We all hear about community a lot, but not enough when it comes to professional development.

I can honestly say that, until I became a freelancer, I didn’t really feel that I had a community of people around me who wanted to see me grow as a professional, but now, I’ve got at least three (this one included) that I’ve benefitted from.

I want you to find yours too…of course there’s BlackFreelance, but we can all benefit from really specific community connections that help us network and grow in our skillsets. (I’m in one just for B2B writers for example and used to be in one just for healthcare writers.)

This week, the challenge is going to be really simple, but super rewarding because it will help you build a refined network (those people who send you work), stay up on the demands in your particular skillset, and stay connected with other professionals who do what you do (way more important as a freelancer than it is for employed people).

You’ve only got 2 things to do this week…

First, you’ve gotta find a group. That’s pretty easy though, especially with social networking platforms.

For example, if you’re a developer, Facebook’s got groups for Python, Tableau, even Christian game developers. If you don’t like what you see, check a few out and maybe even start your own!

LinkedIn’s another place where you’ll find people who are happy to connect and share. The Ghostwriters Worldwide group is one of the first places I got good advice (and even a referral) on growing my career, but they’ve got groups for translators, graphic designers, even freelance IT sales people.

Join one, join a couple…it costs nothing and you’ll likely get some kind of insight into your corner of the freelance world.

I seriously can’t count the times I’ve joined groups and signed up for courses…and then just let them sit and gather dust.

I’m not going to do that anymore and you’re not either.

Pick a day, just one day a week to go back to your groups, review, post, and respond. Set up a reminder for yourself. I’m going to recommend no more frequently than once a week since some groups can be kind of iffy when it comes to posting frequency.

Keep it up for at least six months (when Skills Development month rolls around again)…that sounds like a long time, but even if you end up switching groups, this is a foundational habit we should all be engaging in as freelancers who want to see our businesses grow, so getting used to it will only help you out in the long run.

Have a great week, and if you’re having a hard time finding a space, let me know!

Megan