“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. 
Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” 
~ Jane Howard

A tribe is a unique group of people who connect with you to take you with them on your journey. They are a community to share life in specific areas like health, business, working moms, authors — the list is endless.

You need a tribe to lead!

Why? If you are going to build a business you will need a tribe and your tribe can be global! With all the social media platforms, it is easier to connect with others across the world in finding your tribe.

There are benefits to having a tribe. A tribe will want to learn from you. So they will push you to be better, help you to expand and grow in your expertise. You will also learn from their input, knowledge and expertise.

My tribe is still in the beginning stages. It has been lessons in testing different formats to connect with people who are interested in discovering their purpose in life. They want to be the best they can be in their personal development, having healthy relationships and in careers where they can thrive. I love the interaction and hearing about their journey.

And I belong to several tribes as well. Donald Miller’s Storybrand has taught me to keep my message clear. Jeff Goins is for authors and he provides great tools for wisdom and encouragement. Michael Hyatt is the king of productivity and platform building. Each have expertise that I need and my engagement is through their weekly podcast on iTunes.

As you build your community, there are some basics to keep in mind in order to keep everyone on a path of growth.

Tribe Building Basics:

1. Clarify Your Message

Part of your journey is to discover what is your message. When I first started, my message was too broad. I was trying to reach everybody with my range of experiences. I had to narrow my focus in order to give consistency to my tribe.

2. Select Your Avenue(s) of Connection

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Snapchat, Podcast, YouTube, Blogs — they each have a unique platform for connecting. Currently, I host a weekly podcast on iTunes, as well as a weekly blog, and post daily to Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.

I chose these and the blog to share my experience and expertise because that is where my audience is. This is just one reason why you need to know your audience. This is a learning process that we will look into in the future.

What area do you already have a presence in? Start there and then you can add others. You want to have consistent visibility in one market, doing it well, before adding another.

3. Add Value to Your Tribe

Your tribe is following you for direction, encouragement and expertise. Be generous with your tribe in sharing your expertise. Offer them free worksheets or an ebook to help to in their journey. Share honestly and openly about your successes and missteps. As with any relationship, people are looking for someone who is authentic.

4. Mentor and Be Mentored

Mentoring has found new platform, instead of one-on-one mentoring, mentoring is coming through your tribes. The exciting part of this is you and your tribe will be mentoring each other. They have experiences and expertise that can be shared within the community.

5. Be Gracious and Set Healthy Boundaries

There will be people who will critique you. Listen carefully. You will learn to pick out the meat and throw away the bones. Do not allow negativity, foul language or inappropriate discussions in your community. Your tribe needs to feel they have a safe place to learn and grown.

6. Set Expectations and Keep Your Commitments

Setting expectations with your tribe is key to staying connected. If you say you are going to blog every week, then do it! One of the things I learned is to start slow — then grow.

You will want to decide how available you are going to be and communicate this to your tribe. For example, if I am traveling I may not be as available to answer questions as quickly. So I let my tribe know when I am on the road.

Building your tribe offers a place where you can build community and trust, while moving on this journey of life together. When you focus on your tribe it can provide growth and long-term relationships.

How are you building a tribe?

I would love to hear from you. Leave your comment on my Facebook page by clicking here: CindyStewart

If you want individual help through this process fill out the Connection Form.

Also, I would like to share an upcoming event —

Writer’s Workshop – March 16 -17 in Tampa, Florida

YOUR STORY — Our Expertise
Let us help you write the story within you.

Our Writer’s Workshop will help capture your ideas in a way that brings value to your readers.

The Writer’s Workshop will teach you:

How to get started writing?
What are the publishing avenues available?
How do I build an audience?

This two-day workshop is designed to build the skills of both seasoned and aspiring writers.

Register at: www.cindy-stewart.com/events/writers/

Remember, you are the best investment you can make.