Make the community the star

Community happens when people get together. Your job is to recognize the people making it happen. Shine the light on them. Make them the main attraction.

You're working behind the scenes. The people who show up are the stars. They're what makes this real.

Give people a chance to experience what it feels like to be valued inside your community. They'll come back. They'll invite others. It's not feel-good fluff—it's functional. You're building a culture where being yourself is rewarded.

Look for someone who knows something useful and ask them to teach it. Today's attendee becomes tomorrow's presenter. Incorporate people into what you're doing, but leave room for them to grow into new roles.

Follow up with a personal note. A DM. An email. For in-person communities, consider handwritten mail. Make people feel seen. It's not expensive, but it's rare enough that it works.

By turning early supporters into advocates, you create momentum. They tell others. Those people show up. They become advocates too. It compounds.

Your role is to facilitate and amplify, not dominate. If you're doing it right, your community will shout back louder than you ever could.