Skool Stories is back on the Skool Stories YouTube channel and this return episode sets the tone for what is coming next. @Matthew Thompson and Evelyn Weiss sit down with Andrew Kirby and Claire Quinn to walk through how Skool started for them, what happened before Skool even existed, and how they ended up working at Skool today. Andrew talks about starting as a customer in Sam Ovens’ previous company and mastermind, watching Sam pivot to Skool, and investing when nobody really knew what Skool was yet. He explains how he ended up as one of the first investors, launched the first free Skool community for “synthesizers” who love to learn and teach, and later helped big creators bring their people into Skool. He walks through the full Hamza story from the original “why self improvement YouTubers are lying to you” video, to Hamza using his dopamine detox Reddit to get early subscribers, to the Loom plan that helped Hamza go from about twenty thousand a month to two hundred thousand a month in roughly thirty days with a Skool launch. Claire talks about starting as a nurse in a major trauma unit during covid, getting pushed into full responsibility early, and eventually hitting a point where she could not keep going at that pace. She explains how she moved into online work, took a Twitter job with Tiago Forte, helped launch Building a Second Brain, and then over time found her place at Skool as executive assistant, quietly running a lot of the details behind events and day to day operations. What makes this episode special is how candid it is. You get to see the messy middle. The unexpected turns. The exact moments where their lives and Skool crossed paths in a way neither of them planned. If you want a true inside look at Skool’s rise and what is coming next for creators, members, and the platform itself, you will want to watch this entire episode from start to finish.

Gonna summarize the loom :) What have you learned? - Anything can work if you stick to it for long enough- the power of volume is CRAZY What’s changed for you? - I went from working construction full-time for $300/month to making $3k+/month online :) What moments stand out most? - Going from $0 to $700/month in 11 days was a special feeling. - Getting my first high ticket client at $1000/month was also amazing. - And then having a cool partnership & full-time position at $3000/month helped me have a pretty cool time in Bali as a digital nomad! What would you tell someone who’s only a few weeks or months in and thinking about giving up? - Break everything down into small steps, and ideally have a mentor you trust who can help you do that. - Make $1000/month online seems scary but if you break it down to: offer, market, price, volume required for a client, etc. then it's not nearly as scary. Huge shoutout to @Jenna Ostrye for the last year, you've genuinely changed my life forever and I'm super grateful for you :)

Skool has hired a Creator Success Manager (Mark Novikov) and he helps creators with large platforms transition their audience to Skool. Well.. he made a document that's short & sweet for promoting to Skool.. and has given us permission to share with others. So of course I got it for you guys to use for yourself or communities you help 🫶 Check it out here then let me know what you think! 👇

Now that tiers are out & we can see what version 1 looks like... What are you planning to do with them?

The way to make quick money. The way to get traffic fast. The way to rank higher asap. Everyone’s chasing the next way to avoid doing the work instead of building something that actually lasts. I’ve never once seen someone create a meaningful, happy, fulfilled life surrounded by people worth having in their circle by trying to game or cheat a system. Just like a fire starter, it burns fast and bright with nothing solid underneath to keep it going. In fact, a few who tried to game the system and made it to the Games in the past ended up becoming examples of what not to do and internet memes instead of role models. Shortcuts can look exciting in the moment, but they never build real stability. They don’t create the kind of foundation you can build a business, a brand, or a reputation on. The people who win long term aren’t searching for hacks. They’re refining what works. They’re taking in feedback and iterating. They’re showing up when no one’s watching. They’re stacking small, boring actions that eventually create something unshakable. Quick results fade. Real growth doesn’t need a hack. Where have you seen the biggest difference from slowing down and doing it with intention?