🌟 How I Won the Star by Logging Off and Leading with Trust
When I landed in Costa Rica, our community sat at #43 in the Money category. I knew we were moving up — slowly but surely — and that we’d eventually get that Star. But how incredible would it be to get it while I was in Costa Rica, at a Skool IRL event? To have that moment happen full circle — surrounded by people who truly understand what it means to build community — and to celebrate it together in person. Everyone says the Money board moves painfully slow. You need sleepless nights, constant posts, endless “what’s-for-dinner?” threads, and meme wars just to move the needle — or massive MRR, or giant groups with thousands of members. But that wasn’t going to be my story. I also wasn’t about to fly halfway around the world to Costa Rica — to be in the same room as some of the most inspiring humans I’ve ever met — and spend it behind a screen. I only had a few days to be physically present with these people. The ones I’d watched, learned from, and quietly admired — people who honestly felt leagues ahead of me. I wasn’t even sure I belonged in that room. But I was there — and I wasn’t going to waste it. Before I left, my community gave me the best advice I could’ve asked for: “Jen, you’ve poured everything into us. You’ve shown up. You’ve given your all. Now it’s your turn. Don’t waste this trip glued to your laptop trying to keep serving us. Be present. Soak it in. Serve yourself. Every conversation and connection will come back to us in ways we can’t even see yet.” They told me to rest. To recalibrate. To allow myself to grow. “You’ve done enough for us,” they said. “The community will still be here when you get back. Let us do this for you.” It was hard to hear — because my instinct is always to keep showing up, to keep pouring into them. But they were right. So I listened. I set my calls aside. I closed the tabs. I silenced the pings. And I did the one thing most group owners would never dare to do when they’re that close to earning a Star: I logged off — fully.