Followers DO NOT Equal Community – This Is What Real Community Building Looks Like! With Liz Rivas

Sophie

Have you ever been in a crowded room full of people and felt lonelier than ever because you looked around and realized that the people around you just don't get it? They don't get you. They don't understand what you do. They don't understand why you do it, and they just can't understand why you're doing what you're doing or thinking the way that you're thinking.

Sophie

That is a really lonely place to be. And quite often when we feel like that, it means that we're not surrounded by the people that are like minded to us. They don't understand the things that we're doing because they're not experiencing life in the same way as us, or have the same values or desires as we do. And today, episode of the Freedom Method podcast.

Sophie

It's all about community and helping us find the people that do get it because it is possible. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Now, before we jump into that and introduce myself, my name is Jeff Bickerstaff. I'm an online business mentor and strategist, and I help people build online businesses that work for them and the life that they want to live and not feel like a job that they work for.

Sophie

Today we are talking all about community. Now, this is a subject that I personally really relate to because I am a community builder. I am a connector of people, and I really believe that there is a community out there for everybody. Even if you feel like you are in a room surrounded by people that don't understand you. You can find yourself a very where people do.

Sophie

Now there is a lot of talk around community. There is a lot of people supposedly creating community online, but sometimes it can be really misconstrued around like what a community actually is. And in the conversation today, we're going to be looking at what community is. When you feel like you're part of something bigger, we're not talking about how many followers you've got and that being the community, we're not talking about a group chat that nobody reads or a paid membership you joined and never really participated in.

Sophie

We're talking today about real human connection, like that community where they've got your back. They understand the exact stuff that you're going through, and the kind of people that make you feel like, oh, I belong here. Like, I really found the people that understand me and understand what you do, and especially if you are running an online business or thinking about starting an online business that is really, really important.

Sophie

In today's episode, I have a guest who is very like minded to me. We've both been solo travelers for a very long time, and personally for me, I've been solo traveling since I was 21 years old and I've lived abroad for most of the past ten years. Right now, I am based in Yangon, Thailand, and one of the things that I'm most proud of is the community that I have helped build here, which has over 500 nomads who come together on a weekly basis from all over the world.

Sophie

And we've all chosen this lifestyle for ourselves. We all have this one common thing that we share, and that is what brings us together and builds that community feeling. We've got each other's backs, we understand each other. We all have the same desires. One thing I really believe in around community is that as entrepreneurs, as online business owners specifically, when we are building something on our own, especially in the early days, it can be really lonely.

Sophie

And if you are still surrounded by people who just don't understand what it is that you're doing or trying to do, that's not just uncomfortable, it actually really slows you down. Because being around people that get it, being around people that are similar questions makes them more choices and bills and one two things is really, really important. And that doesn't matter whether you are going on a solo trip and you want to be surrounded by other people on solo trips, or if you are building a business, you want to be surrounded by other people at the same stage of business life as you, or you are in your home town and you love places and

Sophie

you want to be surrounded by people that also love places, whatever that looks like for you. It's really important to find those people. And today I'm going to give you another way to find those people, because my guest today, Liz Rivas, is a Dominican American and a global market and strategist with 15 years of experience. And she recently founded Rome Circle, which is an app that serves the female first community of travelers helping women find their people anywhere in the world.

Sophie

Now, let's build this from a very real personal need, because she has been solo travel for a while and she couldn't find a central place to connect with like minded women. So she created one. And I really believe in that, because the best ideas are usually built from our own problems, right? And the ones that we want to solve.

Sophie

So she launched an app live in 90 days with no technical background, and this conversation is exactly what you need to hear if you are in the midst of trying to find your people now, another way that you can find your people is by joining a course, a mastermind of like minded people all going through the same thing as you.

Sophie

So before we dive in, if you're listening, or someone who's thinking about building an online business and hasn't taken that step yet because maybe you aren't surrounded by the right people that are encouraging you to do so, I want to invite you to my Freedom Business Bootcamp. It is a free live session where I walk you through how to figure out what business to build, which offer to start with, and what your actual first steps look like, and how to target your ideal customers.

Sophie

I am going to give you so much clarity on this, and you are also going to be surrounded by other people going through the exact same situation as you and wanting to learn the same things as you so that is a really great starting point. If you are building your first online business, a great way to meet other entrepreneurs in the exact same session is you.

Sophie

The link to register is going to be in the show notes, and you can join the next live session. And I really hope you enjoyed today's episode of the Freedom Method podcast, where we are talking all about community, and I hope it inspires you to take action to go and find the people that resonate with you. Now let's get into it.

Sophie

Hey Liz, welcome to the Freedom Method Podcast. How are you?

Liz Rivas

Amazing. How are you?

Sophie

I'm doing really well. Thank you. I'm looking forward to this conversation today around community building, because I think it's a topic that I have a lot to say on. You have so much to say on. And I think a lot of people listening are really struggle sometimes with finding their people in the world. So I'm hoping, especially as entrepreneurs, sometimes it can be very difficult to find people that are really like minded, especially if we're not travelers.

Sophie

Like, I know we're both travelers. I, we, we obviously meet a lot more like minded people, but people that are like kind of located in their own home town. Still, sometimes it can be hard to meet new people. So really excited to dive into this subject. Before we go down that route, I want to hear from you. What is community mean to.

Liz Rivas

That's a really great question for me. Community means your your people, your tribe. The people that you surround yourself with and community can sometimes be such a loaded thing, but it's like community is could be more one or more two people gathering it doesn't have to be this huge, thing of hundreds of people or ten people or 15 people.

Liz Rivas

It's just really finding people that you resonate with, and support you and you support each other. Yeah.

Sophie

Amazing. And how did you go on your journey to, to find in your own community? And obviously you felt the room set up, which is a massive community of travel, women. So tell me, tell me a little bit more about that.

Liz Rivas

Yeah, I guess I maybe could start, basically when I was younger, my family came from the Dominican Republic. I moved to the Westchester, New York. I didn't really have a lot of people that were similar to me. You know, coming from a Hispanic culture moving to that part, really, really, you know, Caucasian, very like tight knit community.

Liz Rivas

And growing up, I spent a lot of time, like, sitting by myself at lunch and, you know, like, sometimes going to the bathroom to during lunch times. It's be by myself and I as I grew up, I started, you know, making community and bringing people together because I know how it felt to be alone. And I feel like that's might be very similar to people.

Liz Rivas

A lot of people that build community is that they understand really what it feels like to be lonely, and understanding that they wish that they had somebody to bring them in. If that's not usually like the shy person, that's like, oh, well, you know, whereas like it's the community builders, like, we know what it is to be lonely.

Liz Rivas

And as I grew up, you know, and college and things like that, I would do Christmas parties and just do any like bringing people to my home. And, you know, being that person, that's the planner, the trip planner that, you know, like, all right, let's do dinner. Let's do this. Let's do the vacation. And, you know, that's how I ended up finding like, oh, wait, like, this is something that I love to do is bringing people together and bringing community together.

Liz Rivas

Eventually I moved to Miami, about five years ago with my ex-boyfriend. I didn't know anybody there either. And, just started going to different, like, networking groups. There's this group called New Miami Girls that I'll put together through Bumble BFF when she like, met a couple people and wanted to bring people together. And it would be just like a couple girls, like going to a picnic.

Liz Rivas

Sophie

I love that we're very similar. I also feel like I've always been, throughout my whole life, the person that connects people, and it's like, oh, I've got a few friends over here and a few friends over here. Why don't we all be friends? That's bring us together from different parts of my life, which in some ways it's as well, and some others not.

Sophie

So much. But it's just part of the journey. And I think you some people have that like you mentioned, some people have a natural ability to bring people together. And then there's other people that like really don't thrive at doing that. They like very much like won't do anything unless they're invited. And I think it comes down to some different factors.

Sophie

But I've definitely also been that person that like, tries to bridge the gap and bring, bring and build the community. And it's it's happened naturally through the work that I've done. And it's also I, I've lived in nomad communities now for the past like five years. So I have seen basically what you just mentioned around like people building, communities through online apps or like WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, that kind of thing.

Sophie

And I was like, when I landed where I live now, which is in Copenhagen, Thailand, that really wasn't much of a scene of that. So I was like, well, I'm going to start it. I've seen it and I've been part of it in so many other places. So now I felt like a community here of over like 500 people, like it's all nomads that come in and out of the island seasonally and they come to, co-working events like on a weekly basis.

Sophie

So I still feel like sometimes it's interesting because I love bringing people together, but sometimes I'm like, I just want to be part of the group. I don't want to facilitate.

Liz Rivas

Yeah, yeah, it's it's exhausting sometimes because it's like the amount of energy. I feel like a lot of people don't understand that the amount of energy that it does take to feel like community, it's just like, yeah, like you're just bringing people together. It's just like, no, you're planning, you're the logistics and sometimes holding the energy of the group together, especially if you're hosting, you feel like, you know, sometimes you don't feel like you maybe you're tired, you know, maybe you're in your little phase and you're just like, everybody hates me.

Sophie

Actually, I literally had that like two weeks ago. I was like, the wild nature. Of course, I'm not gonna show you just how I can, but they all hey, man.

Liz Rivas

It's like, yeah, I'm like, I'm ugly and fat. Everyone hates me. And when you leave, they talk bad about you. And I feel like, wait, that's not true. But if that's true, that is true. It's just like, what's that?

Sophie

And also, it's absolutely wild. I have so many conversations about this, it's crazy. And that could be a whole nother topic of conversation.

Liz Rivas

Next podcast it legit though.

Sophie

I mean, it is legit. And I think that's another part of like showing up and building community. Right? Because everybody in that community so different, you know, in your community, I know it's mostly women, but like, for example, if you have like men and women, we're all on different like psychos around it from clocks, like we're all on different, timelines of our life.

Sophie

So it can be very difficult sometimes to find like people that are all really like minded. So and like for me, I think what I've seen and experienced in communities is the best ones work with people that have got a shared vision or shared value you might not need to have, like the same life experiences you might not even need to have, like similar interests, but like, you've got this something in common, like whatever that looks like.

Sophie

Like the one that I brought here is the fact that we've all left our hometowns and we've all gone and traveled and landed in this one town in Thailand, you know, and like, that's become a lifestyle. So for you, while you felt the round circle up, who do you think that that is bringing together at the moment? What's the shared vision.

Liz Rivas

For solo travelers? Digital nomads and expats are my main, groups of people. And the reason that I created it was that I was traveling so much last year, and I didn't want to go on these dating apps to find someone to hang out with. And as we mentioned, like the Facebook groups and the WhatsApp groups and all these different types of communities and like there has to be a way for women that are traveling solo to meet each other.

Liz Rivas

Digital nomad, adding that it's like, you know, kind of also like minded people. I've noticed a lot of the women on the app are actually very similar to me, and in many ways, like a lot of women that are in like that, that were spiritual, but then also like to party, you know, like a lot of different type of like range of women.

Liz Rivas

And that's like what I wanted to do was just like, I wanted to build what I wish that I had and feel like that's the thing with community builders is just like, there is people like you just leave the people in the world. So it's actually, you know, people like, oh, like, I think a community, like, what if nobody comes just like there's going to be people that are going that are down for everything, you know?

Liz Rivas

It's like, hey, like, yeah, let's go collect rocks at the at the beach. Like, yes, it would probably be like three people that are down for that, maybe more.

Sophie

It's, you know, it's true. It's true. It's always going to be somebody that has a similar interests, wants to do the same thing is yeah, it's just like sometimes it's like, well, where on earth do I find them? So how does the room set up then? How work? How does that connect people.

Liz Rivas

Yeah. So basically it's just an app on, Google Play and on the App Store, it's kind of like a bumble bee. So you make a profile, you can connect and chat. I also have events. So I brought like different communities globally. For instance, like in Mexico City, I brought a group called the Mexico City and Foreign Girls Club.

Liz Rivas

It's girls from Mexico also like new mostly like expat girls too. And I just like really wanted to find like very inclusive communities that, you know, like whether you're traveling and maybe you don't want to just like the random person on the app, like go to girls dinner, you can go to, like a girls hike or something, or, oh, like a brunch or co-working or something like that.

Liz Rivas

So a community that already exists. So that's also what I wanted to build with from circle was a network of women's communities. So it's not just, you know, like everywhere in the world, you could find a community and it's still growing. And I definitely want to continue to bring on more communities. But there's so many of them.

Liz Rivas

And that's like, think one of the number one growing things right now is global community is and it's you know, it's it's really cool just to see how people are around the world shooting connection.

Sophie

Yeah, it is cool. I love that. It's it's really important, I think, to surround ourselves with like minded and the right people because I think we are essentially. I know this is sounds really cliche, but we all really are. This the average of the five people that we spend the most time with. And I've seen that for sure over the past few years, that when I'm hanging out with people that aren't on the same like wavelength or frequency as me, I feel different.

Sophie

I feel like there's certain things that might slip off my routine. There's certain things that I might not like be so quick with or whatever and like and vice versa, like some. Sometimes I'm like, wow, this person is like going so fast, that makes me go faster as well. So it's like, yeah, I'm, influenced by the people that you are surrounded with.

Sophie

And you pick up habits, you pick up behaviors, you pick up beliefs. Even sometimes it can rub off and energy transfer. Yeah. So I think choosing the people that you hang out with, choosing the community that you're part of is really, really important. And you don't know until you try. You have to try a few communities out, and it's great that you've got so many different communities and different ways for people to connect on on the app.

Sophie

But you have to really like dip, dip your toes into different, different groups, different people, different communities, different masterminds, memberships. When I go to figure out who is your people, where do you where do you actually belong?

Liz Rivas

And the cool thing too is that like with like people, we are just so we're onions. There's so many layers to us. Like we can be so many different things. Amazing. Sometimes you're like, oh, like, yes, I'm an entrepreneur or like I'm going to do entrepreneur things, but it's like you could also be into, like holistic medicine and doing, you know, all like the esoteric ones.

Liz Rivas

And it's like, yeah, I could do both things. Like it's also like the party can like, but they all wake up in the morning and don't go to yoga, like, even if I went out the last night. And so the cool thing about, you know, communities is that there's so many different types and you don't have to be one thing.

Liz Rivas

And I think that's, sometimes what's maybe scares people about maybe trying kind of a new group and it's just like, oh, like, maybe this isn't fully me, but it's like, okay, like, just try it. Your dip your toe and at least find something. And it's like you've definitely also maybe find someone that just, you know, lifelong friend, you might as well.

Sophie

Yeah. You the thing is, you don't have to everyone in the community, right? Like, you don't have to be best friends with everybody. But if you can even, like one person or two people that are like your people, your set, you think about a separate community and then you can tap into the bigger community. And when you want.

Sophie

But really, it's just about finding that those like select people that you really resonate with, you really have something in common with, and you can run with that. Then.

Liz Rivas

Yeah, even in my close to group of friends, there's people that are not necessarily like similar to each other. And I had one friend even before I started Drum Circle, she was like, oh, like, you're always mixing friends. Like I never mix friends. And I'm like, why? Like, I love bringing people together. And it's like, even if, like, hey, maybe two people are not at all alike and they don't want to be friends.

Liz Rivas

I'm like, you're still going to be invited, you know? So it's like, maybe there'll be other people that you resonate with in the group, but it's all like, oh, no, like, I can't bring these two together. They're so different. Like, naturally people will gravitate towards the people that they feel the most similar to.

Sophie

Yeah, I used to do that as well. Definitely. Where especially when I lived in London and I had all of these different groups of friends and I just wanted an easy life. Obliger organized one thing I don't want have to go and organize like five different things on this race, people. So let's just bring them all together. And I remember someone saying to me, it's about like, I would never mix these friendship groups.

Sophie

And I'm like, but why not? Like, we're all human beings like you all clearly have something in common with me because I'm the comments and dominator in this.

Liz Rivas

I always say that yes, I always say that. Yeah, yeah. I always tell people I'm like, there's something.

Sophie

Yeah, like if you've got something in common with one person in the group, the chances are you've got some in common with multiple people in the group and you're not going to get on with everyone. Nope. That's unrealistic. Like, you're not going to be best friends with every single person and no one wants you to be. Best friends are single person, but you can have a dinner with them, you know, like it's not.

Sophie

It's not that hard.

Liz Rivas

Yeah. And that's why, I mean, I have like the solo travelers, like, I feel like people that solo travel often are definitely built it. Right. You know, like the type of person that you have to be to, to trust yourself to be like, yeah, I'm going to go to this completely different country. I'm going to learn the subway system.

Liz Rivas

I'm going to, you know, find my way around. And just like by myself, like you have to be a certain type of person. So it's very, you know, easy for you to be like, oh, wow, we have this in common already. So that's like, you know, such a different. And then, for instance, I'm like expat community. You're in a new city, you're starting over, you're looking for friendship and you're looking for community.

Liz Rivas

Like, yeah, there's such a core human thing. So it's actually, you know, even as you have so many different personality traits that have something, you know, so deeply rooted to the core of your personality, it makes making friends a lot easier.

Sophie

It has, for sure, like I've been. I think for me it's weird because, like, I started solo traveling when I was 21 and I'm now 34 and I never really stopped there. And I travel and like it was just like a constant thing. So for me, that is the most normal thing in the world for me to just like, go take myself on a plane and that goes all through the airport on my own, put myself into a situation where I know nobody and make friend immediately like that to me, is like standard.

Sophie

Like that's just normal.

Liz Rivas

Sophie

I know it's wild, right? Like it's absolutely wild. And like I think I forget I think that's not. No, it's only because it's been ingrained in my whole life. So like for me, meeting people is just like, okay, another person cool. Like I'll see if I vibe with you. Great. Like, if not, that's okay. But I know for a lot of people that don't, don't do that or like they've never left their hometown or like they have only on like short holidays or trips or something, that can be really intimidating.

Sophie

But I do think, like particularly when you're an entrepreneur, you have to surround yourself with people that are doing something similar to you. You can't just it's going to be very difficult for you to thrive if you're still surrounding yourself with people that you knew ten years ago, that arena, completely different headspace and life situation and circumstance to you and what would you what advice would you give someone that's like, never experienced this before?

Sophie

Like never put themselves out there to meet new people, to find that community. Like what would you how would you coach them into actually putting themselves into situations where they're going to find more like minded people?

Liz Rivas

To be honest, my number one thing that I tell people is that, like, we're all going to die one day. And so you have to take risks, you have to make yourself uncomfortable, and you have to make yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is the number one way that you make new neural pathways in your brain is to do make new habits for yourself.

Liz Rivas

So that is the number one thing that I will tell anybody. It's not it's on easy. It's weird. Even somebody like myself, that I am a social person. I do these networking events like it's never like, oh, I'm going to, you know, I'm still nervous. I walk into these rooms and I'm like, what am I going to say to people?

Liz Rivas

I'm going to talk to you. You know, you walk in at first and you don't know anybody and you're just like up high. You know, it's not it's it's not comfortable for anybody. Even the person that is the most extroverted and the most comfortable. So I think that's what I would just tell people is just it's not easy for anybody.

Liz Rivas

So you just have to you just have to put yourself out there or you're not you you're not going to be able to experience anything in life if you're, you know, and also you have to realize too, is that everyone in that room is also going through that experience as well. Everyone else also put themselves out there. So you're not the only one.

Liz Rivas

You literally have something in common with everybody. They're just like, this is a weird we're we're all here for the same reason, which is the I connection.

Sophie

I listen to a podcast yesterday and it was all about like, how we as humans just get in our own way constantly because we're constantly thinking, oh my God, what does that person think about me? How are they perceiving this situation? But really, that person is literally thinking the same thing about you. It's like, oh my God, that's the thing about me.

Sophie

How are they perceiving me? And nobody cares about you? That's in all honesty. Like not not on first sight anyway. They haven't got any investment into us. So until you've become like friends with someone, if hung out with them a few times, you've got to know them on a much deeper level than just on the surface. They don't care.

Sophie

So like you can. Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is like learning that you could walk into any space, any room full of people, nobody actually cares, and that you could do anything and it would be fine because that person's too busy worrying about themselves and how they look and how they're being perceived to worry about how you're looking and being perceived.

Sophie

And I think so many people get scared, joining communities or putting themselves out there to meet new people that even if it could really benefit them because they're worried of what people would think of them. And that all comes obviously down to like a much deeper level of, self-worth and self value and all of that stuff.

Sophie

But on the surface, we all need to just remember no fuck. Like we're all just.

Liz Rivas

Exactly. Yeah. And that's that's actually the funny thing is just like nobody it's it's sad, but also good. Like, no one cares about you, you know, if not in that way, but it's, you know, nobody if everybody just literally cares about what they're going through, their own human experience. And that's actually really comforting to know. And also the people that are the ones that are judging others, they're probably not at a networking event.

Liz Rivas

They're probably home, like looking out their window and just like link to a.

Sophie

Keyboard warrior in the comments. You know, the Daily Mail. Yeah. That's something.

Liz Rivas

I love I love like, a keyboard warrior because I.

Sophie

Feel like this. So do I just believe? Yeah, yeah.

Liz Rivas

I think I'm like, I'm the one like you met here. I have to find a way to say.

Sophie

Like, if you've got me on a quiet day, well, let's go.

Liz Rivas

Yeah. I'm like, I'm ready for my school, sir. And your balls. Oh, here we go.

Sophie

I love, I think something that puts people off with communities and, like, joining communities is that there's this, like, narrative online around, like, what a community is. And I do think, like, social media platforms is kind of like spread false understanding of what a community looks like when actually just having a lot of followers is not having a community, you know, like it's that is very different to like being surrounded with like minded people because most likely unless you're like a One Direction fan, let's say, because I know that there is a whole community built around them because they're all like obsessed with the band.

Sophie

But like, unless you all have a shared value, a shared obsession with something, it's not actually a community. So I do have I do get it when people are like, ask community, like roll the eyes kind of thing because it has been used in incorrect ways. What would you how would you what would you say the differences between like real communities and not finding which is best is what.

Liz Rivas

You have been.

Sophie

Shown to believe community should be.

Liz Rivas

So I have a very specific example of this. Like for instance, I live in Miami, currently in the process of leaving Miami, but I've been there for about five years, and there are so many communities, that there are they're not there. Kind of like there's like one group that's like, oh, like we dress up in pink and do Pilates and I'm just like, that's, you know, it is, I don't know, I love that for them.

Liz Rivas

But that's not necessarily like a community. That's an Instagram page. And that's literally what it is, is like I actually had a conversation. I was in the process of bringing a lot of different communities and those from, from Miami to the group and basically like the first thing that the girl, you know, when we were talking was that we have this many sponsorships, we have sponsorship works and blah, blah, blah, and we don't bring any, you know, like, we don't do any partnerships.

Liz Rivas

It's like, it's just this is the amount of money that for you to be partnered with us. And like, that's not the type of community that I want. You're running a business. And that's what I've seen a lot, especially in, especially in places like Miami and a lot of places in Dubai is they're running a business.

Liz Rivas

It's not really a community. People want to be part of it. But then people go to these events and it's all sponsorships. Nobody's talking to each other. People go in their little outfits and they go to a lobby, and there are people that that are looking for connection and they're just like, you will use your goodie bag from, you know, Lululemon and your matcha that you paid, you know, 100, 100 bucks for this ticket for it.

Liz Rivas

Here's the group picture five. And, you know, little people kind of leave feeling empty. And, you forget that. So that community doesn't have to be complicated. Community isn't it? Yes. There's way to monetize community. And, you know, obviously a community isn't free. The person that is doing it and, you know, we're seeing workplaces and all of this stuff, like there is a, you know, expenditure that comes to that.

Liz Rivas

But when it turns into something where it's not about connection, that's not community. And that's that's one thing that really bothers me as community is becoming commoditized and people are going to these places really looking to find their people, and they leave feeling more energy than they were before, cuz it's like, oh, these people are one of the group, and they want to go get their pictures and, you know, do the photo booths and all this stuff.

Liz Rivas

And it's like, no, like community could be going out outside and having a picnic. You need to be co-working at a local cafe and talking about ideas and, you know, just having more of that authentic connection. And that's honestly I think what's what real community is for sure.

Sophie

I couldn't regulate that more, which is set up. We built this community here on the island and we've had to set really strict boundaries of like what that is and what it is, and we will not allow anyone to promote their business in it, for example, because then it shifts the dynamic. We won't allow even like ourselves, like the people that run it.

Sophie

We don't need our businesses in that because we want to like it to be a completely neutral playing field, for people to feel safe to connect rather than they feel like they've been sold to or pitch something to, and will give everybody an opportunity to do that in, live sessions, like when they come, if you physically come, because then we can see you, we can get to know you, we can understand your energy.

Sophie

Whereas a lot of people join like a community on like WhatsApp or social media or whatever, and they're just there to get whatever they need from the community. And I started an online version of what we do here on the island, and some of the first questions that I got when they would like deciding if they wanted to join the online kind of I for my, my business.

Sophie

And then I'm like, if you want to promote your business in this community, this is not a community for you, which is that is not the purpose. It's this purpose of this community is to connect people together. One thing I will say I'm very proud of, like the community that we've built here, is that I can see business connections being formed.

Sophie

We've had a couple born out of it. We've had like friendships born out of it, like it's super cool, like to see all of these connections. And again, you ask your friends, everyone I know, friends, everyone in the community. But like, I've made some really cool connections from it because like you said at the earlier, I've built something that I wanted, you know, like I was lacking and missing and I really wanted to build that.

Sophie

But I think as soon as you don't have the boundaries or you or people like, try and step outside of the box of what you built it to be, that's when it becomes in a little bit inauthentic or like the dynamic changes. And I think you have to as a facilitator of that community, you have to work really hard to protect that, I think.

Liz Rivas

Yeah. And there's, there's this quote I mean, I'm sure you've heard it. It's just like everybody wants a village, but nobody wants to be a villager. And that's literally what it is. It's like people are just like, oh, like, I want all these. I want all the support, I want all this. But I'm like, are you supporting people?

Liz Rivas

You know, like, are are you connecting people? Are you, you know, supporting your friends businesses? Are you reposting their things that they're, you know, posting and and so I think that that is actually what that is what real community is. It's reciprocal. It's not just showing up and wanting to extract from other people. It's like, what can I provide to people like, you know, even when I write posts just gatherings at my house and like, I'm providing my house, I'm bringing food, I'm bringing people together, you know, other people bring things.

Liz Rivas

And then it's just like, then the connections happen really naturally. You don't have to be this huge, you know, thing, but that that really is how you build authentic community is just allowing the community to up and kind of take a step back, like, all right, good, have at it. But now, then, then when people are just like promoting themselves and promoting their businesses and it's just like, what is this then?

Liz Rivas

Like, this is just this is just like a form of business promotion.

Sophie

Yeah. And I it's very easily it can very easily go down that route if you don't have a strong enough person lead in the community, it can very quickly disintegrating on that. Yeah.

Liz Rivas

And that thing that happens naturally. That's the cool thing though about like real networking. Like that happens naturally. It doesn't you don't have to be like, all right. Like, here's my business. Here's my logo. Just like, oh, like what happens supernaturally? That's literally what human connection. Like what happens when you have just conversations with people 100%.

Sophie

They might of clients I've had through lives. I'm not my I have a few clients through my community that I've got here, but like in general communities I've been part of, it's like, oh, I just took out, I didn't know, oh, cool, I need x, y, z. Like, can you help me with this? It's like, yeah, okay.

Sophie

Amazing. Because that person met me in real life and wants to work with me. It's not. They've just found me through my marketing or whatever, and they don't know me and get to know me better. Like, you've met me in person. So you know that we've got things in common. You know that, we're probably on the in the same friendship group or whatever.

Sophie

So it's so much more powerful, I think when you, when you go down that route and obviously for you, like a lot of nomads, listen to this podcast. And people that, have similar interests about I would say like travel and things. So tell us a little bit more about Writing Circle. Like how can people find it, access it and what what's the purpose of someone solo travel into it to you that.

Liz Rivas

Yeah, for sure. So I mean, the reason that I created it was, as I mentioned, like I wanted what I needed. I was traveling solo and I was finding, trying to find ways to find other women to connect with and hang out with in different cities. And I did find myself sometimes going on dating to find people to hang out with, which is very, very common for women.

Liz Rivas

It's not usually the safest at all. So you end up in like, international entanglements, you know, like solo travel to do relationships is like, all right, you know, there's all these different WhatsApp groups and there's kind of there's Facebook groups, but especially if you're going from one city to another, maybe like post something on a Facebook group and nobody reads it and you're like, I already left the city, like I'm not there anymore.

Liz Rivas

So it's like, oh, now somebody answered it. So I wanted to find, you know, a place where people can we can find each other. And that's why I created Rome Circle. So I just wanted to find friendship. And I also have it live in my own city of Miami, and, you know, like, I've just been building community there also.

Liz Rivas

But it's been just. I've just it's been really cool to see it just growing organically. And as you mentioned, like people just recommending it to each other. On like the app Store. And I created this last August, after traveling to 13 different countries last year. Like, you know, like I was kind of in the headspace of, like, there's all these different, you know, ways to meet people, but there wasn't a central location for it.

Liz Rivas

So, I mean, if you're an entrepreneur, you understand, like the entrepreneur brain, where you're just like, I can take it, I can do it. And I found, like a really talented developer that helped me create it. I am in a pickle financially. But, you know, money is a frequency. It's so I, I believe that, you know, kind of the energy that I'm putting into it is going to come out and falls.

Liz Rivas

And, you know, obviously, I think, you know, we'll all fall into place, but obviously it's a lot of work. You know, a lot of finding different communities to bring onto the app and also kind of how you mentioned to you, it's like I, I'm bringing these communities on, like I'm not targeting that much. Like, hey, just bring your community.

Liz Rivas

You know, tell your community about it and just bring it on to the app. Like it's not like a yes, this is like the speed or like, oh, I just want it to be an easy way for women to find each other and find community. And like, I feel like a lot of other things will happen organically, but just to have that resource for women to find each other is just something that we all need.

Liz Rivas

And that's, that's basically like where I'm at right now. I'm in the process of creating group travel for women to my father. The reason I actually got into travel is my father's a travel agent. He's been a travel agent for 40 years. So, I, he's in the process of retiring, and he has, like a travel agency, which I'm basically bringing into the app for like, women group travel and things like that.

Liz Rivas

And then also, you know, like for women that want to solo travel. So, you know, helping them with different itineraries like, okay, like maybe you're not just going to show up in your hotel when you get there like crazy people like, but you know, like, maybe it's, you know, some different supports for women that do want to solo travel or if you want to solo travel with a group of different women and you kind of different things like that.

Liz Rivas

So I'm doing that as well right now.

Sophie

Very cool, I love it. I think it's really important. Like it's for some people, it's very difficult to meet people when they're so metropolitan. And I think having resources like that is so, so helpful. And I know that pretty much everybody, every woman that I've met, traveling would benefit from that. So I think anyone that is traveling is nomad ING, is finding businesses and wants to meet more like minded people could definitely benefit from something like that.

Sophie

So thank you so much for creating. That is super cool. And obviously you travel, you have the freedom to travel. And it's something I like to close every side with because freedom is such a big value for me. It's kind of like the core reason why I do so many, so much of what I do. I would love to hear from you.

Sophie

Like, what does freedom mean? And look like for you right now in this season of life?

Liz Rivas

It's actually really crazy because I'm in the process of selling my, apartment in Miami and like, going full in on Nomad, which is actually something that I was kind of forced up on me. I've had a corporate job for basically my the last like ten years of my life, and I got laid off, like four weeks ago.

Liz Rivas

And, you know, so I've been building ground circle and also working a full time corporate job at the same time. And I got into a point where I was so burnt out mentally, I had to take a step back from Rome Circle for the last couple of weeks that I, I feel like everything kind of had to fall into this like place, you know, like when your body has a fever and it's like purging it out.

Liz Rivas

And I think that's kind of how I felt like Miami is like my my lot. My timeline in corporate is urging me out into such a place where I can actually do the thing that I could wanting to do, like last year I was still traveling, but I was tied to my, you know, corporate job. So now I'm actually and tied to my extreme rent that I was paying in Miami.

Liz Rivas

Just like I. Yeah, I need to get rid of that. I can't I can't do that anymore. And I feel like now, the universe is actually really point me in the direction of freedom, right. So, so this is the timing of this is just really crazy. So that's kind of where I'm at of my life right now is getting rid of my apartment and kind of starting fresh or whatever that means, and I'm going to spend some time around Europe this summer, you know, different definitely want to get to Thailand as well.

Liz Rivas

I don't to get them a little time in Bali in South America and just actually, like, really live that life. Like I'm also 34. I'm like, if not now, then one, you know.

Sophie

Yeah, I do it. I recommend, come on, let me know your here.

Liz Rivas

Sophie

Amazing. Well I think yeah it definitely sounds like the universe is like pushing you in direction. So I think everything it is every rejection is a redirection. Right. So I really believe that. And I wish you all the luck with your new journey. And all of the exciting things coming up. If anyone wants to connect with you or find rooms like, oh, how can they do that?

Liz Rivas

Yeah. I mean, you can download it on the App Store and Google Play. My new update is on, App Store right now. Google play is kind of the older version of the app right now. You can follow me on Instagram at Run Circle app. And my personal is was verse 21. If you want to follow my the Hinge personal life.

Liz Rivas

It's kind of more of that. And then Drum Circle app is, you know, more of the community things I'm doing around the world. Looking forward to meeting people and new friends and making new connections around the world.

Sophie

Super cool. Well, thank you so much for sharing everything or your thoughts opinions on building community. I hope it inspired some people listening and to go and find that community. I think it's really important, to surround yourself with as many like minded people as she can. And hopefully Graham's Echo helps people do that. So thank you so much for sharing and building.

Liz Rivas

Such a great app. Awesome. Thank you so much.

Sophie

Thanks for listening to today's episode of the Freedom Method Podcast, and thank you to Liz. This is a great conversation around community building, and I really hope it inspires some of you to go and find your people, or at least put yourself in one new room this week and just see what happens. The bit from this episode that I made the most is what Liz said about community being reciprocal, because everybody wants a village, but nobody wants to be a villager.

Sophie

If you really want to find your people, you have to be willing to show up as the one worth finding. So make sure you can put yourselves in some rooms like minded people, and then find the people that can support you. Before I let you go today, today's episode got you thinking about finding people on a similar path and you are currently building an online business and choosing a different kind of life.

Sophie

That is exactly what the Freedom Business Bootcamp is all about. All of the details will be in the show notes below that is going to be a great way for you to start finding and putting yourself in the room with other people that are on a very similar journey to you. In the meantime, thanks so much for listening.

Sophie

If this episode resonated with someone who needs to hear it, please like and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platforms and I will see you in the next one.