Max Pete

Community strategist, coach, and speaker. Writing about connection, burnout, and belonging on Substack.

Hi, I'm Max and it's great to connect! My career journey hasn’t been linear (is anyone’s?), but I’m grateful it’s led me to what I care about most: helping people feel seen, supported, and like they belong. I started out in marketing and advertising, working across music labels, agencies, and my own freelance practice. But during the early days of the pandemic, burnout and a deep craving for more meaningful work led me to community building, and I haven’t looked back since. Since then I've had the opportunity to build and support communities ranging from 300 to over 300,000 members, speak at 20+ events including Creative Mornings and Talkbase in Prague, and work with brands like Square, Sprout Social, SuperHi, and Origin Financial. Along the way I've helped prevent $2M in churn, built an advocate program of 300+ members in under six months, and driven 30% product adoption increases. Some people call me a “community cheerleader,” a nickname I wear proudly. My work is rooted in care, clarity, and connection. Whether I’m leading strategy, hosting an event, coaching a founder, or writing a newsletter, I’m always thinking about how to make people feel a little more human and a little less alone. Outside of work, I’m an amateur DJ and playlist curator (music has been a lifelong passion), a writer, and a proud advocate for individuals with limb differences. I serve on the board of Design With Us and volunteer as a coach with Nubability. Let’s connect if you: - Want to jam on community ideas or swap career stories - Are looking for a speaker or podcast guest for your next event or show - Need help building a community or clarifying your community strategy - Want to explore working together on a consulting project - Just want to say hi (that's cool too) And if you want to follow along more regularly, I write about community, career, and self-worth in my newsletter: https://maxpete.substack.com