Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company, an organization that builds and manages communities for global brands and media companies. Examples include the AdAge Collective, the Forbes Councils, the Business Journals Leadership Trust and the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invitation-only organization of some of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs.
Scott is also a public speaker, syndicated columnist and author of “Never Get a ‘Real’ Job” and co-author of “Superconnector” - all about building business relationships that matter. He joins Bryan Scanlon on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast to talk about the impact communities can have on your career and offers a few dos and don’ts for making the most out of the experience.
Highlights of the Scott’s insight include:
- The importance of making mistakes -- and not repeating them: “I think the challenge with a lot of young entrepreneurs today that I speak to -- or that these days meet with on Zoom -- is the critical second step, which is don’t make the same mistake twice. And I think a lot of folks fall for that, unfortunately, far too often, where they go through the hard knocks lessons but then don’t internalize those lessons and ultimately fall on their face for the same reasons they did the first time. And that’s where a little bit of self inflection is important.
- What makes for a valuable entrepreneurial community: “The best communities that actually provide value, the secret is actually not really a secret at all. The first thing is, first and foremost, is it curated? Are the right people connected to one another? Does it feel not exclusive in the sense of elitist or snobbish, but does it feel like if I dedicate my time there will be mutual exchange that the time is worth it?”
- Small, impactful circles of peers are more important than vast networks on social media: “You can’t scale humanity. You can use technology to amplify yourself, but the mistake happens when you use it to replace yourself. People ask me all the time, ‘What technology should I use to curate my community?’ And the second you’re asking me that question, what you’re saying is you’re thinking about the tool, not about the talent. And that is the problem.”
Listen to the podcast now and catch every episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast by subscribing. Have an idea for the podcast? Drop us a line at hello@lookleftmarketing.com.
