In this episode, Tara McMullin, podcaster, writer, and small business community leader and I dive deep into the issues of how to implement while keeping your eye on impact, the role of online communities in the lives of small business owners, and the challenges of impactful leadership.
Tara McMullin is a podcaster, writer, and small business community leader. With over a decade of experience helping thousands of small business owners grow their businesses, she’s on a mission to change the dialogue about what’s really working from hype to candid conversation.
She’s the host of the What Works podcast, a top small business podcast that’s been recommended by Forbes and Entrepreneur, as well as the founder of The What Works Network, a community hub for small business owners. Tara is also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a full-service podcast production agency & consultancy.
Tara is a bestselling Money & Life instructor on CreativeLive. Her work has been featured on Fast Company, Inc, Daily Worth, and The Huffington Post.
3 Key Points
- Share your experiences with your peers. Seek knowledge, not just advice—create a culture of cultivation instead of a culture of extraction
- Community involvement amplifies impact. Relationships we care about help us find meaning in what we do and help us see how we affect others.
- Instead of trying to fix someone else’s problem, have an honest discussion about the roots of their struggle. Address those difficulties, discuss relevant traumas, and take the experience away as well as the fixed product.
Quote
“We think about the boundaries, rules, and structures of our community, and how they contribute to the culture that we’re creating inside of our community. These create ripple effects outside of our community as well.”
What We Talked About
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- 01:00 – What are your thoughts on the balance between vision and implementation?
- 03:59 – How has your business model evolved and how will it change going forward?
- 09:50 – Why is purchasing a subscription not currently available?
- 13:15 – On how Tara manages her community
- 15:23 – On transparency at What Works
- 15:59 – From cults of personality to our collective intelligence
- 18:58 – On the digital access economy
- 22:06 – What do you think makes a great online community?
- 23:15 – The value of cultivation versus extraction
- 26:18 – Discussing The Art of Gathering
- 27:40 – Discussing PSU’s World in Conversation
- 28:50 – How do you see the impact that you have in all its layers and forms?
- 31:40 – On cultural responses to biases and sticking points
- 32:30 – Discussing community values’ ripple effects
- 33:59 – What challenges have you faced regarding strategies for having impact?
- 38:08 – How has your leadership developed?
- 43:04 – Summation of the paradoxes of expansion
Actionable Tips
- Get buy-in from the people around you.
- Prioritize your work on yourself. You can’t have the desired impact if you aren’t improving yourself.
- Confront your assumptions, biases, and beliefs. Constantly reassess the things you believe to be true about yourself, your organization, and others.
Resources Mentioned
- Tara’s company: What Works and the What Works Podcast
- Tara’s blog post: “From Personality Cults to Collective Intelligence: The Democratization of Education Online”
- Books mentioned:
- The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
- The Art of Community by Charles H. Vogl
- Pennsylvania State University’s World in Conversation and my podcast episode conversation with its Director and Co-Founder, Dr. Laurie Mulvey
- Tara on Instagram: @Tara_McMullin
Resources for Your Business
Click here for free resources to increase the impact of your business.
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Ursula Jorch, Host of The Impact Interviews
Ursula Jorch is a business coach, speaker, and podcaster who shows women leaders how to turn their businesses into profitable agents for lasting change, global impact, and a force for good in the world.
