Creating Powerful, Thriving Digital Communities: Nicole Edry Of Sony Pictures Entertainment On How To Cultivate Connection & Community In A Click-to-Connect World

In our digital age, it’s easier than ever to click “connect” — but much harder to create real connection. As more of our social and professional lives move online, the challenge becomes building meaningful communities that go beyond likes, follows, and shares. What does it take to cultivate thriving digital communities where people feel seen, heard, and supported? In this interview series, we are talking to community builders, digital strategists, tech founders, social media experts, and anyone who is creating powerful, thriving online spaces, and digital communities. We want to explore how to cultivate connection and community in a click-to-connect world, and what it really takes to build digital spaces where people can truly thrive. As a part of this series I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Edry.

Nicole Edry is a second-generation American, and a professional chameleon from the East Coast. She was lucky enough to grow up around the world in incredible places like the Dominican Republic, China, Spain, and the Middle East. She now works as a Senior Manager, Creative Operations & Production for Sony Pictures Television as part of the Game Shows Division, and strongly believes in using her platform to advocate for other voices — as a board member of two Sony EBRGs (WAVE, for gender equality, and Voz, for Latin/Hispanic representation), recurring judge for the Imagen Awards and NYC Midnight, committee lead for Democracy Action Network, and more.

Thank you for making time to visit with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you grew up?

Absolutely! Currently, I’m living happily in LA — growing up, I was a Middle Eastern & Dominican kid (a Jewminican) in a small New England town. Unsurprisingly, that was a pretty rare thing to be. My experience was often as isolating as it was empowering. Ultimately, it inspired me to find different ways to seek connection.

After a childhood split between the U.S. and other countries, I became a political science major at Hamilton College because I wanted to better understand how other societies live, grow, and intersect. Then, I continued my adventures around the world and deliberately strayed outside my comfort zone. Like when I moved from New York City to the beautiful Central Coast of California, with no job, no car, no home, and no local network. Or when I joined my friend’s educational startup and taught English at a local university in Hunan, China…with no teaching experience or knowledge of Mandarin. It was truly an eye-opening, rewarding, and incredibly humbling experience. Support your teachers, folks, they deserve all the love and more!

Along the way, I was constantly awed by different people and everything they had to offer. Their food, their language, their stories, their traditions and connections to the land. I’m a huge bookworm who loves folklore and mythology, and even as a child, I was fascinated by the ways our cultures diverge and overlap. My travels, my hard-won identity and my exposure to other worlds all cemented my genuine love for humanity, which remains strong to this day.

What inspired you to get involved in building digital communities?

People. People have been a common thread connecting all the far-flung chapters of my life. Maybe I’m biased because I maintain strong ties with my own people mostly through the power of the internet and social media. Still, I truly believe there are great benefits to growing your digital base and building a unique, thriving network online and offline.

For example, it allows you to amplify your reach and connect with others on a global scale — people you’d otherwise never speak with. In addition, it provides an avenue to deepen your connection with those who aren’t located near you, those who aren’t physically able to connect offline, and other like-minded individuals. Beyond that, I’ve organically grown a network of 6K followers on LinkedIn. While my focus is primarily on staffing and recruiting for my current role, my online circle is deeper than that. I’ve published think pieces that led to illuminating debates, enriched my own perspective with different industry insights, shared passionate discourse on socio-cultural topics, and learned so much from countless others. I’ve also formed connections that led to in-person meetups and guest speaker opportunities. As an advocate of representation in the media, there’s no better way to choose the people you want to grow with.

Was there a moment when you realized the power of authentic online connection? Can you share that story?

A while ago, I worked for an NYC digital agency. We saw user-generated content from a non-binary artist with a small following and shared their work on a big client’s social account. It was just a simple repost, but to them, it meant everything. They responded with a post about how they had never been validated like that before, especially by someone with an audience like ours, and how it encouraged them to continue pursuing their dreams. A decade later, this moment still lingers with me. Because a small decision from you could have a greater impact than you know. As the wonderful Miranda Gonzales from Chicago’s Urban Theater Company recently said at a Sony EBRG Voz event, “be the pebble that causes the ripple.”

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along the way that influences how you operate now?

I’m still learning all the time. Especially from my incredible peers in our Brand Creative & Digital Marketing team, and our colleagues in the Game Shows Division. Among other things, they do a truly phenomenal job running the social and digital channels for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. They’re constantly deepening ties with our extremely passionate fanbase and upholding the legacy of these long-standing powerhouse IPs while still finding ways to evolve and reach new audiences. A lot of what I’ve learned about cultivating an online community comes from their hard work, research, strategy, and undeniable talent. From them, I also learned that monthly game nights are great for team bonding, however may also result in small squabbles over important things like who knows more 90’s TV trivia.

Otherwise, I think one of the most important things I have learned is that genuine connections should never be transactional. Whether digital or in person, it shouldn’t be about what that other person can do for you, or the next favor you hope for. Instead, it’s about showing up and showing out, even when there’s no immediate benefit. Write that referral. Share that job posting. Recommend an old colleague. Celebrate their awards and accomplishments. Offer empathy in moments of difficulty. Encourage others to attend their exhibit or watch their new film. You need to care, and show you care, to build a true, lasting network.

In your opinion, what defines a thriving digital community?

A thriving digital community is like an ecosystem that is always growing, adapting and evolving. A space that is inhabited by many different beings who all contribute in their own ways. Ecosystems rely on energy flow, which honestly feels relevant here, too. Voice, tone, language, and visuals are all important elements that help to cultivate the right atmosphere for your community. Your platform should ideally combine elements of a free and structured format. You don’t want it to be overly regulated, because you want to encourage people to share their thoughts and react to each other. However, you need to make sure it feels like a safe space for all. This needs to be upheld through clear rules, moderators, policies against hate speech or personal attacks, etc. It should be a combination of platform policies and your own codex, and you should back up your words with corresponding action for anyone who engages in destructive behavior. Like leadership, you set the tone at the top and it trickles down. Accordingly, you should be a living avatar of your policies and model the behavior you want to see in your community. If you ever make a mistake, don’t just gloss over it — hold yourself to account the way you do others.

What are some common mistakes people make when trying to build digital communities?

Quantity over quality. You don’t need to send out 50 new friend/connection requests by lunchtime or feel pressured to post content daily. Avoid flooding inboxes/comments with repeated messages instead of being strategic and thoughtful about your messaging strategy (treat it like marketing and copywriting for an audience of one). Stay mindful of your persona and how you’re conveying yourself online, because it is important to seem confident without being arrogant. Offer your expertise when it’s applicable and/or when you’re invited to do so. Equally important is to own up to the topics you aren’t as familiar with and loop in people who may be better suited to answer. No matter how experienced or qualified you are, you can always learn from someone else.

I’m going to try a few of your tips, and I’m hopeful our readers will, too. What are your “Five strategies to cultivate a powerful, thriving digital community?” Please share a story or example for each.

1 . Embrace Authenticity & Mindfulness

These have become ever-present buzzwords, but they’re buzzy for a reason. Be real, instead of the person you think will appeal to others. Share fragments of yourself and moments of vulnerability instead of always presenting a perfectly polished veneer. Offer anecdotes and real-world examples to enrich and personalize your content. And recognize that there are times when other voices should be the ones speaking and leading that dialogue. Sometimes, part of community building is being a supporter and active listener who amplifies other voices instead of the one with a megaphone.

2 . Cultivate Your Voice & Tone

Curate who you are and how you present yourself without losing your authenticity. Decide what areas you feel comfortable sharing about and what you’d rather not speak to. We contain multitudes, but we can’t be all things for all people. How do you want people to see you and how can you ground that in your own truth? Also, develop your online persona. Are you warm, witty and visually oriented, or honest and stylistically punchy with receipts to back it up? Can you offer a modern twist on an advice column with a first-person POV? Do you end each post with an inspiring phrase or a call to action that lingers long after they stop reading?

3 . Lead with Empathy

Care. Even if you’ve never met face to face, even if you have completely different backgrounds and perspectives. There is no community without empathy, and no lasting connection without caring. If you don’t care, it shows, and others will not be motivated to add you to their own communities. I frequently post roles on LinkedIn, and it can take weeks for me to get through screening, especially when there are hundreds of applicants. As a result, people sometimes comment on the original post in a negative or impatient manner. Before responding, I always put myself in the applicants’ shoes and remember how all-consuming that process can be. Typically, I’ll comment with a status update that confirms we’re still in the screening process, offers some type of estimate of how much longer screening is likely to last, and acknowledges their consideration and patience. Show that we value their time and effort, and that we recognize the challenges they’re dealing with. It doesn’t speed up the process, but it offers genuine affirmation that can help make all the difference.

4. Be A Storyteller

Position yourself as a storyteller with a virtual audience and create content like you’re pitching an idea to a potential buyer or investor. And you only have a short window to get their attention, so be strategic in your approach. According to the 3-second rule in social media, on average you have ~3 seconds for people to engage before they start scrolling. So how are you standing out — are you using a written hook? Arresting visuals? Choosing a compelling thumbnail image that makes them want to click through? Switching between languages so you can reach a broader audience? No matter what your approach is, make your posts feel like part of a living story that others want to subscribe to and engage with.

5. Tailor Your Message To Your Audience

Whether you’re making a post, dropping a comment, or DM’ing someone, you should always be specific and clear. Be mindful that there’s a lot of white noise out there, so if you’re asking someone to take the time to read your message, you should also take the time to customize it. It is readily obvious when someone sends me a stock template they’ve used for a thousand other messages, and I’m far less motivated to respond, especially if they’re asking me for something. And I think it’s important to embrace all the nuances in language and digital connection, as well as accessibility. If I’m posting something for mi gente, I’ll write the post in Spanish, English, or Spanglish. If I’m posting an image, I’ll share an alt text descriptor. If it’s rich text enabled, I’ll choose a larger, more legible font.

How important is meeting offline, in real life? What is the best way to make that happen? Can you share a story?

In my opinion, it is important to supplement your digital community with in-person meetups when you can. It’s almost like you get two first impressions with people — your online first impression and your offline first impression. Both play a part in how you perceive each other, and how you interact moving forward. I contracted with Apple for over two years during COVID, and for most of that time, I worked remotely. I had a strong connection with my team, but it still felt incomplete. Once COVID ended, I came to LA for a visit, and we collectively decided to try high tea at a local pub. Afterwards, we went from colleagues to friends — a friendship that has continued to thrive even though we all work for different companies now.

A good way to make this online-to-offline switch is to suggest a new shared experience. This taps into our innate curiosity while maintaining a level playing field, so everyone is motivated to join in and feel as if they can try things without judgement.

To be clear, it’s not a dealbreaker if you can’t connect offline — people might live thousands of miles away or have health conditions that prevent them from easily meeting in person. Make sure to leave room for grace, in all your dealings.

How do you handle negativity, trolling, or disengagement in a digital space?

The reality is, there will always be trolls and negativity no matter how strong your community is. You should have a game plan that covers different scenarios and adapt your response accordingly.

My own approach is anchored in a lesson I learned in restaurant-land a long, long time ago. I was fresh out of college waiting tables in a fine dining establishment, and there was a night where half of our line called out sick, so the food service was extremely slow. Our patrons were getting frustrated, so I was making the rounds and apologizing in the hopes it would help. But it didn’t. In fact, the grumbling and discontent seemed to get worse. After observing this, my manager pulled me aside and told me that what was unfolding was a lesson in power dynamics. He said that by starting with an apology, I was inherently acknowledging fault, even though it was a situation nobody could have predicted. And it gave the customer the upper hand, in a way, while leaving me off-balance. He then demonstrated his rule of three, and I watched him single-handedly change the tone in the entire dining room in less than 15 minutes.

Step one is to acknowledge the reality of the situation and share an understandable cause without going into too much detail (he started off with a joke about the recent blizzard making everyone sick and disclosed that we were short-staffed). Step two is to give an honest estimate of the solution and/or share how you’re working toward remedying it (he said their entrees would be out in another twenty minutes, and that we were making the rounds with fresh bread and dip to help tide them over). And step three is to end with something sweet, so their last impression of the situation is a positive one (he cracked another joke and offered to buy a free round of drinks or desserts for the table).

It was a master class, and I have referenced it ever since. Through this rule of three, I can implement a tonal shift and rebrand the conversation to a more productive exchange. Of course, there’s no one size fits all approach — it’s why we’ve got amazing PR teams who specialize in this — but it’s important to be proactive in your approach instead of reactive.

What are some practical strategies for encouraging real interaction, beyond likes and emojis?

Always, always have receipts. Back up your words with quotes, stats, sources, and soundbites designed to continue the conversation. Leave thoughtful comments and link to a relevant article they might find interesting. Recommend a content creator who may have a similar viewpoint — or one that, respectfully, differs.

Humor is also a powerful tool for connection, although it should never be at the expense of the other person. Similarly, pop culture is another way to encourage deeper interaction. Pull in real-world examples and public figures that people can relate to, even if they’re not subject matter experts. If you can combine the two, even better. I recently had a somewhat tense exchange with someone about our legal system, and then I referenced Cardi B’s recent trial and her spectacular performance on the stand, and we ended up laughing and exchanging memes about it.

What platforms or tools have you found most effective for cultivating meaningful digital engagement?

Far and away, LinkedIn. For internet content I send to my friends and fam, it’s more about TikTok, Insta, and YouTube. But LinkedIn has been game changing for me. Also, I think Reddit and Substack are interesting — whew, my inner nerd is really coming out now — as you can deep dive into a singular subject and then go down the rabbit hole of all kinds of related content.

And so much of it is less about the platform, and more about your unique selling point that can inspire offline engagement (which then amplifies your online community). TikTok has a lot of legal voices on it, but I never miss an episode of reb for the rebrand with her iconic upside-down sunglasses. She gets new submissions from real-world judges and lawyers all the time. Similarly, there’s a lot of food reviewers out there, but only Shaiie_Foeva has caused people to step up their potluck game while fearing for their Uber driver’s dentist.

Are there certain types of content or activities that tend to spark stronger connections in online spaces?

Finding the common denominator is key. Are we both east coast transplants? Are you a fellow millennial? Are you a fan of KPop Demon Hunters (I mean, who isn’t)? Ground your connection in something that is meaningful to both of you, and then other topics will come more naturally with time.

Success is often a matter of perspective. I’ve always resonated with Henry David Thoreau’s quote, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” How do you see success — or define success — for yourself now?

Ooh, I like that quote, that’s a good one.

For me, success is not just rising alone but sparking the success of others. I have big dreams and hope to be a Hollywood exec one day. But I don’t want it to happen in a vacuum. I want to pave the way for other women of color in leadership roles. Other mixed-race folks like me. Others who had to pay their own way through college while working multiple jobs. And not just my people, either. Everyone deserves their chance in the sun. And I love whenever I get to be that stepping stone that grows into a new opportunity for others. Ensure there’s a seat at the table for all voices, online and offline.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He, she or they might just see this. :-)

This is truly one of the hardest questions you could ask me! At first, I was torn between Dolly Parton and John Leguizamo (and they can totally join me for lunch anytime).

But if I had to pick one person, I think it would be Helen Hernandez, the President of the Imagen Foundation. Over 40 years ago, she saw that there was a vacuum in representation for Hispanic/Latin people in television and film. For executives and industry players as well as talent, Directors, EPs, etc. So, she worked with the legendary Norman Lear to create lasting, permanent change, and lift our community through mentorships, industry events, special screenings, awards, virtual meetups, and so much more. She pioneered a space where we can meet others like us and connect with those who share our dreams and our struggles. What she has accomplished in just a few short decades is truly astonishing. I’d love to get the chance to celebrate her and learn from her endless wisdom over bacalao y tostones.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

I recently launched my personal website to hopefully connect with other like-minded souls and grow my community further, so I’d love to hear from you there! Otherwise, LinkedIn is probably the best place to reach me.

Thank you for these thought provoking insights. Here’s to your continued success!