Community Builders After Dark: What We Do When We're Not at Work

CX Nexus Podcast

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