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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 invites a guest community expert to respond to an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress. From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics gone awry, this podcast delivers relatable stories and sound community strategy for navigating the chaos of digital communities—all with empathy, expertise, and a touch of drama. The mission? Helping community managers and community creators feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone while building thriving brand communities. You're in the right place if you are... 🐣 Community Curious: Creators or brands exploring the benefits of a community-powered business. Learn the fundamentals of community strategy for online businesses, and discover how to build an online community from scratch. 🐥 Community Hatchlings: Newcomers to community building seeking guidance and support. Get tips on how to grow a paid community, avoid common mistakes in community building, and build trust through smart community roles and responsibilities. 🦅 Senior Community Folks: Seasoned pros facing complex dilemmas. Explore topics like managing community drama, setting boundaries in digital communities, and advanced community retention strategies. Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community managers and creators. Episodes provide the most up-to-date community management practices, common mistakes to avoid in community building, the best community engagement tactics I've seen, tips on setting boundaries and building trust in online communities, and of course, a touch of community drama to keep things interesting and fun! 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 on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Episodes
35 episodes
How to Grow Your Community Without Hustling Harder
One of the biggest fears community builders have is launching a community and hearing… crickets. No members. No engagement. No momentum.But after years of building communities for both my own business and my clients, I’ve learned that su...
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Great Community Engagement Starts With Asking a Different Question
Engagement isn't something that happens organically. It's something you design for.In this episode of Dear Bri, we're diving into one of the most misunderstood topics in community building: engagement. Most community owners focus on tact...
How much should I charge for my membership community? I don’t want to blow it!
Pricing your community isn’t just about revenue. It shapes the kind of members you attract, how they engage, and whether your community actually creates transformation.In this episode of Dear Bri, I’m breaking down the biggest myths arou...
My freemium community isn’t working… Did I do something wrong?
“Start with a free community, then upsell people into your paid offer.”Sounds smart, right? It’s one of the most common community growth strategies out there, and in this episode of Dear Bri, I’m explaining why it usually backfires.<...
What’s the BEST community platform to build my membership in 2026?
If you’ve ever found yourself deep in the rabbit hole of comparing community platforms, you’re certainly not alone. From feature lists to demos to endless reviews, it feels like the right decision is just one more comparison away. But more rese...
How do I know a community is right for my business?
Here’s what I know after designing and building 79 online communities in the past 6 years alone…Before you pick a platform, price your offer, or map out your curriculum, there’s one thing you need to do first: have 10 real conversations ...
What community model is right for my business?
I know predictable recurring revenue sounds awesome, and a membership community is usually the first idea that comes to mind… But if you’re not familiar with community strategy and design, you can easily spend months (or years!) building the wr...
Community Platform Showdown: Skool vs Circle vs Mighty vs Heartbeat
Community strategy is hard enough without having to pick between 50 different tools. If you’ve ever stared down the long list of platform options—Circle, Heartbeat, Mighty Networks, Skool, Kajabi, and more—and thought, "How do I even choose?", ...
How can community repair our polarized politics? With Rebecca Davis, Director & Producer of Join or Die
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 bet...
Part 2: What common mistakes should I avoid when setting up my community platform? (Solo Series)
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 ...
Part 1: What’s the best all-in-one platform for building a paid community? (Solo Series)
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 suit...
How do I handle negative feedback in my community? With Lindsay Rothfeld, Head of Community at Kira Learning
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....
Can my community handle anonymous posts without spiraling into chaos? With Amanda Northcutt, CEO of Level Up Creators
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 ...
How do I stop being the main source of value in my community without letting it fall apart? With Pia Silva, founder of No BS Agency Mastery
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....
How do I stop comparing myself to others? With Charmaine Jennings, Founder & CEO of Strategic Charm
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 o...
How do I turn my beta test into a vibrant, scalable, and sustainable community? With Jac White, Founder of Honeybees Group
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 s...
When and how should I hire someone to help me with my community? With Kristen Pavle, Relational Designer
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 b...
How can I foster peer-to-peer connection & learning in my community without always relying on my guidance? With Diana Davis, Business Coach
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 ...
How can I effectively couple an online community with an in-person retreat? With Eric Plantenberg, Founder of the Abundant Living Retreat
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 ...
How do you know when to keep pushing or when to let go of your community? With Salome Schillack, CEO & Founder of The Launch Lounge
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 mo...
What’s step one for someone totally new to creating their own community space? With Marjorie Anderson, Director of Community for Exos
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 Marjor...
Where is community building today and where is it headed? With Zach Hawtof, CEO at Tightknit
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 Co...
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 ...
What 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.
How do I deal with potential conflict between members in my online community? 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 in ...
