We Make the Future: Why Community Beats Audience Every Time

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When you gather three misfits with a shared obsession for community, merch, and making a difference, you know the conversation won’t stay surface-level. In this episode, Jay Busselle chats with Renya Nelson (Brand Aid) and Roger Burnett (PromoCares, HALO) to untangle the messy, meaningful difference between building an audience and building a community, especially in a promotional products industry often driven by transactions.

Roger kicks off with a truth bomb: while suppliers often build tight-knit communities by necessity, distributors tend to default to audiences. What would it look like to flip that script? Renya builds on this idea with a powerful perspective from her own journey—one that began with zero industry experience and led to founding Brand Aid, building trust through creativity, vulnerability, and unapologetic heart. And yes, Canadians might deserve some credit for teaching us all what true community looks like.

The real mic-drop moment comes when Renya shares the backstory of her “We Make the Future” mural project, a grassroots, heart-first campaign that turned a concrete wall across from a youth shelter into a canvas of hope, empowerment, and belonging. The mural wasn't just art. It was a rally cry. It was merch with meaning. And it was co-created by the very teens it was designed to inspire.

In a world chasing clicks and quotas, this conversation is a powerful reminder: community isn’t a strategy. It’s a lifeline. Whether you’re printing t-shirts, sourcing swag, or just trying to find your people in the industry, the best work always starts with trust, empathy, and the courage to make it personal.

Key Takeaways

  1. Community ≠ Audience. Audiences watch; communities engage, trust, and support.

  2. Distributors can and should build their own ecosystems of belonging—just like suppliers do.

  3. Art, merch, and storytelling can create emotional ownership beyond the product.

  4. Transparency, empathy, and human connection are non-negotiables for culture-building.

  5. Transactions are sometimes just the beginning of trust, not the end.