How to Build a Community People Want to Be Part Of with Founder of Ideas Fest Frankie James

<p>A quick note before we start: this episode is a little different from our usual studio conversations. Frankie and I spontaneously decided to record this podcast in a pub toilet during the House of Ideas, so the production quality is a little lower than usual. You can check out our other episodes for the full Reclaiming Bossy studio experience, but I hope you enjoy this slightly more chaotic conversation just as much.</p><p>This week, I’m joined by Frankie James, founder of Ideas Fest and the Ideas Community, to talk about what it actually takes to turn an idea into something people want to be part of. We talk about building a community from scratch, networking without being transactional, landing speaking opportunities, finding aligned sponsors and creating events that people actually want to attend.</p><p>Timestamps </p><p>00:00 Intro: Meeting Frankie and the story behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards</p><p>01:40 What makes a good entrepreneur: Why curiosity and disruption matter more than the balance sheet</p><p>02:38 Rethinking corporate events: How to make ceremonies creative and special on a budget</p><p>04:19 Ideas vs. execution: Why great ideas are worthless without passion and action</p><p>05:06 The birth of Ideas Fest: Pivoting from pandemic Zoom fatigue to an outdoor festival</p><p>06:59 Designing event magic: Fostering human connection instead of relying on expensive production</p><p>08:47 Attracting top-tier talent: How to get amazing speakers and why successful founders want to give back</p><p>11:00 Pitching yourself for the stage: The importance of community engagement before asking to speak</p><p>12:29 Building a standout community: Adopting an abundance mindset and collaborating with competitors</p><p>14:31 The death of traditional sponsorship: How to secure funding by building bespoke, value-driven partnerships</p><p>16:52 Authentic networking: Dropping the transactional mindset and learning to give before you take</p><p>19:16 The House of Ideas: Creating win-win opportunities for venues, sponsors, and attendees</p><p>22:42 Protecting your social battery: Managing founder burnout, FOMO, and the power of saying no</p><p>26:29 The reality of personal branding: Balancing authenticity with the pressure to perform on social media</p><p>28:25 Outro: The long game of business and the 14-year substance behind hosting shiny events</p><p><br></p><p>FRANKIE JAMES</p><p><br></p><p>Connect with Frankie: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frangbea/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/frangbea/</a></p><p>Ideas Fest: <a href="https://ideasfest.uk/whats-on">https://ideasfest.uk/whats-on</a></p><p>Ideas Community: <a href="https://www.ideasforums.com/">https://www.ideasforums.com</a></p><p>Great British Entrepreneur Awards: <a href="https://greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com/">https://greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>CREATIVE / FOUNDER OFFICE HOURS</p><p>If you’re a founder, creative or visionary with a big idea you want to actually make happen, bring me whatever you’re working on. Whether you’re building your personal brand, launching a podcast, growing a community, creating a new project or trying to work out your next move, you can book an Office Hours session and we’ll turn your ideas into an actionable plan together: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rU1BGWDI1TnVlR1loSzhwU1BGbVJ4T3xBR3JiS2FtRTVuVUN5VDhxWHZ3bzdxdm9ZQ1dMYnBUMU5IZDMxM09PRTNSc01Mdk4tcVBYUkFmQmtmR2s0VjdYQUx1d3NTSWtQRWJ0aWpqSE5ZNEMtY0dqTXJPbFhmcG95Ulc5&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Fmaahika%2Fmentoring%3Fback%3D1&v=rVhd92IG_0M"><u>https://calendly.com/maahika/mentorin...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>WORK WITH ME</strong></p><p>Founders + brands: Work with me on personal branding, content and strategy through Empower Sounds Media.</p><p>Book a Strategy Session : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rU2NEaHJEZG1IT0ltRU1vMENUMnR1U