The Next Chapter

The year 2008 was when I formed an ensemble with one of my best buddies currently. Stu McLaren and I put our talents together to form Member.

We had no idea that we were going to embark on an incredible adventure that was unimaginable. WordPress had been growing rapidly. It was a thrilling period. It was unclear, however there was a lot of evidence that WordPress could outdo Joomla and Drupal.

In order to put it in perspective, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga were turning heads as newcomers on the scene of pop music. A few of us were in the very first class of the school when we were first getting started.

In the world of online marketing the discussion of membership websites was popular. Unfortunately, there weren't any options for creating a membership site with WordPress. The majority of development firms were focused on themes. Therefore, the market for premium plug-ins was not present at all.

We saw it as an opportunity and acted quickly. Mike Lopez was our Jedi programmer, who was able to create whatever we put him to the test by. He built the first version of Member on his own in just three months.

As with my previous venture that dealt with software, we were able to see the opportunity to develop an effective solution to the typical problem. Naturally, our members experienced rapid growth. The beginning of our sales were all driven by word-of-mouth. We grew for well over one year, and then spent absolutely nothing on marketing.

This is exactly the type of chance that entrepreneurs only dream about.

In the early days of our journey, when we had just established ourselves, we were greeted with an initial inquiry regarding selling the business. The response was very flattering, however they were looking for well-established businesses where the founder was eager to leave. We were fresh with enthusiasm and enthusiasm, therefore this was a complete misunderstanding.

The initial question was found to be a valid validation. They were "Built to sell" and there were many curious.

Shortly after the first inquiry I was talking to someone I was thinking of as a reliable adviser. His entrepreneurial experience includes owning several different businesses. One of those is one which is a Venture Capital Firm. The owner also sold a number of companies in the past. It is evident that this guy has a track record of success.

My friend gave me a helpful tip. He explained, "the secret to selling an organization is to find the buyers and then to ensure that your company is an ideal match."

The suggestion made lots of sensitivities, but I did have some minor issues. The first is that when you've got an associate, you're creating a company that only one person would like to build. The partners agree to work with each other. We can't identify the buyer.

It was at a point that Stu and I made the decision to make Mike a minority partner. I believe it was in the year 2010.

The industry landscape was transformed dramatically during the final quarter of 2014. Stu determined to continue his passion of instructing and concentrate on teaching people how to build profitable membership sites. Mike and me both joined the software company.

In a flash I was in the role of the majority shareholder, along with the members. It was terrifying but also exciting all times.

Our leadership team and I made a visit to Colorado for a focus on planning.

It was clear the need for some reconfiguring. It was the time to set aside our achievements in the past and get focussed on what we could do in the coming years. For me personally, it was time put aside the thought of creating a company which I believed that someone would like to purchase and start thinking about the kind of business I'd love to own.

These past few months have revealed a variety of things. One of the most obvious is that Isolation is the biggest killer of entrepreneurs. Business can be quite lonely at moments. You absolutely must have connections and relationships that will help you bring peace and harmony to the business.

It's impossible to know the exact moment that a friendship will grow into a real relationship...

I met Micah Mitchell at a conference. He was a partner with an individual who had the same software as Member. Some would have considered that company as one of one of the more serious rivals. That wasn't something I considered about. it and just felt like I knew he was an excellent person and I'd like to know him more.

The next couple of years, and Micah quit his prior collaboration and founded a business named Memberium. Many might have considered him far more dangerous. All I can say was I loved the man.

The proof was in the fact that I ran into his security guards at the airport. We had a great talk, catching up about our respective projects we were engaged in, then discovered that we were given seats together on the flight. Was this an act of prank? It's possible that someone put it together. The whole thing was random.

In a bizarre twist, during that exact trip, we also started thinking on the most famous April Fool's Day joke, where we'd declare that Micah recently purchased Member. We thought it might be named Memberium. Perhaps we'll add 360 onto the title to have a bit of amusement. Certain people who have read this are likely to be able to understand.

The first time I was given seat before my software rival (thanks Delta!) turned into a lasting relationship. Our two friends met regularly to discuss issues about business at meals for the next few years. However, the conversations we had were ended when my family and I returned to Tennessee. We had many wonderful relationships within Utah and it was extremely difficult to say goodbye.

I enjoy developing software. It's thrilling to see an idea become a reality is exhilarating. It's especially exhilarating working with an awesome team and your product is more than you imagined that it could be. An excellent example could be the most recent Update of the Courses Add-Ons for Member.

Although it's thrilling as it sounds, the reality is it's hard. If you get to the end one yard near to making it to score, you'll feel exhausted by all the hard work.

When we had finished on the concept and had begun to plan how we would start the project and I started to feel very exhausted. I was starting to recognize the best option was to seek out a true marketing partner. An organization that was knowledgeable of market trends, and who could assist me in taking my Member up to the next stage. I've made a few phone calls to my best contacts in the business world. My wife informed me that Micah ought to be in the list of shortlisted. My wife promised me that I would contact Micah on the following day.

When I first made contact with Micah I reached out to Micah I received an email. The experience was like sitting in a plane with Micah in the airplane. It's not always easy to know when things happen due to a cause.

Our discussions progressed into the notion of selling Member to Micah's business MemberShipper who is the entity which is supporting Memberium. What we had built using Member was precisely what MemberShipper needed to broaden their product range.

In the past , I've had a lot of inquires about selling my company. Most of them didn't seem to be right up until this point. It was very important for me to ensure that Member be a brand that was strong. Additionally, I wanted to make sure our amazing staff was well treated with respect.

Every step of the way, it became more evident that it was the ideal choice for both the member as well as the team and the many thousands of amazing clients who have been in our business for this many years.

I'm extremely thankful for the leaders of the teams on both of the sides. They've put in a lot of effort in order to make the transition process easy for me. It's awe-inspiring to see the whole team working.

One of the most frequent questions I get now is "What's happening in your personal life? ".

Though I believe I'd really be content in retirement, what do I need really is a break. I'm planning to use this time to relax and enjoy well-deserved personal time.

What's this all about being a member?

In simple terms, it is possible for the team to continue innovating, and members are constantly being improved and developed. The team isn't going to stop.

I'm eager to join Micah and his team for the full year. They have put me into an opportunity that could describe as my ideal job. My current position is "Director of Strategic Partnerships" for both brand names owned by MemberShipper.

Expect to see me at numerous gatherings during the coming months. The goal of my work is to give the most value possible over the course of the year. It is exciting to watch Member move into the next stage under Micah's guidance.

It's possible that I will remain around longer than anyone would have ever imagined.

I've never felt more confident about the future of the Member than right now. This is only the beginning.

You can read Micah's full statement regarding the acquisition here.

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