Entry NO. 003 Dear Studio, What Happens When the Community Doesn’t Want You Back?
A Sunday Letter from Aomih connecting better with your audience authentically.
From the Desk
What Happens When the Room Feels Quiet?
There’s a specific kind of silence that hits when the thing you built for community... isn’t met with the welcome you expected.
It’s easy to blame the algorithm. Or the economy. Or the fact that you launched during a heatwave on a Mercury retrograde.
But sometimes, the real answer is harder to swallow: maybe the community evolved. And you didn’t.
The truth is, I’ve watched a lot of founders lately go through this kind of reckoning. Still working hard, still showing up, but feeling ghosted by the very people they created it all for. And when that happens, the instinct is to shout louder. Launch new products or offerings. Do more. Create more…
But what if instead of scrambling to keep up... you sat still and listened?
Because sometimes the most strategic thing you can do isn’t a rebrand. It’s a nourishment and re-rooting.
Now, this is mostly for or small-businesses and community-centric brands, but what we’re seeing in at Aomih is that real community cultivation can’t be bought with a budget or boosted with a collab. Especially in the year of ‘everybody wants to launch something quick easy and unsubstantial.’ It’s not about slapping the word “together” on a landing page–or having the curated cool-girl popup of 32 women who enjoy dinner parties. It’s about proximity, relevance, and care. It’s about remembering that your audience doesn’t owe you anything — you have to earn the right to love you.
So if the room feels quiet? Ask: Are you still speaking the same language as your people? Are you designing for your actual audience, or the one you wish you still had? Are you being neutral at a time when your audience wants courage? Are you shifting in the waves of society to comfortably meet them where they are?
Community isn’t static. Neither are we. And neither are you. As a Founder, your business will ebb and flow through seasons, but when you create truly undeniable fans–you create relationships that last a lifetime (cheesy I know)
Xx SaSha
Case And Point
Freelancing Females: From Plateau to Partnership
When Freelancing Females came to us, they were experiencing what many legacy communities eventually face: the slow burn of a core audience that’s grown up and out.
For years, their strength was in growing with their audience. But at a certain point, that growth stalled. The tools that once felt essential no longer applied. The vibe felt like a version of its former self. Still good. But it needed a little umpf and zazzel.
Instead of panicking, we got strategic. Together, we built a framework that did two things:
Created a framework to nurture their long-standing members who had grown with them and expected the facets of FF they had grown to love. Not by forcing a refresh, but by offering new depth and relevance.
Extended opportunities to build a door for new people; how to engage the new wave of freelancers who are no longer freelancing out of choice. Creating strategy to position FF as even stronger and more diligent thought leaders in an era of influencer to career coach pipeline. Solidifying FF’s credibility and resources as well as their visual identity systems to aid in their ICONIC brand. Straying away from the common chasing of trends, and creating modern, low-barrier ways in.
We restructured their offering suite, redefined their membership strategy, curated a messaging strategy that fit better with their range of generational demographics, and developed a tiered partner strategy that worked with the realities of today’s audience: more cautious, more curious, more careful with where they invest.
These brand evolutions take time, and it is exciting to see them grow and launch new series that we suggested in their strategy document. In a time where uncertainty is getting amplified day after day for small business owners, female founders, and freelancer–i am cheering from afar like the mom from mean girls.
(Full case study coming soon.)
Studio Culture
A Week in Return Mode
This week, we spent time revisiting some of our own brand rituals. We looked at old decks. Re-read old bios. Caught ourselves saying things we no longer actually believe. Growth is sneaky like that.
Our Slack has become part archive, part co-working thread. I’m in Texas (Not for long!!!). Our director of messaging is currently frolicking across Europe (....trust me… I am so jealous.) We’re building with new collaborators in cities we haven’t even been to yet. And that’s the thing about remote culture: it forces you to be extra intentional about how you create a sense of home. Not just for clients. But for the team, too.
So yes, we’re sending more voice notes. Sharing playlists. Over-communicating. And still working on this timezone thing.
It’s working.
The Check-In
When the Locals Don’t Clap Back
It’s easy to assume your idea is welcome. But we’re seeing a shift in how locals — and long-standing audiences engage with new brands entering their spaces. It is really easy to dilute when the basis of the foundation isn’t build on respect and admiration. People are more protective of their culture. Their timelines. Their energy.
Which means: if your community isn’t showing up anymore, maybe it’s not a marketing problem…or the algorithm… maybe it is a missed connection.
We’re tracking this in hospitality, in social communities, in legacy digital spaces. Everyone wants to build the next movement. A lot of people need the money. People are craving to be a part of something. But are you asking who it’s for? Who already lives there? What’s already working? Why they actually need it and not just looking for the gap to be filled?
I have seen a lot of founders hop onto the curtails of founding brands based on trends and successes that they see in others. How are there now so many matcha brands? So many new supper clubs, morning house parties in coffee shops? PLUNGE CLUBS?!?!?!?! Don’t get me started. My hot take is that people liked it and just wanted to recreate it because they saw opportunity that aligned with them and it wasn't exactly founded on passion or a pivotal experience. How do you create a cult-like following when you don’t have passion? I’ll talk about this another time, but my takeaway is to take notes before you make noise.
A Guest Note
Still Me, SaSha
I’ll be honest: this letter hit close.
I’ve been the founder wondering where the people went. I’ve felt the sting of the quiet room. I’ve also seen how powerful it is to stay humble enough to pivot. To listen. To build again. Even where I am right now, the industry is quiet. I see once thriving agencies and design firms laying off their staff and shutting down altogether. I feel it, and I know so many others do as well. The thing that is helping me is *ding ding diiing* STRATEGY and Aomih’s business model. Makes it easier when things are difficult
There is no one right way to do community. But I do believe there are better ways. More generous ways. When you work with sparks that fall within our current reality. (Whether your community is based in the, or globally) there are opportunities for you to connect and reach people where they are when you act intentionally. So, If you are reading this, thanks for being a part of my push against the grain and being a part of Aomih’s community. I am so excited to share the things we have coming up.
Currently Reading
What’s Getting Us Thinking. My pile of reads is a bit long right now.
"The Longing for Less" by Kyle Chayka: Not a new read, but one that hits differently when thinking about community. On minimalism, presence, and what we leave behind. I am moving in the next few days, and as always this process makes you wonder how one person can accumulate so many things.
"The People Part" by Annie Hyman Pratt: A not-so-sexy title, but a sharp reminder that behind every brand decision is a human dynamic. I haven’t opened this one up yet so I will be sending updates.
Counterspace Substack by Aomih! That’s right. We started a high-level and more data-backed/strategy forward Substack for our more corporate segment of or brand that is centered on community, third spaces, hospitality and lifestyle brands. It is a paid zine, but know that Dear Studio will always bring you valuable information as well. Subscribe here
On Repeat
This week has been a white noise kind of week. Will be updating our playlist this week–I PROMISE.
Hot Plate
A Few Things You Might Need to Rethink Community
Try a Community Interview Loop: Five people. Five calls. Ask what they need. Don’t assume.
Look to Unexpected Partners: Your brand cousin might be the local ceramics studio, not the bigger brand in your category. This cousin doesn’t have to be expected. Think, Loewe partnering with a grocery store type of partnership. I suggest getting a piece of paper (and some white noise) and just write down words, phrases, brands, people, anything that comes to mind..don’t think too hard about it.
Then find the commonalities and then look up potential partners and just go for it.
Make It Free (Sometimes): Build trust through generosity. A free event or resource can go farther than a paid funnel. You can also connect with collaborators to try to lesson the cost. Think of smaller creators, large brands, connect with venues. If price is a prevention, how can you layer the experience to have that as a follow up? Can you do a digital version then an IRL for the second round with the social proof and a sponsor? I know i said I wouldn’t sell to you on here, but our consultations are always open.
Host One Brave Thing: It doesn't have to be a launch or anything. Just something authentic that says “Hey, we heard you.” or "We’re still here." Take a look at the new Red Lobster CEO making a huge update to their recently launched menu item. People weren’t satisfied with the flavor, quantity or offerings and he–within a week implemented most of the key feedback into the offering.
I know this isn’t always feasible for small brands, but sometimes just showing up transparently (not in the no-makeup youtube apology style or the scripted micro-corporate toned IG live) but in a way that is real. And talk about what is going on in your business, where you are going and what you are hoping for. An amazing reference is Good Girl Snacks. They do such an amazing job at sharing vulnerabilities, wins and connecting to their community like real friends.. Not the ‘brand bestie’ type.
See you next Sunday.
Hope you are enjoying these <3 Let’s keep this between us.
