If you're building or thinking about building a membership community, this episode will change the way you approach it. Nathalie Doremieux, co-founder of The Membership Lab, joins Mike Montague for a human-first conversation on what really makes membership communities thrive. Spoiler: it's not content volume or fancy platforms; it's alignment, authenticity, and intentional activation. Whether you’re a coach, consultant, or SMB marketing director, you'll walk away with fresh insights on how to turn passive sign-ups into active advocates.
Together, Nathalie and Mike unpack how to use AI as an accelerator, not a replacement. You'll learn how to personalize onboarding, increase engagement through smart automation, and create a community your members actually want to show up for. Discover how to combine AI with emotional intelligence to scale your impact without burning out. This one’s for the builders, the brand leaders, and the brave few ready to lead from the heart.
Key Takeaways
1. Don’t start a community if you don’t want to run one.
Many communities fail because they’re built for scale, not passion; you need genuine energy behind your offer to sustain it long-term.
2. AI should accelerate decisions, not replace them.
AI works best when it helps members make quicker, more confident choices, not when it tries to be the coach or consultant.
3. Excitement and alignment beat flashy tools.
Before choosing tech or content models, make sure your offer aligns with your own goals and actually solves a meaningful problem for your members.
4. Onboarding is where engagement begins.
Use the first moments in your membership to create personalized experiences based on members' goals, so they feel seen and supported from day one.
5. Smaller, paid communities often perform better than large, free ones.
When people pay, they pay attention; smaller, focused groups with skin in the game tend to engage more deeply and consistently.
6. AI-enhanced prompts can accelerate content creation and confidence.
From email writing to sales roleplay, AI can reduce the friction that keeps your members stuck, while giving them a starting point to move forward faster.
7. If you don’t remind people why they joined, they’ll forget.
Behavioral nudges, regular check-ins, and contextual content help members stay connected to their own “why” inside your program.
8. Ask members what they want, then build with them.
Co-creation isn’t a gimmic
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