I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

It's time for some money rehab. So there are two really popular trends right now in business strategy. I know you've seen them both.

The first one is community. Lots of companies now are trying to make their brands feel like not just

logos and products but communities. And the second is scarcity. You have definitely seen this. Social

media-centric brands, launching a new product, and then selling out in one day, usually because

there's limited inventory, but it looks cool. There's one company that's encompassed both,

Soho House. But how do you scale a business that's built on exclusivity? So

Oh House doesn't know the answer and that is problematic. Sojo House's origin

story begins in London. The brand was started by entrepreneur Nick Jones nearly three

decades ago. The goal was to be more than just a club. And isn't it always? Sojo Haas's mission was to be a sanctuary for creatives, a space where the artistic and the influential

converged. In other words, a hub for the rich and famous. And at first it totally worked, Prince Harry and Megan Markle, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, and other big

celebs were members and the club really nailed that cool exclusive vibe. Beyond the application process, one thing that has always reinforced Soho House's exclusivity is the membership fees.

As of today, the membership fee to Soho House New York is $2,850 a year.

And if you want access to all Soho Houses around the world,

it's 5200 bucks.

But as Soho House expanded its footprint globally. The narrative began to shift. What was once a

tight membership criteria got a little looser, and instead of Sojo House being a hub for

creatives, it started to open its doors just a little wider and welcomed

in the Finance Bros.

They also welcomed me in, so they've definitely loosened their reins.

This pivot made sense from a financial perspective, sure, but it wasn't good for the brand or at least that's what OG members said.

The original members saw this move as a dilution of the very essence of what made Sojo House unique.

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