The Introvert’s Paradox: Why Building a Community is Essential (Even When You’d Rather Not)

July 16, 2024

The Introvert's Paradox: Why Building a Community is Essential (Even When You'd Rather Not)

Let’s be honest – as a solo business owner who identifies as an introvert, the idea of building and nurturing a community can feel like a daunting task. After all, we thrive in our own company, finding energy and solace in quiet spaces. So, why would we willingly dive into the world of group interaction, conversation, and collaboration?

The answer lies in a surprising truth: community is essential for our well-being and business growth, even for the most introverted among us.

Community growth isn’t just about numbers; it’s about connections. It’s about creating a space where everyone feels seen and heard. And the best part? When you focus on community building, success often follows. Because let’s be real, who wants to go on this crazy entrepreneurial journey alone?

Maslow's Hierarchy and the Need for Connection

Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? It’s that pyramid that outlines our fundamental human requirements, starting with physiological needs (food, water) and culminating in self-actualization. Smack dab in the middle is the need for love and belonging – the need for connection.

The Benefits of Community for Introverted Solopreneurs

Support System: Running a business is tough, and it can be isolating. A community offers a place to vent, celebrate, ask questions, and gain valuable insights from others who understand your journey.
Collaboration and Growth: Introverts often possess unique talents and perspectives. A community provides a platform for collaboration, sparking new ideas, opportunities, and business growth.
Accountability and Motivation: Let’s face it, sometimes we need a little push. A community can provide a sense of accountability and the motivation to keep moving forward, even when faced with challenges.
Learning and Development: By connecting with others in your field, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources. You can learn new skills, stay on top of trends, and ultimately improve your business.
Showing Up for Yourself and Your Business: Building a community isn’t just about helping others; it’s about investing in yourself and your business. It’s about creating a space where you can thrive, both personally and professionally.

Practical Tips for Building Your Community

Start Small: You don’t have to create a massive online forum overnight. Begin with a small Facebook group, a Slack channel, or regular virtual meetups.
Focus on Quality over Quantity: It’s better to have a small group of engaged members than a large, inactive one.
Offer Value: Share your expertise, provide helpful resources, and create a welcoming space where members feel valued.
Be Authentic: Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Embrace your introverted nature and be genuine in your interactions.
Take Breaks: Remember, it’s okay to step back and recharge. As an introvert, you need time to yourself to process and refuel.

Embrace the Paradox

The idea of building a community might seem paradoxical for introverted solo business owners. But it’s precisely this contrast that makes it so powerful. By stepping outside our comfort zones and connecting with others, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities. We create a space where we can learn, grow, and thrive – both as individuals and as businesses.

Thinking of starting your first online business? Join The Selfmade Brand Community and get building without the tech overwhelm.

Community, Reviews

Skool Review: Is It the Course & Community Disruptor?

February 12, 2024

Skool Review: Is It the Course & Community Disruptor?

Is Skool the next big thing in the course creator and community-building genre? Let’s take a closer look at what the Skool platform is all about and its potential to disrupt the content creation and community-building industry.

Let me tell you, I’ve been among the crusaders for this fantastic course platform. With that said, you and I can agree that I have mostly great things to speak of. As a member and community owner, it has been a game changer. I’ll tell you why.

What is Skool?

At its core, Skool is more than just an educational platform; it’s a vibrant community of communities. Imagine a space where you’re not just consuming content in isolation but engaging with a community of other learners who share your aspirations and challenges.

To make it extra unique, you can join other communities that interests you. You are not limited to just one but more than two that you resonate with; And it just keeps growing.

The Skool Community stands out for its collaborative environment, where members can exchange ideas, provide feedback, and forge valuable connections. This sense of belonging and mutual growth is what sets Skool apart in the digital education and community-building space.

The Skool Platform

In a nutshell, Skool is the perfect membership platform for almost any internet business you can think of. You can either build a free, private, or paid community for your members. The Skool platform offers direct messaging capabilities, community gamification, and it is only the beginning.

One thing I appreciate about Skool is how it feels like it’s made just for us. It’s all about diving into new learning without getting lost in the process. The platform itself? Super user-friendly. Whether you’re after marketing tips, leadership skills, or the nuts and bolts of any other digital business, it’s all at your fingertips; And it’s tailored for us solopreneurs and small business owners, making every click worth your time.

Who Is the Skool Platform Built For?

Skool was built for creators in mind. However, don’t forget about the many ways you can take advantage of with group model memberships. It’s not just exclusive to the creator. It’s for anyone who can create content, build a membership community around it, and utilize it for a variety of purposes.

If you are a business owner, a coach, a course creator, or an influencer – this may be your platform. If you have been dreaming of building your first online community, or you are ready to make the switch – the Skool community is for you.

On the flip side, the Skool Community is the place for individuals to find the groups they resonate with the most. There’s a variety of Skool community categories that are available. You’ll find the complete list below.

Arts & Crafts
Beauty & Fashion
Business
Cars
E-commerce
Finance
Gaming
Health & Fitness
Love

Health & Fitness
Music
Personal Development
Pets
Productivity
Real Estate
Sales & Marketing
Tech
Travel

My Official 2024 Skool Review

I’ve joined the Skool community since August of 2023. I’ve considered other platforms such as SamCart, Teachable, and Teachery. I was looking for a platform that offers both course and community in one without having having to code or invest a lot of time building it.

However, the one thing that sold me was its community feature. Not just building or joining a single community – but the ability to join as many as I feel compelled to be a member of. Let me break down the features I adore (and you might too).

Private messaging

I really like the direct messaging capability of Skool. You can easily connect with anyone within the community.

Who knows? It could be the place where you meet a future business partner or collaborator.

Skool Event Calendar

With the Skool platform event calendar, you can schedule events (as a group owner) for everyone to see.

It takes reminder workload off your plate and community members can add it to their own calendar with a click of a button.

Vice versa, if you are a member, you can easily see the calendar so you can keep up-to-date on what’s happening in the group you belong in.

Gamification features

Each Skool community has its own unique gamification system of up to nine levels. The person who contributes the most in a specific group gets recognized and gets to put their name in the Leaderboard Hall of Fame.

Who doesn’t love a good level of competition?

Course-specific access

If you are a Skool platform community manager/owner, you can grant specific members access to exclusive classroom content. Meaning, you can have a free community but still have your paid courses or programs within the same community.

As a group member, you can easily switch between communities with a click of a button.

Skool Community Use Case Scenarios

As an up-and-coming membership platform, Skool already has a variety of use case scenarios I can see.

Coaching Programs. If you are a coach thinking of or transitioning to group coaching, this is a great way to do it. You can expand your one-on-one service to a more group-centered approach.
Community Forums. Just like any regular forum software, anyone interested in a more simple and straightforward forum management will find Skool just right.
Customer Support. If you have a business and would like to have your own CRM, Skool is a great choice because of its user-friendliness. It will be easy to navigate for your clients which can increase customer satisfaction. With the private messaging feature, you can provide live support exclusively for paid clients.
Course Membership. The epitome of Skool is by far its course creation feature. Hence, this is perfect for busy course creators who want to publish seamlessly so they can move on to their next task quickly.
Funnel-Building. One can start a free group membership and use it as a marketing advantage by funnelling free clients into paid programs.
Creator Community. For individual creators, this can act the similar to Patreon or Medium.
Exclusive Community. As mentioned, you have the option to choose whether to set your group as free or paid (currently capped at $999). The Private setting keeps outsiders from seeing what’s inside your group. Note that it will still be discoverable in the community directory.
Masterminds. Just like a course community, you can use Skool as a hive for your program mastermind, similar to a course membership.

Skool Alternatives

Skool is still a budding course and community platform. If you are looking for alternatives that have been in the bullpen for some time, the list below should help you.

Circle (starts at $99/mo). Tested by many creators, Circle is a robust platform that is perhaps closest to Skool. It is used by prominent names in the marketing industry such as Pat Flynn and Brendon Burchard. Other than that, I prefer the layout, design, and simplicity of Skool.
UTeach (starts at $0/mo). An affordable alternative to Skool, you can start a community by purchasing the add-on at $29/mo. As you may already know, you get what you pay for, which means there won’t be as many features using the free version.
Teachable (starts at $0/mo). With their community in Beta, you can have a course + community starting at $59/mo.
Kajabi (starts at $149). By far the priciest of all, Kajabi is another excellent alternative to Skool.
Podia (starts at $0/month). Worth mentioning, Podia is another affordable platform that competes with Skool. You can create a free account to test the entire platform. I have taken classes from creators who host their courses here and the interface is nice and clean.
MemberUp (starts at 49/mo). A sleek and modern course + community platform specially made for creators.

If you’re looking to start your own community and you want an easy-to-use platform, I highly recommend Skool. Not only do I find it fun to use, but also highly engaging. There is less interface clutter and more user engagement.

Would you like to try it?
If you use 👇 my link to start your Skool Community, I will help you set it up and give you a walkthrough of the platform. Plus, I will give you the image templates I used for my own community.

TL;DR

If you skimmed (and I’m judging) the article, here’s the summary for you. The Skool platform is a course and community building place for creators, business owners, and individuals. It’s a great alternative to Facebook groups, Thinkific, or Circle. Despite it still being new in the market, it has garnered thousands of users worldwide and it just keeps improving year after year.

Credits Thanks to Doug for letting me use our chat as an example.