How Can I Build a Community?

In today's conversation, I am joined by Gina Bianchini, author of the book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life.

She’s also the CEO and Founder of Mighty, where creators, entrepreneurs, and brands build digital communities and courses with cultural software. Myself included -- the BE Thoughtful Revolution moved to Mighty Networks in 2021.

In 2019, Gina launched the Community Design™ Masterclass, where over 8,000 people have learned how to build a community so valuable you can charge for it, and so well-designed it essentially runs itself. Before Mighty, she was the CEO and co-founder of Ning, a pioneering global platform for creating social networks she started with Marc Andreessen in 2004.

She has been featured in Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, and Charlie Rose. She is a wealth of knowledge and I know you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did. 

• [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Gina Bianchini, author of the book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life.
• [03:00] Gina shares about herself, her background, and how she found herself in this space.
• [04:05] Mighty is a software platform for people to create new digital cultures around mastering something interesting and important together. 
• [06:15] Gina uses her time, talent, and focus to help people learn to live an extraordinary life. 
• [07:50] Social networks are where we are making connections and building real relationships between people. The network gets more valuable to us with each person that joins and contributes.  
• [08:55] Social media is about building an audience or a following. The goal is to build the biggest audience possible. 
• [10:56] This shift from social networks to a world where we are passive consumers of content as opposed to all the things that allow us to build new and interesting digital cultures. 
• [13:46] Across the board we are not happy and less happy the more time we spend in this system. The average American spends 3 ½ hours a day on social media platforms and report fewer friends and less happiness than 20 years ago. 
• [15:48] We are happiest where we can play, connect, and have flow. 
• [18:31] A network effect is a system where, when someone joins, that new person creates more value for everybody else in the network.
• [19:47] The new member is able to get a lot more value from your community because of the contributions other members are making (and they add value for everyone else). 
• [21:40] It is so much better for us to play the role of host which is less work and more valuable for everyone involved and also feeds and scales the system. 
• [24:26] We are constantly shifting through our different identities and having the support and finding others like you is so fulfilling. 
• [27:17] We get better rewards and better returns with less risks. The same is true for how we spend our time. 
• [30:07] The highest order is how are you helping other people reach their fullest potential. We need to play the role of helping other people become the hero.
• [31:40] The role of host is the most important and will continue to be the most valuable role any of us can play in our professional, personal, or social lives through this decade and decades to come.  
• [33:24] A tiny change in the question can change your direction drastically. 
• [35:41] People pay attention to what they pay for. 
• [37:57] We need to build our future story. Gina’s Purpose 30 model is 30 minutes, 30 days, with 6 questions (she shares all 6 in the conversation). You have a blank canvas to create the future you want.
• [40:12] It is very different to spend your time thinking about what is possible and what is positive than the negative thoughts. 
• [41:04] True meaning and true impact come from how you have helped others realize their fullest potential as well. 
• [43:00] It is about clearing your mind so that you can wander and explore. 
• [45:00] Melina’s closing thoughts

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. 

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Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

• Purpose, by Gina Bianchini
• A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
• The Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel & Dominic Packer
• You’re Invited, by Jon Levy
• The Fun Habit, by Mike Rucker

Connect with Gina: 

• Gina’s Website
• Gina on LinkedIn
• Gina on Twitter

Top Recommended Next Episode: Network Effect (ep 262)

Already Heard That One? Try These: 

• The Brainy Benefits of Gratitude (ep 236)
• Celebrate! It’s More Important Than You Think (ep 80)
• Framing (ep 16)
• Questions or Answers (ep 4)
• A More Beautiful Question with Warren Berger (ep 200)
• The Power of Us with Dr. Dominic Packer (ep 178)
• Herding (ep 19) 
• Using Behavioral Science to Build Connections, an interview with Jon Levy, author of You’re Invited (ep 150)
• Confirmation Bias (ep 260)
• The Fun Habit with Mike Rucker (ep 251)
• The Power of Story, an Interview with Dr. Michelle Auerbach (ep 145)
• Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123)
• Friction - What It Is And How To Reduce It, with Roger Dooley (ep 72)
• Solving Modern Problems with a Stone Age Brain (ep 237)
• The Truth About Pricing (episode 5)
• Habits (ep 256)

Other Important Links: 

Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter