The Hero’s Journey is a classic storytelling model that maps the personal transformation of a hero. It's a tried and tested formula used by ancient folk tales, mythologies and even blockbuster Hollywood movies.
It is also one of the best ways to create impactful experiences in your Skool community. So who's the hero in your community? No - not you. It's your community member.
In this post, I will break down each stage of the Hero's journey and you will learn to use this framework to scale your Skool community.
To explain this concept, I’ll use Disney’s The Lion King as an example. But if you’ve never seen The Lion King (the animated classic or the live-action remake), don’t worry—I’ll also draw on Alex Hormozi’s Skool community, The Skool Games, to make the point clear.
1. The Ordinary World
The journey begins in a familiar and comfortable place, where the hero is unaware of the challenges ahead. This is their world before they embark on a life-changing journey.
Lion King: Simba starts in the Pride Lands, where he enjoys a carefree life as Mufasa’s son, destined for the throne but still young and naive.
Skool Games: The participant’s ordinary world is their business or entrepreneurial life before joining Skool Games. They may feel stuck or unsure about how to make money online using communities.
Community Design Insight: Identify your members' "ordinary world" by understanding their struggles and aspirations. This will help you guide them toward the next steps in their journey.
2. The Call to Adventure
The hero is invited into a new world of possibilities. This call can be subtle or dramatic, but it marks the beginning of their journey.
Lion King: Simba’s adventure begins with his curiosity about the forbidden Elephant Graveyard. Later, Mufasa’s death forces him to face the reality of his future role as king, whether he's ready or not.
Skool Games: The call for a Skool Games participant occurs when Alex invites them to the Skool games. This usually happens in Youtube or Instagram when their brain is deep-fried by the algorithm.
Community Design Insight: Make your community known to your ideal community member using social media. Ensure you craft a compelling offer that promises them to take on an adventure.
3. Refusal of the Call
At first, the hero often hesitates, afraid of the unknown. This reluctance highlights their fear and insecurity.
Lion King: After Mufasa’s death, Simba is overwhelmed with guilt and runs away, refusing to face his destiny as king.
Skool Games: Potential Skool Games participants may doubt their ability to succeed, hesitating to enter the competition out of fear or insecurity. Even the best Skool pages have only 18% conversion rates which is high by industry standards. My point is, over 82% run away - just like Simba.
Community Design Insight: Anticipate this hesitation in your members and provide reassurance through success stories, resources, and supportive onboarding that helps them overcome their initial doubts. Your About page should be killer.
4. Meeting the Mentor
The hero encounters a guide who helps them navigate their journey. The mentor offers advice, tools, or wisdom that the hero needs to succeed.
Lion King: Timon and Pumbaa mentor Simba by teaching him the carefree lifestyle of Hakuna Matata. Later, Rafiki guides him back to his true path.
Skool Games: Alex Hormozi serves as the mentor in Skool Games, offering insights, live Q&A sessions, and strategies from top performers to guide participants toward success.
Community Design Insight: As a community owner, position yourself or others in the group as mentors who can provide valuable guidance. Consider mentorship programs, expert-led workshops, or one-on-one coaching to help members grow.
5. Crossing the Threshold
The hero commits to the journey and steps into the unknown, leaving behind the safety of their ordinary world.
Lion King: Simba crosses the threshold when he returns to the Pride Lands, ready to face Scar and reclaim his throne.
Skool Games: The participant crosses the threshold when they officially see results in Skool Games. They leave behind their comfort zone, meet like-minded people and start applying new strategies to grow their community and increase monthly recurring revenue (MRR).
Community Design Insight: Encourage members to cross their own thresholds by offering beginner challenges, clear steps to get started, or welcoming them into their first live event. Make it easy to take that first leap.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies
The hero encounters trials and makes allies and enemies along the way. These challenges help the hero grow stronger.
Lion King: Simba’s tests come in the form of Scar’s tyranny and the ruined Pride Lands. His allies, like Nala and Rafiki, help him fight Scar, while Scar and the hyenas are his enemies.
Skool Games: In Skool Games, participants face the challenge of growing their community and revenue while competing with other entrepreneurs. Their allies are fellow participants, and their enemies are internal fears of failure.
Community Design Insight: Build systems of support within your community by encouraging collaboration. Host competitions, gamify the experience, and foster relationships through group projects or peer accountability partners.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
The hero prepares for a major challenge, where they must confront their deepest fears or problems.
Lion King: Simba’s approach to the inmost cave is his decision to confront Scar at Pride Rock, knowing that this battle will define the future of the Pride Lands.
Skool Games: For the participant, this approach could be their final push to get onto the leaderboard or hit their revenue goals. This is the most intense part of the competition.
Community Design Insight: Help members prepare for their biggest challenges by offering resources, mock trials, or practice rounds before they face major milestones. Celebrate their progress and readiness.
8. The Ordeal
The hero faces a life-or-death situation or their most difficult test, which transforms them.
Lion King: Simba’s ordeal is the climactic battle with Scar. He must face his past guilt and defeat Scar to reclaim his place as king.
Skool Games: The ordeal might be making their biggest sale, getting their first paid members, or hitting the top of the leaderboard in Skool Games. It’s the defining challenge that determines their success.
Community Design Insight: Design experiences where members can take risks, face real challenges, and test their growth. Create opportunities for them to showcase what they’ve learned through events or milestone achievements.
9. The Reward (Seizing the Sword)
After overcoming the ordeal, the hero receives a reward. This could be a physical object, new knowledge, or inner strength.
Lion King: Simba’s reward is reclaiming the throne and restoring the Pride Lands to their former glory. He also gains a deeper understanding of leadership.
Skool Games: The participant’s reward could be winning a spot on the leaderboard, securing a day with Alex Hormozi in Vegas, or achieving their revenue goals.
Community Design Insight: Reward your community members for their achievements, whether it’s through public recognition, physical prizes, or exclusive content. Celebrate their successes to motivate them and others.
10. The Road Back
The hero must return to their ordinary world, but they are changed by their experience.
Lion King: Simba returns to the Pride Lands and takes on his responsibility as king, leading the Pride into a new era of peace and prosperity.
Skool Games: After succeeding in Skool Games, the participant must apply the lessons they’ve learned to maintain and grow their community long-term.
Community Design Insight: Encourage long-term engagement by offering ongoing challenges, new learning opportunities, and continuous support. Ensure members can apply what they’ve gained from your community.
11. Resurrection
The hero faces a final test that challenges everything they’ve learned. This is their moment of ultimate transformation.
Simba: Simba’s final test is becoming the wise and just king that Mufasa intended him to be. He resurrects the Pride Lands and ensures their future.
Skool Games Participant: The resurrection for a participant happens when they continue to grow their business post-Skool Games, maintaining engagement and revenue over time.
Community Design Insight: Help members continue their journey by providing them with new levels of responsibility, such as mentoring others or contributing content. Encourage them to keep growing even after their initial success.
12. Return with the Elixir
The hero returns to their world, transformed, and shares their knowledge or power with others.
Simba: Simba’s return with the elixir is seen when he passes on his wisdom to the next generation, shown in the final scene with his newborn cub.
Skool Games Participant: The participant returns to the Skool community, armed with knowledge and experience. They can now share insights with new members and help others on their own journeys.
Community Design Insight: Foster a culture of knowledge-sharing within your community. Encourage successful members to give back through mentoring, creating content, or leading discussions. This not only benefits new members but strengthens the community as a whole.
Conclusion
The Hero’s Journey is more than just a narrative structure—it’s a universal roadmap for transformation, whether you’re embarking on a personal adventure, like Simba, or building a thriving online community through Skool Games. Every step, from the Call to Adventure to the final Reward, mirrors the real challenges and triumphs we face in life and business.
For community owners, applying this framework can create experiences that deeply resonate with your members, guiding them from uncertainty to confidence and success. By designing your community with these stages in mind, you can offer your members a journey of growth, support, and lasting transformation.