292 – How a Podcast and a Couple Facebook Groups Built a Digital Community in Dunwoody – Matt Weber

Podcast 292 – How a Podcast and a Couple Facebook Groups Built a Digital Community in Dunwoody – Matt Weber

 

Julia Frament from @mrandmrsdunwoody asked to interview me for the podcast this week, so this episode is going to give you even more Matt than usual. It was fun reminiscing on the early days of What’s Up Dunwoody in 2018.

 

Seven years ago, we launched a podcast nobody listened to, and I started a couple of Facebook groups where I was the only one posting. They weren't an overnight success, but we (along with podcast co-host Justin Dike) stuck with it. Eventually people started tuning into the pod. The Facebook groups took even longer to catch on, but little by little, the community started showing up and making them their own. They aren't my groups anymore. Now they belong to the Dunwoody Area Community.

 

After nearly 300 podcast episodes and over 25,000 community group members, it’s wild to see what the brand has become. What’s Up Dunwoody started as a way for me to get to know the city, and somewhere along the way, it turned into something FOR the city.

 

What’s next for What’s Up Dunwoody? Staying ahead of the curve and doubling down on what’s next. I’m working on new ways to bring value to the community, including Custom GPTs built for locals, an AI mascot named Woody the Goldendoodle, lots of collaborations, and maybe even a newsletter that doesn’t suck. Thanks to everyone who’s been part of the story so far!