Build With Becky: Smart Strategies To Grow Your Community-Driven Business

Your rigid community calendar is quietly killing your engagement.In this episode, I break down why over-prescriptive programming actually hurts engagement and how to design experiences that balance ritual and variation. I share lessons from my time at bossbabe, explain why generic Q&As and coaching calls quietly fail, and walk through programming formats that are easier to run and more valuable for members.We talk about topic-specific coaching calls, responsive Q&As, socials, co-working sessions, challenges, roundtables, and welcome calls and how each one serves a different member need. I also explain why lower attendance doesn’t always mean lower value and how measuring the right feedback helps you iterate your programming without rebuilding everything from scratch.If you want stronger engagement, better retention, and programming that actually reflects what your members need right now, this episode will help you rethink how you design your calendar.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Education has never been easier to access. Answers are instant and content is everywhere... but people feel more isolated than ever.In this episode, I unpack why that tension is exactly why 2026 is one of the best years to be building community. As AI and technology continue to flatten access to information, the real differentiator for businesses is no longer content or education. It’s connection, belonging, and shared experience.I talk about why content subscriptions and standalone courses are getting harder to sustain, what we can learn from companies like Kit that invest deeply in community beyond their software, and why people are choosing where to spend their money based on values, relationships, and trust. I also share why I believe community is the antidote to isolation and why businesses built on community are the ones that will last.This is a bit of a soapbox episode, but if you’re building a business right now and wondering what actually creates longevity, this conversation will help you zoom out and see the bigger shift that’s already underway.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

This week I’m sharing the 3 problems that show up right before you scaleIf growth has plateaued and selling feels harder than it should, engagement is inconsistent, or you’re feeling burned out because everything depends on you, these are not marketing or motivation problems. They’re design problems. I walk through how stalled growth is usually tied to member progress, why engagement drops when there’s no clear path forward, and how burnout shows up when the system relies too heavily on the founder.Whether you’re just getting started or running a large, established membership, these patterns surface at every level. The good news is they’re fixable when you focus on structure, member momentum, and designing journeys that work without you carrying all the weight.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

In this episode, I’m breaking down the three core components every sticky membership needs in 2026. By sticky, I mean the kind of membership people naturally return to again and again because it feels like part of their routine.I’m sharing what I’m seeing across dozens of membership strategy sessions at Affinity, and why personalization, quick time to value, and human connection are the real drivers of engagement and retention right now. We talk about why onboarding matters more than ever, how to design for fast wins without overwhelming your members, and what it looks like to intentionally build belonging and connection instead of leaving it up to chance.If you’re building or updating a membership and want people to stay, participate, and actually get results, this episode will help you rethink what “value” really means in 2026.Join my free training on Thursday Jan 29 – Future-Proof Your MembershipLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Podcasting is one of the most powerful relationship-building tools we have. Listeners feel deeply connected to hosts, but the relationship is still mostly one-to-many. In this episode, I talk about the opportunity podcasters are missing when they stop at downloads and ads, and why community and membership models can turn listeners into connected, supported groups working toward shared goals.I also share why so many podcast memberships fall flat, what makes a transformational membership different from bonus content or a Patreon-style model, and how podcasters can create recurring revenue and deeper impact without burning themselves out or becoming the bottleneck for everything.If you’re a podcaster thinking about community, membership, or how to make a bigger impact with the audience you’ve already built, this episode will spark some ideas.Want to chat about building a membership model for your podcast audience? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Every year, my predictions issue is one of the most shared pieces I publish, and this year I wanted to bring it to the podcast with more context, examples, and real-world nuance. In this episode, I break down my five predictions for how memberships, programs, and community-driven businesses need to evolve in 2026. I talk about why shorter, more personalized programs are replacing long courses, why unique frameworks matter more than ever in an AI-heavy world, why innovation is no longer optional, and why retention and trust are the real growth levers moving forward. I also dig into flexible programming, async engagement, and what platforms like Circle are seeing in terms of emerging community trends. This episode is about building better products, not just more content, and designing experiences that actually respect your members’ time.Check out the free 7-figure connected community assessment hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

I was reminded this week of one of my favorite cognitive biases: the IKEA effect. It’s the idea that we place a disproportionately high value on anything we helped create. And in community, this explains everything. When your members shape the programming, contribute ideas, share feedback, or help build the experience, they stay longer. They feel ownership& they feel belonging. And those two things drive retention more than any piece of content ever will.In this episode, I break down how the IKEA effect shows up inside community products, why co-creation is the ultimate retention strategy, and the simple ways you can give your members more authorship over their experience in 2026. I also share how we’re using this exact approach inside CreativeMornings Baltimore and why it works every time.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

In this episode, I’m diving into the idea of your membership becoming a true third space for your people. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the concept to describe the places we gather outside of home and work. Today, community builders have the opportunity to create those spaces online and in-person. I share a personal story about a Denver dive bar that became my own third place, plus an example from my friend Ellen Frost, whose members start their day with “bloom scrolling.” We talk through why some members naturally log in every day, how to identify those daily active users, and what their behavior can teach you about designing rituals that make your space feel like home.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

I have been seeing the same pattern across so many memberships this year. Community builders are trying to offer everything at once and accidentally blend two very different product types. It always leads to overwhelm, both for the members and the people running the program. In this episode, I break down the two core membership models I see most often, how to tell which one you are actually building, and why mixing them almost always creates retention and engagement challenges. If your membership feels heavy, complicated, or hard to maintain, this framework will help you get clarity fast.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

January is always the strongest growth month for memberships, programs, and community-driven offers. People come in with fresh momentum, new goals, and a desire to recommit to the things they said they would do in the fall. The best thing you can do to capture that momentum is walk into the new year with a refreshed, data-backed plan. In this episode, I share the exact research process I use with my clients and how I applied it to the CreativeMornings Baltimore volunteer retreat. I break down how I structure year-end surveys, what metrics I review, and the “quick, scrappy” research sprint any community builder can run to design smarter programming and reengage members going into 2026.Interested in a 2026 review & strategy? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Today I’m breaking down the trends Circle shared at the Future of Community Summit and what they signal for community-driven businesses in 2026. After listening to hours of presentations and digging through their new report, I pulled together the themes that matter most to your work: why member transformation is becoming the number one growth strategy, how retention-first communities are winning, what flexible participation models mean for your programming, and why emotional safety is emerging as a non-negotiable design choice. I also share small but powerful examples you can apply right away, from personalized onboarding to identity-based milestones and success pathways.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereCheckout Circle App with a free trial here (using this link supports my business, thank you!)Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Courses are getting harder to sell, not because people do not want to learn, but because they want results faster than ever. I talk about recent conversations with clients, why even leaders like Amy Porterfield are shifting away from traditional courses, and how the market now expects fast track systems, short actionable lessons, and coaching experiences that prioritize time to value. I also share how we are redesigning onboarding, personalizing member journeys, and rethinking the word course entirely. If your course sales have slowed or your completion rates are stalling, this episode will help you rethink your positioning.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Every client we work with at Affinity starts with a Community Strategy Intensive. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what actually goes into that process and how we design strategies that drive both engagement and business results.I’ll walk you through the core questions we ask to uncover the right focus, how we collect member data to inform decisions, and why every great community strategy needs to connect member goals with business goals. You’ll hear exactly what happens inside our 90-minute strategy session, what you walk away with, and how it becomes the roadmap for every build or upgrade we take on.If you’re ready to improve or launch your community, this episode will help you start asking the right questions.If you'd like to see if a Community Strategy Intensive is right for you, book your discovery call with me here. Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Memberships are shifting — and the old evergreen sales model isn’t converting like it used to.In this episode, I share what’s actually working right now: blending cohort-style programs with ongoing community memberships. This hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds — urgency for conversions and momentum for retention. I break down why this approach works, examples from client strategies, and how to layer a short program or challenge into your own member journey to create stronger activation and long-term engagement.Interested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

This week I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how we recently migrated more than 1,000 members into a new custom Circle app for a client.If you’re getting ready to launch a new community or move your existing customers onto a new platform, this episode walks you through exactly what to plan for. I share the full list of what we did to make this migration a success — from member interviews and beta testing, to communication plans, onboarding emails, DM automations, and how we used ambassadors to model engagement.Whether you’re scaling an existing program or adding community to your offer suite, these are the steps that make members excited to log in and stay engaged.Links:Book a free discovery call hereCheckout Circle App with a free trial here Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

We talk a lot about increasing engagement, but not enough about defining what meaningful engagement actually looks like. In this episode, I break down a smarter way to think about engagement beyond likes, posts, and comments.You’ll learn how to:Identify what meaningful engagement looks like for your communityUse live calls, events, and curriculum prompts to model and reinforce those behaviorsBuild flywheels that make engagement easy, intentional, and measurableIf you’ve been wondering how to move your members from passive to active participation, this episode will help you rethink your approach to engagement entirely.Want to work on this strategy with my team? Book a discovery call here.Mentioned on this episode:Jay Clouse's membership, The LabCheyenne Buttrey's membership, The Funnel MethodLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

When I’m working with a client on engagement and retention, one of the first things I like to do is run a member survey. There’s one deceptively simple question I always include: What’s your favorite part of the membership?In this episode, I share why this question is so powerful, a story from my time at Bossbabe when it completely changed our retention strategy, and how you can use the answers to shape both your short-term programming and your long-term membership design. Sometimes the insights point to easy wins... and sometimes they reveal that it’s time to rebalance your entire strategy.Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Cheyenne asked me two questions: what’s a normal churn rate for a membership, and do I recommend monthly, quarterly, or annual pricing? In this episode, I walk through how to decide on pricing models based on the transformation your program delivers, why quarterly pricing can sometimes backfire, and what red flags to look for in your retention charts. I also share the churn benchmarks I use with clients and examples of when monthly, annual, or seasonal pricing makes the most sense.Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

Today I’m answering a question from Cepee, founder of She Hit Refresh. She asked how to encourage members to share knowledge with each other beyond the community chat. In this episode, I walk through practical examples of peer-to-peer events like Lunch & Learns, roundtables, and member-led AMAs. I also share ways to incentivize participation using social currency, recognition, and rewards. If you’ve ever wondered how to get members contributing more actively, this episode is for you.Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective

In this episode, I answer Amanda’s question about how to use AI inside your programs. I share real examples I’ve seen like surprise and delight GPTs, prompts that support programming, and creative tools that make content stronger, as well as the risks and caveats you need to consider. As community builders, our job is to help members reach their goals as quickly and safely as possible, and AI can play a powerful role in that if we design it with care.Let's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective