Community Strategy & Consulting
Building a community is one thing. Building one that drives real business value and makes people actually feel like they belong is another.
I've been doing this work from the inside. Actually building, managing, and growing communities for companies like Square, Sprout Social, and Origin. I know what a thriving community looks like, and I know what a struggling one feels like, too.
If you want to build something that works for your business and means something to the people in it, that's where I come in.
Community Strategy & Consulting
Whether you're starting from scratch or trying to figure out why what you have isn't clicking, I help you build a clear strategy that serves your business goals and creates a real sense of belonging for your members. Both matter. Neither works without the other.
- Community audits and strategy
- Launch planning and frameworks
- Human-first community design
- Making the internal case for community investment
Community Management Support
Running a community is real work. I offer ongoing support and guidance for community managers and leads who need a thought partner who has actually been in it.
- Team coaching and guidance
- Ongoing support and consulting
- Community health and engagement check-ins
Every community I've worked with has taught me something different.
At Square it was about saving something that was quietly falling apart. Members were disengaging, churn was creeping up, and nobody had a clear picture of why. I built systems, overhauled onboarding, and created programs that gave people a reason to stay. We ended up saving $2M in prevented churn and grew membership by 40%.
At Origin I learned what it means to build from nothing. No community, no playbook, no existing members — just a vision and a lot of work. Six months in we had 300+ active brand advocates showing up, referring peers, and shaping the product roadmap.
At Sprout I've been focused on something I care a lot about: making community a real driver of business outcomes, not just a nice to have. So far that's meant a 30% increase in product adoption and a 25% lift in engagement among community members.
I also write and speak about community regularly, so I stay close to what's working right now.
I work with marketing executives, community leaders, and founders. Usually, they know community matters, but something isn't working. Here's what that typically looks like:
- A community that exists but isn't generating the engagement or value they expected
- A team that's stretched thin trying to keep things alive
- A launch coming up with no clear strategy for how to build it right
- An inherited community they need to understand before they can move it forward
If any of that sounds familiar, let's talk.
Every engagement is different depending on where you are and what you need. Generally, I work in two ways:
Audit and Strategy
A focused engagement where I dig into what you have, talk to your team, and give you a clear picture of what's working, what isn't, and what to do next.
Ongoing Consulting
A longer-term working relationship where I'm in your corner on a regular basis. Strategy, team support, programming — whatever you need most.
Reach out, and we'll figure out what makes sense for your situation.
"If you're building a community, talk to Max before you do anything else. He was a critical guide as I built The Escapee Collective and still is today. He shaved months off my learning curve. Highly recommend with no hesitation."
"I'm so grateful that a former freelance network brought Max into my world. When I started Beauty Work Friends in the fall of 2024, he was the first person I reached out to and I walked away with sage advice that's helped me build and grow my community steadily and successfully. I learned more from him in an hour than I have anywhere else. He's an expert connector — and a trusted advisor!"
"Max is a true community expert and a creative force. During his time on the Square Community team, he led a much-needed overhaul of outdated nurture programs, including gamification, ranking systems, and member recognition, breathing new life into the community experience. He also reinvigorated new member onboarding, ensuring members felt welcomed, motivated, and engaged from day one."
"Max is a super thoughtful, caring, and outcome-focused community pro. He's always thinking about how he can improve what's directly in front of him, and look ahead to make sure he's building the next thing. He's extremely organized, communicative, and always ready to help."
Reach out, and we'll figure out what makes sense for your situation.