The Best Social Networks/Ecosystems for Personal Growth and Transformation

Written By Manny Fiteni

In the last 20 years, personal development social networks/websites have exploded onto the scene, completely changing the landscape of how we create a sense of community and connect with those who bring us great pearls of wisdom.

Today, we wish to talk about the offerings that are available and who they are best geared toward. Our aim is to give you some insights that may help you decide which direction you may take. This may be a combination of sites, depending on your needs.

Here are the best:

  1. MIND GROWTH 360

    Mind Growth 360 is a relative newcomer to the world of social networks, but it is jampacked with services that bring about a true sense of community combined with knowledge.

    Resembling a Facebook on steroids, Mind Growth 360 offers the traditional features you will find on a traditional social network, such as profiles, feeds, direct chat, groups, events and posting, but unlike a Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, it is purposely designed for those in the Personal Development and growth arena.

    Its features extend well beyond what you may get on some of these platforms (even though they all serve different purposes). Some of those features include:

    • Podcasts

    • Virtual meeting rooms

    • eBooks

    • Courses

    • Curated bookshelf to find great reads

    • Public Speakers Bureau

    • Recommended training organizations to work with

    • Influencer Promotions

    • Assistance in finding a Certified Coach

    • Resource groups are separated by categories with lots of articles, the ability to chat, and books for the genre you should read

    • Creators Club- A private club within a club, giving coaches, authors, podcasters, and course creators a chance to connect and learn outside of the greater network. Here, they will find both free and paid services to assist them.

    • Technology Revolution- A place to find cool software and gadgets that can assist you in your business or growth

    • They are also introducing a TV channel that is an opportunity for creators in this field to provide movies or TV series to the network

Offerings:

  • Social network for personal development professionals and enthusiasts.

  • Resources like courses, podcasts, virtual meeting rooms, discussion groups, events, and eBooks.

  • Exclusive "Creators Club" for service providers.

  • Virtual library with curated readings for self-growth.

Strengths:

  • Comprehensive suite of resources tailored for personal development.

  • Focuses on community-building and networking among professionals.

  • Free access ensures inclusivity for users at all levels.

  • Gives personal growth professionals a platform to truly work amongst a market that will be interested in their offering.

Weaknesses:

  • This is still a relatively new platform and will take some time to gain traction, but who wouldn’t want to be the first to discover a new social network and make it their own before everyone else?

What we think:

When you get the opportunity to jump onto a new social network that is truly dedicated to your interest, then it’s best to grab it with both hands and make it work for you. We like that it is free and that it is truly accessible without a fee, unless you wish to ultilize more advanced features.

2. MINDVALLEY

Mind Valley has been around since the early 2000s and runs a different model from the above entrant, Mind Growth 360. Mind Valley is well funded and has built a closed ecosystem with some free courses to entice you into this system. Essentially, most of its offerings sit behind a paywall, but it is still a great personal development offering. It has some high-profile speakers and goes head to head with the platform Masterclass, but in some different categories.

Offerings:

  • Holistic personal development courses on mindset, productivity, spiritual growth, and more.

  • Programs like "Superbrain" with Jim Kwik and other renowned instructors.

  • Community-driven with global events and retreats.

Strengths:

  • Science-backed instruction methods with high-quality video production.

  • Engaging, supportive community with practical advice.

  • Holistic approach to personal transformation.

Weaknesses:

  • Premium pricing can be a barrier for many users.

  • Some content may be too spiritual or intangible for practical learners.

  • Limited focus on professional skills like coding or finance.

What we think:

Mind Valley has a nice offering and appears to be quite professional but tends to attract those more in the spiritual realm, which is fine if that is what you are looking for. The community is hidden from the public and doesn’t really assist smaller operators to flourish and grow their business models on their platforms. Very much geared toward high-profile operators.

3. MASTERCLASS

Masterclass is another long-term website since around 2015 and focuses on quality courses from high-profile presenters in generally personal growth, career development, and creative skills. Excellent platform that focuses on courses.

Offerings:

  • Skill-based learning for personal growth, career development, and creative skills.

  • Courses are taught by industry experts like celebrities and thought leaders.

  • Formats include short video lessons and hands-on sessions.

Strengths:

  • High-quality instruction from renowned experts.

  • Flexible learning formats suitable for busy schedules.

  • Inspiring content that fosters creativity and skill-building.

Weaknesses:

  • High pricing, similar to Mindvalley.

  • Limited focus on deep personal development topics compared to Mindvalley or Mind Growth 360.

  • More geared towards creative and professional skills.

What we think

Masterclass is a wonderful course creator that is certainly worth considering if this is what you are looking for. It is restricted in its offering to the overall personal growth community, but is certainly good at what is does.

4. UDEMY

Udemy has been around for a while now, and different from the previous two offerings, it allows people who do not necessarily have a high profile to provide courses they have created. This is closer to Mind Growth 360’s offering for courses.

The courses are certainly diverse, and there is a good chance you will find something of interest here. The quality of the video may not be the same level as Masterclass or MindValley, but the content is just as compelling. It is not a true ecosystem as

Offerings:

  • Over 200,000 courses across various fields, including personal development.

  • Courses are available in multiple languages and at different skill levels (beginner to advanced).

Strengths:

  • Affordable pricing with frequent discounts.

  • Lifetime access to purchased courses.

  • Widely recognized certificates for paid courses.

Weaknesses:

  • Quality of courses can vary significantly due to the open marketplace model.

  • No structured learning path or mentorship.

    What we think

    Udemy is a favorite with many people because many of its instructors are knowledgeable in their own right but don't necessarily have a high profile.

    Community is only really for instructors, and it lacks the features that would be nice in a robust social network. Its model is primarily as a marketplace for instructors to show the wares.

    Most courses are very reasonably priced but lack the complete ecosystem to service the whole personal development community.

As you can see, the market varies, with most participants focusing on courses. Mind Valley tackles on and off events, whilst MInd Growth foxues on bringing not just knowledge to the user, but also the various offerings from smaller operators who are actually accessibke to the market.

Manny Fiteni