It’s A TRIBE Thing — Behind The Scenes of Successful Membership Sites

It’s A TRIBE Thing — Behind The Scenes of Successful Membership Sites

There is a BIG trend brewing that’s revolutionizing the way business is being done. Big companies like Netflix, Amazon, Apple and traditional companies like Walmart are jumping on this too. But so are thousands of others - and they’re doing it by shifting to a recurring revenue model. Meaning, more entrepreneurs than ever before have found a way to incorporate a membership or monthly subscription into their business model - and it’s transforming the way they operate forever. No longer do they feel the pressure and stress of having to find new customers every single month. Instead, they just take care of the people who already bought from them and the monthly, recurring revenue keeps building month after month. So how are they doing it? How are they marketing their membership sites? How are they keeping their members happy and paying month after month? And how have they built an incredibly tight bond with their tribe and online community? That's what our show host Shelli Varela explores in this podcast. You'll hear from people building low-stress membership business in just about every niche market you can think of. From photography and calligraphy to dog training, music, art, fitness, well being, self-improvement, blogging, interior decorating, day trading, meal planning, lesson planning and so many more. You'll hear from authors, speakers, coaches, consultants, influencers, teachers and business owners who are all leveraging their existing knowledge and influence and transforming it into passive monthly income. This isn't luck. There is a repeatable formula for producing a growing subscription income… and we'll show you what it is within the episodes of this show. So if you're thinking you'd like to have your own source of recurring revenue each month or, you already have a membership site that you want to take to the next level, subscribe to this show today. Each week, your host, Shelli Varela, will be breaking down their success and uncovering the real story of how they did it… and how you can too! The Recurring Revolution is here… the question is, will you be part of it? Subscribe to the show today!

Episodes

May 18, 2021 20 mins

Dr. Christine Li was an extraverted child who struggled to manage her time, and it left her constantly stressed. She took a job as a college admissions officer, discovered a love for psychology, and got her Ph.D. At her next job, she found herself tasked with designing a workshop about procrastination–something she needed more than anyone else.

Now, at

Lifelong gardener Nan Sterman has lived many lives as a scientist, an instructional designer, and a journalist with bylines in Sunset and the Los Angeles Times, among many others. She’s the host of A Growing Passion, a TV show about gardening, an international speaker, and the leader of a Facebook group with tens of thous...

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Kelly Cairns was on maternity leave from the National Health Service, and she found herself getting restless. She started looking for work-from-home jobs in the pre-social media era, and started landing gigs through online forums. 

Along the way, she learned how to make the most of technology and build online businesses. Now, at The Tech Angel

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When the stress of being in work and school full-time took over, Lauryn Bryght wasn’t able to make nutrition or fitness a priority. After being told she had high blood pressure and that she’d need to take medication for the rest of her life, she changed her diet and soon lost 97 pounds.

Now, at The Food Boss Academy, Lauryn...

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Michelle Jacobik grew up in a family of penny pinchers. When she moved out, she knew she didn’t want to live like that, spent far more than she was making, and dove headfirst into entrepreneurship to help dig her way out of credit card debt and payday loans.

Now, at Envision + Thrive Academy, she helps her fellow entrepreneurs connect their visions, cash flow, and growth. She gives them the training they need to keep their business...

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April 13, 2021 22 mins

By the age of 8, Alicia Forest launched her first business. She fell in love with singing and performing, but the people in her life pushed her toward a legal career. She took a variety of jobs after she graduated college, but nothing felt right. 

Now, at Lively Biz Business Club, she helps people get inspired, get educated...

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Jerry Potter and his wife were radio presenters, personalities, and programmers who hosted a show together for 15 years. But shortly before his 40th birthday, they were both laid off, losing their salary and benefits while needing to provide for two young children. A friend told him about the world of social media consulting and he soon fell in love with the industry.

Read more

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Dr. Gena Lester pursued a career in the fashion industry, but she discovered that she hated the work and felt like her love of education and entrepreneurial spirit were falling by the wayside. She decided to start a private school, had 80 students enrolled within two weeks, and spent the next 15 years as its leader. However, when her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, she needed to be able to sh...

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Brian Dixon spent the first part of his professional life as a seventh-grade language arts teacher in Columbia, South Carolina. As he struggled to work with classrooms full of kids who couldn’t read, he learned lots of tips on how to be a teacher - and knew he needed to write a book. He did all the steps, but in the wrong order, and became a business coach while amassing over a dozen rejection letter...

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At the age of 40, Caroline Bjorkquist decided she was going to run a marathon. She dove deep into the world of running, and realized she wanted to create a course for runners and leave her corporate job. When she suffered a muscle tear, she met Coach Valerie, and they worked together to build their membership and help others do what they love.

Now, at

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Gabbi Lancaster spent most of her life working as an after-school art teacher for kids and adults, but always struggled to pay her bills. When COVID put an end to her side job as a house painter, she invited all of her contacts to a private Facebook group where she would provide art and creativity prompts, and suddenly had over 300 signups.

Now, at

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Gwynn Carla Jones ran several different businesses in her early twenties, but nothing quite felt right. She tried to create recurring revenue by launching a membership focused on DIY building projects, but she found herself overwhelmed and struggling after a messy launch. In 2020, she closed that membership, and was working as a VA and delivering groceries to try to keep a roof over her head. 

...

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Trupti Karjinni started dabbling in watercolors to get a sense of calm and release. She created an Instagram account to post a picture of her art each day, and soon found herself with over 10,000 followers and people reaching out to buy her art. She found a community and a long-overdue sense of belonging. 

Now, at

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Infertility issues strained Maritza Parra’s marriage and gave her such bad panic attacks that she was unable to continue running her brick and mortar business. One day after divorce court, she had an epiphany, and she started using creativity to remember the simple truths she needed to hear. Soon, she was teaching this life-changing technique to others, and the resulting momentum led her to become a ...

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February 9, 2021 21 mins

Sasha Sousa always loved theater, but became a secretary and got a job in internal audits to pay her bills. When she learned about becoming a bridal consultant, she launched an event planning business and soon discovered her knack for speaking. 

Now, at Consultancy for Creatives, she guides creative event professionals that are struggling to level up their creat...

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After several years of growth, Susan Bradley’s shoe company experienced a sudden downturn in sales. It felt like things simply weren’t working like they used to. And when she learned that her 77-year-old mother now did all of her Christmas shopping online, Susan knew she needed to make a big change. 

She spent the next year growing her Facebook presence and buil...

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Manu Muraro spent 15 years as a creative marketer for Cartoon Network. After she got laid off, she went to a startup, but the experience of being on all the time while holding a baby in her lap left her feeling exhausted, burned out, and unsatisfied. 

She decided to look slowly for another job and freelance until she found her next role. However, freelancing nat...

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Encouraged by her parents, Gail Sibley studied art, then started to build a following for her hand painted tiles and pastels in the markets of Salt Spring Island. People began to ask her to teach, but she found herself limited by the number of people she could serve in a single class.

Now at How To Pastel

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Marisa Cummings got a degree in advertising because she feared she’d never be able to make a living as an artist. However, the older she got, the more inspired she felt to share her story as a self-taught artist and bring people along on that journey, which led her to create her first course. 

Now, at The Expansive Artists<...

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As a stay at home mom, Joy Anderson struggled to create side income participating in MLMs and selling thrift store finds on eBay. When she left a failed marriage, she knew she needed to provide full-time income to support herself and her three kids, so she started a preschool. 

Now, at Start Your Preschool

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