Description:
In this episode of The Builders Podcast, host Matt Levenhagen converses with Carol Tice, a digital nomad and expert in developing thriving online communities. Delving into the intricacies of starting and growing paid communities, Carol shares her journey from freelance writer to the founder of a successful online business.
She highlights the pivotal moments that led to her success, the innovative strategies she used to boost membership, and her transition towards guiding others in creating impactful online spaces.
The conversation pivots around the evolving landscape of online communities, emphasizing their importance in today's business world. Carol discusses the benefits of paid communities, including creating stable income streams and engaging in meaningful work without an overemphasis on marketing. Driven by real experiences and examples, Carol explains the critical steps in building a community: from initial idea validation and audience building to leveraging existing networks and affiliate marketing. Her insights underscore the vitality of nurturing a community where passion translates into prolonged success.
Key Takeaways:
- Simplicity in Tools: The choice of community platforms like Skool, which integrates essential functionalities seamlessly, can simplify the complexities associated with running an online community.
- Passion-Driven Engagement: Building a community around what you love creates sustainable growth and genuine engagement.
- Affiliate and Legacy Memberships: Leveraging affiliate programs and offering legacy low-cost memberships can drive retention and steady expansion.
- Diverse Community Ideas: Your community doesn’t have to match your day job—it can stem from personal interests or complementary passions.
- Transitioning Leadership: Structuring your community to eventually operate without you sets it up as a sellable, standalone business.
Carol Tice
Carol Tice is the founder of Community Growth Academy on Skool. Her previous community, Freelance Writers Den, grew to 1,500 paying members over a decade, generating $6 million across the life of the business.
She sold the Den in 2021 and she now travels in her RV with her husband while she helps coaches, consultants, and other experts build their own communities with help from Community Growth Academy.
THE MEAT OF IT!
- Introduction
- Why burnout leads many founders to seek new models
- Carol Tice’s journey from writing to building thriving communities
- The Power of Community as a Business Model
- How communities create leverage (and why it beats solo selling)
- Real-world examples of profitable, hands-off communities
- Designing Communities That Scale
- Key frameworks for growth and engagement
- Building systems that reduce founder dependency
- Turning Communities Into Assets
- How to position a community for a future exit
- Metrics and signals that increase valuation
- Freedom and Lifestyle Shifts
- Escaping the “work harder” trap
- Reclaiming time while scaling income
- Carol’s Advice for Builders
- Common mistakes to avoid
- First steps to start building your own community-driven business
Click to See Episode Chapters and Timestamp
| Timestamp | Summary |
| 1:58 | Building Reliable Income Through Paid Community Growth |
| 3:12 | Digital Nomad Life: RV Adventures and Remote Work Flexibility |
| 6:20 | Building and Selling a Successful Freelance Writing Community |
| 12:11 | The Rise of Paid Online Communities and Their Benefits |
| 17:40 | Building Community-Driven Businesses Through Passion and Connection |
| 22:37 | Building Communities: From Ideation to Launch |
| 29:33 | Building and Selling Communities for Sustainable Online Businesses |
| 38:59 | Affiliate Marketing and Community Building for Sustainable Growth |
| 44:24 | Finding Your Unique Market Niche in Competitive Spaces |
| 47:11 | Building a Community Through Pre-Marketing and Audience Engagement |
| 51:53 | Building and Selling Paid Communities with Carol and Matt |
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 234: Matthew White – They Built an AI Browser… Moving Toward AI Becoming the Operating System
- Episode 233: Matthew Stafford – Building Revenue-Optimized Customer Journeys That Convert
- Episode 227: Dan Bennett – Hot Sauce & Hard Truths: Facing Fear, Playing the Hand Dealt & Rebranding
