#551: The Anti-Niche: Jen Hatmaker's Approach To Creating A Highly Engaged Community

How going against conventional business wisdom has served Jen Hatmaker really well

My guest on this episode, Jen Hatmaker, has created something that so many personal brands strive to create – and that’s a highly engaged community that’s in it for the long-haul.

I’m not talking about a community that sticks with you for a couple years. I’m talking about a community that stays with you for decades.

Jen has been an entrepreneur since the early 2000s, and one of the key pieces of her longstanding success as an author, podcaster, and speaker is the band of fiercely loyal women who’ve grown alongside her through the many seasons of life, and business. 

And here’s the thing that’s really interesting. Jen has created her community by not tying herself to a specific niche or platform – which as you probably know, goes against most conventional business wisdom, including my own.

As you’ll hear her say in this interview, “[My community] may not come to me for one specific thing, but they do come to me for all the things” – and that, my friend, is something to be admired. 

This conversation was so much fun, and opened my eyes up to a lot of different perspectives. Tune in to hear: 

• How to create a business that’s truly community-focused
• Why perceiving yourself as a ‘part’ of the community, instead of the leader of it, helps build trust
• Why being relatable and transparent helps you build a loyal audience

… Plus so much more! Jen is highly entertaining, and it’s my hope that you will learn so much from her, just as I have. 

Here’s a glance at this episode...

• [07:28] Jen Hatmaker is a writer, speaker, and podcaster who loves to serve women. 
• [11:53] Jen’s offerings have evolved from books to a podcast, book club, and a course. 
• [16:00] Jen shares what it means to have a community based business. 
• [25:05] Navigating her divorce publicly was very challenging. Instead of pretending it wasn’t happening, she chose to be authentic. 
• [30:34] Life happens. Create a team that can take care of your business when you can't be there. 
• [39:07] If you're lonely, others are too. Be the initiator and make friends with people who may be lonely too. 
• [43:49] Jen took her first solo trip after getting her divorce, which was empowering. She went to Maine for a month and vowed to do a trip each year. 
• [52:07] It's been a joy for Jen to create a business based on real life.

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