How to Build a Community People Actually Want to Be Part Of
Have you ever walked out of a networking event wondering why you bothered going? Maybe you collected a few business cards, listened to a sales pitch, and had the same conversation you've had at the last five events. You spent two hours in a room full of people, and when you finally walk out the doors, you're asking yourself, "Wait, did I actually connect with someone?"
That's the problem Tori Begg wanted to solve. Before co-founding Mind and Machine DFW with Tim Mata, Tori was attending networking events where she felt like conversations around selling were dominating the rooms. She wanted to learn, exchange ideas, and meet people doing interesting work.
Tim noticed another gap: Many AI events were highly technical or focused on large enterprises. Small-business owners and curious professionals didn't always have a comfortable place to ask questions. So they built one.
On this episode of With Hat and Cattle, I sat down with Tori, Tim, and Sanjay Kalluvilayil of The AI Space Podcast to talk about what it takes to create a community people genuinely want to be part of. Their experiences apply well beyond AI, to anyone thinking about starting a networking group or bringing people together around a shared interest.
Start With a Need, Not an Event
One of my favorite questions was why the world needed another networking group. Let's face it. We're not exactly short on events. But the answer wasn't that they wanted to build something bigger than everyone else's organization. Each had noticed something missing.
For Tim and Tori, it was a welcoming place to have open conversations about AI without feeling intimidated or pressured to buy something. For Sanjay, it was a way to bring practical conversations about growing businesses into the Dallas-Fort Worth ecosystem. His consulting background taught him to ask whether something solves a problem people actually care about.
So before worrying about the venue, speakers, or logo, you must ask yourself: Who needs this room to exist, and what will they gain by being there? If you can't answer that, you may be planning an event without knowing why anyone should attend.
How Do You Get People to Show Up When Nobody Knows You?
Having a good idea doesn't automatically fill a room. Tim and Tori started Mind and Machine DFW without a budget or established audience. Tim said their first three events were filled largely through his personal network, with roughly 40 to 50 people he knew willing to come because he asked.
Sanjay likewise leaned on relationships and community partners. At his first event, around 120 people registered and approximately 80 attended. It's a strong first turnout, but a reminder that registrations and attendance are different things.
Their advice starts with relationships: Get involved in communities before you need an audience, know exactly whom you're serving, and give attendees something useful enough that they'll want to share it. Sanjay keeps posting photos, tagging people, and sharing what participants learned. Eventually your attendees can become advocates for the community.
What Does It Mean to Make Someone Feel Welcome?
Now, I remember walking into my first Mind and Machine DFW event in Plano. I was super worried that I wouldn't be technical enough for the room. See, I was curious about AI, but I knew I'd be surrounded by people with years of experience. Would I have anything valuable to contribute?
And now? It's been refreshing to learn AI alongside industry leaders. Nobody knows everything, especially in a field that moves fast. Tori makes a point of admitting when she doesn't know an answer. She is willing to learn with the room instead of positioning herself above it.
We all have something to offer the conversation. You don't have to be the most experienced person there to contribute.
And remember, sometimes the question you're nervous about asking is the one somebody else is afraid to ask.
Getting People Into the Room Is Only Half the Work
Tori said community-building doesn't happen only on event day. Between Mind and Machine DFW events, she and Tim celebrate their members' accomplishments, share other people's work, and promote events beyond their own. Sometimes it's about showing up for somebody else.
That reminds me of my first Contractors, Closers, and Connectors event in Fort Worth. A member introduced himself, asked what I did, and immediately introduced me to other people who might be helpful to know. He didn't start with a sales pitch. He gave. He made a connection.
It was one of the quickest, most memorable lessons in networking I've received. He cared enough to set me up for success, and I've never forgotten that. I hope I do the same for others and leave them feeling welcomed, too. When somebody makes room for you, you remember it.
Are You Building a Community or Just Counting Attendees?
When I asked the panel how they measure success, their answers went beyond crowd size. Tim talked about ongoing engagement and feedback. Sanjay said that early on he wanted 100 people at each event, but now he would rather have 50 or 60 who are genuinely engaged.
A smaller room full of meaningful connections can accomplish more than a larger room where nobody gains anything. The AI Space Podcast and Mind and Machine DFW even serve some overlapping audiences, but Sanjay, Tim, and Tori actively support one another. Their shared purpose matters more than competing for the same attendees.
I've benefited from that generosity. Through relationships in these communities, I eventually connected with Success Champions Networking. The group helped me learn how to reach the people I needed to reach as I began building my business. More importantly, it helped me have the confidence to do so.
I'm learning entrepreneurship later in life, and imposter syndrome is something I regularly work through. Being around people who've already navigated some of those challenges has helped me learn what I don't know and take the next step anyway.
Sometimes the value of being in a room isn't the person who might become your next client. It's the person who helps you believe you're capable of reaching that client in the first place.
Sometimes the Best Thing You Build Is That Relationship
Sanjay spoke about being a lone wolf and discovering how lonely entrepreneurship can be. Tim and Tori described building a friendship before building Mind and Machine DFW together. Their trust grew from personal conversations, time together, and knowing about each other's lives outside work.
Then the conversation turned to me. Tori remembered that I was nervous when I first walked into Mind and Machine. And now we're recording a podcast together. I've gone from wondering whether I belonged in that room to building friendships, finding opportunities, and learning from people I wouldn't have met if I hadn't walked through the door.
I still have plenty to learn, and I always will. But the value I bring isn't limited to what I know today. It's also my willingness to participate, contribute, learn, and help the next person feel welcome.
Before You Start Your Own Community, Ask Yourself This
If you're thinking about starting a networking group or organizing a professional event, you don't need everything figured out. Your logo can change. Your format can evolve. Your audience can surprise you.
Find the need. Talk to the people experiencing it. Give them a reason to show up, and keep showing up for them after they leave. When somebody new walks into your room, remember they may be wondering whether they belong. You have an opportunity to show them they do.
Because getting people through the door is one thing. What becomes possible once they're there is what makes the work worthwhile.
Watch the Conversation
In this With Hat and Cattle episode, Sanjay Kalluvilayil, Tim Mata, and Tori Begg share what they've learned about starting networking events, building engaged communities, and creating spaces where people belong.
Meet the Guests
Sanjay Kalluvilayil | The AI Space Podcast
Tori Begg and Tim Mata | Mind and Machine DFW
With Hat and Cattle features stories from people who walk the walk and leave you better off for listening. Explore more conversations and subscribe to the newsletter at withhatandcattle.com.
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