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 gap

Resources 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

📱 LinkedIn

Bri Leever

🖥️ Website

📹 Youtube

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 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 on

Resources 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

📱LinkedIn

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 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 Heartbeat

Tune 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

📹 Youtube

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.