Community-Powered Growth: A Smarter Way to Market w/Osayi Lasisi

If marketing feels heavy, complicated or inauthentic, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I’m joined by marketing strategist Osayi Lasisi to talk about what she calls "community-powered growth" and why it's the most sustainable method for generating consistent leads.

If you’re tired of chasing trends, forcing yourself onto platforms you hate, or wondering why your visibility isn’t converting, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

We talk about:

• What "community-powered growth" actually means (and why it works)
• Osayi's FOCUS Framework - from foundation to simple systems
• Choosing visibility strategies that match your energy
• How to start collaborating (even before you have a big audience)
• The long game of networking and how seeds planted today can pay off months or even years later

If marketing has started to feel overwhelming or exhausting, this episode will help you rethink what growth can look like when it’s rooted in relationships, clarity, and consistency.

Because visibility compounds through people.

Links and Resources:

• Come network with us! CLICK HERE to attend your first PWR Connection Network virtual speed networking event at no cost!
• Learn more about Osayi on her website and book a free strategy session: https://www.osayilasisi.com
• Connect with Osayi on Instagram or LinkedIn

Transcript

Meet Osayi And Her Mission

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Now I got it. All right. Hello, uh Osaii, right? Yes. Okay. Yes. Hello, Osayi. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you, Melissa. Thank you so much for having me here. I'm so excited. Yes, I'm so excited to talk to you. So before we dive into our topic today, tell everybody a little bit about what you do.

Community-Powered Growth Defined

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Oh my goodness. Um, what don't I do? But yeah, so I have been a marketer now for over 13 years. And um, this is a second career for me. So I really, really love it. What I do is I support mostly women entrepreneurs with their businesses, and I provide them with growth strategies. So I like to say I'm a growth strategist and I help women just come up with like different campaigns and different ideas and help them to execute as well. And I like to call it community-powered growth. So it's not just about the paid campaigns or you know, showing up on social media, which are all good things to do. But I found that community-powered growth really helps people to move faster exponentially.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Yeah, I love that. And that was one of the things that stood out to me on your podcast guest application was your focus on community and connection and collaborations and um, you know, generating leads without cold reach outs and pitches in the DM and things like that. That's what we're all about here at Powerful Women Rising. Um, we have the Powerful Women Rising Connection Network, which is a virtual networking group for female entrepreneurs that's very much along those same lines of like, we're not pitching, we're not pretending to be perfect, we're not pressuring people, we're just showing up, creating authentic connections, supporting each other, providing value to each other. And, you know, for me, building this is my third business, I really have been able to create sustainable businesses with that strategy. And it's not always fast, it's not always easy, it's not always sexy, but I do think that it is one of the most sustainable growth strategies that there is. So when you talk about community-powered growth, what does that actually look like in practice? How is that different from traditional lead generation?

The Focus Framework Overview

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Oh, such a good question. Um, because there are different ways that community can show up in your campaign. It can be um creating a community, it can't be connecting with an existing community, it can be partnering with people in different things. And so the way that I work is helping you to figure out the best options for you. Um, and for example, I know we were speaking earlier about this product that you know came into my lap because my daughter was uh fascinated with this world of brown plush dolls, and you can see it in my background. Um, and I didn't know too much about e-commerce, but I was able to connect with people. I was able to connect with people who were already doing this or were advising people who were in e-commerce. And we've been able to grow, we've been able to make some sales, we've been able to have some partnerships and stuff. So the way it shows up, I usually start with a framework where I like to call it the focus framework. And the first thing is just figuring out what are you comfortable with? And what are you comfortable talking about? What are you comfortable doing? And um, we start with that foundation because in the end, um, even though we don't like to be the face of our business to some extent, um, we still have to be, especially when we're just starting, and then as we grow, we can start to move on to other things and have other people as the face. But in the beginning, we have to be the face of the business. And so, what is that foundational thing that you're comfortable with? Are you comfortable going on podcasts and having conversations? Or is it something else? And we figure that out, and then we create your calendar of things that you can do for the rest of the year or for a couple of months that you can do consistently under that framework.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

So it sounds like what you're talking about really is finding the visibility strategies that you like, that you enjoy, um, that aren't the things that give you energy, not the things that drain you. If you're somebody who like hates your life every time you're on Facebook, then maybe we're not gonna spend our life on Facebook. But finding the thing that you like that helps you get in front of new communities, get in front of new audiences, or um share audiences with other people. Is that essentially what you're saying? That's correct.

Visibility That Fits Your Energy

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Because, like you mentioned, we're looking for something sustainable, not something that is trending right now, or not something that worked for your coach or for some other person. If it's going to be sustainable, then it has to be something that you're comfortable with. And there is room for pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. And that's like a separate conversation. But what I found with business and being able to grow is you need to have, um, you need to be consistent. And for you to be consistent, you need to feel like I understand what's happening right now and I'm comfortable doing what I need to do. Now, not everything is going to be fun, right? And not everything is going to be easy. But if you feel comfortable with it, then you'll be able to continue. And so that's why it really has to be catered to you and what you're able to do. I'm, I like to call myself an ambivert. I can go out and you know have fun and connect with people, but I also need my alone time. Now, if you were to if I were to come up with a strategy, because I know when I go to events, I'm able to connect with people. If I come up with a strategy that says I must go to an event every week, that's part of my community, it won't work for me because then I'll get drained and then I'm not excited about it, and then there's burnout. But I can say, okay, my foundation is I need to have at least one event every month. Now I can decide if it's a virtual event or if it's an in-person event and then go from there. And then once we have that, you know, I decide, okay, this is like my visibility baseline. Then I can then move on into what my offer is going to be at those events. So if my offer is going to be, oh, I just want to have a, you know, a coffee chat with somebody, or um, I have a free strategy session, or I have uh something that's useful that I can offer to people, then that's something that I can do, um, knowing that I have a goal for each of those strategies. And then I can decide, okay, who are the kinds of people that I want to connect with? What kinds of communities make sense for me to connect with them? And that's the see and focus. And once I get clarity on that, and then I start to see the signals, the user signals that make sense to me, the user signals that show that what I'm doing is actually working. And then finally create the systems and tools that I can use to automate the parts of things that I don't need to personally be involved with, just so that I can move more efficiently, learn, and keep going. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

So is that what you do is help people set up each of those different stages?

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Correct. So, yes, we start with that foundation and then we go all the way to systems and tools. What I found out about um a lot of women entrepreneurs is that we get really nervous about tools, about new software and things like that. And so I've always been able to support a lot of women and just kind of explain to them that look, this is a tool. Use what part of it you're comfortable using, and then I can support them with like creating that framework or creating templates or creating whatever structure they need so that they feel um confident to do what they need to do, you know, and um, so that it doesn't stop them from creating the change in the world that they're excited about.

Setting Offers And Event Goals

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Yeah, I love that. I think that's brilliant because every step that you're mentioning on this focus path makes sense in terms of how it works together and how each step doesn't work without the other step, but it also sounds like a lot to try to figure out yourself. Um, one of the things that I talk about a lot with networking is people will go to a networking event and then they'll be like, I hated it. I'm never, I hate networking, I'm never going to another networking event again, right? But it's like there's so many different ways to network. You can do it virtually, you can do it in person, you could do co-ed groups, you could do women-only groups, you could do ones that are very structured, you could do ones where it's just like come get a drink and a snack and mingle. And something is going to work for you, something is gonna feel good for you. Those events where you just get a drink and a snack and mingle, that's like my worst nightmare. Like I literally dream about that and not in a good way. Um, but that's how you figure it out, right? Even with if we're talking about these other growth strategies, podcast guesting or speaking or being in a book or whatever it is, um, collaborating with other people on workshops or projects or whatever. Having someone to guide you through those different things to give you the courage to try them, to help you figure out how to try them, and then to be able to say, okay, I liked that, I didn't like that, and turn it into an actual, like repeatable plan that doesn't drain you is brilliant.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Thank you. Thank you. And I'd say the main thing also is helping people realize that we're all learning, you know. So I think sometimes when people feel really um sad or they feel upset about going to a networking event and they feel like it was a waste of time and it was stressful, was because they probably thought success was supposed to look differently, right? Or feel differently. And so that's also where I come in and just kind of um help them to just figure out what the goal is for each event. And then if you've accomplished that goal, yeah, then that was a successful event, right? And then once you know what success looks like, also let you know that not everything is going to be successful because that's all part of the journey. And some of the people that you're seeing out there, they're gregarious and boisterous and everything. They feel you feel like they have it all figured out. They might not. Some might, but some might not. And it's okay because um you're on a different path. And so I found that being able to support the women that I work with, which is giving them clarity around what they're doing and how they can strategize, but also letting them know that it's okay for it not to look perfect, um, has been quite useful.

Tools, Systems, And Confidence

SPEAKER_00 10:58

Yeah. And sometimes those metrics that we think are the definition of success, we don't see until later, right? We go to a networking event and then we're like, that was a wasn't a success. Nobody bought my thing. I didn't get any referrals from that. But sometimes it's because you have to keep showing up in the same space consistently to create those relationships. Sometimes it's just because you are, you know, it's it's I do a lot of podcast guesting and I love it. But sometimes people ask me, like, do you get a lot of clients from that? I'm like, I have no idea. Even with my own podcast, I don't know if I get a lot of clients from it. Because sometimes it's just you like planting a seed that you don't know if it's gonna grow or not. And sometimes it grows a week later, sometimes it grows years later. I mean, I've had people say, you know, I've been on your email list for three years because I heard after I heard you on such and such summit, and I just joined your community. And I'm like, three years later. But so a lot of that, I like what you're saying about like having specific goals apart from those like money, clients, referrals, metrics, because sometimes you don't see those pay off until later.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Um, I heard someone say, like, look at your business like you're on a five-year plan. Um, so every year it's a new set of five-year plans. But I think it helped me. It helped me because I'm one of those people that wants to get the sales quickly and get the, you know, make all of those things. But if it's like, oh, this is a five-year journey. So I might go out and I might not get a client right away, but something else might work out. I've been to events where I didn't make a sale, but then when I shared it on social media, people realized like I was a real person that went to an actual event and then made a sale from that. Um, I was talking to a lady the other day who um supports moms with newborns. And she was saying, oh, it doesn't make sense to have a newsletter because I there's this window of opportunity for them. And I told her, you know what? You just never know. I've been on, you know, a newsletter for years and years, and then I will patronize them like 10 years later. And literally, um, the the age gap between my first and my second, it's nine years. So I patronized someone um when I was having my first, and then nothing until I was having my second, you know, and she could have given up and been like, oh, you guys don't, you know, it's you're you're past the window, and I'm not going to reach out to you. But if we look at business as part of that journey, um, it's that journey and would just keep going, you just never know what will work because people are still trying to figure out if they can trust you. And so um, it might take some time. And then there are some people who make decisions quickly, and it's awesome. We love those people as well, uh, but they also make decisions to leave quickly sometimes. So, you know, take it all with a grain of salt.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Yeah. Why do you think that marketing in the traditional sense, a lot of the ways that we think about marketing is so exhausting for women, or why do you think they feel so like disconnected or not aligned with it?

SPEAKER_01 14:16

That's such a good question. Um I think it's because we've been taught to do things a certain way, like always B closing, A, B, C, you know, and then you do this one step one, step two, step three, and then all the riches come to you. But there are things that worked in the past, um, and there are things that work for certain people. But I'm finding now that people value relationships and people want to make sure that they can trust you with your hard-earned money. And so I find that for us as women, when we're told you do this and this and this, it might not be something we're comfortable doing, but we go ahead and do it just because we were told that's how to win. And so it drains us because we're not really doing things in alignment with the way we have our day-to-day lives. Like we don't go out to people, you know, in the play group and like, you, you're gonna be my friend, you know, because your child likes my child or something like that. We don't do that typically, but somehow we've been told that when it comes to business, we have to be completely different. And so it's like oftentimes we're going against the way we usually act, expecting things to look different. And um, it doesn't work out that way. And that's how I always come back to that foundation of what you're comfortable with. Now, if you are the kind of person who does go out there and make you make friends that way, and you're just like, I really like you, let's be friends, and it works for you, then that might be the strategy for your business if it's in alignment with you. But what I found is that a lot of us women are just more relational. Um, and so we value those relationships. And then some of us have been told that we're not good at certain things. So we're not good at math, we're not good at data analysis, we're not good at all of those things. So when it comes to trying to figure out um marketing strategy or looking at the data behind your Facebook campaigns and stuff like that, we're like, oh, that's too much technology. I already know I'm not good at that, or the data is I'm just overwhelmed. I'm not good. But it's like some of that is also programming. So I think it's just a combination of quite a few things where we we kind of need to go back to what feels comfortable for us and what's more in alignment with the people that we are.

Long Games, Seeds, And Trust

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Yeah, yeah. I love what you're saying about really tuning into what feels good to you. And just because it feels good and works for someone else doesn't mean it feels good and works for you. I kept thinking when you were talking about this is a weird comparison, but uh the way that we typically birth children in the United States, um, we are one of the very few countries where we tell our woman you have to give birth horizontally, right? In many other countries, they are not giving birth horizontally. And the first time I heard that, I was like, God, that makes so much sense. Like, why in the world, knowing what we know about gravity, would we try to give birth horizontally? And it makes me think about that in the same way of like, we're trying to market on all these ways that people are saying, like, this is how you do it, this is what works, this is it. And some of those people are men, some of those people are women who are different than us, some of those people have different personalities or background or experience from us. And so, why do we keep trying to force ourselves to do it the way that they're doing it when there's a way that makes so much more sense for us? And I love that you are kind of giving people permission to find that way that works for them and to go with that.

Why Traditional Marketing Drains Women

SPEAKER_01 18:07

And I really like your example with um uh birthing. Um, I'm in Canada, but I lived in the US for a while and I had my first horizontally, but my second, I was so focused on having the experience that I wanted that I had a water birth. And with that, I was able to like kneel down and move around, and it was amazing. And within like minutes, I was in my bed because it was a home birth and everything, and it was just so amazing. Was it hard? It was still hard for me. Some people, it wasn't hard for them, but for me, it was still hard, but it was such a different experience, it was such a redemptive experience for me because I felt more in control, I felt like more in tune with my body. And that's what I like marketing to feel like for people, where it's like, I'm not going to tell you. All I can do is help you to optimize what works for you based on all these other skills that we can add on to what you're comfortable doing. So if you're like, oh, I love writing emails and I'm really good at writing emails, then we can say, okay, let us automate it so that you can write an email every week if that's what you want to do, or every month if that's what you're comfortable doing. Or if you're like, oh, I love going online and talking with people live, great. This is the way we can systematize it for you and create systems for you where you can um have your LinkedIn Live or your um Instagram lives or whatever, your IG lives or your Facebook live um sessions and how you can record it and all of those things. But if you say you don't like that, then I can't tell you that oh, millions of people make millions of dollars doing this, because in the end, it needs to be about you and your comfort. And and I keep saying that it's not about not going outside of the box, like you still need to push yourself, just like with the example with birthing. There's still some hard hardness with it, right? There's still some challenges with it. There, there's still some stuff that you need to figure out and work through, and there'll still be some bits that are boring or like, you know, waiting because the kid is also involved in the birthing process. So not everything is going to be like, oh yeah, I'm doing this in my zone. It's fun, it's easy, da-da-da. But it's such a better experience that you're able to have unique ideas that are unique to you that will make you stand out and will attract the right people to you.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Yeah, yeah. And sometimes all we need is someone to just give us that permission to say it's okay to do it a different way if you want to. Exactly. So if people are listening to this and they want to take the first step in starting to generate leads through collaborations, through community, through the things that we've been talking about, what is a good first step for them, even if they don't have a big audience right now?

SPEAKER_01 21:10

So, my first thing I would say is figure out that foundation. What is something you'd like to do or you're already doing and you like it? So if it's emails or podcasting, whatever it is, what is that one thing? And then the next thing would be where can you do, where can you go or who can you partner with? Because it's always about community. Yes, you can start your own podcast and that's great. Um, but is there a podcast you can go on? Is there someone you can partner with to do whatever it is that you're doing? Is there a newsletter that you can be a guest on or something like that? So that would be the thing. Once you just know uh that this is something that I enjoy, then figure out how you can make it consistent and who you can partner with to keep going.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Yeah, brilliant. I love it. If people want to connect. With you if they want to know more about what you do and who you are, what's the best way for them to do that?

Aligning Strategy With Who You Are

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Yeah, so my name is Osai Lasisi. For all I know, I'm probably the only Osai Lasisi in the world for now. Um, so you can either just go to osai lasisi.com um and you can go to osai lasisi.com slash focus and you can schedule a call with me. It's a free call. We can just have a strategy session where I can let you know that whatever it is you're thinking, you can do it. Like um in in in Nigeria where I'm from, uh, I'm from Edo State, which is the Benin Kingdom. And one of the things that we're known for, we have a lot of amazing adages. And one of my favorite, favorite ones is um whenever somebody is doing something that we are interested in doing, parents would always say something like, he does have two heads, he's doing it. If he can do it, you can do it too. So whatever you're seeing out there, they don't have two heads, right? Like they have the same one head that you have. Yes, everyone has different access and different capacities and stuff. Yes. But for the most part, with some guidance, you can also figure out how to execute in the way that works for you.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

Yeah, I love that. Okay, I will put your website in the show notes in case people don't know how to spell Osai La C C. Uh, and I will put the link also for your Instagram and your LinkedIn if people want to connect with you on social media. And thank you so much for being a guest on the podcast. I love this topic. I could talk about it all day. And uh I love your take on it and how you're really using it to help people personalize their marketing strategies and help them find ways that work for them without having to completely reinvent the wheel. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Thank you so, so much. This has been such a joy. Like the time flew by because I love talking about this, and you're such an amazing host. So thank you for having me.