You can do it all…

You can build the perfect sales page, refine your copy and offer every membership incentive in the book.

But it’s no longer enough to have a compelling offer - because doesn’t everyone?

For your membership’s long term success, you’re going to have to put something more behind that compelling offer - something that your prospects can’t find elsewhere.

You see, the secret behind a great membership offer isn’t the offer itself. It’s having a compelling stance behind that offer that communicates why you’re doing this, why it matters and why someone should pay attention to it.

I’m talking about purpose and conviction.

Because when I reflect on the memberships that I’ve worked closely with, something stands out clearly:

Memberships with the most reliable and consistent performance are led by operators who know their core purpose and have made their convictions clear within their product.

Everything they do is anchored to those closely held beliefs, perspectives and points of view.

The result?

No gray area. No blurred lines. No confusion among prospects.

Just a set of clear beliefs that power their product and a purpose they’re unwilling to compromise on - producing near-perfect alignment between what’s on offer and the people that offer attracts.

Let’s dive in.

It’s not just a course that helps one grow. It’s not only a newsletter that saves its reader time…

It’s backing up the thing you’re making with a compelling reason, a clear sense of why it matters and who it’s for.

The membership market is crowded - that’s not changing. Your membership’s features, pricing and sales page are no longer enough drive sales. And your prospects have seen these things a million times by now.

But the tone of your content?

That trust you earn?

The kind of people you attract (and repel)?

That unique flavor of perspective you bring to the table because you’ve lived what you’re offering?

These are things that simply cannot be faked.

And they can only be formed through an operator’s conviction. And that conviction is what today’s operators must rely on to cut through noise with precision and drive sales.

I can promise you this: Your conviction is what your prospects haven’t seen a million times.

Because the truth is, when you operate from a place of clarity, it changes your posture. You’ll stop trying to sell to everyone in your market. You’ll stop chasing what’s popular and start building for what resonates.

When this happens, your product carries and conveys meaning to the right people - the people who belong in your membership.

The best piece of advice I could offer to an operator today would be this:

Get familiar with your purpose. Before building anything, before you consider pricing and before crafting your brand, know why you’ve shown up here, and most importantly, know what you want to walk away with.

Sure, there’s a lot to unpack there. But the gravity you’ll create when these things are built and formed into your product will become your permanent advantage in this great game of membership.

If you want to build staying power, here’s how to put your purpose and conviction to work right now:

1. Let your beliefs shape your benefits.
Start by asking: What do I believe that my members believe too?

Then, shape your membership around that shared belief. Don’t just list features, connect them to why they matter and how they fit into a member’s everyday life.

Example: “We host weekly Q&As” can become: “We show up live each week because we believe transformation happens in conversation, not isolation.”

2. Audit your messaging for conviction leaks.
Go through your site and ask yourself:

You’ll be surprised at how much copy on your website leaves room for interpretation and lacks real conviction.

3. Align your onboarding with your “why.”
First impressions are where trust is built, or lost.
Your welcome email should remind new members why they joined and what belief they’ve stepped into. Use that moment to reaffirm the mission, not just explain the platform. You’ll have more of your member’s attention at this moment than at any other time - so use it to make your membership’s stance clear.

4. Let conviction guide what you don’t do.
Conviction isn’t just about saying “yes” with clarity, it’s also about saying “no” when necessary.

Not every trend is worth chasing. Not every competitor is worth mimicking.

Ask: Would this change bring me closer to or further from my core purpose?

5. Revisit your origin story.
Most operators had a reason they started. A frustration. A dream. A moment of clarity.
Go back to that. There’s power in remembering what lit the spark. Because what started it can often re-ignite it.

Conviction is your fuel. It’s the ember at the center of your work that gives everything else meaning. It’s what transforms your membership from a collection of features into a movement someone wants to join and be part of for years, not days.

When you build with this kind of purpose, your offering becomes clear. You’ll speak more effectively. You’ll make bolder decisions. You’ll become unforgettable, not because you’re the loudest in the room, but because you’re standing for something.

That’s the kind of membership that’s unmoved. Because conviction isn’t a trend - it’s an operator’s anchor that can be relied on, forever.

So here’s my question for you:

If your conviction isn’t clear, how will you know what to protect when the pressure to change comes?

Think about it.

Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule each Tuesday to read this email. I don’t take it lightly.

I want to know: Where do you feel your membership is currently falling short? Reply to this email to let me know and I’ll respond with my best advice. (I read every reply.)

Share this email: I want Operator to be the most valuable thing that comes across your inbox each Tuesday. If I’m hitting that mark, forward this email to a co-worker, your staff or a friend.

See you next Tuesday.

-Michael