Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Community Platform Showdown: Skool vs Circle vs Mighty vs Heartbeat

Community strategy is hard enough without having to pick between 50 different tools. If you’ve ever stared down the long list of platform options—Circle, Heartbeat, Mighty Networks, Skool, Kajabi, and more—and thought, "How do I even choose?", this episode is your clarity compass.In this special panel format of Dear Bri, we go beyond surface-level platform comparison and get into the real talk. Join four veteran builders—Candice Grobler (Circle), Starlight Mundy (Mighty Networks), Mike Phillips (Heartbeat), and Duncan Rogoff (Skool)—as they share what they love, what drives them bonkers, and how each platform supports (or sabotages) their community management efforts.If you're looking to build a thriving online community but feel stuck at the starting line, this episode delivers honest reviews, platform strategies, and key decision-making tips—direct from experienced community architects who have tried them all.Whether you're craving customization, chasing simplicity, or getting serious about member onboarding, this episode is a must-listen.⏳ Timestamps:00:00:00 | Introducing our community builders: Candice, Starlight, Mike, and Duncan00:07:48 |  Which community platform is the best?00:13:12 | Favorite features: Heartbeat’s AI made Mike mad!00:36:51 | Is Skool's simplicity a good thing or a bad thing?00:38:34 | Are Circle and Mighty Networks too complex?00:44:46 | Community building in the AI era: what are the skills we'll need in the future?01:03:40 | Member onboarding: How each platform approaches it01:12:08 | Final words: what real builders wish every community leader knewResources Mentioned:▶️ Watch this live panel on YouTube.🗒️ See a complete resources list here.✅ Download my complete Community Platform Comparison Guide.💛Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Bri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 Youtube📱LinkedInAnd before you go…💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a review on SpotifyThat helps the podcast more than you know and I deeply appreciate it. 🙏Want your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How can community repair our polarized politics? With Rebecca Davis, Director & Producer of Join or Die

In this episode, we’re hearing from Walking on Eggshells. Our letter today is from a community builder who wants to know how we can bridge the political gap in our families and communities when it all feels so impossibly polarized.To better help Walking on Eggshells, I invited the director and producer of the documentary Join or Die, Rebecca Davis, as my guest. This feature-length documentary is a commentary on the decline of social capital in the US over the last two decades and its implications for democracy.It can be scary and despairing to bear witness to the quickly growing divides in our society. I don’t need to sit around your Thanksgiving table to know most of our attempts at conversations result in more disconnect than repair.Thankfully, this episode will leave you filled with hope, excitement, and an actual game plan to start bringing us out of these dark times, one small step at a time. So, be sure to tune into this spectacular conversation with one of the few people who has studied it in tremendous depth.In this episode:(03:00) Meet Rebecca Davis and her documentary, Join or Die(04:44) Why the word “community” is absent from the film(07:28) The actual outcome of connection(09:26) The communitea: Walking on Eggshells’ letter(11:25) A counterintuitive solution for healing the political divides(14:04) Why digital spaces and conversations aren't working(17:26) How purely social clubs can easily build power and start creating change(21:05) The very political history of women only book clubs(23:03) How groups both impact and reflect society(24:14) Rebecca's journey from covering worsening symptoms to highlighting the root cause(27:37) How to build a loyal and engaged community instead of just an audience(32:27) Make sure your community tools and design deliver on the community promise(35:11) Is it unethical to charge for community membership?(41:29) The simplest data-backed thing you can start doing now to bridge the gapResources Mentioned:🗒️ See a complete resources list here.📺 Watch the full documentary on Netflix.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Rebecca Davis🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 YoutubeWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Part 2: What common mistakes should I avoid when setting up my community platform? (Solo Series)

In the second episode of this two-part Solo Series, we’re hearing from Hungry for Good Advice. Our letter today deals with  a community creator who's looking for some tips to set up their community platform right the first time.Over the last five years, Bri has partnered with dozens of clients and community members to select the right community platform for them and to avoid some of the most common pitfalls related to the setup process. She is exploring all possible angles and sharing what you can do to avoid each pitfall.In this episode:(03:12) The communitea: Hungry for Good Advice’s letter(04:39) #1 Beware the freemium model(12:05) Don't turn your community into both the product and the funnel(13:35)  The free trial fiasco(15:59) Debunking the belief that it's morally wrong to charge for community(17:53) #2 Keep it simple, sweetheart(19:33) Leverage your channels and spaces with engaging words and the right size(22:23) Avoid the great mistake of introducing friction(24:22) #3 Develop a plan for leadership early onResources Mentioned:📩 Community building from scratch? Check out my email drip series with 4 Foundational Strategies for Beginning Building.🔥 Catch up with Part 1 of this Solo Series 🎧 Continue the discussion about a free community that leads to a paid one with Dear Bri Episode 8 with Alli Ball.🎙️Fiasco of the two-week trial in Dear Bri Episode 17 with Diana Davis.📺 Watch Bri's FREE masterclass to learn the 4 Types of Communities ❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators.Bri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Part 1: What’s the best all-in-one platform for building a paid community? (Solo Series)

In the first episode of this two-part Solo Series, we’re hearing from Studio Dreamer. Our letter today deals with a community creator who is ready to build a proper home for their paid community but is unsure which all-in-one platform best suits their community goals.This is one of the most common questions Bri gets from clients. In fact, over the last five years, she has partnered with dozens of clients and community members to select the right community platform for them and to avoid some of the most common pitfalls related to the process.So, tune in for the information that will help you make the right choice for you. Bri is providing a broad overview of the five most common community platforms, including her two favorites, which are the ones where she's seen the most successful communities take off.In this episode:(00:31) The communitea: Studio Dreamer’s letter(02:54) What to expect from today's special solo episode(05:08) The definition of an all-in-one community platform(06:54) Deep dive into Mighty Networks(08:49) Deep dive into Skool(12:06) Deep dive into Honeycommb(16:43) Deep dive into Circle(23:56) Deep dive into Heartbeat, where Bri built her Ember community(27:43) Three main differences between Circle and HeartbeatTune into next week's Dear Bri Episode 25 for  the top three mistakes that people make when setting up their community platform.Resources:🔥 Build your community right. Book a discovery call with Bri📺 Watch Bri's  more detailed Community Platform Comparisons on YouTube.🎧 Catch up with Dear Bri Episode 4 with Noele Flowers, where we talk about  building on Slack versus in an all-in-one community platform.🎙️ Listen to Dear Bri Episode 12 with Murtaza Bambot, the CEO at Heartbeat.❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. The place for go-getter community creators building community-powered businesses.Bri Leever🖥️ Website📩 Newsletter📹 YoutubeWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do I handle negative feedback in my community? With Lindsay Rothfeld, Head of Community at Kira Learning

In this episode, we’re hearing from Stuck in Community Time Out. Our letter deals with a community builder who presented some negative feedback, along with ideas for improvement in someone else's community, but was shut down by the founder.To better help Stuck in Community Time Out, I invited Lindsay Rothfeld as my guest expert. From scaling ambassador programs and live events to launching community platforms and lifecycle campaigns, Lindsay has spent the last 10 years building spaces where users feel connected, empowered, and excited to contribute.So, tune in for valuable tools and tips for approaching challenging feedback in your community with empathy, transparency, curiosity, and kindness.In this episode:(03:48) The communitea: Stuck in Community Time Out’s letter(05:54) One of Lindsay's own experiences handling negative feedback in her community(10:22) Leading versus moderating and the real enemy of positivity(12:30) Valuable practices and tools to help you respond and not react to feedback(20:34) Reframe what challenging feedback means to you(23:11) To remove or not remove posts, and how to go about it with transparency(27:05) Having an entrepreneurial mindset can get in the way of your community(30:36) How to masterfully approach those sharing negative feedback(33:57) Ways removing posts can backfire(36:30) The truth about today's letter(41:00) Giving community members the space and tools to give feedbackResources Mentioned:🎧 Get the  next advanced-level mindset work in Dear Bri Episode 20 with Charmaine Jennings.🎤 Continue down the rabbit hole of tough conversations in your community with Dear Bri Episode 11 🎙️ Learn all about a framework for  thinking about the troublemakers in your community withDear Bri Episode 7 ❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat all-in-one community platform.💛 Join Ember. Lindsay Rothfeld🖥️ Website📱 LinkedInBri Leever🖥️ Website📹 Youtube📱LinkedInWant your story to be next? Submit an anonymous letter about your community conundrum, fiasco, drama, or other dilemma here.*Dear Bri is produced by Ideablossoms.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.