I am obsessed with a single topic these days — online communities.
Why? Because I’m building an online community for you right now.
And sometimes when I’m hard at work on something, I write the post I need to read. Today is one of those days.
As I think about online communities, I recognize that …
Online communities either lift us up, inspire us to aim higher, give us the knowledge and encouragement to do hard things … or leave us feeling more confused and discouraged than when we joined them.Click To TweetI have participated in both types. Have you?
My new community will give you the tools and support you need to walk confidently toward your BIG goals
You’ve seen me talk a lot about your “BIG” on these pages.
Your BIG is the thing that wakes you up in the morning and drives you to work hard. It’s what you’re aiming for with your work.
You might be aiming for:
- A specific revenue goal, so you have the funds you need to grow your business, live a better life, retire comfortably, help family members, travel more
- Reach, so you can get your important message to the exact right people who will benefit most from hearing it
- A legacy you want to leave, based on your hard-earned expertise, that will inspire people for generations to come
- An audience you want to build of like-minded people who are trying to make a difference in the world
Guess what? You get to choose your BIG.
And if you work with me, either as a coaching client or in my new community, you should know that I have full respect for whatever your BIG is.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t teach you how to get to seven figures in 30 days or less. 😉
It’s about building a sustainable business based on your hard-earned expertise. And by sustainable, I mean a business that:
- Sustains you personally and feels easy, creative, and joyful to manage
- Sustains your BIG goal and moves you closer to what matters most to you
I want you to build a business that has meaning for you. Not me. Not anyone else in our community.
Your meaning may come from the revenue you earn … but revenue is only one unit of measure. It may not be the most important one for you.
That’s what finding your BIG is all about.
And it’s one reason I’m calling my new community …
The BIG League.
And it’s open now: find out more about the BIG League.
Why we need each other more than ever
Yes, there’s lots to worry about in our world today. But this truth also exists too …
We have the ability to sit in front of a piece of metal and plastic and positively impact the lives of people on the other side of the globe. We live a miracle every day.
And although we feel more connected than ever, that connection — especially when it happens over social media — can feel shallow.
Surface-level only.
All about appearances.
And that type of surface-level interaction, when you spend too much time on it, can suck the life out of you.
You’re “supposed” to feel more connected but instead, you feel less connected with who you really are, and what you really need right now.
I have spoken to many, many members of my audience over the past few months, and we’ve come to a conclusion:
Building a business from solitary confinement doesn’t work.Click To TweetYes, “solitary confinement” might feel like an extreme description of what it’s like.
But don’t you have days like that? Days when you feel 100% alone in your efforts to build your business?
Me too. And lots of others I’ve spoken to as well.
What is an online community in a perfect world?
The best online communities are groups of open-hearted people who want the same thing.
They may be taking different routes to get there, but they’re heading in the same direction. And they have a willingness to …
- Ask for help when they need it
- Offer help when someone else needs it
- Provide support and encouragement
- Cheer on successes and commiserate with failures
- Give … with little expectation of a return
When an online community is designed to help you build a business, here’s what you can look forward to:
- Your random searching days are over. You always have a go-to resource available and don’t need to sit bleary-eyed in front of 17 articles about a topic you want to understand better. You can ask a question, get an answer, and move on to the next thing.
- You won’t stay stuck for long. An online business is built from a disparate set of moving parts. It’s complicated! When you have a place to ask a targeted question or consult a quick checklist for getting something done, you’ll find what you need to get unstuck quickly and easily.
- You are not alone … ever. Tough journeys are a lot more fun when you travel with companions who “get” what you’re trying to accomplish and can lend a hand — or simply furnish some encouragement where needed.
How to build an online community that works for its members
The best online community is always going to be a work in progress and that’s going to be my approach to The BIG League.
Over the past sixty days, I have met with dozens of members of my audience in one-on-one sessions where we talked about their current challenges and mapped out a route forward.
I have a pretty clear vision of what y’all need. But … I fully expect to make adjustments as we move forward together.
The best online community is built to evolve, morph, and grow with the needs of its members.Click To TweetI would be so honored if you’d take a look at the BIG League community. It’s open now!
4 thoughts on “How to Make an Online Community That Doesn’t Suck”
Hi Pamela, glad to answer the questions you put forth.
What you wish you had in an online community. Is it education? A place to ask questions? Accountability? Something else?
My answer:
I would love a community of dedicated and like-minded people, who are on the same path as me.
Would love the group to a group of authentic, honest, compassionate people, who are willing to share and be open to be vulnerable to feedback.
A safe haven where I can voice questions, concerns, failures and successful ventures/events with community members and know I will not feel uneasy sharing my journey and getting feedback, and helping and giving feedback to others.
I would like the community to be friendly place to engage and have conversation openly and go deep if necessary to help others other who need help to unblock or unstuck themselves along the journey of business creation i.e. mindset issues; overcoming fear of creating; and other ugly things that come when creating a business for the first time.
Would like step by step education in form of videos and downloadable PDF’s with exercises to help with the creation and journey.
What do you hope it doesn’t have? Many of us have horror stories from communities we’ve belonged to. What do I need to avoid?
I wish not to be involved with a community where there is no activity i.e. no engagement, education, questions answered.
I would like not to have people in who are not on the same path as the other group members i.e. they already have a successful online business. As I feel that they would not benefit the group or be able to participate. Endless they are in the group to assist with the training and that would be awesome 🙂
I wish not to be in a community where there are people who ridicule and put down others (think they are better than others i.e. have an air of unnecessary authority and power over people, and have a sloppiness/lack of respect in giving feedback)
The group members need to respectful, encouraging, compassionate and enthusiastic about what they are creating, willing to share and engage with others about their process and give and receive feedback without getting angry or upset. ( have seen nasty episodes of people getting unnecessary angry and upset with feedback or vice versa getting angry and upset whilst giving feedback, being condescending patronising and arrogant .)
Note: might be beneficial for people to be asked questions before they join to ensure they are the right people – although I am sure we all a bunch of friendly compassionate people in your group already, from what I have experienced :))
Hope this helps you create this amazing community you are building for us. With gratitude I look forward to hearing all about it.
Jane, thank you so much for this thoughtful answer. I am hoping the community will grow into exactly what you describe! I appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts.
Pamela,
I like the phrase, “Building a Legacy Based on My Hard Earned Experience”. I’d guess that most of us don’t know exactly how to do this. I take for granted the work that I’ve done for 45+ years and don’t know where to start to build a business off of this knowledge.
I’d like to find a community that shares these struggles and learns from each other’s successes and failures, and asks thought provoking questions that will illuminate the path to find my passion.
I would also like a community that provides 6 – 8 week courses that teaches the various aspects of creating a successful online business. These courses should be reasonably priced as most people starting out don’t a lot of money to spend. But we’re the ones that need training the most to start producing revenue and see results.
Problems with other online communities?
One word – overload.
It’s impossible for me to keep up with the FB groups and newsletters. There’s too much quality content out there and I have to be very selective with what I spend my time on.
I hope this has helped, Pamela.
Bill, this is great!
I agree: information overload is a real problem. Absorbing more information seems like it should be helpful, but it often stops us from making real progress.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts.
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