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Why Your Lurking Community Members Matter More Than You Think with Paul Gowder

Published May 13, 2025, 9:30 PM

"A community-first mindset means showing up for your people—even when they're just quietly watching." That’s how Paul Gowder, founder of PowWows.com, defines decades-long success in the online space. What started as a college hobby has blossomed into a vibrant, multimillion-follower platform celebrating Native American culture and proving that niche communities can not only survive but thrive in today’s noisy digital world.

Paul’s journey is a masterclass in staying true to your values, listening to your audience, and building engagement through heart, strategy, and the occasional well-placed email sequence.

We Also Talked About:

  • How Paul turned a college web project into a thriving, sustainable business
  • The surprising power of "lurkers" in online communities
  • Why email is still king (and how Paul uses Kit (was ConvertKit) to dominate it)
  • The moment social media nearly killed his forums—and how he pivoted
  • Using Group Leads to bridge Facebook groups and email sequences
  • What a “community-first mindset” really looks like in action
  • Hiring from your own community to build a rock-solid team
  • How a mastermind and a coach helped him 10x his email marketing results
  • Why the medium (Facebook, email, TikTok) is less important than the mindset

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