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Hello, fellow content peeps!

As we’re heading into the final long weekend of the summer, I thought I would keep things short this week.

This week, I met up with someone who has really inspired me, who went from unemployable to accidental founder and I finally got some time booked to ask her a few questions!

But first, let’s hear from our sponsor…

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How to Accidently Build a Thriving Community

Meet Giovanna Ventola, who has a story that feels deeply familiar (at least to me).

After being laid off twice in the past two years, Giovanna found herself in yet another meeting, right before Thanksgiving when that familiar sense of dread came right back.

Yep, it was happening again. Another layoff, 90 days into the new job. There had been little warning that this would happen again. Her boss had cancelled performance reviews, it was all good, right?

The sense of shame, helplessness and frustration hit Giovanna hard and when she started to do ‘all the things’ she needed to do to get another job, she noticed that the world seemed to have shifted.

Starting in mid-January, after connecting with her friends, network and talking to a lot of people, she sensed a shift in the market. I asked her when she felt that this layoff period was different:

“Mid January. It was like the attitude of it all, it was the amount of jobs. So since I'd been laid off so many times, I had sort of seen different patterns with the way jobs were posted, the way people were speaking about hiring. It was just a different vibe."

It was at this point in her journey that she decided she needed to expand her network. She was tired and quite frankly, embarrassed to keep asking the same family, friends and colleagues for help when they had helped her so much in the past couple of years.

Let’s Take This to the Internet: Can I Find 5 New People?

Instead of retreating, she took a chance and started sharing her story on TikTok. No scripts, no fancy setup, no social media strategy—just her, sitting in front of her wrought iron bed frame, talking into her phone.

No editing, no polish. Just raw, unfiltered thoughts.

The goal was simple: Find five new people that she could meet with and expand her network.

So, why Tik Tok?

So many of us spend so much energy and time thinking through our social and traffic strategies, but Giovanna didn’t give it much thought.

She chose Tik Tok because she thought that was where her family and friends didn’t hang out. When she started sharing her story, she didn’t know anyone that was actively on Tik Tok.

This meant she was able to speak to nobody in the room and really share her thoughts in a more authentic, real, raw way.

Lesson learned: Sometimes building in the void is exactly what we need to do.

Authenticity is the New Expertise

If you watch any of Giovanna’s videos, you’ll notice that she is very conversational and doesn’t declare herself the expert:

I think in this content-heavy, overly AI created, algorithmic world, authenticity does find a way to break through and it can be a real, genuine way to build an audience.

And, that is exactly what she did.

Founding Rhize: 2500 Members and Growing Organically

What started as a personal quest for connection evolved into Rhize, a community that now boasts over 2,500 members.

Rhize is more than just a network; it’s a space where people come together to share advice, offer support, and navigate the rough waters of unemployment and career transitions together.

Giovanna didn’t set out with a grand plan to build a community, and that’s part of what makes Rhize so special:

“This isn’t just about content creation. It’s a space for a conversation. I never intended to build a community, but it grew organically because people were looking for a place to connect and share their experiences.”

Lessons learned: We really overcomplicate things as content creators.

As content people, we really do stress over the perfect platform, the right audience-building strategy, or spend countless hours polishing our content.

But none of this matters if you can hit a nerve.

Before Giovanna knew it, her authentic, no-filter approach was resonating far beyond her initial expectations. The feedback from those around her only reinforced what she was starting to feel: she was onto something.

"My cousin, who’s one of my closest friends, she’s young and like cool and hip—she texted me and was like, ‘You have to keep sharing your story because it’s resonating with people.’"

Giovanna’s success with Rhize proves that authenticity—being real and relatable—can break through all of that noise.

The Accidental Founder: It’s Time

I hear a lot of founders, freelancers and contractors tell me that they didn’t choose this life, it chose them.

That’s really my story too.

And, that’s what happened with Giovanna. In the end, nobody gave her a job.

Instead, she’s out there growing a real internet business. You can hear from her on how she made this decision:

@giovanna.ventola

the Rhize community deserves all the credit 🥹🌱🫶🏼 #fyp #unemployed #founder #rhizetogether #inspo #entrepreneur

Giovanna didn’t plan to become a founder, but sometimes the best opportunities come from the most unexpected places and when our back is up against the wall.

We’ve been through it this year in SEO and content—it’s been a wild time in these internet streets, but isn’t that the fun of it all?

“Nothing in my life that I've planned has gone as planned. And this has been completely unplanned. And I'm like, you know what, there’s a lesson there. Just keep rolling with it. And it'll be what it is.”

More on Rhize:

If you’re interested in joining or learning more about Rhize, check it out here. The Slack group is super active, with job postings (I spotted a really interesting content opportunity just this morning) and a dedicated freelance channel where you can connect with others. It’s a growing community built on real connections and genuine support—it might be just what you’re looking for.

The Story Continues Next Week:

Next week, I’ll dive into how Giovanna has nurtured Rhize’s growth, the strategies she’s using to keep the community engaged, and how she’s exploring monetization. Whether you’re looking to build your own community or just want to learn from her journey, you won’t want to miss it.

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Things to Read, Watch, and Ponder

▶️Freelancers! My friend Tyler Hakes is hosting a great event, with some amazing guests to talk all things freelance biz strategies. Sign up now!

▶️Speaking of communities, what are some worth-while ones to join these days for SEOs? Well, Billie Geena gives us her top picks. Get the list here!

▶️Want some updates on the latest Google update? Lily Ray shares her insights. Listen here!

▶️A travel gear site lost 60% of traffic during the pandemic. Want to know how they recovered? Read more here.

Thanks for coming back again this week. Next week, we’ll get a few more insights and learn how Rhize plans to monetize and get some tips to building an active, genuine community.

Cheers! Amy

Some Bonus Newsletters You’ll Love

If you want to get into the weeds on these topics, here are some newsletters that I read regularly that I think you’ll enjoy: