YOU + ME + SOCIAL MEDIA:
A Love Story
I know, I know. Nobody actually loves social media right now.
The thought of joining another Facebook group…
Managing another Instagram channel, or TikTok profile…
Or (shudder) joining yet another new platform for a brief moment before abandoning it for the next hot thing.
It’s enough to make even the most internet-ty among us cringe.
But you know what we do want?
…close contact with people we actually care about.
…online relationships that yield real business results.
…community in the truest sense of the word.
I’m Tonya Kubo, and I’m here to help you connect with your people.
The human need for connection NEVER goes away. We are created to connect.
You already know this, of course. As a heart-centered business owner, you know work is way more fun (and profitable) when you’re connected to your clients and they are connected to you.
And how do we make that happen?
Online communities.
I know, I know. But hear me out:
The average Facebook user actively participates in 5 groups each day and they consider the people in those groups to be closer friends than the people they know in real life. (Yes. Still. Even now.)
Research shows virtual community is highly related to connectedness — a feeling that contributes to a member’s feelings of belonging, trust, shared accountability and commitment.
You know why? Because online communities, when created intentionally and used well, allow us to form uniquely supportive relationships across the barriers of space and time zones. Social media never sleeps – so no matter where you live, or whether you can’t sleep at 1 a.m. or get up at 4 a.m. to exercise, you can connect with others just like you.
Best of all?
There’s a place for everybody at that table.
I’m in no way discounting the very real issues that come along with online communities: doxxing, bigotry, pile-ons, witch hunts, all very real.
But these dark sides aren’t inherent to the medium. They’re the result of human choices.
The medium of community, in fact, is magic. Because it means that no matter who you are, no matter what you’re into, or what you’re struggling with, or how you feel, there’s someone out there who sees you, gets you, and wants to support you.
Get a few of those “someones” together, along with a strong, empathetic facilitator, and you’ve got a community.
That’s where I come in.
I won’t be getting up at 4 a.m. to exercise with you (probably), but I will help you design, build, and sell relationship-centered online communities wherever you find them. Facebook, Discord, Heartbeat, it’s all the same to me.
I’ve learned both the art and the science behind building strong online relationships, and I’ve applied this knowledge and experience on behalf of organizations of all sizes. But what gives me the greatest joy is working with movement-makers — experts, entrepreneurs and enterprises — who actually care about the people who buy their services and products, and join their online communities.
California Internet dinosaur Tonya Kubo meets California Ice Age fossil
No matter what’s going on, I got you.
Facebook group descending into backbiting and infighting? On it, fixed it.
Attempted hostile takeover? Seen it, stopped it.
Nothing but crickets? Been there, solved it.
In fact … whatever you’ve got going on, chances are I’ve managed far worse.
You see, I didn’t start my career with social media. I was a journalist, managing front-page coverage of 9/11 in a town that later had the highest per-capita death rate of active duty military members during the Global War on Terror. I’ve coordinated media for Michelle Obama’s first public appearance as first lady, managed the social media crisis response to horrific acts of violence, and been doxxed in the kind of way that wakes you up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.
And yet, here I am and here I stay.
Because even confronted with the good, bad and cringey elements of the online world, I believe humans are inherently good and relationships are worth investing in.
You too? Let’s Talk.
Appearances and Interviews
I’ve been featured on podcasts, panels, and publications where community, connection, and digital strategy collide. Whether you’re looking for insights on engagement, ethical marketing, or how to turn passive lurkers into loyal superfans — I bring the real talk.
