The Power of Community (And Why It’s Not Just a Buzzword)

In The Reset Method, we talk a lot about the 'Body Budget.' While we focus on sleep and movement, there is one vital deposit we often overlook, Connection. 

Biologically, we aren't meant to be islands and being isolated can be a route to burnout.

I’m delighted to introduce Marti Jeremiah-Shelley, founder of Wee Bit Social. Marti is the very best at building the kind of real world community that keeps us grounded. Today, she’s sharing why connection isn’t just a 'nice to have', it’s a survival strategy for your health and your business.

By Marti Jeremiah-Shelley, founder of Wee Bit Social

When Antonia asked me to write this blog about community, it felt a little full circle.

We met on Instagram. We supported each other’s businesses. She became a regular at my events. And now? She’s a friend.

Which is exactly the point.

As someone who works in social media, I hear the word “community” constantly. It’s the new “authentic.” Back in 2016, it was all about “finding your tribe.” Now it’s “building your community.” And sometimes it can feel like just another marketing phrase that’s lost its meaning. But here’s the thing, community isn’t a buzzword, it's survival.

We Weren’t Meant To Do This Alone

Before I started Wee Bit Social, I worked in offices, Call Centres, Reception roles, jobs built around people. Work friends. Kitchen chats. A sense of belonging.

And then I started my own business.

Suddenly, there were no Monday morning chats. No colleagues to bounce ideas off. No one to ask whose side of the Beckham feud they are on - In case you’re asking Victorias obvs!

Or just general ranting about why a client hasn't come back to you, or they have, and they are wrong! (My husband, who also works from home, gets a lot of that now).

Running a business is hard. Really hard, and when you don’t have a support network, or someone to just say, “What do you think about this service or price?” It can feel like you’re always wrong, even after hours of Googling!

Studies in social neuroscience show that connection reduces stress and increases

resilience. Chronic loneliness has even been linked to higher cortisol levels, that constant underlying stress hormone. Research also shows social support lowers anxiety, burnout and depression, particularly for self-employed people.

We’re not designed to sit alone at our laptops, second-guessing every decision, feeling like some days it’s just all a bit much, and should we just chuck it in for a job at Tescos?

Online Community Is Powerful, But It’s Not The Whole Picture

Social Media has been brilliant for me. Ive built my whole business around it as a Social Media Marketer & Consultant to business owners.

I've met so many amazing people through Instagram that I still haven't even met in real life. But it doesn’t compare to a real-life connection.

There’s something powerful about stepping away from your desk, breathing fresh air, changing up your environment, taking a morning away from your desk and usual surroundings and talking to people who actually get what it’s like to run a business.

Because guaranteed your friends or other half who have “normal jobs” just don't understand the pressure, the stress, the late night working when you just need to get something “done” of running your own business.

Seeing someone. Hugging them. Having a proper conversation over a coffee, complimenting their outfit and asking about their children. That’s why networking became non-negotiable for me.

Building My Own Business Community

I started running networking events nine years ago. In the beginning, don't get me wrong, it was just me and maybe two other people.

Slowly, regulars came back.

Friendships formed.

Collaborations happened naturally.

Extra coffees were booked.

People became more enthusiastic about making time for them and their business and leaving feeling inspired, more connected and motivated.

What mattered most wasn’t growth.

It was creating a space for people who, like me, had never run a business before and felt like they were figuring it out as they went along, who wanted to feel like they weren’t the only ones struggling.

A place to take one morning a month and feel supported.

To have real conversations. Not surface-level “Here’s my card” conversations that you instantly forget the second you get home.

Community isn’t about handing out business cards. It’s about connection.

How Community Has Changed My Business

Community hasn’t just supported my mental health and created a real friendship/support group; it’s actually strengthened my business.

It’s given me:

● More confidence in my decisions

● Less second-guessing

● Better ideas & accountability to see those through

● Faster growth without burnout

● Clients who already trust me

● A genuine sense of belonging

And personally:

● Support on hard days

● People to celebrate wins with

● The reassurance that I’m not shouting into the void and people to bounce ideas off.

Community Is a Business Strategy

● This isn’t just about well-being.

● It’s about visibility.

● The best brand isn’t always the best one; it’s the one that springs to mind when

someone asks for a recommendation. To do this, you need to be front of mind.

● You stay front of mind through consistent connection. Through newsletters. Social media. Conversations. Events, through building that community.

● In person connection creates stronger memory and trust than almost anything else.

● Community isn’t a distraction from work. It supports the work. It keeps you accountable. It keeps you sane. It reminds you why you started.

● Build your community, and sales will follow. You can’t sell without a community, so put the time in to really get to know them.

You Don’t Need Millions

You Just Need Your People.

Research from Harvard’s long-running Study of Adult Development, one of the most

comprehensive studies on happiness and wellbeing, found that the single biggest

predictor of long-term happiness and health isn’t wealth, success or status.

It’s strong relationships.

Not followers.

Not revenue.

Not how polished your brand looks.

Connection.

And when you run a business on your own, especially from home, those connections don’t just happen accidentally.

You have to create them.

You have to step into rooms.

You have to start conversations.

You have to go first sometimes. Even if that's just saying - nice earrings, I find that

works well for me!

Networking isn’t about pitching. It’s about belonging.

It’s about protecting your mental health as much as growing your business.

It’s about having people who understand the pressure, the risk, the constant

decision-making. Someone you can meet for a coffee when you’re struggling and

chucking it all in for a job in Tesco is beginning to look really appealing!

It’s about building something sustainable, not just profitable.

Because running a business is hard.

But it’s a lot lighter when you’re not carrying it alone.

So the advice from someone who is all about community and connects others on a

pretty much daily basis, someone who has seen how much community matters, how much it inspires, motivates and increases creativity and sales.

Put the time in.

Book the event.

Send the message.

Have the coffee.

Prioritise connection just as much as content.

Entrepreneurship is 90% confidence and 10% texting another business owner, ‘Is it

just me or is this really hard?’ Because running a business alone is hard enough

without pretending you’ve got it all figured out.

Marti Jeremiah-Shelley is the founder of Wee Bit Social, where she helps small

business owners navigate social media without losing their sanity.

As well as strategy and training, she runs regular Coffee & Chat networking

mornings, workshops & co working sessions and the occasional quirky evening

event (pyjamas and hygge included). Her work is rooted in one belief: business is hard, but it’s a lot easier when you don’t do it alone.

Having worked with Marti I can say first hand, she is brilliant at what she does. I can highly recommend her if you need support with social media, she has definitely helped me keep my sanity as a small business owner :)

Antonia