Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

By: Bri Leever Community Consultant Strategist and Founder at Ember.
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  • Summary

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

    How do I serve and care for my community while still meeting big business goals? with Jelani Memory, VP & Publisher at DK
    Sep 3 2024

    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


    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.
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    40 mins
  • What can a community manager do when members become too critical?

    What can a community manager do when members become too critical?
    Aug 27 2024

    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


    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.
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    27 mins
  • Where is the best place to build my community? With Community Strategy Consultant, Noele Flowers

    Where is the best place to build my community? With Community Strategy Consultant, Noele Flowers
    Aug 20 2024
    In this episode, we’re hearing from Community in a Conundrum. Our letter today deals with the question of where to host a new community. Specifically, as it relates to Slack and all-in-one platforms like Heartbeat.To better help Community in a Conundrum, I invited Noele Flowers **as my guest expert. No one better to talk about whether or not to host your community on Slack than the Slack-slayer, herself, Noele Flowers. I thought of Noele specifically after reading a newsletter she sent out with the subject ‘Why are we still using Slack to run communities?”We’ll go over all the different variables you should consider when selecting the best place to host your community. So, tune in for a fun and light episode that’s filled to the brim with really good community strategies.In this episode:(03:43) The joys of keeping an eye on the Nextdoor chaos(06:09) The communitea: Community in a Conundrum’s letter(08:08) The dilemma of wanting the benefits from both social networks and all-in-one community platforms(09:46) Why we ARE still building community on Slack and Facebook(17:06) The differences between Facebook, Slack, and all-in-one community platforms(23:09) Intentional onboarding and engagement strategies for all-in-one community platforms(30:25) The learning-to-connection ratio and what it means for your platform choice(33:06) Going beyond connectionResources Mentioned:🎬 For examples of great Slack communities, watch these community dissections: When a Newsletter Becomes a Community: A Study of Lenny’s Community and A World-class Example of a Cohort-based Community: The Community Community hosted on Slack.🤝 Check out Tightknit if you want to layer more community functionality over your Slack community.📩 Subscribe to Noele’s Newsletter here.❤️ 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:“We need to take that approach to communities we build, where we actually know that I have to introduce them [users] to it. I have to prove the value of it. I have to teach them how to use it. I have to get them over all of these points of friction.“ - Noele Flowers“I'll advise my clients frequently, build your community in the platform that was built to host it. And if your community is not a workplace community, Slack was not built for your community.“ - Bri LeeverNoele FlowersNoele Flowers is a community strategy consultant based in New York's Hudson Valley. Noele worked for Teachable where she built an amazing foundation for her skills in online education. She’s also worked at Commsor where she continued to develop her skills in education within the context of community.🖥️ 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📱 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.
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    37 mins
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