Grow your impact and income without abandoning your worth and values.
Forge empowers creative entrepreneurs to take action and live unapologetically by cross-pollinating as coequal experts in our spicy ecosystem community.
457
Conversations are concurrently happening
67%
Community members who attend live events
35
Members joined Forge in the last year
23
Spaces in Forge to learn, bond, and grow within
A Distraction-Free Growth Lab + Mastermind Community
Test ideas. Take action. Cross-pollinate.
Inside Forge, we're aligning and integrating our creative identities into our entrepreneurial identities so that one is no longer at the expense of the other.
Respected by some GOATs
From inaction 😖 to in action.🤩
We bring impact-driven creative business owners together to sprout as coequal masterminds within our thoughtfully curated, distraction-free growth lab. For those of us out here trying things, not settling, and defining what fulfillment means to us every day, it's a place unlike anywhere else on Earth. We lead with genuine curiosity, and we value actions over ideas.
Hear from some of our Forgers for yourself
Our mastermind ecosystem community is comprised of some of the kindest, most generous creative souls on the planet. Here are a few of them; in their own words.
Forge can help you today if...
You want to grow your business, email list, and/or marketing beyond its current status.
You’ve plateaued or burned out and are ready to overcome those hurdles.
You want to join a community full of diverse, creators who’ll have your back in this entrepreneurial jungle.
You’re trying to become a full-time creator but need some footprints to follow.
You’re searching for an ecosystem to which you can turn with ideas and questions.
You’re tired of going at it alone and want to join a collective of coequals that will hold you accountable.
With your Forge all-access pass:
You can immediately share what you're up to, ask for feedback, make a friend, plus...
Learn new things
Co-working sessions
Member-led events
Guest expert classes
Creative resources
Actionable growth tips
Tests + digests reports
Bond with peers
Member-led events
Ask our community anything
Work with your friends
Share your wins
Promote your work
Vob over food + TV
Grow your business
Accountability circles
High-performance rituals
Quarterly challenges
Sessions + playbooks
Marketing tool breakdowns
Signature courses
Join an ecosystem community that meets you where you are.
We're unapologetically focused on fusing our creative identities into our entrepreneurial spirits.
Forge is 3 things rolled into a mastermindecosystem.
Charging station
...where “actions over ideas” is the ethos since it’s better to act on an okay idea than for a great idea to lay dormant.
Growth lab
...infused with weekly co-working sessions, spicy prompts that challenge you, and member-led live events.
Inclusive community
...where you’ll be as respected and valued as all other members, regardless of your ethnicity, skills, or experience.
One membership. Soooooo many benefits.
Choose your plan
All 3 plans include a free 3-day trial + full access to Forge.
Monthly Plan
Get your creative feet wet by trying out Forge for 30 days.
$49
per month
Biannual Plan
Commit to investing yourself and your future for the next 6 months.
$294
per 6 months
Annual Plan
Go all-in on your dreams and goals and get 2 months free.
$490
/yearly
Take a tour of Forge
Sometimes, it’s better to show rather than tell, right? If you’re of that ilk, you’ll appreciate this quick tour of Forge I put together, giving you a better sense of how our ecosystem feels practically. And although it’s impossible to share all the value packed into our community in a 7-minute demo, we picked out some of the things our members resonate with the most.
Tributes from some of our members
"The way Darnell fosters his community is like someone gardening with care. His creativity and unwavering support are not something you find in virtual communities. The accountability circles and co-working sessions spark real-time problem-solving solutions."
Humaira Akhter
Creative Growth Strategist
"It's a great platform, especially for creatives who may not have the means to invest in a coach or be in a high-level program. Definitely would've made a difference if I had something like this when I started. Instead, I invested tens of thousands in programs with no income and felt debt for years."
Robin Finney
Intuitive Coach & Curator
"Thanks to a recent co-working session inside Forge, I was able to write 4 emails that I had been putting off for too long AND connect with some great people. It's so cool to see all of the action l've taken directly because of feedback, ideas, and motivation I've received from being a member."
Natasha Yonkof
Automation & Email Expert
"Forge is an amazing and unique community where everyone is equal and valued and I've met so many great people. Darnell is one of the most genuine and supportive people l've ever met. Everyone is an equal inside Forge and has the chance to be heard."
Tyler Neyedly
Email Copywriter Strategist
“I've been impressed with Forge as a community member and have recommended it to a few clients. I'm a member of another Circle group and I'll add that you've done a great job of organizing threads and engaging the community which is another important element."
Ashleigh Guerra
Marketing Agency Owner
"We co-created safe spaces for folks to find accountability, support, and maybe most importantly, a place to celebrate our wins. I love being able to serve AND learn in this vibrant community. If you're looking for an elevated community to belong to, you definitely want to check out Forge.”
Megan Winkler
Energetic Business Coach
How things might look now
You're on a hardcore journey that few understand
There's a sense of inertia and a lack of follow-through
You're wrestling with endless busyness and distractions
There's a lack of enthusiasm for meeting new people
You're tired of founder-centric hierarchal communities
These thorns in your hip can leave you feeling frustrated, burned out, and unfulfilled in your professional life.
How things will be soon
You're on a journey of togetherness + empowerment
There's true accountability with values-aligned peers
You're intentional, organized, and focused on your goals
You're taking action on your ideas; no more excuses
You're in a flat, circular community of coequal experts
Your journey from here is more than just possible; it's necessary if you want to live a fulfilled life as a creative entrepreneur.
Time for you to grab the wheel in your creative business?
Consider this your cue to get out of the passenger's seat and into the driver's seat.
Meet your co-pilot.
I’m a seasoned multidisciplinary creative + community builder specializing in digital branding, marketing, and storytelling.
During a two-week sprint in the summer of 2023, I launched Forge, a virtual mastermind ecosystem that enables creative entrepreneurs to grow their impact and income as coequals without sacrificing wellness.
Furthermore, I grew agitated that we creatives don't have as much leverage as we should in business relationships, even though nothing gets made or done without us.
Exclusively inside Forge, I share proven, empathetic insights and strategies from serving 300+ clients of all shapes and sizes since 2008, to help professionals fuse their creative identities into their entrepreneurial ones.
3 things you might not know about me...
I stuttered a ton as a kid, but it's now under control.
I sold my first drawing to a classmate in grade school.
The boy's got insane beatboxing skills.
Anyway, helping creatives thrive within the jungle of entrepreneurship is what excites me. I'd love to show you the way as well. In the meantime, you can learn more about me here.
How to get started today
1.
Choose your membership plan.
Pick a subscription plan you fancy, create your account, and get started inside our ecosystem with a tailored roadmap that'll greet you upon enrollment.
2.
Respect our guidelines.
To keep Forge a safe and inclusive space for creative business owners, we have some basic standards that all members must agree to follow fully in using our ecosystem.
3.
Take our "Welcome Here" tour.
Since we all use communities differently, we created onboarding paths you can follow to get the most out of Forge based on how often you intend to visit and interact.
4.
Grow your ingenuity, impact, and income.
Tell us what you're up in your business, make a friend, ask a question, attend an event, get some feedback, consume some insights, and most importantly: have fun.
Wanna use Forge on the go?
Download the Circle Communities app onto your mobile device, then open it.
Log into the Circle app using the credentials you joined Forge with.
Take a look around, make a friend, join our next event, and more.
Still got questions? Here are answers...
Here are 5 things that make Forge, Forge.
Forge helps us align our creative and entrepreneurial identities to work together as one.
We’re a space of coequal experts; every member is valued and respected equally, regardless of gender, orientation, age, accolades, skills, and experience.
Actions over ideas through cross-pollination is the point. We all capitalize and blossom by learning from our peers and experimenting in our respective unique contexts.
We’re structured flatly and circularly. There’s nothing hierarchal or patriarchal about it; we’re all adding our own paint strokes to this mural we’re co-creating.
We’re a 3-in-1 ecosystem: a growth lab, an inclusive community, and a charging station rolled into one.
While we'd love to see you pop your lovely head in Forge as often as possible, you actually don't need to commit any specific time to our ecosystem each week. Entrepreneurship is a windy road, and business comes in waves; we respect that, which is why we designed Forge to work for you irrespective of the professional season you're in. The majority of our resources are both timely and timeless.
Yes, we have some folks in Forge who are on hand to help you get acquainted and inspired, along with some helpful resources that you’ll get upon joining. Plus, you can always reach out to Darnell (our founder) directly via our in-house DM.
No, buddy! Forge is powered by Circle, which is the best community-hosting platform in the game right now. We do not meet on Facebook or Slack; the entire Forge ecosystem is in one central place.
Forge is only open during certain periods of the year to protect the integrity of our ecosystem and to prevent us from putting too much emphasis on acquiring new members.
Upon joining Forge, follow our curated onboarding map which will chronologically show you the most treasured aspects of the community based on what the data tells us. All new members are greeted with a workflow that will guide you through it; don’t worry.
Afterward, we recommend testing the waters for yourself and visiting all the spaces available to you, just to get an idea of the entire ecosystem.
Forge will be right for you if you act with intention and act on intention; we’re a community of cross-pollinators and ecosystem energizers. We certainly don’t want you paying for something you’re not really using, but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute and get value out of Forge at the best cadence that makes sense for you. Try out Forge for a month and by then, you’ll know whether it’s right for you. Worse case, you invested just $49 during that time.
Yes, you may. We have a dedicated space within Forge where we encourage you to share your current offers, works-in-progress, products, services, etc. Not only will it help us get more acquainted with what you do, but we, ourselves may benefit from your business and/or know people who may.
Heart-led, purpose-driven creative business owners seeking fellowship, education, and growth in a curated, distraction-free space. We are an inclusive community of folks who enjoy cross-pollinating, learning from one another, and capitalizing upon each other’s experiences and experiments while defining how fulfillment looks to each of us.
On occasion, we may offer free trials into Forge through some of our events and existing members, but it’s not something we do often. That said, we do offer a risk-free period. If you join Forge today and want to cancel your membership before your billing cycle renews, we’ll refund your money if you notify us within 3 days of subscribing.
We know it sounds cliché, but results vary. That's because your outcomes depend on factors outside our control, such as your business model, how you work, and the systems you have in place. That said, we do our part by providing you with timeless tools, ongoing support, and real-time guidance to yield you lasting results.
Forge is home to several types of creative entrepreneurs ranging from aspiring to seasoned such as copywriters, brand strategists, community strategists, content creators, marketing experts, and business coaches.
Should you ever feel harassed or disrespected, please immediately let an admin know, and we will work to resolve the issue promptly. Additionally, our community guidelines—in which we express that harassment is intolerable and unacceptable—must be reviewed and agreed upon joining Forge.
This is also one of the reasons we are very selective about offering free trials into our community; we don’t want just anyone joining Forge unintentionally and without careful consideration. As a paid ecosystem, we attract creative entrepreneurs serious about learning, bonding, and growing.
Yes, here’s a quick tour to give you an idea of Forge's look and feel.
Yes, and every member must read and adhere to those guidelines upon joining Forge. Our community guidelines are presented just after sign-up but you can also review them here.
No. While working with values-aligned sponsors may become a future opportunity worth exploring, it won’t be via any traditional advertising placements. Furthermore, we’ll consult with our founding members before doing something dramatic like that.
Yes, if you join Forge and decide it’s not for you, if you cancel your membership within the first 3 days and notify us, we will refund your money.
We don’t do pro-rated refunds, but if you cancel your membership within the first 72 hours of joining Forge and notify us, we’ll refund your subscription fee in full.
Yes, depending on bandwidth. Forge members get a reduced rate on 1:1 coaching and consulting. You can DM Darnell directly inside Forge and/or ask the community for the help you’re looking for to see whether a member can assist.
We love working with values-aligned brands and entities, so if you have an idea in mind for how we can partner up, email us at hi@darnellbrown.com and we’ll get back to you.
Meet-and-greets, accountability circles, co-working sessions, guest expert trainings, round tables, product demos, collabs, block parties, and more to come.
So, you ready to do this?
Forge is a charging station, growth lab, and inclusive community for creative entrepreneurs tired of sitting on the sidelines with dope ideas and ready to take action to leave a greater impact.
Who doesn’t want quality people supporting you, rooting for you, and giving you that kick in the ass whenever you’re hung up on things that don’t matter? Ha!
If you’re Type A (like me), introverted, and/or hate needless complexity, how about no more hopping between an FB Group, Slack, Messenger, Voxer, and email to engage and converse with fellow members? Forge houses posts, events, chats, and trainings in one central place. You can even DM one another, send audios, and attach files, on-platform.
If you're still on the fence, just give it one month and see if it's for you; no harm in that. No matter how busy you are, that's enough time to hop in, look around, learn a bit, and decide whether you want to stick around for longer. And if it's not for you, you can cancel your membership and "Bye, Felicia!" Forge with no probs.
Can't join Forge at this time?
Get on our waitlist, and we'll let you know when the gates reopen.
© Forge d/b/a Bulletproof Hustle. All rights reserved.