Community Should Not Be A Grind
People Magic: How to Build a $1M Community
Deep Dive
What is Amanda Goetz's background and how did she transition into marketing?
Amanda Goetz started her career as a non-traditional marketer at Ernst & Young, which brought her from Chicago to New York City. She then managed a brand for a celebrity wedding planner, David Tutera, where she handled licensing deals, a reality TV show, and a podcast. This experience sparked her passion for multi-channel marketing and led her to launch her first startup, a wedding tech company, in 2011. She later joined The Knot, where she played a key role in transitioning the company from a media company to a two-sided marketplace, focusing on emotionally connective marketing.
What inspired Amanda Goetz to start her wellness company, House of Wise?
Amanda Goetz founded House of Wise after going through a divorce and having three kids under four during the COVID-19 pandemic. She noticed women struggling to balance their lives and created a wellness company centered around gummies that symbolized self-care. The brand focused on empowering women to take control of their sleep, sex, stress, and strength, using gummies as a tool to signal self-worth and prioritize personal well-being.
How did Amanda Goetz build community around her wellness brand, House of Wise?
Amanda Goetz built a strong community around House of Wise by creating a hybrid affiliate program called 'Wise Women.' These women became the backbone of the brand, participating in Slack channels, town halls, and expert sessions on topics like sleep and sex. The community-driven approach was essential, especially since the brand couldn't rely on paid marketing due to its CBD focus. This model allowed members to feel part of something bigger and fostered deep connections among them.
What is Amanda Goetz's philosophy on balancing multiple roles in life and work?
Amanda Goetz emphasizes the importance of intention and transition when balancing multiple roles. She advises focusing 100% on one task at a time (the focus formula) and honoring the transitions between roles, such as shifting from work mode to parent mode. She highlights the planning fallacy (overestimating what can be done in a day) and the urgency fallacy (thinking everything is urgent) as common pitfalls. By setting clear intentions and allowing for transitions, individuals can avoid guilt and shame while managing their various responsibilities.
What is the biggest mistake people make when building a community?
The biggest mistake people make when building a community is not setting clear boundaries and managing expectations around access to the community leader. Amanda Goetz notes that many community leaders, especially those who are people-pleasers, feel obligated to go above and beyond for members, which can lead to burnout. Establishing boundaries early and ensuring the community is about peer-to-peer connections, rather than just access to the leader, is crucial for long-term success.
What is Amanda Goetz's approach to emotionally connective marketing?
Amanda Goetz's approach to emotionally connective marketing involves creating brands that resonate deeply with their audience by focusing on self-love, relationships, and personal growth. At The Knot, she transformed the brand from a transactional wedding platform to one that emphasized emotional connections, even while she was going through a divorce. Her philosophy centers on adding emotion to brands and ensuring they impact the end user in meaningful ways, rather than just being transactional.
What is the 'hero to host' concept Amanda Goetz discusses in community building?
The 'hero to host' concept refers to shifting the focus from the community leader being the central figure (the hero) to facilitating connections among members (the host). Amanda Goetz explains that successful communities thrive when members connect with each other, rather than relying solely on the leader. This approach involves creating opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions, such as introducing members with shared interests, and measuring success by the number of meaningful connections made within the community.
Shownotes Transcript