Chapter
Chicago & Online  ·  Invite Only  ·  Free

A club where you’re held accountable
to the life you said you wanted —
and the way we do it is through books,
films, music, and monthly activities
that make the world feel bigger
while you build it.

“We go from ‘I’m gonna do’ to ‘I just did.’”

Create by Chapter is a small, intentional community of people who are building something and want to be around others doing the same. We meet, we hold each other accountable, we celebrate wins, and we show up for the process — not just the outcome. Chicago in-person and online — same club, same activity menu, same accountability.

Chicago chapter
6 of 25
19 spots remaining
Online chapter
2 of 150
148 spots remaining

Small by design. Chicago in-person, 25 members max. Online, 150 members max. Small enough that everyone knows everyone.

From the founder

Welcome video coming soon.

I started this club because I missed being a best friend. Not just having one — being one. Choosing to show up for someone’s life on purpose, knowing their goals, celebrating their wins, being the person in the trench next to them. That kind of investment is mutual. It fills you up as much as it fills them up — and I think that part gets forgotten sometimes. I didn’t think I was the only one missing it.

Chan Marshall  ·  Founder, Create by Chapter
This month at Create by Chapter

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Member area

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Not a member? Membership is by invitation only. If you were referred, reach out at [email protected]

This week
Welcome to the member hub. Check the Events tab for upcoming gatherings.
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Member Directory

Everyone in the room. What we are all building.

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Upcoming Gatherings

Updates automatically from the club calendar.

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New member intake

Tell us about
your chapter.

If you have just been invited to Create by Chapter, this is where you start. Fill this out so we know who you are and what you are building.

This is not an application. It is an introduction.

"What chapter of your life do you feel like you are currently in?"

Activities I would enjoy
Passport status
Shipping address (for your welcome pack)
Where should we send your welcome pack? Online members will also use this for the print pack when it becomes available.
Welcome gift preferences (we reveal at Gathering 02)
Founding members receive a welcome gift at the second gathering. Let us know your preferences so we can make it personal.
General availability (helps us schedule gatherings when most people can come)
Select all that generally work for you. This is for scheduling purposes only — not a commitment.
Journal preferences (for your welcome gift)
If you don’t journal yet, answer as if you were going to start — or skip anything that doesn’t apply.

Goes directly to [email protected]. We follow up personally.

You're in the queue. Here's what you shared.
We'll follow up at the email you provided — including your member ID once you're confirmed. In the meantime, post your intro in Discord so the community knows who just joined.

Head to #what-im-building on Discord and paste this intro so members know you're here and what you're working on:

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12 Week Year Workbook

Your personal workbook for the current cycle. Everything saves automatically to your profile.

Founding Season Cycle
April 8 — June 28, 2026  ·  Week 6 midpoint in May  ·  July celebration
Your 3-year vision
This cycle’s goal
This week’s plan

3–5 specific actions you will complete this week. Check them off as you go.

Sunday check-in
85%+ — On track
Below 85% — Adjust, don’t quit
Close this cycle

Write your summary. This gets archived to your profile permanently — your record of what you built.

Saves your summary and clears the workbook.

Your Circle

Your accountability circle is a small group of members working on things adjacent to yours. Check in with each other between gatherings — share your weekly score, your wins, your stuck points. Not a mentorship, not a coaching relationship. Just people in the trench next to you.

Add someone to your circle

Type a member’s name to find them. Circles work best at 2–4 people.

Accountability pairing
You can opt out at any time. Email Member@createbychapter.com to update your preference.

Guidelines & Pledge

Read the guidelines first — they tell you what the room expects. Then sign the pledge when you’re ready.

1

Show up with care

Be respectful, kind, and genuinely invested in the people in this room. Healthy disagreement is welcome. Disrespect is not. What is shared within the club stays within the club — if you want to share something outside the group, get permission from everyone involved first. This space only works if everyone protects it.

2

Be about it

This is a doing community. Show up, engage, and contribute to the energy of the room. You don’t have to have it all figured out but you should be moving forward in some way. Not everyone who connects with Create by Chapter needs to be a member. Membership gives you fuller access to the community, the check-ins, and everything in the member hub. There is no pressure either way.

3

Get your passport

A valid passport is a requirement for membership — Chicago and Online chapters. If you do not currently have one, you have six months from your join date to obtain it. This is not a suggestion. The world should always be an option.

4

Guests at hangouts — not at check-ins

Members are welcome to bring guests to the monthly hangout gathering. Check-in meetings are members only — no exceptions. This protects the trust and intimacy of those conversations.

By signing the pledge below you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the guidelines above.

Founding Member Pledge
Read it. Mean it. Come back to it when you need it.

I believe in myself — not because everything is figured out, but because I am still here, still trying, and that means something.

I will pursue the life I said I wanted. Not one day. Now. In the chapters I am in, with what I have, from where I am.

I will show up — for my own goals and for the people in this room. Not perfectly. But honestly.

I will celebrate myself when I win and give myself grace when I don’t. Both are part of the process.

I will pour into the people around me the way I want them to pour into me — with genuine investment, real attention, and the kind of care that doesn’t need anything back.

I will not shrink to make progress feel more comfortable. I will not perform growth I haven’t done. I will be real about where I am and brave about where I’m going.

I am not waiting to be ready. I am building while I figure it out.

This is my chapter. I am writing it on purpose.

Your name
Date

You made it official.
Your pledge is signed. Share it in Discord to let the group know you’re committed.
Name
Date

Post this in #wins on Discord:

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Member Projects

What we are building. Add yours below.

Founder
Create by Chapter
Building a small, intentional club for people actively working on their lives.
Community
+
Add your project

Projects are saved permanently via Netlify Blobs. They persist across sessions for all members.

This month’s activity video

Activity video coming soon. Check the YouTube channel.

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Suggestions

This club is shaped by the people in it. Suggest an activity, a media pick, or a topic you want to dig into. Everything gets read — nothing goes into a void.

Suggest an activity
Suggest a media pick
Suggest a discussion topic

Suggestions go directly to the founder. Not every suggestion makes it into the programming but every one gets read. The club is what we make it together.

Past Picks & Recaps

A record of every month we’ve had together. The books, films, albums, activities — and what actually happened at the gatherings.

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Member Directory

Everyone in the room. What we are all building.

Loading members...

Upcoming Gatherings

Updates automatically from the club calendar.

Loading events...

New member intake

Tell us about
your chapter.

If you have just been invited to Create by Chapter, this is where you start. Fill this out so we know who you are and what you are building.

This is not an application. It is an introduction.

"What chapter of your life do you feel like you are currently in?"

Activities I would enjoy
Passport status
Shipping address (for your welcome pack)
Where should we send your welcome pack? Online members will also use this for the print pack when it becomes available.
Welcome gift preferences (we reveal at Gathering 02)
Founding members receive a welcome gift at the second gathering. Let us know your preferences so we can make it personal.
General availability (helps us schedule gatherings when most people can come)
Select all that generally work for you. This is for scheduling purposes only — not a commitment.
Journal preferences (for your welcome gift)
If you don’t journal yet, answer as if you were going to start — or skip anything that doesn’t apply.

Goes directly to [email protected]. We follow up personally.

You're in the queue. Here's what you shared.
We'll follow up at the email you provided — including your member ID once you're confirmed. In the meantime, post your intro in Discord so the community knows who just joined.

Head to #what-im-building on Discord and paste this intro so members know you're here and what you're working on:

Loading your intro...

12 Week Year Workbook

Your personal workbook for the current cycle. Everything saves automatically to your profile.

Founding Season Cycle
April 8 — June 28, 2026  ·  Week 6 midpoint in May  ·  July celebration
Your 3-year vision
This cycle’s goal
This week’s plan

3–5 specific actions you will complete this week. Check them off as you go.

Sunday check-in
85%+ — On track
Below 85% — Adjust, don’t quit
Close this cycle

Write your summary. This gets archived to your profile permanently — your record of what you built.

Saves your summary and clears the workbook.

Your Circle

Your accountability circle is a small group of members working on things adjacent to yours. Check in with each other between gatherings — share your weekly score, your wins, your stuck points. Not a mentorship, not a coaching relationship. Just people in the trench next to you.

Add someone to your circle

Type a member’s name to find them. Circles work best at 2–4 people.

Accountability pairing
You can opt out at any time. Email Member@createbychapter.com to update your preference.

Guidelines & Pledge

Read the guidelines first — they tell you what the room expects. Then sign the pledge when you’re ready.

1

Show up with care

Be respectful, kind, and genuinely invested in the people in this room. Healthy disagreement is welcome. Disrespect is not. What is shared within the club stays within the club — if you want to share something outside the group, get permission from everyone involved first. This space only works if everyone protects it.

2

Be about it

This is a doing community. Show up, engage, and contribute to the energy of the room. You don’t have to have it all figured out but you should be moving forward in some way. Not everyone who connects with Create by Chapter needs to be a member. Membership gives you fuller access to the community, the check-ins, and everything in the member hub. There is no pressure either way.

3

Get your passport

A valid passport is a requirement for membership — Chicago and Online chapters. If you do not currently have one, you have six months from your join date to obtain it. This is not a suggestion. The world should always be an option.

4

Guests at hangouts — not at check-ins

Members are welcome to bring guests to the monthly hangout gathering. Check-in meetings are members only — no exceptions. This protects the trust and intimacy of those conversations.

By signing the pledge below you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the guidelines above.

Founding Member Pledge
Read it. Mean it. Come back to it when you need it.

I believe in myself — not because everything is figured out, but because I am still here, still trying, and that means something.

I will pursue the life I said I wanted. Not one day. Now. In the chapters I am in, with what I have, from where I am.

I will show up — for my own goals and for the people in this room. Not perfectly. But honestly.

I will celebrate myself when I win and give myself grace when I don’t. Both are part of the process.

I will pour into the people around me the way I want them to pour into me — with genuine investment, real attention, and the kind of care that doesn’t need anything back.

I will not shrink to make progress feel more comfortable. I will not perform growth I haven’t done. I will be real about where I am and brave about where I’m going.

I am not waiting to be ready. I am building while I figure it out.

This is my chapter. I am writing it on purpose.

Your name
Date

You made it official.
Your pledge is signed. Share it in Discord to let the group know you’re committed.
Name
Date

Post this in #wins on Discord:

Loading...

Member Projects

What we are building. Add yours below.

Founder
Create by Chapter
Building a small, intentional club for people actively working on their lives.
Community
+
Add your project

Projects are saved permanently via Netlify Blobs. They persist across sessions for all members.

This month’s activity video

Activity video coming soon. Check the YouTube channel.

Loading this month’s picks...

Suggestions

This club is shaped by the people in it. Suggest an activity, a media pick, or a topic you want to dig into. Everything gets read — nothing goes into a void.

Suggest an activity
Suggest a media pick
Suggest a discussion topic

Suggestions go directly to the founder. Not every suggestion makes it into the programming but every one gets read. The club is what we make it together.

Past Picks

Everything we have read, watched, and listened to since the founding season. Come to a pick late — it is still worth the conversation.

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Create by Chapter  ·  Just a Note

Just a Note.

Thoughts, reflections, things worth writing down.

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Create by Chapter
What this is

Not a networking group. Not a mastermind. Not a course.

Most communities are built around talking about what you want to do, or charge you to be in community with like-minded people. Create by Chapter is built around actually doing it, and letting community naturally happen — free of charge.

This is a small, intentional community of people who are building something and want to be around others doing the same. Whatever that something is — a business, a creative project, a career change, a personal goal, a life you are redesigning — the doing is the qualification. Not the what.

We meet, we hold each other accountable, we celebrate wins, and we show up for the process — not just the outcome. Chicago in-person and online — same club, same activity menu, same accountability.

Not a networking group

Although it could be. The connections happen naturally when people are actually building things together.

Not a mastermind

But who knows what sharing information between the right people will become.

Not a course

We may take a class or two together sometime though.

The rhythm

Real accountability. Not motivation posters.

(Unless you’re into that — then post them every once in a while.)

Every month
  • ✓  A curated activity — books, films, albums, and something to do together
  • ✓  An in-person gathering (Chicago) + digital hangout (all chapters)
  • ✓  A mid-month check-in
  • ✓  A 12 week goal cycle with weekly scoring
Your accountability circle

A small group of 2–4 members working on adjacent things. Check in between gatherings. Share your weekly score. Not a mentorship. Just people in the trench next to you.

Small by design

Every new member changes the room.

Chicago in-person: 25 members max. Online chapter: 150 members max. Small enough that everyone knows everyone. The numbers are intentional — this is what can be done with quality. The goal is for those numbers to grow over time, but only when the room is ready.

Membership is by invitation only. It is earned, not purchased. If you were referred by a current member, reach out. If you found us on your own and something here feels like yours — same.

Chicago spots filled
Online spots filled
How it works

Here’s what happens when you join.

1
You get your member ID and password

Your welcome pack arrives with a member card, pledge card, activity card, and a note. Sign into the member hub at createbychapter.com.

2
You complete your profile

Tells us what you’re building, your availability, your expertise. This is how we put together your accountability circle.

3
You sign the pledge

Not a contract. A commitment to yourself and to the room.

4
You show up

To the gatherings, the check-ins, your accountability circle, the activity menu every month. Pick what calls to you and come ready to talk about it.

5
You set your 12 week goal

One specific goal for the cycle. You track it weekly, score yourself on Sundays, and close the cycle with a summary that lives on your profile permanently.

FAQ

Things people usually ask.

What does the club actually do?
Every month there’s a curated activity menu — two books, two films, two albums, and something to do together. There are in-person and digital gatherings, a mid-month check-in, and an accountability circle of 2–4 members who know what you’re building. The 12 week goal cycle keeps you moving forward between gatherings. The club is structured enough to hold you accountable and loose enough to feel like people who actually like each other.
Is this really free?
Yes. Membership is free. The welcome pack, the activity menu, the gatherings, the member hub — all free. The only thing that costs anything is if you choose to buy something from the store, which is completely optional.
What’s the time commitment?
Realistically — one gathering per month (2–3 hours), one digital check-in per month (1 hour), and whatever time you put into your 12 week goal on your own. The accountability circle check-ins are informal and happen on your own schedule. If you do everything it’s maybe 6–8 hours a month.
What if I miss a gathering?
Life happens. Missing one gathering occasionally is fine. Consistently not showing up is a different conversation. This club is built on the assumption that you’re actually trying to be here — not just holding a spot.
What does “invite only” actually mean?
It means you either were referred by a current member or you found us on your own and reached out. You fill out the short form, tell us what you’re building, and we follow up personally. If the timing is right and there’s space, you’re in. If not, you go on the waitlist.
What kind of project do I need to be working on?
Anything. A business, a creative project, a career change, a personal goal, a life you’re redesigning. The doing is the qualification — not the what. You don’t have to have it figured out. You just have to be moving.
What’s the difference between Chicago and Online membership?
Chicago members get everything Online members get plus in-person gatherings in Chicago and a physical welcome pack. Online members participate in everything digitally. Same club, same activity menu, same accountability.
What is the 12 week goal cycle?
You set one specific goal at the start of a 12 week cycle. Every Sunday you score yourself on how the week went. At the end you write a summary of what you accomplished. The summary archives to your profile permanently. It’s your record of what you built.
What happens if I want to leave?
You reach out and let us know. No hard feelings, no drama. Your spot opens up for someone on the waitlist. The only ask is that you actually tell us — ghosting takes a spot from someone who genuinely wants it.
Why is the membership so small?
Because quality over quantity is not just a saying here — it’s the whole model. Small enough that everyone knows everyone. Small enough that the accountability circle actually works. The numbers will grow when the foundation is strong enough to hold more people. Not before.
Who started this and why?
Chan Marshall, a visual artist, writer, and content creator from New York currently living in Chicago. She started the club because she missed being a best friend — not just having one, but being one. Choosing to show up for someone’s life on purpose. She didn’t think she was the only one missing it.
Can I bring friends or tell people about it?
Yes to both. Members are welcome to bring guests to the monthly hangout gathering — not to check-ins, which are members only. And yes, tell people. Every new member changes the room — so we trust you to refer people thoughtfully.
Curious what it looks like?

Take a look inside.

A preview of the member hub — the activity menu, the projects board, the goal tracker, the accountability circle. Nothing saves and no real member data is visible. Just a feel for the space.

Get in touch

Questions? Ready to request an invite?

Whether you have a question about the club, want to know if it’s the right fit, or you’re ready to request an invite — this form gets to us directly. Select what you’re reaching out about and we’ll respond personally.

If you’re requesting an invite and the chapter you want is full, you’ll be added to the waitlist. You’ll hear from us when a spot opens.

Create by Chapter  ·  Preview

This is a preview. Nothing you do here saves. Member data shown is fictional.

Founding Member
Your Name
Chicago Chapter
CM426001
Member since April 2026
Building
Something I’ve been thinking about for a while.
Getting started
Complete your profile info
Sign the pledge
Set your 12 week goal
Check out the member directory
Add your project to the board
Join The Chapter House on Discord
RSVP to your first gathering
Pick your welcome gift
Your circle
Marcus T.
Building: The Woodshop Collective
Priya K.
Building: Clarity UX Studio
April 2026
New Beginnings

This is where it starts. The first chapter. Show up as you are.

📚 Book of the month — pick one
American
The Wedding People
Alison Espach
A woman accidentally gets pulled back into life by a stranger’s wedding. Warm, funny, same energy.
British
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
A library between life and death where every book is a different version of your life.
🎬 Film of the month
American
Paterson
dir. Jim Jarmusch · 2016
A bus driver writes poetry every day. Quiet, beautiful, and really good.
🎵 Album of the month — pick one
American
4
Beyoncé · 2011
French
Nakamura
Aya Nakamura · 2018

What members are building. Add your project, follow along, leave encouragement.

The Woodshop Collective
Marcus T. · Chicago

Building a small woodworking business. Goal this cycle: get a dedicated workspace and land 5 paid clients.

2 comments
Clarity UX Studio
Priya K. · Online

Transitioning from in-house UX to independent consulting. This cycle: close my first two paying clients.

1 comment
Sunday Sauce
Dominique W. · Chicago

A food blog that turned into a catering inquiry list overnight. This cycle: cook 3 private dinners and see how it feels.

4 comments
Current cycle — Week 6 of 12
Launch my portfolio site and get 3 client inquiries by week 12.
W1
90%
W2
75%
W3
60%
W4
85%
W5
90%
W6
Log this week’s score

How did you do on your goal this week? 0 is nothing, 100 is everything you planned.

0%

Your fellow members. Add anyone to your accountability circle from your profile page.

Photography · Woodworking
Marcus T.
Chicago · April 2026
Building: The Woodshop Collective
UX Design · Strategy
Priya K.
Online · April 2026
Building: Clarity UX Studio
Cooking · Event Planning
Dominique W.
Chicago · April 2026
Building: Sunday Sauce
Writing · Content Creation
Jordan A.
Online · April 2026
Building: A newsletter about Black pop culture history
Finance · Community Organizing
Simone R.
Chicago · April 2026
Building: Financial literacy workshops for young women
Music Production · Teaching
Andre M.
Online · April 2026
Building: An online music production course for beginners
RSVP
Exact location and timing will be sent to your email before the gathering. Members only — guests welcome at hangouts.

Exact address sent to confirmed RSVPs only.

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We'll send the exact location and time to your email before the gathering. See you there.