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I'm not trying to be flippant about, hey, everything's gonna change and it's all gonna be perfect. But I will say this. The change and a just a dynamic world is the one that we live in. And what I have found is when I'm feeling that moment of like, oh, gosh, everything's changing, am I still relevant? What I have found is when I can focus on something I'm excited to do as opposed to sort of feed the fear, things get easier and I get more excited and I get more energy. And then when I'm in that frame of mind, something really incredible happens, which is I start to get more excited about the future. Hey, I'm Gina Bianchini, and this is People Magic, where I show you the easiest way to create a $1 million community and build a business you can be proud of. Let's dive in.
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Hi, Gina. I'm a community manager for an online community for a living, and I'm pretty scared my job will be obsolete with AI. In your opinion, is there room for both?
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So this is a great question. Here's what I would say. You are a human being, and human beings are. Are never going to become obsolete. What we do as human beings and where we invest our time, our energy, our creativity, that's going to change and it's going to evolve. Even just the word community manager, going back a decade or two decades, it's really meant the person that's doing a lot of the manual tasks that we had to do because there was no software to do them. So this might be, you know, making sure that people get put in the right places and their questions get answered and maybe introduce, like, if you even had time, maybe introduce people to each other a little bit. But. But even that can get exhausting. Also making sure that you had to deal with trolls and spam and moderation, that the tools for moderation were not particularly helpful or effective. What's going to happen, by the way, I think this is good news for you, is that a lot of that manual effort, I'll even go as far as to say, those menial tasks, those are going to become obsolete. They are going to be done with software, not human beings. And what that is going to mean is if you are drawn to community because you love people, because you love helping people connect and get results and transformation that they can't get on their own, that you love to help people, you love to organize events, you love to live stream, you love to be a part of conversations that you can help Facilitate and facilitate in ways that deepen connections between your members. All of those things, they are simply going to get easier. And in getting easier, it's going to allow you to have a bigger impact. Community software is going to start to be able to do things in terms of organizing members, connecting them, introducing them, dynamically organizing and setting up meetups. Even this ability for the software to play the role of amazing co hosts to you as a community manager, such that it knows 25 members are in Mountain View, California or you know, within a 25 mile radius of Mountain View, California, and that it can go about organizing a meetup for those 25 people two weeks from now on a Thursday night at a beer garden, because it knows, it has data and it has natural language. That is stuff that today a community manager like you may give up on because it's just so hard to figure out who they are. Is anybody going to show up? How many notifications do I have to send? The software is going to actually get good enough to know how many notifications, what's the optimal number of notifications, when to send them to whom to send them to? So as it's doing all of those things, you now are freed up to think about, okay, well, what and how do we want to tackle really interesting monthly themes? Or how do we put on our first in person event and do so profitably? How could we potentially create small groups of customers in our customer community that are really similar and really motivated to meet each other? These are entrepreneurs or these are engineering managers who are at the same point in their career. So you could essentially imagine what is the programming for first time engineering managers as opposed to engineering managers who are leveling up to engineering directors. And you can apply this in all sorts of different ways. Once we get past the kind of the thing you already know, which is manual effort on things that software can do better than a human being, those things are going away. There's excitement and there's excitement and there is energy around the fact that you are going to get to do much more creative things, much more human things, because there's just going to be more time for humans and people and the ability to connect in new and interesting ways that unlock results and transformation. People can't get on their own. That is the reason we are in this work. It's not just to create engagement, it's not just to create contributions or time spent. It is to help people achieve something that they cannot get on their own. And in doing that, we are helping people have the careers that they want to have organize their life around health and wellness and relationships in ways that are nearly impossible to do without a community there to help you build new practices or change habits and ultimately live the life that we want to live. And I think that's really exciting. It's why we've created what we call people magic, to lean into software, to really be able to do things that software especially, yes, AI, can do better than human beings. And if we do this right, it means we all have more time for humanity, for the things that make us uniquely human beings and people with hearts and minds and creativity and opportunities for joy and innovation and all of the things that sometimes feel like, well, if tomorrow all these things I don't have to do or I get through them faster or somebody else can help me, then I'll have time for X, Y or Z. That moment is, is now for all of us. And I think that the more that any of us as community managers, as entrepreneurs, as course creators, as organizers and community designers, the more that we are able to embrace what software can do faster. It means, number one, we're going to get that time back to be able to do more things at a higher scale with less work, have more of an impact with less work. And to me, that feels pretty darn exciting. And I hope it feels exciting for you as well. While I think it's really important to embrace change, I also am a total creature of habit. I do not like when anything in my house changes. I do not like if somebody shows up and interrupts my day in a way that's unexpected. Both of those things happen to me today. I'm not trying to be flawed, flippant about, hey, everything's going to change and it's all going to be perfect. But I will say this, the change and a just a dynamic world is the one that we live in. And what I have found is when I'm feeling that moment of like, oh, gosh, everything's changing, am I still relevant? What I have found is when I can focus on something I'm excited about to do as opposed to sort of feed the fear, things get easier and I get more excited and I get more energy. And then when I'm in that frame of mind, something really incredible happens, which is I start to get more excited about the future. I'd love to encourage or, you know, bordering on inspiring you to think about, which is when you come from a place of fear, when you come from a place of, like, just trying to hold on, it doesn't work as well as if you take care of yourself, have your favorite drink, get enough sleep, do something fun, and then look at change through that lens as opposed to coming from a place of fear. Never seen it. Help. I'm Gina Bianchini. This is People Magic, and I will see you next time. Whoa. Thank you for being a part of People Magic. If you want more of a deep dive in any of these topics, but certainly having the framework of People Magic profit, head on over to the website. The link is in the show notes. Have your own burning question about creating People Magic? Well, I want to answer it. So here's what you're going to do. You're going to just drop your question in the review section, wherever you're listening to this podcast, and keep tuning in.
Podcast Title: People Magic: How to Build a $1M Community
Episode: Am I Still Relevant with AI
Host/Author: Mighty Networks & Pod People
Release Date: March 6, 2025
In the latest episode of People Magic: How to Build a $1M Community, Gina Bianchini, founder and CEO of Mighty Networks, delves into the evolving landscape of community management in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Addressing concerns about job obsolescence and exploring the synergies between human creativity and AI efficiency, Gina provides actionable insights for community managers, entrepreneurs, and creators striving to build thriving, profitable communities.
Addressing Fears of Obsolescence
The episode kicks off with a poignant question from a community manager concerned about AI rendering their role obsolete. Gina responds thoughtfully, emphasizing the enduring value of human elements in community building.
"[00:01:16] You are a human being, and human beings are never going to become obsolete." — Gina Bianchini
She clarifies that while AI will automate many manual tasks, the core of community management— fostering genuine connections, facilitating meaningful conversations, and driving transformation—remains inherently human.
Automation of Mundane Tasks
Gina explains how AI and advanced software can take over repetitive and time-consuming duties such as organizing members, handling moderation, and managing events. This shift allows community managers to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their roles.
"[00:01:16] The manual effort, those menial tasks, those are going to become obsolete. They are going to be done with software, not human beings." — Gina Bianchini
Empowering Human Roles
With AI handling the backend operations, community managers can channel their energies into designing engaging monthly themes, organizing profitable in-person events, and creating specialized groups tailored to specific interests or career stages.
"[00:01:16] You're going to get time back to be able to do more things at a higher scale with less work, have more of an impact with less work." — Gina Bianchini
Optimizing Member Engagement
AI-powered tools can analyze data to determine optimal times and methods for member notifications, enhancing engagement without overwhelming the community. Gina highlights the potential for AI to act as a co-host, managing logistics for meetups and ensuring maximum participation.
"[00:01:16] The software can... know how many notifications, what's the optimal number of notifications, when to send them to whom to send them to." — Gina Bianchini
Personalized Community Experiences
AI enables the creation of highly personalized experiences by dynamically organizing members based on their interests, locations, and engagement patterns. This personalization fosters deeper connections and enhances the overall value of the community.
Focusing on Human-Centric Activities
Gina urges community managers to embrace the changes brought by AI and leverage the newfound time to engage in more human-centric activities. This includes facilitating meaningful discussions, organizing impactful events, and supporting members in achieving personal and professional growth.
"[00:01:16] The ability to connect in new and interesting ways that unlock results and transformation." — Gina Bianchini
Creating People Magic
Central to Gina's philosophy is the concept of "people magic"— harnessing technology to amplify human creativity and connection. By integrating AI effectively, community builders can create environments where members thrive through mutual support and shared goals.
"[00:01:16] We're leveraging software, especially AI, to do things that software can do better than human beings, allowing more time for humanity." — Gina Bianchini
Balancing Change with Stability
Towards the end of the episode, Gina shares her personal struggles with change, underscoring the importance of maintaining balance. She emphasizes approaching change from a place of excitement rather than fear to harness its full potential.
"[00:00] When I'm feeling that moment of like, oh, gosh, everything's changing, am I still relevant? What I have found is when I can focus on something I'm excited about to do as opposed to sort of feed the fear, things get easier." — Gina Bianchini
Encouraging a Positive Mindset
Gina encourages listeners to adopt a proactive and positive mindset, suggesting self-care practices and focusing on what excites them to navigate through periods of significant change successfully.
In this episode, Gina Bianchini effectively dispels the fear surrounding AI's impact on community management, reframing it as an opportunity to enhance human creativity and connection. By automating mundane tasks, AI allows community managers to focus on building deeper, more meaningful interactions within their communities. Gina's insights underscore the importance of embracing technological advancements while staying anchored in the human-centric values that drive successful communities.
Key Takeaways:
For those looking to delve deeper into building a $1M community and harnessing the power of AI, Gina invites listeners to visit the People Magic website and submit their questions for future episodes.
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of People Magic. Stay connected, stay inspired, and continue creating communities you can be proud of.