Ep 37: How to Create a Collaborative Community with Dan Miller

Nov 1

How to Create a Collaborative Community with Dan Miller

Have you ever desired to create a truly collaborative community where you are not the only expert in the room, where the entire world and ecosystem of that community isn't weighing on your shoulders, where you feel like you can actually take a vacation and people will still be getting results and having a great time inside of your community?

Well, my friend Dan Miller is an expert at this. In fact, he has an incredible community called the 48 Days Eagles community that is truly collaborative in nature and we're going to dive into how he created that, how it plays out inside of various deliverables, like his Monday mentors. We're just going to go into all sorts of things, community, because Dan has been in this business for a very long time.

You may know him from being a New York Times bestselling author of the book “48 Days To The Work You Love”. But what a lot of people don't know is that he is absolutely a genius when it comes to creating community and connection.

The Value of Community for Entrepreneurs: A Core Principle for Success

Tell me a little bit about one of the favorite communities that you have ever been a part of and what you loved the most about that community.

I would say it was a small community, actually a mastermind that I had when I went through one of the most challenging seasons of my life in terms of business. But it was a community I put together with my good friend Dave Ramsey. We modeled it after another group that I had invited him into, and each of us chose five other guys to be part of it. It was a small group of 12, and we met every Wednesday morning for 14 years. During that period, Dave and I were both growing our businesses, and the other guys in there were as well. Some of their names are recognizable.

I've always been a fan of masterminds and the synergy that comes from thinking together, supporting each other, and growing together. I've even studied the concept in depth, drawing inspiration from Napoleon Hill's "Thinking Grow Rich," which talks about the power of a mastermind. I learned from historical examples, such as Benjamin Franklin's Hunter Group in Philadelphia, which generated significant change and progress.

Looking back, that 14-year period was such a critical time for each of us in the life of our business and families, especially since we were all younger then. It was a magical time, and I continued to study the power of community as a core principle that I've lived by since my early days as an entrepreneur. Having a community was not just an afterthought or a means of generating revenue. It was a fundamental principle that I hold dear.

One of the things that amazes me is that some entrepreneurs think that being an entrepreneur means doing everything by themselves, which can lead to isolation. However, that's a horrible recipe that puts a ceiling on growth very quickly. That's why it's important to find ways to connect with others whose skills and talents can complement and accelerate one's success. In my experience, community is a key ingredient for sustained growth and success in entrepreneurship.

How a Sunday School Class Inspired a Writing Career and a Business

So give us the big picture of your business now. Who do you serve? What's the impact that you wanna have?

I love being recognized as a writer first and foremost, and it's the thing I enjoy doing most. I like to think of myself as a reader and a writer, with my writing informed by the reading that I do. My first book, "48 Days to the Work You Love," grew out of a Sunday school class that my wife Joanne and I were teaching. It was not meant to be a business venture or a source of income, just a way to serve our community and our church. But the class grew exponentially, and we had to move it to a bigger space to accommodate everyone.

What surprised me was the number of successful professionals who attended, looking for a change in their career. They felt unfulfilled and wanted to explore their passions and unique talents. That became the core message of "48 Days" - helping people find their calling and turn their deepest passions into a career.

People started asking for materials, so I began sharing my Sunday school notes in a three-ring binder. It became so popular that I sold over $2 million worth of it in 30 months. Publishers started knocking on my door, asking if they could produce a traditional trade book based on the content. That little book is now in its 20th anniversary edition, and I update it every five years.

The success of the book led to other products and services, such as live events, online communities, and masterminds. However, everything we offer is based on the core message of "48 Days." My writing career didn't start with a desire for royalties; it started with a desire to serve my community. That's the foundation of everything I do.

Adapting to Change and Building Momentum

So let's talk specifically about the 48 Days Eagles community, and that membership community. What is that?

In 2018, we had a small event space called "The Sanctuary" in Franklin, Tennessee that was an old converted barn on our property. We hosted a lot of events there, with thousands of people coming through each year. However, the county eventually showed up and said we couldn't do it anymore, as it wasn't zoned for that purpose. Instead of getting upset and fighting it, I asked, "What does this make possible?"

This led to the creation of the 48 Days Eagles, an online community where people could come together, encourage each other, and support each other like we did in those small events. I purchased Stu McLaren's course to get the best advice and help in how to do it, and we opened it up to anyone who wanted to join. It has been working beautifully since 2018, providing ongoing support, resources, and encouragement to members.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to cancel their physical events. However, we were already set up with an online community and were able to continue without any cancellations. The momentum has only grown, as people need ongoing encouragement and support to explore their businesses, which is exactly what we offer in the 48 Days Eagles community.

The community wasn't just another income generation strategy for us. It was born out of a need we felt in our community and our desire to help and encourage others. We didn't do as much mathematical calculation as we did conceptual structuring for how we can help people, and it has worked beautifully. Our experience shows that adapting to change and building momentum is possible when we keep our focus on serving others.

Providing Comprehensive Business Growth Resources in 48 Days Eagles Community

Let's dive in a little bit more to this Monday mentor aspect, So can you talk a little bit more about the structure of that particular deliverable in your membership?

In the 48 Days Eagles community, we believe that in order to grow a successful business, it's important to have a deep understanding of the various components required for success. For that reason, we offer a variety of resources and tools designed to help our members achieve their goals.

One of the most important things we stress is the need for continuous education and learning. This means staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices, as well as expanding one's knowledge in key areas like marketing, sales, and content creation. To that end, we encourage members to attend seminars, purchase courses, and engage in other forms of ongoing education.

At the same time, we recognize that different members have different types of businesses and areas of expertise, and therefore require tailored resources and support. Some members may have physical businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, while others may operate in the knowledge and information space. This means that we need to be flexible in our approach, and provide resources that can meet the unique needs of each member.

To that end, we offer a range of different resources, including higher tier membership levels that offer access to valuable resources like Visible TV and Masterclass. We also provide a regular schedule of mentor calls, where we focus on key areas like marketing, sales, and content creation, and invite outside speakers to share their insights and experiences.

Overall, our goal is to provide members with the resources, knowledge, and support they need to achieve their business goals and create sustainable, long-term success. Whether it's attending a seminar, participating in a mentor call, or engaging with other members in the community, we believe that by working together and sharing our knowledge and expertise, we can all achieve great things.

So can you tell me a little bit more as specific as possible around the structure of those calls?

As an entrepreneur, I believe that everything is an experiment, which means that we need to be willing to try new things and see what works best for our community. One of the things that we've found to be effective is meeting every Monday from 2 to 3 PM Central Time. We used to wonder if this time would be difficult for those who work traditional jobs, but we tested different meeting times and found that the best attendance is during the day, likely because people don't want to add something else to their evening schedule.

During our Monday meetings, we start with a few minutes of announcements, led by our community coordinator Ashley, before diving into a conversation with a guest. This conversation usually follows a conversational model, allowing us to discuss a topic in-depth and present its core principles to our audience. For example, we might talk about how to start a podcast or how to identify and build an audience. After presenting on a topic, we open up the floor to questions and have an active, engaged audience who participate via chat.

We use Mighty Networks for our ongoing interaction and community engagement, which is a platform that allows us to own everything that our members see and avoid distractions and other things commonly found on social media platforms. Our Monday meetings take place on a Zoom call, and after I leave, community leaders stay on to continue the conversation in the chat if they'd like.

On Tuesday nights from 7 to 8 PM Central Time, we hold our "Eagle Gatherings," which is usually a continuation of the topic discussed on Monday. The guest from the previous meeting is typically present to answer more questions and dive deeper into the topic. For example, we may talk about a book someone just released, discussing how they came up with the concept and encouraging members to buy each other's books. We openly encourage members to support each other through cross-promotion, paying for each other's services and products, and generally collaborating to help each other grow.

Importance of Collaboration and Complementary Skills in Building a Community

What piece of advice would you give to somebody as they start to begin shifting towards more of this collaborative type of community?

When creating a community, I always look for people who have abilities in areas that I don't. This is because I believe that it is important to have a team that complements each other's strengths and weaknesses. If everyone is just trying to be a clone of who I am as a community creator, it will limit what we can accomplish. That's why I look for people whose skills far surpass my own, just like having deans in seven areas. These people all have levels of expertise in those areas that far surpass mine.

For me, it is all about collaboration. It's not just about being a fan of my work; it's about the collaboration of coming together and sharing ideas, resources, and competent people. When something is posted in our community, I often see that there are already eight or ten really competent answers to it from other people in the community. And I don't feel any pressure to go in there and provide an answer myself.

Last week, for instance, I was on a cruise with Joanne, but most people in our community didn't even know that. It wasn't like all of a sudden things stopped, everything continued just as it always does. So I can easily step in and out. I love the engagement in the community, but I don't feel any pressure to be the sole provider for everything that has value in there.

My advice for anyone creating a community would be to not be intimidated. Don't feel like you're going to lose control or have your own impact diluted by bringing in other competent people. Surround yourself with people who are excellent in what they do, and you'll build the value and credibility of your community.