Hey friend,

Trust you made your peace with spring and welcomed a splendid summer solstice and full moon energy.

I had the pleasure of connecting with internet friends yesterday reminding me of a particular phenomenon I have been observing since about 2017.

I’m making new friends almost exclusively online.

Often it takes years of:
- DMs
- voice notes
- Zoom calls

A connection rooted in shared visions, values, ideas, and curiosities.

A deeply seeded relationship.
One that flourishes well before you ever meet in the material plane.

And when you do get to meet in the flesh…
…it almost always feels like you’ve known each other for ages.
It’s quite extraordinary to think about the power of the internet in this way.

Acting as a bridge to like-minded and like-hearted epic people.
Whom you’d probably never get to meet if it weren’t for social media.

It’s why I’m so deeply invested in building online communities and weaving relationships over the World Wide Web.

It is the act of finding your tribe.
As Timothy Leary put it:

In today's newsletter, we'll tackle the challenge of building your dream life (and business) by nurturing a community of 1000 true fans.

Did you miss last week’s edition on adopting the creator mentality?
A deep dive into the Creative Renaissance and the changing tides of our global cult(ure). Tune in to burn the outdated consumer mentality and reclaim your creative genius.

The proud sponsor of these letters is yours truly in Your Creative Corner.
Investing the most precious of resources known to man. Time.

In collaboration with this Creative Flow Inducing Tune:

TLDR;

Chances are you’re tired of chasing the latest trends.
Polishing the last shiny objects.

And feeling like you’re spinning your wheels.
In an increasingly accelerating world.

Whether you’re working a 9-5.
Or building your own thing.

There’s 1 thing that will help you slow down.
And move more strategically.

With more intention.
And less stress.

Most people overlook this.
Or dismiss it as 1 of those trends.

Yes. COMMUNITY.

It’s never been easier.
To choose and grow your tribe.
The people whose company you enjoy.
Those who inspire you to do what you do.
The same ones who support you in what you do.

Your friends.
Your clients.
Your customers.
Your community.

There are 5.5 billion internet users (and growing).
Who spend an average of nearly 7 hours online every day.

Here’s the thing.

Most online communities are NOT really communities.
More like glorified chat rooms.
Centered around products, services, and founders.

There’s no real connection.
No common vision, shared values, and grand ideas.

Or, if these are in place.
They’re often driven by a single charismatic personality and their followers.

That’s NOT what makes a community.
It’s the relationships that form between its members.
And the emergent self-organized meetings and collaboration.

This is how you measure long-term health and growth.

So it’s not about the technology.
It’s not about the events and the content.
Most community builders obsess with nailing these components.
Instead of focusing on growing an aligned core of individuals.
And facilitating group relationships.

To build a community from the ground up, focus on these steps:

• Get clear about your values and grand vision (Your Why)

• Define a North Star (Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

• Identify your tribe (Who Are You Serving)

• Define the experience (When & What)

• Choose a single platform (Where)

• Create a Google Doc invite page

• Start the invitation process

• Refine as you move

Find the others. Your Tribe. 1000 true fans…

Building a community online (and offline) is the biggest lever you can pull in your business to build for the long term and grow your impact.

The individuals who align with your values and visions are the ones who will support your ideas and help you make them a reality.

This idea of finding the others.
Is not some raving psychedelic lunacy of a hippy with flowers in their head.
Quite the contrary.

This is a most rational idea of which time to shine is yet to come.

Finding “your” people.
Those you “vibe with”.
Is a primal tribal impulse.
In a refined modern expression.

A calling to restore deep communal bonds.
And be of service to those you choose to serve.

Back in the day.
You were born into a tribe.
You didn’t have a choice.

Today, you get to choose your tribe.
The people whose company you enjoy.
Those who inspire you to do what you do.
They are those who support you in what you do.

Your friends.
Your clients.
Your customers.

“Finding them” is an act of authenticity.
Getting clear on what you stand for. (And what you don’t)

And sharing your message.
In a 1000 different ways.
Relentlessly.

It’s never been easier.

Long gone are the days of:

• shouting your ideas at bustling marketplaces

• carving out the 10 commandments and finding your apostles

• sending missionaries to 4 corners of the World to conform to 1 idea

• building multi-million media monopolies to eradicate competing ideas

The only barrier to becoming a medium these days.

Is an internet connection.
A computer.
Electricity.

The World is at your fingertips.
Your black-screen device connects you to 5.5 billion people.
Who spend an average of nearly 7 hours online every day.

It’s beyond the wildest dreams of your typical dictator.
And propaganda minister.

You tell me.
If Timothy Leary had a Twitter account back in the 60s.
Whether he’d have a greater impact on the countercultural revolution.

How not to start a community

Now that you see the incredible value of finding (and keeping) a tribe of epic people:

• Who support you on your journey

• Who root for you and celebrate your successes

• Who help you with your creations to see the light of day

• Who witness you in your process through the ups and downs

• Who keep you accountable to yourself and others no matter what

If you’ve ever been a part of a community or built one yourself, you know it’s hard.

Most online communities are not really communities.
But glorified chat rooms centered around a product, service, or founder.

There’s no real connection to a common vision, shared values, and grand ideas.

Or, if these are in place it’s often driven by a single charismatic personality.
And their advocates.

Not that there’s anything wrong with charismatic leaders.
They’re helpful in building a community in fact.

But that’s not what makes a community.
It’s the relationships that form between its members.
And the emergent self-organized meetings and collaboration.

This is what you measure to determine long-term health and growth.
And focus on facilitating connections and connecting the (invisible) dots.

So it’s not about the technology.
Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Telegram, Discord, Kajabi,…

It’s not about the events and the content.
Masterminds, Masterclasses, Workshops, Town-Halls, Weekly, Monthly, In-person,…

Most community builders obsess with nailing these components.
Instead of focusing on the things that matter.

Growing an aligned core of individuals.
And facilitating group relationships.

The Minimum Viable Community Roadmap

Thinking about building a community from the ground up?
I’d focus on the following:

• Get clear about your values and grand vision (Your Why)

• Define a North Star (Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

• Identify your tribe (Who Are You Serving)

• Define the experience (When & What)

• Choose a single platform (Where)

• Create a Google Doc invite page

• Start the invitation process

• Refine as you move

Make sure that building relationships and connecting people is what you love doing.
If it’s not. Consider partnering with someone whose strength it is.

Many founders struggle with the ongoing investment of time and energy.
Required to maintain constant communication and actively engage.

This is not a sprint, or a service/product launch for that matter.
It’s a long-term relationship-building exercise.

It could take years before you start seeing tangible outcomes.
So you better prepare for the long haul.
And plan in cycles.

Communities are where you’ll find me

I’ve helped build and continue to support the growth of a few select communities where you might find additional inspiration.

• Asraya (An innovation & collaboration ecosystem for heart-led creators)

• Crypto Is Fire (A crypto educational platform for passive income using (DeFi))

• Relationships Beat Algorithms Alliance (No-BS advice and unfiltered conversations about business and personal growth)

If you’re interested in joining any of the above, reach out via DM/email and I’m happy to help you make an informed decision.