Lessons from My Journey on Building A Community
Plus A Black Friday Deal
Astrology Inspired Community Insights
Just for fun, the other day I asked ChatGPT what my community strategy should be based on my astrological moon sign which is Pisces. I recommend trying it out and see what resonates with your unique leadership style!
It came up with numerous suggestions including ones I was already doing which was a nice confirmation…such as:
Foster a sense of collective purpose - such as amplifying members’ visibility, co-creating impactful projects, or supporting personal and professional evolution.
Create a sense of belonging - Build a community that feels safe, nurturing and inclusive.
Host immersive experiences - Focus on creating experiences that feel magical, otherworldly, or profoundly insightful.
Lead with emotional connection - Share authentic stories that evoke emotion and inspiration.
Redefining Community Through Alignment
Building a community has been a rewarding yet challenging journey thus far. While creating spaces, experiences and a sense of belonging feels natural to me, I've learned that community-building requires a deeper level of discernment—especially when it comes to who belongs.
So…I’ve had to redefine this space through better alignment with its original intentions and values. It is designed to empower leaders who are actively scaling their businesses while deepening their self-awareness and understanding of the broader journey of life. It’s about bringing together individuals with a collective mindset that embraces collaboration, shared opportunities, and meaningful contribution.
The focus is on creating a space where experienced individuals come together to exchange solutions, rather than one-sidedly unload personal challenges or passively consume.
This alignment ensures the community's energy remains empowering and forward-focused. To uphold this vision, we will need to rethink our approach to enrollment— to honor the promise and intention behind the space.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."
— Coretta Scott King
The Value of Intimacy: Honoring the Depth of Small Gatherings
One of my key realizations in building this community is that intimacy is its defining strength. Unlike larger groups where conversations often stay surface-level, a smaller, curated gathering creates space for deeper, more meaningful exchanges. It fosters trust, vulnerability, and genuine connection—essential ingredients for transformative growth and collaboration.
This has also underscored the importance of valuing such a space appropriately. Intimacy isn’t just about size; it’s about the quality of the experience, the depth of relationships, and the effort it takes to curate the right mix of members and hold space for authentic dialogue.
Undervaluing intimate spaces risks losing the essence that makes them impactful. Honoring the energy invested and the value created ensures that the space remains a place of profound connection and growth.
It’s not simply about setting a price—it’s about fostering a shared understanding of the commitment and respect required to maintain this depth. When participants value the space as much as its creator, it becomes a powerful environment where every voice matters, and every interaction sparks transformation.
What do you value most in community? Share your thoughts with us:
The Power of Focused Micro-Consistency
While our chat forum had admittedly fizzled out, there was an important realization: micro-consistency in certain rituals helps anchor a community. For us, it was our events—regular, manageable touch-points—that maintained momentum and kept our community engaged. These small, consistent efforts created a reliable foundation that people could depend on, even when other elements weren’t fully thriving.
Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, focus on the rituals and activities that align with your strengths and the core values of your community.
This shift in perspective taught me the value of focused micro-consistency—choosing one or two small, meaningful actions you can sustain over time and truly enjoy. Trying to do too much at once often leads to burnout and a diluted impact, both for you and your community. By narrowing your focus to manageable, high-impact efforts, you create space for growth that feels organic and intentional.
The beauty of micro-consistency lies in its scalability. Rolling out initiatives one at a time, starting small, allows you to establish a rhythm without the pressure to be perfect or to meet every expectation. Over time, these consistent actions—however small—become the bedrock of trust and engagement within your community.
Choosing the Right Platform to Support Your Community Vision
I’ve also realized that the platform you choose is crucial in bringing your vision to life. It starts with clarifying the intention behind your community and identifying the features you need to create the experience you envision. Once that foundation is set, you can select the software that best supports your goals.
Speaking of intentional tools, if you're actively building your community, courses or coaching programs, I had to share Heartbeat's Black Friday deal!
They offer all the features I value—payments, course hub, discussions, events, and workflows—making it the perfect platform for intentional engagement and consumption of content. I’ve also been a big fan of the platform’s intuitive UI and seamless usability.
Their deal gives you 50% off a 6-mo package + monthly office hours with their team and an accountability group to help you launch faster.
Here's the link (expires on Monday 12/2): https://heartbeat.chat/black-friday?via=michele-parad
Plus, their CEO is doing a live walkthrough on Friday to answer any questions you might have:
Are you looking for an intentional space to CoCreate? Then join our community - a group of spiritually minded and multidimensional leaders working together to grow ourselves and the world at large. With marketing opportunities, monthly happy hours, live workshops, a community forum and more, you will find ample opportunities to promote and collaborate with like-minded leaders.