How Marcus scaled to $5K MRR using automation

PLUS: How Sarah hit 100 members in 30 and more

Daily Community Recap

2025-10-18

Good morning, Skool builders.

Five creators turned consistent online business efforts into tangible growth— from dedicating 30 minutes daily to automating engagement. The pattern? They replaced guesswork with data, building a solid foundation for sustainable expansion.

The common thread? They prioritized daily momentum and let member feedback guide their strategy.

But will this shift toward ritual-driven growth create deeper community connection— or just faster scaling?

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 (higher than the 2-5% industry average) demonstrates a strong value proposition for her Skool members, driving revenue.

Read more from @Carlos Batista

🔥 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 allowed him to focus on higher-value member interactions, directly contributing to his $5K MRR growth.

Read more from @Mikey Caloca

💎 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 memberships - 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 planning. Start posting daily.

Why it matters: Carlos’s 23% conversion rate showcases a compelling value offering, significantly exceeding the industry average of 2-5% for freemium models.

Read more from @Jimmy Lai

🔥 Jimmy hit 638 spots in 7 days with ranking strategy

The Win: Jimmy Lai climbed 638 spots in 7 days by tracking his community ranking and consistently moving up.


Behind the Win:

  • Created a spreadsheet to track ranking progress
  • Pinned a post with daily movement updates
  • Increased engagement due to public commitment

Your Takeaway: Tracking ranking and consistent movement boosts engagement. Start a simple tracking system.

Key Takeaway: Tracking ranking drives engagement. Start a simple tracking system.

Why it matters: Jimmy’s tracking spreadsheet and pinned updates drove a 35% increase in engagement, proving consistent ranking movement fuels member participation.

Read more from @Brian O'Neill

💎 Brian reached 300 paid members in 60 days with member retention

The Win: Brian O’Neill crossed 300 paid members in 60 days, despite 113 members leaving.


Behind the Win:

  • Acknowledged member churn and its impact
  • Reduced YouTube views by 70% in one month
  • Lowered email engagement by 50% in one month

Your Takeaway: Be transparent about challenges. Address member concerns and prioritize retention.

Key Takeaway: Transparency builds trust. Address challenges and prioritize retention.

Why it matters: Brian’s transparently addressing 113 member churn and reducing YouTube views by 70% shows a commitment to retention, crucial for long-term community health.

Read more from @Jonathan Twombly