One conversation this week really made us stop and reflect. A community builder shared that she's making great connections...but they aren't her ideal clients. At first glance, that can feel disappointing. But what if we're measuring the wrong outcome? What if that connection becomes... 💙A collaborator. 💙A guest speaker. 💙A referral partner. 💙A podcast guest. 💙An accountability partner. 💙A mentor. 💙A lifelong friend. Maybe communities create far more value than we often give them credit for. As we've been studying communities over the past few weeks, we're beginning to realize that outcomes aren't always immediate, sometimes they're surprising, and they aren't always financial. Sometimes the greatest outcome is simply meeting the right person at the right time.🧑‍🤝‍🧑 💭 Research Question: 🤔How do you define a valuable connection? 🤔Has someone in a community ever opened a door for you that had nothing to do with becoming a customer?

Here's a small shift that changes everything about how a week feels. Most of us end the week asking, "Did it work? Was I right?" But researchers, the people who study things for a living, don't ask that. They ask a better question: What did I learn? It takes the pressure off being right and puts it on getting wiser, and a builder who gets a little wiser every week is unstoppable, even in the weeks when nothing seems to "work." So that's today's reflection: What's one thing you understand about your community today that you didn't understand on Monday? Could be something that worked, something that flopped, something a member said, or something you figured out about yourself. A flop you learned from counts double. Drop it below, and let's celebrate the progress that doesn't always show up as a win.

We've reached the end of our first week, and I want to do what researchers do. Not declare what we've figured out, but name what we're starting to see. These aren't conclusions. They're observations. Things worth holding up to the light and looking at together. ONE. We don't all mean the same thing by "outcome." For some of us, an outcome is a specific result for a specific member. For others, still shaping what they're building, it's about their own next step and their own clarity. Same word, different starting lines. And I'm noticing that where you stand changes everything about what the word even means. TWO. Most of us measure activity and hope for transformation. When I asked how we know members are making progress, we reached for the visible stuff. They log in, they comment, they show up. But when we describe what we actually want for them, it's something deeper, and it doesn't always live in the same place we're looking. I keep wondering if we've been counting one thing while hoping for another. THREE We overthink, and it slows us down. This one we admitted out loud on the call. We wait for the perfect plan before we help anyone. And the moment we started talking about experimenting instead, trying one small thing rather than getting it all right, the whole energy shifted. Progress really does seem to beat perfection. None of these are settled, and they're not only mine to notice. So, before the week closes, I'd love to hear from you. 💙Which of these three lands most for you as you look at your own community? 💙Or is there something you're seeing that I've missed? Because the best observations this week haven't come from me. They've come from you. Next week, we start to move. We'll take what we're noticing together and begin testing small experiments designed to help our members actually move forward. No perfect plans. Just one small thing at a time, and a chance to see what happens. Thank you for a genuinely good first week. Let's keep noticing, together.

Welcome to our very first Common Ground. Every Friday, we'll ask one simple question. Not about algorithms. Not about engagement. Not about growing your community. Just a question designed to help us discover the people behind the communities we're building. Because sometimes the strongest connections begin with two simple words. "Me too." Today's question: What did you do before you started building your community? Were you a teacher? A nurse? In healthcare? Corporate? Military? Stay-at-home parent? Business owner? Something completely unexpected? Share a little about your journey. We'd love to hear your story. For a little extra fun: Start your comment with 3 emojis (or a GIF) that represent your previous career, then tell us what they mean (or let us guess 🤗). Or skip the emojis and jump right into your story. Either way, we're excited to get to know you better. You never know who might discover they have more in common with you than they realized. 💛

Hi @Sybil Hall 🤗 Welcome to Skoolology! 🌟 We're so excited you're here. You've built communities, created products, and helped so many people, so we're especially looking forward to learning alongside you. I know one of your biggest goals right now is growing your community, and that's exactly what we're exploring together here. Skoolology is our living research lab. We'll be testing ideas, sharing what's working (and what isn't), and helping each other build communities people genuinely want to be part of. I hope you'll jump into the conversations, share your experiences, challenge our thinking, and let us cheer you on as your community grows. Welcome! We're so glad you're here. 💙