If you want to be an author, join book clubs and literary festivals.
If you want to be a public speaker, join Toastmasters, speaker networks (or join my next Public Speaking Bootcamp 😉)
If you want to run faster, join a run club and a community of runners.
One of the biggest hacks I know for growing and improving faster across anything in business and in life is to surround yourself with people who are chasing your same goals. Passion and motivation are contagious and you will learn from those who are two steps ahead of you.
That’s why this week, I hosted my Business Roundtables for premium members (2 sessions to make it inclusive for all my members across the world): a global gathering of creative entrepreneurs across different fields: book writing, financial empowerment for women, change management, nutrition, courage, retirement planning, digital marketing and more.
The goal was to bring creative entrepreneurs together to discuss trends, share new projects, brainstorm on common issues and find ways to collaborate.
“Together we run further” and we also become better entrepreneurs.
The group was also very diverse in their journeys in the creative space: some work full-time, others are retired, some live 100% of their creativity and some are just getting started but everyone is passionate about building their own thing.
The recordings are exclusive for my paid subscribers but here are some of the takeaways from both sessions that will help you with the mindset and strategy to grow your own creative business:
7 lightbulb moments
1. Digital fatigue is real
There is a general trend towards being more intentional and mindful and doing less. Readers and consumers are not craving more content. They are craving connection, real stories, and collaboration with like-minded people.
Our goal as writers and creators is to cut through the clutter and find something unique that adds value beyond AI and helps you stand out.
No one is looking for more notifications: they want deeper, better. Less volume and more impact.
2. Normalizing plateaus
Growth in the digital space always comes in phases of acceleration, followed by flat periods. Those moments are normal: in life, in the stock market, in your body and in your business.
Don’t feel guilty or ashamed. Take them as opportunities to pause, observe, reflect and make adjustments. Your writing also needs to breathe.
3. Personalization wins
In a world that is automating everything, a personal touch goes a long way. Magdalena Ponurska, the most recent Substack Bestseller in my community shared some best practices that helped her not only break though (she now has almost 8,000 subscribers) but build a deeper connection with her readers:
- One-to-one DMs
- Personalized replies to every comment
- Remembering personal details their birthday or where they are from
4. The magic of building your community
You don’t need a huge audience to call it a community. You can have a small room with people who are engaged and passionate about what you write about and scale from there.
It takes longer but investing in a healthy foundation early on helps you attract the right people for the right reasons. You can start small with intimate workshops and use the group chat and even the comments section to create a real conversation.
Small is beautiful too.
5. Don’t be afraid to pivot
My business is nothing like what it used to be when I started 3 years ago (and neither will yours): I have new products and services, a brand new approach to building my community and even pivoted to make public speaking a core pillar in my offer.
Change is scary but necessary and there no failure: it’s a win or a lesson. Margaret Williams, MS, ACC shared how she evolved from written content only to podcasts and interviews leading to faster growth by reaching new audiences.
Pivoting can mean refining your topic, exploring new formats or even venturing into new channels (I use my LinkedIn account to grow my public speaking business and Substack for my creative business).
6. Collaboration is acceleration
We exchanged best practices to partner with others in the creative space: how to identify the right collaborators and how to pitch successfully. Some tips:
- Start from within: Focus on the people who are already connected with you and build the relationships first.
- Host first: People are more likely to say yes when you invite them first for a podcast, interview, Guest Post…
- Have a win-win mindset: Always think about how the other person can benefit from the collaboration. Make the “yes” a no-brainer for them.
- Don’t focus only on big creators: a small, engaged partner who is 100% behind the collaboration will make more impact than a big name who does nothing to promote the initiative.
7. A new trend
There is a clear shift from one-way events (webinars, masterclasses…) to more interactive formats where participants share, connect and learn from each other. Group gatherings such as Masterminds, workshops, cohorts and bootcamps tap into the community and give a sense of teamwork and camaraderie that many entrepreneurs and solopreneurs are looking for.
To get a sense of how to host paid group sessions, you can take a look at my Substack dedicated to training, The Lemon Tree Academy🌳🍋🎓
PS: I would love to hear from you!
What was your biggest takeaway from the roundtable?
Finding your tribe
I’m not doing justice to the conversation at all because the gem is in the context, the nuances and the personal insights, but this gives you a teaser so that you know how powerful finding your tribe can be.
The next Business Roundtable will take place in August (taking a summer break) and I can’t wait to bring this incredible talent together again and add new smiles to the picture!
Below are the participants and their topics so that you can connect, exchange ideas, collaborate, and plant new lemon trees 🌳🍋
Group America/ Asia:
Steven Kelly: The Lightbulb Moment (Change Management)
Magdalena Ponurska: Courage to Create (Courage)
Flame & Flare | Simla Somturk: Flame & Flare: Where Peri-Menopause and Autoimmune Collide (Women wellbeing)
Jelena Kecmanovic, PhD: Domestic and Other Delusions (Relationships and Gender)
Margaret Williams, MS, ACC: The Ewpowered Leader (Empowerment for marginalized women)
Anna Dahland: Write and Grow with Anna(Writing)
Rosemary DeSena: (Poems, everyday joy) English and Spanish
Colleen Schaefgen: Create a Joyful Retirement (Non-financial aspects of retirement)
Karen Retardo, RN, ICF-PCC: The Conscious Nursepreneur (Leadership for nursepreneurs)
Group Europe/ Australia:
Neera Mahajan: Author Circle (Book authoring)
Katja Groesser: (Financial Empowerment for Women - German)
Sophie Guénon, MS: Wellness with Sophie (Nutrition)
Peter Mukherjee (Youth/ Young professional career development)
Jean.A.T. : Lazy by Nature (Digital Marketing)
