How do you host an in-person community event or mixer that people actually come to, and keep coming back to? David Nebinski, founder of A Chief of Staff, shares the exact two-hour format he uses and how he got his first events off the ground.
AI is making it harder to tell what's real online. That's exactly why in-person rooms are worth more than ever.
Based in New York, David has hosted 70+ live podcast events, mostly in his own apartment, and has produced 500+ podcast episodes. He explains how one hallway conversation turned into a recurring mixer series, and how a newsletter and podcast keep people connected between events.
In this episode:
How to start your first event with friends, low stakes, and about 10 people
David's two-hour mixer format: four 30-minute blocks of arrival, short attendee talks, small-group mastermind, and meeting someone new
Why attendee stories beat paid speakers, and how to pick a theme people will open up about
How to fill your first event by attaching it to a conference where people are already travelling
How a newsletter, podcast, and video build trust before people ever meet you
How to think about podcast ROI when the return is relationships, not revenue
Why personal video messages have been David's most unscalable habit for eight years
Plus a quick-fire round: the ideal mixer size, the name tag debate, and the fastest way to ruin a live event.
Key takeaway: Start small with people who already know, like, and trust you. Keep the cost low, watch how people respond, and let them tell you when to run the next one.
Find David and A Chief of Staff:
Join the next live recording and ask your own questions: https://swarm.to/community
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Subscribe to Unscalable on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts for conversations with the people betting on the human stuff: trust, community, and real relationships.
Chapters:
00:00 Why human connection matters in the AI era
00:29 Meet David Nebinski
01:28 What chiefs of staff do and why they need community
02:55 How David's mixers got started
04:52 Adding a newsletter and podcast after events
06:42 Using video and YouTube to build trust
11:02 Why niche content wins on YouTube
12:28 How to structure a mixer for engagement
14:25 Why in-person rooms matter for learning
15:22 How one connection can change your career
17:15 The two-hour mixer format, block by block
20:16 How to host your first in-person event
22:40 Using fast feedback to improve your events
24:36 Why behind-the-scenes content works
28:56 Building trust through personal stories
34:38 How to measure podcast ROI
39:34 Niche audiences and trust in the AI age
45:15 Being human as a competitive advantage
47:10 The emotional reward of hosting
48:36 Why you should do the unscalable things
#communitybuilding #communityevents #podcasting #networking #unscalable
