Join Us for CGC Year 8: Fire Infusion
Enrollment is OPEN for Conscious Growth Club Year 8 – for one week only! Join us for an intense and fiery year of character growth. Our enrollment window closes May 1st at midnight Pacific Time. There are a LOT of surprises and upgrades to CGC this year. 28 people are already enrolled.
Conscious Growth Club FAQ
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Nope, no monthly option. CGC isn't for non-committal "I'm not sure yet" people. You have a simple choice: a solid 365 days – or nothing. So regarding the monthly idea... fiercely NO!
A beautiful benefit of a one-year membership that starts on the same day for everyone – always May 1st every year – is that we get to work with a reasonably stable group throughout each year. Instead of watching people randomly join and leave every month, you know that you're in CGC for a full year with other like-minded, like-hearted, like-spirited people. That stability makes a big difference in the quality of the community and the depth of engagement.
I (Steve) started this self-development site in 2004, after 10 years of being a PC game developer. I've been investing in this path professionally, full-time for 20 years now. From you I'm only asking for one year of commitment at a time. That's a good minimum standard for a strong and mutually supportive community.
This kind of inner work is a big deal, and it takes time. CGC's immersive format runs on quarterly and annual cycles. CGC isn't intended or designed for people who want to dabble or "try" things out.
Yes, the CGC member portal, which houses all our recorded material including our courses and call recordings, has a straightforward, easy-to-grasp interface. It's all neatly organized and very responsive.
Here's a screen shot of what the CGC portal looks like when you first log in:
Inside the portal you can stream and/or download the video and audio materials. Think of it as CGC's central resource library. This is where you go when you want to engage with CGC in your own private learning mode.
The CGC forums run on a separate website. This is where members can engage with each other by sharing messages and having text-based discussions (images and other resources can be shared as well). Activity in the forums tends to be wave-like, pretty active sometimes and more chill at other times. The more members we have in a given CGC year, the more active the forums tend to be. Rachelle and I are active there daily. It's a great place to update other members on what you're doing, such as by maintaining a progress log.
The forum software we use is called Discourse, and it has a nice, clean, easy-to-learn interface. We pay extra to host it on a really fast server, so it's super speedy to use (pages load quickly). I'm a stickler for fast-loading websites.
Be careful not to confuse Discourse with Discord. Both are used for community discussions, but Discord has a more cluttered – dare we say juvenile – interface. Yes, we dare because it's true! Seriously... Discord is an ugly mess. That's because Discord started with a focus on gamer communities... where Discourse (what we use) was created for intelligent community interactions without all the fluffy clutter. We've been using Discourse for CGC since we first started in 2017, and it's been very stable and satisfying to use for main asynchronous community space. When we want to connect in real-time, we use Zoom for that.
The CGC forums are ad-free, spam free, and also free of affiliate links, so you won't have to deal with outside distractions, like you would for Facebook-hosted communities and such. We run a tight ship inside.
Here's a screen shot of the CGC forums (with some parts blurred out for privacy):
Fiercely no on this one too.
We tested a payment plan when CGC first opened in 2017. It did attract some good members who might not have joined otherwise. Unfortunately, some people would miss their payments, so it created a bigger support burden and added extra complexity to the admin side. Having to boot a member for missing payments is no fun, and it created an awkward vibe inside because then other members couldn't really know which people were truly all-in the year.
Moreover, some people confused the payment plan with a monthly membership option and thought it would be cool to just make one or two payments, try CGC out for a while, and then quit when they faced having to do some real work on themselves.
Most members prefer to pay in full anyway, and having everyone's payments settled up front allows us to focus on investing in each other for the entire year. It does mean having slightly fewer members, but it's cleaner and simpler for the admin and community aspects. In CGC we prioritize alignment over numbers.
If members wish to finance their memberships through other means, they're welcome to do so. But CGC itself isn't going to dip into the financing side. It was worth a test, but our conclusion is that CGC is better without the payment plan option.
CGC is a space for growth-oriented, open-minded explorer types who are really into self-development.
Some members are super active in the group, attending nearly every live call and checking or posting in the forums pretty much daily. Rachelle and I are in this super active group. CGC is my #1 go-to community.
Not everyone is super social. Some join mainly for access to the CGC portal (courses and recordings) and don't participate much in the forums and on the Zoom calls.
If you've watched some of my recent YouTube videos and think that you and I would probably get along well in person, that's a reasonable way of predicting whether you'd also resonate with others in the community. My online activities like blogging and YouTubing attracted many people into CGC, and most members seem have a good deal in common with me. We tend to have similar values like curiosity, learning, growth, understanding, alignment, balance, honesty, caring, wonder, open-mindedness, and a love of hands-on exploration and experiential learning.
In CGC we do a pretty solid job of balancing honesty with compassion. It's not a community of jerks where people just push each others' buttons or attempt some cheesy application of "radical honesty." Generally speaking, the support is kind, caring, gentle, friendly, and well-meaning.
We also have a strict "no assholes" policy in CGC. Like I noted earlier, we run a tight ship in terms of keeping the community engaging and worthwhile for members. People who've pushed this have been banned and never allowed back in. Fortunately that's only happened a handful of times since we started – and it hasn't happened at all in the last few years.
If you're able to function reasonably well in other online communities, you really ought to have no trouble with the community aspects of CGC. It's easier in many ways because members generally aren't interested in discussing divisive topics so much like you'll see on social media. There's way more interest in learning and growing together, getting to know each other, and supporting each other.
Anyone who behaves like a jerk is just going to lower their status in the eyes of other members, and when they take things that far, they need to be cut from the group because other members won't trust them anymore.
For minor issues and honest mistakes, and for the common emotional processing that often happens when doing inner work, we can be forgiving, and you wouldn't be booted for something like that. But if you behave recklessly such that you're demolishing the ability for others in the community to trust you and if people are starting to feel unsafe around you, we're gonna boot your ass out before you can it any worse. Note that our community rules and standards are based on behavior and effects, not on thoughts or intentions – really they're just common sense.
So when you join CGC, be cool and play nice. It's a high-trust community inside. For people who appreciate being a part of a high-trust community, it's wonderful. If you can't match this standard, like if you have a history of being out of other groups, then CGC is definitely not for you.
CGC members come from a wide age spectrum, with the majority being in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. However, we welcome and have had members from various age groups, including younger adults and seniors.
This diverse age range enriches our community by fostering a more inclusive environment, providing a wealth of perspectives, and encouraging learning from each other's experiences. Personal growth transcends age, and our members benefit from the collective wisdom of all generations.
CGC has diverse international community inside.
While a significant number of our members come from North America and Europe, we have welcomed members from countries across the globe since CGC opened in 2017.
If you have a basic understanding of English, you'll be able to connect and communicate with others in CGC.
Many CGC members speak English as their second language and remain actively engaged and well-integrated within the community.
While our community is welcoming and supportive, we do not offer specialized trauma-informed support or seek to maintain a trauma-informed community within CGC.
If you are seeking assistance with trauma support, recovery, or a trauma-informed community, we encourage you to connect with a professional or support group that specializes in these areas.
Here are CCC's core values:
- ALIGN: We aim to bridge the gap between your desires and reality, addressing misalignments and helping you achieve harmony in your life.
- EMPOWER: We support you in becoming a stronger, more capable person by nurturing mental and emotional growth, enhancing habits, and fostering abundance and resourcefulness.
- EXPLORE: CGC values experiential learning, promoting a culture of taking action, testing ideas, and sharing resources and growth experiences.
- CARE: Our community is built on kindness, empathy, camaraderie, and friendship. We celebrate diversity and create a culture of psychological safety and support.
- PLAY: In CGC we balance seriousness and playfulness, infusing fun and laughter into our personal growth journeys.
- HONOR: We encourage members to embrace their authentic selves, fostering a high-trust environment where everyone can flourish.
- CREATE: CGC nurtures your creative brilliance and helps you develop your skills, as we co-create a dynamic, evolving club experience.
While it's helpful to know what you want, it isn't necessary for joining CGC. Inside the group you'll get access to the Stature course on character sculpting, which can help you clarify who you'd like to become. You'll also be invited to partake in our Goal Gateway quarterly planning process four times each year, which will help you define your goals 90 days at a time.
As much as you want. Some members are active in the group every day while others check in less frequently.
CGC has a flexible structure, and nothing is mandatory. How much time you invest depends on what you want to create and experience.
The one-week opening allows up to welcome new members all at the same time, and then we can focus on the growth work the rest of the year. It creates a stable group inside where members can take the time get to know and support each other.
Being retired from a career is perfectly fine, and you're welcome to join. You wouldn't be the only one.
CGC is for people interested in personal growth, regardless of their career status. Our members are lifelong learners and explorers who actively work on various aspects of personal development. If you share this passion for growth and learning, CGC ought to be a great fit for you.
CGC is delighted to have LGBTQ members. Our community embraces diversity, and we do not permit discrimination based on sex, race, gender, orientation, or identification. We maintain a culture of mutual respect, which includes respecting your choice of pronouns.
Please feel free to read the Thoughts on LGBTQ blog post for more insight on this.
Age is not an issue in CGC. Our members come from diverse backgrounds and age groups. If you're comfortable participating, we'll be happy to have you, so come right in!
In CGC, members use descriptive titles for discussion threads, allowing you to avoid topics that don't interest you. If you prefer not to see updates on specific topics, you can mute them.
Our members can discuss a wide range of topics as long as they follow community guidelines.
Several CGC members have faced financial hurdles but found ways to join. For some, the journey of joining was itself a personal growth challenge.
Otherwise we'd recommend starting with the Deep Abundance Integration course.
The number of members will be different each year, but each year so far, we've landed in the range of 48 to 150.
Yes, many CGC members are vegan or leaning in that direction. Self-development work tends to attract vegans and those interested in the lifestyle. Some members have also gone vegan after reading articles like How to Be Vegan.
While CGC is not exclusively vegan, it is a vegan-friendly community managed by long-term ethical vegans.
Yes, many CGC members have a strong interest in spirituality and the spiritual aspects of self-development. Discussions often touch on topics like the nature of reality.
When you join CGC, you can dive right in. After completing the sign-up process, you'll receive access to the CGC portal, which includes the courses, call recordings, and bonus material. You'll also receive an invitation to join the CGC forums, where you can dive right in and start connecting with other members.
During your first week in CGC, we'll host an orientation call to help you get off to a good start in CGC. You'll get access to the recording too.