Why did you create Extra Grind?
Breaking into advertising isn’t easy. Ad school can be expensive and time consuming, and often you have to know people to get your foot in the door. This can privilege certain people while making access more difficult for others. Advertising desperately needs more voices and perspectives, and diversifying the industry starts with direct mentorship and opportunities to build a portfolio with other creative individuals. We wanted to offer the Minneapolis advertising community a free way to learn outside of a traditional classroom or workplace.
Who is Extra Grind for?
Extra Grind is for the curious—maybe you want to know what advertising or ad school might be like, or maybe you just want to freshen up your skills. Generally, EG students are a mix of ad and marketing people looking to learn more about advertising in-depth. So far, we’ve had a mixture of college students and ad professionals looking to sharpen skills or switch departments. If you want to go from filling out forms to concepting campaigns or building brand strategies, EG can get you started. (If you’re still not sure, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll be happy to talk.)
Where is Extra Grind?
All of our virtual classes are on the internet! Our in-person classes take place at Superhuman’s Downtown Minneapolis office unless otherwise noted.
How long are classes?
Classes vary in length, but most are between 60-90 minutes. Most virtual classes meet once. Some in-person classes happen in multi-week series, meeting once a week for a few weeks. Those classes are subject to weather and other conditional changes.
What’s the workload for an Extra Grind class?
It will definitely depend on the class type. Most virtual classes meet once, so they generally don’t have any homework, or demand work outside of the scheduled time. Multi-course classes can be homework-based. We want to provide you chances to actually build something for your portfolio. Because of that, expect to spend a couple hours a week on your assignments. We’re not strict in terms of grading or evaluating—instead, we focus on thoughtful critiques of your work. In terms of time commitment, you’ll get out of a class what you put into it. How much time you spend on those assignments is really up to you.
Is Extra Grind free?
Extra Grind is 100% free! We wanted to offer the Minneapolis advertising community a free way to learn outside of a traditional classroom or workplace, making sure that it’s accessible.
What have been some classes you’ve taught in the past? Do you ever repeat them?
We’ve taught a lot of classes—some are classics that we definitely re-visit, while some are one-offs meant for a really timely moment. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve taught in the past:
– Strategy 101
– Strategy for Non-Strategists
– Purpose 101
– Intro to Copywriting
– Concepting 101
– Designing with Purpose
– Intro to User Experience
– Trends 101
How do you sign up?
Our upcoming classes are listed HERE, and you can stay up-to-date by following us on INSTAGRAM and signing up for our email newsletter HERE.
What if I can’t make it to a class I signed up for?
Life happens! If you’re missing a one-meeting class, relinquish your spot (see below) and you can keep an eye out for the next class. If you’re missing one class of a class series, email your instructor as soon as you can. They might be able to send you info on the lesson you’re missing, or even a way for you to make up the class. It’s totally ok to miss a class or two, but once you know you’re missing a lot of classes, you might want to relinquish your spot.
How do I relinquish my spot?
EMAIL ExtraGrind@superhuman.agency—you won’t lose any brownie points in our book, but you’ll probably be helping someone get off the waiting list.
How do I get off the waiting list?
Patience! If a class is super popular, we’ll try to offer another course in the future.
Can I reach out to the teacher after class?
We’re always open to networking! Most instructors will provide their email and LinkedIn profile at the end of class. You can always EMAIL US at ExtraGrind@superhuman.agency and we’ll make sure to connect you to the right folks.
Can I get college credit or some sort of certificate from it?
We’re not an accredited program, just agency volunteers, so we can’t give any formal credits or certificates.
How do I find out about new classes?
Follow us at @extragrindschool on INSTAGRAM and SIGN UP for our newsletter for the latest info on classes.
Can other professionals partner with Superhuman?
Extra Grind is a Superhuman-run labor of love, so we have to be selective of our partnerships—EMAIL US at ExtraGrind@superhuman.agency if you have an idea for a collaboration and we’d be happy to chat.
How can I get the word out?
Plug us on the internet! Tell your friends! Let us know how the experience was!
My question’s not here—what gives?
EMAIL US at ExtraGrind@superhuman.agency and we’ll be happy to chat.