In this guaranteed episode, Stu McLaren, Co-Founder of Membership.io, shares how memberships scale income without teams. If you struggle with time limits or growth ceilings as a solopreneur, you won’t want to miss it.
You will discover:
– What AI automates content for effortless scaling
– Why memberships create recurring revenue in stage 2
– How to launch a simple membership in 30 days
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Scott, hello, hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the Start scale and succeed podcast, the only podcast that grows with you through all seven stages of your journey. As a founder, I’m your host, Scott Ritzheimer, and there’s a very big problem that just about every successful solopreneur faces. Once we run out of time, we feel like we’re forced to choose between hiring a team and being forced to become a manager or staying solo and then having to settle for little or no growth. But I think there’s a third option. What if you could grow your income without growing your team? When you combine an age old strategy with some of the latest technology, I think you can do exactly that. And here to show us how is Stu McLaren. He’s the go to expert for turning passion into profit through membership businesses. As the founder of the membership experience and co founder of membership.io Stu has helped 1000s of entrepreneurs create recurring revenue and thriving communities by leveraging his proven membership strategies. With over a decade of experience, he’s helped 1000s scale their membership programs and grow their impact across the globe through his popular program, the membership experience. Stu has taught actionable frameworks that consistently deliver results for entrepreneurs across industries, and he’s here with us today. Stu, welcome to the show. Glad to have you here. God, thanks for having me, buddy. Awesome, awesome. Now with membership.io. You guys have created some really significant breakthroughs in the membership space. What have you been able to do and accomplish by combining membership, which is a great strategy, with some cutting edge AI?
Stu McLaren
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that, you know, number one reason I’m so passionate about memberships is because it creates recurring revenue. And that stability, it literally transforms every entrepreneur’s life, like there’s a line in the sand, like before recurring revenue and then after recurring revenue. And so this is something that I’ve been helping people with for 17 plus years, but the with AI, it has expanded our ability to be able to serve our people at a much higher level. So a couple examples, generally, in a membership, we’re helping people go from where they are to where they want to be. They’re either overweight and they want to get to their ideal weight, or they’ve got a puppy that’s wildly out of control and they want the perfect puppy, or they don’t know how to paint and they want to become a great artist. So we’re helping them through this journey of transformation, but the general, old fashioned way of doing it is that you’re providing everybody the exact same experience. And so maybe somebody’s at the beginning stages of their journey, well, they are going to want to learn things different than somebody who’s much more experienced. But the way in which the old technology allows us to serve people is just give them all the same experience. It’s all the same lessons, all the same material. But with AI today, we have a totally different opportunity where we can cater the experience and create a more personalized path for people. So we give beginner people more beginner related content, we give advanced people more advanced related content, and we’re meeting them where they’re at. And so what happens is people learn faster, they experience more progress, and they stay longer in your membership, which means you make more money. So that’s one example of how AI is influencing the way in which we can serve our people in a membership.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, I love that, because folks who listen to this show in large part do so because of that very thing is to recognize, hey, there are different strategies, different things, you know, at these different stages. And I love the ability to take that, not only apply it for ourselves, but to infuse that into what we do. When I saw that, one, I was like, totally, that’s awesome. And then two, the next thought that hit me is like, that sounds exhausting creating all those different paths for all those different people, but it’s not. It doesn’t quite work that way. So how much more content do we have to create to create an environment like that? Or is there an easier way?
Stu McLaren
There’s totally easier ways like first and foremost, let’s address the you know objection, so to speak, around, oh my gosh. Like, does that mean I gotta create a whole bunch more content? No, not no. But that doesn’t mean that. In fact, again, with AI, we can now automate so much more of what we’re actually doing on a day to day basis, like a PERT example is like the old way, if we were doing a zoom call as an example, would we we’d have to, we do the zoom and then we’d have to go and download the recording, which, if anybody’s ever gone to search for the recording in their Zoom account, it’s an absolute nightmare, but that’s a whole different thing. So you go and you find the recording, download the recording, get the recording transcribed, then you upload the recording to the members area, upload the transcript, maybe if you have the audio available, et cetera, et cetera, all of that’s very manual, like it’s intense, right? But now, with AI as an example, especially membership.io we have an integration where, literally, the moment you’re finished the recording, you. It is automatically sent to your members area, so it’s automatically available, it’s automatically transcribed, it’s automatically searchable. And all of that happens behind the scenes thanks to the tools and resources that are now available. And so that’s where we as creators and entrepreneurs and business owners, we get more of our time back. And so my argument, so to speak, and the soapbox that I stand on, is that AI is amazing for the time that it creates for us, but that doesn’t mean that we then go and sit on a beach and, you know, drink a cocktail. So to speak, we actually use that time to love on our members and bring a more humanized experience for them, and that’s what creates the stickiness. And so the great news is tools are available that can save us time when it comes to content creation, personalizing the content. As far as you know, that question, it’s pretty straightforward. Like in all the content we create, we’re going to essentially mark what segment of the audience it is most relevant for and then the automation handles showing the content that is most relevant for a beginner, most relevant for somebody who’s more advanced. Et cetera. We therefore just when we’re onboarding new members, we ask a couple questions, we are then able to see, okay, this person’s more beginner, perfect. Let’s display that content. And that all happens automatically. And then another quick little strategy is, when you’re creating content, is just to have some prompts at the end that would make that content more relevant for the particular audiences. So you say, you know, if you’re in this stage, this is what you should be thinking about, based on where you’re at. If you’re further along and you’re on this stage, then this is how you would use this content. So you can use the same piece, but you’re personalizing the experience after the fact, in terms of what they should be thinking about, what they should be doing, and guiding them accordingly.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, one of the things that I’ve found frustrating about this space, because we do a little bit of it, and I’ll confess fully, it’s almost all manually. I’m doing all the things that you’re saying not to do. Not to do. But one of the frustrations is all the technology that seems to be necessary to make something like this work. And And again, as I was looking through your website, it doesn’t seem like it has to be that way.
Stu McLaren
Yeah, well, with membership.io and by the way, I’m incredibly biased, right? So when I’m recommending and talking about membership.io. Is because we created it to be able to do all the things that you know, we have seen Best Practices over the years. But essentially, you need a way to be able to process the sales and a way to be able to deliver the content membership.io. Handles all of that. You also need a way to be able to communicate with your members now that could be through your own email provider, maybe it’s like kit as an example, or Active Campaign, or any other service like that, but essentially, those are the core fundamentals. You need to process the sales, you need to deliver the content, and you need to communicate with your members. And so when we zoom up and we just look at the core essentials, then that allows us to stay focused on what really, truly matters. And so that, again, is where membership.io and like, combine it with a service like kit, that’s like the perfect one two punch.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, so one of the things about membership platforms that I’ve looked at in the past is they one of the advantages is that they grow in value exponentially over time as there are more people in the program and there’s more folks to interact with, and you get that kind of community effect. That could be a disadvantage on the front end, because you got to kick start all of that thing. And so the network value is working against you a little bit. What are some strategies you found for getting a program like this up off the ground and getting it to that place where it’s vibrant and relevant to the members.
Stu McLaren
Well, I think a lot of people wait way too long. Scott, you know, we wait until we think we’ve got the, you know, audience that’s going to be big enough to be able to, you know, create that network effect that you’re talking about in my book, predictable profits. I talk about something called the founding member launch. And you don’t need 10s of 1000s or 1000s of people in the audience. You just need a couple 100. And you can actually launch it today with a very simple message that you post wherever you communicate with your audience, maybe that’s by email or Facebook group or Instagram, whatever it might be, but you’re essentially going to say, hey, you know, I was listening to this crazy Canadian who was talking about, like, memberships and community, and it got me thinking about you, and it got me thinking about, like, what it might be like to bring a bunch of people like us who are working towards XYZ outcome, and what it might be like to be able to support each other and guide each other and help each other in that journey, and what it might be like to be able to provide resources and bring in outside experts who could help us along that journey. And it got me thinking, why don’t we create that? And so right now, this is a raw idea. It’s not polished. I haven’t thought it all the way through, but if this is interesting to you, then hit reply and let me know. So this is all designed to, essentially, like, have people raise their hand and say, Yeah, I’m interested in that, and then you follow up with literally just a simple payment link. And so we’ve had people who have followed this process, done it same day, and immediately had people who’ve welcomed message, you know, welcome new members. In fact, ironically enough, Scott, literally, I just got this message from one of our people in our community. She just did her founding member launch. She just said, I just closed my cart for my nature journaling hub, and thrilled to have 64 fabulous folks. Now I share this with you because in the beginning, it is going to be a smaller group, but it’s all in how you position the value of that. And what I would say is like, hey, the benefits of being a founding member is number one, you’re going to get in at the lowest price this will ever be, and you’ll be locked in at that price for as long as you remain a member in good standing. So when we raise the price, your price will remain that low price every single month. Benefit number two is, in the beginning, it’s going to be a more intimate group. So there’s more opportunity for interaction. There’s more opportunity to get, you know, feedback and so forth. And so there’s tremendous benefit there, and it’s all in how we position it. You know, I had a woman last week who asked me, she said, Stu What if we only get, like, a handful of members? And I was like, that’s amazing. Like, you got real people to work with. And of those real people, you double down, you help them get a transformation, and now you’ve got the greatest marketing asset you could have, which are stories of progress and success, because those three, 510, people are going to lead to 50, 100,000 people. And so often we get so focused on like, 1000s of members, we lose sight of the fact that we’ve got to start with one member. We got to start with 10, and then 100 and it compounds after that. So my advice is, know that it’s in the beginning, it’s going to start small. But by the way, universe, we’re okay if it’s like, we welcome hundreds or 1000s of members, but if it starts small, that’s okay. And the key is to double down focus on serving them, and those stories are the thing that will become your greatest marketing asset moving forward.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, one of the things you mentioned earlier in the episode was buying back that time, to use it to love on your members. What’s that look like? What should you expect in terms of a time commitment, not in a negative sense, but just how do you continue to cultivate that relationship on a personal level?
Stu McLaren
I think it’s about keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in people’s lives. You know, I think we’ve lost touch with the humanness. We just had a conversation in our audience, and Rick, our marketing director, was just commenting on how, you know, there’s certain types of posts being, you know, put out there in on Twitter as an example. And clearly, it’s like a chat GPT post. And then people’s chat gpts posts are responding to other people’s chat gpts, and it’s becoming like very vanilla and bland and boring. And I think the opportunity is that we just have our finger on the pulse of what’s going on, and we can bring humanness to it. And an example of that is, you know, last year there was a variety of different weather circumstances that created a lot of challenges for people, whether it was hurricanes, whether it was tornadoes, whatever it was the humanists was that our team, we took a pause and we said, let’s identify everybody in our community who are in those troubled areas, And let’s reach out and just ask them if they’re okay, and if there’s anything that we can do to help and that touch. You wouldn’t believe the reaction that we got back from people, because it just showed Hey, listen, we’re thinking of you, like, are you okay? Like, we actually care. And it’s weird in this like, time and day and age, like, just a sit, a subtle little question of, Hey, are you all right? Can mean a lot to people, and they didn’t ask us for anything, you know, help. They’re like, No, we don’t need any help. But thank you for just caring. And at the end of the day, is what it’s about. It’s just like taking that extra, having that time, to actually care and be human.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, I love that. Stu there’s this question that I have I ask all my guests. I’m interested to see what you’d have to say, and that is, what’s the biggest secret you wish wasn’t a secret at all. What’s that one thing you wish everybody watching or listening today knew?
Stu McLaren
Back in 2004 I heard a quote that I’ve never forgot, and it was by a gentleman by the name of Mike Litman, and he said, You don’t have to get it right. You just have to get it going. I think in today’s world, we are waiting way too long before we launch the thing. We’re stewing on those ideas, and we’re waiting and waiting and waiting until we our audience is big enough, or until the timing is right, or and. Until the kids are back in school, or until whatever. And there’s always a reason to wait, and our brain will always give us a reason to wait. But the real magic comes in just being okay with the fact that life is an experiment. Business is an experiment. We’re just trying a bunch of stuff, and then after we try that stuff, we just look at, okay, what worked, what didn’t. And simple stew rule 101, is, do more of what works, less of what doesn’t. You know, there’s a great quote from Nelson Mandela. He said, I never lose. I either win or I learn. And that’s the same philosophy here is you just want to try stuff and experiment and in that you’re either going to get the result that you want, you’re going to win, or you’re going to learn. But both of those things move you forward faster than any sitting and waiting and planning and hoping that everything’s gonna come to a perfect time. So you don’t have to get it right. You just have to get it going.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So on that note. Stu, there’s some folks who are ready to get it going. They wanna get it up today, or at least learn more about how they can do so where can they find out more about you and the work that you guys are doing it, membership.io, if I remember correctly, and where can they find out more?
Stu McLaren
Yeah, definitely, if they’re looking to start right away, membership.io, is a great place. And if they’re looking to learn more and get a free copy of my brand new book called Predictable Profits, where we break this whole journey down of how to launch, grow and scale a profitable membership, and you can get that at freemembershipbook.com
Scott Ritzheimer
Free membershipbook.com Awesome. We’ll get that in the show notes for you guys so you don’t have to type it out or search it down. Stu, thanks for being on the show. Just a privilege and honor having you here with us today, and for those of you watching and listening, you know your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.
Contact Stu McLaren
Stu McLaren is the go-to expert for turning passion into profit through membership businesses. As the founder of The Membership Experience and co-founder of Membership.io, Stu has helped thousands of entrepreneurs create recurring revenue and thriving communities by leveraging his proven membership strategies. With over a decade of experience, he’s helped thousands scale their membership programs and grow their impact across the globe. Through his popular program The Membership Experience, Stu has taught actionable frameworks that consistently deliver results for entrepreneurs across industries.
Want to learn more about Stu McLaren’s work at Membership.io? Check out his website at https://membership.io or get a copy of his book Predictable Profits on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Predictable-Profits-Stu-McLaren/dp/1401977782/ref=sr_1_1