“Wow! You have so many amazing connections. I want to build a supportive blogging community just like you! How do I start?” This was a question a reader posed to me after she’d reflected on last week’s post.

The reader visualized herself as a successful blogger, and she was reaching out to me so that she could change her current state.

Like many who ask, “How do I create a blog?”, this reader wasn’t really worried about how to create content. Rather, she was concerned about engagement - finding a community of people who will read her blog, comment on it, and then share her work.

Such fantastic insight! This reader was absolutely right – a blog is a community. My blog, for example, started with a random thought; however, instead of just keeping the idea in my head, I signed up for a WordPress.com blog and published my first post.

I was in this reader’s position when I started my blogging journey; I didn’t know anyone else who blogged. When I told people in my offline community what I was doing, some thought it was silly because they didn’t understand what I was creating.

With no blogging community to start and very few readers, it was like showing up alone at a party where you don’t know anyone. However, slowly and organically, the blog has grown over time into this heartfelt community where we help each other launch our dreams.

Visualization can really help, especially in how you frame your question. I remember asking myself: “How can I build my blog?” Well since I was new, I remember thinking that I didn’t know much about blogging; however, I did have lots of experience in building relationships and supportive communities. Once I reframed the question in my mind, from “how can I build a blog?” to “how can I build a supportive community?”, things changed and growth occurred.

Therefore, switch your focus to creating healthy relationships, visualize your successful blog ... then take action.

Here are some suggestions to start:

1) Comment on someone else’s blog, introducing yourself and sharing how the post inspired you.

2) Share a post on social media and be sure to tag the author to get their attention.

3) Email someone directly and introduce yourself.

4) Attend a social event in your city and meet some new people.

5) Take a course.

6) Have a deep conversation with an acquaintance you’d like to get to know better. Invite them for a coffee, talk, & a walk.

Every journey begins somewhere. Relationships start with “hello.”

All the people who you see featured on my blog, we started as strangers; through developing the courage to express our thoughts, we built a connection.

Who would you like to start a conversation with? If you are looking to grow your community and meet new people, I encourage you to write a list of people you would like to connect with and then take action by starting conversations with the persons/organizations on your list.

Thank you for reading and for your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! We are all looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the Comments section below.

See you at the beach!