I've discovered something about myself while working on our Stop Posting. Start Connecting. research project. I love getting to know people. Starting conversations, learning about what someone is building, finding common ground, and developing genuine relationships. That's the part I truly enjoy. But I've been wrestling with what comes next. How do we help a genuine connection develop without making the relationship feel like a sales pitch? I don't want to send unsolicited promotional DMs. I don't want someone wondering whether I was only interested in getting to know them because I wanted something. And I certainly don't want to disregard the expectations of another community I'm participating in. But I also know that if we never share what we're building, people may never discover how we could help one another. So where's the balance? I've been exploring this through Lynne Vella's Connect & Grow cohort, and it's giving me plenty to think about. One thing I'm realizing is that not every connection is supposed to lead to a new member. Someone might not be the right fit for Skoolology but could be a wonderful collaborator, referral partner, or friend. Maybe I can introduce them to someone who needs what they offer. Maybe they have something to teach me. Maybe we discover an opportunity to create something together. Or maybe we simply enjoy getting to know one another. Those relationships matter, too. But here's what I'm still trying to figure out. How do we recognize when there's a natural next step, and what might that step look like? That's what I'd love to investigate together this week. When you've made a genuine connection with someone in another community, what helped that relationship develop? Was there a conversation, an introduction, an invitation, a collaboration, or something you didn't expect? And how did you know it was appropriate to take that next step? I'd especially love to hear about approaches you've actually tried and what happened.

Here I am in the very messy middle....again! I feel like I've had multiple evolutions of self over the last couple of months, and even coming back after this weekend, it feels like something has shifted within me again. The overall reason and motivation for my community is the same and that excites me a lot, but something is feeling really messy and a little unaligned when it comes to how my posts and community structure reflect this. If I am feeling this, I can't help but think my members may be feeling this too? ⭐ My Vision: A world where people feel capable of creating lives that reflect what matters to them, with everyday choices contributing to healthier homes, stronger communities, creating the life of their dreams, and regenerating land. ⭐ My Purpose: Start Small. Live Well. helps consciously curious people explore practical changes, find what works in their own lives, and build confidence through shared learning and encouragement. ⭐ My community is all about personal growth and regenerating land and life. I'm just trying to figure out a new approach to posting in my community and my monthly experiment where it feels really authentic to me. Every time I have shared in other groups via telling my story this has had a really good response, so I'm wondering if this could be a clue for me. I am feeling like it's time to experiment with some different approaches until I find something that feels really natural and authentic to me. Just posting in here to keep myself accountable, to ensure I play with some different ideas and make some changes, so I don't just overthink and procrastinate. While my community is still free, I feel like this is the perfect time to get curious and get to work creating something really amazing. Thanks for seeing me in my messy middle!

I want to introduce you to another side of someone you may already know here in Skoolology. @Arnold Wong founder of Builders Together. Todd and I recently sat down with Arnold for Behind the Build, and what had the greatest impression on me wasn't a growth strategy or a business lesson. It was his story. Growing up, Arnold sometimes struggled to find his people. He wondered why friendships seemed easier for others and whether something was wrong with him. Eventually, he discovered something important. He didn't need to become someone else. He needed to find people who appreciated him for who he was. That experience is helping shape the community he's building today. Arnold wants people to have room to discover their own direction, build genuine relationships, and grow without feeling pressured to keep up with someone else's timeline. And I love something he shared about letting people bloom in their own time. Because I wonder how often we forget to give ourselves that same permission. We also learned some fun things about Arnold, including his rather unusual Halloween job! Arnold, thank you for letting us get to know the person behind Builders Together. I'm so glad you're part of Skoolology. We've added Arnold's story to our Behind the Build Classroom, along with his interview and ways to connect with him. Read Arnold's feature here. I'd love to hear from everyone... Are you giving yourself the same patience you give the people you're helping grow?

I spotted a post from @Mikael Van gogh in Skoolers, and I couldn't resist bringing a little celebration over here!🎉 His community is just over a month old. 22 members. Ranked #160 in his category. What a great first month! 🎉 What I really appreciate is his self-reflection. Mikael shared that one of the most interesting parts of building his community has been discovering how much he's growing personally by showing up every day. Mikael, I love that you're noticing this!❣️ Sometimes we're so busy measuring how our communities are growing that we forget to notice how much WE are growing along with them. The confidence we didn't have a month ago. The things we're learning to do that once felt intimidating. The connections we never expected to make. The little moments when we realize we can actually do this. Mikael, congratulations! I'm excited about what you're building, but I'm just as excited about what you're discovering along the way. ❤️ Y'all know I have a question! 🤔 What's something you've learned about YOURSELF since you started building your community? Let's celebrate the builders, too! ❤️

This week I have 5 new members in Stronger 2gether and 4 in Neurodiverse Learning Hub!