Zoe Scaman knows how to rebuild brands and fandoms from the ground up.

Her work with brands like Nike, Netflix, and the NBA has allowed her to dig deep into consumer behavior and organizational structures, resulting in numerous aha moments around community building and how to encourage a culture of co-creation with brand superfans.

Zoe builds a number of beautiful constellations during our conversation as she connects the dots between furries, sports fans, and political communities. We also talk about Lego’s incredibly expanding brand universe and how brands can leverage the flywheel effect to create exponential growth.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The provocative question Zoe asked in middle school when she was asked to re-read Lord of the Flies
• The ways Zoe uses AI to help her gut check her own work
• How brands can learn from furries to create a sense of belonging
• The biggest (often invisible) enemy of progress in any organization
• Zoe’s favorite word and why she thinks more people need to use it more often

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Musings of a Wandering Mind: Zoe Scaman’s Substack

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

Marilyn Monroe Obituary

Shows & Movies

Mob Land TV Series Trailer

Brands & Campaigns

The Lego Botanical Collection

Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL) - Reddit

Lego Fan Engagement and Programs