Bringing Ideas to Life in Cleveland

One of the most exciting things about working for a startup is that you get to be a part of realizing someone’s vision.

Paul Roetzer (@paulroetzer), PR 20/20’s founder and CEO, is one of those gifted few that’s not only an idea guy, but a put-the-structure-in-place-to-make-your-idea-happen guy. He started PR 20/20 because he wanted to change the industry, and he loves hearing stories about how fellow entrepreneurs have built successful businesses. (Or, in some cases, why they didn't.)

This energy is contagious, and the rest of us at the agency have grown to thrive on these stories as well. 

That’s why we were so excited when we met Mario Schultzke (@themarioblog) back in March at SXSW Interactive.

Mario, a former agency pro, is the founder of IdeaMensch, a “community of entrepreneurs who share how they bring to life their ideas.” At IdeaMensch.com, Mario features entrepreneurs from all industries, giving them a platform to share the stories about building their businesses, lessons learned and advice.

He’s passionate about igniting a fire in others.

Mario told us that he was planning a 48-state, 4-month IdeaMensch road trip, during which he’d host events in each city and have local speakers talk about how they brought their ideas to life.

He didn’t want to make money. Just break even, inspire and unlock potential in people across the U.S.

We knew we wanted to be involved, and after a few conversations with Mario, we convinced him to come to Cleveland and signed on as the local event sponsor.

If you’re a Clevelander, please join us next Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 6:00 at the Q for the IdeaMensch Cleveland event.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Eric Wobser (@ericwobser), executive director of Ohio City Incorporated.
• Joe Pulizzi (@juntajoe), content marketing evangelist, author and founder of Content Marketing Institute.
• Laura Bennett (@laurabennett), co-founder and CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance. 
• David Levine, president of Wireless Environment,

Get your tickets today for IdeaMensch Cleveland. Earlybird pricing ($12) runs through tomorrow, Aug. 17; after that tickets are $17. Although, if you’re interested in going and can’t swing the cost, shoot me an email at laurel (at) pr2020 (dot) com and I might be able to hook you up with a free one. First come, first served.

Note: If you're not a Clevelander, see if Mario and friends are coming your way and attend an event in your area.

Still on the fence?

• See what attendees have said about previous events (expect words like “awesome,” “incredible,” “excellent,” and “visionary”).
• Check out Mario’s tour log, including event recaps, lessons learned so far, and why this is the best experience of his life so far.
  • 2,000 miles in
  • 5,000 miles in (with bumps in the road)
• Read the media coverage

I’m really excited about this one, guys. Let’s come together to celebrate some of the visionaries in our city. And show the out-of-towners just how much Cleveland rocks.