Creating Campfire Communities with Charles Vogl

Cut Through the Noise with Dave Turano

The loneliness epidemic isn’t a secret. Even before COVID, Americans were feeling more isolated from friends, from family, from their colleagues, and from themselves. We know that the problem is pervasive, and we know that it applies to all types of organizations. How do you attract and retain the right people, if they don’t feel loyal to their colleagues or to the company? Author, speaker, and adviser Charles Vogl argues that there are evidence-based practices for creating community. And he’s not talking about retreats or grandiose gatherings. He’s talking about changing a company’s culture so that it fosters real connection, like the comfortable, discoursal, inspiring comradery we feel when we’re sitting around the campfire. That’s the kind of connection that generates ideas and an environment of support. Life-altering circumstances like a global lockdown can put some companies at risk. But when everyone feels loyal to the brand, they feel loyal to one another. Then, the company can develop the resilience to pivot and persevere when necessary. Charles Vogl is the best-selling author of three books, including The Art of Community, Building Brand Communities, and Storytelling for Leadership. He’s built programs and advised leaders at companies like Amazon, Twitter, and Airbnb; he also serves as a thought leader for the Google School of Leaders and has taught workshops and trainings for The Yale Leadership Institute, The Harvard Law School, and the U.S. Army. Find Charles on LinkedIn: and at