Chapter
Chicago & Online · Invite Only

For people actually
building the life
they said they wanted.

"We go from 'I'm gonna do' to 'I just did.'"

Create by Chapter is a small, invite-only club for people who are done talking and have started doing — creatively, professionally, personally. We meet, we make things happen, we keep each other accountable.

The mission

This is a space for people who are doing something with their lives — and want to be around others doing the same.

Invite only
Small by design
IRL + Digital
Monthly rhythm

Two in-person gatherings + one digital session every month. One hangout, one check-in, one hybrid.

What this is

A club for people
who actually move.

Most communities are built around talking about what you want to do. Create by Chapter is built around actually doing it.

Whether you're building something creative, making a career move, or just trying to show up differently in your own life — this is a place where that work is taken seriously. And where the people around you are doing the same.

We meet in small groups. We share meals, make things, and do activities together. We hold each other accountable not out of obligation, but out of genuine investment in each other's next chapter.

"This is not a mastermind. It's not a course. It's a community — and membership is earned, not purchased."

1

Intentional community

Every member is here because they were brought in. That keeps the energy honest and the conversations real.

2

Active, not passive

We don't just talk about goals. Each gathering is designed to move something forward — for you and for the group.

3

Full-person support

Career, creative, personal — wherever you're building, there's space for it here. We meet the whole person.

4

Two chapters, one culture

Chicago meets in person. The online chapter meets digitally. Same values, same energy, wherever you are.

Gatherings

The first chapters.

1st Saturday · Online

Digital Hangout

Hybrid session — part social, part check-in. All chapters, one room, over a screen.

2nd Wednesday · In-person

The Check-In

Goals, accountability, plans. Share progress and leave with something concrete to act on.

3rd Thursday · Online

Digital Check-In

Focused online session for all chapters. Progress updates, support, what’s next.

Last Sunday · In-person

The Hangout

Pure social. No agenda — good food, good people, whatever’s on the activity menu.

April 2026  ·  Founding Season
Theme: New Beginnings
Members see full menu →
Book — pick one
The Wedding People
Espach  ·  or The Midnight Library, Haig
Film
Paterson
dir. Jim Jarmusch
Album — pick one
4  ·  Beyoncé
or Nakamura  ·  Aya Nakamura
Gathering 01 · Chicago · Orientation
The First Brunch
Where the chapter begins.
WhenWednesday, April 8  ·  Morning
WhereOverflow Coffee  ·  1449 S Michigan Ave
FormatBrunch · intro exercise · 30-day commitments
SizeFounding group
VibeWarm, unhurried, spring morning
The founding gathering. Over brunch, we introduce ourselves not by job titles but by what we're building. A structured exercise helps the group find common threads. We close with each person making one commitment they'll bring back to the next gathering.
OrientationIntention-setting
Gathering 02 · Chicago · Hangout · Guests Welcome
Afternoon Tea
Just being together.
WhenSunday, April 26  ·  Afternoon
WhereOverflow Coffee  ·  1449 S Michigan Ave
FormatCasual tea · open conversation · no agenda
SizeSame core group
VibeSoft spring afternoon, just being together
The month's pure hangout. No deliverables — just the group in a beautiful spring setting over tea, a shared activity, and good conversation. This is about building the relationships that make the check-ins feel real.
HangoutActivityCommunity
Gathering 03 · Online · Digital Session
The First Digital
All chapters, one room.
WhenSaturday, May 2  ·  Afternoon
FormatVideo call · social first · check-in second
SizeChicago + online members
VibeIntentional, intimate — not a Zoom happy hour
The monthly digital session brings both chapters together. First half is unstructured — catch up, connect, exist together. Second half is a lightweight check-in: where are you on what you said you'd do? We close with one thing each person is taking into the next month.
HybridAll Chapters
The Chapter House

Where we stay
connected in between.

Gatherings are once or twice a month. Everything in between happens in our private community space — The Chapter House — where members can share what they're working on, celebrate wins, swap resources, and keep the creative energy going.

No social media. No algorithm. Just the group, in a room that's ours.

Hosted on Discord · invite-only · members only
Already a member? Sign in →
#the-loungejust hanging
#wins
#resources-and-reads
#what-im-building
#goals-and-check-ins
#creative-corner
#activity-menu
#chicago-chapter
#online-chapter
Online chapter

Not in Chicago?
You still belong here.

The online chapter is for members who aren't in Chicago — or who are, and want the extended community. Same values. Same culture. Just over a screen instead of a table.

Digital gatherings are smaller and more intimate by design. We prioritize real conversation over content consumption. And between sessions, The Chapter House keeps everyone connected.

Access member portal

Questions? Member@createbychapter.com

Monthly digital sessions

Structured like the in-person ones — part social, part check-in. Intentional, not casual.

The Chapter House access

Full access to all community channels — goals, creative corner, activity menu, and more.

Accountability pairs

Each online member is paired with someone working on something adjacent to their goals.

Cross-chapter connection

Online members are woven into the whole community — not a separate group, the same one, distributed.

Member area

Welcome back.

This section is for Create by Chapter members only.
Enter your access password to continue.

That password doesn't match. Try again or reach out to confirm your access.

Not a member? Membership is by invitation only. If you were referred, reach out at Member@createbychapter.com

You're in. Welcome to the chapter.

This is your members' hub — everything you need to stay connected, show up to gatherings, and get your hands on club gear. Start here if you're new.

01

Join The Chapter House

Head to the Community tab and join our Discord. That's where everything happens between gatherings.

Join The Chapter House →
02

RSVP to a gathering

Check the Events tab and let us know you're coming to the next one. In-person or online, we want to know.

03

Get your gear

The Store tab has everything members-only. Online members — your founders pack is in there.

Apr
8
Chicago · Wednesday

The First Brunch

Orientation · Overflow Coffee · 1449 S Michigan Ave · brunch + intro exercise + 30-day commitments

Apr
26
Chicago · Sunday

Afternoon Tea

Hangout · Overflow Coffee · 1449 S Michigan Ave · no agenda, just together

May
2
Online · Saturday

The First Digital

Hybrid · Video call · social + check-in · all chapters

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
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.

Goes directly to Member@createbychapter.com. 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 Goals

We run on 12 week cycles instead of annual goals. 12 weeks is long enough to do something real and short enough that every week counts. No deferring to Q3. No catching up later. Just 12 weeks of actual movement.

Founding Season Cycle · April 8 — June 28, 2026
Kickoff
April 8
The First Brunch
Midpoint
Week 6
Check-in · May
Close
June 29
Celebration · Frolic
The framework

12 weeks = your year. Set one meaningful goal for the cycle. Break it into weekly actions. Score your week every Sunday — not on outcome, on execution. Did you do what you said you would do?

Your weekly score

Each week you have 3–5 key actions. At the end of the week you score yourself: how many did you actually do? 85% or above means you’re on track. Share your score with your accountability pair.

Your 12 week goal — Founding Season

This lives in your browser only — it won’t save between sessions. Write it here to focus your thinking, then keep your real copy somewhere safe.

Weekly score check-in

Every Sunday, ask yourself: of the actions I committed to this week, how many did I actually complete? Share your score in #goals-and-check-ins on Discord. Your accountability pair is tracking with you.

85%+ — On track ✓
Below 85% — Adjust, don’t quit

Your Accountability Pair

Each member is paired with someone working on something adjacent to their own goals. Your pair is someone to check in with between gatherings — not to manage you, just to be in the trench next to you. You can opt out at any time, no explanation needed.

Your current pair
?
Pairs assigned after first gathering
Once the founding group meets on April 8th, accountability pairs will be assigned based on what everyone is building. Check back after the brunch.
Discord handle: TBD
Building: TBD
How it works

Check in with your pair once a week — a message, a voice note, whatever feels natural. Share what you did, what you didn't, what you need. No judgment, no performance. Just two people keeping each other honest.

What it is not

It is not a mentorship, a coaching relationship, or an obligation. If it stops working for either person, opt out. No awkwardness, no explanation required. The club will not make it weird.

Want to opt out of accountability pairs?
No explanation needed. Just submit your name and we'll take care of it.
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
Committed toBelieving in myself · Pursuing the life I said I wanted · Showing up honestly · Giving grace and celebrating wins · Pouring into others · Being real about where I am · Building while I figure it out

Post this in #wins on Discord — signing the pledge is a win worth sharing:

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1

Be respectful

Treat all members with kindness and respect. Healthy discussions and differing opinions are welcome, but they should always remain constructive and considerate.

2

Participate intentionally

This is a doing community. Members are encouraged to actively engage, attend gatherings when possible, and contribute to the energy of the group.

3

Support one another

We are here to grow — individually and together. Encourage each other, share knowledge, and celebrate progress, big or small.

4

Respect privacy

What is shared within the club stays within the club. If you would like to share something outside of the group, you must have permission from everyone involved beforehand.

5

Contribute to the culture

Bring good energy, openness, and a willingness to connect. Each member plays a role in shaping the environment.

6

Be about it

This club is for people actively working toward something. You do not have to have it all figured out, but you should be moving forward in some way.

7

Protect the space

This is meant to be a safe, inspiring, and supportive environment. If issues arise, they will be addressed with care, communication, and — if necessary — further action.

8

Guests at hangouts — not at check-ins

Members are welcome to bring a guest to the monthly hangout gathering. Check-in meetings are members only — no exceptions. This protects the trust and intimacy of those conversations. If you would like to bring someone to a hangout, give the founder a heads up beforehand.

9

Engagement without membership

Not everyone who connects with Create by Chapter needs to be a member. You are welcome to follow along, attend an occasional hangout as a guest, and engage with what the club shares publicly. Membership simply gives you fuller access to the community, the check-ins, and everything in the member hub. There is no pressure either way.

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

This board is session-only for now — it resets on page refresh. When you are ready to make it permanent, connect it to Airtable. Ask Claude for help with that step.

April 2026
New Beginnings → Planting Seeds → Explore → Frolic → Making Something From Nothing
Founding Season Arc — April through August
April
New Beginnings
May
Planting Seeds
June
Explore
July
Frolic
August
Making Something From Nothing

September is an activity month — the group decides. October onward the club leads the direction.

Spring. New people. New endeavors. This month is about opening yourself to the chapter you are actually in — and deciding to write it on purpose.

How it works

Each month has two book picks and two album picks — one American, one international. Pick whichever speaks to where you are. You don't have to consume everything. Just come ready to talk about what you chose and why.

📚 Book of the month — pick one
American
The Wedding People
Alison Espach
A woman checks into a hotel and accidentally gets pulled back into life by a stranger's wedding weekend. Warmer, funnier, more grounded — a fresh start that nobody planned.
"What pulled you back in when you least expected it?"
British
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
A library between life and death where every book is a different version of your life. Philosophical, a little melancholy — for people who like to go deep on the question.
"What version of your life do you feel like you are currently writing?"
🎬 Film of the month
American
Paterson
dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2016
A bus driver writes poetry in a small notebook every day. A quiet film about finding meaning in the chapter you are already in.
"What are you making quietly that most people do not know about?"
Coming next month
International pick TBD
Starting in May we will pair each American film with an international selection. Drop suggestions in #activity-menu on Discord.
🎵 Album of the month — pick one
American
4
Beyoncé, 2011
A full reinvention — sonically and personally. Start Over, Best Thing I Never Had, I Was Here. An arc about closing one chapter and stepping into your own power.
"Which track sounds most like where you are right now?"
French · International
Nakamura
Aya Nakamura, 2018
The biggest French-language artist in the world right now. Joyful, confident, and completely infectious. You don't need to speak French to feel exactly what she's doing.
"What did you discover here that was new to you?"
🎧 April activity
Chapter One Playlist
Build the soundtrack to your new chapter. What songs would play if your life right now were a movie? Submit your playlist — or just a few songs — to the group. We will combine them into a shared Chapter One mixtape that belongs to the founding season of this club.
The prompt
"What is playing in the background of your life right now?"
How to submit
Drop your songs in #activity-menu on Discord. Include why you picked each one if you want — or just the title.
🎬 Optional · Film Night on Discord

Watch the film of the month together on Discord. Screen share, voice channel, everyone watching at the same time. Especially great for the online chapter. No RSVP needed — just show up when the invite goes out in #online-chapter.

Date and time posted in Discord closer to the month's end. Optional — come if you can.

🎬 Optional · Online · All chapters
Film Night on Discord

Watch the film of the month together on Discord. Jump into a voice channel, someone shares their screen, and we watch as a group. No RSVP needed — just show up. Date and time posted in #activity-menu on Discord.

Free
All chapters welcome
Screen share via Discord

This is the April 2026 menu. May theme is Planting Seeds — activity placeholder: visit a community garden. Members vote on May's picks in #activity-menu on Discord.

The Chapter House Store

Members-only. Not sold anywhere else. Replace the links below with your Stripe Payment Links when ready.

C
Founders
Online Founders Pack
The full digital welcome — everything you need to feel like you're in the room even from afar. Mix of physical + digital.
C
Physical
Chapter Tee
Members-only. Unisex. The kind of shirt you actually wear because it means something.
C
Digital
Goals Journal
Printable digital journal designed around the club's monthly check-in structure.

Club merchandise is produced by The Coffee Ink Studio, the founder's independent creative business. The club store exists for members only — not as a commercial venture.

To activate the store: create products in Stripe → copy each Payment Link → paste into the href of each "Buy" button above. All purchases stay completely private — members only.

Request an invite

Think you
belong here?

Membership is by invitation only — but if someone in the club pointed you here, or you genuinely feel this is your space, we want to hear from you. Fill out the form and we'll be in touch.

We read every submission. We just don't rush.

Member@createbychapter.com

Small by design

We grow slowly and intentionally. Every new member changes the room — we take that seriously.

What we look for

Someone actively working on something — creative, career, or life. Not someone who wants to start soon. Someone who already has.

Chicago or anywhere

The in-person chapter is Chicago-based. The online chapter is open to members anywhere.

Were you referred by a member? (optional — skip this section if not)

Submissions go to Member@createbychapter.com. We'll follow up personally.

Request received.
We've got your request and will follow up personally. Referrals get read first — everyone gets read. Sit tight and keep building.
From the founder

I started this club because I was missing having a best friend — and I thought maybe I was not the only one who felt that way.

I am someone who cares deeply, which means I have fewer people in my life than someone who cares less might. That is a choice I would make again. What I have learned is that you can go incredibly far on your own — but there is something different about going far when you know someone is in the trench next to you. Not helping you dig. Just there. Yelling across.

What I am building — professionally — is still taking shape. The end of the road looks something like a studio that makes animated films for adults, book-to-screen adaptations that actually respect the source material, and maybe a publishing arm for stories that do not get told: disabled people, minority communities within minority communities, the people whose fiber never makes it into the media diet. I am somewhere in the early chapters of that.

This club is one of my meaningful projects. And it is where I am hoping to find — and be — the kind of community that makes everything else possible.

The Founder  ·  Create by Chapter  ·  Member@createbychapter.com
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.

You're on the list!

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