In this episode, I dive into the power of feedback loops and how they've been instrumental in driving membership growth for our community.

I share exclusive insights from my session at Retain Live 2025, breaking down how to effectively gather, analyze, and act on feedback at every stage of the member lifecycle.

You'll learn practical tactics for not only getting useful member input, but also using it to shape your offerings, refine your marketing, and boost retention.

If you're ready to make your members feel heard and create a more engaging and successful membership, this episode is for you.

• What exactly is a feedback loop, and why is it so vital for membership businesses?
• How can you effectively gather and use feedback from non-buyers, new members, existing members, and those leaving your community?
• What are the key stages in the member lifecycle where feedback loops should be implemented for maximum impact?
• How do you close the loop by showing members the tangible results and changes that result from their feedback?

I really appreciate you choosing us and for supporting the podcast.

What's your next step?

If you haven't launched your membership yet, I've made my signature Membership Roadmap Course completely FREE, walking you through exactly how to get set up for success!

Already have a membership and looking to grow and scale? Join me inside Membership Academy where I'll help you take your membership to the next level.

And if you found this episode valuable, I'd be eternally grateful if you would leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience, and I read each and every one!

"You need to speak to your audience, to your members, to your buyers, your non buyers, your ex members. That feedback is critical for guiding the growth of your business. But it's not enough to just get that feedback. You need to know what feedback to ask for and what to do with it."

"And when they respond, listen, reply, have that conversation, but also take the responses and start creating content from it. Address the frequently asked questions, the frequent obstacles and objections that come up."

"If someone's leaving, we need to know why and this shouldn't be a passive thing. We need to survey our outgoing members. We need to ideally have something in place before the cancellation is final, where we ask them why they are no longer staying in the membership and then respond to that before the final decision is made, offer them some alternatives to cancelling, acknowledge any frustrations, show that we care and we want them to stay so it's not just a case of them clicking the button and they're gone."

In this from the vault episode, I dive into one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of running a membership business: managing stress.

As memberships grow and evolve, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, and trying to do everything yourself.

I share eight actionable tips from the archives on how to ease that pressure and prevent burnout, with plenty of practical advice for maintaining your mental health and building a sustainable business.

Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced membership owner, this episode will help you keep things in perspective and enjoy the journey.

• How can you set realistic expectations for your membership growth and success?
• What strategies help you avoid perfectionism and focus on sustainable, long-term progress?
• What boundaries and outsourcing tactics can reduce overwhelm and keep your work-life balance in check?
• How do you keep stress in context and avoid unnecessary anxiety about delays, changes, or member demands?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

“With memberships, you get to set the terms. You get to create a business of your own design that fits with your goals for your life.”

“You're not creating a finished product, you're starting a journey. You have the freedom and flexibility to adapt and evolve your membership over time.”

“Don't try and do everything yourself. You're not a superhero.”

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this from the vault episode, I dive into the essential steps every membership site owner should take after launching their membership.

It’s not just about getting started—the real work begins once your site is live, and what you do next can make or break your success.

I revisit some timeless strategies for keeping your momentum strong, nurturing your new members, and planning for steady growth.

Whether you’ve just launched, stalled, or are looking ahead, this practical guide will help you set a solid foundation for your membership’s future.

• How can you effectively assess what worked (and didn’t) during your membership launch?
• What steps should you take to ensure new members are engaged and set up for success?
• How do you gather and leverage early social proof to fuel continued marketing?
• What are the best ways to follow up with non-buyers and plan your ongoing organic marketing efforts after launch?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

“90% of success is all about what happens on the inside of a membership.”

“In the afterglow of your launch, those first 30 days or so, really keep an eye out for any posts, comments, and feedback that you can use from your community…and then turn that into marketing collateral.”

“You want those people that were on the fence during your launch and decided against joining to be kicking themselves for not signing up.”

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this special "From the Vault" episode, I dive deep into the biggest and most frustrating marketing myths that circulate in the world of membership sites.

After more than a decade of helping membership owners, I've heard it all—from secret silver bullets to outdated pressure tactics.

I unpack the myths, the nonsense, and the misleading advice that could be steering your membership off course.

Join me as I challenge some of the most common misconceptions and share what actually works for building and marketing a successful membership.

• Why is the idea that you have to pressure people to "buy today" potentially harmful to your membership business?
• Do you really need scarcity tactics to effectively market and sell your membership?
• Is it true that "a good product sells itself" and what role does audience building play in your success?
• Do you need a massive audience to launch and grow your membership, or can dedicated superfans be enough?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

“Successful marketing is all about getting the right message, to the right person, at the right time.”

“Some people are just not ready to buy when you’re ready to sell. Your business and how you market it is actually more about being there when someone is ready to buy, rather than trying to force the sale too quickly.”

“If you’re not able to connect the dots and to compel people to put their hand in their pocket and pay you for the solution to their problem then it doesn’t matter how great your membership is, it doesn’t matter how great your product is. “Build it and they will come” is not a valid strategy.”

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I dive into the often-overlooked group within membership communities: the "lurkers"—those quiet members who rarely participate publicly but remain subscribed and engaged in their own ways.

I break down why silence doesn't mean disengagement, how these silent members may actually be some of your most valuable, and what you as a membership owner can do to serve and retain them.

I also share practical tips for balancing your community to support both vocal and quieter members, ensuring your membership thrives for everyone.

If you're ready to rethink how you look at engagement and create a space where all types of members feel valued, this episode is for you.

• Who are the "lurkers" in membership communities, and why do they matter?
• Does silence from members really mean they're disengaged or not finding value in your membership?
• What mistakes do membership owners make when trying to increase engagement, and how can these backfire?
• How can you better serve and retain your quieter members without alienating them or making them uncomfortable?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"Some of your longest standing, most loyal members may be the ones that you've never heard from. They don't need to be active in your community to get what they came for. They don't need to turn up to live calls to actually see value. They might be quietly in the background, binging your courses, downloading and utilizing templates, or simply taking comfort from knowing that your resources, your content, your support is there when they need it. They might not be visible, but they're still quietly succeeding because of what you provide."

"Your courses, your downloads, your templates, your toolkits, whatever content you're creating, they should still deliver value, even if someone never once sets foot in the community. That way lurkers will still feel like being part of your membership is worthwhile and is valued."

"Lurking is a perfectly valid form of participation, and the silent majority in your membership are often just as valuable, if not more valuable, than the vocal minority."

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I dive into one of the toughest aspects of running a membership business: spotting the signs that someone is about to leave your membership.

I discuss the clear and subtle warning signals you need to watch for and share practical strategies you can use to proactively re-engage at-risk members before it’s too late.

From leveraging technology to understanding behavioral patterns and key milestones, I aim to give you actionable steps to strengthen your retention strategy and keep your community thriving.

• What are the warning signs that indicate a member might be at risk of cancelling their membership?
• How can you use technology and data to identify members who are becoming disengaged?
• What are the common “off ramps” or critical moments when cancellations are most likely to occur—and how can you address them?
• Which proactive steps can you take to re-engage at-risk members and boost your overall retention rates?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"If someone has come and said, I think I might need to go, the worst thing you can do is ignore it or dismiss it, or treat it with hostility. Even if their specific issue can't be fixed overnight. Just taking the time to listen, to respond quickly and with care can be the difference between them leaving or deciding to stick around a little longer."

"Technology can help you to flag these things. Some software and plugins will have reporting features that will show you when someone last logged in. Some learning management systems will actually show you how long since someone completed at a lesson. You can use tools like WP Fusion, which is fantastic in enabling you to not only add tags to members that haven't logged in for a while, but also let you add a tag when someone completes a lesson or views a piece of content."

"But if you can reach out with something personal and supportive that can make the difference. Remind them that you're there. Remind them that you have resources, you have tools, you are a support service that you can help them out."

"Retention in memberships is not just about reacting when someone hits the cancellation button. Often when someone's hitting cancel, it's already too late. Retention is all about being proactive, having your eyes open, having your finger on the pulse, knowing what to look for and taking small but meaningful steps to re engage those members before it's too late."

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I give you a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at a major strategic shift at Membership Academy: why I decided to discontinue our lowest-priced membership tier.

I dive deep into the challenges, member feedback, and business data that informed this big decision.

I share the lessons learned, the impact on our community and sales, and why simplifying our offerings makes more sense for both our members and our business as we move forward.

If you're considering multiple membership tiers, or are curious about evolving your pricing strategy, this episode unpacks it all.

• What prompted the initial move to a two-tier membership strategy at Membership Academy, and what were those tiers?
• What unexpected challenges and downsides did introducing a lower-priced tier create for both the business and members?
• How did having multiple tiers affect member retention, sales performance, and customer experience over time?
• Why did I ultimately decide to revert to a single-tier membership, and how was this transition communicated to existing members?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"They join on the lesser membership tier so they don't get all the great things that will ensure that they are as successful as they can be. And then they look at their membership and say, oh, well, I haven't had the success I wanted, so why would I upgrade?"

"As the membership industry, and indeed the online education industry, changes and evolves, with the proliferation of AI, with the shift away from search engines to answer engines that are powered by AI, as all these new challenges face us coming into the next five, ten years and beyond, then memberships are going to need an entirely different level, an entirely different kind of support."

"But what it's done is it's created that clarity, it's removed that friction, it's taking confusion out of the joining process because a confused mind doesn't buy."

"Making that pivot, making that change has been a big decision, but a one that I'm extremely confident is the right one for where we want to take the academy going forward."

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I dive into three crucial things I want every membership owner to know about AI.

Drawing on insights from a recent Membership Academy roundtable, I break down some common misconceptions about how AI tools like ChatGPT actually work, the real impact they’re having on memberships, and how to adapt your approach to make the most of these changes.

Whether you’re excited about AI or feeling a bit overwhelmed by the hype, I’ll help you put things in perspective and understand where the real opportunities (and challenges) lie for membership businesses.

• What is the true business model behind popular AI tools like ChatGPT, and why does it matter for membership owners?
• How should membership owners critically approach the use of AI-generated content, given the current landscape of online information?
• What unique advantages do human-driven elements add to memberships in an age of AI-produced educational content?
• How are search engines shifting toward "answer engines," and what does that mean for content marketing and discoverability for memberships?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"I don't think there's going to be a continuous trend upwards of the amount of poor quality AI generated content that's out there. I think we are at a tipping point now."

"We can't rely on the fact that we know that our content is better than someone can get from AI, because your audience don't know that. And someone can get a step by step action plan of how to solve a problem from an AI tool faster than they can log into your membership or log into your courses. And they aren't discerning or informed enough to know the difference in quality. So we need to give something more than just education."

"Citing your website is not equal to your website appearing page one in Google. So a lot of marketers I'm seeing are equating the two and they're kind of telling people, hey, content marketing is still as powerful as it's ever been. But now it's just a case of making sure that you cater towards the AI tools, that you cater towards these so that they'll reference you. But the context really matters. Because someone's getting a full answer from an AI tool, they're not as likely to actually click through to the website. Like click through rate on AI answers are not a fraction of what they were for search engine listings."

We really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.

We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show. They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.