Gina Bianchini | Nancy Rothstein Photography

Mightybell is the latest product for “identity networks” from the community-minded brain of entrepreneur Gina Bianchini. Mightybell provides a blank canvas for “community entrepreneurs” to quickly and simply create a space for a network of people who share a common interest or identity to meet each other, break the ice and build relationships. There, they can nourish the intimacy of a small community, on a large — even global — scale, so they and their peers “can learn faster and make better decisions” in any specialty, profession, interest, cause, discipline, identity, life stage, diagnosis or passion.

“We’re passionate about unlocking a new breed of community entrepreneurs bringing together people who wouldn’t otherwise meet around the things that are most important to them.” — Gina Bianchini

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What do 26,000 craft hairdressers have in common? They come together in their own “identity” network called Hairbrained, powered by Mightybell, on their own native mobile and web apps. Other examples of a Mightybell identity network are Beyond Type 1 and GENDR. These identity networks are literally changing lives for the better by providing crucially needed community connection and support.

The platform comes in four monthly commitment levels from free to enterprise. Long gone are the days of the uni-dimensional forum! Imagine having what feels like a custom app without a huge investment or programming skills. Mightybell is making this easy, people!!

A Mightybell network helps you connect with other individuals with similar interests, ask questions to real people with real answers, and encourages you to meet community members near you. I have a few ideas for communities I’d love to build on Mightybell. Build yours too — and invite me!

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing Gina and the Mightybell team over the last several years. With a focus on community creation, it is no wonder they’re such great group of people. It’s always a pleasure to meet new members of the team at their offices in Palo Alto.

Thank you, Gina, for being such an inspiration. Congratulations on the success and growth of Mightybell; I’m excited to watch the platform continue to bring people together effortlessly. This is the best of tech; empowering human connections and literally transforming lives. Well done.

– Nancy

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.com | nancy@nancyrothstein.com

I was excited to be asked to photograph the first ever QB Self-Employed Community Meetup this week. Celebrating the online community’s launch, the event was an opportunity for self-employed professionals, freelancers, artists and consultants to meet each other and share ideas. It took place at Impact Hub Oakland, the East Bay’s newest co-working and event space; recently awarded Best CoWorking Space and Best Transformation of a Building by the East Bay Express! It is an amazing space; vaulted ceilings, lots of cool textures, great furniture…all the stuff I love, and it’s conveniently located in the Uptown District. I arrived early to set up and got to see the space reworked from ‘work’ mode to ‘event’ mode; it’s an incredibly versatile place.

The event featured a talk by Michael Bush, who’s at the top of any business owner’s “need to know” list. Michael, who founded The8Factors.com, a business training resource, is a wealth of knowledge and has helped thousands of entrepreneurs increase their business. He’s a captivating speaker who offers advice that hits home. No fluffy stuff here; though he does skillfully weave humor into his wake up calls. He encouraged the audience to know where their cash is, and make decisions accordingly. And one my favorite gems from the night: “Hire slowly; fire quickly.” Michael led the audience through some group discussions, giving people the opportunity to share each other’s experience about social media, cash flow, and experiencing isolation as a business owner. I was just amazed at the energy in the room, which was packed, as people engaged on the questions he posed. My only dilemma was that as much fun as I was having photographing, I wished I could also stop and participate!

Another highlight of the event was the lovely food from Bicycle Banh Mi, whose spring rolls and bánh mì sandwiches were beautiful to photograph…and delicious to eat! I’m on a mission to find these treats again, and I suggest you all do as well! It turns out Bicycle Banh Mi is an alum of Michael Bush’s 8Factors business program; they seem to be on the right track! Along with the great food, Cynthia Blancaflor, an awesome DJ and founder of Rising Star Productions, provided the music, keeping the event lively and energized.

I’ve had a chance to check out the QB Self-Employed Community, online at howtobeselfemployed.com and I recommend all business owners join the network. It’s a great place to make connections, share resources, get support, and build community. The community lives on Mightybell, a social media platform founded by the dynamic and immensely talented Gina Bianchini, who I had the pleasure of photographing in the last couple of years. In her words, Mightybell is a place “…where communities learn and share together in groups.” When you visit howtobeselfemployed.com you’ll see that it is an elegant, intuitive platform that makes it easy to engage and make meaningful connections with other self-employed folks, sharing ideas on a variety of relevant topics, such as getting customers and setting goals. Works for me!