You know what phrase is wildly overused but still rings true? 

 

“Community over competition.”

 

As an online business owner who spends 95% of their time in business behind a computer screen, it can get lonely as hell. It's easy AF to get sucked into the mindless production in the online space. We create content, we sell, we push, we promote. But how often are we creating meaningful friendships through the internet? 

 

I've spent nearly 4 years in this business, and I've met some of the most incredible women through social media. Women I can truly say are my friends, but I've actually only met two of them in real life 🤯

 

So when I got to spend an entire week this past week under a roof with 12 women from across the country, you can bet I was ECSTATIC–and also nervous.

 

If you follow me on IG, you probably saw the unusual content I was posting i.e. an entire week of non-business content, sandy white beaches {not found in Texas}, and a random dog {I'm talking about @myjacpot). I was invited as an expert speaker & coach at the Unveiled Designers' Retreat in Pensacola, FL hosted by @leslievegadesign

 

When I pulled up to the house in my Uber, I knew no one in real life and I had only talked to one girl often via DMs. Nervous. Excited. Kinda felt like a blind date x12. But after 4 days side by side with these women, I walked away with 12 new friends and a whole new appreciation for community. 

 

Easier said than done though, right? It's not often we get to fly away to a retreat to invest in real community, if ever. So how do we actually build community online?

 

Not every relationship online has to end in a transaction. It's easy to forget there are other people behind the accounts and emails we interact with day in and day out. Not every DM has to end in money or referrals. In fact, more often than not, those DMs can be the starting place to cultivating real relationships. Ones where you'll be hopping on a plane and flying to a random city in Texas to hang out at your client's house {been there, done that}. 

 

Community is a two-way street. What are you giving to your community? How are you showing up? Or are you the friend who always needs something but never does anything in return? Just because we're online doesn't mean we can't show up for people in big and small ways. Sharing a message of encouragement, sending a coffee on you to a friend/client you interact with, creating meaningful content to meet someone where they're at. I've noticed my business has been attracting community once I stopped focusing only on what I could get from others and more on what I was giving first.

 

You'd never guess how many friendships I've initiated online because of something funny they said, or an experience we had in common, or a favorite cocktail. It's not just about connecting because you have a similar niche or “like" their content. Get deeper. Find common ground. Make friends like you would if you were sitting at a bar and started a conversation because you liked a girl's shoes. 

 

As an online business owner, I can bet you spend a huge chunk of your day to day life online. So why treat this community any different than you would your IRL friend group? Invest time. Invest energy. The friendships built online could be some of the most rewarding relationships for yourself and your business.