March 27, 2009 41 Comments

Pirate Moves – The Value of Passionate Communities

Yesterday, I spoke at the So Cal Action Sports Network event, hosted by Bryan Elliott. I met Bryan at CES in Las Vegas and found him to be passionate, thoughtful, and quite the connector. When he asked me to speak at his event, I said yes in a heartbeat, because Bryan is caretaking for what is turning into quite a passionate community.

In only a few month’s time, Bryan has brought together some really great people into the group. We held the meeting at Oakley‘s official headquarters, thanks to Pat McIlvain, who is yet another of Bryan’s network members. (More on Oakley in a subsequent post.) Bryan will point out the other sponsors of the event, like Optimal Nutrition, who cooked a really awesome organic chili, and in all, it felt like everyone really came together, from a community perspective.

Pirate Move- Value the Network

Bryan’s a pirate. He believes in the value of his community, and knows that it has within it a strong core of great people looking to bring their marketing and other talents up to new levels. He facilitates this by organizing people together both on the main site, as we as through a LinkedIn group (which brings him new potential recruits all the time). Why Bryan’s a Pirate is that he’s maintaining a set of values that he hopes will protect the network, that will develop lots of valuable cross-company networking connections, and that will be mutually beneficial, while not plundering the group to his own devices.

Pirate Move – Build the Network

Bryan brought in several college students from nearby to get into the So Cal Action Sports Network. These students knew that they were valued, knew that Bryan cares about them, and knew that he’d brought them to a place where they might well be meeting their future employers many times over. He values their own knowledge, as we all know that college students know more about social networks in some regards than we all do (sometimes). And Bryan knew that the students would help his network grow, would challenge the assumptions of the core marketers, and that they would be giving back a little something for all his efforts. (Just in case it comes up, that woman isn’t a college student. She’s Tsin-Tsin Ong from Optimal Nutrition.)

Pirate Move – Share the Stage

Bryan spoke a little bit at the beginning of the event, but he made it about his community. He brought together a panel made of members of the network itself, which gave the audience a sense of who else was part of the community. He then gave the stage to me, with a great introduction and a lot of deference. He made me feel like a star from the moment my plane landed (strike that – from before my plane landed), and that feeling carried through with everything he did during the event. By sharing the stage in this way, Bryan showed a humble restraint that points to his belief in the future longevity of his network.

The Power Bryan Can Tap

Bryan has more c-level and senior level marketers in his group of a few thousand people than some folks have in groups 10 times his size. He has dozens of college students, who can react and explain and share the perspective of the youth market (which is obviously important to a bunch of action sports marketing types). He can pull favors from a few friends and stretch experiences out from being decent to being really great.

The previous was part of the Pirate Moves series. Here’s the first post.

Cautions for You, Should You Wish to Develop a Community

The best way anyone can keep a community thriving is to give it experiences that validate and affirm the members. The easiest way to break apart a community is to horde the praise and opportunities to yourself. The next best way is to start selling directly into that community that you’ve developed, either directly, or by putting your network directly into the hands of another organization who intends to sell to them with impunity.

Treat your community like it’s gold and it will return the favor. Bryan is, and I believe he’s someone to watch in coming months and over next year. In fact, I offered him some speaking time at the Inbound Marketing Summit, because we had so many great conversations over the last few months that signal to me that he gets it, and I want him to share his take on things with you.

What do you think? Do you belong to a community like this? Would you want to?

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http://www.lisahickey.com Lisa Hickey

Chris, so much of what I have learned about building a community I have learned from you. Through your insights, through your actions. “Treat your community like gold and it will return the favor” – how true! I have seen that again and again. But it’s hard. Doing it thoughtfully, day in and day out, takes work, and, well *thought *.

This I love: “The best way anyone can keep a community thriving is to give it experiences that validate and affirm the members.” It will be my new mantra. A bit of specific learning around that I’ll add to the mix – @susanmazza taught me: “the true test of effective listening is whether the person speaking feels heard and valued for what they said.” And @pistachio taught me “nothing, I mean nothing, fuels productivity like having someone who believes in you”. Now, when people do something I believe in, I tell them. Specifically. I tell them how their insights changed me as a person, got me to act in some way I wouldn’t have. I let them know exactly how *they* became part of *my* experience. That’s what makes it a shared experience. And it’s pretty cool. Thank you.
http://www.lisahickey.com Lisa Hickey

Chris, so much of what I have learned about building a community I have learned from you. Through your insights, through your actions. “Treat your community like gold and it will return the favor” – how true! I have seen that again and again. But it’s hard. Doing it thoughtfully, day in and day out, takes work, and, well *thought *.

This I love: “The best way anyone can keep a community thriving is to give it experiences that validate and affirm the members.” It will be my new mantra. A bit of specific learning around that I’ll add to the mix – @susanmazza taught me: “the true test of effective listening is whether the person speaking feels heard and valued for what they said.” And @pistachio taught me “nothing, I mean nothing, fuels productivity like having someone who believes in you”. Now, when people do something I believe in, I tell them. Specifically. I tell them how their insights changed me as a person, got me to act in some way I wouldn’t have. I let them know exactly how *they* became part of *my* experience. That’s what makes it a shared experience. And it’s pretty cool. Thank you.
http://LinuxSystemAdministrator.com Leam

Age old wisdom; “Love your neighbor as yourself”. We all want to be heard and granted a measure of significance. That’s what Bryan seems to be doing awesomely well. Stephen Covey discusses the same ideas in “The 8th Habit”, the ability to inspire the greatness in others. What Bryan and Chris can probably also share is the daily, or maybe even hourly struggle with our own feelings of significance. You have to be a totally strong person to accept your value enough that you can highlight the value in others.

The world needs more folks like Bryan and Chris.
http://LinuxSystemAdministrator.com Leam

Age old wisdom; “Love your neighbor as yourself”. We all want to be heard and granted a measure of significance. That’s what Bryan seems to be doing awesomely well. Stephen Covey discusses the same ideas in “The 8th Habit”, the ability to inspire the greatness in others. What Bryan and Chris can probably also share is the daily, or maybe even hourly struggle with our own feelings of significance. You have to be a totally strong person to accept your value enough that you can highlight the value in others.

The world needs more folks like Bryan and Chris.
http://www.bridgetcavanaugh.com Bridget Cavanaugh

Aaaaarrrrrhhhhh, shiver me twitters. Lots to learn here that applies to social media and the real world groups we try to nuture. Earlier this week, @geoffliving posted this word on my blog and it’s now a part of my everyday vocab — “other-centric” and I think it apples. Thanks, Chris for these tales from high sees!
@bcavanaugh
http://www.bridgetcavanaugh.com Bridget Cavanaugh

Aaaaarrrrrhhhhh, shiver me twitters. Lots to learn here that applies to social media and the real world groups we try to nuture. Earlier this week, @geoffliving posted this word on my blog and it’s now a part of my everyday vocab — “other-centric” and I think it apples. Thanks, Chris for these tales from high sees!
@bcavanaugh
http://www.theviralgarden.com Mack Collier

“The best way anyone can keep a community thriving is to give it experiences that validate and affirm the members. The easiest way to break apart a community is to horde the praise and opportunities to yourself.”

Bingo. I always define a community as ‘A group of people that share a sense of co-ownership in something larger than themselves’. By sharing the praise and opportunities, you are strengthening that community, and giving them an incentive to participate, and evangelize the group to others.

Great stuff Chris, sounds like you had a very successful and informative trip.
http://www.theviralgarden.com Mack Collier

“The best way anyone can keep a community thriving is to give it experiences that validate and affirm the members. The easiest way to break apart a community is to horde the praise and opportunities to yourself.”

Bingo. I always define a community as ‘A group of people that share a sense of co-ownership in something larger than themselves’. By sharing the praise and opportunities, you are strengthening that community, and giving them an incentive to participate, and evangelize the group to others.

Great stuff Chris, sounds like you had a very successful and informative trip.
http://www.sonnygill.com Sonny Gill

Having a community manager that nurtures and cultivates the group with humility and care is what sticks out to me and what makes me want to join or stay within a community. It starts with that care and the belief that what the CM is doing is for the community, not for his/her own benefit. Along with that though, I’d refer to the culture within.

Building a culture isn’t just for the corporate realm but for any group or community you’re apart of. A culture that every member believes in and would go to bat for, day in and day out. That’s what makes me truly feel that I belong to a community.
http://www.sonnygill.com Sonny Gill

Having a community manager that nurtures and cultivates the group with humility and care is what sticks out to me and what makes me want to join or stay within a community. It starts with that care and the belief that what the CM is doing is for the community, not for his/her own benefit. Along with that though, I’d refer to the culture within.

Building a culture isn’t just for the corporate realm but for any group or community you’re apart of. A culture that every member believes in and would go to bat for, day in and day out. That’s what makes me truly feel that I belong to a community.
http://community.4Qsurvey.com Sarah-Jane Morris

Chris,

I think this may be my first comment on cb.com. I want to make this the first of many, as your posts have always been so good at getting me psyched about the web, community, and where we’re all headed.

As someone who’s only recently been given the community reigns, your posts consistently remind me that it’s all beautifully simple; “Treat your community like it’s gold and it will return the favor.” It’s all about passionate people doing right by others in an authentic way. And so far, it’s one of the most best roles I’ve ever had – being authentic is so fundamentally rewarding. Too many jobs force people to be so far from that.

Thanks once again for getting me pumped up!

SJ
http://community.4Qsurvey.com Sarah-Jane Morris

Chris,

I think this may be my first comment on cb.com. I want to make this the first of many, as your posts have always been so good at getting me psyched about the web, community, and where we’re all headed.

As someone who’s only recently been given the community reigns, your posts consistently remind me that it’s all beautifully simple; “Treat your community like it’s gold and it will return the favor.” It’s all about passionate people doing right by others in an authentic way. And so far, it’s one of the most best roles I’ve ever had – being authentic is so fundamentally rewarding. Too many jobs force people to be so far from that.

Thanks once again for getting me pumped up!

SJ
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http://www.buddyblog.com Pete Deutschman

Chris,

Thanks for presenting to us last night. As one of those C level guys you refer to in your post, I can speak first hand on the white glove approach Bryan took/takes when building and managing this group. I accepted an in office meeting with him, expecting like others in the past, a hard sell. What I found was a passionate person who liked acting as the “grid” connecting people, projects and minds. As such, when Bryan called to use one of our stages (http://www.dotlot.com) for a CES project, I of course offered it up. His good Karma will someday rub off on some if not most who care to respect and appreciate his efforts. I appreciate your efforts as well. Keep up the good posts, tweets and observations.

Pete Deutschman
Chief Buddy, The Buddy Group
http://www.thebuddygroup.com
http://www.buddyblog.com Pete Deutschman

Chris,

Thanks for presenting to us last night. As one of those C level guys you refer to in your post, I can speak first hand on the white glove approach Bryan took/takes when building and managing this group. I accepted an in office meeting with him, expecting like others in the past, a hard sell. What I found was a passionate person who liked acting as the “grid” connecting people, projects and minds. As such, when Bryan called to use one of our stages (http://www.dotlot.com) for a CES project, I of course offered it up. His good Karma will someday rub off on some if not most who care to respect and appreciate his efforts. I appreciate your efforts as well. Keep up the good posts, tweets and observations.

Pete Deutschman
Chief Buddy, The Buddy Group
http://www.thebuddygroup.com
Timo

Read Seth Godin’s Tribes. I just finished it and the book is most certainly in this vein. Great stuff on both counts. Thanks for the inspiration!
Timo

Read Seth Godin’s Tribes. I just finished it and the book is most certainly in this vein. Great stuff on both counts. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Chris you are way too kind and I learn something new every time I read your blog or hear you speak. You reinforced something yesterday for me that I’m not always conscious of but is always in the back of my mind. That is, social media is a complete waste of time unless it results in something meaningful. The definition of ‘meaningful’ depends on your objective, but most of my goals have to do with building relationships of trust.

When there’s trust, friendships form. When there’s trust, we can do business or refer business. When there’s trust we’re not afraid to try and fail because we know we’ll be supported. When there’s trust, we have a safety net(work) to catch us when we fall.

If we balance the time properly we spend typing messages versus old fashioned in person relationships, social media doesn’t replace in-person contact, it bridges geography and improves efficiency. It’s a means to and end, and the end. Social media can be a medium to reach real people and make real connections. It makes the world a whole lot smaller, really fast so we can reach more people in more places than ever before. Whether be build trust online or have the privilege of meeting in person, it’s the relationships that matter.
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Chris you are way too kind and I learn something new every time I read your blog or hear you speak. You reinforced something yesterday for me that I’m not always conscious of but is always in the back of my mind. That is, social media is a complete waste of time unless it results in something meaningful. The definition of ‘meaningful’ depends on your objective, but most of my goals have to do with building relationships of trust.

When there’s trust, friendships form. When there’s trust, we can do business or refer business. When there’s trust we’re not afraid to try and fail because we know we’ll be supported. When there’s trust, we have a safety net(work) to catch us when we fall.

If we balance the time properly we spend typing messages versus old fashioned in person relationships, social media doesn’t replace in-person contact, it bridges geography and improves efficiency. It’s a means to and end, and the end. Social media can be a medium to reach real people and make real connections. It makes the world a whole lot smaller, really fast so we can reach more people in more places than ever before. Whether be build trust online or have the privilege of meeting in person, it’s the relationships that matter.
http://www.active.com jim garfield

I’m all about the passionet, auth community. Glad to see it materialize in face-to-face.
http://www.active.com jim garfield

I’m all about the passionet, auth community. Glad to see it materialize in face-to-face.
Greg Bates

What an awesome idea for a community. This is the sort of thing I’ve been thinking about creating in the music space, and to see Bryan actually doing it is really encouraging.

Thanks Chris!
Greg Bates

What an awesome idea for a community. This is the sort of thing I’ve been thinking about creating in the music space, and to see Bryan actually doing it is really encouraging.

Thanks Chris!
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http://sarahmerion.com Sarah Merion

As a college student myself, I have found it difficult to find passionate community networks to belong to. I’m starting to engage my University in social media and working with them to promote it to students. Bryan is quite the mover and we should all work so hard to create passionate communities. Great article Chris!
http://sarahmerion.com Sarah Merion

As a college student myself, I have found it difficult to find passionate community networks to belong to. I’m starting to engage my University in social media and working with them to promote it to students. Bryan is quite the mover and we should all work so hard to create passionate communities. Great article Chris!
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http://www.teammarketingsystems.com Howard Brodwin

You are right on target Chris — it’s all about the passion and the value, and those two are certainly intertwined in Bryan’s group. He bring both to all of the activities and programs for the group, and just following his twitter feeds and linkedin posts will show you how passionate he is about the industry and bringing people together.

You mentioned the word “authentic” when you spoke about action sports at the Oakley HQ. That’s not just true when it comes to the brands and the products, but also the people. And with our world becoming more and more connected and transparent every day, those who are truly authentic are quickly becoming the only ones worth listening to.
http://www.teammarketingsystems.com Howard Brodwin

You are right on target Chris — it’s all about the passion and the value, and those two are certainly intertwined in Bryan’s group. He bring both to all of the activities and programs for the group, and just following his twitter feeds and linkedin posts will show you how passionate he is about the industry and bringing people together.

You mentioned the word “authentic” when you spoke about action sports at the Oakley HQ. That’s not just true when it comes to the brands and the products, but also the people. And with our world becoming more and more connected and transparent every day, those who are truly authentic are quickly becoming the only ones worth listening to.
N. Ko

It’s hard to believe how easily all of you have been con by Bryan. Maybe before you start believing his hype, you should do a “real” background check on him. He was fired from our company Yamaha due to incompetency and was asked to leave, as we all feared him due to his crazy disillusioned rants. He claims he’s from the action sports industry, however he has NEVER worked for a “real” company within that industry. He can speak a good game in the beginning & make you believe in him, however he has nothing to back it up. I just hate seeing him fool all of you, like had done to us all at Yamaha & his previous employers. Hopefully, you will all see through his charade soon….we all did.
N. Ko

It’s hard to believe how easily all of you have been con by Bryan. Maybe before you start believing his hype, you should do a “real” background check on him. He was fired from our company Yamaha due to incompetency and was asked to leave, as we all feared him due to his crazy disillusioned rants. He claims he’s from the action sports industry, however he has NEVER worked for a “real” company within that industry. He can speak a good game in the beginning & make you believe in him, however he has nothing to back it up. I just hate seeing him fool all of you, like had done to us all at Yamaha & his previous employers. Hopefully, you will all see through his charade soon….we all did.
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Mr./Ms Ko? Your comments are very disturbing on many levels. For one, I don’t know you and don’t seem to remember you from Yamaha. Whatever your motivation for trying to discredit me, whether you are frustrated with your own situation or God knows what, haters who try and tear down others without just cause are what they are; pathetic and cowardly. Why don’t you reveal your name and email and I’d be happy to have a discussion so you get your facts right. For the record, I left Yamaha by choice. Not because it’s a bad company but because I had done everything I could do there. There were definitely politics and I butted heads with a few people on issues of strategy and new media. One of my frustrations was that Yamaha was too stuck in tradition and would not try new things even when the old things weren’t working.

As for my experience in Action Sports, anyone who is on connected Linked In can read my profile and job experience. It is what it is. I have always explained my Action Sports experience as starting as a product developer for Sunsports Apparel, one of the industry’s best and most used vertical manufacturers and private label facilities on the west coast. It was there that I got to meet and work with ALL of the top brands and best people in the industry. That experience is the genesis of the SoCal Action Sports Network. I might be wrong Mr. Ko, but now your name rings a bell with me. Aren’t you the guy that joined the SoCal Action Sports Network and had to be removed because you were Spamming everyone with your personal agenda? Aren’t you the guy who cowardly wrote nasty, bitter comments about me on your blog complaining that I had unfairly removed you from the group? I remember sending you an email after a group member forwarded your comments to me. I wrote you and invited you to address your comments to me personally if you had a problem, not lob grenades like a little punk from behind the bushes. If this is you Mr. Ko, you need to get a life and get over it dude. I invite you again. Feel free to contact me directly. My Tel. is 714 318-6086. My email is bryan@socalactionsportsnetwork.com. Call me and I’ll make time to meet you face to face so you can make your case and tell me everything on your mind.
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Mr./Ms Ko? Your comments are very disturbing on many levels. For one, I don’t know you and don’t seem to remember you from Yamaha. Whatever your motivation for trying to discredit me, whether you are frustrated with your own situation or God knows what, haters who try and tear down others without just cause are what they are; pathetic and cowardly. Why don’t you reveal your name and email and I’d be happy to have a discussion so you get your facts right. For the record, I left Yamaha by choice. Not because it’s a bad company but because I had done everything I could do there. There were definitely politics and I butted heads with a few people on issues of strategy and new media. One of my frustrations was that Yamaha was too stuck in tradition and would not try new things even when the old things weren’t working.

As for my experience in Action Sports, anyone who is on connected Linked In can read my profile and job experience. It is what it is. I have always explained my Action Sports experience as starting as a product developer for Sunsports Apparel, one of the industry’s best and most used vertical manufacturers and private label facilities on the west coast. It was there that I got to meet and work with ALL of the top brands and best people in the industry. That experience is the genesis of the SoCal Action Sports Network. I might be wrong Mr. Ko, but now your name rings a bell with me. Aren’t you the guy that joined the SoCal Action Sports Network and had to be removed because you were Spamming everyone with your personal agenda? Aren’t you the guy who cowardly wrote nasty, bitter comments about me on your blog complaining that I had unfairly removed you from the group? I remember sending you an email after a group member forwarded your comments to me. I wrote you and invited you to address your comments to me personally if you had a problem, not lob grenades like a little punk from behind the bushes. If this is you Mr. Ko, you need to get a life and get over it dude. I invite you again. Feel free to contact me directly. My Tel. is 714 318-6086. My email is bryan@socalactionsportsnetwork.com. Call me and I’ll make time to meet you face to face so you can make your case and tell me everything on your mind.
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Faker

Wake up people! Bryan is completely full of it. Have you heard of fictions cyber-stalkers… I could go on, but why.
Faker

Wake up people! Bryan is completely full of it. Have you heard of fictions cyber-stalkers… I could go on, but why.
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Dear Faker,

Your name seems appropriate. Why the mystique? Why hide your true identity? I think I know why…

It’s because you’re not ready to be accountable or responsible for your words. And that’s why there are libel and slander laws. You’re a coward. I invite you as I mentioned above to contact me directly any time. Let me know your real motivation. You must be disgruntled over something. What is it? Put up or shut up!
http://www.socalactionsportsnetwork.com bryan elliott

Dear Faker,

Your name seems appropriate. Why the mystique? Why hide your true identity? I think I know why…

It’s because you’re not ready to be accountable or responsible for your words. And that’s why there are libel and slander laws. You’re a coward. I invite you as I mentioned above to contact me directly any time. Let me know your real motivation. You must be disgruntled over something. What is it? Put up or shut up!
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Pirate Moves – The Value of Passionate Communities

Pirate Move- Value the Network

Pirate Move – Build the Network

Pirate Move – Share the Stage

The Power Bryan Can Tap

Cautions for You, Should You Wish to Develop a Community

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