At the close of 2019, The Wonder Jam went on a listening tour. As thousands of business builders have hired us, we get to hear a lot. We stay curious and ask a lot of questions (curiosity puts the “wonder” in The Wonder Jam).
During that listening tour, we asked our clients (A) what frustrated them most about their business, (B) what frustrated them most about their industry, and (C) what they’d tried to do to solve either A or B.
What we heard was striking. Business builders are isolated and in need of information. Articles online rarely give the information needed (thanks SEO-inspired articles that aren’t actually useful!). Online courses aren’t solving people’s problems.
Community solves these problems. As we’ve built websites and logos and marketing strategies, we’ve found that having a trusted group changes things.
For many brands, “community” is about pointing to their customer database and calling it a “community.” There’s a difference between sitting in the back of the clubhouse and getting involved in the conversation. Lip service is paid to community, but it’s not real. It doesn’t have teeth. A neighborhood has teeth.
We’re committing 2020 to bring the neighborhood to our people. If you’re looking at this year, it’s going to be one that tests the connection and love and support we provide for one another.
One of the biggest initiatives we’re taking on is launching The Gem Club.
The Gem Club is a re-organization of our Diamond Membership but rather than putting courses at the center, we’re placing community front and center. Historically, a person bought a course and then was invited into the community. Going forward, you can join the community and you’ll find courses along the way. It’s nuanced, but the effects are staggering.
The Gem Club is moving off of Facebook Groups. Facebook is really useful for a lot of stuff, but after Allie and I paid attention to Mighty Networks for a while (at the recommendation of a current Gem Club member) – we joined a few ourselves and fell in love with the heartbeat of the founders and the organization of the community.
The Gem Club now offers a monthly subscription as well as an annual subscription. In the past, annual subscriptions were the only onramp. Now, monthly options are available to make The Gem Club a bit more approachable.
The Gem Club is now available via a smartphone app. What if instead of mindlessly scrolling Instagram or Facebook, you could open The Gem Club and jump in distraction-free? No ads popping up, no algorithm keeping you from the information you paid for. Mighty Networks is built to work seamlessly across the web and via native apps for iOS and Android.
In my membership to other networks, I find myself in the midst of work wanting a second opinion. I flip open Mighty Networks app, ask a question, and get back to work. In the past, a person needed to wade through Facebook to get what they were looking for, but now you can pop in straight to The Gem Club and pop out. Easy peasy.
What you get:
Courses: With hundreds of hours of courses on all sorts of topics, all the lovely content you’ve come to expect is waiting for you in one place.
Creators: Each month, we’ll be bringing a different creator to The Gem Club to answer your questions about their industry, their expertise, and more.
Community: If you have a question, ask. If you need help, speak up. The Gem Club will be here to check your work, give advice, and give you the courage to keep moving on.
Challenges: These short-term sprints will serve as a topic of focus to improve. Our first challenge will be our “system upgrade challenge” which will kick off in mid-March.
Discounts: Starting NOW Gem Club members receive 25% off all TWJ hosted events, online, and coaching packages. It pays for itself right away!
More to come!
If you have questions, email gemclub@thewonderjam.com and we’ll be happy to help.
Sign up for The Gem Club HERE.
*Current Diamond Members, you have an email in your inbox with all the details you’ll need.
