Its quite funny really the amount of people I meet who really do good things in Secondlife but except in their own community they are very little known, Charlene is, in my opinion, one of these people.We met over advertising - quite normal - but I was really taken aback when I met her. For someone who must have a business brain to be able to run over 30 sims successfully she was so human and also nervous. Some people just don't know how to even start with advertising themselves but still do so well simply because they are real.
I know how trite that sounds here in SL where no-one is supposed to be what they seem, but there are 'real' people in this unreal world.
Trying to get Charlene to promote herself was not possible, she is who she is and people really need to meet her to know what I mean by that.
Charlene Trudeau is the owner and manager of Skybeam estates a huge undertaking and one she takes very seriously but she is so novel in her approach I find it hard to promote her in any way - its just not necessary.
Skybeam has residential land, commercial, mixed use and the sandbox is at the center of things as it should be for anyone with a passion for building, like Charlene, but it has so much more to offer too. Many, even those who use the sandbox, have no idea what the estate offers:
Charlene Trudeau: I did find out that I may have 'low-key'ed things just a bit too much, when a recent person buying in said 'you know I used to use skybeam sandbox a lot but never realized you had any estate land... how long have you been doing the estate thing?'
Charlene Trudeau: I figure at least a sign might be a good idea at this point :)
I asked Charlene about what she tells people who are looking for somewhere to live and have come to see Skybeam, her answer was very different:
Charlene Trudeau: That's funny because my first advice is to do one's homework and research absolutely everywhere they can (including skybeam) before making any decision :)
I suppose that I care about making their life in SL the best one I can... and that I am always an IM away, that I take their investment seriously and believe they should expect something back beyond just the plot of dirt they live on.
That they can expect answers to questions, response to concerns and a community around them (even if they choose not to participate in that community actively) anyone can set out a region and mark it for sale, we're trying to be something more than that.
I asked her about the community and activities:
Charlene Trudeau: right now the 'regularly scheduled' activities are: our friday night dance night, this is held at a different location throughout the estate each week this week, its technically being held off estate, but on a joined partner estate :) we have one big monthly party that I hold at two different times the same day to try to cover more time zones plus on Thursday nights I've started a Q&A with Charlene Trudeau, to just come ask anything about SL, if you stump me I'll find out and get bring back my homework the next week :) I also do a monday morning chat hour to wake up and start the week with.
Some times I don't feel accessible enough to my folks any more so I'm trying to make times to do so.
Now, in addition to that, which is all official 'estate' stuff, I have Neill on Harbour Cove who has put together a sailing club, has two different fishing games available to folks, a swim hud arrangement so you can swim down and explore the water ruins and so on, so resident available activities are starting to crop up too. Then SkyBeam Pastures is designed to appeal to the horse crowd, I have not done well marketing it to date because it came in around the same time RFL really exploded.
(Here i must explain that Charlene is very much involved with RFL also and is at the moment of this conversation bald for RFL.)
Charlene Trudeau: So from Pastures you can ride up into trailridge, harbour cove and on into the university region and really over into Instituto Espanol which is a Spanish language school
Dana: All part of skybeam estates?
Charlene Trudeau: yup :) Wilson Voight runs the school and its his own private venture but has made his home on SkyBeam
Talking about her covenant and how she goes about selling she had this to say:
Charlene Trudeau: At the time the only covenants out there (and far too many today) mostly said you can't do this this this and this and NO REFUNDS EVER and now and then 'Buy the land, pay your tier, and leave me alone' not in those words necessarily but that's what I felt when I read them.
I was looking to ask people to spend real money for the privilege of living on the estate and I felt that meant I had a responsibility to them too so my covenant is long, and longer now than it was then. I try to explain some of the 'why', not just the rule, which takes time.
Charlene and Skybeam do have a website but as she said its not really there as a sales tool its there so she can keep her residents informed check it out for yourself here http://www.skybeamestates.com/
You can get your own idea of the kind of person Charlene is by reading her blog and decide for yourself. You can read more about Skybeam estates HERE
Dana Vanmoer
