit, but because the size of my collection goes well beyond the 560 samples I’ve shown over a 12 year period.
In addition to the Format Spotlight series, I have a growing list of 60+ blog ideas on my desk, and I don’t know where to start and what matters the most to you. So, I have listed a few key categories below, and would be very interested to know what you want to learn more about. Here are some ideas, but feel free to add your own suggestions—just hit Reply to answer:
• Key format categories and how to choose the right format for your project
• Understanding options for modifying different formats
• Trends and patterns in direct mail
• Creative format ideas by vertical (health care, higher ed, etc.)
• Creative format ideas by use (events, fundraising, self promos, etc.)
• Strategies for “getting it opened”– envelope ideas, print effects, etc.
• Other ideas?
OK, I guess that's it for now. If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading, and for subscribing to my emails. I appreciate you. Have a great week, and I'll be back next Thursday morning on Fold of the Week.
