Email 2.26 - XOXO, Not Gossip Boy

Nikki Thibodeau , Pa?la Brinati , Julian Farizi , DIANE WOODFORD , Viktor Nesterenko , Charmi Trivedi , Leslie Shih , Dmytro Burkovskyi , Benjamin Lücking , Artur Kyselevskyi , Douglas H. , thank you so much for being in my LinkedIn life this week, and I'm always happy to continue our conversations! ????

For others - talk to me, too!

If my experience helps you succeed in your professional and personal journeys, tell me about it because that's exactly what helps me stay motivated and continue sharing my experience!

Help me help you ??

Let's talk

There is one thing I learned the hard way while having conversations with hundreds of people during the last 9 years (yes-yes, the time of my community career ??):

The loudest and the brightest person in the room usually isn't someone who helps you when you're in need!

The best people I know and whom I can call my friends - we built our friendship step-by-step after having dozens of conversations here and there and opening up to each other at a rather slow pace.

And recently, I watched Gossip Girls, and guess who was my favorite character?

For sure, Chuck Bass! ??

He might look like an asshole and someone you'd never want to be a friend with at first sight, but he is exactly the one who'll be there for you no matter what!

So when you meet a not-very-friendly face, who knows, maybe you'll be the closest friends sometime later ??

In case you missed it, here is what I've talked about this week! ????

In Today's Issue

• Community as an HR powerhouse for attracting the right talent
• Community ROI conversation with Carrie Melissa Jones, M.A.
• Why just applying for a job on a freelance platform is not enough
• What I've learned from 4776 mistakes
• Shootout to one of my most reliable colleagues ??

Let's Dive In ??

Community ROI

Did you know your community can be an HR powerhouse? ??

From attracting top talent to reducing time-to-hire and boosting employee advocacy, a thriving community can save resources while bringing in the right people.

?? Find out more about how community boosts your HR here ??

Community ROI podcast

• Testing and iterating are key to showcasing clear ROI.
• A sense of belonging can boost retention and revenue.
• Community goals vary, but all tie back to growth, savings, or satisfaction.

On the latest Community ROI Podcast, I spoke with Carrie Melissa Jones, M.A. , a social science researcher and strategist who advocates for community building across organizations of all sizes, to uncover actionable insights on aligning community goals with business outcomes.

?? Catch 3 key takeaways and listen to the full episode here ??

Mastering Freelancing

Applying on freelance platforms isn’t enough to stand out in a sea of applicants! ??

Landing your next big project is all about?following up and building connections!

?? Find a step-by-step guide to following up to stand out as a freelancer here ??

Also, be ready to make mistakes and learn from them ??

?? Here is what I've learned from 4776 made on Duolingo ??

Human Connections

Shoutout to one of my most reliable colleagues! ????

This unsung hero has saved me countless hours and handled chaos without any complaints or questions!

My life wouldn’t have shone as bright without them!

?? Want to know who this incredible team player is? Find out here ??

If you're already here, please share your reflections with me, I’d love to hear from you! ??

And thank you for being on this journey with me! ??

Curiosity Corner

"I just have to play my best game every minute, because if I do, I know it won’t matter whether I win or lose."

Excerpt from "The Gita for Children" by Roopa Pai

Upcoming Events

• Between Two Watercoolers Meeting 138 on Friday, December 13th ?? @ 10 am PT (7 pm CET) - to meet new and old friends from the community world
• The Future is Freelance Forum on Thursday, January 16th @ 8:30 am PT (4:30 pm CET) - an exciting collaborative event for stakeholders from all levels of the freelance ecosystem by Sarah Duran
• Freelance Unlocked 2025 - May 14th-15th, 2025, in Berlin - if you're a freelancer in Europe - you must be there ????

Valuable Materials

• The ROI of Belonging—How Communities Drive Business Growth (Video and Audio) - Community ROI conversation with Carrie Melissa Jones, M.A.
• How to Set, Raise, and Communicate Your Rates as a Freelancer (Video and Audio) - Freelance Thrive conversation with Lizzie Davey
• How Freelancers Can Benefit Out of Storytelling (Video) - Freelance Unlocked speaker interview with G?ran Hielscher

P.S. I help build communities for startups and fast-growing companies that want to foster trusted customer relationships and grow together!

If that's what you need professional help with, or if you know someone who needs it, message me right away! ????