Tips to Scale Your Membership: A Case Study with C100

About This Episode
Let's understand how to scale your membership using a high-tech business model and member feedback to drive member engagement. Our guest, Laura Buhler, will share her expertise on how to create a vision that people want to be a part of. Laura believes that it is all about the people. You can grow your association by investing your time and resources in understanding your members and having a "product" mindset.

About Our Guest 
Laura Buhler is the President and CEO of C100, a private San-Francisco-based nonprofit on a mission to galvanize global Canadians in technology to advance Canadian entrepreneurship and leadership in tech. Laura also serves on the Investment Committee for Luge Capital, a fintech-focused venture fund based in Toronto. She is a Board Director of Venture for Canada, a national charity which develops entrepreneurial leadership skills and also serves on the Advisory Board for the UCalgary Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Full List of Questions We Asked Laura
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Can you share the names of some noteworthy companies that have participated in the C100 program?

Big names we might know?

What are some key ideas that associations can borrow from high-growth tech startups?

Would you say that the product is finding out your members problems and offering solutions and the product is solving their problems?

Your association serves a global community. How do you give your members a sense of human-touch and closeness when you are so big and spread out over the globe?

Besides hosting your events, how much time does your staff spend managing your members, or can they self manage?

What does a good member experience mean for your members?

How would you define the success of individual products or events?

You said you use a lot of new tech: how do you decide which platforms are good for your members at any given time?

What do your members use to connect?

How can I take action on these ideas if I’m not in a leadership role in our organization?

What are some start up business models we can use to scale our association?

What would you recommend in terms of an engagement with your members to connect one-on-one? Is there an ideal approach to this?

Audience Questions 
How can I take action on these ideas when I'm not in a leadership role in my organization?

Suggestions for maintaining memberships during covid when services are drastically reduced.

What are business models that start ups use that can help me scale business development

What do you recommend in terms of a monthly/quarterly/semi-annual outreach program to connect 1:1 with member organizations?  Is there an ideal approach to this type of 1:1 relationship building?

Closing Questions
Key takeaway for the audience?

Do you have any book recommendations?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into membership management. 

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