#003 How do you reconcile community-building with the metric-driven goals of CEOs or shareholders? Even if you're building a community that's not tied to a business, how do you make that community financially sustainable?David Spinks has been at the forefront of the community movement since he was 14, and he's here with a wealth of advice for community-builders everywhere who want to design successful communities holistically.How do you approach community building the right way? What platform should you use? We talk through these questions, common mistakes community-builders make off the bat, effective strategies like identifying "super members" early on, the importance of ritual in modern community settings, and how some companies are able to run massive communities with only a few people at the helm. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx003See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When social media first surfaced it was generally dismissed as largely inconsequential for businesses. These days it’s almost impossible to imagine a successful business without a social media presence. With the rise of web three and the ubiquity of social media comes the integral concept of community and the impact and engagement it creates. Here to help us interrogate this rapidly expanding field is David Spinks, VP of Community at Bevy and Cofounder of CMX, two platforms dedicated to helping businesses create and support a thriving community. He is also the author of the new book The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage. In our conversation, we discuss the key difference between building an audience versus a community, and why community drives deeper and more meaningful engagement for business. Learn about some of CMX’s useful resources, like the SPACES Model, a fundamental framework for defining your community’s business value. We also discuss the most common mistakes businesses make when they first build their communities and how to go about it the right way. Be sure to tune in to learn more about this important topic from an expert in the field! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:00] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:15] Introducing today’s guest David Spinks VP of Community at Bevy and Co-founder of CMX. [01:14] How community is being factored into how businesses are structured.  [02:28] Outlining the differences between audience and community. [04:30] How community encourages participants to create rather than consume. [05:40] Examples of communities where David has seen people create and contribute. [07:35] The importance of a skilled and competent community manager.  [08:42] How to find the right community manager. [09:39] How Bevy, a pioneering community event engine, was started. [11:29] Why it’s important to start small and set an intentional example with your initial community members. [15:59] How to ‘push out control’ to manage large communities with fewer community managers and why many businesses make the mistake of growing too fast.  [18:04] The SPACES Model and how to use it as a framework for defining your community’s business value. [21:07] The best way to grow your community and why most businesses start in the wrong place. [24:07] David’s top book recommendation and its far-reaching applications. [24:39] David’s podcast Masters of Community and what you can learn from it.  [25:24] Exciting new AI tools to take your community to the next level!   Resources From The Interview:   David Spinks David Spinks on LinkedIn David Spinks on Twitter The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage Masters of Community Podcast CMX The SPACES Model: The Framework for Defining Your Community’s Business Value Bevy Startup Grind Orbiit.ai Orbit.love Must-read book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Subscribe to our premium podcast (with tons of goodies!): https://www.marketingschool.io/pro   Leave Some Feedback:     What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.     Connect with Us:      Neilpatel.com Quick Sprout  Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel  Twitter @ericosiu     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Greg is joined by David Spinks, the founder of CMX and author of The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community Your Competitive Advantage. In this episode, Greg and David talk about sabbaticals, bots as community managers, and having a personal board of advisors.►►Subscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusiveepisodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.https://latecheckout.substack.comFIND ME ON SOCIAL:Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenbergInstagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenbergLINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:Production Team:https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.comDavid Spinks:https://davidspinks.comhttps://twitter.com/DavidSpinksSHOW NOTES:0:00 - Intro0:50 - Sabbaticals: Why you should take one7:55 - AI community managers23:55 - Ethics around bots in communities31:30 - What's next for David Spinks34:50 - Advice from Seth Godin, Ryan Hoover, Scott Heiferman and others (sort of)

David Spinks, author of The Business of Belonging, discusses the evolution of community movements, making users feel part of the business, earning user trust, getting a community off the ground, enabling community engagement, dealing with waning excitement, and common traps to watch out for.

David Spinks, longtime community leader, discusses best practices for community-building, engineering serendipity, and the freedom that comes with taking a deliberate sabbatical. They explore the importance of distributing control in community building and the challenges of compensating community members. They also discuss the acquisition of CMX by Bevy and the financial impact of a business acquisition. Additionally, they emphasize the significance of effectively managing time and resources for community building.