Episode 104: How Spilt Social Built a 7,500+ Person Community Through Authentic Events

In this episode of Marketing Moves, we sat down with Josiah Myers, Founder & CEO of Spilt Social, to explore how he’s building one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing event communities. What started as a simple idea to create more authentic networking experiences has grown into a movement, with 7,500+ email subscribers, sold-out events, and expansion into new cities. Josiah shares how mentorship, referrals, and multi-touch marketing strategies are driving sustainable growth — and why listening to the market has been critical to shaping Spilt Social’s evolution.

On this episode of Marketing Moves, host Ashtyn Morris sat down with Josiah Myers — CEO and founder of Spilt Social.

Josiah is on a mission to rethink how professionals connect. Instead of transactional networking events or surface-level social gatherings, he’s building mentorship-driven experiences designed to foster real relationships, personal growth, and meaningful opportunity.

His approach challenges traditional assumptions about community building — and offers a compelling look at how experience-led brands can scale through authenticity.

Josiah’s entrepreneurial instincts showed up early.

Growing up in a household that valued independence and innovation, he watched his father build and eventually sell a technology company. That exposure shaped his understanding of risk, opportunity, and the power of thinking beyond traditional career paths.

By high school, Josiah was already experimenting with business ideas — from launching a handyman service to door-knocking neighborhoods after major storms to offer cleanup services. These early ventures weren’t just about making money. They taught him a foundational lesson he still applies today: effort, creativity, and initiative directly influence outcomes.

That mindset would later carry him through multiple entrepreneurial pursuits, including scaling and exiting a hotel business before launching Spilt Social.

Long before Spilt Social existed, Josiah was creating experiences that connected people.

During college at Ohio University, he helped organize large-scale events and social programming — sometimes attracting thousands of attendees. These experiences reinforced something he had already discovered years earlier: creating environments where people feel comfortable, energized, and open leads to deeper connection.

Over time, he began to recognize a gap in the market.

Traditional networking events often felt forced or transactional. Social events could lack purpose. Wellness experiences sometimes lacked community. Spilt Social was born from the idea that these worlds could be combined — creating authentic spaces where ambitious, growth-oriented individuals could meet and learn from one another.

At its core, Spilt Social is designed to feel different.

Josiah describes traditional networking as “stuffy” and overly structured — environments where attendees feel obligated rather than inspired to participate. Instead, his team focuses on creating warm, high-energy experiences where people can show up as their true selves.

That authenticity starts long before the event begins.

Operational preparation plays a critical role in shaping the atmosphere. By meticulously planning logistics, staffing, and programming, the Spilt Social team ensures they can stay present during events — engaging with attendees, facilitating introductions, and cultivating memorable interactions.

This intentional approach allows attendees to move beyond surface-level conversation and build relationships that extend well beyond a single event.

One of Spilt Social’s most impactful innovations is its flagship format: the Business Hop.

These events bring together mentors, mentees, and community leaders in structured yet dynamic networking sessions. Participants rotate through guided conversations designed to spark meaningful dialogue and knowledge sharing.

The results can be transformative.

Josiah shared a story from an event in Cincinnati where a young attendee connected with an experienced executive through the Business Hop format. That introduction led to ongoing mentorship, professional opportunities, and personal growth for both individuals involved.

Moments like these are not accidental — they are the intended outcome.

Spilt Social actively measures success by the number of meaningful connections formed at its events, reinforcing its mission to create experiences that deliver tangible impact.

Like many startups, Spilt Social’s journey has not been linear.

Early events generated excitement but also created confusion around brand identity. At one point, the company risked being perceived as purely social or entertainment-driven — rather than purpose-led. This forced the team to reassess their positioning and refine the experience they wanted to deliver.

The turning point came when mentorship became central to the event model.

Through partnership with Vessel and its leadership team, Spilt Social found a powerful balance between business networking, social engagement, and wellness programming. This evolution helped the brand resonate more deeply with its target audience: ambitious professionals seeking growth, community, and meaningful opportunity.

As Spilt Social gained traction, expansion into new markets became a natural next step.

The team began hosting events across multiple Midwest cities, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Louisville — each presenting its own challenges around awareness, credibility, and adapting to different community dynamics. One defining moment came during their first event in Louisville. Despite entering the market with limited local connections, the event sold out quickly and generated overwhelmingly positive feedback. For Josiah, this proved the model could succeed beyond his personal network — a critical validation that the concept was truly scalable.

Fueling that growth is a marketing strategy built around multiple touchpoints and intentional community building. Spilt Social blends paid digital advertising, direct outreach, strategic partnerships, and word-of-mouth referrals to drive awareness and attendance. Community ambassadors and event co-hosts play a particularly important role in reinforcing trust and helping new audiences feel confident engaging with the brand.

Content execution is tailored by platform. LinkedIn serves as a space for more thoughtful, story-driven messaging, while Instagram focuses on visual storytelling and atmosphere. TikTok, meanwhile, helps expand reach through quick-hit content that captures attention and introduces the brand to new audiences. This channel-specific approach allows Spilt Social to engage diverse segments while maintaining a consistent identity.

The team also uses strategic ticketing models — including early-bird pricing, promotional allocations, and tiered discounts — to build momentum ahead of each event. Beyond creating marketing traction, this structure helps operational planning and ensures stronger event experiences as attendance grows.

Looking ahead, Josiah sees Spilt Social as more than an event company.

His vision is to disrupt the broader networking and wellness event landscape — creating experiences that sit between large conferences and entertainment-driven festivals. Future plans include expanding into larger-scale wellness festivals, launching new sub-brands, and continuing to evolve based on community feedback.

For Josiah, success ultimately comes down to one principle: staying adaptable.

Entrepreneurs must remain determined while resisting the urge to become overly attached to a single idea. Listening closely to customers and responding to market signals is what transforms good concepts into scalable businesses.

If Spilt Social continues on its current trajectory, it may not just change how people network — it could redefine how modern communities are built.