Hey First name / babe,
I'm so glad to be back in your inbox for the weekly Earn After Reading Newsletter after an off week (family life + summer birthdays = BUSY BUSY BUSY). 🥵
But you know what has been on my mind lately? The online community.
If you're an online business owner, you know that work can get lonely AF. The online space often looks like connecting over Instagram, taking Zoom calls on the regular, and rarely meeting clients/industry peers in real life.
I know for me this is often a struggle. I crave human connection, and there's nothing like connecting with people IRL and being around other humans (especially when you're around kids all day 🙃)
Even though we can't always get that face to face interaction, it reminds me how beautiful it is that we get to make friends and connect with amazing humans all across the world – whether it be clients, or peers we become BFFs with in the DMs, or even remote team members or experts you get to work with.
I'm coming up on my 4 years in this space, and sometimes I'm taken back by the friendships I've created online. I feel like I have some of the best friends that I've never even met in person 🤯 (crazy thought).
I truly don't think I'd be where I'm at today in my business and creative endeavors if it weren't for the support and encouragement from people I know online who hype me up, support me, and speak my name in a room (or chat) full of opportunities.
And you know the craziest part? It takes minimal effort to cultivate these relationships. The friendships I've built online blossomed from DM chats, and voice messages, and sharing each other's posts. No coffee dates. No errands. No parties. Just genuine interest in someone else's life.
If you're feeling a little lonely in the online space, I encourage you to focus on building friendships – because it makes this whole ‘online business’ thing that much more exciting when you have people in your corner who just get it.
But like any friendship, they take effort (minimal effort, yes, but still effort). It can look as easy as hyping up someone's life events, sharing their latest business announcement, referring them to someone when the opportunity for their expertise is needed, or just simply caring about one another in a deeper way.
I love having an online business because it means I get to be at home with my family, claim my time freedom, and still get access to build meaningful relationships online.
With that being said, what do your online friendships look like in business? Have you found your people?
Here's a hint: not every interaction online needs to lead to a sale. 👀
Sometimes the most beautiful opportunities and relationships can come from simply investing in online relationships without expecting a $ in return.
This week I dare you to voice memo 3 people you love following online. Whether it's someone you have talked to before, talk to often, or have never conversed with before, send a note and say hello. You never know which doors could open when you just start a conversation; because at the end of the day, we're all just craving connection.
Speaking of relationships– I want to share 3 online experts who I not online adore, but who also have amazing services to offer. I've worked with every single one of these experts and can vet that they are 1) incredible people to connect with and 2) know wtf they're talking about 👇
