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Where community strategy
meets intentionality.

Online Community Strategy and Marketing
for Startups, Nonprofits, and Associations

Community Building using
Ecosystems with Pamela Slim

In this episode of the Community Strategy Podcast, you’ll hear an interview with Pamela Slim, an author, business coach, and co-founder of the Main Street Learning Lab in Mesa, Arizona.

Since 2005, Pam has advised thousands of entrepreneurs and companies serving small businesses. Pam has written three books: Escape from Cubicle Nation (named Best Small Business and Entrepreneur book of 2009 by 800 CEO Read), Body of Work (2014 with Penguin Portfolio), and her latest, The Widest Net (2021 with McGraw Hill).

2016 Pam launched the Main Street Learning Lab in Mesa, Arizona, a grassroots, community-based think tank for small business economic acceleration.

Episode Show Notes

2:01 Pamela started her blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation, to help people who wanted to leave corporate jobs. She wrote the book Body of Work, which shares ideas and concepts about turning life lessons into a meaningful and impactful service or product. She shared her experiences traveling, living abroad, and building a business. 

5:54 Community building can be seen as an additional thing to do, a nice thing to do, in addition to business. Still, Pamela explains that a community must be built on business principles. 

7:15 Deb shares the challenge as a creator, community builder, and now, as an author and podcaster, many things still need to be clarified about monetizing a community. Pam shares that it takes a targeted approach to dial in on the exact method, process, and ways to make money that are changing all the time effectively. 

9:36 Pamela sees a trend that business owners are looking to go deep and shift in the marketplace. She shares that a big audience isn’t necessarily what so many seek right now; it’s about working more deeply with fewer clients. 

15:01 Empire versus Ecosystems culture – An empire culture’s main Focus is getting what you need and want, meaning transactional tactics with the primary purpose of having personal and business profitability. An ecosystem is more focused on a culture with a passion for solving problems and united in better understanding and solving problems. 

17:02 It’s not a choice between money or no money, Pam says, but it’s not a tactic; it’s essential to build non-transactional relationships. Deb shares how vital and valuable shared wisdom is to bringing community leaders together. 

22:33 Community builders and business owners can create services that offer a solution to a problem they see they can currently solve. Still, it may only be for a while—finding a way to share messages and build relationships differently. 

24:40 Asking how I can help others grow is a way to share and build relationships authentically. Find a well-thought-out business model centered on the problem you are passionate about, and within the ecosystem are people who are supportive and need what you are doing. 

30:39 Deb shares that she’s learned to simplify things with clear and specific language regarding content creation, building business services, and sharing product offers. 

33:35 Community memberships have to have a purpose and are easy to understand. A thriving membership looks like a host who understands the concepts of belonging, inclusion, and the purpose of why people gather. 

41:21 There are ways to create revenue outside of teaching and education, but the market changes over time. Pamela shared the podcast 7-Figure Small, which she has found valuable to learn about other working programs. Also, I use Free Time with Jenny Blake to create efficient operations, implement time, and focus on more space to think. Deb mentioned The Lean Startup, another book she’s working through to develop and improve systems. 

44:48 Focus on what brings you joy during transition times and growth stages. It’s okay, and you should take time off for fun. 

 

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