Leaning into Commmunity

In 2026

I’ve just returned from watching The National Western Stock Show kick off parade here in Denver. The Stock Show started in 1906 and I love being a part of this long and unexpected tradition. Tradition, experiences and connected spaces have been on my mind…especially as the United States continues to sink deeper into what we’re dealing with now.

We’re going to need people in 2026.

Real people who aren’t just experienced in an abstract way solely online. If there’s a way for us to connect in real life, do it (safely). I keep wanting to break bread with like-minded people, volunteering to help those who need support, roaming the mountains with other folks-I’m tired of feeling so alone in this moment. This need for real connected experiences even influenced my decision to start a Meetup group here in Denver and The Creator Income Collective, my membership community that I now host on Slack (it’s $9 a month). Doors will reopen again at the end of January, or beginning of February.

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Community In 2026

Because Creators Getting Paid is a newsletter written and designed for creators leveraging the internet to building connections across state and intra-state lines, I wanted to reflect on what it means to build community both in person and digitally this year during unprecedented times. Real talk, I’m tired of the word “unprecedented” but I’m also tired of people ignoring or avoiding the elephant in the room. You know what’s going on over here (as I wave my arms wildly)

What Is Community?

Community is both a verb and a noun. It can take many forms such as the following.

Doubling, quadrupling or even quintupling our marketing efforts through collaboration.

One of the most successful things that I did in 2025 was collaborate with Angela Hollowell founder of Melanin MVP /Please Hustle Responsibly and Corey Gumbs founder of BlkPodNews™ and Black Podcasters Association™ Given how mentally tired I was in 2025, there’s no way I would have experienced the level of growth both personally and professionally without these two awesome people. By the way, our Substack livestream “Shh, We’re Talking” returns on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST

Growing Your Lists

If you’ve spent the last 2, 3 or even 5 years building out and growing your brand and don’t have an email list or newsletter-you’re seriously risking your business and brand in 2026. Especially if you’re a member of a marginalized community (as you define it) and are currently heavily relying on social media to get in front of the people that you serve. There is a very real threat of content shadowbans, profile removal and other catastrophic actions that could end the work and mission that you’re focused on. Growing your list of community members is a non-negotiable task in 2026. Not sure how you should go about doing this? I’m hosting the following workshop “How to Grow Your Email List in 2026” this month on two different dates (pick the day that works best for you). Reserve your spot today. I should hit 5,000 subscribers by the end of February and currently have the goal of reaching 10,000 subscribers by the end of 2026. I’m going to share the ins and outs of list growth, monetization and content design to encourage organic list growth in the workshop.

Connecting People to Opportunities

One of my absolute favorite resources is Danielle Desir Corbett’s Grants For Creators. Because of that resource, I was an AIR Media Fellow in the spring of 2025. You don’t have to produce a newsletter to connect people with opportunity. You could literally just tag people to the opportunity randomly while scrolling your favorite social media feeds. Or, email or DM a person that you think would be a fantastic fit for something. Also, connecting your favorite people with amazing resources that will help them do the work that they’re doing.

Hosting Joyful and Joyfield Experiences

There’s a reason why I decided to launch a meetup here in Denver. There are so many things happening that we’re forgetting that joy is an important part of building and sustaining hope. In the endless onslaught of stories leaving me asking “What in the hell is going on?!” I want to counter those stories with the following experiences:

• Going hiking and exploring nature with other creative entrepreneurs in town.

• Watching an epic Denver Nuggets game

• Being a part of the first group of fans to watch the Denver Summit FC (women’s professional soccer team) in Denver.

• Walking through the Museum for Black Girls at the Denver Pavilions. You can listen to the following podcast episode where I share 3 Lessons Learned from the Founders of the Museum for Black Girls that every creative entrepreneur should reflect on.

Community, ultimately is both a noun and a verb and I believe that in 2026 it’s going to be vitally important to connect with depth in mind. Superficial connections, rightfully, will get you nowhere in 2026 because at the heart of really being in community with the people that you’re looking to serve, support and befriend is the following…

TRUST.

It’s hard to TRUST people that you don’t know. If you’re positioned 100% online and are the face of your brand, start thinking about how you can safely meet with the people that you serve.

Some food for thought,

Michelle