Brand Community Foundations
Jump in and master the principles and best practices for building communities.
For the next 24 hours, you can enroll for $90 off the regular price (or save $148 if you pay in full!)
As Seen In…
DO YOU EVER FEEL…?
Like other people think you’re speaking another language when you start talking about community building
Out of place and behind the ball in conversations about community building
Unfocused and overwhelmed by all the work involved in building your community
Stressed out and overcommitted but never sure how to set boundaries
Tired of working without a sense of confidence and an inner compass
Uncertain whether you’re approaching this work in the “right” way
I GET IT. I’VE FELT THAT WAY TOO…
I’ve built hundreds of communities in my career. But for the first few years I did it professionally, I rode an exhausting wave of burnout, figuring things out on the fly, and hoping that the impact would magically appear. It never did. During those times,
I thought I’d never sort out all the details of managing and leading a community
I believed I’d never do “enough” to engage my community
I felt a constant nagging sense of self-doubt
But I knew there had to be a way forward. And that’s what led me to write a book and create this course for you.
Brand Community Foundations: The Course
In the Brand Community Foundations course, you will learn all aspects of building brand communities from start to scale. You’ll put the entire Building Brand Communities book to work. Plus, you’ll get everything in bite-sized chunks in a cadence that you control, so you never feel overwhelmed.
I created this course to accompany the Axiom Gold Medal Award-Winning book Building Brand Communities, written by Carrie and Charles Vogl, the author of The Art of Community.
It is one thing to read a book and quite another to apply its lessons with a structure that gives you the power to put your dreams into action.
My promise to you is that this course will walk you step-by-step through applying every single principle, concept, and best practice in the book. You will make meaningful progress toward your community dreams and never have to wonder “What if?” You’re going to get this right.
Hi! I’m your instructor, Carrie Melissa Jones!
I have helped launch and renovate hundreds of communities in my career. Whether you’re an employee of a Fortune 50 company, a small non-profit, or you’re launching your own business, the principles will apply.
There has never been a better time to ace the foundations of community building!
Thousands of others are creating empty, mirage efforts. It’s time to stand out from the crowd and create something meaningful and impactful — for you and your members.
Hello, intrepid community builder!
Building a community is no small feat, and you’ve tried to sort through all the steps yourself. You’ve read endless blog posts that detail best practices and stories of success from others. It all feels deeply overwhelming.
There’s a constant nagging sense that you could be doing more or doing things differently.
And you worry that you’re not ready to build a successful community or that the community you have built is not successful enough.
You know you can create a lasting community. You just wish you had a clear framework, research-backed methods, and a guiding voice to help you through the process.
Imagine how good it’s going to feel when you have a firm grasp on what’s needed to create your successful community!
You feel confident in your purpose, values, and voice, and have a powerful structure for your unique community.
The tech doesn’t overwhelm you anymore.
Your members come to see you as a go-to voice and connection point within your specialty or area of interest.
The work no longer feels like a burden or black box because you’re focused on what really matters.
As a result of your efforts, you have begun to see people collaborating in ways you never could have imagined and making progress on their goals.
The community you built inspires you. You almost have to pinch yourself to remind yourself it’s not just a dream!
You’re ready to build your community, but you’ve got valid questions:
“Should I ace ‘the basics’ first or just start building and learn as I go?”
“Is my community idea even viable? How do I know?”
“I can’t get anyone to post or respond to anything now. Will this help me improve my existing community?”
I know, there are infinite questions when it comes to community building. But the most important truth is that the foundations you learn in this course are not “the basics.” In fact, most communities are missing these foundations. As a result, their leaders struggle to build their communities both short- and long-term (you may be reading this years after starting your community!).
Our culture often encourages us to build transactional, extractive relationships and that’s why what you learn in this course will change how you approach your work every single day. And you’re not going to learn it anywhere else.
When I realized this is what was missing, I created my step-by-step course, Brand Community Foundations.
What People Are Saying
“The exercises didn't just strengthen our community, but really, our whole business and positioning. It was unexpected but the alignment that's been created as a result was invaluable.”
— Jenn Walker Wall, Founder of Work Wonders Careers
“Carrie's care, dedication and knowledge were paramount in launching our paid membership…. Carrie's gentle yet firm approach supported us in leaping forward during highly uncertain times.”
— Yomi Abiola, Founder of The Fem League
Introducing the Self-Directed Brand Community Foundations Course!
Jump right into the modules and see results right away.
Payment Plan
3 payments of $119
save $90 off the regular price
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
Pay in Full
$299
SAVE $148 ofF the regular price
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
BONUS: Tech Backgrounds!
Course Curriculum
Module 1
9 Days
Establish a common language for community building so that you can sound confident and clear
Define the key terms and concepts necessary to build an effective community from scratch or strengthen an existing community
Module 2
8 Days
Understand your members with basic research and interviews
How to choose founding members
Setting expectations for growth and engagement in a great community
Module 3
6 days
Paint a clear picture of how community growth occurs and looks over time
Determine when subcommunities or subgroups are right for you
Guidelines, leadership planning, and other communication essentials
Module 4
8 days
How to show up and act as a leader within your community
Learn the campfire principle for crafting powerful events and programs
Plan invitations and shared space
Module 5
4 days
The 7 areas of content and programming you need in your community
Define your Community KPIs
Understand your community members’ motivations and design rewards accordingly
Bonuses
Notion Reflection Journal: a digital journal for you to keep all of your exercises and reflections throughout the entire course
Pay in Full Bonus: Tech backgrounds to inspire your work throughout the course
Your Work BEFORE BRAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS:
Things feel random and uninspired
You get flustered or lack confidence when talking about your work
You feel overwhelmed by possibilities and don’t know where to turn, what courses to take, or how to develop your inner compass as a community leader
Your Work AFTER BRAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS:
Your work feels deeply purposeful and inspired, engagement happens organically
You’ve met people who have completely changed your life and business, and you can’t believe the progress you’ve made
You have clarity and a toolkit of skills and mindset shifts to position you as a leader within your organization or community
What People Are Saying
“You explain the concepts clearly and in a way that is very engaging. [You] introduce the concepts well and then send us on our way to do the work ourselves.”
“There are so many things from this course that have helped me, and cumulatively I feel a big difference in my day to day work as a Community Manager”
Stop Getting Stuck in the Weeds and Build from a Strong Foundation Instead
For this LIMITED TIME OFFER, you can join us for:
Pay in Full
SAVE $148
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
BONUS: Tech Backgrounds
Regular Price: $399 Pay In Full
Payment Plan
3 payments of $119
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
Regular Price: 3 Payments of $149
How it Works:
Here’s how it will work. You’ll have 24/7 access to the content. All the worksheets are digital, so you don’t even need a printer!
You’ll get a brief daily email from Carrie, which will give you reflection questions and a few pages to read from the book
Go to Teachable to find a one-pager: it will guide you as you read and then explore further
Place all your reflections in the free Notion journal
Work ahead or pause emails to adjust the pace!
The entire program is digital so you will access it from our private course portal + your email. And you'll never miss a beat: you can go at your own pace and do the lessons on your schedule. Accountability is a click away.
You can do this course anywhere, on your schedule!
It should come as no surprise to you that most education is now accessible 24/7. For one year, you’ll have 24/7 access to the content. All the worksheets are digital, so you don’t even need a printer!
The entire program is digital so you will access it from our private course portal. And you'll never miss a beat: you can go at your own pace and do the lessons on your schedule.
In addition, there is no such thing as “behind” in this course! You can pause and restart the reminder emails whenever you like for a year. You control the pacing!
Why take the course now?
Why start today instead of waiting another 6 months or a year? In addition to the incredible limited time offer savings, you will:
Finally have an answer to those nagging questions, like “Where do I begin?”, “Am I doing this right?”, and “Is my idea viable?”
Save YEARS of guesswork by getting the foundations right. If you do this work now, you will reap the rewards indefinitely.
Stop second-guessing yourself and get to the REAL work of serving the people important to your and your organization’s success.
So many of my clients tell me they wish they’d learned the foundations sooner. They realize they’d been spinning their wheels for years leading up to our work.
If you wait, you’ll be in the same place you are now in 6 months. You want to make progress, to get even better at the work you do. With support and guidance, that progress will come naturally and gracefully. You can skip the silly mistakes and jump in with two feet.
How to Know If the Brand Community Foundations Course Is For You:
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF:
You are willing and able to set aside a bit of time each day or a chunk of time every few weeks to knocking out the course material
You want to learn from an expert, rather than spinning your wheels and figuring everything out on your own
Your team supports your efforts and will advocate for you reaching out to members or users and asking for feedback
You want to ensure you have the foundations of this profession down pat
THIS COURSE IS NOT for you if:
You’re not concerned about building meaningful relationships or connection in your community
You expect your community to be paint-by-numbers simple
You’re afraid to reach out to members and you’re unwilling to take the risk
You are not willing to set aside a bit of time to master the foundations so everything else can get easier
Your unique, inspiring community starts here!
I’ll see you inside the course!
Meet Your Instructor, Carrie Melissa Jones
Hi! I’m Carrie! I want to help you engage your online community. With over 15 years of experience and research under my belt, my single-minded mission is to ensure that everyone has a place to belong. Right now, those places are becoming increasingly digital. Many people think they have everything they need to engage a community, but quickly realize their efforts are futile or unsustainable. I know — I’ve been there myself.
I have helped hundreds of organizations build thriving online communities that further their success, connecting billions of people worldwide. I can’t wait to help you connect with your people too.
We need people like you to connect us during this time - and always. I am honored to stand by your side.
PAST Clients Include:
You can do this, even if…
You don’t think you have the time.
You don’t have time to take the course because you haven’t learned the concepts from the course and you feel like you’re never doing enough. Get off the hamster wheel.
You’re afraid of feeling overwhelmed.
You’re already in over your head. The only way it’s going to get worse is if you stick your head further in the sand. Come up for air and get support, outside perspective, and tools.
Your company won’t PAY FOR IT.
If you work for an organization and your company won’t pay for your professional development, it’s a very smart career move to invest in your own growth, get better at your job, and independently seek out the next step in your career.
Let’s do this, together.
Pay in Full
Save $148 + BONUS!
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
Bonus: Tech Backgrounds
REGULAR PRICE: $399 PAY IN FULL
Payment Plan
3 payments of $119
Includes:
8 weeks of daily emails from the author
30+ lessons that each include:
- daily short reading routines
- Exploring Further—exclusive, expanded content and concepts from Building Brand Communities written by the author
Notion journal for reflections and exercises
REGULAR PRICE: $149/MO
Brand Community Foundations Course Guarantee
100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
I know you’re going to learn a lot and put it into practice when you take this course. But I want you to feel confident in trying it out for yourself.
That's why I have a 100% Risk-Free Guarantee. You can try Brand Community Foundations for 14 days, and if you aren't satisfied, just ask for a full refund by 11:59 pm Eastern US Time on the 14th day of your subscription.
If you do the work, put in your best effort, and feel that we haven’t delivered, we will issue a 100% refund.
What Happens After You Buy?
STEP 1
You’ll get a receipt confirming your order. Make sure to then order your copy of Building Brand Communities right away if you don’t have one! (or bundle with pay in full)
STEP 2
Within 1 business day, you’ll receive an email welcoming you to the course learning platform, where you’ll create a login and password and you can start going through everything!
STEP 3
You’ll get an email each weekday for approximately 8 weeks, prompting you with what to read and what activities to complete. If you want to work ahead or pause, go for it. You’re in control.
FAQ’s
When does the course begin and end?
The course starts as soon as you get the welcome email and get your book! The modules are all available, so get set up. Then you can work ahead or take things slow. You will get a tiny bit of work to do each day instead of all at once.
How long do I get access to the course materials?
You will have a year of access to all the content. The emails will stay in your inbox indefinitely if you don’t delete them and the Notion is all yours forever after.
What is the time commitment per week?
I recommend setting aside no more than 30 minutes Monday-Friday for 2 months to complete the work. Some days might take you 5 minutes and others the full 30 minutes, so you can take that extra time and do something special for yourself. 😊 You can also save up the work over a few days and dedicate a few hours at once to reading and reflecting.
Are there any other material or equipment costs besides the enrollment cost of the course?
You will need to have your own copy of Building Brand Communities if you do not already have one. We recommend the ebook or hardcover version, as the course is designed with page numbers in mind. You can use the audio version as well but will need to be mindful of when we start and stop (we do give text instructions about when to stop reading or listening).
Do I get support, community, or 1:1 access to you?
This course does not include 1:1 access to me (Carrie) via email or calls, nor does it currently include community or peer support.
What is the refund policy?
There is a 14-day risk-free guarantee. If you aren't satisfied, just ask for a full refund by 11:59 pm Eastern US Time on the 14th day of your subscription. If you do the work, put in your best effort, and feel that we haven’t delivered, we will issue a 100% refund.
What is the investment?
This course investment requires the fee + the cost of the book. By comparison, working with me 1:1 to create your strategy is a 6-figure investment.
What are the payment options?
You can pay in full or pay 3 monthly payments. You are able to pay via credit card or PayPal.
Is this course better for community managers in organizations or for founders & solopreneurs?
Both! The structures you learn in this course work for any type of organization or community. They also apply to for-profit, non-profit, and other kinds of organizational structures.
should I take this course if I do not yet have a community?
Yes! This course will give you clarity about who you want to gather and your purpose and programming. You can even create a hypothetical community as you work through the content, simply to learn the structures of community building.