In preparation for launching Huge Fan, I’ve read a lot about fandom. I believe fandom can mean many things to many people but, without a doubt, it changes us internally and moves us to action. This first Huge Fan interview feels like kismet. I’ve been a huge fan of Jamie Beck’s for a very, very long time. Some of my very first saved posts on Instagram were hers!

Because of Jamie’s photography work, I was able to tap into a deep and personal creativity. I photographed hundreds of people and watched them see themselves with admiration, love, and kindness. I built a community, connections, and friendships due to the time I spent behind the camera. I also learned that I love the art of photography, not the business of it. I retired professionally in 2020 to focus on my love of branding and design.  

Fast forward to January 2024, when I received an inquiry from Jamie (and her partner Kevin) to build a beautiful space called The Starling Club. Jamie was creating the community for her people and those who want to connect, share, learn, and grow through art, France, food, photography, flowers, travel, Provence, culture, gardens, and how to survive the business of being a creative. It was truly the honor of a lifetime to design something completely custom for someone I’ve admired for over a decade. 

Whether you’ve been a fan of Jamie’s for just as long or are discovering her for the first time, I hope you enjoy this interview.

Allie: Jamie, everything you create feels intentional and beautiful. I sensed that was a huge priority when you began to form the initial ideas around The Starling Club. Can you talk about what prompted you to create The Starling Club and what were some non-negotiables for you? 

Jamie: I grew up on the internet, and I built my career with the internet watching. I was one of the first people sharing my life on social media. The Wall Street Journal even covered my honeymoon because I shared it on Instagram.

For so many years, I had an online community of people I shared my life and work with, and who shared in return with me. I noticed a few years ago when Instagram changed their algorithm to compete with TikTok, it felt like they took my community and threw it to the wind. I missed my friends. I missed people who knew who I was, and I knew who they were. We were creating things together and talking about life and work as artists.

Then the culture of online life became toxic, and it really started affecting my mental health and anxiety. I had to ask myself, why am I stressed about posting a picture of a flower? How is this affecting not only my mental well-being but also what I'm choosing to create as an artist if I am so afraid of what people might say?

I know there are so many people out there who feel the same way. So I started thinking about alternatives to social media and tried to wrap my head around having a place to hang out. I wanted a safe space where artists and fans of art and culture could share and not be afraid of being attacked. A place where we could just play and enjoy life together again.

That’s where the idea of The Starling Club came about. That’s why our slogan is “birds of a feather flock together.” We’re a like-minded community of people who enjoy, create, play, and are curious about life in similar ways. We can feel free to be ourselves.

I knew I could create something like my book in an online way, with recipes and essays and tutorials that would be valuable for people. But I also knew that having chat rooms where we could connect, read books together, and watch movies together would be a vital part of the club. It was a direct response to social media abandoning community.

Allie: Before officially launching this community to the world, you decided to create a waitlist (I’d call it an “interest list”) and offer sign-ups to that group first. That kind of soft, intentional launch feels rare right now. What made you decide to invite “huge fans” first? 

Jamie: I have always been very open about what I’m doing, where I’m going, and what I’m creating. For years, I was bringing people into my studio daily on Instagram Stories and bringing them along in the process, so I felt like they should be part of the club even before I launched. I wanted them to feel like they were part of it too.

The people who were on the waitlist were paramount in shaping what the club would consist of. We sent out a survey to ask, “What do you want? What are you not getting online that I could create for us? What interests you most?” Everything from how many times I post each week to all of the club’s offerings came from the community that makes this club. It is such a fun space to be part of.

They built it with me before they even saw what was on the inside. I’ve always been very clear about my intentions. This club is not about me or for me. It is about the community that used to exist online but got displaced by platforms that prioritize algorithms and ad sales. I know the heart of everything is human connection, so I just wanted to bring that back to life. 

Allie: Was there anything you were nervous about when launching the membership: like pricing, demand, or the time commitment? What helped you work through that?

Jamie: I was nervous if people were going to show up, and whether we were going to make back our investment, both in time and financially, to build the space. I had been working on it conceptually for two years, which is a lot of energy to put into something when you have no idea if other people will find it as exciting as you do.

I cannot tell you the relief and excitement on launch day! Not only did people show up, but we got to hang out with them in real time around the world in the chat rooms. It felt like we were all saying, “Hey, I see you!” It humanized the online experience again.

It seems so novel to say this, but it’s actually really fun. Getting to know people’s personalities, likes, interests, and dreams, and supporting one another in a real, long-term way. It really feels like having the most awesome, positive, talented, encouraging friend pool in the world. They are not only there for you, but they are also interesting, smart, and really funny!

Allie: You’ve added so many wonderful features and experiences inside the membership. How do you decide what gets introduced next? Is it based on member feedback, your creative instincts, or a mix of both?

Jamie: The club is super organic, so everything happens based on the ebb and flow of the community. Things will bubble up in the chat rooms, or someone will drop us a note in the suggestions, and all of a sudden we are all doing a new thing together. It’s really fun and keeps it fresh and exciting.

For our one-year anniversary, we sent out a club member survey so we could get a good diagnosis of what people are loving and using, and what is not so useful. We are also always open to suggestions, and we take those very seriously. 

Allie: What does your creative or logistical process look like now that you’re running this membership alongside your other work and how do you protect your creative energy now that you’ve launched this community?

Jamie: That is actually my biggest struggle right now. There’s not enough time in the day for all the things I want to do, dream to do, or feel inspired to create. Finding the balance is really hard. It is something I’m hoping to wrap my head around in year two. 

Allie: Do you still use social media the same way now that The Starling Club is thriving? How do you think about what to share for free vs. what you hold back for your members?

Jamie: I joke all the time that I am quietly quitting social media. Being in the club has really highlighted how toxic and money-driven social media is. It has murdered the expression and connection artists once had. In the club, if you make something and share something, people will see it, and you can do it just for the fun of it.

You can chat with people about it. It brings the joy of sharing back. It doesn’t have to be commercialized, and because the club is private, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to worry about trolls. It feels really free, and it has made a complete positive shift in my mental health. 

Allie: It’s been amazing for us at Wonderly to see how much our clients’ fans/members/communities love talking to each other. But how often are you in the chat rooms (aka Discord server)? Do you have a rhythm or cadence for how you show up there or do you pop in as you feel moved?

Jamie: I am in the chat rooms every single day. Sometimes I’m just responding to somebody or sharing something I’ve found, and sometimes I’m really deep-diving into rich discussions that are happening. Each week, once or twice, I share a news update about what’s happening in the club and in my life. I also try to point people to rooms that are doing interesting things so they know where the action is.

I think it’s very important for me to be active in the club, especially in this early stage, to guide it and make sure it stays the safe, healthy, fun, loving community we built it to be. I also just really love hanging out there. I’ve made so many new friends, and I always leave the chat rooms feeling better about life and humanity (and feeling inspired). I’ve had so many LOLs that now, when I go onto Instagram, it feels like an empty void.

Allie: What have you learned about pricing and perceived value since opening up this space? Would you price or structure anything differently if you did it again?

Jamie: We set the founding member price at a point we felt was appropriate for the offer and time commitment. I definitely feel like the club is way more valuable now that there’s a thriving community and twelve months of content available.

As I build out more photography tutorials, eventually the gap between the value in the club and the price will be so great that we’ll reconsider raising the price. However, for the people who have been with us since the beginning, our founding members, their membership price will never change. They built this with us.

I feel very comfortable with how we priced it in the beginning. I know that as I build more educational assets inside, the price will end up growing as the value grows.

Allie: What advice would you give to someone considering a membership? Especially a creative person who doesn’t want to feel like their hard work just gets pushed down on their social media feed or feels like Substack can’t give them what they want (visually)?

Jamie: One of the main reasons I created this club was for artists to be seen. We’ve all experienced sharing something and having nobody see it - whether it’s friends, family, or clients. We have no control anymore. But in the club, there is no algorithm. If you make something and want to share it, people will see it. It’s that simple.

And because we have a code of conduct, people have to treat each other with respect and kindness. No snarky comments. If you don’t like a piece of art, just don’t say anything. Treat others how you want to be treated. So it takes a lot of the fear and anxiety out of being authentic and being yourself as well.

And unlike Substack, which is very time-consuming, this doesn’t have to be so perfect. 

Allie: What are you dreaming up next for the club? Are there any ideas or formats you’re exploring that you haven’t tried yet?

Jamie: What I really want to focus on in year two is the feedback we received from our first birthday survey. I want to make sure I’m growing the club in a way that serves its members the most. I think more in-person events and retreats will be a big part of that. We’ve gotten to know each other so well that we want to meet in real life.

It’s amazing when you find people who love the same things you do. It feels like you’ve been friends forever, and now we want to make real memories together in real physical spaces. 

I want to focus on creating more valuable assets within the club - photography, tutorials and travel guides. I want to continue to give people the 30+ years of experience I’ve had so they can be better equipped to have success in their own lives.

Allie: Who are you a huge fan of right now? It could be a writer, a creative, a newsletter, a business owner, anything!

Jamie: I’m a huge fan of physical books right now. I get my social media fix from the club: the playful interactions, inspiration, and interesting reads. Outside of that, I just want to look at physical objects that aren’t trying to entertain me in return. I want things that nurture my mind and help me stay calm. So yes, huge fan of books!

This Friday we will be focusing on book clubs! I’ve been conducting many interviews and the majority of these people answer, when prompted, that they’re huge fans of books. I fully approve of this fandom and it felt like a wonderful, broad, and beloved theme for our first Friday piece. Talk to you then!