The Secret to Growth? Building Community First with Ashley Alderson | EP 226

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I’ve been part of The Boutique Hub for more than five years, and I was so excited to welcome its founder, Ashley Alderson, to the Launch Your Box Podcast. Ashley started The Boutique Hub in 2013 to give small business owners a place to connect, learn, and grow together. Today, the Hub supports more than 100,000 small businesses.

What Loyalty Really Looks Like

When I asked Ashley what customer loyalty actually looks like, she didn’t hesitate. It’s all about building community.

People want to buy from people. The more your customers feel connected to you and your brand, the more loyal they become.

Ashley shared her team’s approach to content creation, something she calls the VAVA Method.

• Viral: Is it relatable enough that someone would click, like, share, or comment?
• Authentic: Does it sound like a real person said it?
• Value: Does it help your audience by saving them time, solving a problem, or making their day better?
• Aspirational: Does it make them feel like they’re becoming a better version of themselves?

When you’re running a product-based business, you can’t just sell all the time. Ashley says that at any given moment, about 90% of your audience isn’t ready to buy, so you need to nurture them with community-building content. Ashley suggests ratio of two-thirds soft-sell, one-third direct-sell.

Sales Is a Noble Process

Ashley reminded us that selling is about serving. When you connect with your audience, help them solve problems, and make their lives a little better, that’s a noble thing.

As subscription box owners, we have to be attached to that outcome for our subscribers. We start by building community, then we serve that community, and then we sell to that community. That’s servant leadership in action.

How to Build Loyalty That Lasts

Ashley shared that true loyalty comes from creating an emotional reaction. Everything, from your community and marketing to post-purchase experiences, should make your customers feel something.

Your subscribers should always believe the value of your box is greater than its price. As Ashley likes to say, “Cheap ain’t loyal.”

Be the face of your brand. Let people see you. Because at the end of the day, people want to buy from people.

The Six Layers of a Sustainable Business

Ashley broke down the six layers every business needs to build a strong foundation:

1. Operations and Brand
2. Profits and Profitability
3. Team
4. Sales Strategy
5. Content Strategy
6. Social Media

Each layer works together to create a business that’s stable, scalable, and ready for long-term success.

The Future of Small Business

Ashley sees a shift happening, away from isolation and scrolling, and back toward real human connection. People are craving community, conversation, and relationships again. And that’s great news for subscription box owners, because community is what we do best.

Take Action

Spend time this week building connection with your audience. Share something that’s relatable, real, and valuable - something that reminds your followers there’s a person behind your brand.

Join me for this episode with Ashley Alderson of The Boutique Hub to learn how to build loyalty through community and content that connects.

Where to find Ashley: 

• The Boutique Hub on Facebook
• The Boutique Hub on Instagram
• The Boutique Hub Website