Our Next Chapter

In 2008, I joined forces with one of my intimate friends from the present. Stu McLaren and me put our talents together to create Member.

We didn't know we would be embarking on a thrilling and unprecedented journey. WordPress has been growing in a staggering rate. It was a thrilling time. It was difficult to determine the answer, but there are a number of signs to suggest that WordPress will outdo Joomla and Drupal.

To put things in context, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga have been making waves in the new music scene. Our team members were in elementary school at the time we began.

When it came to online marketing, discussion about membership sites were all the rage. However, there were not many options to create an online site for members that used WordPress. Many development firms focused on themes. Therefore, the premium plugin market was essentially not even a thing.

We saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of it, so we acted immediately. Mike Lopez was our Jedi engineer, who was able to design whatever we tested him using. He created the initial version of Member independently within less than three months.

Similar to my previous business in software, we were able to see an opportunity to meet it, so we developed the ideal solution to this usual problem. It's no surprise that the company was able to grow rapidly. In the beginning, Sales were all driven by the power of mouth. The company grew by more than an entire year before spending no money on marketing.

It's the kind of chance that an entrepreneur can only dream of.

In the early days of our existence, we received our first enquiry about selling our company. This was a pleasant surprise, but they wanted to buy brands that had a strong owner, who was prepared to take a break. We were fresh and full of energy and enthusiasm and it didn't make sense.

The first test proved to be valid. Members were always "Built to sell" and there were many people interested.

After the initial query, I was talking to an acquaintance whom I thought of as a trusted advisor. His entrepreneurial experience includes owning several different businesses. One of them is a Venture Capital Company. The founder has also sold many businesses over the years. The guy, naturally, has a track record of success.

My friend shared an important piece of advice. He explained, "the secret to selling your company is to figure out who your potential buyer is and ensure that all the things that you conduct about your business is a perfect match."

The suggestions made lots of sense to me However, there were small problems. When working together with a partner, there's no way to build a company that only one person would like to build. This is a joint venture both partners are willing to construct together. We cannot, however, determine the purchaser.

Somewhere along the way, Stu and I decided to make Mike an associate. This was likely in the year 2010.

The dramatic shift took place that took place in the latter half of 2014. Stu took the choice to pursue his love of teaching and focus specifically on helping people build profitable websites for membership. Mike and I remain with the software firm.

In a flash, I had become the largest shareholder along with a member. It was both terrifying exciting at the same time.

The group I worked with as the leader I was part of and my traveled to Colorado for a focus on preparation.

It became abundantly clear that it was time to perform a recalibration. Our focus had to change on the things we've accomplished over the years and become certain of what we'll be able to accomplish in the near term. Personally, I had to let go of the notion of creating a firm that I believed people would be interested in buying and start thinking about what kind of business I'd like to manage.

The last few months have shown me a lot of things. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is that Isolation kills entrepreneurs. Being in business can be quite lonely at times. There's no better approach to develop relationships and create friendships that can aid in creating harmony and peace to the working forces.

It is impossible to predict the moment when a relationship will develop into a connection...

I had the pleasure of meeting Micah Mitchell at a conference. He was in contact alongside a salesperson selling an app similar to Member. Some people may have considered the company to be the most serious competitors. I didn't think much of it and just felt like the guy was great and I'd love to get to know him more.

In the next few years, and Micah had left his previous collaboration and founded a business known as Memberium. There was a time when many would have considered him even much more of a threat. The only thing I could say is that I loved the guy.

It was further confirmed when I ran into him at the security lines on the way to the airport. We had a great time discussing the things we had been doing and, later, we discovered that we had been assigned seats next to each other during the flight. Was this a deliberate ploy? Most likely, someone set the whole thing up. It was definitely random.

On that exact vacation, we started planning our perfect April Fool's gag, in which we would reveal that Micah has just purchased Member. It was fun to imagine that the company could be called Memberium. It is possible to add 360 on the title for kicks. A few people reading might be able to comprehend.

The very first time I was given a seat right close to the software I was competing against (thanks Delta!) became a lasting friendship. The two of us would meet each month for business discussions in a lunch break for the next few years. Our meetings eventually were over after my family and I returned to Tennessee. Our friendships were great throughout Utah which was really hard leaving them behind.

I enjoy designing software. It's thrilling to see an idea realized is exciting. It's particularly thrilling when you're in a team of incredible people as the product expands far more rapidly than you ever imagined it could be. An excellent example is the most recent update for the courses add-ons available for member.

While it's exciting as this sounds, the fact is that it's also demanding. If you get to the end that's one yard just a few yards from making it to the score, you could be running around the field exhausted from all of your effort.

While we worked on designing and planning the release of our new product, I felt extremely tired. I realized that my best move would be to seek out a true marketing partner. Someone who was knowledgeable about the market and could assist me to move my Member through the next step. I made a couple of calls to my best contacts in the business. My wife told me that Micah is on my list of candidates. I made her a promise to call him the following day.

When I called Micah I received an SMS message. It was like having him sitting beside me during the flight. It's difficult to determine if there's a reason for every thing.

Our discussions progressed into the idea of selling Member to Micah's business MemberShipper which is the business which is the one that runs Memberium. It was discovered that the kind of thing we had been building with Member was precisely the kind that MemberShipper would like to add to their portfolio.

In the past I've been asked hundreds of queries regarding selling the business. The answers have never seemed right to me until now. It was crucial for me to ensure that Member remain a flourishing firm. Also, I wanted to be sure that our amazing team would be looked after.

Every step the process became more clear this was the best option for Members as well as the team, and for the millions of amazing clients who have been part of our business for so long.

I'm incredibly thankful for the leadership on both sides. They've been hard at work to make the transition as easy as possible for me. It's quite remarkable to observe the team working in a cohesive manner.

One of the most frequent inquiries I receive is "What's going to happen for you? ".

Though I believe that I'm really good in retirement, all I really need is to take a sabbatical. I'm planning on taking an extended period of time to be by myself.

What's the importance of this when you're a member customer?

Simple as that You can rest assured that the team will continue offering new ideas and that Members will improve and develop. The team will not stop.

I'm eager to collaborate with Micah as well as other members of the team throughout the year. I'm in a job which could be described as my perfect job. I'm currently an "Director of Strategic Partnerships" for both brands that are owned by MemberShipper.

It is possible to see me at a variety of gatherings in the coming months. My own personal goal is to provide the most value possible in the coming year. I am excited to watch Member progress to the next level under Micah's direction.

Perhaps I'll be around for much more time than you thought.

I've never felt more confident about the prospects for Members than I am today. It's just the beginning.

An entire announcement on the acquisition about the purchase is available here..

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