Book Review
Natalie Franke’s new book, Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition, is a fresh, inspiring call for other entrepreneurs to see the power in community and forming connections with other like minded entrepreneurs. It is the perfect read for those who are on their entrepreneurial journeys and feeling alone, but ready to set off on a journey to true belonging.
Many people feel more alone than ever despite living in the most connected society in human history, and for many entrepreneurs their journeys to building successful businesses can be a lonely one. Natalie Franke’s new book, Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition recognizes the need to belong in communities of like-minded people the same way that we need oxygen–our physical bodies require it. She believes we perform better and have greater successes as individuals when we are connected to the collective and when we stop looking at others as competition.
Join author Natalie Franke as she shares her story of longing for connection in the chaos and lessons learned on her journey to true belonging. Together you will uncover how to:
Kick scroll-induced jealousy to the curb and transform the way that social media makes you feel about yourself and others
Overcome loneliness by finding your people and cultivating true community in your personal and professional world
Strike the balance between camaraderie and competition so that you can live a deeply fulfilled and joyful life
Natalie Franke believes that as human beings we are not highlight reels, we’re done fanning the flames of comparison, drowning in our insecurities, and being pitted against one another. She encourages us to say no to the endless rat race of getting ahead, and goodbye to the narratives that leave us feeling left out and alone. She believes we are destined for something better, we’re made for so much more, because knit into the fabric of our DNA, we were Built to Belong.
Author Quotes
Finding true community in a fiercely competitive world can feel like an impossible task.
We are surrounded by ideologies of scarcity, endless comparison, and winning at all costs. Our world pits us against one another as competitors rather than collaborators, as a threat instead of a friend, and we all suffer for it.
This book charts a new course forward. It is a rallying cry to transform our lives, how we feel about ourselves and others, all while cultivating deeply rooted relationships that raise the tide for all.
Built to Belong is a bold reminder that we can succeed while cheering for the success of others too. There is room for all of us to make and mark and thrive together.
About the author
Natalie Franke is one of the founders of the Rising Tide Society, a community of 77,000 creative entrepreneurs who gather in over 400 cities around the world in the spirit of community over competition. She took a hashtag (#communityovercompetition) and turned it into a movement and vibrant community that now spans the globe. Natalie currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and son, and serves as the Head of Community for HoneyBook and Rising Tide—leading a team of world changers in the pursuit of empowering the creative economy to rise together doing what they love.
Why LoA loves it….
If there is one thing we know about at Lionesses of Africa, it’s the power of community to make things happen, to bring women entrepreneurs together to share, inspire and connect. So we loved this new book by Natalie Franke which recognizes what happens when entrepreneurs come together in a spirit of community instead of competition. Like us, Natalie understands that we are stronger together, and as women entrepreneurs there is room for us all to build our businesses and find a sense of belonging with other like-minded people who get us. This is a great read for all those women entrepreneurs who want to go further with their businesses, and want to belong to a community of others just like them. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa