In this episode of Direct with Corrina and Taylor, we welcome Danny Luu, the Community and Events Manager at Catalyst. Danny shares his unique perspective on community building, emphasizing the importance of creating safe, non-salesy spaces for learning and networking.
He also reveals his journey from being a Catalyst customer to becoming a key player in their community management.
Danny dives into the community structure within Catalyst, explaining the two-fold approach. One part is managed by their scale CSM, catering to existing customers, while the other, the Coaching Corner, is run by Danny and his manager. The Coaching Corner, a biannual program, pairs up hundreds of CS leaders for one-on-one mentorship.
Finally, Danny offers valuable advice on navigating the noisy world of online resources and communities. He encourages listeners to be selective, aligning their community involvement with their goals for the next six months to a year. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in community management and personal growth within the tech industry.
Featured Guest
Name: Danny Luu
What he does: Community & Events Manager
Company: Catalyst
Noteworthy: A former Catalyst customer turned community manager, Danny is known for creating safe, inclusive spaces for learning and networking. He’s also a Boba tea connoisseur. Tiger Tea & Juice – San Jose is his favorite Boba place.
Key Insights
Navigating the Noise in Community Building
Danny Luu, Community and Events Manager at Catalyst discusses the challenges of navigating the noisy world of online resources and communities. He emphasizes the need for an authentic spot where marketers and others can find legitimate resources. This would help individuals cut through the noise and find value-adding content. He also highlights the importance of discerning between good resources and junk, a skill that has become increasingly crucial in our information-saturated age.
The Structure of Community at Catalyst
Danny provides an inside look at how Catalyst structures its community. He explains that the community is at the center of the organization, a principle that he experienced first-hand as a customer before joining the team. He also discusses the two-fold approach to community management at Catalyst, with one part managed by their scale CSM for existing customers and the other, the Coaching Corner, run by Danny and his manager.
Selective Community Involvement for Personal Growth
Danny offers advice on how to approach community involvement for personal growth. He suggests being selective and aligning community involvement with personal goals for six months to a year. He also stresses the importance of being part of communities that align with your interests and goals rather than being bombarded by salespeople or irrelevant content. This approach allows for more meaningful engagement and personal development.
Episode Highlights
Introducing Danny Luu
In the opening segment, hosts Corrina and Taylor introduce their guest, Danny Luu, Catalyst’s Community and Events Manager. They discuss Danny’s love for Boba tea and his positive influence on LinkedIn.
“I can confidently say that Taylor and I are thrilled to be with Danny Luu today, Community and Events Manager at Catalyst. You may also not know that he’s a Boba Boba tea connoisseur. He keeps a diary and ranks each Boba tea he drinks on a scale of one to five. […] He is that guy on LinkedIn and is always there to be a positive source of energy for anyone he interacts with. And I have to say, Danny, whether it’s a post or a direct communication, I am always leaving our conversations feeling like I am a human being that deserves to be seen, listened to, and appreciated.”
The Need for Authentic Resources
Danny expresses his wish for more authentic resources in the noisy world of online content. He emphasizes the need for a space where marketers and others can find legitimate resources, cutting through the noise and junk.
“We live in a noisy world. Sometimes when I see stuff like, dang it, like it sounds good, but like, is it true? So, yeah, a magic wand that I would have is like, a designated resource space for each marketer to learn and say, hey, this is legit.”
The Role of Community at Catalyst
Danny discusses the role of community at Catalyst, explaining that the company places the community at the center of the organization. He shares his unique perspective as a former customer and current community manager at Catalyst.
“When I had the opportunity to sign my offer at Catalyst, one of the things that Catalyst does well as far as defining the community is that they put the community in front of the center of the organization.”
The Structure of Community at Catalyst
Danny delves into the structure of the community within Catalyst. He also discusses his focus on personalization and understanding what the community wants.
“So at Catalyst, there’s gonna be two parts of the community. One community is run by our scale CSM, where we have a lot of our existing customers in the community. The second community is gonna be the coaching corner, where I’m currently running it with our Manager.”
