"We Make the Future: Why Community Beats Audience Every Time"

It’s interesting how social media has made the idea of community over audience an ‘unpopular’ take. First off, Renya, Roger, and Jay crushed, as everyone knew they would. Hats off. And they’re right. Our industry has community in bundles - we’re very lucky in that regard. It’s up to you to go find the one that fits you. 

Personally, I’m in PromoKitchen, Ripple, and formerly spent a good bit of time with the skummunity. And the idea of community hits me now harder than ever as I embark on my next stage.Here’s the thing though: community is the endgame. It’s the goal and it doesn’t just happen. Even when they are available to you, you get what you put in.The uncomfortable truth is that building a community of clients, as a DISTRIBUTOR, is much, much harder. It takes a lot of work and there’s no playbook. I would have loved to see this be discussed but, like Roger said, it’s likely its own episode.

At UTees we talked a lot about passion accounts. The idea was that you’d be able to step into the niche on day one and talk about it like you belong and add value immediately. Because you get it. You’re passionate about it and it shows, so people give you a shot.For me the niche was health and fitness. For another guy it was fishing. For another it was climbing and outdoor sports.

In 2025, for a lot of reps, the audience piece will need to come first. I can name several people in our industry who have built an audience over the last few years and now have their own communities. But it would’ve been difficult for them to have one without the other.

What’s my spicy take? Start showing up, start sharing, and start listening — because community isn’t found, it’s built. And there’s never been a better time to start.