Podcast Summary: The Marketing Millennials
Episode Title: Why Community is the Future of Marketing with Chanel Clark, Founder of The Marketing Club | Ep. 392
Host: Daniel Murray
Guest: Chanel Clark
Date: February 13, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode dives deeply into why community is emerging as a central pillar in modern marketing, as seen through the journey of Chanel Clark, founder of The Marketing Club (TMC). Chanel shares the story of how TMC accidentally became a thriving space for marketers in Australia and New Zealand, the tangible and intangible value communities can deliver, and hard-won lessons from scaling a grassroots organization to 15,000+ members. Daniel and Chanel unpack actionable advice on community-building, engagement tactics, monetization, and the importance of authenticity and human leadership.
Chanel Clark’s Origin Story: Accidental Marketer to Community Leader
[01:40–05:54]
- Falling into Marketing: Chanel initially pursued photojournalism but found her calling through university marketing courses and an early internship at a social media company just as Facebook ads were emerging.
- First Marketing Leadership Role: Hired as a solo marketer and forced to build a marketing function from scratch, she craved peer support and real, tactical advice.
- Catalyst for TMC: The lack of tangible, relevant networking and learning opportunities—especially for marketers with smaller budgets and less experience—motivated her to create a Slack group via an innocent LinkedIn post, expecting a handful of connections.
- Rapid Growth: 180 marketers joined in week one, revealing an unmet demand and fueling quick expansion to 15,000+ members in under three years.
“I was very sure that I wasn’t the first marketer to have ever been feeling like this…if I was to build something for marketers, what would that look like? …within the first week we had 180 marketers join the Slack.”
— Chanel Clark [03:07–05:54]
Growth Strategies: From LinkedIn Post to Full-Blown Movement
[05:54–07:17]
- Core Channel: LinkedIn remains the central platform for discovery, networking, and engagement.
- Tipping Point: Hosting in-person events transformed online energy into real-world belonging, expanding membership and deepening engagement.
- Growth Levers: A blend of digital touchpoints (Slack, LinkedIn, Instagram, podcasts, and newsletters) caters to varying levels of engagement preferences.
“The minute you make humans gather and feel like they belong…that just propelled us into the thousands of members instead of hundreds.”
— Chanel Clark [06:33–07:17]
Engagement & Retention Tactics
[07:17–09:04]
- Multi-Channel Approach: Slack for core engagement, newsletter for passive participants, events for high-involvement members, and podcasts to educate and inspire.
- Tailoring Activities: Different channels meet varied member needs and maximize touchpoints across day-to-day, in-person, and digital spaces.
Monetization and Pricing: A Community-Sourced Model
[09:04–12:47]
- Initial Reluctance: TMC began as a free community; charging felt risky but necessary as operational demands grew.
- Community Sourcing: Pricing decisions and event models were driven by surveys, Google forms, and direct member feedback, building buy-in and ensuring sustained value.
- Transition: Core members validated the immense value, easing the eventual shift to a paid model for events and memberships.
“We literally just put out a Google form to the community and said, what would you pay to have this kind of experience?...because we’re built by the community.”
— Chanel Clark [09:04–10:31]
Scaling Without Losing “The Vibe”
[12:47–18:09]
- Personal Brand as Anchor: Chanel’s personality, energy, and leadership remain central, creating a human face for the community and lending authenticity.
- Challenges of Scale: As TMC expands, Chanel wrestles with being the lynchpin while planning structured hand-offs via local “chapter leads” and recognizing power-users who can shepherd regional groups.
- Intentional Culture-Building: Ensures original values and experiences persist, using team communication and repeated “vibe checks” as the organization grows.
“All I’ve kind of had to do is sell people on me and what I stand for, and then it just so happens that that’s attached to the marketing club that I run.”
— Chanel Clark [14:35–16:12]
Community Building Frameworks & Advice
[19:12–23:25]
- Purpose First: Start with a clear reason for the community’s existence; it must fill a genuine gap, not just be “nice to have.”
- User-Led Development: Regularly ask questions like “What are you struggling with?” and use survey feedback to guide topics, events, and experiences.
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Launch small, test cheaply (e.g., bar meetups) to validate interest and gather learnings before scaling.
“If people don’t immediately resonate with the reason of why your community exists…it's just a 1% addition to our life. But I think being really clear on what is the purpose of your community existing, what is the value that it provides people?”
— Chanel Clark [19:12–20:58]
- Leverage Your Audience: Build a “free trial” phase to learn, iterate, and foster loyalty before monetizing. User interviews and open feedback deliver ongoing validation and new ideas.
Event Planning: From Coffee Meet-Ups to Full Day Conferences
[22:49–36:56]
- Iterative Approach: Start with low-lift gatherings, then expand to educational events and conferences as demand grows.
- Co-Creation: Involve members at every stage—from deciding event formats, to choosing topics and speakers—to maximize participation and self-organization.
- Sponsorship & Pricing: Balance sustainability with accessibility; keep events financially viable while maintaining TMC’s ethos of affordability.
- Scaling Pains: As events scale, unexpected costs and rising attendee expectations become new challenges.
“We almost put the pressure on the community of…‘Well, you guys asked for this event. Now tell me what you want it to be.’…At the time, I probably didn’t realize how powerful that was.”
— Chanel Clark [23:25–27:07]
Biggest Lessons & Retrospective Learnings
[29:49–33:38]
- Boundaries Matter: While community-driven models are empowering, having a roadmap and the discipline to say “no” is crucial to prevent burnout and retain focus.
- Get Help Early: Volunteers can only take you so far, and early structured support makes growth manageable and sustainable.
- Organic Growth = Unpredictability: Rapid free growth is exciting but hard to manage; planning and pacing becomes key as scale accelerates.
“I was just so focused on giving everyone the best possible experience right from the start…everyone was like, oh, well, if we vote on it, we get it. That’s great for all the members, but…I was team of one, having to build this thing.”
— Chanel Clark [30:18–33:38]
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On Community as a Marketing Channel vs. Social:
“Community is such an authentic thing you can create. For me…if social media disappeared tomorrow, I’m still going to have the marketing club…the community I created.”
— Chanel Clark [40:55–42:05] -
On the Power of User Feedback:
“Everything you said—from pricing model to events, to building out in other places—it all came from user feedback. It's not coming from ‘Hey, Chanel says we should go to Sydney.’”
— Daniel Murray [27:07–28:20] -
On Staying Human-Centered through Scale:
“We found it easy to communicate to our teams on the ground what we stand for and how we want something to run because it’s just an extension of me.”
— Chanel Clark [14:35–16:12]
Notable Light-Hearted Moments
-
On Coffee Rivalry:
- Daniel banters about the best coffee in Australia vs. New Zealand; Chanel insists NZ wins. [28:45–29:19]
- “New Zealand coffee is better. Melbourne people admit it, but they hate to admit it.” — Chanel Clark [29:01]
-
On LinkedIn Posting Streak:
- Daniel teases Chanel for her obsessive LinkedIn presence, including her mom posting for her to preserve her posting streak.
- “Let’s just clear that one up. Mom stole my phone…and her post did better than one of mine.” — Chanel Clark [43:22–43:50]
Actionable Insights for Marketers & Community Builders
- Start with the Problem You Know: Build for audiences where you genuinely understand the pain points.
- Treat Community as a Product: Validate early, iterate fast, and let feedback drive features and pricing.
- Experiment with Event MVPs: Don’t overproduce; focus on connection and value first, production values later.
- Don’t Underestimate Your Audience: The value may be higher than you imagine—charge for what you build when the time is right.
- Build a Leadership Succession Plan: Identify and empower local advocates or “chapter leads” as you scale.
- Keep It Personal: Human leadership, authenticity, and clear values are your strongest differentiators.
Chanel’s Marketing “Hill to Die On”
[40:55–42:05]
- Community isn’t a side channel but the cornerstone of future marketing.
- Unlike social, community is a channel you own long-term, with structural advantages for resilience, engagement, and brand loyalty.
“Community is everything and it’s not going away anytime soon. People who double down on it now are going to see the benefits very, very soon.”
— Chanel Clark [41:35]
Where to Find Chanel Clark
- LinkedIn: Chanel Clark
- Website: themarketingclub.org
- Personal Site: Chanel Clark Marketing
"A lot of what I do is obviously share the journey around building community. Now I'm actually teaching people how to build community as well, which has been massively rewarding."
— Chanel Clark [44:06]
Listen for More
For more stories, advice, and tactical breakdowns from marketing leaders like Chanel, follow The Marketing Millennials on your favorite podcast platform.
Timestamps for Key Segments:
- [01:40–05:54] Chanel’s accidental journey into marketing & community
- [06:33–07:17] Channel selection and the events-driven growth moment
- [09:04–10:31] How TMC co-created membership pricing with its users
- [12:47–18:09] Keeping community personal at scale; planning for “many to many” engagement
- [19:12–22:49] Defining value and purpose in community-building frameworks
- [23:25–27:07] Event co-creation and process
- [29:49–33:38] Retrospective lessons and the importance of boundaries
- [40:55–42:05] Chanel’s “marketing hill to die on” — the supremacy of community
Original, unfiltered, and packed with stories—the “no BS” mindset lives on in both The Marketing Millennials and The Marketing Club.