When I was 18, I was told I needed to go on a disability pension – that I’d never be able to work a normal nine-to-five job.
I’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. I had chronic insomnia, constant migraines, and anxiety so severe that one day, I simply stopped talking.
For weeks, I’d go to TAFE, sit beside my best friend, and not say a single word. Then I’d go home and spend days… sometimes weeks, in bed. I remember once not getting up for two full weeks. My friends would visit, sit next to me, crack jokes, and just be there – even though I couldn’t respond.
Eventually, they convinced me to walk to the shops. We ran into old school friends, and I just stood there, frozen and silent. Later, at McDonald’s, they asked if I wanted a cheeseburger, and I couldn’t even say yes or no. The noise in my head was so loud that I’d sometimes bang it against hard objects just to feel something else.
That was my reality for a few years – breakdowns, medications, confusion. But somewhere deep inside, I knew that life on a disability pension wasn’t the life I was meant to live.
So I studied psychology to understand myself and worked in sales to support myself. What I discovered was that the more I understood myself, the better I understood other people. And the better I understood people, the better I became at connecting with them. That skill, connection, ended up changing my entire life.
Fast forward a decade, and I didn’t just find my voice again, I built a seven-figure business helping others do the same. Today, I run an online community of more than 8000 coaches and small business owners who’ve overcome their own challenges and now use their stories to help others.
What I’ve learned through this work and through my own healing, is that we are healed in community.
We’re hardwired to belong, to co-regulate, to survive and thrive together. But in a world where we’ve never been more connected online, we’ve also never been more disconnected in real life.
For small business owners, this isn’t just a mental health issue, it’s a business one.
Whether you work in sales, lead a program, or coach people through change, community is a business asset. It’s also a lifeline.
A well-built community doesn’t mean creating a space for people to vent endlessly. It means creating a supportive environment where people can feel seen, understood, and safe to share and that’s where true transformation begins.
From my own experience, and from writing my book Million Dollar Groups, I’ve seen how online communities can save lives and grow businesses. When people feel part of something bigger, whether it’s a Facebook group, a membership, or a local network, they show up differently, and this goes for how they heal and buy too.
So, as we mark World Mental Health Day today and Mental Health month right now, I encourage every business owner to look at their community, not just as an audience, but as a living, breathing network of humans who need connection as much as they need your product or service.
Because for me, the community didn’t just build my business. It gave me back my voice and my life.
Sarah’s top three tips to build a thriving community
1. Lead with empathy, not ego.
Your members don’t join because you’re the expert – they stay because you make them feel seen. Focus on connection first, content second.
2. Set culture before content.
Every community needs boundaries, values, and a clear purpose. Define how you want people to feel inside your space – that’s what keeps them coming back.
3. Give people ownership.
Let your members contribute. Feature them, celebrate them, and ask for their input. When people feel like they belong, they naturally help your community grow.
About the Author: Sarah-Anne is a Sydney-based author, speaker, and community strategist known as ‘The Facebook Group Girl’. After being told she was ‘legally disabled’ at 18, she went on to build a seven-figure business and a thriving online community of more than 8000 small business owners. Through her book Million Dollar Groups and coaching programs, Sarah helps founders and coaches turn their life experiences into profitable, purpose-driven communities that change lives – starting with their own.
