Featured Speaker for August 20th Meeting:
Kevin Wensley
Kevin has spent most of his life in, on, and around sailboats—sailing, fixing, racing, breaking, selling, coaching on them, and, on rare and adventurous occasions, even sinking them. His journey took a decisive turn in 1998 when marriage and a technology start-up, led by his good friend Laurence Holt (creator of Stikky Books), brought him to Manhattan. While his wife Clare became the first U.S.-based partner for a UK software company, Kevin immersed himself in the sailing world—joining the leadership team of the BT Global Challenge, “the world’s toughest yacht race,” in San Francisco, and later moving to Florida to ultimately serve as operations director for the largest commercial sailing school in the United States.
His connection to Stikky Books came naturally. As the editor of SAIL Magazine put it, the series can make you “never look at a night sky the same way again”—a sentiment Kevin enthusiastically echoes. Stikky really does change the way we experience the world. After a brief early-2000s pilot launch of Stikky in a pre-social media, pre-self-publishing era, the project went quiet. Two decades later, with the publishing landscape transformed and Laurence armed with a master’s in neuroscience from Columbia, the revitalized Stikky series is ready for a new audience.
Dear Rotary Club Members – I’d like to invite you to take the “Stikky Review Challenge”.
Stikky Books (Stikky.com) are a series of visual, pattern-based guides designed to teach practical skills in just one hour. These books, covering topics from wine appreciation and reading stock charts to identifying constellations, animal tracks, and wilderness survival, are fun, fast, and surprisingly effective.
- Created by my close friend Laurence Holt, who has a Master’s in neuroscience from Columbia, these books make learning intuitive and “sticky.” (Pun intended)
- Each book uses visual patterns, minimal text, dynamic repetition, and self-testing to teach a practical skill in just one hour.
- Current titles include Stikky Stock Charts, Stikky Tracks, and Stikky Night Skies with upcoming titles launching before the Holidays are Stikky Survival and Stikky Wine.
An unexpected outcome of Stikky is the positive impact on mental health:
- Pattern-based learning mirrors how our brains naturally absorb and retain information.
- Mini-quizzes and visual repetition reinforce memory without feeling like studying.
- The “DOSE” chemicals (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins) are naturally activated through the Stikky experience:
- Dopamine: Every page offers a reward moment.
- Oxytocin:Encourages shared learning with friends or family.
- Serotonin:Promotes outdoor exploration.
- Endorphins:Encourages movement and nature walks.
Here’s the challenge.
Would you be willing to review one of the following titles – Stikky Stock Charts, Stikky Tracks, or Stikky Night Skies for about 20 minutes then give a review of your thoughts that we can share with the world? In return you can keep your copy of the book?
Just let me know a name and an email address and I will endeavor to bring a copy of that title with me to breakfast on the 20th. If you are unable to attend breakfast but would still like to take part then please share a mailing address and we will mail a copy (15 books available on a first come basis). If you have agreed to take part and have received a copy of your chosen title we will schedule a quick video call to get your feedback. We can schedule that call on the 20th. If time and logistics allow I’d be delighted to get your feedback on the 20th.
The Stikky Challenge has significantly boosted sales, as evidenced by our sales graph below. Participants select a title, spend 20 minutes with the book, and then share their feedback. This approach isn’t just about selling; it’s about sparking curiosity and sharing joy.
To participate in the Stikky Challenge, please reach out to Kevin via email at kevin.wensley@stikky.com.
