Hi friends! I have officially started my maternity leave. Pics coming soon. While I am out, I asked a handful of really talented people to educate and entertain you.

On that note, I am super excited to introduce you to the one and only - Elles Skony.

One very talented people leader turned #community builder.

After 18 years of leading talent and people in-house at a variety of high-growth organizations, Elles went out on her own as a Fractional Chief People Officer in 2023.

During her solopreneur journey she was seeking community of support but came up short, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and founded Fractional People People (FPP), a community to serve and support her peers.

FPP is a wildly successful and engaged community of fractional people leaders - with over 600 paying members now and an average engagement rate of 90% week over week.

As a spectator, I’ve been able to witness firsthand how thoughtful and intentional she’s been about building and nurturing this community. Watching her is a masterclass in community as a growth strategy.

And thankfully, she agreed to share some of her secrets and learnings with all of you.

Part 1 of 4 on all things community kicks off NOW! Enjoy.

Trust is a growth strategy

In the earliest stages of building a business, trust is your most valuable currency.

Not capital. Not connections. Not code.

Trust is what gets you your first customers. Trust is what keeps them. Trust is what turns one conversation into ten, and ten into real traction.

So how do you build trust — especially when your product is still evolving, your brand is new, and you don’t have the luxury of a giant marketing budget?

You focus on relationships.

And one of the most scalable ways to do that? Thoughtful, intentional community building.

Why trust matters more than ever

What people are buying is belief — belief in you, your idea, and your ability to follow through. Trust is what bridges the gap between "we just met" and "I’m going to refer you."

When people trust you, they:

• Refer you to others (even before they buy)

• Give you honest feedback

• Stick around when you make mistakes

• Let you grow alongside them

Trust compounds — and it’s especially sticky when it comes from real relationships, not branding exercises.

How community helps you build it

When you create a space — physical or digital — where people can gather and feel heard, you’re creating a trust engine. Not because you’re telling them what to believe, but because you’re showing them.

In a strong community:

• Your early members talk and build relationships with each other

• Prospects see real humans using your product

• People share stories, not just testimonials

• Trust grows peer-to-peer, not top-down

Community creates social proof, authentic relationships, and consistency — all without scaling your team or adding to your ad budget.

You don’t need hundreds of people. You need a small group of humans who feel like they belong — and who naturally start spreading the word.

Building with integrity, not optics

Community isn’t a GTM hack. It’s a long-term strategy.

If you’re launching something purely for growth, your people will feel that. If you’re building something because you believe in the power of connection and shared progress, that shows too.

So before you start inviting people in, ask:

• Who am I trying to build trust with?

• How do I want them to feel inside this space?

• What role will I play in this group?

• Am I offering value — or extracting it?

When you build a space with clarity, generosity, and care, people remember that. And they come back.

Because at the end of the day, trust is still the most scalable asset you have. And community is one of the best ways to build it — in public, with others, over time. How can you be most helpful to them? And how could a curated space help you build it? 

In part 2 we’ll explore what that means in more detail and how to set up a community that’s having the right conversations. ✅ 

P.S. I work with community-minded leaders to build spaces that foster connection, trust, and long-term value. If you’re looking for a thought partner when designing yours, let’s chat!

See you next week!

Elles Skony

Want to learn more about how I help startups increase their revenue by 150-590%? 👀 

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With love and gratitude,