Jenny's Favorite Community Things 2021

Nov 1, 2021

Welcome to my favorite time of the year! One major holiday has just happened, and more are just around the corner! There’s something special in the air…ahhhh. To celebrate, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Community things. Well, some of them are just things, but I can see how they would benefit a community professional.

When creating this list (prices range from ~$9-$120 USD), I asked myself three questions:

Would this be beneficial to community pro’s?
Do I have this or would I want this?
Does this item bring me joy?

And the ones you see listed below are all ones where the answer was a clear YES to all three. I hope this list will inspire you to give a thoughtful gift to a community professional in your life.

Some of the posts below include affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I may earn a commision. Also, the prices listed reflect the USD price on the date that this post was first published (November 1, 2021). Thank you.

Books

Rather than list the usual community-related books that I am always recommending to people, I wanted to feature books that are not specifically focused on the topic of community, however, the content can absolutely be applied.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Written by James Clear. Honestly, I haven’t even finished reading this yet, but I am learning a TON about how to improve my habits related to my community consulting. The reason it’s taking so long is that I keep rereading chapters because THIS CONTENT IS AMAZING.

Price: $14.99

Clear Habit Journal

Written by James Clear and co-created with Baronfig. I’m so glad I bought this with the Atomic Habits book, because I’m fully utilizing it as I read through the book. It’s a way of journaling I’ve never done before, and it’s definitely holding me accountable.

Price: $26.00

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Written by Priya Parker. This book is for anyone who plans events or gatherings, and since most of the community professionals I know do this, I encourage all of them to read this book. It will forever change the way you plan and execute events.

Price: $14.99

Tools/Resources

These would be considerably useful to any community professional! They’ve definitely made my life easier and added value.

Canva

If you’re tasked with creating any type of presentation, images, or printouts, then it’s definitely worth upgrading to the Pro version.

Price: Starts at $119.99/year (but there is a free version)

Loom

It’s so much more fun to reply to an email with a video message! Loom allows me to do that, but it also records me sharing my screen so that I can make a quick how-to video or explain something in a presentation or document.

Price: Starts at $96/annually or $10/month-to-month (but there is a free version)

MURAL

A necessity if you’re working on any element of your community strategy, whether solo or with a team. The visual and organizing capabilities of this platform make it easy to collaborate as well as create, sort, and filter ideas (among many other benefits).

Price: Starts at $119.88/annually (but there is a free version)

dot Card

This is the future of in-person networking and I am here for it. Each card has its own unique QR code that can direct someone to your dot profile or a specific URL.

Price: Starts at $20.00

Hemingway Editor

If your job includes writing, then this editor will help you refine your copy and check for inconsistencies. It’s a MUST-HAVE for the text I write for presentations, deliverables, and my blog posts.

Price: $19.99

Community Swag

Gotta show off the merch that signals WE ARE COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS! And here are a few ways to do that.

In Before The Lock Swag

This podcast is already legendary, so why not show off your fandom with one of these products?!

Price: Varies from $17.45-$54.95

“We Build Community” Hoodie

Thanks to the team at Commsor/The Community Club, we can show off our love of community while feeling uber-cozy at the same time! Also, proceeds from these sales go toward funding scholarships for their C School program. (Many thanks to Jocelyn Hsu for reminding me about this excellent swag! My order is on the way. 👍)

Price: $39.00

Rosieland Tee

I’m gonna take a guess that we all love comfy tees, rainbows, and Rosie Sherry. Who’s with me?! If so, you can proudly display that love with this purchase.

Price: $29.00

**If you’re reading this in Gmail, the email is about to get cut off, so click here to view the full list and rest of the items.**

Self-Care

We need to take care of ourselves and our fellow community professionals, and these items are just the starting point.

The Little Book of Self-Care: 30 practices to soothe the body, mind and soul

Written by Suzy Reading. A cute and easy read for anyone looking for some inspiring self-care ideas.

Price: $8.99

Feel Good Faves Tea Sampler

I’m a HUGE fan of tea and trying out different teas, and this variety sampler is sure to have a tea to satisfy your current mood or the mood you want to be in.

Price: $29.99

Calming Pillow Mist

Once you try this a few times at night, you won’t be able to go without it. And we all know that community professionals need that full night of sleep to be able to handle the workload and expectations of each day.

Price: $9.98

Random & Oh-So-Fun

The rest of the items didn’t really fit into a particular category, and yet they are some of the best ones (IMHO)!

Happy shopping to all during this holiday season, and I hope you get to be the recipient of one of these fabulous gifts! If so, I’d love to know what you received (or bought). ~Jenny