Slowly Slowly. Small Small. Díẹ̀ díẹ̀. Avash avash.
The best lesson I have learned about building communities has followed me across countries, languages, and cultures.
Story Time
In Nigeria, we say small small or díẹ̀ díẹ̀ o.
When I spent time in East Africa, I kept hearing Pole, pole.
Here in Albania, I hear Avash avash.
Different languages.
Different cultures.
The same message.
Good things take time.
For years, I thought these phrases were simply about patience.
Now I think they are about something much bigger.
They are about how communities are built.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is expecting community to grow like a marketing campaign.
- Launch.
- Promote.
- Measure.
- Scale.
But communities rarely work like that.
- You cannot rush trust.
- You cannot automate belonging.
- You cannot manufacture relationships.
Community grows one conversation at a time.
One person becomes two.
Two become five.
Five become twenty.
And one day, people begin introducing others because they feel they belong.
That is the moment you realize you are no longer building the community.
The community is beginning to build itself.
Reflection..
Whenever someone asks me how to grow a community, my answer is becoming surprisingly simple.
- Show up.
- Keep showing up.
- Create space for people to connect and belong.
Repeat.
Slowly slowly.
Building a Business Slowly
That mindset has shaped how I think about HDY Haus Studio in Durrës.
When we opened the doors, we were not hoping for a packed room on day one.
We were hoping for conversations.
One person walking in out of curiosity.
Someone staying to work for a few hours.
A new introduction.
A familiar face returning the following week.
Those moments may look small on their own.
But communities are not built through one big moment.
They are built through hundreds of small ones.
Slowly slowly.
Consistency builds Community
Maybe that is why this simple phrase exists in so many cultures.
Because no matter where we come from, we all understand something easy to forget in a world obsessed with growth.
The strongest communities are rarely built quickly.
They are built consistently.
One conversation at a time.
How do people say “slowly slowly” where you are from?
I would love to hear from you.
Share the phrase in your language and tell us what it literally means. I know every culture has its own version.
👉 And if this resonated with you, join my circle or subscribe to my newsletter to learn more about building a community, contributing to your communities or finding your own voice.
