If you do, you're going to give up at research stage. Or create something that only works in your own head. Like that guy who spent a lot of money on a toilet that plays music (true story). I gave up on a lot of good ideas for communities and businesses because there were already people doing that. Silly me. Fortunatelly I learned the lesson and started doing what every business owner does. I copy what is currently working and keep improving and adding my personality into it. Sometimes I accidentally create something original but that's never the goal. I just try to do something that I know it works. And sometimes I take risks but just for fun. My own community is a copy of this one. @Shannon Boyer showed me self promotion groups could be great and I wanted to have my own. So I build Roast & Promote with my own personality and skills being applied at it. And it worked for me because that's just something that people want, despite already existing and being managed by other great people. But there are some skills/humor/personality that only I can provide.

True story 👇 👉

Isn't this what we are all after? During the CLASSIFIEDS VIP Showcase next week, we will be focusing on how you can do all three of these things. Our amazing cohort of VIP members, who all run successful businesses, will be sharing their expertise in live (human!) sessions and panel discussions. It's a great way to connect, learn from others, ask questions, and get involved. I've created a Behind-The-Scenes video to show you inside the classroom with more information about the presentations because you actually have to temporarily join another community to get access. So, check out the presentations, click to join, and then take action when the doors open on Sunday. Presentations will be happening Nov 1-3. Have questions? Please drop them in the comments below!

I woke up this morning to this: 8 ads running, and they look pretty good! Something else new also happened. For the first time since this community opened in August 2025, I've had NO new members all day. We'll see what the rest of the day brings, and I'll keep you updated! @Éva Raposa @Des Dreckett Here you go! 😉

The CLASSIFIEDS is now a paid community. 🤩 I've said since the beginning that community owners shouldn't make business decisions based on Growth Boost, and I strongly believe that to this day, but there were several reasons why optimizing for GB was in the best interest of this business. Here are my thoughts, in no particular order... 1. I have always kept this community free because I wanted it to be accessible, especially for new community builders. At only $2/month and a proven track record, I feel that is still true. 2. I have to keep GB on for this community because the Skool Network provides more than 50% of our members and Discovery is very important for our growth. 3. There were never any ads for this community. Increasing the percentage to 50 or even 70% didn't make a difference - it only resulted in my paying more of my profits to Skool. I've since learned that is because free and freemium communities are only rarely boosted. 4. The CLASSIFIEDS vacillates between a level 3 and a level 4 on Growth Boost, which would be ah-mazing except for the fact that being freemium gives us ZERO benefits. 5. I just learned that @Éva Raposa made a community a one time fee of $2 and got ads! 🤯 So, given all these factors, like I said, I believe it is the best interest for the long-term growth and prosperity of this group to go paid, but for a minimal fee. Let me know your thoughts below. I'll keep you updated with the progress (or lack thereof!). And, does this mean I have to put my picture on the thumbnail now??? 😩