In this episode, Steve Grace sits down with Paz Pisarski, co-founder of Community Collective, to unpack how a small 17-person meetup in Melbourne grew into a global community spanning 18 countries — without paid marketing, without hype, and without trying to be everything to everyone.
Paz breaks down the Niche Cubed framework (profession + location + domain), how Who Not How changed how she makes decisions, and the simple community flywheel that turned early gatherings into an international movement.
They also go deep into:
Building with members, not for them
Focus vs FOMO, and knowing what not to do
Scholarships and access pathways for community builders
Why Nigeria unexpectedly became one of their strongest hubs
How music, ritual, and state-shifting practices shape her work and creativity
Timestamps:
0:00 Opening
1:25 What Community Collective is
3:08 The first meetup and early traction
8:40 The 8-week cohort and 992-person waitlist
10:55 Quitting full-time work to build community
13:40 Who Community Collective trains and supports
15:57 Paz’s background in music & sound
19:44 Rituals, brainwaves, and performance
29:02 Niche Cubed explained
32:10 Focus, prioritisation, and saying “not yet”
36:20 Growing to 18 countries
40:48 Scholarships and global access
43:50 Local leaders, city chapters, and sustainability
46:42 Final advice: Start small. Do it with others.
Links:
Community Collective → https://www.communitycollective.com.au/
Connect with Paz → https://www.linkedin.com/in/paz-pisarski/
The Nudge Group → https://thenudgegroup.com/
The Trouble With People → https://thetroublewithpeople.substack.com/
Give It A Nudge Podcast → https://www.youtube.com/@giveitanudge/
Steve on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegrace/