The Future of Community is Small
I had the privilege of speaking at the Community Manager Appreciation Day celebrations with CMX last week about something I've been thinking about a lot. I know we're meant to talk about scale and that classic hockey stick growth, but I truly believe the future of community isn't bigger, it's smaller and more intentional.
In my talk I share examples from building CreativeMornings Clubs and lessons from Community Council about how building small intentional containers can create big belonging. And that the most powerful community moments often happen in curated, trust-based spaces within the larger ecosystem. I also compare your company board meetings to the Traitors Roundtable (IYKYK). 🏰
If this sounds like your jam, you can catch the replay of the full 12 minute talk here.
📣 Applications closing soon!
Applications for Community Council Spring 2026 close February 15th!
If you're reading this and thinking "maybe next time", let me stop you there. How many times have we said that about investing in ourselves? About carving out time for our own growth?
Building community for others is what we do. But you deserve a space built for you, too. A place where you can show up, be the participant for once, and let someone else hold the container.
This April (21-24) at Château de Courtomer in Normandy, we're gathering 20 community leaders for exactly that: deep conversations, small-group strategy jams, and a Peer Advisory Group to keep the momentum going all year.
Don't just take my word for it, past participants shared this:
"Community Council was a highlight of my year! Every detail of it was so thoughtfully curated and carefully selected it created a expansive space to think big, think about challenges in a new light, be vulnerable, genuinely connect and grow personally and as a group."
"It's the space you didn't know you needed. It's not a passive experience. When you show up fully engaged in conversations, sharing ideas, and listening to others, you'll walk away with far more than you expected."
"The perfect balance of personal time, reflection time, and group time, with peer to peer learning, group insights. Not to mention incredible food, private bath tubs, and a château. Enough said."
"The effects of this experience will be felt throughout my team for a long time to come. If you are selected to attend, don't even give it a second thought. Go. You'll be so much better for the experience."
Applications close Feb 15th → Apply here
📚 Book Club: The Art of Community
Our next Community Book Club read is: The Art of Community by Charles Vogl. A new one for me but recommended by our Community Council alumni.
Whether you're building in-person gatherings or virtual spaces, The Art of Community is your field guide to creating the kind of belonging that defeats loneliness and unlocks collective potential. This isn't theory—it's a practical toolkit for the most important work any of us can do: bringing people together in ways that actually matter.
💎 Internet Treasures:
- The immeasurably cool Recess 2026 Creative Playbook is a free 220+ page resource featuring tips, tools, and creative insights from 48 creative directors, designers, and strategists across 20 countries to help creatives stay at the top of their game.
- The Studioworks Library is a free collection of practical business tools and resources for freelancers and creative studios, including budget calculators, fee estimators, and bookkeeping tools created by type-legend Jessica Hische.
👋 Come say hi!
This Thursday I'm leading a CreativeMornings FieldTrip workshop on The Belonging Triangle, a framework I've been developing for designing better gatherings.
Think of it as the difference between a gathering people endure and one they can't stop talking about. We'll dig into real examples, play with the framework together, and you'll leave with something you can actually use.
Register here (if you can't make it live you'll get timed access to the recording!)
Thanks for being here!
Until next time—keep gathering with intention.
—Christina
Founder, Community Council & BoardingPass
