Organic Growth Unleashed: The Art of Building a Multi-Million Dollar Brand ??

Hey Founders!

Let’s talk about something hot and often overlooked — organic growth and community-driven success. For those of you giving up on EdTech, hold up! There are founders out there absolutely crushing it, and today we’ve got a gem of a case study to inspire you.

Meet Miroslava Smith — CEO and founder of the international online art school Artefacto School (20,000+ students, 300+ courses, and multi-million-dollar revenue! ??). She’s also the brains behind the Telegram channel “Business Globe of Miroslava.” (https://t.me/+Oc9jHkJ-sRo0Njgy)

At our recent R-Founders meetup, Miroslava walked us through how her team built a thriving community that drives both engagement and revenue.

If you’re still wondering whether investing in community is worth it — spoiler alert — it’s a game-changer. Here’s how she did it:

2020-2021: Planting the Seeds of Growth

1. Free webinars before course launches — Build a habit with your audience.
2. Earned media — Fans started writing articles about the school without being asked.
3. Community nucleus — WhatsApp chats for paying customers + organic UGC-driven spaces. Formula: Great product + community = unstoppable word of mouth.

2021: Strengthening the Foundation

1. Scaling webinars — Up to 60/year, initially led by Miroslava, then passed to a star student.
2. Launch-specific chats — Mixed “warm” and “cold” leads to boost conversion rates.
3. Partnerships with art supply brands + collabs on social media.

2022: Community Becomes the Growth Engine

1. 30% of sales from the community — Members turned into loyal customers.
2. Gamification — Introduced Articoins, an internal currency to fuel engagement and loyalty.
3. UGC-driven content — Students started hosting drawing sessions on Zoom.
4. Facebook online art exhibitions — Students showcased their work, creating a viral loop through likes, shares, and new audience inflow. Growth flow: Course completion ?? Exhibition ?? Enrollment into the next cohort.

2023: Expanding Channels and Giving Back

1. YouTube explosion — From 7k to a Silver Play Button in 9 months (Shorts were key, though sales lagged).
2. Instagram doubled — Organic growth kept the momentum going.
3. Charity initiatives — A webinar for earthquake victims in Turkey went viral, driving goodwill and brand visibility.

2024: Diversification & Monetization

1. Offline retreats — Launched a new core community around in-person events.
2. Paid webinar recordings and subscription clubs — Training users to pay for value.
3. YouTube monetization — Making content work harder.

2025: Big Plans Ahead

1. Global retreats (USA, Europe, Australia, Turkey ??).
2. Subscription-based webinars.
3. Community self-governance (Web3 principles).
4. AI-powered growth for socials and YouTube.

Let’s throw some ?????? for Miroslava and the product that’s already captured so many hearts!