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🌞 Summer Solstice Newsletter 2025

☀️ A Summer of Service

New Chapters, Clear Minds: Mental Wellness for Grads & Beyond, the Simbi Way

Celebrating Earth Month with Sustainable Services

Simbi Community Letter: 2025 Spring Equinox

Spread Kindness in February: Random Acts of Service You Can Offer on Simbi

Start the New Year Right with the No-Spend Challenge

Simbi Community Letter #12: What is resilience?

Simbi Community Letters are now Quarterly!

Simbi Community Letter #11: Re-engaging with members from Simbi's founding era

Simbi Community Letter #10: How do our members feel about Simbi?

Simbi Community Letter #9: How to help Simbi grow in your community

Simbi Community Letter #8: When things go bad, we have each other

Simbi Community Letter #7: What IS Simbi, really?

Simbi Community Letter #6: It's 2022! What will the year hold?

Simbi Community Letter #5: Giving Tuesday Recap

The holidays are here! But the world is very clearly, if gradually, falling apart. It’s a strange place to be, isn’t it? Simbi exists to help us get through it all, together. Yesterday was #GivingTuesday...

Simbi Community Letter #4: Here come the holidays!

Gifting Responsibly with Simbi

Simbi Community Letter #3: Fall is here!

Simbi Community Letter #2: Volunteer opportunities & more!

Your first Simbi Community Update Letter!

Simbi is OFFICIALLY a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization!

We are thrilled to announce that the IRS has granted Simbi Community Development, a California Non-profit Corporation, full 501(c)(3) charity status, with any Supporter contributions made after January 8th, 2021 qualifying as tax-deductible donations!

Introducing Simbi Experts!

Some people offer services on Simbi as a way to practice, learn, and grow their skills and experience towards future professional goals. Others with existing professional skills offer them out of a desire to give back to nonprofit organizations and individuals in need. We think adding new “Expert” and “Top Expert” level-up badges are a great additional step towards helping everyone in the community get the most out of their Simbi experience!

New for Simbi Supporters and Organizations: Projects!

With the launch of Simbi's Projects feature, administrators of Simbi nonprofit organizations (as well as individual Simbi Supporters and owners of Standard Organizations!) can break a big, complex needs into multiple associated individual requests, grouped and displayed as a single project!

Introducing Simbi Organizations!

Simbi has traditionally only offered individual accounts for its members. A few months ago, we quietly started testing a new set of features to add two new types of accounts for the Simbi community: Professional and Nonprofit Organizations!  Although they are functionally very similar, each of these new features take important steps toward Simbi's community goals in their own way. In particular, Nonprofit Organizations will eventually become the most important engine of the Simbi economy.

Announcing the Simbi Supporter Badge

We are launching a new completely optional Supporter Badge, which you can activate on your account by voluntarily committing to a monthly or yearly dollar contribution of any size towards supporting Simbi's operations.

A message to all Simbi community members

It's a new era for Simbi!

Miriam T: "One can follow their dream or invent their dream on Simbi"

Simbi has great future possibilities. It can bring people together in work and play. It will open new vistas, at home and internationally.

Brooke: "The Best Things in Life Are... Simbi!"

Overall, the people that I have met and worked with on Simbi give me hope that the world is truly ready for a transformation.

Kate: "So Much Support Through Simbi"

Sometimes I have to stop for a minute too, and be thankful for the quality of support I have received via Simbi. There are many very qualified “Simbians” throughout the community, all serving for free.

Teresa: "Pay-it-Forward as A Service to Humanity"

I love that people are offering Simbi stays for Simbians who have been displaced by the hurricane, encouraging words for someone who is struggling, listening ears, care packages, and question answering, all for free!

Angy: "How People Can Benefit From Other People"

Some of the benefits of using Simbi are networking, community and business development, and education. In the future, I know I will find people who can see the benefits of using Simbi and who will apply their skills to this growing community.

Megan: "Simbi Helps the World Become a Better Place"

Through Simbi, I have already built a tribe of amazing people whose goal are to inspire and give back to the community. These are the same goals I wish to strive for and achieve everyday.

Household Goods: Now On The Simbi Market!

Buy, sell and trade your household goods on the Simbi Market! By recycling our treasures through trade, we reduce waste while also bringing delight to others in our community. So join us in cleaning out your closets to get more of the services and special pieces we love!

Grow Your Groups in 6 Symbiotic Steps!

Our team has put together this guide to increase engagement and recruit more members for those who’ve already joined or launched a Group. The more services offered, the more available, and the more abundance y’all can create!

Harrison: "Willing and Able to Help"

My favorite Simbi experience was not something I received, but something I gave. It was also one of the very first deals I made. When I started, I expected to give a traditional Spanish class like any other. However, the questions she asked caused me to think about my preconceived notions about language learning, something that I thought I knew very well.

Maren: "How Simbi Helped Me Make Music"

I love the friendly atmosphere and the eagerness to be of service to other members that exists within the Simbi community. Everyone is just so nice! It is also really neat to browse services beyond what I know I immediately need. Sometimes I will see one and think ‘hey, that would be really cool!’ As someone who enjoys making connections and experiencing new things, I love being able to build a list of ‘favourites’.

Emilie: "From Business to New Friendship!"

As far as what I would like to achieve using Simbi, I really just want to grow as a person. This platform gives me an opportunity to help people while also helping myself and getting educated. There is a really big community here that is willing to teach, so if there is anything you've ever wanted to learn, you're more than likely going to find someone that is offering it.

Emmalee: "I Am Rich Without Money"

I love the idea of my art spread out across the world in millions of different homes. When I create my work, I feel incredibly joyful because so many people have told me how my art impacts their lives.

Carleigh: "My Dream Exchange!"

For years, I had been looking for these sorts of communities, but I never found one where I felt like I really fit in. Finally, Simbi gave me the chance to talk to different people from all over the world.

Tyler-"A Little Goes a Long Way"

For me personally, Simbi helped me get my business on its feet. What once started as a pipeline dream slowly came into focus. All the ideas that had collected dust were now in action- and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!

Saylor- "Passion With A Purpose"

Because I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, I knew from personal experience how difficult it was to get a business on the radar. If I wanted my crafts featured, I had to pay for a stand at a fair or an art show. Simbi gave me a platform to create art and find my voice without any financial limits.

Jake: "How Simbi Helped Me Rebuild My Life"

Throughout my journey exploring Simbi, I’ve realized that you need to give back a little something. I was inspired by so many others who were offering services and the payment was simply, “pay it forward.”

Sean: "Write and build your life successfully"

You can achieve greatness without any money involved using Simbi. Simbi's success is one of the first whispers of the technological singularity, in a movement beyond the monetary economy.

Sharon: "I Responded to Spam Mail- Here's What Happened"

You can get anything done over there. Just search anything you need and people are offering it or at least something similar.

Janettee: "Services and A Smile for Simbi Parents"

This site gives you a purpose. It’s not REALLY about being paid. It’s about helping others. That’s not something that we have a lot of opportunities for in the real world.

Julie: "Help Your Neighbors and Grow Your Business"

The new 3D printed soap label inspired me to remake my soap packaging. Now my soaps look very professional!

Cely: "Exchange Possibilities Locally"

I see a future of continual exchanges and in the process, making friends and acquaintances.

Siddharth: "Experience community"

Simbi allows me to obtain experiences that I would otherwise not have sought out. Since joining, I’ve had a few other very positive experiences.

Ariane: "Time is money"

Wow, I didn’t know I could become a “website tester”, a “shoulder to cry on” or a “gaming buddy”! And, above all, I didn’t know I could get dance classes, tarot readings, sweet artwork, and EVEN CAKES for free! How cool is that?

Garland: "Treat Simbi gigs like regular gigs"

So I started treating Simbi gigs more seriously with clearer write-ups and instructions and more review of the freelancer's portfolio. This paid off hugely for me as I started to get much better quality work.

Justin: “A worldly transformation”

I am excited to travel beyond my comfort zone in the United States. [...] To bring about the positivity and love invested into me. This would not have been possible without the Simbi community.

Christopher: "Serving others through Simbi"

I caught the Simbi "serving others" bug. I love the idea of buying a service or product without spending real money. I love engaging with others in a friendly and positive way.

Alyssa: "Trust, joy, and passion"

And when [...] you receive your service, there is really no way to describe the joy that fills your soul when you realize that you just made out like a bandit and zero money was involved!

Dori: "Small town Simbiosis"

Simbi has created a very easy and streamlined way for people to look at themselves and the unique things they have to offer, and put them out there in the world.

The Next Simbi Thing Is Here: A New Inbox/Messenger

An inbox worthy of our amazing community.

Elisha: "Nothing to lose and everything to gain"

Art and design are my passion, my life blood. The ability to do that all the time and help people out is really what keeps me connected to Simbi.

Jason: "Shoot for the stars"

Some might say we have New York Strip taste on a Big Mac budget. But everyone has something to offer and that’s how I started my venture into bartering.

Jacob: "Something mutually beneficial"

I saw how other people are incentivizing their passions, hobbies, and talent to create something mutually beneficial and I was inspired to do the same for myself.

Mikah: "Immortalized on canvas"

I’ve always wanted to have my portrait painted, and I’ve never known where one would go for such a thing. I messaged Jessica, and soon enough she was at my apartment, easel in tow.

Lisa: "Help and support for a stay-at-home mom"

Normally I would not have been able to afford such services, but with Simbi it was possible! I ended up getting all of my security deposit back, which would have been impossible without...

Erica: "Letting go of pain and baggage"

I have finally been able to have days at a time where I didn’t have limited range of motion and aches in my neck, and have even picked some other hobbies back up.

Daniel: "I just wanted a logo"

It seemed like a really awesome premise, but how good could it be? Do I have something to offer that people out in the world want? Do people out there have something I want?

Shannon: "Can life get any sweeter?"

In exchange for the simbi points, so far I [...] got a card mailed to my mom, received a canned nectarine sauce, recruited 3 beard oil testers, received handcrafted dry shampoo...

Spandan: "Wonderful little bites of culture"

I could go on about how it’s a fascinating little playground sheltered from capitalism and how the economics geek in me is very interested to see how it matures...

Campus of Hippos: "A small world"

My drawing skills have increased so much since I joined, and I am so excited that people actually like my pony drawings! I never thought that people other than my friends & family would appreciate...

Michelene: "My Magic Carpet Ride"

The affirmations which come by way of reviews and talent exchange was exactly the medicine I needed to restore my sense of purpose in the world.

Lori: "An awesome Christmas party"

It was a week before the party and I hoped that she could fit me in her schedule. Jenny not only did that, but was at my house at 6:30 am so she could accommodate me. Just... wow!

Rhiana: "My saving grace this holiday"

My confidence was flying and my holiday flew by with me in a good mood for once! It's now only December 30th. In less than a week I’ve done 78 deals and received 42 excellent reviews!

William: "Lasting symbiotic relationships"

Why not offer your services for a great symbiotic relationship which can, in the larger scope of things, lead to more symbiotic relationships?

Introducing: Embeddable Web Widgets

Embed your Simbi web widget to promote your Simbi services on your blog or website.

Candice: "You don't have to be perfect"

A doctor by day will teach you origami at night. A carpenter by trade will edit your resume. There’s no judgement. Everyone just has a desire to help.

Announcing the Simbi Newsfeed

Stay up-to-date, discover exciting services, and get insight from people you trust.

Theresa: "The wave of the future"

No one is here to get rich. It is much more about the fair exchange of your time and talents for what you might want or need without having it cost you a large chunk of your paycheck.

Megan: "My motivation to create artwork"

The best part about Simbi for me has been the motivation to do artwork. I get to create custom work for people, and get a glimpse into their own aesthetics.

Jennifer: "Bouquets, bookkeeping, and barter"

Through providing my skills and talents to others, I have been able to receive professional websites, which consultants said I sorely needed, but could not afford on my own.

Brandon: "Prosperity in the Simbi economy"

In time, the freedom Simbi allows will make us prosperous beyond riches, and can evolve into something that will solve global economic issues.

Whitney: "People offering their passion"

Here on Simbi, you can feel the love! People are kind and genuinely want to help each other. People are offering a piece of their passion and it shows!

Kimberly: "Swept away by Simbi"

Simbi has helped me find pride in the skills and hobbies I used to brush off. It’s reminded me how much I love to teach others, and how rewarding it can be to help someone.

Michaela: "Meeting my needs and sharing my gifts"

This basic and rather un-glamourous need opened up a world that has given me creative outlets to express talents I rarely get to express, as well as access to the talents of others beyond...

Susan: "Life after retirement"

Since I can no longer work, I need to feel a connection with people who appreciate my work. I’m very articulate about my work and I thrive on surprising people with a high quality of work...

Danielle: “Tell me what inspires you”

I’ve been on Simbi less than a week, and already, I can’t believe the changes it has induced within me. Change I didn’t ask for, but must have wanted, because I can’t sign into the site enough.

Bailey: "A whole new world of skills"

I've had an opportunity to develop this skill, learning so much along the way, and honestly impressing myself with where it has gone. It forces me to make art and creativity a priority in my busy life.

Greene: "Fruitful exchanges"

Simbi works because it’s based on principle of sharing our gifts with one another, whether they’re formally recognized career skills, hobbies, or merely based in a desire to be of service.

Shermeeka: "Advancing my writing career"

Between the members of Simbi, my consistent marketing, and networking, I can see myself becoming a bestselling novelist by the time the second book drops.

Do's & Don'ts of posting a service

Get to know exactly what makes some Simbi members more successful than others.

How to break the Newbi shell

Want to become an experienced member? Check out our pro tips to getting initiated.

Dan: "Better lives in a better world"

Already I’ve met some great people on Simbi, both employees as well as other community members like me, and I’ve had some fascinating and rewarding discussions and exchanges about...

Kali: "Building a community, one act of kindness at a time"

More than anything, I am supremely impressed with the growing community on Simbi. So many people seem to just want to help others.

Ashley: "My take on using Simbi to its fullest"

Offer services you are good at, whether it be listening or gaming advice. Simbi can change your life if you give it the chance!

Kristen: “Healthy Simbi habits”

I’m incredibly grateful for Simbi because it’s pretty much changed my life. I’ve given my time to strangers on the Internet and it warms my heart that these strangers instantly become friends...

Matt: “Simbi – A collaborative community where entrepreneurism comes to life”

To me, Simbi is about giving; giving to the world, to others, and to yourself. You quickly find that a lot of people find usefulness in...

Jess: "Barter is Better"

Simbi is my new favorite thing. I joined the party only two weeks ago, and already I've designed 2 logos, proofread a short story, wrote this article, and I have 2 novels to edit. The jobs just keep rolling in!

Skylar: "Hooked by choice: my Simbi addiction"

When I explain Simbi to people, I make sure and tell them, “It’s not like a normal website where there are tons of nuisances. Everyone there is totally kind. The website is filled with just the right kind of people...

Michael: "Simbi, a tale of daring and adventure"

I devoted my life to helping others, and Simbi gives me an opportunity to funnel my passion into helpful and productive services. And so began my journey that may yet shape my life.

How to price your service

Pricing your service isn't easy the first time around, so here's a quick guide ..

Get to the top of search results

Focus on honing these symbiotic qualities to get to the top of search results on Simbi!

Modwri: "Simbi's true wealth: friendships and connections"

I've gathered quite a bit of Simbi wealth, but most of it is in the form of friendships and connections made through working with others who want the same thing: a safe place to share their skills...

New and Improved Review & Ratings

Reviews and ratings help us make important decisions—they reaffirm that the exchange...

Allison: "Don't be shy, wonderful things can result from a simple message"

I am a broke college student, so Simbi’s philosophy certainly appealed to me. I'll admit, at first I had my doubts, but Simbi has proven...

Announcing Service Quotas

Today, we released this new feature to help you manage your Simbi workload.

Roxanne: "Art is a blooming business on Simbi"

Within minutes, I had people from all over the country interested in Spray Paintings. It made my heart soar. Excitedly, I’d rush to message them! Everyone on Simbi had such great and unique talents...

Jason: "Community - it's the Secret Sauce"

A friend suggested Simbi's secret sauce was the community. With that in mind, I posted humorously seeking "collaborators for world take over." Already that request has spurred many fascinating connections...

Amanda's Symbiotic Story: "Prom made possible ❤︎"

Growing up as a girl there are two special occasions that you think about: <i>Prom and your wedding day.</i> I had my junior prom Spring 2016. With no money to spend on hair, makeup, and nails, I turned to Simbi...

Grow Your Local Simbi Community!

Want more local services? Follow this guide for fun ideas on how to help Simbi grow.

Aaron: "100% Virtual: A New Frontier"

I'm currently living in Ecuador, which means all my exchanges were entirely virtual. I think 100% virtual services is a relatively new frontier for Simbi, but I found it incredibly easy...

Dhanesh: "Home Away From Home"

I'm relatively new to the USA. Back in my home country, I was always involved in a variety of entrepreneurial discussions & philanthropic projects, but when I moved here I felt totally disconnected...

Tips from our Star Members!

Check out these tips from our star members on making your Simbi profile shine bright!

Olivia: "Dreams Can Come True"

Simbi is the answer I was seeking for years. I eat a lot but hate to cook. “What if I could trade personal training for a personal chef?” I asked myself. I tried posting this request on another site and was denied....

Charlie: "The Real Beauty of Simbi"

My first in-person Simbi experience was everything I hoped this site would be. I started getting a lot of responses almost immediately after posting my first project, and I was seeing a bunch of cool requests...

Rashmi: "Do What You Love"

Simbi instantly caught my attention because it resonated with two ideas I live by: <i>1) Spend as much of my time doing what I love and encourage others to do the same, and 2) share my experiences, learnings, knowledge...</i>

Cameron: "Community found"

When I was 21 I spent a year in Nicaragua. Normally I hate to make generalizations about cultures – every culture is as complex as it is rich, and the people within it as diverse as they are similar - but for the sake...

Flor-Mari: "Getting the most out of Simbi"

As I was scrolling through my newsfeed, I came across Simbi. A symbiotic economy based on an exchange of services or Simbi credits? I’m there! As someone who is already using the barter/trade system...

Michelle: "My Simbiography"

A long time friend sent me a link to Simbi. I was hesitant at first. What can I offer? I thought, "I can offer reading Tarot cards." This is something I do as a hobby and have been doing for over 20 years. I created my...

"Anyone that lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination"

"The old economy isn’t working for 99% of us, so we're building a new one."

The Story of Simbi or "How I lived a millionaire's lifestyle on a pauper’s spending"

Daniela: "What could I possibly offer?"

I’m not gonna lie — I was worried about offering a service on Simbi, thinking: <i>What could I possibly offer?</i> I saw all these creative posts, people offering beautiful crafts they had made, offering body and energy...

Delighting in deals: our first exchange

Most of us don't know what to expect the first time, so here are some guidelines.

Judith: "It was like we had been friends forever."

Three weeks ago, I posted a request for a physical trainer to help me get in shape. To my surprise, I got a response right away from an experienced trainer. We planned to met that week and when we saw each other, there was just a huge smile on...

Tyler: "Might as well enjoy the ride."

I was excited about the idea of a symbiotic community, one in which compassionate reciprocity overshadows self-interest. As an attorney, I wasn’t sure exactly how/if I would be of service to someone in a...

Evan: "Giving, receiving, and the trickster in me."

Weeks ago I contacted a stranger on Simbi named Rebecca and asked her if she would swap an hour of my writing time for an hour-long astrology reading. She responded that instead of a trade, she would rather exchange for some simbi…

Why should I want to earn simbi?

So you came here to trade, but keep hearing about earning simbi? <i>“Why would I want...</i>

How to use Vacation Mode

Need a break? Our Vacation Mode feature is the perfect way to press "pause" on Simbi.

5 steps to an irresistible service

Among the most common questions we hear from our members is <i>“How can I stand out?”</I>...

Faith's Symbiotic Story: “Hi, this is David, your Simbi photographer.”

I was thrilled to receive this text message from David. I’d only been on Simbi for about a week and this was my first real interaction with another member. Let me begin by saying I’m in my senior year of college—soon I’ll have graduated and be on the job…

Getting started with Simbi

So you've joined our tribe. But how do you get started? What are the rules around here?