How to Build Community

Most people do not know that I am the Founder and Chairman of a country club in Austin, Texas. Well, kind of. In 2021, my wife and I were talking about how to get people back together and involved in the community post-COVID lockdown. We live in Central Austin and our daughters attend Brykerwoods Elementary School. Many of us have golf carts that we drive around the neighborhood and take our kids to school in. To be clear, there is no golf course, we do not live on a golf course, nor has my golf cart ever driven on a golf course. Nonetheless, we thought it fitting to start Brykerwoods Country Club. We had a logo designed, had merch made and handed it out at school and to our neighbors. The idea grew, and we used it to raise money through a school fundraiser, which culminated in a celebratory gathering at Austin's downtown Par 3 golf course called Butler Pitch & Putt, a historic gem in the city. The picture is from our inaugural outing. Today, we are having our 2nd Annual Outing, which now has more people, has raised more money and I expect to be even more fun.

The point of this story is that community matters. Community is that group of people you pull together that add value, whether that be social, expertise, economic, or otherwise. You know it when you are part of it, and for better or for worse, you also know when you are not part of it. Participation in community can be important for any founder, business owner or advisor. Building, participating in and maintaining community is what can separate one advisor from another, leading to more business, a more fulfilling career and yet another way to add more value.

So how do you build community? In my experience there are a few keys to building community:

1. Reason. You must be able to answer why the community is important. This will help attract like-minded individuals around you to pursue whatever the mission.
2. Commonality. It is important to identify what the group has in common. It could be an industry, it could be a passion for sport or team, it can be a hobby, it can be an interest in food or drink, you get the point. Some refer to it as "your tribe" or "your people."
3. Numerosity. There needs to be a group, though there is no exact size. You may want a limited, tight-knit group or be open to the more-the-merrier.

Today, there are so many communities, formal and informal, to join, be it online or in the real world. Schools, workplaces, neighborhood associations, religious centers, and many others provide community opportunity. However, if so inclined, know that you can build your own. If you follow the three keys above, I am confident that you can build it; and if you build it, they will come.

Bonus Thought: How do you know if you have successfully built community? In short, it depends on your goals. However, to piggyback on my story at the start, I can tell you how Brykerwoods Country Club (BCC) defines success, because it happened. A new family relocated to Austin and noticed several "BCC This is How We Roll" stickers on golf carts. The Dad, whose kids were older and did not go to Brykerwoods, approached me and asked if he could become a member of BCC. I explained what BCC was and was not, including no physical country club. He responded: "I know, I just want to meet some local families here and support the elementary school and kids." He and his wife are now members.