Empowered Podcasting CMO on Turning Followers into a Year‑Round Community (How EPC3 Makes Belonging Stick)

5 key takeaways: Community ≠ audience: community is recurring, reciprocal, and built through shared experiences, not metrics. The magic happens in the hallways: stages teach, corridors create opportunities (collabs, podcasts, books). Design with belonging in mind: workshops, interactive journals, visible staff, and pre-event touchpoints turn attendees into contributors. Make introverts powerful connectors: be interested, not interesting — ask great questions and invite people in. Start local, know your "who": test pop-ups and meetups before scaling to travel-heavy conferences. Timestamps (with enticing labels): 0:00 — Opening: Why in-person gatherings still outvalue online reach 3:48 — Podfest pivot: Rich’s defining moment from virtual to real‑world belonging 7:08 — Airbnb retreat: How hallway encounters became a week‑long creative masterclass 15:17 — Hallways vs. stages: Where learning ends and collaboration begins 20:36 — Making newcomers belong: the staff-led approach that stops cliques 25:54 — Tips for introverts: simple questions that spark big conversations 33:15 — EPC3 preview & who benefits most: growth, monetization, and community in focus Guest links: Website / podcasts / book: https://richperry.com — 10 Minute Mentor, Purpose First Entrepreneur, and free copy of Talk of the Town Empowered Podcasting / event: https://empoweredpodcasting.com — EPC3 (Aug 21–23, Charlotte) Social (find EPC + community): Empowered Podcasting on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram (links via empoweredpodcasting.com) 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.