Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Bri Leever, Community Consultant, Strategist, and Founder at Ember.
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Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever brings on a guest community expert to read and advise on an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress. From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics, this podcast will help you master the art of community management by providing oh-so-relatable community stories (in a dramatic retelling) while approaching the issue with sound community strategy and advice.The mission? Helping community creators and community managers feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone. You're in the right place if you are... Community Curious: Creators or brands interested in exploring the benefits of a community for their business. Learn the basics of community-powered marketing and building a community-powered business from scratch.Community Hatchlings: Newcomers to online community building looking for guidance and support. Discover best practices, tips for growing and engaging your community, and learn from others' experiences.Senior Community Folks: Experienced community managers seeking expert advice on the toughest situations. Get insights into advanced community engagement tactics and innovative growth strategy.Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community pros. Each episode provides real-life scenarios, practical solutions, and actionable steps you can implement in your community management practices.Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios. Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  1. How do I find the first members for my niche community? With Murtaza Bambot, Founder & CEO at Heartbeat

    OCT 15

    How do I find the first members for my niche community? With Murtaza Bambot, Founder & CEO at Heartbeat

    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 salesperson 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: “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 Bambot Murtaza Bambot 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever 🖥️ Website 📩 Newsletter 📹 Youtube 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    54 min
  2. How do I do if a community member is trauma dumping? With Mallory Contois, Head of Community at Mercury

    OCT 8

    How do I do if a community member is trauma dumping? With Mallory Contois, Head of Community at Mercury

    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 community Expect: 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 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever 🖥️ Website 📩 Newsletter 📹 Youtube 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    44 min
  3. How do I deal with potential conflict in my community that I can see coming? with Carrie Melissa Jones, CEO of the CMJ Group

    OCT 1

    How do I deal with potential conflict in my community that I can see coming? with Carrie Melissa Jones, CEO of the CMJ Group

    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. 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. So, 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, a 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 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 doing Expect: 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 Jones Carrie Melissa Jones 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever 🖥️ Website 📩 Newsletter 📹 Youtube 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    39 min
  4. How do I bring more diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into my community? with Community Consultant Jae Washington

    SEP 24

    How do I bring more diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into my community? with Community Consultant Jae Washington

    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 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 origins Expect: 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 Leever Jae Washington 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever 🖥️ Website 📩 Newsletter 📹 Youtube 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    42 min
  5. If I build it, how do I make sure they come? with Alli Ball, founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz

    SEP 17

    If I build it, how do I make sure they come? with Alli Ball, founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz

    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 literally 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, how to set the right expectations and let go of any guilt toward your community members, and much more. In this episode: (03:52) When your free community turns out to be a mistake (08:43) The fine line between entitlement and empowerment (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 (22:41) Community building or a dictatorship (27:23) The importance of setting clear expectations and strong boundaries (36:27) Leading your community by example (38:44) Retail Ready®: a transformative community (41:03) Alli’s drip sprinkler system marketing strategy (47:25) Layering in live launches with an evergreen sales system (52:11) The evolution of Retail Ready® Expect: Marketing strategies for communities that work and community growth tactics you can use to gain members. 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? With Marie Schacht, CEO of Akimbo 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 Leever Alli Ball Alli Ball is the founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz and the creator of Retail Ready®, an online program providing strategic support, curated curriculum, and values-aligned community for producers of packaged products in the food industry. As a former grocery buyer-turned-wholesale consultant, Alli has helped thousands of emerging brands understand what it takes to get on the shelf and have high sales once you’re there. 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin 🤳 Instagram Bri Leever Bri 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 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    57 min
  6. How do I deal with a toxic community member? with Andrea Middleton, Community Empowerment Leader at Reddit

    SEP 10

    How do I deal with a toxic community member? with Andrea Middleton, Community Empowerment Leader at Reddit

    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 (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 vacuum Expect: 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 Leever Andrea Middleton Andrea 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 — the last 3 years at Reddit she’s had lots of exciting moments, including working with mods and communities through the API protests of last summer. In her spare time, she loves reading sci-fi/fantasy, cooking, fine wine, and goofing with her teenagers. 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever Bri 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 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    38 min
  7. How do I serve and care for my community while still meeting big business goals? with Jelani Memory, VP & Publisher at DK

    SEP 3

    How do I serve and care for my community while still meeting big business goals? with Jelani Memory, VP & Publisher at DK

    In this episode, we’re hearing from Constrained in Columbus. Our letter deals with creating a vibrant and engaged community under the pressure of big business goals. To better help Constrained in Columbus, I invited Jelani Memory **as my guest expert. He’s not our typical guest because he doesn't manage or really consider himself a community creator. But as you will find in this episode he has an incredible amount of insights and wisdom to share with community builders, as he essentially takes a community-centric approach to everything that he does. So, tune in for a powerful episode that will have you rethinking how to deal with people who disagree with you, inspired to walk the walk, and ready to better connect with your community. In this episode: (04:47) The importance of engaging and creating bridges to make change (10:28) Jelani’s process to help other people access their own stories (18:28) Leading your community culture by example (23:26) The communitea: Constrained in Columbus’s letter (24:49) 3 principles for the caretaking of your community (31:23) Insights into Jelani’s own acquisition experience (34:44) Being clear and true to the mission and values of your community Expect: Heart-centered community strategy and thoughtful community engagement tactics. Resources Mentioned: 👦 👧 Learn more about A Kids Co. at akidsco.com ❤️ 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: “A community can't go further than you can take them. They will do what you do. You can say all sorts of stuff, but culture is what you do, not what you say. And they will act like you act. If you step all over people, if you try and be the most talkative person in the room, [if] you dismiss people's ideas, they will do that.“ - Jelani Memory “[Community]'s an incredibly powerful model, especially when partnered with business and, to your point, when it's not coming from a place of authenticity and vulnerability and you setting the pace for that connection, it will crumble faster than your cookie possibly could.“ - Bri Leever Jelani Memory Jelani Memory is currently VP & Publisher at DK where he oversees the A Kids Book About Imprint. He's also the founder of A Kids Co., a groundbreaking media company that empowers children and families through meaningful and inclusive content. Awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Bravery in Literature Award, Jelani previously co-founded Circle (the parental control app, NOT the community platform) and has revolutionized children's publishing by tackling important topics like systemic racism, self-love, and climate change. 🖥️ Website 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever Bri 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 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    40 min
  8. What can a community manager do when members become too critical? With Community Director Ami Defesche

    AUG 27

    What can a community manager do when members become too critical? With Community Director Ami Defesche

    In this episode, the inspiration stems from a late-night LinkedIn DM from a distressed community manager handling a tumultuous Discord community. They felt overwhelmed and discouraged by all the suggestions and criticism constantly comming from community members. To better help Discordant on Discord, I invited Ami Defesche as my guest expert. Ami is a community builder with a passion for helping dreamers and doers in small business. She's currently the community director at Wildcard Alliance — and formerly at Intuit and Blackbaud. As an experienced community builder, Ami shared strategies and tools for managing overwhelming feedback and toxic behavior in rapidly expanding communities. So, tune in to learn about the importance of mission statements, setting boundaries, and self-care practices for community managers. In this episode: (03:01) The Communitea: Discordant on Discord’s letter (04:43) The Challenges of Managing a Discord Community (06:15) Strategies for Managing Community Feedback (12:48) Tools and Techniques for Community Moderation (20:29) What to Do if You’re Starting a Discord Community Today (23:52) Self-Care for Community Managers Expect: Community strategy, online community building best practices, and community growth strategies. 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: “If you're going to start a community anywhere, start as best as you can with the thought that one day it's going to have 10, 000 people in it […] What would you want in place to make sure that was a productive group?” - Ami Defesche “You have quite a bit of agency as the moderator, as the community manager to set the framework for how members behave in this space and what you expect of them.“ - Bri Leever “My dad always said: ‘avoid creating a policy where what’s required is a hard conversation.’” - Bri Leever Ami Defesche Ami Defesche is a community builder with a passion for helping the dreamers and doers in small business. Currently the Community Director at Wildcard Alliance, formerly Intuit and Blackbaud. 📱 Linkedin Bri Leever Bri 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 📱 Linkedin And before you go… 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on Spotify That 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.

    27 min
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About

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever brings on a guest community expert to read and advise on an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress. From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics, this podcast will help you master the art of community management by providing oh-so-relatable community stories (in a dramatic retelling) while approaching the issue with sound community strategy and advice.The mission? Helping community creators and community managers feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone. You're in the right place if you are... Community Curious: Creators or brands interested in exploring the benefits of a community for their business. Learn the basics of community-powered marketing and building a community-powered business from scratch.Community Hatchlings: Newcomers to online community building looking for guidance and support. Discover best practices, tips for growing and engaging your community, and learn from others' experiences.Senior Community Folks: Experienced community managers seeking expert advice on the toughest situations. Get insights into advanced community engagement tactics and innovative growth strategy.Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community pros. Each episode provides real-life scenarios, practical solutions, and actionable steps you can implement in your community management practices.Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios. Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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