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 After consecutive quarters of uncertainty and negativity, the third quarter of Q3 is a major milestone in the long-term perspective of the membership economy.

The membership economy has been having one of the most challenging periods in recent times. Rising inflation, heightened risk of uncertainty, and a more prudent consumer are dominating developments throughout 2022. The repercussions of these trends along with extreme volatility of the financial markets have now trickled into virtually every industry.

The same goes for membership. And while 2022 revenue projections that were made in the boom of membership of 2021 began to quickly feel out of reach throughout the year, members are now forced to look deeper than ever before into each facet of their overall plan.

In a nutshell: If you're a membership administrator, the year 2022 repeatedly tested your conviction repeatedly.

Each and every story that has been told to date would have you believe that the rest of 2022 is going to be extremely negative for members and that we must be prepared for a slowdown across all consumer sectors as well as in every industry and enterprise.

Not so fast.

In search of the perfect moment

In difficult market conditions and in business, there are always indicators, signs and proof that the turning point is either near or upon us. And while we often don't know that a change has taken place until months and weeks after it occurs, there's one thing which always occurs with turning points and that's the moment.

Q3 was the exact moment.

It was a time when membership operators saw extremely positive outcomes amid extremely negative sentiment. It was a moment where the silence was louder than the confusion. It was a time when the operators proved that their product was so valuable that members simply refused to remain without it.

The was the point in divergence.

The most significant risk facing membership operators during economic slowdowns is that they become too negative. Customers who were steadfast and optimistic about their business during this tough year continue to plan, build and plan ahead for this event - without knowing when it might happen. And now that Q3 is officially in the books, we're able to look into the rearview mirror and know with certainty that it's, indeed, taking place.

Uncertainty creates opportunity

The customer's memberships performed significantly better than ours in Q3. In our entire portfolio, we've seen these memberships set new records for their earnings, retention, as well as member count. Being consistent and non-reactive to larger narratives enabled our clients to benefit from the growth in membership we saw in the third quarter of this year.

A well-planned and managed membership strategy proves to be the main driver of member outcomes in challenging landscapes. Our research shows the highest returns occurring when operators decide to make a big investment in their business during a downturn and revert to more prudent spending during periods of accelerated growth. Our approach has helped our customers to have the financial resources available to fund their companies at times of opportunity similar to those that we experienced through the first quarter of 2022.

The game of membership is long and those who have this mindset realize that external uncertainty and negative feelings create long-term chances for sustainable growth in membership.

For a company that operates memberships You can't know the exact timing of upwards and downswings such as the one we saw in Q3 , but you can plan for them.

The only guarantee you have is the fact that these moments are going to happen at the time you least expect them too.

Continue to build.