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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Tania Cheng (She/They), Director of Process Innovation at SheEO and part of the team that creates and curates of all aspects of community at SheEO. SheEO has more than 7000 activators globally and combined online communities of over 50,000 women and non-binary people.
About Tania
Tania leads initiatives related to community experience design, online community engagement, feedback and evaluation, team learning and development, process mapping, and storytelling through design.
Early on, Tania has been involved in intentional communities and their own personal journey of finding the places where they belong has led to find the value of community and value a sense of belonging. Tania naturally gravitates to work and people who care about the community and who care about relationships.
BIG IDEA 1
“We are working to shift mindsets and paradigms” (08:32)
As an organization and a community, Tania shared the impact they are trying to make; that they are showing the world different ways of doing things; different ways of funding ventures, different ways of doing business, different ways of being in community and different ways of being human. We are working to create more opportunities to have these conversations about equity inclusion, about power and privilege about decolonization around justice, all of these things that are essential to transforming systems.
These mindsets that are deeply embedded in the way they co-exist as a community and how they build a community. Tania added that it's all part of this broader theory of change of transforming ourselves in order to transform systems and creating the systems that we need that will work for everyone.
BIG IDEA 2
“The magic and the secret sauce of community is having the mentality and mindset of giving and generosity and trust and knowing that you can come and show up as you are” (13:11)
Having a “How can I help?” mindset and knowing that you can offer your support and it will be received and you can ask for support and it will be given is one of the magic of communities. Tania says that community should be a space where you can let go of all the things such as being and looking a certain way. She said that we should strive to create a collective place where you can show up as yourself with no judgment.
We recognize that people are at different stages in their lives and have different things going on and how we can create a space that whenever you're here or whenever you participate, you're in the right place.
BIG IDEA 3
“Feedback is critical to our processes. ” (37:32)
Tania shared the process on how they handle feedback. She said that their role as enablers in creating the systems and platforms and tools for the community to self-organize, is to get to action and transform systems. After every engagement event, there is always some feedback form and so they are able to immediately look at the feedback, react and respond as needed.
Their theory of change at the core is their values radical generosity and abundance transformation. She says it's about how they embody the values in day-to-day practices and knowing that when they do that, they create the relationships that then leads to the transformation that we want to see in the world. At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships.
Social Media Links:
You can find Tania Cheng at:
SheEO:
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Nicole Millard, co-founder and community manager of Australia's biggest privately owned parenting and women's blog, Stay At Home Mum.
About Nicole
Nicole has worked tirelessly over the last 10 years alongside her business partners, Jody and Brendan Allen, to build a huge online community for not only Stay At Home Mums, but all parents (including dads!). Their online communities have more than half a million members.
As a natural progression from creating this community, Nicole created Tenacious Digital, which is a small digital marketing agency offering services such as website design and social media coaching to small businesses and start-ups.
BIG IDEA 1
“The community grew because we were them, we were our audience” (07:22)
Nicole shared that they started their group to share some budgeting tips and how to save money but then people started talking about their kids and family and it became a parenting website.
She said that it grew into a massive community and portal of information where so many women (98% of the group) and dads as well, came to them for help. She believes that part of the appeal was that they were mums just like them, and so, the community had that affinity with them.
BIG IDEA 2
“It's just more for people to put their confessions anonymously on there.” (10:45)
On starting an anonymous community, Nicole talked about the long process it took for them to decide on it. She said that want to have a community on the website as well as on social media so they gave an anonymous forum a go and just see if it works.
Nicole shared that they had to build a lot of security measures to get rid of the spam posts and trolls, etc. They had it set up so that they can block people even though they don't know who they are. In addition, they managed to get a bit of a culture going there and a report mechanism where the users can report spam or inappropriate posts. However, she admitted that most of the time they let things go and run their course.
BIG IDEA 3
“People appreciate authenticity and honesty” (20:51)
Nicole recalled when they were building the community, they just straight out ask them how they could help people with their problems. She added that in order to keep your community engaged, you need to keep asking questions and finding out what they want to know.
On handling her community, Nicole shares that she has been depending it very much on instincts compared to statistics. She says that in order for you to grow your community, it takes a lot of dedication, work and time but you have got to be on your authentic self and show your face because people want that connection.
Social Media Links:
You can find Nicole Millard at:
Stay At Home Mum: www.stayathomemum.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StayHomeMum
Instagram: http://instagram.com/stayathomemum
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/SAHMum/
We’d love you to join us for future episodes of the Social Lights podcast, produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Paul Bradley, who is head of global community at Agorapulse.
About Paul
Paul started his journey in blogging and growing social media accounts as a social media expert. He eventually started his career as a community manager at Intel and has continued to be a part of the community manager profession.
BIG IDEA 1
“We want to create a hub for people who are interested in this industry to better themselves.” (19:52)
Paul shared his take on community going beyond the basics. He talked about launching a community and doing enough discovery to get to know what actually motivates people.
He added that it goes beyond the product or platform that you are selling because you have brought in this other element which is around education.
BIG IDEA 2
“People need to use you to get through their day” (31:06)
Paul described what community management is all about. He says that you can do all kinds of fun things within your community but ultimately, your goal is to solve people’s problems from day to day.
He added that everybody's point of view is valuable.
BIG IDEA 3
“You need to know what your goal is” (35:14)
Paul advised that the first thing you need to know when starting a community, is knowing what your goal is for the community. Is your community trying to create a revenue stream or is it going to provide support to your customers?
He said that when starting their new learning community he started conducting interviews and the consistent answer they heard was that a lot of people want help. They want help learning how to get better, they want help learning how to up-skill providing social media services and they want help with their career.
Paul’s boss told him; just keep doing them until you start hearing all the same stuff over and over again. This is a great strategy for all businesses who want to start a community!
Social Media Links:
You can find Paul Bradley at:
Agorapulse: https://www.agorapulse.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-m-bradley/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulBradleyCMGR
We’d love you to join us for future episodes of the Social Lights podcast, produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at socialmediology.com.au/sociallights.
Thanks for your time and stay inspired,
Kate vanderVoort
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Lou Duggan, founder of Cake 2 The Rescue, an award-winning DIY cake kit company which has helped more than 40,000 Australian families pour their love into a homemade cake.
With a background in engineering and design, Lou has spent the last ten years building Cake 2 The Rescue into a thriving e-commerce business, with more than 250 cake kit designs, and a loyal online audience of 60,000+ cake fans.
About Lou
As a talented creative entrepreneur, Lou is a big believer in the power of vulnerability in business, and loves empowering other women to ditch perfectionism and embrace entrepreneurship.
Originally from Scotland, Lou is mum to three gorgeous teenage girls, and lives on the Gold Coast with her hubby Craig. She confesses an addiction to human connection, homewares and her dog George.
BIG IDEA 1
“Community is the essence of everything that we are and everything that we do.” (07:25)
Lou talks about how the Cake 2 The Rescue community has given her a purpose in life--something that validates and reminds her on a daily basis that she has a place to stand in the world.
She teaches the women (and some men) in her community to love themselves and in the process, she learned to love herself too. She said that in a way, the community saved her and she saved them. Overall, her community is where Cake 2 The Rescue starts and finishes and everything in between is just cake.
BIG IDEA 2
“They get a safe space in which to dare to be themselves in which to show up and only have to be exactly who they are.” (13:02)
Lou talked about how important it is to have the community as a safe space. She said that it has a carry-on effect into everything else they do in their life. That when they come into the community, they might not bake a cake for six months, but it reminds them every day because they sit within that space of people who only raise each other up.
She added that the comfort and a safe space is essential to building a community. You can't arrive at a space and immediately feel like everything's okay, but if you wander through the timeline of Cake 2 The Rescue, it'll happen pretty quickly.
BIG IDEA 3
“You must be who you say you are. If your brand voice is not you, it can't be you that does it.” (47:25)
Lou shared two things on starting a community. She said that first, you have to know what it is you actually stand for; because you're going to be doing it for a long time. Second, be fearless in what you believe and be fearless in your policing of what you believe.
She emphasized how it is a lot easier to show up as yourself than pretend to be something you're not every single day for the rest of your life. The face of your brand is your brand.
You can find Lou Duggan at:
Cake 2 The Rescue: https://www.cake2therescue.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1020725931335983
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cake2therescue/
We’d love you to join us for future episodes of the Social Lights podcast, produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Chris Field, CEO and founder of Mercy Project, an innovative nonprofit working to end child labor trafficking in Ghana, Africa. Outside of his role at Mercy Project, he is an award-winning author, speaker, business consultant, college lecturer, four time Guinness world record holder, viral sensation, 27-time marathoner, and ice cream lover.
About Chris
Chris’ passion around community is centered on all of us getting more comfortable with what it is that we have to offer. He believes that when we choose to give what we have and not what we have left, the impact of that kind of gift can be so great.
His greatest superpower is inspiring people to believe they can actually change the world and then showing them how to join him in doing it.
He is married to his high school sweetheart, Stacey, and is father to Micah, Beckett, Lincoln, and Theodore. He is the author of "A Billion Hours of Good" and "Disrupting for Good."
BIG IDEA 1
“Community is us believing that we're better together.” (12:09)
Chris talked about how everyone of us have something good to give the world today. He said that we all have these little moments for us to give what we have, and just to say, “Look, it's not much but this is what I have”. And the beauty of that is when a whole bunch of people do that, collectively, it's transformational, and it creates a tidal wave of good that simply cannot be contained.
He also discussed about how a community is a bunch of ordinary people choosing to receive the gifts we have with open hands, and how we are also giving the gifts back with the same open hands. He encourages us to give what we have a little bit every day, and trust that over time, the impact of that is going to be greater than we could ever imagine.
BIG IDEA 2
“What we lack is courageous leaders. I really believe there's this beautiful opportunity to find courageous leaders as the world is desperate of them. ” (17:26)
Chris shared that based on his experience, if you've got a well thought out, sincere, life changing, life altering sort of idea and you're willing to sacrifice for it, people are going to line up behind you because we're all hungry to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We have this deep yearning of our lives to matter. We want to do stuff that matters. And that cuts across all socio-economic status and education level and age.
He advised to do the right thing and find that things that you know and chase it like a dog chases a tennis ball, and look behind you, you’ll see a bunch of people following behind you. He added that people are so gracious, especially when you're vulnerable, transparent, and honest about what you're learning and how you're growing and how you're improving.
BIG IDEA 3
“At some point, you have to ask if the things you’re sharing and the ways you’re communicating and the choices you’re making and the messages you are creating about, is really resonating with people.” (26:55)
Chris said that on social media, vanity metrics are fine. But at the end of the day, as an author, speaker, and as somebody who really wants to make a difference in the world, it's when people start coming to him and saying, that something he wrote mattered enough that it was changing behaviors in their life, for him, that's the greatest gift anybody can give.
He thinks that if we listen
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Jenn Donovan, marketing thought leader, change-maker coach and mentor for small businesses, a keynote speaker and a podcaster. She is the founder of an extremely successful community Facebook group Buy from a Bush Business, which currently has about 330,000 members. She's also co-founder of social enterprise Spend With Us -- Australia's answer to Amazon, for rural and regional small businesses.
About Jenn
Jenn started her career in law, for 18 years, but later found her passion in social media and marketing. She is teaching small business owners how to make marketing a priority (and why they should) and how to grow more people to know about how amazing your products or services are.
Jenn has ten chooks, three children, two peacocks, two Guinea fowl, one husband, one dog, one cat, and several pet lambs.
BIG IDEA 1
“Empathy is essential to any community. The community has to be a safe space” (19:21)
Jenn created the community out of the need to help people in rural Australia affected by drought. She knew that people no longer just wanted to donate because they didn't know where their money was going, so she created a space where people could actually buy something from the person so the money goes directly into their bank account, to directly put food on the table or help feed the animals -- and help actual people who live in rural Australia who were really struggling.
We talked about creating rules within the community as it has to be a safe space because these people are going through a lot (drought, bush fires, COVID, floods, mouse plague). These people are very vulnerable and they've got to have a safe place to be able to post and tell their stories and get some income.
BIG IDEA 2
“I've got to stick to my business model because that's how it started -- being very focused on what I wanted the group to look like and not swaying from that.” (26:43)
Jenn talked about the challenges that come in creating a community and the strategies she has used in maintaining the community. It’s important to know what your goal is for the community and to start making decisions toward that goal. The main question always boils down to, “Will it help the community?”
She advised to be laser focused on what you wanted the group to achieve, but also making it a very safe space so that people felt safe and encouraged. Jenn realized that if she starts swaying from the business model, she is going to lose the people who are relying on the community because they're going to lose trust in her because she has changed what it looks like.
BIG IDEA 3
“Community is the golden nugget of business” (34:08)
Jenn opened up about the gifts of running a community and watching it grow. She said that community has taught her so much about business, about life, about trust and about collaborations. Having a community who trusts you, who are willing to sit with you, buy from you over and over again and refer to you, that's the golden nugget of business.
Whether you have 10 customers or 100 customers making them feel like they belong to a community as humans is key.
Episode Links
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jenndonovan_/
https://www.instagram.com/spendwithusaustralia/
Facebook:
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Peace Mitchell, investor, international keynote speaker, co-founder of the Women's Business School and Ausmumpreneur, author and host of Best And Brightest podcast, Australian ambassador for women in tech and a Forbes.com business expert. Peace has a community of over 50,000 women and believes that investing in women in purpose led business is the number one way to change the world.
About Peace
Peace is inspired every day by the incredible women that are running businesses, starting businesses, scaling businesses and women who are really passionate about making a difference through the work that they do in their business.
She started as a primary school teacher but later realized that online business was going to be the answer to find a way that she could work at home and still be at home with her children, while still be able to pursue her professional career ambitions and bring to life all of her ideas and dreams and following her calling. Her love for the community began as an idea to bring women together, to support, to uplift and to provide them with the connections they need to succeed.
Peace is a co-founder of the Women's Business School and Ausmumpreneur, author and host of Best And Brightest podcast. She is an Australian ambassador for women in tech with over 50,000 women in her community and a Forbes.com business expert. Her new book, The Women Changing The World will be out in December 2021.
BIG IDEA 1
“Women are the world's greatest untapped resource; if we could encourage and support women to be everything that they want to be and know that they can be, it could be incredible.” (7:15)
Peace believes that women see the world through a completely different lens by the natural instinct of women nurturing and caring for others, this means that women approach things in a different way than typically a man would. She thinks that it flows through to business; the way that women look after their customers, the way that they look after this staff and the way that they solve problems. She said that women hold the key to an unlocking and solving the problems that the world's facing everything from leadership. Peace believes that investing in women is the number one way to change the world and if we could invest in women and give them the support to really get their ideas off the ground, we would see big changes happening in the world. And from an investor perspective, she thinks that women are more likely to be successful and bring in more money.
BIG IDEA 2
“Community is at the heart of everything we do and our vision has always been to create a circular community” (7:15)
Peace talked about the communities being at the heart of everything. She believes that creating a circular community where the women who were starting out can get support and encouragement from the women who have more experience has always been at the core of why they started building a community. She said that it's all about working together and collaborating and connection. And being that women are just naturally good at communication and supporting each other, the generosity that we see within their community is incredible. It’s about women going out of their way to help each other and really caring about each other. She strongly believes in the philosophy; “We rise by lifting others”, and that it's a huge key to building community.
BIG IDEA 3
“Connections is everything. Success isn't just...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Venessa Paech, Australia’s leading expert in online communities and community management. She has led community for Lonely Planet, REA Group, Envato and Australia Post, and her private clients include: ABC, AASW, Teach for Australia, QUT, University of Sydney, SANE and Woolworths.
About Venessa
Venessa is Co-Founder and Director of Australian Community Managers (ACM), the national centre of excellence for online community management training and resources.
She started building intentional communities, with a mission of helping people connect, generate new value together and making better lives together. She teaches online community management for post-graduates at the University of Sydney and she is the resident Community expert for the Future Work Skills Academy.
Venessa is a published academic, and a PhD Candidate researching AI and online communities.
BIG IDEA 1
“We want to make sure that all voices are represented.” (13:20)
Venessa talked about the importance of diversity and inclusivity in communities. Community management is female dominated by a landslide of 75% and every year that goes up, partly because of the industries that community falls in Australia. She said that finding great women is not so challenging but increasingly she wants to make sure that all voices are represented. She talked about how she had really phenomenal indigenous scholars and practitioners sharing first nations community building techniques and knowledge, and in ways that is permissible and suitable for non-first nations and indigenous communities to use and apply because there's so much incredible ancient knowledge.
BIG IDEA 2
“The distinction between social media and community marketing is complicated because it is layered and there's a lot of natural overlap. Both practices can compliment one another.” (16:30)
Venessa defined and distinguished the difference between social media and community marketing. She said it’s important to understand that what each is trying to accomplish is quite different and how you measure success is quite different. There are clear distinctions and both practices can compliment one another. If you're an incredible marketer who creates great content, that's a really useful skill if you're a community builder as well. And likewise, if you're going to go and work as a social media marketer, knowing how to handle a crowd, how to moderate knowing how to really kick off and spot great conversations is a great way to generate engagement.
BIG IDEA 3
“The insights being generated from your community can be applied to every single aspect of the organization or business to enrich everything” (30:10)
Venessa emphasized that this is actually a very sculpting and enveloping concept. Managers describe community management as a central nervous system or air traffic control. There's a shift in thinking on community building from some sort of a title to being a little bit more wholistic and thinking about how do our relationships with these people, how their insights can be generated to create new products, new ideas, innovation capability.
The insights being generated from your community can be applied to every single aspect of the organisation or business to enrich everything. Community building maybe a lot to take on for an organisation or business at the early stages but that kind of potential awaits.
Episode Links
You can find Venessa Paech at:
Australian Community Managers:
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Allie Fernando, Director of Brand Experience at Kajabi. She has been with Kajabi for four years – exceling in the many different roles since she started including social media marketing and partnerships. Allie has also been responsible for the massive growth of the Kajabi community with 27,000 highly engaged loyal customers in their Facebook Group alone. She is passionate in bringing the Kajabi brand to life through culturally relevant offline events and experiential programs that connect people in meaningful ways with the brand.
About Allie
After engaging in several internships to build her skill set in social media marketing during her college days, Allie started working at Kajabi, four weeks after graduating college.
She became a social media marketer where she did everything concerning marketing, including designing. Along the line, she had been interacting with different influencers on Kajabi’s social platform where she first had an idea on influencer marketing. She later joined an Influencer marketing team at Kajabi that deals with relationship building internally and externally, figuring out what the brand wants and how best to serve them.
Allie is passionate about building relationships with her customers by creating experiences where the things they are passionate about intersects with what they are talented at.
Big Idea 1
“It's about giving people a space where they feel truly seen, truly heard and truly known so that they can then take that community and that culture back into their business.” (19:14)
Allie shares her insights on the value of relationship-building through your online group or online community. Real growth does not only mean having thousands of members but creating a culture. This is built through authentic engagements, active listening, exchanges, and inclusion. This positive culture creates ripple effects - members embrace and implement the best community and cultural values and practices back in their own businesses and relationships.
Big Idea 2
“If you're starting a community and you're starting to see it get really, robust and really engaged, think about tapping on those key community engagers to help you grow and cultivate the community.” (24:23)
When aiming to scale your online community such as your Facebook group, make your most engaged members as your partners. Honour their efforts and their active participation and tap them in growing the community together. They are not just ambassadors for your brand but real powerhouses that can support you in expanding the mission and vision of your community.
Big Idea 3
“Your customer is your hero. You're a guide in their journey and how can you unlock this amazing journey for them so that they can get to a place that's better than where they started.” (43:46)
Allie reflects on humility as an integral part of creating sustainable and impactful communities and business. It is essential to let your customers be at the heart of what you do. Remain grounded in your why or in your purpose of creating a product or a service at the first place. Offer your best guidance that can propel them to greater heights instead of getting stuck in the idea that you should be the one at the pedestal. Let their success be the reflection of your success.
Episode links
You can find Allie Fernando at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-fernando-129885b3/
You can find the Kajabi Facebook Group at:
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Kara Cronin, community manager, relationship builder and renowned public speaker. Kara is the Community Manager of Community Partnerships at Facebook and is leading the community experience for the Facebook Certified Community Manager program.
About Kara
Kara has been building community since the age of 6. She fell in love with community building while working as a Sorority Leadership Consultant, and continued pursuing her passion while leading communities at theSkimm and Shine. Kara is now a Community Manger at Facebook where she's using her experience in community building, content creation, grassroots marketing, and event strategy to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
She has coached collegiate women to lead award-winning sorority chapters; cultivated a brand ambassador army responsible for 20% of audience growth; led campaigns to educate and motivate over 200,000 people to cast an informed vote in the 2018 midterm election; and connected millions of people across the globe with support, strategies, and resources to prioritize their mental health as members the world’s largest self-care community.
Kara has been a keynote speaker at the CMX Summit and SocialFresh conferences, a panellist at Be Social Change and Dreamers / Doers, a facilitator for Alpha Delta Pi and LeaderShape, as well as a mentor for FindSpark and Get Sh!t Done Accelerator programs.
BIG IDEA 1
“We're in an age of authenticity where people are really supporting the brands and organisations, that customers not only believe in, but are really aligned with, whether it's based on their values or the organisations that they support.” (12:33)
Kara says there are so many opportunities for brands and organizations right now to create communities that it’s hard to pick just a couple to talk about. She says we're in an age of authenticity where people are really supporting the brands and organisations, that customers not only believe in, but are really aligned with whether it's based on their values or the organizations that they support. It feels different than it did even five - ten years ago in terms of people aren't just buying the big brand anymore, they're buying from the people that really feel authentic and that they feel connected to. She says community, especially a digital community, can just be such an amazing tool to showcase that authenticity, to connect with your consumer and community on a regular basis in a way that's real.
BIG IDEA 2
“Connecting the community members with each other is the most important thing.” (21:13)
On the topic of learning how to become a community manager, Kara says connecting community members with each other is the most important thing, especially in a learning group. Because social learning is so important, that peer support, is essential for community managers. To be able to give them a community and provide them with people who get it and can help them along the way, to help them feel supported and help them learn. She says that’s why the Facebook Community Manager Certification Learning Group has learning mentors who support the learners in this group. They're there to share personal experiences, host study sessions and answer questions to make sure that people feel like they have someone behind them cheering them on. She says that because not anyone can get certified, to know that not only are you putting in the work, but you have this group of people behind you that really want to see you succeed is important. So, the Facebook Community Manager Certification Learning Group has the learning mentor program set up to help with that. Everything is organised. So if people want to go in and learn...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Beth McIntyre, Head of Community at Bevy, a leading provider of community software, powering live community events both in-person and virtual. Bevy’s community, which is called CMX, is the world's largest and most passionate network of community professionals.
About Beth
Beth is the Head of Community at CMX. She manages the ever-growing Facebook group, the bustling CMX Slack Workspace, and the incredible CMX Pro Community, CMX's premium space.
CMX is the world's largest and most passionate network for community professionals. Thousands of community professionals come to CMX for support and education in community strategy. Beth oversees the engagement, strategy, and structure of all CMX’s community spaces. She also built and runs CMX Connect, an in-person distributed events program (turned virtual in 2020), with more than 50 volunteer-run chapters, that host live events regularly around the world.
She is also the host of The Community Corner with Beth McIntyre podcast.
Beth lives in the incomparable Rocky Mountains in Jasper, Canada and spends most of her free time in total awe of their majesty.
BIG IDEA 1
“That excitement, that enthusiasm, that engagement can take place the entire year.” (7:50)
Beth discusses a growing trend on how communities are starting to leverage off the momentum of holding annual conferences or large one-off company events that bring all their customers or users together in one place. She talks about the experience of going to a trade show or conference how you walk in, you can feel the buzz, people are talking and it’s so exciting! And when you get home afterwards you are still feeling that buzz and excitement, you have all these big ideas about things you are going to implement.
Beth then talks about how little touch points there are after a big event, an email, a survey, another email to say the recordings are uploaded, that’s it. Then you have to wait another 11 months to feel that excitement again. She says more and more companies are starting to take the momentum from that conference, and using it to build a community for the other 11 months of the year. They feed into each other, the conference will help build your community, it will help engage. It will help drive that momentum and your community will help drive the momentum back into your conference. So it doesn't have to just be this one big event. That excitement, that enthusiasm, that engagement can take place the entire year.
BIG IDEA 2
“Social media is an entry point and the community is an end point” (23:20)
Beth talks about the customer journey loop and the difference between communicating on social media and communities. Social media is the top of the funnel and how customers find you, but it’s not a community because it’s not necessarily a 2-way street.
She says the community space is a lot more intentional, it’s like a bubble at the bottom of the funnel. There's an identity. So instead of someone just choosing to follow you on Twitter or on social media, there's kind of an agreement that you have these expectations for your members, and they have expectations of you. The beauty of the community is that you're both meeting those expectations and holding each other accountable to how you want to be treated and what the purpose of the community is, and what we're there for in the first place.
When we talk about the social identity cycle, it starts with identification. Beth feels like...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Lucy Good, founder of Beanstalk Single Mums and the popular Facebook group, The Single Mum Vine. Lucy has been named as a finalist for the 2018 AusMumpreneur Awards in two categories: Making A Difference (business) and Women Changing the World.
About Lucy
Lucy Good is the founder of Beanstalk Single Mums, an online space which empowers single mothers to re-find their potential and re-build their confidence through a website that delivers targeted information and support. Lucy works with hundreds of single mothers through the offering of her online course and her Facebook group, the Single Mum Vine.
She sits at the centre of the think-tank of modern-day single motherhood and is a sought-after social commentator on single parent issues. As well as having her own blog and podcast series, she has appeared several times on national television, speaks regularly on national and local radio and writes articles for online and print parenting, news, lifestyle, and business communities. Lucy’s blog and podcast series are designed to support and empower single mums from all walks of life and on every stage of their single mother journey.
Her podcast covers all areas of single motherhood including separation, family law, children of divorce, co-parenting, solo-parenting, education, careers, dating, sex, health, household, and a range of money matters.
BIG IDEA 1
“The guidelines that you have for your group are imperative” (12:40)
Lucy discusses the importance of having a set of guidelines. The guidelines are imperative and need to be stuck to. The guidelines in Lucy’s group include things like:
- We, we don't allow rants. You can't just come on and have a whinge. Now you can come on and say, look, I've had a really crap day because this has happened. Wonder if anyone else has been through the same or anyone's got any solutions or suggestions as I can as how I can get over it. But you can't just come on and say, I've just had a crap day because that helps one person, that one person who's put the post on and it brings down everybody else that reads it.
- We don't allow man-hating or ex bashing in the group. So we're about trying to foster positive relationships with your ex partners, if at all possible. So we'd love it if someone comes on and says, Hey, you know my ex and I went into this with the kids today, we had a great day.
- We have a lot of rules around what you can post, like no medical posts. You can't put a post on there because then you get all these people who have no idea what they're talking about, providing medical information. And we have had it in the past where we've had a kid in hospital because someone's given the wrong advice.
The guidelines are set up for a reason.
BIG IDEA 2
“You often get a topic which just keeps coming onto the thread over and over again. Sometimes it's a topic that doesn't really work with what the group is about” (22:53)
In discussing repetitive posts or posts that go off topic Lucy says; One other thing as well, that's really important is you'll notice that in groups, you often get a topic which just keeps coming onto the thread over and over again. Sometimes it's a topic that doesn't really work with what the group is about, but it has to be there. So for my group that’s Centrelink, everyone's got questions about Centrelink and they just flood the feed. Now the feed is meant
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Ian Moyse, Chief Revenue Officer at OneUp Sales, and a long-time sales leader. He was awarded the accolade of UK Sales Director of the year by BESMA (British Excellence in Sales Management Awards) and in 2019 and 2020 was listed in the top 50 Sales Keynote speakers by Top Sales World. Ian has built many large communities on social media and is a social influencer for SAP, Oracle, Huawei, Commvault and more.
About Ian
With a passion for computing since the age of 14, Ian found himself falling into sales at the age of 20 where he embraced sales as a skilled profession and continued to learn. He developed a reputation for being competitive by nature and enjoyed exceeding customer expectations.
Ian quickly moved from a sales role to a management role at age 23, where he honed his skills and built committed teams for over 10 years to become a sales leader. Ian is proud of the value he delivers, and of the individuals he has mentored over the years to achieve success. He is an energetic, conscientious, and ambitious sales leader in the Cloud industry. Having advised many firms on improving performance through the aggregation of marginal gains.
Now with over 30 years of successful sales leadership, Ian has built a solid reputation as a powerhouse influencer in the cloud and software sales/marketing industry. With a track record of rapidly scaling sales, creating and managing high performing sales teams, including identifying, evaluating, and establishing new markets.
Widely published and often interviewed, Ian is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and blogger for major cloud computing companies including Oracle, SAP, SAGE, HP, IBM, Huawei, Commvault, Equinix, CloudTech. Maximiser, Miller Heiman and more. Ian is often requested by 3rd party vendors and resellers to keynote speak on Cloud, GDPR, Transformational Change, Sales Leadership, Social Selling and Personal Branding as a keynote to their customer and staff events.
Ian’s deep knowledge of indirect channel sales having created strong tier 1, tier 2, OEM and Alliances revenue generating eco-systems. Ian has experience of wide range of sales disciplines - building direct, indirect and inside sales teams across UK, EMEA and USA.
BIG IDEA 1
“The brand of the organisation rides off the opportunity that comes with your personal brand.” (5:34)
Ian discusses how leveraging his own personal brand and reach Increases both the intrinsic value for the individual, and helps grow the business through representation. Techniques such as social selling and appearing on forums such as blogs, podcasts, panels, and events become mutually beneficial. Through doing so, the brand of the organisation benefits from the opportunities that arise from building his own personal brand, and rides off the credibility he has earned through things he has done prior to joining the organisation. Your personal brand is yours, it goes with you from organisation to organisation.
BIG IDEA 2
“It’s gotta be something you're passionate about, interested about and bring value to” (14:40)
Ian provides insights on starting a group. You have to be knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. People will follow someone who is an expert in the field that is relevant to the subject. You don’t start a group where there is no context as being a thought leader in that space, but you can become a thought leader by creating a group on a subject that you are passionate about, and creating the content that goes with it. People will join for the content, and the community will grow...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Petrea King who is CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation which she established in 1989. She is a well-known author, inspirational keynote speaker, teacher and facilitator. She is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, clinical hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.
About Petrea
More than 125,000 people have attended residential programs or counselling with Petrea and her team since 1985. Petrea has been a regular guest on ABC Radio Sydney for almost 20 years – on Richard Glover’s Mid-Week Conference and Nightlife. In 2003 she was celebrated on Channel 9’s This Is Your Life and has been featured on Australian Story, Compass and many other television productions. An acclaimed documentary was jointly commissioned by Channel 4 (UK) and the ABC called Quest for Life – A Year in the Life of Petrea King in 1990.
She has received the Advance Australia Award, Citizen of the Year and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community and has been nominated for Australian of the year each year since 2003 as well as being a NSW finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2011. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for personal growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.
BIG IDEA 1
“Shared experiences create deep and everlasting bonds” (19:26)
Whilst many deep and everlasting friendships are created at the residential programs, the Quest for Life Foundation also uses Facebook to interact and connect with members of their community. This involves regular posts and live events that allow people to be involved and grow within the community. The use of Facebook allows for members to tune in to live mini workshops with the facilitators or the weekly meditation group with Petrea.
BIG IDEA 2
“Technology impacts human connection in a positive way” (24:10)
Quest are always looking for new ways to interact with their community, even if it is to have a little chat every now and again or to be there a critical moment in someone’s life. Through the use of technology, past participants and those who can’t attend programs, can keep engaged, build and maintain a strong relationship with each other and the origanisation.
BIG IDEA 3
“What matters is your intention, be very clear about what your intention is and then show up” (33:47)
Petrea says when building a community on social media, it is essential to be clear your intentions and if you make a commitment, follow through. You need to have good vibration. If you pour yourself into that, you're pouring yourself into that energy field and it will begin to resonate for those that need it. Another key piece of advice Petrea gives is to establish good time management. Make sure you divide your time well, turn up 100% and give it your focus and attention rather than being half-hearted about anything.
Episode Links
You can find Petrea King at:
· https://questforlife.org.au/
· https://www.facebook.com/QuestforLifeAus
· instagram.com/questforlifefoundation/
Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in Social Lights Podcast produced by Social Mediology.
You can...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Tom Dawkins, Co-Founder and CEO of social impact crowdfunding platform and innovation agency StartSomeGood. In addition to running the platform with the best project success rate in cause crowdfunding they partner with companies, funders and governments to inspire, unearth, skill-up and launch innovative social impact projects.
About Tom
Tom has worked for leading companies and organisations like Ashoka, HopeLab and The Australian Centre for Social Innovation. He founded the award-winning youth organisation Vibewire, opened the first co-working space in Australia and was Director of the Australian Changemakers Festival. Tom is deeply passionate about helping create a world where everyone has the opportunity to build the future they desire.
BIG IDEA 1
“Your voice matters, and people are willing to listen” (12:12)
Tom shares that during his time in the United States, how empowering the trip was. The primary lesson he took from it was learning that his voice mattered because there were people willing to listen. It was this core value that motivates him still to this day and something he strives to share with everyone. His hope is to develop and pass on skills, opportunities, platforms and forums where people can listen and be willing to engage with each other.
BIG IDEA 2
“The five Cs formula” (32:51)
Tom explains that clarity, credibility, communities, channels, and courage are the five Cs formula that leads to success. Clarity and credibility are the core attributes, having a clear message or vison and making sure people know that you are capable for delivering your plans. Communities and channels; surrounding yourself with the right partners and people, this will allow you to identify and grow a community around your business. Finally, courage to get out there and do the work required. The use of all 5 of these elements are needed for success.
BIG IDEA 3
“Start sharing your ideas!” (58:51)
Tom thinks the act of sharing what you are working on really helps you get better at how you explain and express it. It is by doing this you will begin to find people that will also care deeply about the same ideas, and you will slowly begin to build a community. It is also important to identify where you target audience gathers, what communities are they apart of and what podcasts do they listen to. By joining and participating in these communities, when the time comes to launch your product or service, you will have a group of people who at least be willing to listen or be ready to listen.
Episode Links
You can find Tom Dawkins, and more on StartSomeGood at:
· www.startsomegood.com
· twitter.com/startsomegood
· facebook.com/startsomegood
· instagram.com/startsomegood
Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in Social Lights Podcast produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Edwina Sharrock, Founder of Birth Beat, a digital health tech platform revolutionising the way we prepare for birth.
About Edwina
Edwina Sharrock, is a passionate health advocate who has embraced technology and innovation to build an online childbirth education platform. She has over 14 years’ experience as a midwife, neonatal intensive care nurse and emergency nurse. She’s delivered 100’s of babies and helped 1000’s of parents prepare for birth.
It is Edwina’s passion for all expecting parents, regardless of their pathway to parenthood
to have access to quality, evidence-based childbirth education.
She has been recognised as the National winner of the Commonwealth Bank 21 day Challenge Innovation Award, a Google Regional Online Hero, Nominated for Hesta Nurse/Midwife of the Year (2018) and she’s currently completing the highly competitive HCF Catalyst Program powered by Slingshot Accelerators. She is also a proud mum of two and turns into complete mush in the presence of a baby.
BIG IDEA 1
“Be interactive with your community to support and build engagement” (13:20)
Edwina explains that the Birth Beat courses are fun, engaging and entertaining so people want to sit down and watch. Edwina’s goal is to make sure that it is as interactive as possible. She does regular Facebook and Instagram lives so the community gets to meet and engage with each other. Those who are a part of the online program also receive support within a closed Facebook group.
BIG IDEA 2
“Access to quality education eases fears” (16:01)
The closed Facebook group is where members have a close interaction with Edwina, and other women’s health experts such as health physios, lactation consultants and obstetricians.
BIG IDEA 3
“It's social media, you need to be social” (24:38)
To be able to succeed you have to be social, speaking to your community and asking them questions, replying with direct messages, running polls, and asking “what do you want to see more of?”. When you are interacting with your community in this way you set an example for others to do the same, which will grow and expand your group to others.
Episode Links
You can find Edwina Sharrock, and more on Birth Beat at:
· facebook.com/birthbeat
· Instagram.com/birthbeat
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwina-sharrock/
· https://www.linkedin.com/company/67076404
Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in Social Lights Podcast produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at socialmediology.com.au/sociallights.
Thanks for your time and stay inspired,
Kate vanderVoort
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Brandon C White who is an entrepreneur and author and is the Founder and CEO of the number-one social networking and e-commerce site for sport fisherman on the internet.
About Brandon
Brandon C. White is an entrepreneur with two exists (so far), angel investor, former venture capitalist, and worked in Marketing at a $200b internet company (AOL). Brandon started his professional career in technology as a pioneer on the Internet in 1996 as the Founder/CEO of Worldwide Angler, Inc. Worldwide Angler was recognized the number-one social networking and e-commerce site for sport fisherman on the internet.
Brandon bought the company back from the investors and led it to a successful exit to a large media company. He’s the editor of Build a Business Success Secrets print newsletter and host of accompanying podcast.
Both are inner playbooks on how to master your mind, care for your body and build a successful business. The formula to make you smarter, happier and richer.
Brandon lives in Half Moon Bay, CA and enjoys road biking, surfing, fly fishing and going fast.
BIG IDEA 1
“People, product, market, and financing.” (11:36)
Brandon describes his chance meeting with the first investor for his newly created business. He tells us how stressed he was and how daunting the idea of showing off his, at the time, very small company. The key components of their business plan were discussed, people, product, market, and financing. After this discussion and a bit of fishing, Brandon received a cheque for $50,000 which was how he started the online fishing and community site which would later go on to raise millions of dollars.
BIG IDEA 2
“You can't outsource human connections” (24:37)
Brandon believes there are some things that you just cannot delegate. Nothing has changed from the early days, it is just that we have better technology, that is easier and faster. However, if you want to build a community, you really must have those personal connections.
BIG IDEA 3
“Don't own the people, own the topic” (42:22)
He explained that if you do not genuinely like your business and you are simply doing it to monetize it, that is not a very good recipe for success. It is better to own a small market than it is to be just one in a huge market. Build upon the community in a smaller market rather than trying to stretch yourself too thin and lose the core elements of your community.
Episode Links
You can find Brandon C White at:
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonwhite/
· https://www.instagram.com/brandoncwhite/
· https://twitter.com/BrandonCWhite
· https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV9Rcw4MohWvTGr3OTzFw
· BrandonCWhite.com
· BSuccessSecrets.com
Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Paul Zelizer, one of the first business coaches to focus on the needs of social entrepreneurs and social impact businesses. Paul is the founder of Awarepreneurs, a top social entrepreneur podcast and online community.
About Paul
Paul has helped hundreds achieve their impact and financial goals whilst learning to create an enjoyable life. He's the former Director of Social Media for Wisdom 2.0, one of the premier conscious business brands in the world. In that role, he helped create and implement strategies that grew the conference from 650 attendees to over 1800 in one year. Paul is passionate about the intersection of conscious business, social impact, and aware practices.
BIG IDEA 1
“The most powerful technology on the planet is an optimized human nervous system!” (17:13)
Paul explains the intersection of conscious business, social impact, and awareness practices. He believes these are the three most important or most powerful technologies or forces for good on the planet right now. Conscious business and people who are paying attention to positive impact by promoting a helpful community, will be the most powerful technology in the industry.
BIG IDEA 2
“A way to build community is by looking where people are gathering” (33:26)
He describes how to build a community and how there are so many strategies to do so. He goes in depth on how you can use hashtags to research where your target audience is already gathering. Other options like exploring podcasts, find the right guest strategy, go pitch them an interesting topic to an established community. Try position yourself to be a part of the conversation by providing value to leaders within the community.
BIG IDEA 3
“What are we doing this for?” (46:24)
Paul mentions how he would like business leaders to improve by being more intentional about values and the purpose of their business. If it is about entrepreneurship and using social media to grow your business, really establish your core values, your mission statement and think “what are you doing this for?”. Follow your established values and respect the boundaries that are in place, straying from these may end up doing more harm than good.
Episode Links
You can find Paul Zelizer, and more on Awarepreneurs at:
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulzelizer/
· https://twitter.com/PaulZelizer
· https://www.facebook.com/awarepreneurs/
· https://www.instagram.com/paulzelizer/
Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in Social Lights Podcast produced by Social Mediology.
You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at socialmediology.com.au/sociallights.
Thanks for your time and stay inspired,
Kate vanderVoort
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Warren Carlyle, founder and CEO of OctoNation, the world’s largest octopus fan club, and not for profit organization that inspires conservation of the ocean by teaching the world about octopuses. He is also the co-founder of the Community Leaders Association and is a community building strategist who works with purpose driven brands and influencers to build highly engaged online communities.
About Warren
Warren and his communities have been featured and gotten the attention of celebrities and global organizations such as Michael B. Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, Joe Rogan, Facebook HQ, and more. Warren believes online communities are the lifeblood of brand, a brand relevancy in today's crowded digital marketplace.
He likes seeing people able to live their dreams, live their passion, create communities around the things that they love. When he sees people winning at the thing that they are truly passionate about, it makes him think that the world becomes a better place as they are talking and acting on something that lights them up.
After the terrible news of his mother passing away, Warren decided to find an internship in New York, to start a new life and career. It was this move that taught him the advantages of social media and the power of communities. After working for a several months with a celebrity fashion photographer, he decided to create the largest octopus fan club, because it was an interest of his that he was truly passionate about.
BIG IDEA 1
“Inspires kids and adults to look towards the ocean as something that deserves to be protected.” (11:59)
Since Warren was a kid, he been obsessed with octopuses and wanted to learn more about them. After some research he found that octopuses were highly misrepresented, mischaracterized and demonized within the literature. He thought nobody has thought to story tell about how magnificent these ancient creatures are. So, he decided to create OctoNation, a community of people who can follow their love for octopuses. One of their campaigns is called “Interview with an Octopus”, where they go to aquariums all over the world and interview the octopus keeper, asking them questions on Facebook Live or Instagram live. Warren expresses how it is a great way to connect with somebody with a vast amount of knowledge on the topic.
BIG IDEA 2
“Not everybody belongs in your community.” (30:45)
The seven C’s of building a fanatical community are: clarify, core value, content, collaboration, connection, conversation and consistency. When you are clear on those core values, it contributes to the moderation job and people will self-select and opt out if the community is not the right place for them. Warren strives to have a zero-tolerance policy for those that misuse or abuse social media. For community creators and managers there's so much more education now around trolling and abuse on social media. We also need to understand and accept that not everybody is a fit for your community. The content you create is how you are deserving of your community's attention on a daily basis. Your content needs to show evidence of your core values.
BIG IDEA 3
“When I reach out to a brand, I really want to foster a relationship at the highest level!” (38:58)
Warren explains that the biggest issue that most community leaders face, or aspiring community leaders is confidence. The more confidence and belief in yourself as a community leader, the more you can express the core values of your mission or vision. By connecting with the highest levels within the industry you begin to provide the highest value to your community, making it bigger than yourself and motivating those...
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In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with David Trotter. David is a business growth consultant, and creator of Rise Up Creatives, who's dedicated to helping new business owners rise above their biggest barriers to reach their greatest goals.
About David
David is the host of the Inspiration Rising podcast with over 190 episodes, featuring female entrepreneurs and leaders sharing their experience and wisdom. His latest book is entitled Empower to Rise: The Secret to Embracing Your True Identity Uncovering Your Superpowers and Bringing Your Inspiration to the World. Previously, David was a pastor starting fast-growing churches for over 10 years, owned a six-figure marketing boutique for 12 years, produced and directed four award-winning feature films on social justice issues and has written a dozen books. David and his wife, Laura have been married for over 26 years and they live in Southern California with their two almost grown kids who are both in college.
He mentions that in this moment of his life he wants to be working with people, especially female entrepreneurs, helping them start and grow their businesses. He loves helping people that have their own vision or dream, either a product or service they want to offer. His role is often to help these business owners clarify their vision with a step-by-step approach, allowing them to achieve their goals and develop their community.
BIG IDEA 1
“Help people save time and stand out!” (15:28)
David’s goal is to help people save time and stand out. Business owners want to bring their message to the world, whether it's a product or a service or something that they are wanting to offer. As a business coach, he helps his clients find clarity in their idea, their offer and their ideal customer and then translating that into content that can be shared and will capture people’s attention (visual & text). He notices that many of his clients are women who didn’t know how to build a social media presence because it felt unusual or awkward. With the goal to save time and stand out, his company created a monthly membership that allowed entrepreneurs to have social media tools in place that they can either use or be inspired by.
BIG IDEA 2
“Peace, play, serve and flow” (30:45)
David explains that every day he tells himself four words, Peace, Play, Serve and Flow. When you repeat those four words every day you will see the difference in your life. He describes to us that he wants to be in peace, where he doesn’t want to take on a client, a contract or work in an environment that does not cultivate peace. He needs to learn to play, be more playful and enjoy the little things in life, he wants to serve people and in kind, it will be returned to you. Finally, if you achieve peace, play, and serve you will be in the flow of life and by investing others around you, you will achieve a flow of financial resources as well.
BIG IDEA 3
“You can do it!” (38:58)
He wants to share his life message that is, you can do it! If you have a dream, a desire, or there is something inside of you that wants to start a business or something, we have all the tools we need right in front of us. It is important to take it to step by step, it will be a long process and difficult sometimes, but you need to keep that mentality that you can do things, and you will start seeing the results.
Episode Links
You can find David Trotter, and more on Rise Up Creatives at:
· www.riseupcreatives.com
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