⚡️ Consistency is power!

Well whoohoo hello there, this is my 20th newsletter! I was already halfway celebrating last week, but this is the real deal. Number 20 with wins, fuckups, and everything I know about branding, communication, and entrepreneurship. I've decided that I really enjoy writing this weekly newsletter, so I'm happily continuing it. Do you have a question or input or feedback? Slide it into my DMs!

➡️ New Client-> Started this week!

Busy times! I had already hinted at it last week, but I started working with a new client. I'm diving into working with the absolute best, most fun, innovative, warmest, and hippest skincare brand in Belgium: Cîme. My job? Spreading the word that it is the absolute best, most fun, innovative, warmest, and hippest skincare brand in Belgium!  :-) This will be my job for the next three months, a few days per week. Yay!

➡️ Marketing: Consistency is a superpower

Let's circle back to this 20th issue because it's worth celebrating.
I read somewhere that you can be a top 1% newsletter with only 21 issues.
Why? 99% give up before then.
(I don’t know if these numbers are BS. I just copied it and now I have a good story. )
But what is genuinely true is this: When it comes to newsletters, consistency is king. 👑
When you consistently put out quality content, magic happens:

→ You build trust with your audience 🤝
→ You hone your skills and find your voice 🗣️
→ You establish yourself as the authority in your niche 💪

That's truly what it's been like for me. Those who've been with me since the beginning can feel my journey and my path. And like a true Carrie from "Sex and the City," I love sharing my thoughts with you all. Even if I mess up a lot. Like today, with this 20th newsletter. Normally, I send it out in the morning, but today, I just had too much on my plate. Still, sending it out on Monday—that's a level of consistency, right?

➡️ Personal Growth: if somehow you do want to quit…

• Never quit on a bad day.

• Never quit on a bad day.

• Never quit on a bad day.

• Never quit on a bad day.

• Never quit on a bad day.

There’s nothing wrong with quitting, but on bad days, emotions can sway us from making logical decisions.

You can quit. Just quit on a good day 🧡

➡️ Branding: Or is consistency boring?

➡️ Mentoring: How to grow (or build?) a community?

How to grow a community is a question that I get a lot. Thanks to my experience at Maison Slash I have gained valuable experience and of course I'm eager to share my learnings and insights!

I'm still a mentor at KBC Startit, and this week I had a call with BuddyRise, a fantastic initiative for people with autoimmune diseases. The two founders were seeking advice on how to build a community.  Yes, I know, everybody is speaking about communities. But the world has forgotten that community is commitment. Community building is not just about creating a space for people to gather, but about building a sense of dedication and responsibility towards one another and towards the community as a whole.

These are the tips you need to keep in mind if you want to build a community—or at least, these are the tips that worked for me.

• Authenticity: Be genuine and sincere in your interactions with the community. Authenticity fosters trust and strengthens connections within the group.

• Build trust: Trust forms the cornerstone of any community. Neverrr forget that.  Be transparent, keep your promises, and demonstrate reliability in your actions.

• Understand the culture: Familiarize yourself with the culture and values of your community. This understanding will guide your decisions and help you create an environment where members feel understood and respected.

• Address Pain Points: Identify the challenges and needs of your community members, and tailor your efforts to address these pain points. Offer solutions! This demonstrates your commitment to their well-being.

• Focus and Expand: Start with a clear focus on the target group and message. For BuddyRise it’s not ‘people with autoimmune diseases. No, narrow it down. Start for example with people with autoimmune diseases in California who believe in the holistic approach of curing deseases (they’d like to start in US). Then, gradually expand from there. Concentrate on building a strong foundation within your niche before branching out to broader topics or interests.

• Empower the Community: Encourage active participation and collaboration within the community. Empower members to take ownership of their experiences and contributions, fostering a sense of belonging and responsibility.

• Curate Quality: As a curator, ensure that the content and interactions within the community maintain a high standard of quality. Curate resources, discussions, and activities to enrich the experience and add value to members' lives.

➡️ To follow: Do you know Simon Squibb?

I discovered this already last week, but I’m not reading while I’m (ghost)writing a book. It’s just too much. So I doomscroll a lot on TikTok. That’s how I discovered this account of @Simonsquibb which triggered me (It triggered me a lot, because once the algorithm gets you, you are in a loop!).

Simon Squibb is an entrepreneur, investor, and mentor known for his extensive work in helping start-ups and promoting entrepreneurial spirit. But his TikTok channel is fire (you notice I’m starting to use some TikTok vocabulary here with 'fire'?) He stops random people in the street and asks them what their dream is. And then he asks, what is your plan. Sometimes he offers money to make a first start.

@simonsquibb

The update you all wanted! 🙌 #simonsquibb #givewithouttake #entrepreneurship #angelinvestor #dreams #business

It got me thinking. What if Simon stopped ME one day and asked what my dream was. It was a good exercise, I tell you. Maybe you should do the same :-)

Enough for today! I have two workshops to prepare, one new client to dive into, and one book to write. See you in a week! Bye 👋
x Ingrid