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Why I Stopped Relying on Big Launches and Built a Membership Instead

For the first three years of my online business, everything revolved around live launches.

And when I say launch, I do not mean sending a few emails and hoping for sales.

I mean structured, intentional live events. Usually 4 or 5 day challenges where I showed up every day to teach, solve a specific problem, and coach in real time. At the end of those challenges, I would invite people into a paid program.

That rhythm built my business.

• Plan the challenge.
• Promote it.
• Show up live.
• Open enrollment.
• Deliver the program.
• Then start preparing for the next one.

And it worked.

Those launches helped me build a six figure online business. They grew my email list. They sharpened my messaging. They taught me how to sell, serve, and lead.

But they also created something I did not expect.

A revenue roller coaster.

Some months were strong and energizing. Other months were quiet and uncertain. And even though my annual revenue was increasing, the emotional rhythm of building, launching, delivering, and starting over again began to wear on me.

That is when I started asking a different question.

What would it look like to build something more sustainable?

The Revenue Looked Great

In 2022, I generated about $214,000 in revenue with a 67% profit margin.

On paper, everything looked strong.

My launches were working.
My audience was growing.
My offers were selling.

But behind the scenes, I could see the pattern clearly.

Strong launch months.
Followed by slower months.
Followed by prep for the next launch.
Followed by another surge.

It was exciting. It was profitable. But it was inconsistent and honestly... exhausting. 

And at this point in my life, inconsistency carried more weight than it used to.

At the end of 2021, we retired my husband from his 30-year IT career. It was a long-time dream come true, but it also became reality. My online business was no longer supplemental income. It was our income.

That changed everything.

Suddenly, it was not just about growth. It was about stability. It was about designing revenue we could count on. It was about building a business that supported our life and our family.

Starting each month at zero, even in a six figure business, felt different when it was your sole source of income.

I did not just want revenue. I wanted predictability.

The Value of Live Connection

Of course, one of the biggest benefits of a membership is recurring revenue. The idea of having a thriving community that chooses to stay month after month is appealing.

But revenue was not the only reason I started considering it.

I realized something important about how I teach.

The most valuable parts of my programs were not the recorded lessons.

• It was the live Q and A calls.
• The coaching conversations.
• The real time adjustments.
• The ability to adapt.

Because things change.

Technology changes. Platforms change. Algorithms shift. New tools are introduced. AI reshapes how we work.

What worked six months ago sometimes needs adjusting today.

I found myself constantly updating my courses to keep them relevant. When I ran live cohorts, that was easy. I could refresh examples, share what was working right now, and respond to new challenges as they surfaced.

That is when it clicked.

Live support is not just an add-on. It is where transformation happens.

People do not just want content. They want guidance. They want context. They want someone helping them apply what they are learning to their real situation.

Teaching in real time has always been my sweet spot. Connecting students to relevant solutions, not outdated strategies recorded years ago.

A membership would allow me to teach what is working now, not just what worked when I first hit record.

Why I Did Not Launch a Membership Sooner

People often ask why I did not create a membership earlier.

The truth is, I was cautious.

I had watched other entrepreneurs launch beautiful memberships that quietly shut down a year later. I did not want to build something unless I could see myself sustaining it long term.

And there is something people do not talk about enough.

Memberships do not generate big revenue right away.

Recurring revenue sounds attractive, but if you are used to selling a $997 course and you shift to $47 per month, it can feel like you are going backward.

Memberships are built on retention. On volume. On consistency.

If I was going to launch one, it had to be intentional. It had to be strong from day one. And I needed the support to run it well.

At that point, I had a small team in place. A part time admin VA. A full time Kajabi and Canva VA. And my husband working with me on the podcast and YouTube channel.

With that support, and with more clarity about what my students truly valued, I knew the timing was right.

IGNITE Was Born

My goals for IGNITE were simple.

I wanted:

• Live, evolving support
• Real time teaching
• Community and connection
• Stability instead of revenue spikes

In February 2023, I launched IGNITE with 47 founding members. Many of those founders are still in our community today, 3 years later, and I couldn't be more grateful.

So do I wish I had built my membership sooner?

I don't think it would have been the same experience if I had.

Live launches are what built my foundation. But, they also helped me discover who I was, the content I liked to deliver, and the audience I wanted to serve.

They built my audience and authority. And they helped me retire my husband. So I wouldn't change a thing about those first 3 years.

But designing predictable revenue built something else.

Peace.

You do not build a freedom-based business by holding your breath between launches.

You build it by choosing a model that supports your life.

That is why I built a membership.

Not because launching stopped working.

But because I wanted a business that worked even when I was not in launch mode.

If your revenue feels like a roller coaster right now, it may not mean you need a better launch.

It may mean you need a different model.

Remember, clarity and impact come from action.

In the next post, I will share exactly how I launched my membership with founding members and what changed once predictable revenue entered the picture.