The Mixing Board FAQ
A peek inside the speakeasy
Unless you’re already part of the Mixing Board community, I can understand how it might seem a bit fuzzy on the outside. This isn't intentional, but it is a natural byproduct of being an invite-only group while the mere concept of professional communities is quickly evolving.
Like I frequently say, I don’t want Mixing Board to feel (or act) like a velvet-rope club with a bouncer. I want the vibe to be way more of a warm Japanese speakeasy that can only be accessed through a laundromat. And that speakeasy can only fit so many people at any given time.
Hopefully, this FAQ sheds light through the keyhole on why Mixing Board exists, what we do as a community; who is in it; how to become a member; and, how to partner with or sponsor the community.
What exactly is Mixing Board?
Mixing Board is an expert community of senior communications and brand marketing leaders.
Things we do include upping each others’ game; providing resources to help people do their job better; educating the market on how to better utilize top comms and brand marketing talent; and, finding new ways for our members to be paid for their wisdom and networks.
Why did you start Mixing Board?
Long story, medium: I was the first comms or marketing person at Twitter a million Twitters ago, and, even though I had lots of big time experience before that job, the role was incredibly hard. I was struck by how I had no simple way to get the kind of advice that I really needed to navigate my time there. After Twitter, my solution was to co-create Pramana Collective* with stellar people. The “pramana” in the name was focused on our strategy and positioning work. The “collective” was about the spirit of trying to push and elevate the industry and supporting comms leaders. While Pramana was home to the best work that I have ever been connected to, in our eighth year, I felt that we hadn’t leaned into our “collective” side as much as we could and it was both needed and a big opportunity.
Boom. Then the pandemic happened. It felt like the moment was made to begin transitioning Pramana into Mixing Board. I wanted a place built to raise the value of our work and those who do it – instead of just talking about it.
What do members do in Mixing Board?
The day-to-day pulse of the community is in a private Slack channel. In the Slack there are regular conversations about both big strategic questions and tactical needs. Members discuss current happenings in comms and marketing and regularly share job or project opportunities. And, with hundreds of members with different experiences, there’s lots of DMing happening that leads to local gatherings and collaborations.
We also do monthly all-member calls and both Mixing Board and members regularly pull together topical or issue-based conversations.
Our most fun and rewarding gatherings are when we get together in person. This includes regional happy hours, half-day mini-conferences in SF and NYC, and our annual signature event – MB (LIVE) – in Austin, TX.
Who is in Mixing Board?
We have a community of 375+ members that has grown slowly and mindfully. Our members are or have been CMOs, heads of comms, social and content specialists, community builders, brand strategists, policy veterans, and speechwriters.
Members currently or previously have worked at organizations including: Activision, Airbnb, Alibaba, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropy, Blue Origin, Disney, Dyson, Endeavor, Etsy, Gates Foundation, General Motors, Google, Heineken, IBM, IDEO, Instagram, Johnson & Johnson, LinkedIn, Meta, Netflix, Nike, the Obama White House, Oatly, OpenAI, Slack, Stripe, TikTok, Twitter, UPS, Volkswagen, Zoom, numerous venture firms and many other companies and nonprofits of all stages and sizes.
For far richer context on who is in Mixing Board and how our members think, check out our Substack archives of member interviews.
Are most members currently in-house?
Approximately two-thirds of our members currently have in-house roles. Nearly all those who are currently operating as consultants or in other roles have previously led a significant function inside of an organization. Mixing Board is set up to support members wherever they are in their likely increasingly fluid careers.
Are you only in the U.S.?
No, but a high percentage of our members are currently based in the U.S. We have a growing group of members in the London area and have active efforts afoot to build there, further into Europe and in Latin America.
Who gets the most out of Mixing Board?
It’s a classic “you get out of it what you put into it” situation. And what gets put in is a willingness to share knowledge, participate in community activities and actively make new connections. When members do this, they get back all sorts of benefits including ways to do their jobs better, new career opportunities and even new friends.
People who join only because they are looking for a job or want new business may not experience the full spectrum of community value.
How do I join Mixing Board?
You can apply to join. It’s a very quick process. Go to our community page on Mixing Board’s site and hit the Get In Touch button. Note that if you reference a current member in the process, we will likely check in with them.
If you do go through this process, you’ll see that the community is partially supported through membership fees.
What are the qualifications to join?
We look for members who have or demonstrate at least two of these qualities:
Leadership experiences that can teach others
Mastery of a skill beneficial to the community
Diverse perspectives and experiences
A passion for elevating the craft and supporting fellow practitioners
A recommendation from a current member is highly valued. But, even without a member referral, if you bring a fresh perspective, we’re eager to hear from you.
I applied and believe I meet those qualifications, but haven’t yet been invited to join. What’s the deal?
We appreciate your patience. Our three-person team has been working through a significant waiting list and more than 1500 applicants since September 2022.
In the process, we’re striving to make the community as rich and interesting as possible. We are in a constant state of curation to ensure different voices at our table. For example, we may choose someone from a sector that we have fewer people in than others. Or, we may choose someone with less work experience but more of unique, specialized experience than someone who has a longtime skill that we already have well covered.
I’m sure that we’ve overlooked great people in this process, and I feel bad for that. And, I also know that (ironically) we can communicate better about our process. Thus this FAQ and more to come along the same lines.
I know a lot of people in Mixing Board, why haven’t I been invited to join?
After the original 50 or so members, Mixing Board, Inc. has done very little proactive recruiting. We do encourage members to recommend people who they think would benefit the community. If you know a member well and you’re interested, just let them know.
Can agency folks join Mixing Board?
We will selectively bring in founders of very small, boutique agencies that bring specialized skills and experiences to the community.
For more generalist agencies or those with more than 15 or so employees, we selectively offer partnership programs that provide significant access to the community and events. Reach out via our site, if you’re interested. (And see more below about partnerships.)
If you are in Mixing Board and later join an agency, you can remain a member.
The reason why we approach agency membership this way is simply fairness. Well more than 100 agency leaders have already asked to join. Choosing between them would be difficult and would create issues for the community that can otherwise be avoided.
How can my organization partner with the Mixing Board community?
We also offer a range of partnership opportunities for organizations that are a good fit for our community. As mentioned above, we collaborate with agencies. And, we also partner with companies looking to develop their comms talent and VC firms that want access to a broad range of expertise for their firm and portfolio companies.
Our partnerships have been inclusive of sharing member expertise through workshops, panels on emerging topics and 1:1 advisory sessions. We also co-create events with partners and create sponsorship opportunities for our cornerstone events like MB (LIVE) in Austin and our regional gatherings. And, we partner on content with partners, including co-developing reports, articles and video programming. A great example of a joint content effort is this Axios HQ report on 2024 trends that came from the 2023 MB (LIVE) programming.
We would be happy to send far more details on partner opportunities. Reach out to us here.
Can my company simply sponsor a Mixing Board event or content?
Sure, we have sponsors for our events, quarterly newsletters, podcasts and more. Reach out to us here if you’re interested.
I’ve heard that the Mixing Board community is great at sourcing talent. How does this work?
You’ve heard right. Organizations come to us with full-time or project roles that need senior-level comms and marketing talent. We approach our members with the opportunity and generally can compile a strong batch of recommendations in two or three weeks—and this may include members even suggesting themselves. All the details on how this works are here. If you have a role that needs sourcing, reach out to us via our site.
*Bonus Q: Is Pramana still around?
It is both spiritually and in action. It’s testament to those who worked at Pramana that we still frequently get requests to support organizations going through inflection points. Pramanians come together via Mixing Board and we apply our well-considered methodology on projects. This work brings me a lot of joy and intellectual stimulation that helps me approach Mixing Board with fresher eyes.