For years, I chased views, followers, and subscribers. Obviously more is better… right? Well, once I hit 19k Instagram followers, I realized that wasn’t the case. I was collecting followers like badges, not building real relationships. How could I create deep connections with 19k people? It wasn’t even possible. Eventually, I stepped off the Instagram content-creation hamster wheel because I couldn’t see a real path to community there. I already knew—from years of building community in person and online—that community is the fastest way to build trust with potential customers and actually help people on a deeper level. I discovered Skool around the time I built my current brand, and everything clicked. 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬, I was able to implement real community into my business. These last 8 months have been a whirlwind in the best way, and now more than ever, I believe in growing deep, not wide. Wide growth means bringing in as many people as possible and hoping a few become clients. Then you repeat the cycle because deep connections were never formed. 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. It lets me help individuals on a deeper level. Deep growth creates superfans—people who stay, who buy, who become loyal clients, who refer their friends because they’ve experienced real value. While deep growth may feel slower at the beginning, in the long run it builds a system that requires less energy. When you truly serve the clients and community you already have, they keep referring you. Growth becomes sustainable. You can still aim for a large community—there’s nothing wrong with that. But how you grow determines the energy required to maintain it. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 → 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. Grow wide → faster, but constantly exhausting because people churn quickly. I’m sharing this because I’ve fallen into the “faster and more” trap in the past (and sometimes even now). But I want to encourage you to avoid it whenever you can. It becomes a never-ending race, and over time it will burn you out and stall your business.

Right now, more and more people are picking up crochet! People are using it to relax, create something with their hands, and step away from busy, noisy days But here’s the thing it only feels that way when you know what you’re doing Maybe you’re not sure where to begin Maybe your stitches don’t look quite right Or patterns just feel confusing That’s where a little guidance makes all the difference 💜 ✨ The Crochet Circle is a supportive space where you can: • Learn from the very beginning (step-by-step) • Build real confidence in your crochet • Ask questions and actually get help • Enjoy your crochet at your own pace So instead of watching from the sidelines you can actually be part of it Come and join us inside The Crochet Circle https://www.skool.com/caro-stitched-crochet-circle-1164/about

It's time to celebrate each other! In the COMMENTS BELOW, please share a Skool community you think is doing really great things. It can be one you've participated in yourself or one that you've heard from others is amazing. Please do the following: 1. Tell us the name of the community and link to it (affiliates allowed). 2. Tag the person who owns the community. If they are not in the CLASSIFIEDS, then please send them a DM and let them know that you mentioned them here. I promise you will make their day! 3. Describe why the group is so wonderful and how it has helped you. Please DO NOT just copy and paste the About page! 4. Comment on each others comments and scroll through the referrals to see if there's an amazing group you are missing out on! Thanks so much for supporting each other and this community! Please note that any #FriendFriday mentions that are created as new posts will be deleted. Thanks!

@Shannon Boyer This one is dedicated to you. Hope you enjoy.

Discover why most self-paced online wine courses lead to low engagement and high dropout rates, and completion rates can be as low as 5–15% for free courses. Wine Tasting Coach, Dr. Isabelle Lesschaeve, describes the “lonely learner trap” of on-demand programs with no live instructor interaction, feedback, or accountability, and argues that tasting is a skill built through sensing, repetition, calibration, and real-time validation—not memorizing descriptors or theory. She recommends cohort- and community-based, instructor-led training with live touchpoints, which research shows can achieve up to 80% completion. Join her free community, the Curious Palates, and awaken your senses to enhance your wine appreciation.