People First: How Community is Reshaping Marketing with Alexis Woody

In this episode of the CLG Journal podcast, David talks with Alexis Woody, the Community and Growth Associate at Rella.

Alexis is thankfully joining us at our CLG conference on March 13th!

Community as a strategic business function, not just engagement: Alexis describes her role at Rella as a shift from reactive engagement (responding to comments) to proactive community building, actively finding users on LinkedIn, building out review platforms, and running ambassador programs. The core idea is that community should influence product direction, not just boost brand awareness.

The “people-first” marketing trend, especially in the age of AI: Both speakers touch on a growing movement toward human-centered marketing. As AI-generated content floods the internet, audiences increasingly value content that feels like it came from a real person. Community builders are well-positioned to meet this demand.

Career progression in community is still being defined: Alexis notes that community roles are relatively new and often undefined — she’s Rella’s first dedicated community hire. She’s curious how other community managers are structuring their teams, where roles evolve to, and how compensation and opportunities fit in.

Building community around a bigger event: Alexis talks about her pre-conference coffee meetup that she is hosting on Thursday March 12th and how she wants to create memorable connections that can have long “ripple effects.”

Planting seeds and trusting delayed impact: A recurring theme is that community work often pays off in ways you can’t immediately see. A WhatsApp post leads to a new friendship; a casual conversation plants a seed that becomes a business opportunity months later.

And much more that you can listen to here!

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Thank you again Alexis and we will see you at CLG,

-David and Zach