Bringing humor & hype to personal finance 💸 Berna Anat, Hella Helpful
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“When you learn in community, your brain grows so much faster than it would on its own.” - Berna Anat
Show Notes
Berna brings hype to an otherwise “hella male, hella stale, and hella pale” financial space. She creates videos, writing, and hosts talks that encourage, support and celebrate those of us who struggle with personal finances.
This work is personal for Berna. Growing up a first-gen child of Filipino immigrants, money felt like a taboo topic. Berna set out to change that. Today she’s a writer, producer, speaker and “Fin-fluencer.”
More at @HeyBerna on Youtube
Berna's devotion to creating content over the last two years bred fertile ground for a community. On the podcast she shares how she tested and launched a brand-new monthly membership program that connects community members to one another for financial learning and friendship.
While you’re listening, keep an ear out for four of our favorite insights from Berna:
Role model how you want members to show up.
Berna has a funky, energetic vibe. Her humorous language breaks through the stale financial jargon in a way that makes people want to listen and to show up the same way as her.
Exhibit A: Berna first signaled to the world that she was thinking about finances and wanting to gather people to talk more by posting an Instagram Boomerang of her finances on Instagram. This act signaled to others the transparency and vulnerability they could expect from Berna.
Humor and honesty, via @HeyBena Instagram
Host shared activities that are Purposeful, Participatory, and Repeatable (“P.P.R.”) in the digital world.
Every month, Berna and a small team have hosted free Hella Helpful workshops “by Women of Color for Women of Color” and budgeting parties for members. These regular opportunities for people who follow Berna’s work to show up, meet, and connect are the foundation of her community.
Behind the scenes of a monthly budgeting party.
Building *with* members.
Berna paid attention to her early allies, the folks who kept showing up for her on Instagram where she first built an audience. She asked a small group of these loyal followers to be the founding members of a paid membership program and made it clear that their voices were essential to the process, sharing: “We have a plan, we have things that we’re going to do with you, but mostly we’re going to grow this thing together.”
Getting community members talking online via watering holes.
Berna utilizes Instagram and Slack to bring together her paid and free members. By connecting directly with one another, the members can learn more and make meaningful relationships, deepening the value they get from Berna’s financial hype efforts.
Get Together is produced by the team at People & Company.
We published a book and we’ve worked with organizations like Nike, Porsche, Substack and Surfrider as strategy partners, bringing confidence to how they’re building communities.
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