#022 “Be the change you want to see in the world,” is a quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, and someone who's living this principle is today's guest, Moira Were of the Hen House Co-op. Through grassroots organizing to end the gender investment gap, Moira has curated a growing group of people who want to make big changes by focusing on their local community. Moira is not shy about challenging the status quo or ruffling feathers, and she knows how to approach things in a way that invites people to find some common ground. If you're running a community (or part of one, or want to start one…) that wants to change the status quo, Moira's work can provide a template for what that might look like. Regardless of your political leanings, we think you'll find a lot of value in how Moira and an organization like Hen House Co-op are doing the work they do. We all have a lot to learn from each other. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx022.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#021 Danielle Maveal believes "there's a better way to build technology, and there's a better way to serve people." Danielle is chief community officer of Burb.co, a company that's building tools for creators with communities. Today we're plugging Danielle's expertise and exploring some intriguing questions about making our communities better places for all their members. How can community leaders facilitate connection by mashing up social media with their online community platforms? How can we lean on the power of the small group to help build our communities? In a time when in-person contact is hard to come by, how can we "hack" our tech to make it easier to listen and connect and care for each other online? And with community leaders overstretched with the "flood of community energy" happening all around us, how can they be better supported so they don't, you know, burn out? Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx021.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#020 Why do so many communities fail to take off? Because they weren't designed to be the greatest party you've ever attended. So says Gina Bianchini, CEO and founder of Mighty Networks, one of the first platforms that allowed people to create standalone, branded communities.If you've ever thought about starting a community but you don't know where to start, today's episode will give you the Cliff's Notes on how to accomplish just that. As Gina says, the challenge is, "How do you create a highly engaged community mastering something interesting or important together?"Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx020See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#019 When it comes to community, safety is key. Creating an environment where people feel welcome, around people they can trust. In order to do that, you need guidelines. Great guidelines. John Voss and Rebecca (Becks) Brooker are queer designers who met online and quickly realized they had a shared vision for a community that brought together queer designers from all over the globe. And Queer Design Club (QDC) was born. QDC started as a Slack channel that quickly became something much greater. Along the way, the two have used their design background to, well, design a community that's effective and inclusive. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx019.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#018: In the beautiful pond of community, what can the big fish learn from the little fish, and vice versa? Jenny Weigle is a community strategy consultant who's created or guided community strategy for a ton of big brands—we're talking Google, Airbnb, that kind of big. She's here to tell us what it's like working with these behemoths on their community strategy, and how anybody running a community for a smaller brand can learn from her experience. If you're just getting started building your community—or thinking of becoming a community strategist yourself—this episode will help light your path. You might even consider working with someone like Jenny, who, as you'll learn today, is the Katie Couric of community professionals. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx018.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#017 When you're building a community, there can be merit in just winging it: go do something, and whoever shows up, shows up. But sometimes, if you want to build something sustainable, you're going to need a bit more of a plan. Marianna Martinelli is a community builder and strategist who has experience running community for coworking spaces in New York City. She's learned a whole lot about how to build community and create an environment that's welcoming and accepting. Today she's going to tell us how to identify the avatars of your ideal community member and how to make sure that they feel safe. She's also going to talk about how to measure your outcomes so you know what success looks like, which is hugely important for community building (and a bit elusive).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#016 Have you ever wanted to join a club but never felt like you fit in? Like, there's an in crowd, outfits, and a lingo you don't know? Maybe the members of the group even exhibit an intimidating level of physical fitness? That sort of thing could make a person feel unwelcome—but what if you took that feeling and used it as an opportunity to create something new and different? And along the way, you found that there were lots of other people just like you? That is exactly what Kelly Roberts did with the Badass Lady Gang, a running community for ladies who don't identify as runners. Kelly has intentionally designed her community as, well, a community first and a workout second—one that's confronting the constricting stereotypes of what a "runner" should be. Come for Tony's yoga studio story, and stay for the badass-ness that is Kelly and her awesome community.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#015 Loneliness is an epidemic, but what does the research say about loneliness? What is actually working when it comes to heading off serious loneliness problems before they morph into larger issues, particularly amongst college-aged kids? Our guest today, Nathaan Demers, looks at connection from a research perspective and designs solutions based on evidence. Some of the highlights in today's episode include Nathaan's work with the social app Nod, what the loneliest living generation is, some of the stats and research Nathaan works with, and even tips for folks (like community-builders) who are on the front lines of facilitating connection. There's a ton of great info in this one — don't skip it! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx015See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#014 Knowing how to talk to your community goes way beyond where you put your commas and semicolons. It's about knowing the language your specific community uses: the memes, the gifs, the emojis. Mignon Fogarty—Grammar Girl herself—is hopping on the program today to give her take on all things communication, including some truly invaluable insights into some of the conundrums she faces as the face of a very popular internet brand. Internet tone is truly an art these days and knowing what to say and when (like in the midst of a crisis) can be crucial. This may not be the most grammatically correct podcast ever, but we can bet you'll come away from this episode with some important nuances regarding the role of language and communication in community work. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx014See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#013 If you want to foster a rich, rewarding community experience for folks then you probably want a community that's as welcoming and diverse as possible. But a lot of communities are grounded in unconscious "centering:" designing the experience for folks of a certain class, gender, ethnicity, etc. So how do we ensure that our communities are as inclusive and diverse as possible? How do we know that we're doing the (ongoing) work of creating more welcoming communities for as many folks as possible?Today's guest has quite a lot to say about all that. Daniel Oppong is the founder of The Courage Collective, a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultancy. We're getting deep in the weeds with Daniel today so that we can all learn how to do the work: how to take the next few crucial steps towards un-centering our communities, learning and unlearning, and embracing the tension inherent in communities.Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/cx013See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.