More Than A Few Words

I had a conversation with Deanna Russo, LinkedIn pro and founder of Leverage Up, about one of those ideas that sounded great in theory—but fizzled out in practice. Her LinkedIn group community was supposed to be the perfect extension of her one-on-one coaching work. But in the end, it didn’t quite land the way she hoped. Deanna built a network of over 30,000 followers on LinkedIn, so she knows a thing or two about creating connection. But even with that experience, launching a paid online community turned out to be harder than expected. She tried different formats. Played with cadence. Offered recordings. Bundled it with coaching. Unbundled it. But the reality was clear: the group wasn’t growing, and more and more people kept asking for one-on-one support. Sometimes, the business speaks for itself. And it’s not saying “try harder”—it’s saying “try something else.”   Key Takeaways from Deanna’s Story If it’s not growing, it’s not working. Pay attention to where your customers naturally gravitate. If one offe