“A true community lives where business needs and human needs overlap.”

In this episode, we discussed how to align community strategy with business outcomes—from growth and engagement to real impact—and why thriving users mean thriving companies, in particular:

👉 How to connect community goals directly to your company’s business objectives.

👉 Lessons from Airbnb, Wix, and ClassDojo on turning communities into business drivers.

👉 How to align community with product, marketing, and customer success teams.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Ashley Gallman Williams, a strong community professional with over 15 years of experience scaling programs at companies like Wix, Airbnb, ClassDojo, and now Stripe, she’s built global communities that empower people to connect, collaborate, and thrive: from launching ambassador networks to leading international teams across 90+ countries, she’s proven that when people come together with purpose, extraordinary things happen, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Ashley and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleygallmanwilliams/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00 ) Meet Ashley Williams

(01:17 ) Defining Community for Business

(02:16 ) Setting Community Goals

(04:37 ) Balancing Growth and Quality

(05:47 ) Inspiring Community Goals at Stripe

(10:28 ) Motivating Community Builders

(16:58 ) Pros and Cons of Building Community for Established Companies

(19:36 ) Startup Challenges and Risks

(20:11 ) Key Teams in Community Building

(22:20 ) Managing Stakeholders and Communication

(23:38 ) Encouraging Cross-Team Collaboration

(26:25 ) Effective Community Updates and Storytelling

(29:12 ) Handling Community Challenges and Feedback

(33:51 ) Using AI in Community Building

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth