Hi Reader,
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:
Katie Kastner, 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)
Mitch Weisburgh 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
Free + open to all
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,
Laura 💛
P.S. Got a mindset spiral you're working through? Hit reply and tell me. I'll pass it along anonymously to Mitch and Katie so they can speak to it during the event. Sometimes naming it is the first step out.
P.P.S. Know someone else doing this work who might need this? Forward this email their way. Building community can be such lonely work sometimes — sharing a resource that helped you might be exactly what someone else needs today.
