17. Creating a Community That Doesn’t Rely [Solely] on You with Diana Davis

Brianna Leever
1 day ago
3 min read

Updated: 31 minutes ago

This 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.

Click to learn more about Heartbeat, Bri's favorite all-in-one community platform!

In this episode:

(3:43) The communitea: Seeking Community Connection’s letter

(6:55) Connection-centric design: Letting go of the spotlight

(10:24) Being a professional nudger: The value of proactive outreach

(19:04) Community tips: Competition and family/friends discounts

(24:01) Craving the spotlight vs. creating sustainable community

(26:02) Teaching kickball: Coaching vs. facilitating in community

(27:20) Is it a membership or a community? Key distinctions

(34:00) Community product design: Mixing the flour before the eggs

(38:01) Why Diana made her community paid (and why free communities can fail)

(40:01) Building boundaries: RSVP culture and the cost of flakiness

(43:02) Events as the cheese plate: Using synchronous experiences to convert

(46:02) Nudging and teaching members how to show up

Watch on YouTube:

Resources Mentioned:

🧲 Check Diana’s Free Attraction Masterclass: magnetize dream clients with ease and alignment.

❤️ 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.

Noteworthy quotes

“If you wanna build a community, you gotta act like it.“ - Diana Davis

“ The best place to turn for your most immediate community is your competition. Your community and your competition are one degree removed.” - Bri Leever

If your community did disappear tomorrow, if it burned to the ground, what would be the hardest thing to lose?

Get to know more about Diana Davis in today’s secret podcast episode. You'll discover some hard truths behind being a community builder, you’ll contemplate a question most community builders come across, and more.

(00:03) Can you tell us about a time you almost gave up on your community—but didn’t? What made you stay?

(01:34) What’s something your community taught you about yourself that surprised you?

(03:53) What are you currently questioning or wrestling with when it comes to your role?

(05:45) If your community did disappear tomorrow, if it burned to the ground, what would be the hardest thing to lose?

(07:29) What’s a myth about community building that you wish more people would talk about?

Watch Diana's 10-Min Fire Round 🔥

Diana Davis

Diana is a community strategist, business coach for creatives, and the founder of Recess for Creatives. Getting laid off from corporate was one of the best things that ever happened to her — it led her to build a multi six-figure photography and design business in NYC. Now, she helps other creatives do the same, their way — by building human brands, ditching the hustle, and turning big, magical ideas into businesses that actually work.

🖥️ Website

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Bri Leever

Bri got her start building a community and growing it to a multi-million dollar revenue stream for a social enterprise in Portland, OR. Now, she supports folks used to running their business on content, coaching, and consulting to create their community offer. She's a Community Strategist by day and a Campervan host by night on the Big Island of Hawaii and you'll usually find her on, in, or under the water.

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