Don’t Get Lost in the Sauce: Community Isn’t Just a Buzzword

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By Your PromoKitchen Professional Best Friend

I was recently listening to Meet Us in the Kitchen with Jay, Renya, and Roger, and like always, it lit a fire under me. The way they unpack community in our industry reminds me of a truth we don’t say often enough: most people don’t actually take full advantage of their community because that might be taboo.

Or maybe as I like to do, let me shout it LOUDERRRRRRRRRR—people don’t always realize how powerful a community can be, because they get too caught up in the fear of showing up, of being vulnerable, of not being “interesting” enough.  Let me say this for the people in the front and in the BACKKKKKKK: Don’t be so afraid of not being interesting that you forget to be interested.

That mindset shift is where real community magic happens. And we’ve seen it. Two of the biggest industry players—CommonSKU and Facilisgroup (yes, I said both in the same sentence, and yes, it’s for good!)—have both proven that building intentional, values-driven communities at scale is possible. To Renya’s point, maybe it’s the Canadians in our origins that inspire that mission.  They’ve done more than just create distributor-supplier ecosystems. They’ve built spaces where like-minded professionals can grow, collaborate, and challenge each other—for the better. It’s not just about software or platforms; it’s about shared experiences, shared values, and shared goals.

But here’s the important thing: it doesn’t have to be at that scale.
A community can be a breakout room at an event. It can be a DM on LinkedIn that leads to something real. It can be PromoKitchen. It can be PromoCares. It can be the Ripple, just like Renya described—where one person showing up authentically sparks something meaningful in someone else. Big or small doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s available—if you’re willing to put yourself out there.

And yet, here’s the spicy part: community isn’t always comfortable. And it shouldn’t be. Not everyone in a room will always be aligned—and that’s okay. That’s beautiful, actually. Two things can be true at once: someone might bring value to a space for a reason totally different than yours, and that doesn’t mean they don’t belong. It means the room is working.  You’re starting to think differently than you did before you got there.

So how do you know when you’ve found your community?
You know it when you feel both challenged and supported.
You know it when you’re asked to give just as much as you hope to gain.
You know it when you’re not just heard—but inspired.

The point of community is not to be an echo chamber. (SHOUTING AGAIN, NOTTTTTTTTTTT an echo chamber)
The point of community is growth.
It’s innovation.
It’s fulfillment.

And yeah, I said fulfillment in an industry that thinks I’m talking about putting products in boxes—but I’m talking about the kind of fulfillment that feeds your soul, your ambition, your purpose. The human experience of fulfillment which starts with being some place you feel you belong.

To echo Roger’s point, people show up in community for different reasons—common good, shared goals, or maybe just because we all ended up in the same boat. That’s fine. That’s real. But the key to a thriving community is honesty from day one. Be real about what you’re there for. And keep the door open—so people can come in, and maybe even more importantly, so people can leave. 

Because the best communities aren’t cages. They’re launchpads.

So why am I writing this blog?
Honestly, it’s to Roger’s incredible point—which, major bonus points for the little Danny Rosin giggle at the end of the episode (brilliant btw). I’m writing this because, as Renya said, own your shit. Be good at what you’re good at. And then work together to create space where everybody can do their best, together. 

That’s what community is. 

XO,

ProBF