Our journey through 2024’s most popular Creative Excitement Emotion episodes continues with episode 61 – How to Make an Impact on Your Audience in 2024 – with Amos Bracewell.

Tune in to hear Amos share his Facebook community building success story.

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Highlights:

00:17 – Introductory thoughts

01:42 – How to Make an Impact on Your Audience

Summary:

In this compelling conversation between host David Andrew Wiebe and entrepreneur Amos Bracewell, we dive deep into the transformative journey of building engaged online communities and the ripple effects of taking bold entrepreneurial action. The discussion weaves together Bracewell's personal story of building a Facebook community from scratch with the broader lessons he learned about leadership, community building, and business growth.

Listen to episodes 57 and 61 for full context.

The Coffee Shop Epiphany

Bracewell's journey began in January 2023 at a coffee shop in Abbotsford, British Columbia, where he first conceived the idea for his Facebook group. Despite initial uncertainties and no clear monetization plan, he committed to giving the project ten months. This leap of faith led to remarkable results: within 15 months, his group ENTV Today grew to over 9,300 members, and he conducted more than 450 interviews.

The Mother Principle: A Revolutionary Approach to Community Leadership

What makes Bracewell's approach distinctive is his philosophy of "serving from the bottom up." Rather than positioning himself as the central authority, he focuses on creating spaces where others can shine. This approach mirrors what he calls the "mother principle" – nurturing and supporting growth within the community rather than dominating it. This method proved so successful that by month four, he generated $5,000 in revenue, which grew to $30,000 by month five.

From Uncertainty to $30,000/Month: The Power of Persistence

The success of his community-building approach led Bracewell to develop the Catapult program, where he teaches others to replicate his methods. His students have achieved remarkable results, with some groups growing by 200-300 members per week – significantly faster than the typical organic growth rate of 50-100 members weekly for most Facebook groups.

The most profound lesson from Bracewell's experience is perhaps the power of taking action despite uncertainty. As he shares in the conversation, "I didn't even know what I'd be selling. And I knew that I didn't know." This willingness to move forward without having all the answers proved crucial to his success.

Breaking the Social Media Selling Trap

Instead of trying to sell directly on social media, Bracewell advocates for building a dedicated space where you can consistently provide value to members. He likens this to serving appetizers before offering the main course – when people consistently enjoy your free content, they're more likely to invest in your paid offerings. This approach typically converts 1-3% of group members into clients, creating a sustainable pipeline of warm leads.

The Talk Show Host Mindset

The most successful community leaders act more like talk show hosts than lecturers. They excel at drawing out others' expertise and creating opportunities for members to showcase their knowledge and talents.

While Bracewell's own group serves as an umbrella community for empowerment and networking, he emphasizes that this approach can work for any specific niche - from dog training to visual arts, from yoga to business coaching - as long as the leader is genuinely passionate about serving that community.

Beyond Numbers: Creating an Ecosystem of Opportunity

What sets this approach apart is its focus on sustainable, relationship-based growth rather than quick fixes or aggressive marketing tactics. Community leaders using this method don't just build an audience; they create an ecosystem where members actively contribute to the group's value, reducing the burden on the leader to constantly produce content. This approach can compress "five years of business growth into three to six months." This acceleration comes not just from the size of the community but from the quality of relationships built within it.

Essential Qualities of a Community Builder

For aspiring community builders, Bracewell emphasizes three essential qualities:

A genuine desire to gather others

The ability to hold space for others to shine

A commitment to helping others succeed

Artist's Takeaway Guide: Building Your Creative Community

For artists and creatives of all disciplines – whether you're a musician, visual artist, dancer, photographer, videographer, or other creative professional – here are specific ways to adapt these principles:

Showcase Others First: Instead of only sharing your own work, create opportunities for fellow creatives to present their processes, techniques, and journeys. This positions you as a curator and facilitator rather than just another artist promoting their work.

Cross-Pollinate Disciplines: While your group might focus on one area (e.g., music production), invite creatives from related fields to enrich the conversation. A musician's group could benefit from the insights of sound engineers, music marketers, or live event producers. This cross-pollination creates unique value and expands networking opportunities.

Create Interactive Content: Rather than just sharing finished work, engage your community with:

Behind-the-scenes looks at your creative process

Work-in-progress discussions

Technical demonstrations and tutorials

Creative challenge events

Collaborative feedback sessions

Industry insights and trends discussions

Build Industry Connections: Use your platform to bridge the gap between creatives and industry professionals (venues, studios, agencies, equipment suppliers, event organizers), creating value for all parties involved.

Monetization Opportunities:

Teaching masterclasses or workshops

Offering mentorship programs

Facilitating collaborations

Organizing showcases or exhibitions (virtual or physical)

Developing educational resources

Creating referral networks

Building industry partnerships

Remember: The goal isn't to create just another portfolio showcase group, but to build a vibrant community where creatives can grow together, share resources, and create opportunities for each other. This approach naturally positions you as a valuable connector in your creative niche while creating multiple streams of income through genuine relationship building.