Community Creators with Shana Lynn
Shana Lynn Bresnahan
Entrepreneurs and online business owners can no longer grow with great marketing alone. If you want to scale your course, membership, or coaching program, I’ll teach you how to maximize your profit and multiply your impact by creating a thriving online community. Be sure to connect with me on IG: http://instagram.com/shanaspeaksI’ve spent over a decade working with top brands and entrepreneurs to cultivate thriving online communities and empowered community teams that increase their reach, retention, and revenue. This podcast is a space for community creators like you and me to share our insights, best practices, and what’s working now in the community space.You’ll discover proven strategies, actionable tactics, and innovative ideas that you and your team can use to reduce refunds and increase retention. You won’t want to miss an episode! Subscribe now and let’s get started! Show notes & more: https://ShanaLynn.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 24, 2026 • 5min
How Your Marketing is Sabotaging Your Retention Efforts
They reveal how marketing after signup quietly undermines retention and why motivation matters more than systems alone. Onboarding is shown as the moment to capture momentum using the Progress Wheel. They explain why gamified rewards can backfire and how reusing original marketing language keeps purpose alive. Practical tactics include normalizing lapses and prompting one tiny step to restart engagement.
7 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 13min
The Best Community Platform for Your Membership
A practical roadmap for picking the right community platform. Short guidance on defining your community’s purpose before shopping features. How to separate must-haves from nice-to-haves and run a needs assessment for growth. Tips for vetting budget, integrations, company stability, and scoring platforms to choose fit over hype.
7 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 9min
How to Design a Live Event Experience
Phil Mershon, event experience expert and author who crafts memorable customer journeys, shares how to design gatherings that stick. He explores why the attendee journey starts at ticket purchase. He explains prioritizing community over content, mapping arrival-to-session moments, and fixing post-registration awkwardness to create connection.
Mar 2, 2026 • 3min
Should I Include Everything in My Membership?
A Q&A tackles whether to bundle every program into a membership and why that can hurt profitability. Learn why keeping high-ticket offers separate can protect margins. Hear a strategy for giving members first access and using your email list as a staged marketing step. Get practical tips on member discounts that reward loyalty without underpricing your offers.
Feb 24, 2026 • 6min
Why You’re Not Moving Forward
Lauren Golden, founder of the Free Mama Movement and community builder who supports working moms and entrepreneurs. She shares how tiny weekly actions built confidence and competence. They talk about starting small, using fear of regret as fuel, testing ideas by talking about them, and how unfinished projects are productive steps toward a bigger calling.
6 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 12min
The Cancellation Process Fix That Boosts Retention and Reputation
They argue that hiding cancellation controls hurts trust, legal compliance, and long-term growth. A new California rule on easy cancellations is highlighted. Cancellation flows can capture feedback, create resell and re-engagement chances, and shape lasting brand impressions. Treat departures like thoughtful checkouts and alumni relationships to boost reputation and retention.
Feb 10, 2026 • 10min
The Launch Strategy that 3x’ed Her Membership
Ali Kay, an art-teaching and membership entrepreneur who scaled her community from ~1,400 to over 4,400, shares her paid week-long Paint Week launch. She discusses running a $10 live workshop, breaking even on ads before cart open, showcasing member work as advocacy, and using limited-time enrollment to build urgency and better service.
Feb 3, 2026 • 17min
The 7-Figure Lie: What Every Business Owner Must Know
They pull apart what “seven figures” actually means and why revenue can be misleading. The conversation highlights profit over gross income and unseen expenses that hide true results. Practical tips cover allocating for taxes, savings, and salary to meet family needs. They also explain using high-margin wins to fund scalable growth and why knowing your numbers is essential.
Jan 27, 2026 • 9min
The Keys to a Great Framework
Mel Abraham, a thought leadership and content architecture expert who helps entrepreneurs build teachable frameworks. He unpacks what makes a powerful framework. He covers how to reach different learners, why depth beats surface-level talks, the four essential framework elements, and how to structure takeaways and emotion for maximum clarity.
Jan 20, 2026 • 6min
The Membership Growth Ceiling & Retention’s Revenue Impact
Discover the keys to breaking through membership growth ceilings! Learn how churn can silently cap your growth, regardless of marketing efforts. Shana introduces the Growth Ceiling Calculator, showing the impact of retention on revenue. Even small improvements in retention can dramatically increase lifetime value. Understand why just boosting member acquisition won't suffice and how focus on retention can unlock your potential. This conversation will shift your perspective on sustainable growth strategies!
