"Your Head of Community is the glue that connects your business goals with the needs of your audience."

In this episode, we discussed how communities serve as the lifeblood of modern brands, the strategic role of a Head of Community, and why community-driven approaches create loyalty, engagement, and exponential growth, in particular:

👉 The business difference between audiences and communities.

👉 Why the Head of Community is the most crucial hire for startups.

👉 How a community-first approach creates loyalty and drives business growth.

👉 How to measure community engagement and its impact on ROI.

👉 Why community building is a game-changer for startups.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Jake Hurwitz, founder of Thursday Labs, a new type of content company/production studio that helps founders and investors become thought leaders by producing a ton of valuable content and generating tens of millions for companies like POSH, Day One, Rove, Nifty Bridge, and many others, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Jake and Yurii on Linkedin:

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

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Jake Hurwitz: Founder of Thursday Labs

(01:15) Defining Community vs. Audience

(02:58) The Role of Community in Business Structure

(04:42) Community as a Competitive Advantage

(07:04) The Decline of Traditional Communities and Rise of New Ones

(08:15) The Importance of a Head of Community

(13:27) Building Community for Business Success

(16:12) Marketing vs. Community Building

(19:13) The Role of Community in a Content Studio

(22:52) Metrics for Community Growth

(28:53) The Importance of Hosting Events

(31:25) Companies Benefiting from Communities

(34:21) Innovative Community Building Examples

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"The return on investment in community work isn’t just profit—it’s being seen as indispensable, the go-to for insight and connection."

In this episode, we discussed how to build internal communities that engage employees, collaborate with multiple teams, and demonstrate ROI through tangible and intangible value, in particular:

👉 Strategies for creating safe and engaging internal communities.

👉 Importance of cross-functional partnerships for community success.

👉 Practical ways to report community ROI to executive teams.

👉 How to leverage community feedback for continuous improvement.

👉 Tips on building trust and inclusivity within employee communities.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Stephanie Nakano, a community expert who's left her heart at the intersection of technology and online communities for over 12 years, started her journey by leading communities for tech startups and who has been honing her skills in building engaged user-focused ecosystems ever since in such companies as FANDOM, Zapier, Coda, and Salesforce, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Stephanie and Yurii on Linkedin:

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

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Stephanie Nakano

(00:59) Community Goals and Business

(01:32) Importance of Internal Employee Connection

(02:43) Understanding Internal Sentiment

(03:21) Building Scalable Engagement

(04:31) Ensuring Safe and Inclusive Spaces

(08:50) Collaborating with Various Teams

(19:03) Reporting Community Wins and ROI

(21:23) Final Thoughts and Recommendations

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"People don't just stay for the product; they stay for the community, for feeling like they're part of something bigger than themselves."

In this episode, we discussed how a community can drive measurable outcomes, including customer retention, cost savings, and enhanced brand engagement, in particular:

👉 How to connect community goals with six core business objectives.

👉 Practical strategies for using communities to retain customers and reduce costs.

👉 Examples of aligning community success with business growth.

👉 How to bring cross-functional teams into community building for maximum impact.

👉 Actionable advice on measuring community ROI and proving its business value.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Brian Oblinger, a seasoned community expert who's been in the online communities space since the 1990s from a content moderator to the Vice President of Customer Experience and Global Community and now helps worldwide brands engage their customers as a Community Strategic Consultant, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Brian and Yurii on Linkedin:

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

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Brian Oblinger

(01:32) Connecting Community to Business Outcomes

(04:03) Understanding Business Priorities

(06:35) Strategies for Customer Retention

(10:08) Actions to Achieve Retention Goals

(18:01) Working with Different Business Teams

(19:42) Collaborative Community Building

(20:44) Metrics for Community Impact

(21:46) Engaging Cross-Functional Teams

(24:42) Communicating Community Value

(26:54) Handling Missed Goals and Planning

(29:24) Setting Realistic Expectations

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

“To be the bridge between community and business, you need to listen deeply and guide the conversation with honesty and care.”

In this episode, we discussed the crucial role of community leaders as facilitators who listen to both sides and build a thriving ecosystem where everyone benefits, in particular:

👉 How to define and align community and business goals.

👉 Value of community: from product feedback to user-generated content.

👉 How to build an ecosystem that nurtures both business growth and community success.

👉 The critical role of community in achieving long-term success.

👉 Why community professionals serve as the bridge between business and clients.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Corina Gheonea, a seasoned community professional with over 12 years of experience in community development and entrepreneurial environments, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Corina and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-gheonea/

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Corina Gheonea

(00:59) Defining Community Goals

(02:13) Aligning Community and Business Objectives

(04:41) Building a Thriving Community

(05:21) Community Success Stories

(10:40) Connecting Community and Business Goals

(14:18) Collaborating with Other Teams

(16:15) Measuring Community Impact

(30:41) Overcoming Challenges in Community Building

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"The worst thing a community professional can do is sit in a room and define goals without aligning them with the business. It's all about making the community goals resonate with what the business already values."

In this episode, we discussed why specificity is key, how to define objectives that drive measurable results, and the unique value communities can bring to business success, in particular:

👉 Why defining specific, measurable community goals is crucial for business success.

👉 How to align community objectives with overarching business goals.

👉 Difference between community goals and member objectives (specific member actions).

👉 How a community helps to improve customer onboarding and product engagement and reduce churn.

👉 How to prioritize and phase community goals over time as the community matures.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Richard Millington, the founder of FeverBee community consultancy, where he has helped to develop over 300 successful communities in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Richard and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-millington-5a32782/

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Richard Millington

(01:21) Defining Community Goals

(02:34) Setting Specific Objectives

(03:32) Aligning Community Goals with Business Goals

(06:05) Understanding Unique Community Value

(07:46) Measuring Community Success

(08:44) Inspiring Community Goals

(14:22) Evolving Community Goals

(16:59) Collaborating with Different Teams

(18:45) Practical Examples of Community Building

(25:53) Strategies for Engaging Other Teams

(28:21) The Power of Storytelling in Community Building

(33:49) Challenges and Solutions in Community Management

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"To build a thriving community, you need to speak both the language of empathy and the language of ROI."

In this episode, we discussed the importance of translating community initiatives into measurable business value while maintaining a human-centered approach, in particular:

👉 Practical steps for translating community success into business impact.

👉 The role of community builders in driving business growth.

👉 Insights into working with cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.

👉 The importance of building internal communities for long-term success.

👉 Emotional intelligence and empathy in community and business collaboration.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Shannon Emery, an experienced B2B SAAS community professional with a decade of hands-on experience in the tech space, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Shannon and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-m-emery/

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Shannon Emery

(01:13) Defining Community Goals

(03:56) Aligning Community Goals with Business Goals

(05:08) Speaking the Language of C-Level Executives

(14:06) Collaborating with Different Teams

(16:40) Solving Business Problems with Community

(23:54) Aligning Community Efforts with Business Impact

(27:17) Bringing Visibility to Community Impact

(29:58) Addressing Challenges and Transparency

(36:39) Identifying and Measuring Community ROI

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"To see the ROI of a community, think of the return on impact, not just investment. What’s the value of hope, support, and shared journeys?"

In this episode, we discussed how community engagement leads to more funding, which in turn enables further community support and expansion, creating a sustainable growth model, in particular:

👉 Measuring community success in nonprofit settings without relying solely on surveys and feedback.

👉 How nonprofits can leverage community feedback for program development and better service delivery.

👉 Role of loyal community members in supporting nonprofit missions and fostering long-term stability.

👉 How increased community engagement can attract more sponsors and funding for nonprofit organizations.

👉 Connecting quality and quantity in nonprofit community building efforts.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Tim McDonald, a community strategist, storyteller, recovering marketer, and architect of humanity with more than a decade of community experience, and who was talking about community ROI long before it became mainstream, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Tim and Yurii on Linkedin:

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

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Tim McDonald

(00:56) Defining Community Goals

(01:45) Aligning Community and Business Goals

(03:17) Measuring Community Impact

(06:11) Balancing Quality and Quantity in Community Growth

(10:56) The Role of Loyal Community Members

(12:57) Starting a Community from Scratch

(15:51) Collaborating with Other Teams

(24:13) Handling Challenges and Delivering Bad News

(28:20) The Value of Community ROI

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth

"Community isn't just about connection—it's about demonstrating real business impact and value, which is the key to long-term success."

In this episode, we discussed how effectively integrating community initiatives with business strategies can lead to significant cost savings, drive growth, and enhance customer engagement, in particular:

👉 How to align community goals with business objectives to drive growth and ROI.

👉 Actionable strategies for assessing the impact of community initiatives.

👉 Importance of storytelling in showcasing community success to leadership.

👉 Building relationships across departments to ensure community efforts are visible.

👉 Leveraging community feedback for continuous business improvement.

Join Yurii Lazaruk, the Community Consultant, and Chris Catania, an award-winning enterprise community-building expert with more than 20 years of experience, in connecting community goals with business goals to drive business growth!

Connect with Chris and Yurii on Linkedin:

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

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

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Chris Catania

(00:57) Defining Community Goals

(01:40) Connecting Community Goals with Business Goals

(03:57) Building ROI Models for Community Impact

(06:11) Community's Role in Cost Savings

(08:46) Community's Role in Business Growth

(13:00) Collaborating with Different Teams

(26:23) Storytelling and Measuring Community Impact

(30:41) Addressing Challenges and Negative Feedback

#communityROI #communitybuilding #businessgrowth