"A community-first mindset means showing up for your people—even when they're just quietly watching." That’s how Paul Gowder, founder of PowWows.com, defines decades-long success in the online space. What started as a college hobby has blossomed into a vibrant, multimillion-follower platform celebrating Native American culture and proving that niche communities can not only survive but thrive in today’s noisy digital world.

Paul’s journey is a masterclass in staying true to your values, listening to your audience, and building engagement through heart, strategy, and the occasional well-placed email sequence.

We Also Talked About:

How Paul turned a college web project into a thriving, sustainable business
The surprising power of "lurkers" in online communities
Why email is still king (and how Paul uses Kit (was ConvertKit) to dominate it)
The moment social media nearly killed his forums—and how he pivoted
Using Group Leads to bridge Facebook groups and email sequences
What a “community-first mindset” really looks like in action
Hiring from your own community to build a rock-solid team
How a mastermind and a coach helped him 10x his email marketing results
Why the medium (Facebook, email, TikTok) is less important than the mindset

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find a PowWow near you: https://www.powwows.com/powwowsnearme
Paul’s personal site: https://www.paulgowder.com
Behind-the-scenes look at his email toolkit: https://www.paulgowder.com/emailtools
ConvertKit (now branded as Kit) – Paul’s go-to email platform (affiliate link)
Tool to sync Facebook group signups with email sequences -https://groupleads.net/
Mediavine – Advertising partner for monetizing traffic - https://www.mediavine.com/

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Why Your Lurking Community Members Matter More Than You Think with Paul Gowder