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Urmila Menon/ Human🌻's avatar

Thanks a lot, Mack! I also love your format, that little paragraph in the beginning and then the article and then linking another article of yours in the end. The quality of your content is top notch which makes it like consensually get sucked into the vortex of checking your articles as they are easily linked below. I must say, you practice what you preach as I got a like notification from you as I was busy vortex reading your article!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Thank you, Urmila! You are far too kind and I think I am going to be in your notifications a LOT from now on! Have a wonderful night!

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Shakirah's avatar

This is really helpful! Thank you for the reminder to leave your own Substack. I used to have a professor who would say, "If you want to be interesting, be interested."

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Mack Collier's avatar

Hi Shakirah, that's very good advice!

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Wd Doherty's avatar

Mack - Thanks for this! Especially the part about engagement - It makes so much sense! I just realized that most of the people I read on Substack come to my inbox and I read it there and rarely log in to like or comment (though I have plenty of active conversations about the amazing writing I read here and share the work often) I will take your suggestion and see how it goes. Appreciate your insights.

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Mack Collier's avatar

Hi Whitney! Glad this was helpful to you, thank you for reading and sharing! I think you will enjoy leaving comments, the writers will definitely appreciate it, and that will mean new connections for you! A win-win! Have a great night.

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Baird Brightman's avatar

Good human advice Mack! 👏 Smart of you to hold up Neela as a paragon of engagement. It's one of her superpowers, along with deep intelligence and spicy good humor. If anyone hasn't discovered her publication about work and the modern organization, check out

https://workmanshit.substack.com/

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

Honestly thank you - I try my best to support everyone in their growth. Building online is difficult but I do believe that there is space for everyone’s words here. It’s us against the algo and we can win. Thank you Baird.

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Mack Collier's avatar

Hi Baird. Thank you for the comment, and in the process you just validated the power of the community @Neela 🌶️ has created, it’s about us leaving comments and talking about what we are all up to. Off to read Neela’s newest post now!

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

Thank you a million times over.

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Chloe Ackerman, PsyD (she/her)'s avatar

Super helpful, thank you for sharing!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Hi Chloe! Thanks for commenting, hope you and your pup have a great weekend!

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Morgan Jungels's avatar

LOVED this post because I think so often it's something business owners forget. Like attracts like. Literally, in this case.🙃 If you're at a party standing in the corner basically holding the wall up and not talking to anyone, you're going to have a much harder time getting people to engage with you. But when you put yourself out there and mingle, you attract people to you. Anyone who has ever attended a high school dance knows this to be true. 😏

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Mack Collier's avatar

Dang you had to go there with the high school dance analogy, eh @Morgan Jungels? Bringing back bad memories for this introvert lol

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Morgan Jungels's avatar

Oh trust me, this introvert was right there with you. 😂

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Mack Collier's avatar

All the butterflies 🤣

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Hege Kristoffersen's avatar

Brilliant advice Mack! Thanks so much for this. I am definitely guilty of not engaging enough. ✨

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Jens Stark's avatar

Enjoyable article, Mack. It makes a lot of sense :o)

I've not got a documented engagement strategy myself, but I guess some of the principles I follow is to just be myself, not doing anything artificial for the sake of growth, show my face a bit more, share what I know and be nice to everyone. That's about it!

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Emaline Ashe's avatar

Good solid advice Mack. The gardening analogy is helpful.

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Lisa Cunningham DeLauney's avatar

This is a great overview. Engaging is key to growth - and it's valuable in its own right if you choose the right content. But it takes a lot of time to find, read, think about and craft comments. Don't underestimate the investment needed.

Also, Neela is a legend at this, and I also appreciate your reads and thoughtful comments, Mack!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Thank you, Lisa! Comments are absolutely a wonderful engagement tactic. And as you said, thoughtful and strategic comments are very impactful, even with the time investment required. Thanks again for reading and have a great weekend, Lisa!

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Lisa Cunningham DeLauney's avatar

You too, Mack!

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Natasha Scullane's avatar

Great article Mack! I'm going to save it to refer back to 😁 Have a good Friday!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Thank you Natasha, you have a Good Friday as well!

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Dinah's avatar

Neela is the best! Outside of my Mom she is my top liker, commenter, and restacker!!

Loved all the tips in this article. It really reasonated with me. I will continue to follow Neela's leed and maybe one day I will have more than 31 subscribers!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Thank you Dinah! That’s something when you have to go to mom and tell her to step it up before Neela passes her haha

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Dinah's avatar

LOL!!! So far my mom has liked and restacked every post I have made! So she is good now, but if she starts slipping I will tell her she has competition!

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David ☕'s avatar

Nice, this is how good communities are grown, and yes Neela is a waterer of souls 💦

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

Glad to keep learning about ways to engage and grow relationally. Thanks for sharing what you've discovered.

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Mack Collier's avatar

Thank you Hans, and thanks for reading!

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

9 straight from Neela, eh? I guess some of us had better step up.

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Mack Collier's avatar

Yes and it’s me, off to stalk Neela’s feed…

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

Great insights, bro! I agree with focusing on building deeper connections with your engaged audience. It’s all about genuine, two-way interaction, not just expecting the community to serve you. I think once people set aside their egos, they will enjoy building a more sustainable platform. Sure, it takes longer, but it will mean something.

Excited to see how your strategy evolves!

PS - thank you always for the shout-out!

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

I am still reading this article, but just mentioned to my boss that I am apparently a good role model. He is still laughing lol

Happy Thursday bro.

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

Is your boss actively trying to help you set aside your ego?

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

I went to work at 6 a.m. this morning in my "house" slippers. To be clear, they're furry slippers with bunny ears. I forgot to change my shoes, and the Uber was waiting. Don't worry, nobody judged me, so nope, my ego is officially gone. Lol.

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Mack Collier's avatar

LOL, too funny, Neela. And I still get called ‘Mark’ almost every day, another ego-crusher 🤣

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

Mark 🤣 🤣

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

Bet they're great for a happy dance, though.

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

I did one when I got back home. The neighbor is probably convinced I'm a weirdo now. She sees me talking to the squirrel and now this. Oh well!

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Mack Collier's avatar

Next logical step is happy dance WITH the squirrel lol

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Neela 🌶️'s avatar

she is being evasive today. I will go look for her in a few :)

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