In this episode, I take you behind the scenes as I share how we’ve pivoted and refined Membership Academy in response to major industry shifts and the evolution of our member community.

I talk about why we decided to make our flagship Membership Roadmap course completely free, the thought process behind streamlining our membership tiers, and the exciting new resources and live programs we’re launching to help members scale, grow, and sustain their membership businesses over the long term.

This episode is packed with insights on adapting your own memberships to a more mature and competitive market, and offers a special incentive for our loyal podcast listeners.

• Why did we choose to make the Membership Roadmap, our signature course, available for free, and how does that reflect changes in the membership business landscape?
• How has the focus and structure of the Membership Academy evolved to better support members beyond the initial launch phase?
• What new features, live support, and advanced resources are now included in the Academy to help members with growth, scaling, and long-term sustainability?
• Why did we simplify from a two-tier to a single-tier membership model, and what does that mean for the kind of members we’re best equipped to help?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"We want to help people get started the right way, and if that means we have to teach them how to do it for free, then that's what we're going to do. Because I'd much rather we give away the right course than people spend money on the wrong course."

"But then we're going even further, we're scaling your business and then we're looking at that big, long term future high end stuff that you're going to be facing at that point in that journey when you get to your five year anniversary, ten year anniversary. So we really are moving the bar and we are going to be delivering this new material absolutely live over the next few months and beyond that, actually we are running Level Up Live."

"Membership Academy now is putting you on its shoulders and speeding ahead through the marathon of running a membership, growing it, scaling it, evolving it through all these new features and support."

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 essential topic of delegating key tasks to a membership community manager.

I walk you through the specific responsibilities that have made the biggest impact for us, and why freeing up your time is so crucial as your membership grows.

I also share helpful advice for anyone considering hiring their first community manager, plus tips on how to get started if you’re unsure what tasks to pass on.

If you’re looking to take your member experience—and your own sanity—to the next level, this episode is for you!

• What key tasks should you delegate to a community manager in a membership business?
• How does a community manager enhance the experience for new and existing members?
• What role can a community manager play in keeping engagement high and answering member questions?
• What’s the best way to start when hiring a community manager, and how do you tailor the role to your membership’s specific needs?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"You can't be the rock star and the roadie. Your time, your attention is best spent on the things that only you can do. Things that are centered around really harnessing your expertise and turning it into content, turning it into coaching, turning it into opportunities to give your community access to you. That's going to take up enough of your time. And that's just the stuff where you're working in the business."

"(The role of a community manager) is much more about being almost a concierge of sorts, about suggesting that other people join the conversation, about pointing them to other resources or even tagging myself, you know, if it's something that we know that I need to chime in on them going in there and tagging me to kind of bump it up my priority list."

"If you know that you want to level up things with your member onboarding, but you just don't have the capacity for it, then these are some key things that your community manager could bring to the table."

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 exciting world where gaming and memberships collide.

Joined by gamification expert Kimba Cooper-Martin, we explore what gamification really means for online memberships and how you can use playful techniques to build stronger engagement, improve onboarding, and enhance member retention.

We bust myths around gamification being just for fun topics or certain ages, get practical about challenges and best practices, and discuss the real psychology behind why gamification actually works.

Whether your membership feels “serious” or already has a streak of fun, you’ll discover strategies to motivate and delight your community.

• What exactly is gamification, and how is it different from simply adding points, badges, or competitions?
• Why does gamification motivate people, and how do you accommodate different personality types within your membership when designing gamified experiences?
• How can you apply gamification techniques to onboarding, engagement, and retention—but avoid the common pitfalls and keep things ethical and inclusive?
• Is gamification suitable for every type of membership, including so-called “boring” or highly professional fields, and how can you experiment safely without overwhelming your members?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"It's everywhere. So we've all played games, we've played conkers, cricket, tiddlywinks, you know, board games, video games, any kind of game you can imagine. And within those games are tools and techniques that are used to encourage you to keep playing, even when you're bored or you're frustrated because you want to get to that next level or you want to beat your opponent."

"Give people an option to opt out if you're going to run competitive things, if you're going to run challenges, you know, some people run like a five day challenge or a 30 day challenge or whatever in their memberships. If you're going to do that kind of thing, absolutely fine. Give people the option to opt in or opt out so they don't have to take part."

"If your membership is doing the same thing it's done for the last five years and you haven't made any changes, then people's minds, even if they want to engage, even if they find the thing really useful, even if it's what they want more than anything, it will naturally disengage because there's other things that are new and challenging and a bigger threat."

"How can you incorporate the senses to change the way that people interact with your membership, which obviously with online memberships sometimes that can be difficult, but you can add in little things here and there to change people's association with stuff."

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 anniversary episode, I take a deep dive into what the future might hold for the membership industry over the next decade.

Drawing from my experience and industry insights, I explore how foundational principles will persist even as we face seismic changes driven by technology, consumer expectations, and a rapidly evolving online landscape.

I address the challenges and opportunities that come with AI, the need for community-centric memberships, and how to futureproof your business in the face of increased competition and commoditization of content.

If you want to stay ahead in the membership world, this episode is packed with the big-picture thinking you'll need.

• What key industry shifts are redefining the membership landscape as we look ahead to the next ten years?
• How will artificial intelligence impact the creation, delivery, and perceived value of membership content?
• What are the foundational principles that will remain essential for long-term membership success?
• Why is building community, personal connections, and trust more critical than ever for thriving memberships in the future?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"Knowledge and content can no longer be your selling point. You should not be aiming to be the Netflix of your industry. If you're trying to be the Netflix of yoga, the Netflix of marketing, the Netflix of drumming, you, your business will die within the next decade because content is becoming so, so over commoditized, it's becoming so accessible and there is so much slop, there is so much to wade through and your audience isn't always going to know the difference in quality and it's not always going to be able to care."

"If you can find ways to shorten the path between problem and solution, to remove friction and deliver real tangible results, you're going to be more likely to succeed over the next decade."

"Whereas I think quite often we've always jealously guarded our audience, like we don't want our audience to hear from anyone else who has too much expertise or might, might take their dollars away from us or anything like that. I think people are really, really going to tap into the power of collaboration even more than they ever have."

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 10th anniversary episode, I take you behind the scenes for a candid look back at the past year in Membership Academy.

I reflect on our biggest wins, tough decisions, reasons for change, and the evolution of our offerings as we hit a major milestone—ten years of helping membership site owners grow and thrive.

Plus, I dive into the launch of some exciting new features, share the realities of juggling conferences with running an Academy, and reveal what’s coming next.

This is a raw, honest year-in-review that pulls back the curtain on both our successes and the obstacles we’ve overcome.

• What were the major highlights, challenges, and changes within Membership Academy over the past year?
• Why did I decide to make the Membership Roadmap course completely free, and what does this mean for the future of the Academy?
• How did we bring back popular features like live masterclasses and member-only podcasts, and what impact have they had on our community?
• What’s on the horizon for Membership Academy and the wider membership community in the next decade?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"A lot of people when they say that they're going to do this, what they really mean is they're going to show off how fantastically well they're doing and then sell you the secret formula to emulating their success. But that's not really what I'm about. I'm more about showing you the realities, ugly sides and all."

"The challenge of somebody who is five years in is different from someone who's five months in. The scope of what membership owners need support with and need help with once they've launched is much broader and much wider."

"We didn't just want to release the version of the Roadmap that we had, we've re recorded the entire thing for 2025. So it's, it's all fresh, it's all bang up to date with the latest strategies. It incorporates, you know, the various advantages and challenges that AI is brought into the mix. And so it's the most up to date, cutting edge, practical, tactical, useful and all the other superlatives. The complete course for launching a new membership. And it's completely free."

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 huge decision we've just made to give away our signature Membership Roadmap course completely free to everyone.

I explain the reasoning and motivation behind this bold move, what it means for our community, and why I believe now is the time to spark a new wave of successful membership launches.

I also walk through exactly what the course covers and how it’s been updated to be more actionable and practical than ever.

Join me as I share the mission behind this seismic shift—and how you can be part of the membership movement.

• Why are we making our comprehensive Membership Roadmap course available for free to everyone, and what led to this decision?
• What exactly does the Membership Roadmap cover, and how does it help you launch a successful membership site?
• How is this move connected to our bigger mission of igniting a new wave of sustainable, thriving memberships?
• What sets our approach and resources apart from other high-ticket courses or generic advice in the market today?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"We've just announced that our membership roadmap course, this is our signature course that has been the backbone of Membership Academy...we're giving this to the world completely free. No catch, no fancy funnel, no little marketing gimmicks or tricks."

"I'm sick of not seeing memberships launch the way they should launch. Because people have been swept up in seductive marketing campaigns by affiliates who are making a fortune off the back of commission. And they've done these courses that have taught them the wrong way, that have rushed them into starting a membership without validating, without doing it the right way, and they blow their shot."

"Our competitors were selling $2,000 courses and they were making a whole big thing once a year, doing this big launch of this 2002 and a half thousand dollar course to get you in. And we just knew that it wasn't delivering results because people will come to us a month or two later having done this course and spent all this money and they come to us for help because they hadn't gotten anywhere."

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 episode, I celebrate 10 years of running Membership Academy by sharing the biggest insights and lessons I’ve learned along the way.

I pull back the curtain on both the triumphs and tough moments, going beyond surface-level tactics to discuss what really matters for long-term membership success.

From dealing with imposter syndrome to the importance of feedback and embracing imperfection, I dive into the realities of membership site ownership.

Whether you're just starting out or scaling your community, this episode delivers honest, hard-won wisdom for building a thriving membership business.

• What are the most important lessons I’ve learned from a decade of running a successful membership?
• How do you create effective, focused learning content without overwhelming your members?
• Why is stepping back from being the “guru” essential for building a vibrant membership community?
• How can feedback, data, and embracing imperfection help you grow and maintain a healthy membership site?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"If you are looking for a magic bullet, the magic bullet is not marketing strategies. It's not an ad strategy, it's not wording in a social media caption, it's not a funnel, it's not closing your doors and opening it. There is no magic bullet in marketing, but the magic bullets for membership and for all business is feedback and data."

"Not hearing from people, not seeing people in your community, doesn't mean they're not happy, doesn't mean they're not active. And even, even if they're not lurkers like I am, some people will be part of your membership and be happy paying just because they like to know that it is there when they need it."

"People are there for transformation, not information. And if they can accomplish something significant in just five minutes of logging into your membership site and never log in again the rest of that year, but that five minutes moves the needle for them in a way that is seriously groundbreaking, then they're going to be happy."

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 episode of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I open up about the toughest moments and biggest challenges I’ve faced over a decade of running a membership business. As we kick off a month of anniversary content, I dive deep into pivotal decisions, unexpected setbacks, and the realities that most membership owners rarely talk about publicly. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running your own membership for years, my honest reflections are here to shed light on what it really takes to keep going—especially when things get tough.

• What were the most difficult decisions I had to make in the early days of launching and shifting my business model?
• How did I handle sudden competition from a well-funded, well-connected industry player—and what impact did it have on my mindset and business?
• In what ways did external crises like COVID-19 test my resilience and force me to adapt my membership offer and team structure?
• What was it like to experience internal challenges, such as letting my first team member go and navigating the unexpected departure of a cofounder—and how did these affect my business moving forward?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"If you've been listening to us for a while, you'll know that I never shy away from the uglier side of the membership world of business, and I always give it to you straight."

"We couldn't compete with the black book, the huge financial backing, and the fact that they could incentivize others to portray them as this ever knowing, all knowing guru, and fast track them to their place in the industry by paying them a thousand dollars for every customer that they referred."

"A lot of people kind of revealed what their true motivation was. And I've got to be honest, that that made me a lot more cynical about the online business world and the kind of people who were influential within it"

"You can never go wrong just refocusing on your people. Right? Refocusing on your members. Why you're doing it for them? What they need from you? How you can best serve them?"

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 fascinating story of Freelancer Magazine’s innovative hybrid membership model with founder and editor Sophie Cross.

We explore how an independently published print magazine not only survives but thrives by blending traditional publishing with a thriving online membership and community for creative freelancers.

From virtual coworking sessions to exclusive member directories and content, I uncover the secrets behind building a sustainable, community-driven membership alongside a premium print product.

Whether you’re a membership owner, a publisher, or just love creative business ideas, there’s a lot to learn from Sophie’s journey.

• What does the membership offering at Freelancer Magazine include beyond the print and digital publication, and how are these elements structured for members?
• How did the transition from a print-only magazine to a hybrid membership model come about, and what evolved along the way?
• In what ways has the online community and member features impacted retention, member engagement, and the direction of the magazine?
• How are marketing strategies for Freelancer Magazine adapted to suit both the traditional print side and the dynamic online membership community?

"Virtual just seemed to make more sense. It's really accessible to people. We started doing some virtual co-working and it just took off - it's really popular. We probably get between 15 and 30 people every morning, and when volunteer hosts started running the sessions, it began running itself. Some people join the membership just for that community, while the magazine becomes a nice add-on."

"We actually don't have a Facebook group or a circle group - and that's intentional because other communities do that well. The magazine has become the hero product, but it's all about getting the community connected in different ways"

"Because we're relatively small, with about a thousand paid subscribers and 5,000 in the newsletter community, I can personally reach out and offer solutions - like a complimentary digital copy if someone's struggling financially. That kind of one-to-one feedback is really, really nice, and chasing specific churn percentages isn't of interest to me right now."

• Freelancer Magazine
• Connect with Sophie Cross on LinkedIn

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 of the Membership Geeks Podcast, I dive deep into the essential traits that set thriving membership owners apart from the rest.

Rather than focusing on marketing tactics or retention strategies, I shine a spotlight on the personal development and mindset shifts that make building and running a successful membership sustainable—and enjoyable—for the long haul.

If you want to know what it really takes to grow a membership business you’re proud of, this episode is for you.

• What key personal traits do membership owners need to succeed over the long term?
• How can clarity of purpose impact decision-making and growth in your membership?
• Why are resilience, empathy, and strong people skills critical for membership leaders?
• What boundaries and habits should you develop to avoid burnout and foster sustainable success?

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"Clarity isn't just something that gives you a strategic advantage, it's also an emotional anchor because if you really dive deep into who you are serving, what the purpose of your membership is, then that passion that's going to elevate your membership comes from knowing your purpose, knowing what you're here to do."

"But you do need to care about your members as human beings, not just numbers on a spreadsheet and money in your bank account."

"Your membership lives or dies by your ability to teach, explain, engage, and connect, whether that is through, courses, video tutorials, live q and a's, email newsletters, forum posts inside your community, workshops, challenges, whatever format you're using, your success hinges on how well you can take your expertise, your knowledge and deliver it to someone else in a way that sticks."

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.