An entrepreneur became a millionaire by building a tribe?
Yes, it’s true.
At age 28, Tony Whatley started his first side business while working a full-time career. Within two years, he was earning more than his salary.
At age 34, he sold that business and became a multi-millionaire. Since then, he started other companies.
Now he teaches thousands of people how to pursue the lives they desire, instead of settling like the rest.
How? By tapping into a little-used superpower: building communities and tribes.
But it was after I delivered a keynote at Tony’s ADVANCE event in Montana that I got to see his actions in real-time and the impact this had on the lives of those in his community.
This raised important questions:
- How do you build a tribe of engaged and loyal customers and allies?
- What have been your best tips for building a successful community and tribe?
- Do you believe in the power of giving back to your community to motivate engagement with your brand?
- What are some success stories or organizations you support as a way of service in return for money spent on products or services from you and/or your company?
Community building might be the ultimate form of a “servant career choice” especially after listening to Tony Whatley in this riveting discussion.
Tribes Are Merely Stories in Human Form
Those who have followed me or read my work know I talk a lot about heroes and villains when developing a brand. The same is true for building a community.
Below, on the left, you’ll see the anatomy of a compelling story.
On the right, you’ll see the same components go into the anatomy of a thriving tribe.
This explains why a tribe resonates so much with people because they have shared values, shared aspirations, shared heroes, and shared opponents.
How This Entrepreneur Became a Millionaire
In this powerful discussion, we tackled the following key areas of community building and attracting a tribe:
14:29
The vital insight and deliverable Tony isolated and leveraged enabling him to build a community of 250,000 automotive enthusiasts (making it possible to outperform and outsell leading publications).
19:40
The one type of person Tony won’t allow in the communities he builds.
25:22
The two keys to having a really good episode on a podcast. One is to be a great storyteller. The other is a game-changer that results in episodes that get shared.
26:52
When it comes to choosing podcast guests, do you choose a big audience or big value? Which one wins?
32:17:
How did Tony take his and his wife Lisa’s love of travel and create “tax-deductible events for entrepreneurs”?
34:59
Tony’s top three takeaways for creating thriving communities.
35:54
Tony reveals his inverted pyramid community-building formula.
36:42
Tony’s three questions for determining if someone is accepted into his online groups.
39:44
How to create a win-win with those who don’t want to be a leader but want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
40:53
What’s really happening when you wonder, “Am I not awesome enough?” and what to do about it.
41:03
What do community builders try to do too soon, often prematurely?
41:53
What type of person chooses to be an entrepreneur?
42:43
How long do you have to provide free value before you start to monetize?
43:40
Where do most fail when starting a community?
Strap yourself in and get ready for a powerful discussion with solid, solid takeaways.
It’s not about just getting people on board, but about building relationships with them and making sure they feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Tony Whatley perfected this skill. So can you.
You deserve more from your business – more time, more money, more freedom, and most importantly, more success.
