Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

In this episode, we’re hearing from Walking on Eggshells. Our letter today is from a community builder who wants to know how we can bridge the political gap in our families and communities when it all feels so impossibly polarized.To better help Walking on Eggshells, I invited the director and producer of the documentary Join or Die, Rebecca Davis, as my guest. This feature-length documentary is a commentary on the decline of social capital in the US over the last two decades and its implications for democracy.It can be scary and despairing to bear witness to the quickly growing divides in our society. I don’t need to sit around your Thanksgiving table to know most of our attempts at conversations result in more disconnect than repair.Thankfully, this episode will leave you filled with hope, excitement, and an actual game plan to start bringing us out of these dark times, one small step at a time. So, be sure to tune into this spectacular conversation with one of the few people who has studied it in tremendous depth.In this episode:(03:00) Meet Rebecca Davis and her documentary, Join or Die(04:44) Why the word “community” is absent from the film(07:28) The actual outcome of connection(09:26) The communitea: Walking on Eggshells’ letter(11:25) A counterintuitive solution for healing the political divides(14:04) Why digital spaces and conversations aren't working(17:26) How purely social clubs can easily build power and start creating change(21:05) The very political history of women only book clubs(23:03) How groups both impact and reflect society(24:14) Rebecca's journey from covering worsening symptoms to highlighting the root cause(27:37) How to build a loyal and engaged community instead of just an audience(32:27) Make sure your community tools and design deliver on the community promise(35:11) Is it unethical to charge for community membership?(41:29) The simplest data-backed thing you can start doing now to bridge the gapResources Mentioned:🗒️ See a complete resources list here.📺 Watch the full documentary on Netflix.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Rebecca Davis🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 YoutubeWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In the second episode of this two-part Solo Series, we’re hearing from Hungry for Good Advice. Our letter today deals with  a community creator who's looking for some tips to set up their community platform right the first time.Over the last five years, Bri has partnered with dozens of clients and community members to select the right community platform for them and to avoid some of the most common pitfalls related to the setup process. She is exploring all possible angles and sharing what you can do to avoid each pitfall.In this episode:(03:12) The communitea: Hungry for Good Advice’s letter(04:39) #1 Beware the freemium model(12:05) Don't turn your community into both the product and the funnel(13:35)  The free trial fiasco(15:59) Debunking the belief that it's morally wrong to charge for community(17:53) #2 Keep it simple, sweetheart(19:33) Leverage your channels and spaces with engaging words and the right size(22:23) Avoid the great mistake of introducing friction(24:22) #3 Develop a plan for leadership early onResources Mentioned:📩 Community building from scratch? Check out my email drip series with 4 Foundational Strategies for Beginning Building.🔥 Catch up with Part 1 of this Solo Series 🎧 Continue the discussion about a free community that leads to a paid one with Dear Bri Episode 8 with Alli Ball.🎙️Fiasco of the two-week trial in Dear Bri Episode 17 with Diana Davis.📺 Watch Bri's FREE masterclass to learn the 4 Types of Communities ❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators.Bri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In the first episode of this two-part Solo Series, we’re hearing from Studio Dreamer. Our letter today deals with a community creator who is ready to build a proper home for their paid community but is unsure which all-in-one platform best suits their community goals.This is one of the most common questions Bri gets from clients. In fact, over the last five years, she has partnered with dozens of clients and community members to select the right community platform for them and to avoid some of the most common pitfalls related to the process.So, tune in for the information that will help you make the right choice for you. Bri is providing a broad overview of the five most common community platforms, including her two favorites, which are the ones where she's seen the most successful communities take off.In this episode:(00:31) The communitea: Studio Dreamer’s letter(02:54) What to expect from today's special solo episode(05:08) The definition of an all-in-one community platform(06:54) Deep dive into Mighty Networks(08:49) Deep dive into Skool(12:06) Deep dive into Honeycommb(16:43) Deep dive into Circle(23:56) Deep dive into Heartbeat, where Bri built her Ember community(27:43) Three main differences between Circle and HeartbeatTune into next week's Dear Bri Episode 25 for  the top three mistakes that people make when setting up their community platform.Resources:🔥 Build your community right. Book a discovery call with Bri📺 Watch Bri's  more detailed Community Platform Comparisons on YouTube.🎧 Catch up with Dear Bri Episode 4 with Noele Flowers, where we talk about  building on Slack versus in an all-in-one community platform.🎙️ Listen to Dear Bri Episode 12 with Murtaza Bambot, the CEO at Heartbeat.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Bri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 YoutubeWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Stuck in Community Time Out. Our letter deals with a community builder who presented some negative feedback, along with ideas for improvement in someone else's community, but was shut down by the founder.To better help Stuck in Community Time Out, I invited Lindsay Rothfeld as my guest expert. From scaling ambassador programs and live events to launching community platforms and lifecycle campaigns, Lindsay has spent the last 10 years building spaces where users feel connected, empowered, and excited to contribute.So, tune in for valuable tools and tips for approaching challenging feedback in your community with empathy, transparency, curiosity, and kindness.In this episode:(03:48) The communitea: Stuck in Community Time Out’s letter(05:54) One of Lindsay's own experiences handling negative feedback in her community(10:22) Leading versus moderating and the real enemy of positivity(12:30) Valuable practices and tools to help you respond and not react to feedback(20:34) Reframe what challenging feedback means to you(23:11) To remove or not remove posts, and how to go about it with transparency(27:05) Having an entrepreneurial mindset can get in the way of your community(30:36) How to masterfully approach those sharing negative feedback(33:57) Ways removing posts can backfire(36:30) The truth about today's letter(41:00) Giving community members the space and tools to give feedbackResources Mentioned:🎧 Get the  next advanced-level mindset work in Dear Bri Episode 20 with Charmaine Jennings.🎤 Continue down the rabbit hole of tough conversations in your community with Dear Bri Episode 11 🎙️ Learn all about a framework for  thinking about the troublemakers in your community withDear Bri Episode 7 ❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. Lindsay Rothfeld🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Anonymously Anxious About Anonymity. Our letter today deals with a community builder who has seen firsthand how opening a community to anonymous posts can go downhill fast, and wants to know if it's possible to do so without that outcome.To better help Anonymously Anxious, Amanda Northcutt, the CEO of Level Up Creators, as my guest expert. She is a six-time executive with over 20 years of experience in building and optimizing recurring revenue businesses. She is brilliant (.25 speed is encouraged for this episode, we won’t judge!) and has seen it all in the community spaces.So, tune in for how to leverage anonymity as an asset in your community and where challenges might show up, how to effectively gamify your community, and the essential ingredients for creating a high-ticket community.In this episode:(03:50) The communitea: Anxiously Anonymous About Anonymity’s letter(04:33) Amanda's experience with TexAgs, an anonymous discussion forum(07:00) Cases where allowing anonymous posts can work, and what to consider(09:55) The value of having members opt into anonymity(11:50) What you need to have in place to stop your community from spiraling into chaos(14:09) How to handle negative feedback and prepare your community for doing it right(18:20) Badging and the power of gamification in community(20:48) The importance of experimenting before fully implementing(23:53) The role of gamification in habit formation(27:52) The different moderation needs of low and high-ticket communities(32:25) The essential ingredients for building a high-ticket community(39:12) When in doubt in business, testResources Mentioned:🎧 Go down the moderation rabbit trail next, listen to Dear Bri Episode 7 with Andrea Middleton, Community Empowerment Leader at Reddit.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Amanda Northcutt🖥️ Website📱 LinkedIn🎙️PodcastBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Burnt Out and Bound by Dependency. Our letter today deals with the exhausting dynamic where you're the one person everyone is dependent upon for value in the community, and how to shift away from that.To better help Burnt Out and Bound by Dependency, I invited Pia Silva as my guest expert. She's the founder of the No BS Agency Mastery community, which has been running since 2021. During that time she managed to leave the place where she was the main source of value and develop community leaders to also provide value.So, tune in for lessons on how to transition between platforms, reset expectations, gracefully deal with internal drama, and leadership development done the right way.In this episode:(03:23) The communitea: Burnt Out and Bound by Dependency’s letter(04:56) Pia's No BS Agency Mastery community(06:08) Transitioning from Facebook to Circle and resetting expectations(12:33) How Pia developed her star students into leaders and support coaches(16:37) The compensation model for Pia's community leaders(17:53) Gracefully handling an issue with a misaligned leader(23:49) The importance of honesty and transparency within your community(25:52) Find your ideal vision for your community and work backwards(27:32) How Pia is scaling her community while maintaining the feeling of intimacyResources Mentioned:🎧 Get the Badass Your Brand audiobook.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Pia Silva🖥️ Website📱 LinkedIn🎙️ PodcastBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInAnd before you go…💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on SpotifyThat helps the podcast more than you know and I deeply appreciate it. 🙏Want your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from The Jealous Host. Our letter today deals with a community builder stuck in a comparison spiral, whose insecurities are taking the wheel and making them feel like they're competing with community members and other communities, and falling short.To better help The Jealous Host, I invited Charmaine Jennings as my guest. Like me, she's no stranger to this conundrum. She founded Hustle + Charm, a supportive in-person community for women and nonbinary entrepreneurs focused on life, business, and career growth.Since Charmaine was going down a community comparison spiral of her own, and she was brave enough to open up and share her experience with us, we were able to turn this episode into a live coaching session using The Work of Byron Katie.Tune in for several tools EVERY community builder needs in their toolkit for this good, hard work of community building.In this episode:(03:43) The communitea: The Jealous Host’s letter(06:13) Reframe the feeling of being behind your community members' growth(10:29) Charmaine's in-person community: Hustle + Charm(13:12) How Bri and Charmaine experience their community comparison spirals(17:18) Distill the belief created by comparison(19:21) The Work: four questions to challenge your belief(27:04) The Work: turn around your belief(34:28) The value of this inquiry process for navigating your stubborn thoughts(38:04) The comparison syndrome from Charmaine's standpoint(39:57) Understand what to focus your energy on with the three types of judgments(44:56) The impact of inherited bias judgmentResources Mentioned:📝 Learn more about Byron Katie's process of self-inquiry.🎧 Catch up with Eric Plantenberg's Dear Bri episode.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Charmaine Jennings🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Community Creator at the Crossroads. Our letter today deals with someone who's proven the concept for their community but is overwhelmed with what comes next and how to build something truly sustainable and scalable.To better help Community Creator at the Crossroads, I invited Jac White as my guest because she's in the same crossroads. She helps women sell with confidence and build a scalable sales system. She is the founder of Honeybees Group, which she recently launched as a membership community with a beta group that was a big success.This episode is different as it is like a live coaching call. We focus on how to architect the programs in your community in a way that serves you and your business. We take a hard look at the different types of formats and structures that might require a lot of you and might not always bring the reward that you're looking for.In this episode:(02:40) How this episode's unique format came about(04:20) The communitea: Community Creator at the Crossroads’s letter(06:11) Jac's very own community-building conundrum(07:58) The pros and cons of leveraging cohorts and memberships(10:58) The different education-connection community models(16:22) The strengths and challenges of a  transformative community(19:41) Lessons from Bri's journey to a membership with cohorts baked into it(24:27) The solution to a common pain point around cohorts(28:40) How to scale without losing the small community magic(34:11) Figure out how to make your community valuable and sustainable long-term(41:49) Just get startedResources Mentioned:🐝 Apply for the Honeybees Sales Circle.📗 Learn more about The Mom Test.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Jac White🖥️ Website📱 LinkedIn🎙️PodcastBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Overwhelmed on the Delegation Struggle Bus. Our letter today deals with figuring out how to get the right type of help to make sure your community will thrive even when you're not there.To better help Overwhelmed on the Delegation Struggle Bus, I invited Kristen Pavle as my guest expert. She is a relational designer transforming community-driven businesses into creative, self-sustaining ecosystems. As a community strategist, she has experience founding and creating her own communities, as well as supporting  fresh new communities into a life of growth and thriving.So, tune in to better understand the different types of community management help available and which one makes the most sense for you and your community. You'll also be the first to know the details on the Ember community's newest program, Ember Fractionals.In this episode:(05:21) The communitea: Overwhelmed on the Delegation Struggle Bus’s letter(07:20) The 3 buckets people who run communities fall into(08:59) Kristen's experience of taking a step back as a DIY founder/community creator(12:53) The value of leadership development within your community and asking for help(17:19) Bri's experience and insights on getting help from virtual assistants for your community(20:10) The identity and mindset shift behind allowing yourself to ask for help(24:02) Hiring for your internal community versus your external community(25:04) Bringing in the strategy piece with a fractional  community manager(32:00) How you can break into the next level of your community skills(33:22) A sneak peek into the game-changing Ember Fractionals Program(38:33) It's never too late to turn your community aroundResources Mentioned:Join the Ember Fractionals: https://www.emberconsulting.co/fractional-community-managersHire an Ember Fractional: https://www.emberconsulting.co/hire-a-community-managerKristen Pavle🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInAnd before you go…💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on SpotifyThat helps the podcast more than you know and I deeply appreciate it. 🙏Want your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This week on Dear Bri, we hear from Seeking Community Connection, and they’re in the middle of one of the most universal dilemmas in online community management: how to foster peer-to-peer connection and learning.To solve this community conundrum, Bri invited community strategist and business coach Diana Davis, founder of Recess for Creatives. With a background in photography, graphic design, and seven years of community-building behind her, Diana has cracked the code on what it takes to create an online community that doesn’t orbit around the founder, but thrives because of thoughtful, playful structure.In this episode:(3:43) The communitea: Seeking Community Connection’s letter(6:55) Connection-centric design: Letting go of the spotlight(10:24) Being a professional nudger: The value of proactive outreach(19:04) Community tips: Competition and family/friends discounts(24:01) Craving the spotlight vs. creating sustainable community(26:02) Teaching kickball: Coaching vs. facilitating in community(27:20) Is it a membership or a community? Key distinctions(34:00) Community product design: Mixing the flour before the eggs(38:01) Why Diana made her community paid (and why free communities can fail)(40:01) Building boundaries: RSVP culture and the cost of flakiness(43:02) Events as the cheese plate: Using synchronous experiences to convert(46:02) Nudging and teaching members how to show upResources Mentioned:🧲 Check Diana’s Free Attraction Masterclass: magnetize dream clients with ease and alignment.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.🔥 Diana Davis gets real about almost walking away from her community. Watch the conversation.Diana Davis🖥️ Website📱 Instagram🎙️ PodcastBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Ready to Retreat. Their letter explores how to deepen connection in a thriving online community through an in-person retreat.To better support them, I invited Eric Plantenberg as my guest expert. He’s a client, friend, and mentor—and the founder of the deeply transformative Abundant Living Retreat. I’ve been to many retreats, but none like his. Tune in to hear how Eric creates powerful containers for in-person retreats, what it takes to be a great facilitator, and a fresh, liberating way to approach goals and meaningful connection.In this episode:(04:36) The communitea: Ready to Retreat’s letter(07:43) It's critical to have both an online and an offline experience(10:02) What makes a great facilitator of in-person experiences(12:10) The seemingly contradictory way to having the best experience(16:11) How to effectively draw people into a retreat(18:06) The gap between aspirational and actual values(20:45) Matching retreat leadership to real-life leadership(23:54) Eric's journey of founding Abundant Living and Humm Kombucha(28:37) The commitments behind such a transformative container(32:36) Holding the tension is critical for a valuable community(34:15) It's your job to provide value, not make people comfortable or not(39:24) It's better to have fewer but truly engaged members(42:39) Goal setting, releasing the outcome, and becoming who you want to beResources Mentioned:👥 Join Izozi Membership.🌄 Get Your Ticket to Abundant Living (and join Bri there!)📕 Check out the Way of the Peaceful Warrior.📺 Watch Eric's TEDxTalk, The Anatomy of Results.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended community platform.💛 Join Ember. Community creators building community-powered businesses.🔥 Ready to hear the stories we almost kept to ourselves? Here's this week's secret episode with Eric!Eric Plantenberg🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Wavering But Hopeful. Our letter today deals with the very tough reality of deciding whether to continue putting in the effort to keep your community going or to close the doors when it feels like there’re more times when it isn’t working.To better help Wavering But Hopeful, I invited Salome Schillack as my guest expert. She has been through over a decade of owning her craft and her expertise, and five years of running her own community membership, which she tastefully sunset after realizing it was no longer in alignment. Having been in Wavering’s shoes, her insights deeply resonate.So, even if you’re not thinking of whether or not it’s time to shut down your community, make sure to tune in to this episode because you’ll discover what to anticipate, what to think about, and the questions you need to ask now in order to build a community for longevity and to decide if stopping or pivoting is the way to go.In this episode:(03:03) The tale of how Bri and Salome first met(05:49) The communitea: Wavering But Hopeful’s letter(07:03) Salome’s own experience of building a membership and making the decision to close it(15:14) What ultimately wasn’t working in Salome’s membership(21:53) How Salome’s community journey translates into Bri’s matrix of communities(24:40) Approaching the decision to close the doors or pivot as a marketer(29:02) How to turn your community around if shutting it down is not the way to go(31:04) What to ask yourself and keep in mind for a community that lasts and lights you up(37:38) If you’re also wavering, know you’re not alone🤫 A boundary that felt impossible (but built more trust). Here's the bonus conversation with Salome!Resources Mentioned:🧑‍🏫 Check out the 4 Types of Communities Masterclass.🎙️ Tune into Salome’s podcast, The Launch Lounge Podcast.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.Salome Schillack🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Community Newbie. Our letter today deals with how overwhelming it can be to enter the world of community-building without really knowing where to begin.To better help Community Newbie, I invited Marjorie Anderson as my guest expert. She is the Director of Community for Exos and the Principal Strategist at Community by Association L.L.C. Marjorie is a bright light in the community spaces, has been professionally building community for 11+ years, and has helped many people get started with community.So, tune in for some incredible plant analogies that will make you look at both problems and community in a whole new way, the tools you need to lay a strong foundation for your new community, and tips on what you can do to have the best community for both you and your members.In this episode:(03:16) The communitea: Community Newbie’s letter(04:21) Stop feeling stuck with Marjorie’s beautiful oak tree analogy(07:24) Who should be looking to build community, and who shouldn’t(10:24) Beware of sabotaging your own community(11:36) Let’s make one thing clear: Community DOES really work(16:02) 3 foundational questions and a boundary to get you started with building community(24:35) The importance of interviewing 10 of your ideal members and what to ask them(27:27) Build the unique community you and your members want and have a manager(33:24) Listen to your community members with  equal parts authority and empathyResources Mentioned:📗 Learn more about The Mom Test.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.🔥 Ready to hear the stories we almost kept to ourselves? Here's this week's secret episode with Marjorie!Marjorie Anderson🖥️ Website📱 LinkedIn🎙️ PodcastBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Curious in Colorado. Our letter today deals with knowing whether jumping onto the community train is worthwhile by understanding the future of community building. To better help Curious in Colorado, I invited Zach Hawtof, Co-Founder, Community Manager, and CEO at Tightknit, as my guest expert. He is someone who has extensive experience building community, and not only thinks a lot about where community building is headed, but is also building the future of community platforms on Slack himself with his company.In this episode:(04:03) The evolution of community building over the last 10 years(07:14) Curious in Colorado’s letter: “Where is this trend headed?”(08:21) Why offline connection always wins—and what that means for digital spaces(12:12) Building community where your people already are(13:47) The cheat code for engagement (hint: it’s not better automation)(19:18) Why Slack isn’t a community platform… and why it absolutely is(21:12) How to become “psychic” about your members’ needs(24:51) Following the breadcrumb trail and building what you know(32:33) Asking better questions—and really listening to the answers(36:08) Why some members just aren’t ready (and that’s okay)(39:34) The overlooked challenges of the community industry(41:13) What AI means for the future of online connectionGet the unfiltered side of the conversation, where Zach shares his biggest mistake, a Slack channel name you’ll want to steal, and the one word he’d give to his younger self. Get it here! Resources Mentioned:Join the Tightknit Community.My episode with Noelle Flowers, Where is the best place to build my community?2024 CMX Community Industry Trends Report (Page 17).Sign up for Heartbeat. My go-to all-in-one community platform.Join Ember. For coaches, consultants & creators building paid communitiesZach Hawtof🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedinWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Sensitive in Seattle. Today’s letter deals with how to grow a community where joining that community might in and of itself be taboo.To better help Sensitive in Seattle, I’m bringing in the big guns. I invited Murtaza Bambot as my guest expert. He is the Founder & CEO at Heartbeat — the all-in-one platform for community businesses (also the sponsor of this podcast!) that has served has served over 5, 000 communities.So, tune in for an episode packed full of wisdom where Murtaza guides us through the process of finding those initial community members, even in a sensitive community, from a place of empathy and authority.In this episode:(05:51) Having a customer community when everything is going wrong(10:55) The only way out is through(14:40) The communitea: Sensitive in Seattle’s letter(15:41) Why community exists in the first place(18:23) Immediate boots-on-the-ground strategies to find your initial members(22:52) Prime advice on sales calls(24:43) Murtaza’s advice on using paid ads(26:27) The power of a paid waitlist to launch your community(31:16) You deserve to be paid for your work(34:45) Focus your marketing on the transformation(45:17) Be ready to constantly research, test, and implement(46:40) Leveraging ChatGPT as a thought partner(49:25) What makes a great salespersonResources Mentioned:❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Noteworthy quotes:“When you have 0 customers, your job is just to get to 1. And when you have 1 customer, your job is to get to 10. You don't have to think about what 100 customers, 1,000, 10,000 customers look like. Don't build these things to scale at the start.“ - Murtaza BambotMurtaza Bambot🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we hear from Negativity in New York. Today’s letter deals with the nuanced line between keeping your community positive while making space for people to be honest and real about the struggles they are experiencing.To better help Negativity in New York, I invited Mallory Contois as my guest expert. She has lots to contribute today because as the creator of one of my FAVORITE communities, Old Girls Club — a virtual community for working women with over 1,800 members that’s been running for 2.5 years on Slack.Mallory has seen some sh*t, so tune in for some tactical advice and practical strategies for navigating the difficult task of allowing tough conversations to take place in your community but not letting them take over.In this episode:(04:33) Moderating difficult topics and maintaining a safe space(12:08) The Politics channel: a test(16:28) Different responses for different sizes of community(19:31) The communitea: Negativity in New York’s letter(20:58) What to do when a community member is trauma dumping(27:35) Practical advice for having those tough conversations(33:39) The importance of creating some distance from community members(37:37) The wild success of the Yell in Caps Here channel in the OGC communityExpect: Thoughtful community engagement tactics and community management coaching.Resources Mentioned:👩‍🦰 Join the Old Girls Club jointheogc.com.🎧 Past episodes mentioned: Episode 7 with Andrea Middleton and Episode 9 with Jae Washington.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. All-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for community creators building community-powered businesses.Mallory Contois🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Hesitant in Honolulu. Our letter today deals with a sensitive subject between two community members and the question of whether to take a proactive approach or not to try to control the potential conflict in your community.To better help Hesitant in Honolulu, I invited Carrie Melissa Jones as my guest expert. She is an award-winning community builder, author, social scientist, and consultant who has worked with large enterprises, foundations, non-profits, and leading brands like Discord, Nike, Google, Microsoft, and Airbnb. She definitely has the experience and the hard-earned wisdom for the job.So, tune in for practical ways to stay ahead of any potential conflict in your online community + an entirely new way of thinking about competition and community.In this episode:(03:27) Drama at dinner(07:03) Clear is kind and the permission to trust your intuition(11:49) The communitea: Hesitant in Honolulu’s letter(13:51) How to proactively approach potential conflict in your online community(19:51) Community mantras(22:12) Revisiting and reassessing your community values(25:42) Competition or community?(32:41 ) Proactively having the hard conversation(35:31) Building community is work worth doingExpect: Community management strategies to prevent conflict.Resources Mentioned:📖 Carrie’s book: Building Brand Communities: How Organizations Succeed by Creating Belonging.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Noteworthy quotes:“When people stop making progress in a community, that is when engagement stalls. And similarly with you as a leader, if you as a leader stop making progress with the community, then interest often wanes, progress stalls, engagement drops.“ - Carrie Melissa JonesCarrie Melissa Jones🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Hopeful in Houston. Our letter today deals with a community builder who wishes they had better guided their community through diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).To better help Hopeful in Houston, I invited Jae Washington as my guest expert. She is the perfect person to bring us new insights because she is a community consultant, curator, and connector with experience at Zeenefits and as Head of the Global Client Community at Headspace, where she revolutionized community engagement and community-building within B2B organizations.So, tune in for a truly insightful and profound episode, with frameworks and tactics to help you build a community full of belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion.In this episode:(04:00) Some harsh realities of being a community manager for an organization(10:07) The communitea: Hopeful in Houston’s letter(12:18) The 3 GRs: gratitude, grace, and growth(14:38) The value of belonging(18:38) Steps to bring a better DEIB initiative to your organization’s community(23:21) A new state of B.E.I.N.G.(25:48) Celebrating differences in your community(28:16) How to start your community on the right track with DEIB(31:09) When the community is asking for something you can’t deliver(34:47) Support, not save(37:55) A surprise: the letter’s originsExpect: Community strategy and community engagement tactics focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.Resources Mentioned:❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Noteworthy quotes:“Just because an organization hires you to manage or institute community does not mean they value community.“ - Jae Washington“If our similarities are the spark for connection, our differences beget growth and education.” - Bri LeeverJae Washington🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Eager Beaver in Baltimore. Our writer today fell into the age-old myth: build it and they will come. Thankfully, they’ve since switched their mindset and realized that it takes a heck of a lot of consistent marketing to get people in their community and would like some advice.To better help Eager Beaver in Baltimore, I invited Alli Ball, founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz, as my guest expert. I couldn’t think of a better person for this episode than someone who has successfully marketed their paid community program for 10 YEARS, which is basically unheard of. Never mind that in that program, she teaches people how to market their products in the food industry. So, tune in for some insights about how to market your community effectively.In this episode:(03:52) When your free community turns out to be a mistake(11:10) The free + paid community conundrum and Alli’s pop-up group solution(16:50) The decision to create a community on Facebook(20:14) The communitea: Eager Beaver in Baltimore’s letter(27:23) The importance of setting clear expectations and strong boundaries in your online community(38:44) Retail Ready®: a transformative community(41:03) The drip sprinkler system marketing strategy for communities(47:25) Layering in live launches with an evergreen sales system(52:11) The evolution of Retail Ready®Resources Mentioned:🎙️ Listen to the Food Biz Wiz Podcast here!🎧 Catch up with Episode 2 | Am I crazy to resist going from a cohort-based to a membership community model? to learn more about these two models.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Noteworthy quotes:“If you are the leader of your community and you are the first person to respond to every post, first person to put a comment in there, to give advice, that's a dictatorship. That's not actually a community.“ - Alli Ball“If the goal here is that I serve my community members with the best possible advice, most thoughtful responses, what boundaries do I need to put in place so that I can realistically deliver that?“ - Bri LeeverAlli Ball🖥️ Website📱 Linkedin🤳 InstagramBri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Toxic Member in Toronto. Our letter today deals with a toxic community member stirring up trouble to revolt against the community manager.To better help Toxic Member in Toronto, I invited Andrea Middleton **as my guest expert. She is a seasoned veteran of the community space who loves finding paths to productive and powerful collaborations with opinionated and skeptical communities, which is perfect for our letter today.So, tune in for a lot of wisdom from someone who’s dealt with a toxic community member or two and some really practical tools on what to do when your community turns against you.In this episode:(03:34) When Andrea fanned the flames without a gameplan(06:21) 3 strategies for conflict de-escalation in online communities(11:57) The communitea: Toxic Member in Toronto’s letter(15:08) How to protect yourself against toxic community members(17:49) Having a strong code of conduct in place and tips to get there(28:32) The diagnostic phase and possible plans of action(34:44) Fighting fire (conflict) with a vacuumExpect: Community management best practices and community strategy for conflict resolution.Resources Mentioned:❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Noteworthy quotes:“You don't need to agree with someone to understand where they're coming from. But without understanding her goals and motivations, you're never going to be able to form a strategic plan for how to address her behavior.“ - Andrea Middleton“You don't need to arm yourself with all of these rigid guidelines and rules when really, as “the protector” of the community, your job is to bring forth the spirit of the community, not to just enforce the things people aren't supposed to do.“ - Bri LeeverAndrea MiddletonAndrea is a veteran community organizer who loves finding paths to productive and powerful collaborations with opinionated, skeptical communities. She spent 10 years working in community efforts in the WordPress open source project, and joined Reddit in 2021.🖥️ Website📱 LinkedinBri LeeverBri got her start building a community and growing it to a multi-million dollar revenue stream for a social enterprise in Portland, OR. Now, she supports folks used to running their business on content, coaching, and consulting to create their community offer. She's a Community Strategist by day and a Campervan host by night on the Big Island of Hawaii and you'll usually find her on, in, or under the water.🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱 LinkedinHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.