Sarah Hempel for Community Pros Yearbook 2025

Speakers: Sarah Hempel, Sr. Manager, Community Experience, Blanchard

Sarah Hempel: Hi, Sarah Hempel here, with the Blanchard community. This past year, one lesson that really stood out for me was that community thrives on clarity and care. The world is so full of noise, I feel that the communities that grew and stayed strong were the ones where people felt seen, heard, and clear about why they belong. I learned it's not necessarily about doing more, it's about doing what matters with intention. So whether it was rethinking our onboarding journey, or simplifying our communications, or really making space for that honest connection, slowing down to focus on what people actually need really makes all the difference.

Sarah Hempel: I think 2026 is going to be the year that we stop chasing after engagement and really start building trusted spaces. People are craving meaningful spaces, meaningful relationships where they can connect, not just more content to sift through. So, as community professionals, we need to shift from managing platforms to curating these moments, making it easier for members to connect with each other, to support each other, to grow together. I also see community professionals growing into more strategic roles, helping our organizations to see community as an essential, essential to the business, not something that's extra. The work we do in the community space is becoming less about like the logistics and the operations and more about trusted leadership.