How to Grow Through Community | Mallory Contois (Mercury, ex-Pinterest, LinkedIn)

In this episode, Kate Syuma dives into a conversation with Mallory Contois, Head of Community & Mercury Raise at Mercury, and founder of The Old Girls Club, to explore her journey from Pinterest to building a thriving community. Mallory shares how overcoming cancer shaped her perspective, how her psychology background influences product and community growth, and why empathy is the key to creating meaningful connections in tech.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

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Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth Advisor, ex-Miro. This season, “In the Company of Women,” is about celebrating women who successfully balance work, family, and creative passions while building meaningful careers.

Growthmates is where top product and growth leaders share real strategies and insights to help you turn ideas into successful products. Learn from experts at Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and more in deep dive interviews with Kate Syuma, ex-Miro Head of Growth Design and founder of Growthmates.

Mallory took an unconventional path, transitioning from a career in tech to founding Old Girls Club — a community-driven space for women in the industry. Her journey was shaped by resilience, from overcoming cancer to navigating diverse roles at major companies like Pinterest. Instead of following traditional playbooks, she built a movement centered on authenticity, connection, and the power of psychology in product and community growth.

She also shares insights on fostering engaged communities, redefining success beyond corporate ladders, and using empathy as a tool for innovation.

Tune in to hear Mallory’s perspective on building with purpose, leading with heart, and creating impact through community.

🔗 Find more insights on growthmates.club and follow on your favorite platforms for more episodes.

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Key highlights from this episode 👇

* Turning trauma into a movement: "If you died tomorrow, what would people say?" Mallory revealed how surviving cancer at 25 shaped her legacy-first approach to work: rejecting stability, embracing fast failures, and prioritizing urgent impact over traditional career paths.

* The "funeral test" framework: Mallory shared how a moment of career panic— feeling overwhelmed after raising $25M — led her to a raw LinkedIn post. This vulnerability sparked an organic movement, growing into the 2,100-strong Old Girls Club for women in male-dominated industries.

* Why communities fail when brands act like corporations: Mallory challenges brands to treat digital interactions like real-life conversations: "Would you say this to someone at a coffee shop?" Her rule? Avoid “salesy” tactics — build trust through human-centric design, not referral bribes or forced funnels.

* Redefining "job hopping" as intentional sprints: From Pinterest’s early days to gaming startups, Mallory reframes rapid career shifts as strategic impact sprints. Her focus? Loyalty to people and missions, not logos—a blueprint for thriving in today’s fluid tech landscape.

* Launching terrified? Do this first: Mallory’s counterintuitive tactic for validating communities: Charge $10/month immediately. This filters casual joiners, surfaces true believers, and lets the community co-build its value — even before you feel ready to lead it.

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Where to find Kate Syuma:

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Where to find Mallory Contois:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorycontois/

* Personal page: https://www.mallorycontois.com/

* X (Twitter): https://x.com/mallorycontois

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What we covered:

(00:00) Introduction

(08:15) From Psychology to Tech

(16:40) Pinterest Years

(25:30) The Cancer Journey

(34:15) Birth of Old Girls Club

(43:20) Building Community

(52:10) Psychology in Product Design

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📕 Useful Resources and other related Podcasts:

* The Old Girls Club: https://www.jointheogc.com/

* Mallory’s course “Community-led Growth”: https://bit.ly/4gZUjwy

* Kate’s course: “User-centric Product-led Growth” with 100$ discount: https://maven.com/growthmates/user-centric-product-led-growth?promoCode=growthmates

* “The Holistic Growth Playbook”: https://growthmates.club

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