Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

How do you know when to keep pushing or when to let go of your community? With Salome Schillack, CEO & Founder of The Launch Lounge

40min | 05/27/2025

Description

In 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 in alignment. Having been in Wavering’s shoes, her insights deeply resonate.

So, even if you’re not thinking of whether or not it’s time to shut down your community, make sure to tune in to this episode because you’ll discover what to anticipate, what to think about, and the questions you need to ask now in order to build a community for longevity and to decide if stopping or pivoting is the way to go.

In this episode:

(03:03) The tale of how Bri and Salome first met

(05:49) The communitea: Wavering But Hopeful’s letter

(07:03) Salome’s own experience of building a membership and making the decision to close it

(15:14) What ultimately wasn’t working in Salome’s membership

(21:53) How Salome’s community journey translates into Bri’s matrix of communities

(24:40) Approaching the decision to close the doors or pivot as a marketer

(29:02) How to turn your community around if shutting it down is not the way to go

(31:04) What to ask yourself and keep in mind for a community that lasts and lights you up

(37:38) If you’re also wavering, know you’re not alone

🤫 A boundary that felt impossible (but built more trust). Here's the bonus conversation with Salome!

Resources Mentioned:

🧑‍🏫 Check out the 4 Types of Communities Masterclass.

🎙️ Tune into Salome’s podcast, The Launch Lounge Podcast.

❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.

Salome Schillack

🖥️ Website

📱 LinkedIn

Bri Leever

🖥️ Website

📹 Youtube

📱LinkedIn

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.

About Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever invites a guest community expert to respond to an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress.

From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics gone awry, this podcast delivers relatable stories and sound community strategy for navigating the chaos of digital communities—all with empathy, expertise, and a touch of drama.

The mission? Helping community managers and community creators feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone while building thriving brand communities.

You're in the right place if you are...

🐣 Community Curious:

Creators or brands exploring the benefits of a community-powered business. Learn the fundamentals of community strategy for online businesses, and discover how to build an online community from scratch.

🐥 Community Hatchlings:

Newcomers to community building seeking guidance and support. Get tips on how to grow a paid community, avoid common mistakes in community building, and build trust through smart community roles and responsibilities.

🦅 Senior Community Folks:

Seasoned pros facing complex dilemmas. Explore topics like managing community drama, setting boundaries in digital communities, and advanced community retention strategies.

Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community managers and creators. Episodes provide the most up-to-date community management practices, common mistakes to avoid in community building, the best community engagement tactics I've seen, tips on setting boundaries and building trust in online communities, and of course, a touch of community drama to keep things interesting and fun!

Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios.

Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever invites a guest community expert to respond to an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress.

From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics gone awry, this podcast delivers relatable stories and sound community strategy for navigating the chaos of digital communities—all with empathy, expertise, and a touch of drama.

The mission? Helping community managers and community creators feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone while building thriving brand communities.

You're in the right place if you are...

🐣 Community Curious:

Creators or brands exploring the benefits of a community-powered business. Learn the fundamentals of community strategy for online businesses, and discover how to build an online community from scratch.

🐥 Community Hatchlings:

Newcomers to community building seeking guidance and support. Get tips on how to grow a paid community, avoid common mistakes in community building, and build trust through smart community roles and responsibilities.

🦅 Senior Community Folks:

Seasoned pros facing complex dilemmas. Explore topics like managing community drama, setting boundaries in digital communities, and advanced community retention strategies.

Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community managers and creators. Episodes provide the most up-to-date community management practices, common mistakes to avoid in community building, the best community engagement tactics I've seen, tips on setting boundaries and building trust in online communities, and of course, a touch of community drama to keep things interesting and fun!

Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios.

Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

In 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 in alignment. Having been in Wavering’s shoes, her insights deeply resonate.

So, even if you’re not thinking of whether or not it’s time to shut down your community, make sure to tune in to this episode because you’ll discover what to anticipate, what to think about, and the questions you need to ask now in order to build a community for longevity and to decide if stopping or pivoting is the way to go.

In this episode:

(03:03) The tale of how Bri and Salome first met

(05:49) The communitea: Wavering But Hopeful’s letter

(07:03) Salome’s own experience of building a membership and making the decision to close it

(15:14) What ultimately wasn’t working in Salome’s membership

(21:53) How Salome’s community journey translates into Bri’s matrix of communities

(24:40) Approaching the decision to close the doors or pivot as a marketer

(29:02) How to turn your community around if shutting it down is not the way to go

(31:04) What to ask yourself and keep in mind for a community that lasts and lights you up

(37:38) If you’re also wavering, know you’re not alone

🤫 A boundary that felt impossible (but built more trust). Here's the bonus conversation with Salome!

Resources Mentioned:

🧑‍🏫 Check out the 4 Types of Communities Masterclass.

🎙️ Tune into Salome’s podcast, The Launch Lounge Podcast.

❤️ Sign up for Heartbeat. Bri’s recommended all-in-one community platform.

Salome Schillack

🖥️ Website

📱 LinkedIn

Bri Leever

🖥️ Website

📹 Youtube

📱LinkedIn

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.

About Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever invites a guest community expert to respond to an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress.

From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics gone awry, this podcast delivers relatable stories and sound community strategy for navigating the chaos of digital communities—all with empathy, expertise, and a touch of drama.

The mission? Helping community managers and community creators feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone while building thriving brand communities.

You're in the right place if you are...

🐣 Community Curious:

Creators or brands exploring the benefits of a community-powered business. Learn the fundamentals of community strategy for online businesses, and discover how to build an online community from scratch.

🐥 Community Hatchlings:

Newcomers to community building seeking guidance and support. Get tips on how to grow a paid community, avoid common mistakes in community building, and build trust through smart community roles and responsibilities.

🦅 Senior Community Folks:

Seasoned pros facing complex dilemmas. Explore topics like managing community drama, setting boundaries in digital communities, and advanced community retention strategies.

Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community managers and creators. Episodes provide the most up-to-date community management practices, common mistakes to avoid in community building, the best community engagement tactics I've seen, tips on setting boundaries and building trust in online communities, and of course, a touch of community drama to keep things interesting and fun!

Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios.

Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Dear Bri: Community Strategy, Fiascos, and Drama

Welcome to Dear Bri, an advice column for community conundrums, fiascos, and drama! In each episode, host and community strategist Bri Leever invites a guest community expert to respond to an anonymous letter from a real-life community creator in distress.

From online community-building mishaps to community engagement tactics gone awry, this podcast delivers relatable stories and sound community strategy for navigating the chaos of digital communities—all with empathy, expertise, and a touch of drama.

The mission? Helping community managers and community creators feel a little less crazy and a lot less alone while building thriving brand communities.

You're in the right place if you are...

🐣 Community Curious:

Creators or brands exploring the benefits of a community-powered business. Learn the fundamentals of community strategy for online businesses, and discover how to build an online community from scratch.

🐥 Community Hatchlings:

Newcomers to community building seeking guidance and support. Get tips on how to grow a paid community, avoid common mistakes in community building, and build trust through smart community roles and responsibilities.

🦅 Senior Community Folks:

Seasoned pros facing complex dilemmas. Explore topics like managing community drama, setting boundaries in digital communities, and advanced community retention strategies.

Dear Bri combines relatable storytelling with expert community strategy, making it a unique and valuable resource for community managers and creators. Episodes provide the most up-to-date community management practices, common mistakes to avoid in community building, the best community engagement tactics I've seen, tips on setting boundaries and building trust in online communities, and of course, a touch of community drama to keep things interesting and fun!

Community creators listening to Dear Bri will feel a little less alone in the important work of community building and a whole lot less crazy as each episode normalizes and provides strategic insights for some of the toughest online community scenarios.

Whether you're curious about building a community, just starting out, or a seasoned professional looking for advanced advice, Dear Bri has something for you. Episodes drop weekly on Tuesday. Hit the follow button so you don't miss out!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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