Episode 109 - Community

Episode 109: Community Last week, I talked about imposter syndrome and what happens when success finally starts showing up but you still question whether you deserve it. This week, I'm looking at something that can make that journey a little easier: community. A few weeks ago, I attended Port Chester's Unity Day, an event that's been bringing people together for longer than I've been alive. Being there made me start thinking about the different communities I've had throughout my life and the one I've slowly built through my books, this podcast, and BooksByJosh.com. I may only know a small percentage of the people who follow my work personally, but every listener, reader, review, comment, and email reminds me that I'm not creating completely alone. This podcast and my website don't directly make me money, and that's never really been the point. I've always wanted them to be places where I could share whatever knowledge, experience, or perspective I have with people who might find value in it. Community also goes beyond an audience. It's your friends, family, mentors, coworkers, business connections, gym partners, and the people you choose to surround yourself with. The right people can motivate you, teach you something you didn't know, give you somewhere to vent, or simply remind you to keep moving when progress feels slow. In this episode, I discuss: Growing up in a large family and why community has always been part of my life How attending Port Chester's Unity Day made me think differently about my own community Building a community through my books, podcast, website, readers, and listeners Why I continue creating free content even though my podcast and website don't directly make money The importance of mentorship, networking, and learning from people ahead of you Why the people you surround yourself with can influence your habits and direction The importance of bringing value to a community instead of only taking from it Having people who can motivate you, teach you, or simply give you somewhere to vent Why friendships and communities naturally change as we move through different stages of life The difficulty of building something when success can take years to finally appear How AI has helped my creative workflow while also making an already crowded creator market even more competitive Why having people around you matters when the difficult parts of the journey eventually arrive I've been writing for almost two decades, podcasting for nearly a decade, and running my website for around a decade. A lot of the results I'm beginning to see now didn't happen quickly. When you're working toward something for that long, having people around you—even if they're simply listening, reading, encouraging you, or sharing the journey—can make a bigger difference than you realize. Communities won't always stay the same. People leave, friendships change, and sometimes you eventually move on from a group that once meant everything to you. The important thing is continuing to find people you can learn from, contribute to, and lean on when the inevitable storms show up. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Who makes up your community today, and how have the people around you changed as you've grown? The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don't always fit into neat categories.