How Marcus scaled to $5K MRR using automation
PLUS: How Sarah hit 100 members in 30 days with daily... and more
Daily Community Recap
2025-10-20
Good morning, Skool builders.
Five creators turned relentless effort into significant momentum this week — from streamlining onboarding to building a dedicated member feedback loop.
The common thread? They prioritized consistent action, even when facing setbacks, understanding that slow and steady builds lasting value.
But will a focus on process ultimately create a more engaged community—or simply accelerate growth metrics?
In today’s Skool Winners Recap:
- Sarah Martinez hit 100 members in 30 days with daily live Q&As.
- Marcus Chen scaled to $5K MRR using automation.
- Jonathan Twombly climbed 638 spots in 7 days with a ranking spreadsheet.
- Kerry Souter hit $514 in 9 weeks with a focus on community connections.
- Dmitrijs Bals grew from 12 to 101 members in 60 days with consistent gratitude.
🚀 Sarah hit 100 members in 30 days with daily Q&A
The Win: Sarah Martinez grew her Skool community to 100 members in just 30 days using a simple daily Q&A strategy.
Behind the Win:
- Daily 20-minute Q&A sessions built trust and kept members engaged - Free value-packed tier converted at 18% to paid memberships
- 3 posts per week maintained momentum without burning out
Your Takeaway: Don't wait for the perfect course. Start with daily Q&A sessions to build trust, then let member questions guide your content creation.
Key Takeaway: Daily Q&A sessions build trust faster than polished courses
Why it matters: Sarah’s 23% freemium conversion rate (compared to the 2-5% industry average) demonstrates a powerful approach to attracting paying members through genuine value.
🔥 Marcus scaled to $5K MRR using automation
The Win: Marcus Chen automated his community engagement and hit $5K monthly recurring revenue in 60 days.
Behind the Win:
- Hired a $4/hour VA to respond to 50% of posts - Custom chatbot handled common questions with 85% accuracy
- Weekly live sessions maintained personal connection despite automation
Your Takeaway: Smart automation frees time for high-value member interactions.
Key Takeaway: Automation doesn't kill authenticity. Use VAs and bots for routine tasks.
Why it matters: Marcus’s VA saving 15 hours/week allows him to focus on high-value member interactions, directly contributing to increased revenue and community satisfaction.
💎 Carlos reached 75 members in 8 weeks with freemium value
The Win: Carlos Batista grew his Skool community to 75 members in 8 weeks with a 23% freemium conversion rate.
Behind the Win:
- Daily Q&A sessions built trust and kept members engaged - Free tier with value converted at 23% to paid - 3-4 posts per week maintained momentum without overwhelming members
Your Takeaway: Don't wait for perfect content. Ruben proved 8 weeks of consistent engagement beats months of planning—pick your posting schedule and show up daily.
Key Takeaway: Consistent engagement beats endless planning.
Why it matters: Carlos’s 23% freemium conversion rate highlights the effectiveness of offering substantial value upfront, significantly outperforming the industry standard.
🔥 Jimmy climbed 638 spots in 7 days with a ranking challenge
The Win: Jonathan Twombly climbed 638 spots in 7 days by tracking his community’s ranking and creating a public challenge.
Behind the Win:
- Spreadsheet tracking visualized movement and increased engagement by 30%
- Pinned post created a sense of urgency and accountability
- Daily engagement boost increased by 20% due to the challenge
Your Takeaway: Don’t wait for perfect metrics. Jonathan proved tracking a simple ranking can dramatically boost engagement.
Key Takeaway: Tracking simple metrics drives engagement.
Why it matters: Jonathan’s ranking challenge boosted engagement by 30%, proving that tracking simple metrics can dramatically increase community participation and drive growth.
💎 Brian hit 300 paid members in 60 days with member retention
The Win: Brian O’Neill hit 300 paid members in 60 days, despite 113 members leaving during that time.
Behind the Win:
- Acknowledged challenges built trust and honesty with the community
- Reduced YouTube views by 70% – focused on community building
- Email engagement decline – shifted focus to community interaction
Your Takeaway: Scaling requires accepting losses. Brian proved honesty about challenges builds trust.
Key Takeaway: Accepting losses is part of scaling.
Why it matters: Brian’s honesty about 113 member departures and shifting focus to community interaction built trust, showcasing that acknowledging challenges fosters loyalty.