How To Build A Room People Want To Walk Into

We might say we do the work for the love of it, but visibility matters. We want others to connect with what we do and decide to join in.

You can be seen and lifted high, even if you’re not the loudest voice or come with built-in kudos. It comes down to the spaces you belong to and the opportunities they create. 

When you feel part of a community that lifts others up, trust builds all round. People want to belong, not because of you, but because of what you make possible together.

The turning point for me came when I saw it all happen in front of me.

I would travel to Content Marketing World, in Cleveland, US and what Joe Pulizzi built there was something I hadn’t seen before.

Joe didn’t just talk about content marketing, he built a space where others could be known for it. This would be the space where the B2B celebs would be and they became co-authors of the entire content marketing movement. It meant this became the space where others want to be seen too.

That’s the part we rarely talk about. 

When you build a community that makes other people visible, the light spreads outwards.

It’s healthier this way as it’s never good when everything revolves around one person.

When I started You Are The Media, it was just me, a newsletter and a handful of early supporters. I could run events, send emails, manage everything alone.

Over time, I realised that a community can’t and shouldn’t hinge on one person forever. 

In 2023, I made a decision to stay involved, but step aside (I still enjoy writing every week, even after 10+ years). I handed the microphone to others and let their talents shine, especially people who hadn’t been recognised or given opportunities before.

As we look into 2026, Lunch Clubs, will continue to be hosted by others in the community. Many are now initiated by people who used to just attend.

When people take responsibility, the whole effort strengthens. They don’t just contribute, they bring themselves. The community stops feeling formulaic and starts feeling alive.

When you encourage people to step up, others feel empowered to create together.

We’re wired for recognition. People don’t show up just for the content, they show up to be seen, heard and valued.

When you spotlight someone, you’re not diminishing your own visibility, you’re making your spotlight transferable.

As an example, every Thursday someone from the YATM community starts the newsletter. This is the first person that people see, sharing what they do and what they recommend.

To many creators, giving that space away to people without payment doesn’t make sense. I’d rather build a place around shared visibility, rather than treating everyone else as consumers. You can make communal currency, flowing between people, not fixed on one face. It doesn’t always mean paying to be seen.

Creating visibility for others isn’t a side effect, it’s a reason you do it.

It means building a container (not a stage) where people feel welcome to contribute, take initiative, and experiment, without feeling exposed or judged.

When you do this, people stop waiting to be invited. They meet peers, try ideas, and even lead sessions. That’s how contribution turns into commitment.

It means a space that allows rough thoughts, first drafts to invite expression. When people witness experimentation instead of performance, they begin to trust their own voice and feel more at home.

Putting other people at the front only works when it’s part of the plan. Intentionality is key — and it all starts with an invitation. Start small, one or two people at a time.

This is how it’s worked for YATM.

1) Define a reason why it all matters.

People need to know why the community exists and the role it plays. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s, it just needs meaning.

2) Embed recognition into your routine.

You can’t rely on random shout-outs, such as a LinkedIn post that points out others. Instead, build rituals. It could be member spotlights, guest features, live sessions, themed series and collaborative projects. It means that visibility is part of the rhythm.

3) Create paths for contribution.

Offer easy entry point. It could be writing, hosting, connecting people, leading small-projects. For instance, for the YATM Takeover on the newsletter, I say to people it will take 5 minutes to do.

4) Be transparent about how and why you spotlight.

When selection feels random or mysterious, trust erodes. Be clear on what someone will get for their efforts. It could be visibility or it could be a platform to practice. Share your framework and make inclusion visible and fair.

5) Celebrate effort as much as achievement.

Don’t only showcase the success stories.Highlight the experiments and the journeys. At Lunch Clubs, our #winning section celebrates work people are proud of, not just polished perfection. 

This is how you turn a group into a living, breathing ecosystem.

After years of practising this, I’ve learned that it can backfire if not structured well.

Over-featuring the same people.
If it’s always the usual suspects, people will drift. Keep opening the circle.

Treating spotlighting like a marketing stunt.
If recognition feels transactional, people sense it. This could be work that starts to promote yourself, rather than others.

Thinking it’s a campaign, not culture.
Spotlighting people needs to be consistent. If you’re looking for one off boosts of visibility and buy in, you start to lose your thread.

If you treat recognition of others as a tactic, it doesn’t last.

When you generously spotlight others, three things happen:

1) You become the origin point.
People remember where they were first seen and they anchor that trust in you.

2) Your influence spreads naturally
Their voices carry your message further than you ever could on your own.

3) Your community gains depth and resilience
You’re not just adding new people, you’re opening up space for different perspectives, skills, and energy.

That kind of visibility can’t be bought or faked. It won’t unravel when algorithms change or platforms shift.

It lasts, because it’s built on real people, real relationships and real investment.

This isn’t about giving up power and it’s not about charity. This is still a business approach.

You just have to look beyond yourself where you don’t hoard the microphone, you hand it over. This is what makes cultures people want to belong to.

Start by asking, “Who can I bring forward today?” and “if I step aside, who might step in?”

When you build a space that gives other people a chance to shine, you don’t lose light, you spread it. It was never about the volume of your voice, but the number of voices that feel encouraged because of it.