How to Grow and Build a Paid Community
Behind the Scenes of WOC Podcasters
Announcements
How to Get Sponsors Workshop
This is a Paid Workshop
When: Sunday, April 27 at 4:00 pm MTN/6:00 pm EST
Cost: $47 (replay will be available for 1 month)
Reserve your seat here
Paying Subscriber Coworking/ Q&A Days
Monday, April 21, 2025 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST
Monday, April 28, 2025 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST
Paying Subscriber Monetization Hot Seat
DM me via Substack to let me know if you would like to be the first person in the hot seat. We’ll do this “live”
How to Work With Brands Workshop
(All Subscribers)
Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST (via Zoom) Zoom link will be sent closer to that date.
Building a community can be so rewarding. You’re typically united behind an area of focus, belief or interest. You’re uplifting one another and geeking out about the growth of whatever it is you’re excited about. In fact, there is a reason why I refer to Creators Getting Paid as a community. It’s by design. I love meeting the different incredible people who are trying to figure out what’s the best way to build sustainable platforms, resources and spaces for the people that they serve.
My absolute favorite thing is to meet and hang out with community members randomly in the wild. In the past two weeks that included hanging out with
in Chicago and Charles and here in Denver. Meeting the people that I working to uplift helps to energize me when times are hard.Today I thought I would share some tips on how to build community both online and offline. I’m also sharing a recent conversation with
and co-owner of WOC Podcasters.If you’re thinking about building a community it’s my hope that these tips and the conversation helps you to build a space that brings both your community members and YOU joy.
While getting paid.
Remember, this is Creators Getting Paid LOL! So, the goal is always to earn a sustainable income that allows you to sustain your work and yourself.
Affiliate Disclosure
“In order for me to support this newsletter, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please note: As an Amazon Associate I may earn income from qualifying purchases that you may make if you interact with an Amazon Affiliate link associated with Creators Getting Paid”
5 Tips for Building a Unified and Joyful Community
Offline and Online
What is Your Unique Community Unifier?
For Creators Getting Paid, it’s in the name and the description. 'I’m looking to uplift and serve online content creators designing impactful resources/spaces or events with the goal of amplifying their work and growing their income. These creators want to grow their impact and earn a healthy living at the same time. Having a unique community unifier helps people to opt-in or head towards a community that’s a better fit. Here are some additional examples below:
Black Women Stitch-A community of Black women unified around the love of sewing
Latinas in Podcasting-A community unified in the uplifting the voices of Latinas via the medium of podcasting.
Trektivism-A community unified in the ideals shared in the Star Trek universe. Side note: The Star Wars fandom continues to be so problematic.
What is Free and What is Paid?
Building a community and deciding on charging your community can feel really scary. You’ll find yourself working through the following questions:
How to communicate value and the cost of that value to your members. This is an ongoing conversation.and area of evaluation for me. Right now this looks like the following:
Free content such as: Quarterly meetings, podcast episodes, some resources and the “Shhh, We’re Talking” livestream with Corey Gumbs founder of the Black Podcasters Association and
and of Please Hustle Responsibly andPaid Content-Monthly meetings, Hot Seats, access to creator interviews
Grey Zone-At times there are items such as mini courses, workshops or webinars that I sell to both the free and paid tiers.
If you’re wondering about the following question “Does your audience have the money to make purchases from you?” Typically the answer is yes…but, there are several factors that go into someone saying “yes” to what you’re selling.
Community Design
This is a broad concept. However, community design is so important. Here are some of the things that I think about as I build and grow Creators Getting Paid.
How community members can talk to me and to other folks in the community. This is an especially important area of focus because Creators Getting Paid is a digital and in-person community.
Opportunities to meet in-person and online-What can you keep up with as the community host that will meet member needs and not burn you out?
What resources do you offer to your members?
Closed community interface
Newsletter content
In-person events*
Conferences
Intensives
Random fun
Community member shout outs
Coaching-One on One/Group or both
Podcast content
Worksheets
Courses/Workshops
Reject Corporate Community Design
As the curator and founder of a community-think outside of the box. Have fun with how you envision your community structure and experience. I’m sharing some examples:
Meet at local coffee shops
Stargaze
Go to puppy yoga together
Design a retreat
Have a ski weekend
Hiking
Hike and hot springs soak
Spa day
Local museum experience
Dance class
Take a fun maker class or host one (bring in a maker)
Sewing
Cross Stitch
Candle Making
Soap
Chocolate
You get the picture-have fun with the people in your community.
Caution
Building a thriving paid community means that you have to be aware of a couple of important things:
You need to be constantly building your list-This is basically prospecting for new community members. It may also take YEARS for them to make a spending decision.
Eventually your community members may leave-Their journey with you may end because of a change in focus, aspirations or they need a new guide to the next point on their journey. More often than not, these former community members are still avid brand advocates for the work that you’re doing.
Always talk to your community-They will tell you everything that you need to know.
Free or Paid-Love on your community members at whatever point that they’re at creatively. It’s so weird to me how some creators talk down free subscribers or folks who’re in the free tier.
It might not be the right time in their growth journey to make a purchase from you.
They could be broke right now. Money ebbs and flows and later they may have money flowing back to them.
You haven’t offered a solution to their problem that they’re looking to pay for.
Are You a Woman of Color Podcaster?
Watch the Following Interview
I’m so excited to share the following conversation that I had with Sasha Willis co-owner of WOC Podcasters which is part of Atabey & CO.
In addition to designing a community to uplift the voices of women of color in podcasting, Atabey & CO also is home of The Network, Podcasters Digest Newsletter and guest matching “The WOC Sisterhood Connect” and The WOC Directory. Check out these amazing resources to help your podcast grow and connect with incredible thought-leaders and creatives designing impactful work.
