For entrepreneurs who value integrity and credibility when it comes to selling stuff online, Black Friday/Cyber Monday and the general over-consumerism of the end of the year can be a little hard to navigate. On the one hand, many of our potential members are ready to plan their upcoming year and often have budget to spend. On the other, it’s a time when a lot of us buy stuff we don’t need and never use. So how do we navigate this time and make decisions that both set the business up success...
about 1 year ago • 5 min read
Leadership, to me, is about: Embracing your own imperfections and using them as a way to connect. Integrity as a responsibility. Inspiring love, not fear. Taking every chance to scale leadership by spreading power to others. A deep knowing that it’s not about you. This election result makes it clear that many people have a very different idea of what leadership looks and feels like. I deeply believe that the best way to counter a vision you don’t agree with is not to spend time arguing with...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hey friends, When you’re building a community business, especially one based on recurring revenue and a regular influx of members, taking an extended pause from it all feels scary and impossible. For the last 4 months, I’ve been on a break from 3 things I had been doing regularly (including this newsletter). Here’s the story of why and how I did it and what has come out of it. The Community Pause The BACB community has been around for 3+ years and a lot has changed within that time: how...
about 1 year ago • 7 min read
When you're growing a community, there are key moments when you have a choice... You can choose leadership over micro-management. You can choose to spread power instead of hoarding it. You can choose to trust instead of control. These moments are usually sparked by a member making a generous offer. It could be to host an event, to start a new program, to mentor others, or to start a sub-group. Here's a great example from Sam Parr, founder of Hampton: All long-term successful communities have...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
I started writing a newsletter under the name Business of Community in 2020. The thesis was and is that if we highlighted the ways to build profitable small businesses around community, we could make it possible for more connection to happen in the world. The newsletter name eventually turned into the name of the company that held all our offers and services: consulting, courses, events, and the community. I believe that building a strong business is the best way to secure longevity for your...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
I’m hosting a free workshop with Rosieland about community business models and how to approach them in 2024. RSVP here → (it's free!) In the world of marketing for courses, memberships, coaching, and consulting, there tends to be 2 camps: Open Door: Give away as much as possible to as many people as possible. Breadcrumbs: Share just enough to spark interest and keep your best stuff paid. When you’re building your marketing strategy, they’re both philosophies worth considering. But neither is...
almost 2 years ago • 4 min read
This email is your invitation to our brand new BACB membership! Read on to find out what we’re planning and why you might want to join. This is the only dedicated email you’ll receive about the upcoming group. If you want more information as you decide whether to join, you can opt in to hear more. How do you opt in? Just click this link and we’ll send you more info on the community including hints about a few surprises we’re planning this season. You can opt back out at any time. Opted in?...
almost 2 years ago • 4 min read
Happy New Year, friend! Next week is our annual planning gathering: Create your 2024 Growth Plan and you're invited! We're sharing our process for planning the year for yourself, your community, and your business, all in a way that feels good. We try to make each of our events a little more thoughtful and weirder than the last. I expect this one will be no different 🙃. RSVP here to join us live or get the recording → The piece below is an example of the vibes you can expect from the workshop....
almost 2 years ago • 5 min read
At the end of the year, most cultures will be finding ways to gather and mark the passing of time. If your community has an end-of-year gathering planned, in addition to fun and silliness, the ritual is also a great opportunity to increase connection between members via collective reflection, grief and celebration rituals. Below are prompts you can share with your members in live events or asynchronously as an opportunity for them to pause and share end-of-year reflections with each other....
about 2 years ago • 2 min read