About the Episode
This episode of Corralling the Chaos explores the transformative power of professional networks and community building in the event industry. Host Angela Alea and guest John Barron, LASSO’s Community Manager, dive into the importance of creating a “professional village” for career growth, the evolution of LASSO’s community platform The Loop, and its role in fostering connections among event professionals.
Angela shares how learning from mentors, colleagues, and peers across industries has shaped her career, emphasizing the resilience and growth that come from a diverse professional network. John provides an inside look at The Loop, explaining how it empowers LASSO users to share industry insights, collaborate, and build lasting relationships. This episode highlights the benefits of community-driven growth and provides actionable insights for professionals looking to enhance their networks.
Meet Your Speakers
– Angela Alea: President & CRO of LASSO, Host of Corralling the Chaos
–John Barron: Community Manager at LASSO
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Takeaways
Takeaway 1: The Power of a Professional Network (“Your Village”)
Building a professional network is essential for personal growth and career resilience. Angela shares how connections with mentors, colleagues, and peers outside her immediate team shaped her career. She emphasizes the importance of seeking diverse perspectives and leveraging a “village” for support, particularly during challenging times like 2020.
“When I reflect on my career, I’m immediately drawn to and reminded of the people that I’ve learned from, people that I’ve looked up to, people I’ve watched closely, people that I could bend their ear to talk about ideas, concerns, opportunities,” said Angela. She further added, “I found that I’ve learned far more by looking outside of my own team or company. People who maybe had different approaches, sometimes different challenges, and oftentimes, quite honestly, people who were maybe further along in their career than I was.”
Takeaway 2: The Role of a Community Manager in Driving Growth
John highlights his journey at LASSO, transitioning from Customer Success to Community Manager. He explains how his role involves creating connections, facilitating discussions, and building a community that goes beyond software, fostering collaboration and shared learning among industry professionals.
John shared, “I actually really enjoyed getting to know people on a deeper level than just from a software perspective. And so started as a customer success manager here at LASSO, and then recently transitioned to a community manager here at LASSO.” He further explained, “building a community of our users, of our customers, so that they can benefit from each other, so that the industry can finally connect together.”
3. The Benefits of LASSO’s Community Platform, The Loop
The Loop is more than a software resource—it’s a hub for event professionals to ask questions, share experiences, and explore best practices. John shares success stories, such as companies forming partnerships through The Loop, and outlines plans to expand its offerings to further support collaboration and innovation.
“We want our customers and our users to literally know LASSO in and out and get the most out of LASSO for everyday tasks and operations and things like that. And ultimately that’s a huge part of the community,” explained John. He shared, “This is an industry centered space that people can come to to ask questions that don’t necessarily have to do with just our platform.”
John also shared a success story from a community networking event that resulted in two companies from different regions establishing a valuable connection, demonstrating the potential benefits of community building in the event industry.