Shows
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow Do I Turn My Beta Test Into a Vibrant, Scalable, and Sustainable Community? With Jac White, Founder of Honeybees GroupIn this episode, we’re hearing from Community Creator at the Crossroads. Our letter today deals with someone who's proven the concept for their community but is overwhelmed with what comes next and how to build something truly sustainable and scalable.To better help Community Creator at the Crossroads, I invited Jac White as my guest because she's in the same crossroads. She helps women sell with confidence and build a scalable sales system. She is the founder of Honeybees Group, which she recently launched as a membership community with a beta group that was a big su...2025-06-2443 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhen and How Should I Hire Someone to Help Me With my Community? With Kristen Pavle, Relational DesignerIn this episode, we’re hearing from Overwhelmed on the Delegation Struggle Bus. Our letter today deals with figuring out how to get the right type of help to make sure your community will thrive even when you're not there.To better help Overwhelmed on the Delegation Struggle Bus, I invited Kristen Pavle as my guest expert. She is a relational designer transforming community-driven businesses into creative, self-sustaining ecosystems. As a community strategist, she has experience founding and creating her own communities, as well as supporting fresh new communities into a life of growth and...2025-06-1740 min
DO GOOD X PodcastEp. 57 Community as a Business Model: A Conversation with Bri LeeverAre you an entrepreneur seeking to create something that transcends merely selling a product or service? What if community as a business model could help you grow a purpose-driven, sustainable business from the ground up?In this episode of the DO GOOD X Podcast, hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis are joined by Bri Leever, founder of Ember Consulting, to explore how community as a business model creates a lasting impact, not just profit. Bri shares how she helps entrepreneurs build and grow online communities that align with their values and drive meaningful results.Bri...2025-06-1745 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow Can I Foster Peer-to-Peer Connection & Learning in my Community without Always Relying on My Guidance? With Diana Davis, Business CoachThis week on Dear Bri, we hear from Seeking Community Connection, and they’re in the middle of one of the most universal dilemmas in online community management: how to foster peer-to-peer connection and learning.To solve this community conundrum, Bri invited community strategist and business coach Diana Davis, founder of Recess for Creatives. With a background in photography, graphic design, and seven years of community-building behind her, Diana has cracked the code on what it takes to create an online community that doesn’t orbit around the founder, but thrives because of thoughtful, playful structure.2025-06-1050 min
School of Podcasting - Podcast Tips to Plan, Launch, Grow Your PodcastCommunity Building 101 with Bri LeeverToday we start with the news of Marc Maron retiring his podcast, and a possible shake up at the New Media Show (two shows with 16+ years). So who will fill their space you?Bri Leever is a community building strategist at Ember Consulting and host of the show "Dear Bri." I saw her present at a webinar put on by Hearbeat (my favorite community tool) and immediately joined her community (which lead to me asking her on the show). Full show notes at schoolodposcasting.com/987Mentioned in the Show:Ember Consulting2025-06-0944 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow Can I Effectively Couple an Online Community with an In-person Retreat? With Eric Plantenberg, Founder of the Abundant Living RetreatIn this episode, we’re hearing from Ready to Retreat. Their letter explores how to deepen connection in a thriving online community through an in-person retreat.To better support them, I invited Eric Plantenberg as my guest expert. He’s a client, friend, and mentor—and the founder of the deeply transformative Abundant Living Retreat. I’ve been to many retreats, but none like his. Tune in to hear how Eric creates powerful containers for in-person retreats, what it takes to be a great facilitator, and a fresh, liberating way to approach goals and meaningful connection.2025-06-0353 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow Do You Know When to Keep Pushing or When to Let Go of Your Community? With Salome Schillack, CEO & Founder of The Launch LoungeIn this episode, we’re hearing from Wavering But Hopeful. Our letter today deals with the very tough reality of deciding whether to continue putting in the effort to keep your community going or to close the doors when it feels like there’re more times when it isn’t working.To better help Wavering But Hopeful, I invited Salome Schillack as my guest expert. She has been through over a decade of owning her craft and her expertise, and five years of running her own community membership, which she tastefully sunset after realizing it was no longer...2025-05-2740 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhat’s step one for someone totally new to creating their own community space? With Marjorie Anderson, Director of Community for ExosIn this episode, we’re hearing from Community Newbie. Our letter today deals with how overwhelming it can be to enter the world of community-building without really knowing where to begin.To better help Community Newbie, I invited Marjorie Anderson as my guest expert. She is the Director of Community for Exos and the Principal Strategist at Community by Association L.L.C. Marjorie is a bright light in the community spaces, has been professionally building community for 11+ years, and has helped many people get started with community.So, tune in for some incredible plant an...2025-05-2036 min
The Launch Lounge Podcast273. How to Build a Highly Engaged Community with Bri LeeverReady to discover why some online course creators build profitable businesses in months while others get stuck in a cycle of failed launches? 🚀 The difference between consistently profitable course creators and those working 70-hour weeks with little to show for it isn't about list size or ad budgets. It's about having a proven marketing system that pieces everything together for YOUR audience. Most course creators are drowning in tactical overload while missing the cohesive framework that transforms scattered marketing efforts into predictable profits. When you understand the 5-part blueprint successful course creators use, you'll finally cut...2025-05-201h 11
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhere is community building today and where is it headed? With Zach Hawtof, CEO at TightknitIn this episode, we’re hearing from Curious in Colorado. Our letter today deals with knowing whether jumping onto the community train is worthwhile by understanding the future of community building. To better help Curious in Colorado, I invited Zach Hawtof, Co-Founder, Community Manager, and CEO at Tightknit, as my guest expert. He is someone who has extensive experience building community, and not only thinks a lot about where community building is headed, but is also building the future of community platforms on Slack himself with his company.In th...2025-05-1349 min
Hacking the PatriarchyEp. 039 - Strategies for Successful Social Design with Bri LeeverIn this conversation, Host, Raven O'Neal, and guest, Bri Leever, founder of Ember Consulting, delve into the intricacies of community building, focusing on the different types of communities, the challenges of engagement, and the importance of diversity. Bri shares her insights on the distinctions between free and paid communities, the role of education and connection, and the unique strengths women bring to community building. They also discuss the balance between accessibility and exclusivity, and Bri offers practical hacks for those looking to start their own communities.KEY TAKEAWAYSCommunities...2025-05-0748 min
Standout Business Show — Ditch the Content Machine181. STOP Building an Audience - Build a COMMUNITY Instead - with Bri LeeverYou’ve built a solid business with content, consulting, or coaching. But what if the next big leap isn’t just about scaling your offers—it’s about scaling your impact through community?In this episode, we’re diving into what it really takes to transform your business model into a thriving, community-driven ecosystem. Joining me is online community-building expert Bri Leever, who’s sharing:✅ The key shifts needed to move from a product-based or digital course business to a community-centric model✅ How to create a space where your...2025-02-1642 min
Ravel RadioKeys to Successful Community Building: Insights from Bri LeeverIn this episode, Cara chats with community strategist Bri Leever about the art and science of building impactful communities. Bri supports coaches and consultants in transforming their businesses from 1-on-1 services to flourishing group offers. The conversation unveils critical strategies for choosing the right type of community—nurturing, transformative, or networking—and maintaining its success. With Bri's unique insights into platform choices and community dynamics, listeners will find valuable tips for creating communities that resonate and provide real value. Join us as we delve into the power of authentic connections and discover how to build communities that truly make a di...2025-01-2845 min
The Art of TransformationFrom Brave To Daring With Bri Leever
Sometimes bravery means holding on but daring means letting go to create something new. This episode’s guest shows us how she moved from brave to daring. Community-building dynamo Bri Leever unpacks the difference between bravery and daring in the context of making big life changes. While bravery is about facing adversity and enduring tough times, daring is the active choice to pursue something new and uncertain—qualities that drove Bri to leave a demanding job to forge her own path. She shares how she built a business through “cold-intro coffee Zooms,” grew a multi-million dollar revenue stream through ambassad...2024-11-2132 min
Ginger Biz205. Building Bridges: How Online Community Fuels Business Success with Bri LeeverSend us a textIn this episode, we dive into the intersection of community and business, exploring how different types of online communities—nurturing, collaborative, transformative, and networking—can play a pivotal role in supporting and growing your business. Whether you're focused on communal learning, fostering member connections, or monetizing interactions, understanding these online community dynamics can help you create a robust digital ecosystem that drives long-term success. Join us as we uncover actionable strategies to leverage the power of online communities for your business's growth and sustainability. You can f...2024-11-2154 min
Tiny Marketing: Marketing and Sales Systems for Independent ConsultantsEp 111: Mastering Online Communities: From Building to Thriving with Bri LeeverSend us a textEver wondered how to transform your online community into a thriving hub of engagement and profit? Community strategist Brie Leever is here to show you the ropes. With her extensive experience in building and monetizing online communities for B2B service businesses, Brie shares groundbreaking insights on prioritizing the impact for members over mere monetary gain. She demystifies the process by breaking down the four types of communities and guides you on focusing efforts on one to sidestep overwhelm. Plus, get a unique glimpse into her life as a camper van host in...2024-11-1738 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I find the first members for my niche community? With Murtaza Bambot, Founder & CEO at HeartbeatIn this episode, we’re hearing from Sensitive in Seattle. Today’s letter deals with how to grow a community where joining that community might in and of itself be taboo.To better help Sensitive in Seattle, I’m bringing in the big guns. I invited Murtaza Bambot as my guest expert. He is the Founder & CEO at Heartbeat — the all-in-one platform for community businesses (also the sponsor of this podcast!) that has served has served over 5, 000 communities.So, tune in for an episode packed full of wisdom where Murtaza...2024-10-1553 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhat do I do if a community member is trauma dumping? With Mallory Contois, Head of Community at MercuryIn this episode, we hear from Negativity in New York. Today’s letter deals with the nuanced line between keeping your community positive while making space for people to be honest and real about the struggles they are experiencing.To better help Negativity in New York, I invited Mallory Contois as my guest expert. She has lots to contribute today because as the creator of one of my FAVORITE communities, Old Girls Club — a virtual community for working women with over 1,800 members that’s been running for 2.5 years on Slack.Mall...2024-10-0843 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I deal with potential conflict between members in my online community? with Carrie Melissa Jones, CEO of the CMJ GroupIn this episode, we’re hearing from Hesitant in Honolulu. Our letter today deals with a sensitive subject between two community members and the question of whether to take a proactive approach or not to try to control the potential conflict in your community.To better help Hesitant in Honolulu, I invited Carrie Melissa Jones as my guest expert. She is an award-winning community builder, author, social scientist, and consultant who has worked with large enterprises, foundations, non-profits, and leading brands like Discord, Nike, Google, Microsoft, and Airbnb. She definitely has the experience and th...2024-10-0138 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I bring more diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into my community? with Community Consultant Jae WashingtonIn this episode, we’re hearing from Hopeful in Houston. Our letter today deals with a community builder who wishes they had better guided their community through diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).To better help Hopeful in Houston, I invited Jae Washington as my guest expert. She is the perfect person to bring us new insights because she is a community consultant, curator, and connector with experience at Zeenefits and as Head of the Global Client Community at Headspace, where she revolutionized community engagement and community-building within B2B organizations....2024-09-2442 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaIf I build it, how do I make sure they come to my online community? with Alli Ball, founder & CEO of Food Biz WizIn this episode, we’re hearing from Eager Beaver in Baltimore. Our writer today fell into the age-old myth: build it and they will come. Thankfully, they’ve since switched their mindset and realized that it takes a heck of a lot of consistent marketing to get people in their community and would like some advice.To better help Eager Beaver in Baltimore, I invited Alli Ball, founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz, as my guest expert. I couldn’t think of a better person for this episode than someone who has successfully marketed their...2024-09-1756 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I deal with a toxic community member? with Andrea Middleton, Community Empowerment Leader at RedditIn this episode, we’re hearing from Toxic Member in Toronto. Our letter today deals with a toxic community member stirring up trouble to revolt against the community manager.To better help Toxic Member in Toronto, I invited Andrea Middleton **as my guest expert. She is a seasoned veteran of the community space who loves finding paths to productive and powerful collaborations with opinionated and skeptical communities, which is perfect for our letter today.So, tune in for a lot of wisdom from someone who’s dealt with a toxi...2024-09-1038 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I serve my community AND still meet big business goals? with Jelani Memory, VP & Publisher at DKIn this episode, we’re hearing from Constrained in Columbus. Our letter deals with creating a vibrant and engaged community under the pressure of big business goals.To better help Constrained in Columbus, I invited Jelani Memory as my guest expert. He’s not our typical guest because he doesn't consider himself a community creator or community manager. But as you will find in this episode, he has an incredible amount of insight and wisdom to share with community builders, as he essentially takes a community-centric approach to everything that he does.2024-09-0339 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhat can a community manager do when members become too critical? With Community Director Ami DefescheIn this episode, the inspiration stems from a late-night LinkedIn DM from a distressed community manager handling a tumultuous Discord community. They felt overwhelmed and discouraged by all the suggestions and criticism constantly coming from community members.To better help Discordant on Discord, I invited Ami Defesche as my guest expert. She's currently the community director at Wildcard Alliance—and formerly at Intuit and Blackbaud. Ami is a community builder with a passion for helping dreamers and doers in small businesses. So, if you're looking for community strategy for online businesses, look no further. ...2024-08-2726 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaWhere is the best place to build my online community? With Community Strategy Consultant, Noele FlowersIn this episode, we’re hearing from Community in a Conundrum. Our letter today deals with the question of where to host a new online community. Specifically, as it relates to Facebook, Slack, and all-in-one community platforms like Heartbeat.To better help Community in a Conundrum, no one better to talk about whether or not to host your community on Slack than the Slack-slayer, herself, Noele Flowers. I thought of Noele specifically after reading a newsletter she sent out with the subject ‘Why are we still using Slack to run communities?”W...2024-08-2037 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaHow do I set boundaries & avoid burnout as a community manager? With Taylor Harrington, Head of Community at GrooveWelcome to The Dear Bri Podcast, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama. In this episode, we’re hearing from Frazzled Fairy-Marketing-Godmother. Our letter today comes from someone who clearly has a big heart for their online community, but is also really struggling to draw boundaries and recover from a very common mistake in community management (listen to find out which one).To better help Frazzled Fairy-Marketing-Godmother, I invited Taylor Harrington —Head of Community at Dreamers & Doers— as my guest expert. I knew this letter would be perfect for Taylor because this is a t...2024-08-1345 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaCan You Shift from a Cohort-Based Model to a Subscription Without Losing Community Engagement? With Marie Schacht, CEO of AkimboIn this episode, we’re hearing from Crumbling in Kansas, a dedicated community manager navigating a seismic shift: their EdTech company is transitioning from a beloved cohort-based program to a full-blown membership model. The move promises recurring revenue—but at what cost to community engagement?To better help Crumbling in Kansas, I invited Marie Schacht — CEO of Akimbo— as my guest expert. I thought of Marie because back when everyone was just starting to create online courses, Marie, Seth Godin, and the team at Akimbo were trailblazers in the education-centric community design space, specifically for the...2024-08-1350 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaDid I just blow my one shot at launching a paid community? With Evan Hamilton, Director of Community at HubSpotWelcome Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama. In this episode, we’re hearing from Anxious in Atlanta. Their dilemma? They launched a free, private online community as a test—engagement was strong, but now they’re left wondering: Did they use up their one shot at launching a paid community?To help Anxious navigate this transition, I brought on Evan Hamilton, the incredibly thoughtful and seasoned community manager behind programs at HubSpot, Reddit, and Nextdoor. He’s spent 15+ years in the digital communities space and brings deep wisdom around communit...2024-08-1335 min
Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and DramaIntroducing: Dear Bri, an advice column for community strategy, fiascos, and drama!Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community strategy, fiascos, and drama. On this podcast, I collect anonymous letters from real-life community creators and bring on an expert from the community space to help you feel a little less alone and a lot less crazy.Should I build my community on Slack?Is membership the way to go?How do I create a test?I feel so bitter and burnt, how do I recover?My community is out of control, what do I do?2024-08-0801 min
Beginner MapsFrameworks to build a profitable community businessBri Leever is filled with actionable frameworks for building a profitable community. She has honed them over the years by building communities through her consultancy - Ember Consulting.
In this interview, we explore some of these frameworks. We discuss:
• Why you don't need a huge audience to start a community
• The key differences between "transformative" and "networking" communities
• When to use platforms like Circle vs. Slack for your community
• Strategies for fostering member-to-member connections
• Tips for designing effective ambassador programs
• Top le...2024-08-0857 min
The Fertile Womb: Natural Fertility Optimization & Conscious Conception107. Wild Moon with Bri Martinez: Moon Journaling, Feminine Archetypes & Adventures for WomenIn this episode I interview Bri Martinez of Wild Moon. She works with women to cultivate a deeper connection with their feminine nature through moon journaling and adventuring.
Connect with Bri:
Moon Journaling - https://www.wild-moon.org/fertilewomb
IG - https://www.instagram.com/wildmoonexperiences/
Connect with Holly:
Website - https://www.rosebudwellness.com/
IG -https://www.instagram.com/rosebud_wellness/
Holistic Fertility Awareness Self-Study Course - https://rosebudwellness.com/holistic-fertility-awareness-course
2023-08-0948 min
The Passionately Curious PodcastBri Leever on Community Building | The Passionately Curious ShowPassionately Curious helps solopreneurs and independent leaders do better marketing through community, courses and coaching.
Subscribe to the Passionately Curious Blog here: https://blog.passionatelycurious.in
The Passionately Curious Podcast is a space where Saurabh Mithal, the Founder of Passionately Curious talks to inspiring solopreneurs and goes deeper into their journey in order to help solopreneurs feel connected to each other.
In this episode, Saurabh talks to Bri Leever about how solopreneurs can build communities and what they need to take care of while creating the community culture.
Please enjoy the conve...2023-07-2440 min
436: Practical tips for creating a product/brand communityGlobal Product Management Talk is pleased to bring you the next episode of...
Product Mastery Now with host Chad McAllister, PhD.
The podcast is all about helping people involved in innovation and managing products become more successful, grow their careers, and STANDOUT from their peers.
About the Episode:
Today we are talking about building a community for a brand or product. What can a community do for a brand or product? It can provide growth, help clarify messaging that resonates with your ideal customer, and provide co-creation opportunities. LEGO, Starbucks, Wyze Consumer Electronics, and many more companies have found customer c...2023-05-1738 min
Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators436: Practical tips for creating a product/brand community – with Bri LeeverWhat a community can do for your product – for product managers Today we are talking about building...2023-05-1537 min
The Mycelium Network PodcastBri Leever - Designing your life, being community-led, and one hundred coffee chats - 029In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, host Schalk Neethling speaks with Bri Leever, a brand community strategist and owner of Ember consulting. Bri emphasizes the importance of building a community-led approach to problem-solving and the importance of patience and nurturing the seeds of your community instead of trying to be the one with all of the answers. She stresses the value of being transparent, balancing empathy with authority, and providing value to the community over time.Bri shares some of the challenges she faced while building her business and highlights the importance of maintaining...2023-03-221h 02
Beginner MapsHow Bri got clientele for 1.5 years in 90 daysBri Leever is the founder of Ember Consulting where she helps companies as their Brand Community Strategist working to create a community out of their superfans.
In this episode:
0:00 Teaser
9:02 How Bri got clientele for 1.5 years in 90 days
17:30 A repeatable playbook for you to get your 1st client
28:42 How can you use a community to acquire more customers for your business
32:09 On the diversification of income
43:34 Pricing clients
55:54 Rapid fire round
--- --- ---
Links and Resources:
Bri’s LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannaleever/
Groove (co-working app for solopre...2023-01-0959 min
Humans of Business (former Community Life)Community Life #22 with Bri LeeverWelcome to Community Life! Here we talk with the community experts about their lives, and today our guest is Bri Leever, splasher of water, lover of books, top customers activator, skilled generalist, and mystery-solving community consultant 🤩
From this episode, you'll know:
👉 what languages does Bri speak
👉 how Bri gets people to do new things they've never done before
👉 why Bri loves sunsets
👉 how following her gut helps Bri to connect with good people
👉 what song did Bri sing at the karaoke night during the CMX Summit.. and so much more about Bri's l...2022-11-1042 min
CHAOSScastEpisode 66: Deciding what metrics to measure for community managers with Bri, Lori, and VictoriaHello and welcome to CHAOSScast Community podcast, where we share use cases and experiences with measuring open source community health. Elevating conversations about metrics, analytics, and software from the Community Health Analytics Open Source Software, or short CHAOSS Project, to wherever you like to listen. Today, we are joined by two wonderful guests that Venia met during an amazing talk at the Community Spaces. We have Victoria Cumberbatch, Founder of adventuresOFcommunity, a Community Development Consultancy, and Bri Leever, a Community Architect and Founder of Ember. Our conversations take us through finding out how everyone got their start in community...2022-10-0749 min
Course Creators Academy011: Cultivating Community for Your Business with Bri LeeverHave you met Bri? Bri Leever (yup, best name EVER!) is the founder of Ember Consulting and her specialty is teaching her clients how to utilize and cultivate COMMUNITY to enhance their customer experience. In this episode, Bri shares how her personal and professional experiences have culminated to lead her to start her business, and why she believes community is an essential component of any business!
Connect with Bri at @ember.consulting on Instagram and check out her suite of services at www.emberconsulting.co.2022-03-3146 min
Food Biz Wiz89. How to Turn Your Advocates Into Superfans with Ember ConsultingDownload the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.
On today’s show, I’m joined by Bri Leever of Ember Consulting for a conversation around turning your customers into advocates for your brand. Bri & the team at Ember work with brands who have strong social or sustainable missions, helping to design programs to activate your superfans to take action with...2021-04-1547 min