Ep 166: Pacing Launches and Scaling Memberships with Ali Kay [Highlight]

Apr 22

Pacing Launches and Scaling Memberships with Ali Kay [Highlight]

Big launches can be exciting—but they can also be exhausting. When scaling a membership, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum and push for the next big milestone. But scaling sustainably means balancing growth with retention, team support, and long-term goals.

In this article, I’ll share strategies for pacing your launches, improving retention, and scaling your membership without burning yourself or your team out.

Why Launching Too Much Can Hurt Your Membership

Launching back-to-back might seem like the fastest path to growth, but it can have negative consequences:

Exhaustion: Launches are intense and can leave you and your team burned out.
High Churn: Focusing solely on marketing and acquisition without addressing retention leads to members dropping off quickly.
Unsustainable Systems: Rapid growth without proper systems in place creates inefficiencies and stress.

The Key to Sustainable Growth: Balance Launches and Retention

One of my clients, Ali Kay, recently shared her approach to balancing growth and retention. Here’s what she’s doing to maintain momentum while keeping her team and membership healthy:

1. Limit Major Launches

Instead of frequent launches, Ali focuses on one major event each year, like her highly successful “paint week.”
Between major events, she uses smaller pop-up openings targeted at her waitlist or email subscribers.

Why it works:

This pacing avoids overloading her team and allows time to refine systems and support new members.

2. Prioritize Retention

After a big launch, Ali shifts her focus to retention. By addressing churn and building solid systems, she ensures her members stick around.
Example: Ali grew her membership retention to over 94%, which is remarkable for a fast-scaling program.

Sustainable growth isn’t about how many members you can acquire—it’s about how many you can keep.

Set Non-Growth Goals to Support Your Team

Sustainable scaling requires more than just hitting new member milestones. You need to set goals that support your team and your capacity.

1. Build Systems for Retention

Plug the holes in your membership experience before focusing on growth.
Ensure your onboarding, community management, and member support systems are optimized.

2. Focus on Team Goals

As you scale, shift from being hands-on to building a team that can take ownership of critical areas.
Example: Ali brought on a community manager trained through Cultivate to focus solely on community management, ensuring her members felt supported and engaged.

3. Allow Space to Adjust

Instead of rushing to hit the next membership goal, take time to refine your processes, onboard new team members, and ensure your business is running smoothly.

The Challenge of Stepping Back

As membership owners, we often identify strongly with our work. Scaling means stepping back and allowing your team to take over tasks you’ve always done.

Common Struggles:

Letting Go: It’s hard to trust others to manage what you’ve built.
Defaulting to Overwork: Free time often feels like a gap you should fill with more work.

How to Overcome It:

Recognize that stepping back allows your team to thrive.
Focus your energy on high-impact areas instead of micromanaging every detail.
Find personal activities to pour your extra time into.

Lessons for Membership Owners

To scale sustainably, focus on balance:

Pace Your Launches: Avoid back-to-back launches that drain your energy and resources.
Prioritize Retention: Build systems that ensure members stay long-term.
Support Your Team: Invest in team growth and allow space for everyone to adjust to scaling.
Shift Your Mindset: Scaling isn’t a race. Focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term wins.

Ready to scale your membership sustainably? Start by focusing on retention. Download my free guide at retainguide.com for actionable strategies to reduce churn and increase member lifetime value.

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Shana Lynn