Imagine looking back on 2025 and celebrating a year of remarkable growth, engagement, and goal-crushing for your community. Sounds like a dream, right? In this episode of Your Community Strategist, I take you from "I hope this works" to "I made this happen" with a step-by-step guide to setting powerful, actionable goals for the new year.

We’ll dive into SMART goals tailored for community builders, aligning each with your mission and breaking them down into achievable milestones. Discover how to use the insights from last year to build a 2025 roadmap that keeps you inspired, focused, and moving forward.

Ready to create meaningful, purpose-driven goals for a thriving community? Grab your notebook, tune in, and let’s make 2025 a year to remember!

Timestamps:

• 01:14 Understanding Your Community's 'Why'
• 04:05 Crafting SMART Goals for 2025
• 09:06 Breaking Down Goals into Milestones
• 14:28 Building Accountability and Tracking Progress
• 19:38 Conclusion and Invitation to Strategy Lab

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators
• FREE Lunch & Learn: Launch Your 2025 Community Vision: Save My Seat

Welcome back to Your Community Strategist! In this first episode of our six-part goal-setting series, we're diving deep into your 2024 community journey. Close your eyes and think back to January—what were your goals, and how did things turn out? Today, we’re reviewing the highlights, the hurdles, and everything in between, giving you a clear picture of where your community stands at year’s end.

I’ll walk you through setting up your "community report card," breaking down goals into tangible insights, and using a SWOT analysis to map out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Plus, you’ll learn how to turn challenges into stepping stones, identifying what worked and what didn’t, and setting the stage for 2025.

Ready for more? Join me at the Strategy Lab, our upcoming three-day retreat, where we’ll dive even deeper into reflection, planning, and creating a winning strategy for the new year. Let’s get intentional about building the community you and your members deserve.

Tune in and start paving the way to your best year yet! 🎧

Timestamps:

• 02:02 Setting Strategic Goals for 2025
• 02:38 Reviewing 2024 Goals and Outcomes
• 06:19 Analyzing Successes and Challenges
• 11:42 Conducting a SWOT Analysis
• 13:08 Identifying Community Strengths
• 13:49 Addressing Weaknesses
• 15:09 Exploring New Opportunities
• 16:29 Recognizing Potential Threats
• 17:55 Comprehensive SWOT Analysis
• 19:02 Reflecting on 2024: Successes and Challenges
• 23:52 Planning for 2025

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

In this episode of Your Community Strategist, Rachel dives deep into one of the most effective ways to boost engagement in your community: running a challenge! Learn how to design a challenge that starts strong, keeps your members engaged throughout, and continues the momentum long after it ends.

Timestamps:

• 01:36 Meet Your Host: Rachel Starr
• 03:14 Why Challenges Drive Engagement
• 06:04 Designing Effective Challenges: Setting Goals
• 09:24 Free vs. Paid Challenges: Which to Choose?
• 12:04 Paid Challenges: A Stepping Stone to Success
• 13:18 Choosing Between Free and Paid Challenges
• 14:09 Structuring Your Challenge with Milestones
• 16:05 Keeping Engagement High Throughout the Challenge
• 18:35 Maintaining Momentum After the Challenge
• 20:44 Top Mistakes to Avoid When Running a Challenge
• 21:52 Wrapping Up and Next Steps

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators
• Get The Challenge Blueprint: Ready to take your challenge planning to the next level? The Challenge Blueprint is your all-in-one solution to seamlessly design, launch, and manage your challenge. Whether you're looking to boost audience growth, deepen engagement, or create a profitable experience, this blueprint gives you everything you need for a smooth and successful launch.

In today’s episode of Your Community Strategist, we’re diving into the decision to shift The Strategic Community Co-Op from a free and paid model to a paid-only community. I’ll share the reasoning behind this change, what it means for members, and how finding the right structure for your community can make all the difference. We’ll also discuss various ways to monetize your community, whether as a standalone product, a value-added component to a course, or even an upgrade option to a free space.

Whether you’re building a new community or refining an existing one, this episode will give you insights and actionable tips on choosing the best model for your goals and audience.

Timestamps:

• 00:44 Meet Rachel Starr: Your Community Strategist
• 02:13 The Pivot: From Free to Paid Community
• 02:59 The Evolution of the Community Lab
• 04:30 Why Financial Commitment Matters
• 06:19 Exploring Monetization Models
• 08:42 Benefits of a Paid-Only Model
• 13:04 Conclusion: Building a Meaningful Community

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

Welcome to Your Community Strategist, the go-to podcast for community builders, course creators, and visionary leaders ready to transform their passions into thriving, connected communities.

Hosted by Rachel Starr, founder of The Strategic Community Co-Op, this podcast blends expert strategy, actionable insights, and real-world examples to help you build, engage, and sustain a dynamic community that stands out.

Each episode dives into the art and science of community building, from boosting engagement and retention to leveraging virtual events and workshops that your audience will love. Whether you’re creating a space for learning, support, or shared interests, Rachel provides the roadmap for crafting a community that not only grows but thrives.

Get ready to master the art of community, one strategy at a time. Tune in, take notes, and watch your community flourish!

Timestamps:

• 00:36 The Evolution of the Podcast
• 01:10 Listener Feedback and Reflections
• 01:56 Rebranding to Your Community Strategist
• 03:17 What to Expect Moving Forward
• 04:14 Engage and Connect with Us
• 04:44 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

Are you pouring your heart and soul into your Facebook group but feeling like you're getting nowhere with engagement? Trust me, it's not your content—it's the platform. In today's episode of Your Community Strategist, we're diving into why Facebook groups are failing to deliver the meaningful connections you're hoping for and what you can do about it.

We’ll talk about why Facebook’s algorithm is a silent engagement killer and how distractions are pulling your members away before they even have a chance to engage. But don’t worry—there’s hope! I’ll share alternative platforms designed for real community building, like Circle, that can help you create an engaged, thriving space where members show up, connect, and stay for the long haul.

If you’ve been feeling stuck with your Facebook group, this episode is packed with insights and actionable steps to help you transition to a better community space. Your members deserve a place where real connections flourish—let’s make it happen!

Listen now and don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow community builder who's ready to level up their game!

Timestamps:

00:00 The Struggle with Facebook Groups

01:01 Meet Your Host: Rachel Starr

02:38 Why Facebook Groups Are Failing

05:51 Exploring Better Alternatives

06:40 Deep Dive into Circle

15:14 Making the Switch: Steps and Tips

17:11 Success Stories and Final Thoughts

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Strategic Community Co-Op: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

Show Notes:

Building a community is easy when you first launch—students are excited, engagement is high, and everyone’s connecting. But what happens when that initial buzz wears off? In Episode 26 of The Community Lab Podcast, we dive deep into strategies that will help you keep your community thriving long after the course ends. From maintaining engagement to fostering retention, we’re breaking down what it takes to turn that short-term hype into long-term loyalty. Whether you’re a course creator, coach, or community leader, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you create a space where your members not only stay, but thrive.

Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction: The engagement high vs. long-term community retention
• [02:15] The problem with community drop-off: Why engagement alone isn’t enough
• [05:30] The engagement trap: Why retention matters and how to avoid losing momentum
• [08:00] The community lifecycle: How to nurture your community for long-lasting success
• [12:00] Key factors for retention: Ongoing value, building connections, and ownership
• [18:00] Step-by-step strategy to maintain a thriving community: Post-course content, deep connections, and new challenges
• [22:30] Closing thoughts and takeaways: Recap of retention strategies and tips to keep your community alive long-term

Tune in to learn how to create a community that not only engages but keeps your members coming back for more!

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Community Lab: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

Show Notes:

Ever spent weeks (or let’s be real, months) building the perfect course, only to watch your students vanish into thin air after Module 2? I feel your pain. They start strong, maybe finish a lesson or two, and then – crickets. The thing is, it’s not your content. It’s them (well, sort of).

Today we’re diving into how you can fix that. Spoiler: the magic sauce isn’t more modules. It’s something way more human—community.

In this episode, we’re talking about turning your course from a one-way content delivery machine into a dynamic, thriving community where students feel connected, motivated, and (most importantly) stay engaged. We’ll cover why students drop off in the first place and how creating a community around your course can keep them coming back. Because let’s be honest, learning alone is a snooze-fest.

Here’s the breakdown of what we’ll cover:

1. Why students ghost your course: It’s not your fault; they just feel isolated.
2. The power of community: How to make students feel connected and accountable.
3. Engagement, participation, ownership: These are the three magic pillars for a thriving course community.
4. Practical, no-fluff strategies: Five steps to implement today that don’t require you to live in your community 24/7.

Oh, and I’ve got a real-world case study that’ll give you all the feels. You’ll hear how Emily (one of my clients) doubled her course completion rate just by making a few community-driven tweaks. Hint: It’s all about making students feel like they’re part of something bigger than just consuming content.

So, if you’re tired of watching your students fade away and want to keep them around long enough to celebrate their wins (and maybe even get a few rave reviews in the process), stick around. This episode is your blueprint.

And remember, you're just one community away from transforming your course—and your business.

Timestamps:

• [02:15] Why students are ghosting your course (hint: it's not your content)
• [05:45] The missing link: Turning isolation into connection
• [08:30] Three pillars of a successful community: Engagement, Participation, and Ownership
• [12:00] Five simple steps to build a thriving community around your course
• [18:45] Real-world case study: How Emily doubled her course completion rates
• [24:30] Final thoughts: Your community is the key to long-term student success

Resources & Links:

• Get started with Circle: Your go-to platform for building community
• Join The Community Lab: For more tips, strategies, and a space filled with like-minded creators

Alright, time to stop losing students and start building something they won’t want to leave! Let’s get into it.