I spend a lot of time on porches.

My family and I eat meals on our porch, we relax on our porch, we drink coffee on our porch, and even host a group of friends regularly for cigar nights on our porch.

When my wife and I bought our house, one of our biggest considerations was the porch situation. Was it roomy? Could we fit furniture on it? Could we host people? Was it screened in to protect us from bugs? (We do live in the southern United States after all – mosquitos are treacherous in the summer.)

But Ben, you ask, why would a porch be such a big consideration?

Sure, porches can seem like such insignificant places. Many of them end up becoming a place to heap your garden shoes, jackets, and other things we don’t want to bring inside. They’re often a high-traffic spot depending on your housing situation as well.

But a porch is more than just an entrance to a home.

Porches are a place of solace, safety, and learning. It’s where people, family, friends, or strangers, spend time talking, laughing, and getting to know one another.

We prioritized this because as silly as it may sound, relationships are built on porches and building a community you can depend on is paramount for any family’s livelihood.

That’s primarily why Co-Founders Neil Weitzman and Hunter Weitzman, named their community PORCH. “In Canada, the front porch has long represented a place of gathering. It’s a place where friends, colleagues, and family might go to talk, give advice, lend a listening ear, or relax together and share a drink.”

So what is PORCH and who is it for?

Neil and Hunter started PORCH because being a part of communities has been vital to learning and solving many of their challenges in business and life. PORCH is a supportive community for immigrants and entrepreneurs to share experiences and help each other succeed. Members can ask questions to those who have been there and done that, join topics of interest, view helpful content and network with interesting people.

This is why I’m excited Commsor and PORCH have joined hands not only as partners, but as friends who share in the Go-to-Network mindset as a core business strategy.

“Go-to-Network is something we teach to our community members as newcomers to Canada. They arrive with very little to no networks, so having a place where they can access true, meaningful connections is important to immigrant entrepreneurs” explained Hunter.

One of the coolest things about operating with a Go-to-Network approach is the compounding effects of networks. “Every member, every ambassador, and every partnership we create is with Go-to-Network in mind. Specifically thinking through how we can leverage their networks and meaningful connections to continue the growth of the community,” explains Hunter. If a new member joins and starts getting value from the community, it’s only a matter of time before that person passes on the word to their friends and family.

Additionally, nurturing your networks with intention can lead to some pretty incredible growth loops. “Thinking back on all of our partnerships, every single one has come from our network,” Neil reflects. This underscores the importance of investing time and effort into cultivating meaningful connections. If you’re actively engaging with your network, the opportunities will come.

When we first started, Commsor was building software for B2B community managers. Though we have an entirely different set of products and offerings now, we still maintain the fundamental belief that the networks and communities that surround an organization are vital to it’s success.

With that background, a partnership between Commsor and PORCH was inevitable. “Commsor has two amazing products, Bronto and Matcha, that are of extreme value,” Neil says. “We’re excited to bring those tools into the community to help our members in PORCH grow their networks and be more effective in their own relationships.”

We are beyond thrilled to kick off this exciting partnership with the PORCH team to continue supporting the Go-to-Network efforts of immigrant professionals, immigrant entrepreneurs, and those who aspire to such all across Canada. If you fit into any of those categories and are interested in learning more about our friends at PORCH, be sure to check out the website and follow Neil and Hunter Weitzman on LinkedIn!

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