Over the past 13 years, without actually realizing it, I was building a community. In the beginning all I wanted to do was host events that bring people together, to connect and engage, as I knew that when women get together, magic happens. I never set out thinking “I am going to build a community”. It is something that happened organically.
In her book, The Art of Relevance, Nina Simon states: “A community is a group of people who share something in common. You can define a community by the shared attributes of the people in it and/or by the strength of the connections among them. You need a bunch of people who are alike in some way, who feel some sense of belonging or interpersonal connection.”
I have been blessed to be in a position where I have forged many strong business and personal bonds over the years – I found my tribe!
Last year I was introduced to another amazing community, Bloggers Engagement & Growth – a private ladies only community for women that work online. I didn’t sign up to the community straight away, as truth to be told, I am a little blog-shy. However, I joined this year and I have been blown away with the hard work that has gone into building this community.
Bloggers Engagement & Growth is the brainchild of Digital Marketer, Blogger and Online Influencer, Lynne Huysamen. Bloggers Engagement & Growth is a private ladies only community for women that work online.
What they hope to achieve:
“We plan to build a thriving community – a tribe of women that are passionate about helping each other achieve their goals online.
Our community is based on a points system that rewards the valuable members for their efforts.”
Being part of this community has reminded me how important it is to build your tribe. It takes a community to build a business. No one builds a business on their own. We all need a community to support us.
Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey. When times are tough, and I can’t see the wood from the trees, it is my tribe that gets me through these challenging times.
Here are some tips to finding and building your tribe:
- Be clear on what you are looking for. What kind of support system are you looking for? A networking organization to build lasting business relationships or a blogging community to help you grow your social reach?
- Research all the organizations that support your goal. Once you have found a few organizations, find out if they share the same values, ethics and common goal as you do. It is important that you resonate with them.
- Surround yourself with like-minded people. Does the organization or group value integrity and authenticity? Visit or engage with the organization to find out if it is a good fit for you and your business. You will not resonate with all of them, and that’s okay! Interacting with the community will determine if you have found your tribe and if it is a good fit for you.
- Nurture and build your Tribe. Once you have found your tribe, invite others that you feel will also find value from the group. Share the love on Social Media to grow the community. Engage with the community and support them, as they will in turn, be there for you.
Take the time to find YOUR tribe. And once you have found It, ensure that you nurture the relationships and value them.
I invite you to join my tribe and Bloggers Engagement & Growth.
Let me know in the comments below if you know of any other amazing communities out there.
