The Builders Series

You can already see what isn’t working. What you don’t have yet is a room full of people working on the same thing. This is that room.

Five working sessions for the people who run association growth day to day.

First session Friday, September 25, 2026 · 12:00 p.m. ET

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Sit with people who run what you run.

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The Human Layer

Compete on what technology cannot replicate: human belonging.

AI is rapidly replacing the value of information-based membership models. As content and resources become automated, associations will need to compete on something technology cannot replicate: human belonging.

Session 1 · Friday, September 25, 2026
Story as a System

Story gives membership emotional meaning.

Story is what gives membership emotional meaning. It shapes how members understand the organization, how they see themselves inside it, and why they continue to stay connected over time. This session explores how associations use story to reinforce identity, strengthen belonging, and create continuity across the entire member lifecycle.

Session 2
Mission vs. Math

Navigate growth pressures without sacrificing the mission.

Associations are under growing pressure to prioritize efficiency, larger accounts, and scalable growth. This session explores how organizations navigate growth pressures without sacrificing the mission, community, and smaller members that membership was originally built to include.

Session 3
Rebuilding Onboarding

Turn onboarding into initiation, not a library tour.

Most onboarding experiences still function like a library tour filled with logins, PDFs, and feature walkthroughs. This session explores how onboarding becomes initiation and turns new members into active participants instead of passive consumers.

Session 4
The Subscriber Problem

Membership becomes something people evaluate on usage, not identity.

Most associations unintentionally train members to think transactionally through the way they market and communicate. Over time, membership becomes something people evaluate based on usage rather than identity.

Session 5