Growing Community: A Simple Formula for Engagement

As we prepare to enter 2019, The Niche Movement team took some time to reflect. We give you tips and tricks for finding your niche all year long, but the New Year is a special time to celebrate accomplishments, to goal set, and above all to relax.

Our small but mighty team gave their two cents on what went well this year, and how they’re charting their courses in 2019. Read on to see how The Niche Movement Founder Kevin O’Connell is finishing out 2018 strong.

When I look back on 2018, I think about the power of community. This organization I created back in 2012 is a community fueled by many of you: supporters, editors, podcast guests, or just professionals looking for career advice.

But what I have realized over the last 12 months is community comes in many forms. Earlier this year I presented at 1 Million Cups, a weekly meetup helping entrepreneurs overcome an obstacle or grow their business. I was so compelled by their community that myself and several other professionals started a chapter in D.C. That community is a bi-monthly, in-person community.

I then look back at my GW community where I adjunct, my friends and family communities, running and biking communities, and of course my professional relationships I have with clients and staff that are a big part of my everyday community.

The one thing that ties all of these together is that they are physical, face to face communities.

And that’s what I thought The Niche Movement had to be. If we weren’t running quarterly meetups, fireside chats, or workshops, was there a community?

Well, after 12 full months of not having the bandwidth to run an in-person event, I can say that there is a community, and it is strong.

The Niche Movement has seen people reach out and share their stories of vulnerability, transitions, struggle, and advice from here in the Washington, D.C. metro area all the way to the west coast and even from New Zealand.

The Niche Movement shares stories and makes connections through our content. From watching and listening to our fireside chat interviews, community members have been able to reach out to speakers and have them present at other college campuses.

Although this community is bite-size compared to others that have “scaled” or charged to become a member or to access their services, I’m excited this community is still completely organic and built on authentic connections - a theme I am focusing on for 2019.

With the help of Jaylene our awesome social media intern (really Instagram intern, she’s crushing it there so go check it out) and our new Editor in Chief Carmen, we’ve brought this community to life, we have summed up our existence and approach to content in two buckets:

  1. Finding your niche

  2. Expanding your niche

Headed into 2019, you can expect content either helping you through a transition or finding that perfect job, or perhaps you’ve found your niche and now you want to grow or try something new.

My goal is to bring more content, advice, and offerings around side hustles, self employment, entrepreneurship, and creating a personal brand for yourself.

Stay tuned. And stay active, Niche community.