In this engaging episode of CX Nexus, hosts Nicole Saunders and Chris Detzel explore the fascinating intersection between personal and professional community building. The conversation weaves between Chris's experience growing a 10,000-member running community in Dallas-Fort Worth and Nicole's decade-long "Odd Tuesday Potluck" tradition, revealing how the fundamental principles of community building manifest in their personal lives.

The hosts unpack key community-building elements that work across both personal and professional contexts:
- The critical role of consistency in building lasting communities
- How shared challenges and interests naturally bring people together
- The importance of creating regular touchpoints and traditions
- The value of organic growth and patience in community development
- Ways to maintain engagement while allowing for natural ebb and flow of participation

Through personal anecdotes about running groups, potluck dinners, choir performances, and holiday traditions, Nicole and Chris demonstrate how the strategies they use in professional community management often mirror the natural ways humans connect in their personal lives. The episode offers valuable insights for both professional community managers and anyone interested in building stronger personal networks and communities.

The discussion culminates with reflections on how genuine human connection remains at the heart of all successful communities, whether they're focused on professional development or personal interests. This episode is particularly relevant for community professionals seeking to ground their work in authentic human experience, as well as individuals looking to build stronger personal communities in their own lives.

Hosts: Nicole Saunders and Chris Detzel

This episode of the CX Nexus podcast features co-hosts Nicole Saunders and Chris Detzel discussing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on community management and customer experience. Here's a detailed description of the episode's content:

1. Introduction and Context:
- Both hosts are about six weeks into new jobs, providing fresh perspectives on their roles.
- Chris has been thinking a lot about AI and new technologies in his new role.

2. AI Integration in Customer Experience:
- Discussion on the importance of thinking "AI-first" in community and customer experience strategies.
- Examples of AI integration, such as chatbots for self-help and sentiment analysis tools.

3. Practical Applications of AI:
- Use of AI for content creation, including blog posts and webinar summaries.
- AI's role in data analysis, such as understanding customer needs and preferences.
- Utilizing AI for routine tasks like meeting note-taking and creating event descriptions.

4. Impact on Support Communities:
- How AI is changing the nature of questions in support communities.
- The shift towards more complex, experience-based queries that AI can't easily answer.
- The increasing importance of user-generated content for SEO.

5. AI in Community Platforms:
- Discussion on the lack of innovation in community platform space.
- The need for community platforms to integrate AI features.
- Potential for AI in matchmaking community members with similar interests or needs.

6. Challenges and Opportunities:
- Balancing AI use with maintaining authentic, authoritative content.
- The importance of open, searchable communities for SEO benefits.
- How AI might disrupt current community management practices.

7. Future Outlook:
- Anticipation of upcoming innovations in community platform technologies.
- The need for community managers to adapt to AI-first approaches.
- Potential for AI to assist community managers in various aspects of their roles.

8. Closing Remarks:
- Mention of upcoming presentations at the Refocus virtual community conference.
- Encouragement for listeners to attend or watch recordings of the conference.

Throughout the episode, the hosts share personal experiences and industry insights, providing a mix of practical advice and forward-looking perspectives on the role of AI in community management and customer experience.

This podcast episode of CX Nexus features hosts Nicole Saunders and Chris Detzel discussing the intersection of community management and sales strategies, particularly focusing on how community professionals can integrate their work with sales plays. Here's a detailed description of the episode:

1. Introduction to the topic:
   • The hosts introduce the challenge many community leaders face in connecting their work to the rest of the organization, especially sales.
   • They emphasize the importance of finding ways to integrate community efforts with sales motions without being overly "salesy" in community spaces.
2. Focus on expansion opportunities:
   • Chris suggests that community plays a significant role in customer expansion rather than net new sales.
   • He discusses how community programs, such as webinars, can be connected to sales pipelines and influence revenue.
3. Defining sales plays:
   • The hosts explain the concept of sales plays, distinguishing them from marketing campaigns.
   • They describe sales plays as repeatable actions that can be tracked and followed up on systematically.
4. Learning about sales processes:
   • Chris shares his experience of learning about sales plays and campaigns within his organization.
   • He emphasizes the importance of building relationships with sales teams and understanding their language and goals.
5. Strategies for integration:
   • The hosts discuss the value of co-planning events with other teams to ensure community initiatives align with broader sales and marketing strategies.
   • They stress the importance of approaching other teams with a "how can I help?" mindset rather than asking for inclusion.
6. Building internal relationships:
   • Nicole highlights the importance of relationship-building skills for community professionals, not just with community members but also with internal teams.
   • They discuss strategies for gaining buy-in from executives and demonstrating the value of community to the business.
7. Data and metrics:
   • The hosts talk about the importance of tracking data to demonstrate community impact on sales.
   • They caution against over-relying on metrics and stress the need for balancing data with practical field experience.
8. Challenges and encouragement:
   • Chris acknowledges that integrating community with sales can be challenging but encourages community leaders to push themselves in new directions.
   • They emphasize the need for creativity in showing how community efforts contribute to business outcomes.
9. Closing thoughts:
   • The hosts summarize the key takeaways and encourage listeners to continue exploring ways to connect community efforts with broader business strategies.

Throughout the episode, Nicole and Chris draw from their personal experiences, offering practical advice and insights for community professionals looking to demonstrate their value to the sales organization and the broader business.