493. How The ONE Thing Made Success Finally Feel Right for Stu McLaren

The ONE Thing

NOVA Media

Entrepreneurship, Business, Careers

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if success wasn’t enough? Stu McLaren, a pioneer in the world of online communities and membership businesses, faced this question head-on. By all accounts, he had built something incredible—Wishlist Member, a massively successful membership platform powering over 70,000 communities. Yet, in the quiet of a rainy night at a remote family camp, he realized he wasn’t fully aligned with his purpose. In this episode, Stu shares how reading The ONE Thing helped him recognize the gap between where he was and where he truly wanted to be. He walks us through the defining moment when he decided to sell his business and pursue a path that connected more deeply to his values and his nonprofit, Village Impact. But this episode isn’t just about making bold choices. It’s also a masterclass in community building. Stu reveals the essential question anyone leading a team, organization, or membership community must ask: Why would someone want to be part of this community? From shared purpose to inside jokes, he breaks down the key ingredients that transform a group of people into a thriving, engaged community. If you're feeling stuck between comfort and passion, or if you're looking to create a community that truly matters, this episode will give you the clarity—and the push—you need. Challenge of the Week: Define the vision for your community. Whether it's a business, a workplace team, or a personal network, ask yourself: What do I see happening? Where is this going? What will life be like for those who are part of it? The clearer your vision, the stronger your community will be. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: How Stu McLaren used The ONE Thing to make a bold decision and sell his business. The essential ingredients that turn a group into a true community. Why celebrating small progress milestones matters more than big wins. Links & Tools from This Episode: Learn more at stu.me Support Stu’s nonprofit Village Impact Connect with Stu on LinkedIn Follow Stu on Instagram: @stumclaren Read Predictable Profits by Stu McLaren Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jay Papazan and this is the One Thing, your weekly guide to the simple steps that lead to extraordinary results.
0:18.3	Hey there, One Thing family. Got a special treat for you this week. Over the years, I've told the story again and again of my friend, who, after reading The One Thing, actually sold a very incredibly successful business because he realized in the dead of night that it just did not align with his purpose in life. It was a remarkably courageous act,
0:38.8	and he has zero regrets. Well, guess what? Our guest this week is that person, Stu McLaren.
0:45.2	Stu is a very successful entrepreneur. He's been a pioneer in the space of building online communities.
0:51.6	And we kind of tackled this in two parts this week. In the first half, we tell
0:56.4	the tale of his remarkable journey with the one thing, how he read it, how he got very clear about
1:01.4	his purpose and aligning it with the charitable organizations in his life, and how he made the hard
1:06.1	decision to sell his business and live his purpose. And he's had no regrets. He's incredibly successful to
1:11.6	this day. In the second half, we go deep into building communities. What is the one thing for
1:17.4	building community? So whether you lead a team at work or you're a part of a community in the
1:22.5	workplace, in a nonprofit, or in a place of worship, this is a great episode where you can learn
1:27.3	about building community and living a place of worship, this is a great episode where you can learn about building
1:27.8	community and living a life of purpose.
1:33.2	All right, Stu, welcome to the show. I'm so excited if we finally get to talk about the one
1:37.3	thing together on the podcast. Yeah, me too, buddy. Thank you so much for having me.
1:41.4	I was looking back, I was sharing with you before we started recording that I looked back and I found some notes
1:47.7	and they may or may not be accurate.
1:49.4	It looks like I was typing on an old phone.
1:51.9	But back in 2015 in May, our friend Billy introduced us.
1:57.4	And you shared a story about how you connected with the one thing. I was, I was reaching out to you
2:02.7	because I heard you were this very successful founder and you were a big fan of the book. How did you
2:07.6	discover the one thing? What was your journey on that? Well, for me, it was the book had been
	...

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