"Wild Women do and they don't regret it"
— Margaret Miles-Bramwell (Author)
Hi! I’m Lauren D Hughes and I’m the founder and Leader of The Affinity Business Community for conscious, ethical and heart led female entrepreneurs, trailblazers and wild women who want to create massive impact and become a part of the positive ripple effect of change in the world.
Affinity is all about connecting you with your soul purpose, giving the tools, the connections, the love, support and accountability to make it happen.
We are a community that values contribution and reciprocity so please do give as much as or more than you hope to receive and you'll soon find you receive so much more than you give.
The Affinity space is sacred and I work hard to maintain the integrity and safety of the community. So firstly, please respect it and secondly please use it; to explore yourself and your journey, to connect with others through open hearted conversation and to truly become untamed and unapologetic about it!
We tell stories, we speak from a place of passion and we never do what we 'should'! We are standing in our personal power because we've begun the work, the journey back to ourselves. We're not 'there' yet because we know there is no 'there' and we're ok with that because we're here for the experience of it all.
"The moment I stop running
From the demons in my head
And instead I choose to love them
When saying yes to life
Both shadow and light
My suffering is done and I come alive"
— Fia, Shedding Skins
We have a shared vison here, that we can help to heal the world one conversation, one person, one action at a time. That is the power of community!
Oh sorry, I just dropped my mic there but I wasn't quite finished.....
HOW TO BE IN THIS SPACE
Affinity is all about becoming undoing the conditioning, there are no limits or glass ceilings here. We're doing the personal work to become our most untamed and unapologetic selves. Because we know that we we embrace our full self, light radiates from us, allowing us to become the way showers, the changemakers and the trailblazer we truly know ourselves to be.
Please shine your light in this space, keep the energy vibration high, take responsibility for your actions and your emotions. Martyrdom isn't our vibe. That said, when showing up as your YOUest you and owning your shit, you'll find an endless supply of love and support here so don't be afraid to ask for it!
Share your wisdom and learn from others, run polls for market research (if we're a group of your soulmate client), go live, promote your business, ask for help and get quick answers from the hive mind!
We don't have dedicated days for promo or anything else so go for it and don't ask for permission! You are a good human, I trust you to gauge the space and use it well by receiving what you need and by contributing to others.
To minimise overwhelm, to help you find what you're looking for and to help you receive support quickly I encourage you to use these hashtags on relevant posts. But also to search these tags in the group to see where you can be of assistance too.
#CelebrateDingDing
I'd love to share with you the high vibe of our community; we celebrate ourselves and each other here so if you shout out others or share a win, please ring the celebration bell by tagging tag it #CelebrateDingDing
#AccountabilityMe
Accountability is key in business growth because it's easier to take the big, scary action when you know you're not alone so if you want to be keep accountable, tag me Lauen D Hughes and add #AccountabilityMe and someone will come to your aid.
#Guidance
We also share our wisdom and are all about helping each other to grow through teaching and learning so if you have a great industry tip, an educational post, something you've just learned or you want to share your wisdom tag it with your industry tag i.e. #Marketing #Copywriting #Wellbeing #SpiritualDevelopment followed by #guidance
#HelpINeedSomebody
And finally if you need help with something, whatever it may be tag it #HelpINeedSomebody (feel free to sing along as you type it)
#OpportunityKnocks
And if there is an opportunity for paid work either becaus eyou are looking or you are asking for a friend then use the tag #OpportunityKnocks
The majority of our community is here to learn, to be encouraged, and to find deep connection with other like minded souls. The aim is to cultivate a powerful foundation that gives you a springboard to reach for and create your dream vision, and to take it even further!
We’re here to inspire you to drop within and really connect with your own inner guidance by deeply accepting all that you are and all that YOU want. We’re here to share our business knowledge and wisdom with each other so we get ‘there’ more quickly and in great company. But we’re also here to keep you accountable for taking the massive action needed to reach the next levels.
THE COMMUNITY RULES
I truly appreciate you respecting our community by coming to explore the rules, so we can continue to keep this space sacred and safe for all who share it. It shows your deep integrity, I see you and thank you!
Honestly, I hate rules and have tried to keep them to a minimum but Affinity is a special place and deserves to be nurtured and cared for in this way. These rules protect the high-vibe and quality of our community.
Our community rules reflect the wishes & desires of our community. The rules of the group are;
01 - Be a nice human. (kindness and curiosity always, never bring your judgement here. We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Let's treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
02 - No Apologising. We’re shifting this culture of apologising for our very existence and we're all about showing up as your unapologetic self. So we've banned the 'S' word in Affinity (unless of course you've done something proper wanky, then it is of course expected - but that doesn't really happen here). So if you find yourself saying it, catch yourself and reframe it as a thank you instead. It feels really good! Also, PLEASE don't start your posts with 'I hope it's ok to post this...' it's an apologetic energy and a missed opportunity to connect.
03 - No hate speech or bullying. Let’s ALL make sure that everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things such as race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated. They mean immediate ejection from the membership.
04 - No spamming in the group or in DMs. Self-promotion is encouraged, but in the ‘Affinity Way’. Share your story, your personality, yourself! Never dump and run. Contacting each other to sincerely connect is encouraged but NEVER EVER spam people in the DMs. This is difficult to police so use sense and report any issues to me. This isn't a sales group, it's a supportive networking community.
05 - Give more than you take. In a space where everyone is of the mind that they give more than they take, it turns out that everyone ends up receiving 10 fold what they put in so be of the mind that you are here to help and to receive support. It’s not a literal give and take, we trust that karmic energy will deliver what we need, when we need it.
06 - Respect everyone's privacy. Don’t share anything from within the group outside of the group without express permission from the creator. Being part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great, but may also be sensitive and private. What's shared in the group is confidential and must stay in the group. Taking screenshots of discussions is not permitted. Any breach of confidence will result in immediate ejection and may lead to potential legal action. This is to maintain the integrity of this group as a safe space.
07 - Posting Ratio Recommendation. This is a learning space and people will come to trust you through your content online so I recommend posting minimum 3 non-promo posts (asking for help, sharing your story, top tips, signposting to helpful resources, talking about your journey, insight into your day to day life etc.) to every promo post and share what will add something to the lives of others or enable them to better come to know you
HOW TO BUILD YOUR CONNECTIONS
Here’s how you can make the very most of this community (how to show up);
- Show up. If you never post, people will never see you and never know you so they can never use your services or recommend you. Sort of obvious when you put like that init? :p
- Personal Stories. Who are you, where do you come from, what’s your personal ‘why’?
- Share wins and celebrations. We wanna feel that energy and get in it with you!
- Share Testimonials. These are a great celebratory energy but also allow others to feel what it’s like to work with you and the outcomes they might receive.
- Run Polls. Market research is key and if Affinity crowd is your soulmate client then gather your data here. Preface it with if you are a ‘enter ideal client description here’ then I’d love to hear from you.
- Go live. This is the BEST way for people to really feel your energy and imagine working with you.
- Selfies. We love a selfie - so we can get to know you better!
- Comment on other peoples posts. Not only does this help build connections with others (you never know who might be your next best friend!!) but it also helps boost their post so do it for them and for you!
- Tag others on posts. This is a great way to let others know that you’re thinking of them especially if it’s something that might be useful to them or it’s where someone needs their services! This can be on your posts or other peoples posts.
- Promote your business. But talk about it from a place of passion and connected to your purpose.