Is your mindset holding your community back?
The sneaky stories that keep us stuck — and what to do about them
You know that feeling when you’re almost ready to launch something — a new offer, welcome series, community refresh — and suddenly, the doubts flood in?
“It’s not quite ready yet.”
“Maybe after I tweak the onboarding again…”
“What if no one comes?”
Or that moment when a longtime member quietly leaves — and you find yourself wondering if it means you did something wrong.
If you're nodding right now, I see you. (And I've been there too.)
We talk endlessly about what to build in our communities:
Better onboarding
More engaging content
Clearer member journeys
But rarely do we talk about the mindset that’s either fueling or sabotaging all of it.
The emotional labor of community building is the work no one sees — the second-guessing, the self-doubt, the weight of feeling responsible for other people’s experiences. The pressure to hold it all together.
This is the invisible work of community building.
It doesn’t show up on a launch plan, in a community dashboard, or buried in your latest Google Doc. But it’s always there — shaping how we lead, how we make decisions, and what we believe is possible.
And when those inner narratives go unchecked, they quietly create friction.
They hold us back from sharing the thing. From saying the thing. From shipping the thing.
This Wednesday (April 23rd, 1-2pm ET), I'm hosting a special Hive Member Spotlight—a way to showcase the brilliance within our own community. And this one features two people whose work has deeply influenced how I think about mindset and leadership:
, founder of The Haven community for entrepreneur moms, gets what it means to be caught in what she calls the "thinking about maybe starting" loop — you know, that familiar holding pattern where you're perpetually planning, tinkering, and almost-ready... but never quite stepping into the thing you want most.
Katie puts it perfectly:
"The process of getting out of one's own way is not easy. It's not simple. And it's sure as hell not linear. But by simply WANTING to make the change, you're already making progress."
She'll help you:
Spot those sneaky limiting beliefs and stories you're telling yourself
Find actual evidence that challenges those stories
Take one tiny, brave step forward with what she calls "audacious courage" (love that phrase)
brings decades of expertise at the intersection of education, technology, and learning design. He’s spent his career helping people not just learn new information — but actually shift how they think, act, and lead.
As the author of MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success, Mitch combines insights from neuroscience with practical tools to help us break free from self-imposed limitations.
He'll walk us through understanding what's happening in our brains when we freeze, flounder, or fixate on the wrong things. Mitch introduces us to "Part X" — that judgmental inner voice that creates stories we mistake for reality.
As Mitch explains:
"When you say 'I can't,' your brain STOPS. When you say 'Perhaps I can,' your brain springs into action, hunting for possibilities you never even considered."
He'll show you how to:
Catch yourself when you're stuck in those old limiting scripts
Quiet that saboteur voice in your head
Turn overwhelming projects into doable next steps
What I love about both of these approaches — and why I'm so excited to spotlight Katie and Mitch — is that they meet you right where you are.
Whether you’re avoiding a project you care deeply about…
Second-guessing every decision before you make it…
Taking on too much and calling it “being responsible”…
Or quietly wondering if your best work is behind you…
Building a values-driven community takes more than plans and platforms. It asks us to get honest about what’s keeping us in place.
We talk a lot about tools and strategies. But sometimes, what’s really in the way isn’t a missing system—it’s a mindset we didn’t know we were carrying.
The quiet pressure to have it all figured out.
The belief that we need to be more polished, more certain, more ready.
The story that says we’re not quite there yet.
This session is a chance to untangle those stories – gently and together.
"Breaking Through Self-Imposed Limitations: The Community Leader's Mindset"
Wednesday, April 23rd | 1-2pm ET
Feel free to bring a friend, colleague, or client who could use a mindset shift right about now.
Come as you are. Bring your overthinking brain, your "not quite ready" project, your "what if it's not enough?" story.
Cheering you on as you take the next right step,
Know someone else doing this work?
Tap the Share button below to pass this along. Building community can be lonely work — and sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is send a little encouragement someone’s way. This might be exactly what they need today.
Can you relate?
Drop a quick comment if you’ve ever found yourself in one of these mindset loops.
Sometimes just naming the spiral is enough to loosen its grip.
Thank you for bringing this topic.
I’d love to share my experience on community building in just a few lines and with the intention of an open conversation.
1. Community is about ownership, that means it is about what the members can give.
2. Community is about simple and clear rules. They facilitate ownership.
3. Community building is about them, more than about us.
A community is a space for its members to feel safe, included, and seen.
From the perspective of the community builder - or manager, it is never about the structure, content, or activities. It is always about attitude, honesty, sincerity, and a relentless but kind enforcement of the principles upheld by the members.
The “wanting” is the most essential part of any consequential goal or change. Without the “want” or “connection to the purpose “ it’s unlikely we will go through the discomfort long enough to make it to the other side.
The beliefs and assumptions you carry will then influence your behaviors which influence your desired outcome.