Startup Parent

Building An Online Community That Works — Sarah Lacy

Dec 3, 2018

01:05:51

#088 — Building An Online Community That Works

“At its bare minimum, what Chairman Mom is combating is loneliness and isolation. We all know that is the biggest problem in our country right now and the biggest casualty of the trillion-dollar social media industry.”

Sarah Lacy is building an online platform where women can discuss the most important issues they face in their personal and professional lives, without fear of judgement or abuse. So, how did she create a supportive online space for women to connect with each other? A safe place where community comes first?

Today, Sarah joins me to discuss the Chairman Mom community, explaining what inspired her to create the platform and how it works. She offers insight around the toxicity of ad-based social networks and describes what makes Chairman Mom different. I ask Sarah about the success of her Mama Bear newsletter, and we talk about how it helped build an audience for Chairman Mom prior to the site’s launch. Listen in to understand how and why anonymity works on the platform, facilitating conversations that may not happen anywhere else.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/088.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode: Aeroflow Breastpumps. They are dedicated to making the hassle of getting your breast pump a little bit easier—actually, a lot easier! Head to www.aeroflowbreastpumps.com/startup to have them help you qualify for a free breast pump through insurance.

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH LACY

Sarah Lacy is the Founder and CEO of Chairman Mom, an online community for professional women. A journalist for nearly 20 years, Sarah is known for her fearless, outspoken reporting. She is a sought-after speaker, frequent guest on national television, and the author of several books. Her most recent release, A Uterus is a Feature, Not a Bug, was published in November 2017. Sarah describes herself as ‘an unapologetic feminist, mother, and supporter of women.’

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE