This episode explores the decision to step away from a long-term membership model after several years of running it. Sara reflects on what worked, what didn’t, and how the model ultimately conflicted with her energy, nervous system, and season of life. The conversation offers a grounded examination of business models as living systems that must align with how a person actually works, not just with industry trends.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why predictable monthly recurring revenue is not always aligned with sustainable leadership
- The energetic and relational challenges of always-open membership containers
- How cohort-based programs create depth, cohesion, and clearer arcs of transformation
- The role of nervous system awareness in business model decisions
- Questions to assess whether a business model fits your current life season
Key takeaways
- A business model is an energetic ecosystem, not just a revenue strategy
- Clear beginnings and endings can support deeper transformation for both leader and participants
- Constant onboarding and renewal cycles carry real emotional and energetic costs
- Self-awareness matters more than industry trends when designing a business
- Sustainable businesses are built around nervous system capacity and life rhythms
Resources mentioned
- Episode 232: What a Cease and Desist Letter Taught Me About Soul-Powered Leadership
- Introductory workshop: How to Create a Simple, Sacred, Self-Led Business
Episode FAQs
1. Why did the membership model stop working in this context?
While the model offered predictable income and accessibility, it required constant energetic holding and lacked clear cycles of rest and completion, which became unsustainable over time.
2. How is a cohort-based program different from a membership?
A cohort-based program has a defined start and end, with participants moving through the experience together. This creates shared context, stronger relationships, and a clearer arc of learning.
3. Is monthly recurring revenue necessary for a sustainable business?
Predictable income can be helpful, but it is not the only path to sustainability. Payment plans, seasonal programs, and hybrid models can also provide stability without always-open containers.
4. How does nervous system awareness relate to business models?
Different models place different demands on attention, availability, and emotional labor. Aligning a model with nervous system capacity helps prevent burnout and supports long-term clarity.
5. Who is most helped by reflecting on business model fit?
This perspective is especially useful for business owners navigating life transitions, changing energy levels, or a desire for deeper, more intentional ways of working.
Read the Full Transcript
This past winter, I made a big decision to fundamentally change my business model by letting go of my membership program. The catalyst for that came in March, when I received a cease and desist letter saying that I needed to relinquish my use of the term Sorcerer, CEO, which was the name of my membership. It was a $10,000-a-year mastermind that I had created about two and a half years earlier.
It started with founding members. At that time, it was called She Serves, and women joined at half price, $5,000 a year. When I created it, I was imagining what I wanted to bring into the world through this program. Everywhere I looked in the online business world, especially among women entrepreneurs, membership models were being positioned as the gold standard. Monthly recurring revenue was treated as the holy grail of business success.
The promise was predictable income, scalability, and a community that people could join at any time. That idea felt aligned with my values of accessibility and ongoing support, as well as my desire for financial stability. Women joined during enrollment periods, committed for at least a year, and had access to mentorship, community, tools, and frameworks.
This wasn’t my first membership. I had created one years earlier, back in 2012, called The Red Tent, a women’s spirituality membership. Over time, I noticed even then that I worked better with containers that had clear beginnings and endings, which eventually led me to transition that membership into a cohort-based program.
So when I launched Sorcerer, CEO, it was an experiment. What I learned, again and more deeply, is that while membership models can scale revenue, a business model is not just a revenue strategy. It’s an energetic ecosystem. It’s a nervous system and life design tool. It needs to match who you are, how you work, and the season of life you’re in.
I ran the membership for two years, and while there were things I loved—the women, the relationships, the growth—I noticed that the depth I knew was possible wasn’t fully happening. The container never closed. People joined at different times, which meant constant onboarding and orientation. The group was always in flux, making cohesion difficult.
Because the membership was always open, I never fully stepped away. Even during time off, I was energetically holding the container. I’ve learned that I need clear cycles of rest and service. I need spaciousness so that when I’m guiding, I can bring my full presence.
The cease and desist letter prompted deeper reflection. It wasn’t just the name that needed to change. It was the structure. That led me to transition the program into what is now Herself, CEO, a five-month cohort-based mentorship with a clear beginning and end.
The difference has been palpable. The container feels more cohesive. Engagement is deeper. Relationships are forming more naturally. This isn’t about membership models being wrong. They’re just not right for me in this season.
The challenges I experienced included the lack of defined start and endpoints, the constant energetic holding, the emotional and administrative labor of renewals, and weakened group cohesion due to staggered entry points.
Through this process, I learned that self-awareness is the compass for business design. I do my best work in structured containers with clear arcs. I thrive when everyone is on the same journey. I also need full periods of rest, not just days off, but weeks or months of being fully unplugged.
I value depth over volume. I’d rather work with fewer women in a more meaningful way. Business models determine how you spend your days and how you feel at the end of them. This decision wasn’t just about numbers; it was about energy, nervous system health, and long-term sustainability.
I may choose a membership model again someday, but for now, cohort-based programs feel aligned. There is grief in letting go, but also relief and a sense of coming home to myself.
To support listeners in discerning what’s right for them, I shared reflection questions around life season, structure versus freedom, work rhythm, desired client relationships, energetic space, scalability versus spaciousness, nervous system needs, onboarding preferences, and whether to build around lifestyle or revenue goals.
There is no one right way to build a business. The most sustainable path is the one aligned with your unique wiring, values, and season of life. Trusting that inner feedback is essential to creating a business that truly supports you.
