239: Why I'm Betting Big on Summits (And You Should Too)

Marketing Your Business - Marketing Strategies for Business Owners

Stu McLaren

Business, Marketing

4.9 • 679 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2026

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if one event could build your email list, create months of content, AND generate revenue? That's exactly what we're about to try. And in this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes.

A lot has changed in the creator space. Strategies that used to work really well aren't working anymore. AI has disrupted everything. Algorithms have shifted. And it's left a lot of people confused and unsure of what to do next. So I want to share a strategy that's been quietly producing massive results for creators who are paying attention: summits.

I first got inspired by Tara Phillips, a member of my Impact Mastermind. Tara spent 25 years as an educator working with kids with autism, started selling resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, then built a membership. Two and a half years after leaving her teaching job, her membership has grown into a multi-million dollar a year business. She's added tens of thousands of people to her email list and attracted sponsors like Sesame Street and Melissa and Doug Toys. All from running summits.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why summits solve three business problems at once (list building, content, revenue)

- How we built the Audience to Income Summit step by step

- The business model behind a free summit with a VIP upgrade

- Two big takeaways every business owner should act on this year

RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me

CONNECT WITH STU:

- Website: https://stu.me

- Book "Predictable Profits": https://a.co/d/4GIi1uz

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumclaren

- Podcast: https://podcast.stu.me

- Membership.io: https://membership.io

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Transcript

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0:00.0	What would it mean for your business if you could add thousands of new people to your email list,
0:04.0	create months worth of content, and generate revenue all from one single event?
0:10.0	Well, that's what I'm about to try.
0:12.0	And today I want to take you behind the scenes of something brand new that we're doing.
0:16.0	Because here's what I'm seeing right now.
0:18.0	A lot has changed in the creator space.
0:20.0	I mean, strategies that used to work
0:21.6	really well a couple of years ago, well, they're not working anymore. And AI has disrupted
0:26.4	everything. Algorithms have shifted and it's left a lot of people confused and unsure of what to do next.
0:32.7	So if that's you, if you're feeling a little stuck or uncertain, well, this episode is going to be fantastic.
0:39.1	It's going to spark all kinds of ideas.
0:41.2	Let's get into it.
0:42.4	Welcome to marketing your business.
0:43.9	I'm Stu McLaren, co-founder of membership.io and author of predictable profits.
0:48.8	Now here's the truth.
0:49.9	You are one great marketing idea away from transforming your business.
0:55.0	One strategy can be the difference between struggling and thriving, between a business that drains you and one that fuels your life.
1:02.0	Every episode, you're going to get specific tactics you need to build your audience,
1:06.0	attract more customers, and scale your business, all without the burnout.
1:10.0	These are real strategies,
1:12.1	real numbers, real behind the scenes. Buckle your seatbelts, my friend. Let's go.
1:18.5	So I want to talk to you today about a new marketing strategy that we are about to use in our
	...

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