CLG2 Debrief: What Worked and What's Next

David Nebinski (0:04)

Hey, friend, it's David Nebinski here in Brooklyn. I'm the founder of A Chief of Staff, a community and platform for chiefs of staff with regular events here in New York. Here at the Portfolio Career Podcast, we hope you take ownership of your career and design a life that you want to live. This podcast episode is with Zach Hotoff and Ruthie Berber and myself. We literally just co-hosted the Community-Led Growth Conference on Friday, October 2nd and the Monday after. So Monday, October 5th, we recorded a podcast where we jammed and chatted about what CLG was, our reflections, our learnings, and our quick off-the-cuff takeaways and how it went and what we learned and building it. This is the second CLG in total and the second one in 2026 If you attended CLG2 or 1 or partnered with us, and either of them, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. So yeah, hopefully this episode is interesting to you if you attended them, if you're a community builder or you're interested in hosting a community-centric and attendee-focused conference like we did. You can learn more about the podcast and my learnings through my newsletter at davidnebinski.com/newsletter.

So excited for you to build and grow your portfolio career. Here we go with me, Zach, and Ruthie.

Monday, October 5th, 2026

Ruthie Berber (1:28)

Happy Monday.

David Nebinski (1:32)

A couple of days ago, Friday, October, what day was that?

Second. October 2nd, 2026

Zach Hotoff (1:41)

That should be locked in by now.

Ruthie Berber (1:42)

Yeah, I don't know how that was in like permanently seared into your brain.

David Nebinski (1:48)

What what did you all do that day?

Ruthie Berber (1:51)

It was a day with no no, I don't think anything happened that day.

Zach Hotoff (1:56)

Oh, I hosted a conference that day. I don't know. Were you two there?

David Nebinski (2:02)

I think I was there.

Zach Hotoff (2:03)

Yeah, I remember you both being there.

Ruthie Berber (2:06)

I vaguely remember waking up at 630 on Friday. That was about right.

David Nebinski (2:12)

Ruthie, thanks for just I want to give you a huge shout out. Thanks for taking the Community-Led Growth Conference number two to a new level, to the next level.

Thanks for co-hosting it with Zach and I who co-hosted the first one, March 13th, 2026 I remember that date.

And six months ago. And so thanks for that. I think that you really, we'll talk about some learnings, etc. But I think that you really, and I messaged it somewhere else, is like we were able to divide and conquer a lot more. And I think that all three of us had a similar vision as to what CLG should look like, or what we wanted it to look like, from a programming perspective, and who's there, and the quality of production, etc. But I feel like we were able to divide and conquer, and split up a little bit of some tasks, and some work streams, in a really unique way. And so thanks for taking CLG2 to the next level. From your perspective, first as you were attendee in CLG1, and then now as a co-host, what was it like for you? And also describe the actual conference, and what was it?

Ruthie Berber (3:33)

It was actually such a...

It was so cool to go through the exact conference, once as an attendee, and then once as a co-host, because I was so mindful throughout Friday. Okay, people are coming in. Do they know what the... Have they been told what to expect? Yes, because David nailed comps. Is it clearly branded? Yes, because Zach nailed the design.

Do they feel welcomed? Yes, because we're screaming and cheering when everyone enters. But I think what was so powerful for me was I remember coming in the first time last year and being like, oh, what to expect? I don't really know. And it was a much bigger space, and there were just a bunch of tables and a bunch of people, and I felt like I knew people, so I knew to gravitate to go to them. I knew that I had a group, so I was looking for that table. But I think this time, it was so streamlined. It was so clear. We really took people by the hand, and it was very clear, here is the food. The tables don't even worry about those. Those are later. You are now, your number one objective right now is to meet and say hello and enjoy unbelievably delicious bagels, which I think were definitely a level up from last year.

David Nebinski (4:54)

All right. First on this last year, for anyone who's listening on this that is probably confused, this last year thing is like an inside joke.