You’re a membership operator - and you’re busy.

There’s always something to do.

Launch the next module. Write the next email. Drop the next benefit. Post. Promote. Refine. Repeat.

And before long, this work you’re so passionate about becomes something else - something with a slightly different flavor than you were once used to.

It stops feeling like building. And starts feeling like feeding - a system, a schedule, a funnel…the list goes on.

And the hard part is, everything looks like it’s working.

But deep down, you can feel it: You’re producing, but not progressing.

You’re growing, but not grounded.

And suddenly you realize you’re operating a machine but not really driving your business anymore.

If this sounds as familiar to you as it often does to me, then let’s talk about what an operator must do when motion becomes more important than meaning.

That’s been one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned in membership.

You built your business with a belief. A purpose. A vision.

But somewhere between onboarding flows and renewal emails, those things got buried.

Not lost. Just drowned out by the pace of things.

And here’s the truth most operators won’t say out loud:

It’s entirely possible to grow your membership and lose your connection to it at the same time.

Let that one sink in.

You might still be helping people. Still getting testimonials. Still converting.

But if your work feels hollow to you - like you're just meeting deadlines and ticking boxes, then you’re no longer driving your membership from a place of conviction.

Instead, you’re just keeping up.

You’re feeding the machine.

And machines don’t care what you believe.

They only care that you keep going.

I’ve seen this play out over and over again. And I can tell you that most operators who have significantly grown their businesses in relatively short time, will tell you they feel less connected to their purpose than when they started.

So the question I want you to consider is this:

When you disconnect purpose from growth, what happens?

Every time you say “yes” to staying in motion without questioning the “why” - you drift.

Every time you launch something because you “have to”, you dilute what made it matter in the first place.

Now, hear me out: growth is not bad. It’s essential.

But growth that goes on unchecked and without pause becomes a plane flying on autopilot - all the time.

And autopilot doesn’t build loyalty, it just builds volume.

So how do you know when you might just be feeding the machine and not actually driving your business with purpose?

Here are a few signs:

When two or more of those hit home, it’s time to pause. Not for the sake of slowing down, but for the sake of getting real again.

That’s how you shift out of autopilot.

That’s how you return to purpose.

And you don’t need to change everything overnight. But you can start by doing this:

Take one thing you’ve been doing just to keep up: an email, a recurring post, a scheduled call - and ask: Does this still serve a purpose? Does this move people forward?

If it doesn’t, pause it. Rework it. Or even better, let it go.

Because effort that doesn’t move you or your program forward in some way is effort that’s not producing returns for you.

This is the first, hardest and most important step in leading your membership with intention once again.

Every now and then, the smartest thing you can do isn’t to scale faster - it’s to step back and sharpen your signal.

But this doesn’t mean you retreat.

It means remembering what you’re really building and why you started in the first place.

Because if you can’t name what your business believes in right now:

Your next campaign will just keep the lights on.

Your next feature will just fill the roadmap.

And your members will feel the drift.

So I’ll leave you with this question today:

Are you still building something with conviction or just keeping the machine alive?

Think about it.

Tell me: What challenge is your membership facing? How can I help? Respond to this email and let me know (I always read every reply).

Share: I want Operator to be the most valuable thing that comes across your inbox each Tuesday. If I’m hitting that mark, share this newsletter with your staff, a team member or friend (just copy and share this URL).

See you next Tuesday.

-Michael