Leg 2, Day 27 – If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Natalia Cohen By

As some of you already know, this expedition has been made up of two parts. Getting to the start line and the row itself. For me, I developed not only on a personal level during the initial stage, but also managed to find new skills I never knew I had. As we essentially set up our own company, we had to deal with all the day to day running of the company Coxless Crew including logistics, accounts, admin, social media/website, PR, media, marketing and sponsorship to name a few.

My main roles were Social Media, PR, media, marketing and overseeing the website with the help of the amazing Steph from Design by StephanieJ. These were areas of expertise that I had to develop rapidly as I had no previous experience.

When thrown in at the deep end, you sink or swim. I swam…I swam fast and furious. I was a woman on a mission.This expedition is an extraordinary one, and I wanted as many people as possible to know about it. I told our story every day and one of the best and most important lessons I learnt was…

————————- if you don’t ask you don’t get! —————————

What is the worst thing that can happen if you ask someone for something? They say no. That’s it, that’s the worst thing. A slightly bruised ego…but nothing more and nothing less.

I did A LOT of asking. Everyone I knew and anyone that crossed my path. It worked. We managed to get some great media coverage (not nearly enough for my liking, but a great start) including the Evening Standard, The Independent, The Daily Mail (femail), BBC London and we got the incredible Sir Ranulph Fiennes as an ambassador. The wonderful pop icon Kylie Minogue was secured as our Patron and slowly our social media following began to grow. Perseverance is key! We now have the wonderful Carver PR driving our PR whilst we are out on the ocean.Never being one to do things by halves, we have set our sights high for the row.

The main aim of our expedition is to not only raise awareness, but also to raise £250,000 for our chosen charities, Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded. This is an ambitious target and we truly hope to hit it. The women supported by our charities need our help and we are determind to offer the best services we can. More about exactly where the donations will go in a following blog.This is where we need your help. So…I find myself asking again.

We would love to have 100,000 followers by the time we get to Cairns. This is the number I have chosen to help this expedition be a hugely successful one. At the moment we have about 4,000. It is another ambitious target but I believe we can do it.
This is what I’m asking…

– Please SPREAD THE WORD. Ask EVERYONE you know to like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter

– Tell all your work colleagues about our challenge and ask them to ALSO spread the word

– Have a think if you know any celebrities, or friends with celebrity friends and see if they will reach out to their followers. A quick tweet or Facebook post and asking for a cheeky like/follow is all we ask.

– Talk about our Pacific odyssey to any media contacts you know or any in house marketing departments at work

– Discuss what we are doing with ALL your friends and even with people you know in any sports clubs, book clubs, yoga classes, your local church, EVERYWHERE.

– Keep sharing our blog posts, photos, Facebook, Twitter posts and Instagram.

Watching the miles count down (depressingly in the wrong direction recently) and the number of followers climb up will be a HUGE source of inspiration to us all. So…LET’S DO THIS…let’s make this expedition one for the history books and one that shares the SPIRIT with all far and wide x

UPDATE
Yet another crazy 24 hours with all seasons in one day being thrown at us. My personal favourite was the torrential downpour that happened just before LV and I left the oars before our first awake rest shift. We were enveloped in a heavy, grey cloud and everything went a little dark then…boom – the heavens opened. The surface of the ocean went smooth and so you could clearly see the large raindrops dance across the top of the water. The grey was split into varying shades and the rolling waves looked like a misty mountain range stretching out around us as far as the eye can see. It was amazing x

 

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9 Comments

  1. I’ve just contacted friends and family in NZ so if they do their bit your followers should increase by 4 million within the next 24 hours! Keep the positive attitude and work your way through the doldrums – it’s a bit like having the in-laws to stay for Xmas, it doesn’t last forever! Stay strong and safe,xx

  2. Emma Warren says:

    Well done ladies – you’re doing fabulously, keep it going xx

  3. Jim Andrews says:

    What you are doing is amazing, I try to promote your cause through my facebook friends, by sharing your posts and adding my own thoughts. I really think the mainstream News channels could do a bit more, just a daily milage update at the end of a news bulletin would raise interest, I am sure. You have earned the right to be a news item. Very proud of you all. Stay safe. XX

  4. Simon TY says:

    Hi, hope everything OK. No blog yet today ? The milometer says just 6.8nm in the last 24 hrs, but the pink ant has crawled fractionally further south.

    Btw long article in Times about plastic rubbish circulating in Pacific. Is downstairs now, but will try to send a link ( er can you google where you are ???). Fleet of boats doing a survey. They should know about you, so that you can share yr experiences. Will not quote from it without it in front of me, but grillions of tonnes of discarded waste just spinning around where you are…..

    Depressing. Will try and tell you more tomorrow. Bet you cannot wait !! Rutherford won Gold in Long Jump. Aus won the last Test match. Autumn has arrived in Kent. Dismal, cold cold day.

    Hope all well. Keep safe

    XX STY

  5. I’ve just invited 460 people to like your page to add to the 16 friends already following so hopefully…….
    Keep rowing- even if you go backwards, Keep writing -you are my bedtime story and keep safe x

  6. ALC says:

    You seem to be moving South again – hope you have managed to get away from the currents pushing you East.
    I am sure the last few days have been horrendous. Still, everyone is full of admiration for all of you and wish you good winds and great speed to make up for all of that.
    Keep safe xx

  7. Simon TY says:

    Hope all going better today. I write cos yesterday there was long article about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Article about the efforts of an organisation called Ocean Cleanup. They had 30 ships out surveying the Patch and estimate there to be far more than thought…much more than current estimates of 250,000 tonnes. I will keep the article but have also ( if you don’t ask……) emailed them saying they should be in touch with you to hear from those who spent quite a few weeks in the Patch and are presumably still seeing float garbage all the time, especially when becalmed. So, if you get an email……that is why.

  8. Simon TY says:

    And been googling Ocean Cleanup. The reason all the press coverage is that their flotilla of 30 vessels got back to San Franciso on Monday after the largest ever assessment of the problem. They were a few weeks behind you, but across the same stretch of ocean.

  9. Jan R says:

    Sure, Nats! Will try to get more people to like your page. You ask for it, we deliver (or try to!).

    Many of my co-workers and family have heard about your story, and they have been quite amazed by what you are doing. They are rowing what? The Pacific Ocean? Really??? It is quite remarkable, and you are a great inspiration to all of us!

    Good luck with the winds, and stay safe!
    xxxx

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