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

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.   Register for the FREE Audience to Income Summit (April 8-10): https://links.membership.io/summit2026   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   REGISTER: Grab your FREE seat at the Audience to Income Summit (April 8-10): https://links.membership.io/summit2026    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    Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Rachel Rodgers ran a $155K Kickstarter campaign in public... where everyone could watch the numbers. For 19 days, it looked like she was going to fail. What she said next changed how I think about entrepreneurship. Rachel Rodgers is the founder of Hello Seven, a multi-million dollar coaching company helping women build wealth through entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Rachel reveals: • The shower breakdown before her DC internship (and what her mom said) • Why she calls herself "ungovernable" and "unemployable" • The $155K Kickstarter that almost failed in front of everyone • Why she LOVES the opportunity to fail publicly • The permission slip: "I'm allowed to make mistakes" • The telethon pivot   📚 FREE RESOURCE: Get Rachel's Permission Slip Worksheet + Public Launch Mindset Guide → https://podcast.stu.me  CONNECT WITH RACHEL: • Website: https://helloseven.co • Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachrodgersesq  • Book "We Should All Be Millionaires": https://a.co/d/hYpZHnF    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    Subscribe for new episodes every week.

If your marketing feels like it's not cutting through the noise right now, this episode is going to open your eyes. I just got back from a family trip to Japan and I walked away with three marketing lessons that every business owner needs to hear.   My kids planned their entire Japan itinerary from short-form video. The strawberry sandwich from 7-Eleven, the Ichiran Ramen restaurant, the bamboo forest -- all of it came from 15-second clips on Instagram and TikTok. And it wasn't just them. I saw a 30-second reel of the Nike running lab in Tokyo, booked it in advance, and walked in the door as a lifelong Adidas guy. That's how powerful this stuff is. But the lessons go deeper than just short-form content. Japan showed me that the experience you create IS your marketing strategy, and that genuine scarcity and exclusivity pull people in instead of pushing them away.   In this episode, you'll learn: - Why short-form content drives real-world action (and the stats that prove it) - How to think about your customer experience as your best marketing strategy - Why genuine scarcity increases desire and how to use it without faking it - The one question to ask yourself this week that can transform a touchpoint in your business   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    Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Two of the most respected marketers in our industry just had a very public falling out -- all because of a single AI-generated image. And it raised a question every one of us using AI needs to answer. Frank Kern ran an ad for his AI copywriting tool. The ad included an AI-generated image of a woman in a red string bikini. The problem? The image looked almost identical to Alex Cattoni, founder of Copy Posse. People started DMing Alex asking if it was her. She posted a video calling Frank out publicly. Frank responded saying it was a coincidence and he wasn't apologizing. The comments section became a war zone -- people comparing Frank to Jeffrey Epstein, others threatening his family, and ugly things being said about Alex too. It got out of hand fast. But underneath all the noise, there are three lessons here that matter for anyone using AI in their business. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why you are 100% responsible for what AI creates on your behalf (and why "it was AI" is the new "the dog ate my homework") - The review step most people are skipping before they hit publish -- and why it's the real failure point - Why going direct first (before going public) almost always leads to a better outcome when conflict happens   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   Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Dean Graziosi expected 300,000 people at his AI Advantage Summit. 683,000 showed up. 78% had never heard of him before. Here's the 3-day framework he used to go from cold audience to lowest refund rate in 30 years. Dean Graziosi is a 30-year marketing veteran, Tony Robbins' business partner, and former infomercial marketer who built his career reaching millions of people before the internet existed. In this conversation, Dean reveals: • Why he starts every campaign with pain, not product • The infomercial avatar: "Mom puts the baby down, sits on the couch" • How he got 683,000 business owners to a free 3-day event • Why 78% of attendees had never heard of him before • The "12 minutes of selling in 9 hours" framework • Why he NEVER sells on Day 1 (and what he does instead) • "Ripening green fruit" — the patience strategy that doubles revenue • Alex Hormozi's advice that made him rewrite the entire script • Why he condensed a 6-month program to 35 days   📚 FREE RESOURCE: Get Dean's 3-Day Launch Event Playbook + Event Framework Worksheet → https://podcast.stu.me    CONNECT WITH DEAN: • Website: https://deangraziosi.com  • Instagram: https://instagram.com/deangraziosi  • AI Advantage Summit: https://aiadvantagesummit.com    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    Subscribe for new episodes every week.

What if you could turn one Instagram Reel into actual sales, without ever sending someone to a landing page? About a year ago, I started tracking our drop-off rates and the numbers were brutal. My family and I are in Japan right now (I wrestled a Sumo wrestler — long story), and while I've been here I've been thinking a lot about this system we've been building. We stopped sending people to landing pages entirely. Instead, we kept the entire funnel inside Instagram DMs. Opt-ins more than doubled. Same content, same offer; we just removed the friction of leaving the platform. In this episode, I'm breaking down the exact anatomy of what I call the "One-Post Funnel" from the Reel that hooks them, to the DM that converts them, to the $7 impulse offer that upsells 40% of buyers into your next offer. In this episode, you'll learn: • The 4-part content formula for Reels that actually convert (hook, teaching points, CTA, caption structure) • Why DM automation gets 65-90% opt-in rates vs. 30-40% on landing pages — and how to set it up with ManyChat • How a $7 front-end offer qualifies buyers and leads to membership upsells on the back end • The repurposing strategy that turns your top-performing Reels into webinars, email sequences, and more lead magnets   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - What if one Reel could generate sales without a landing page? 1:22 - Japan update: I wrestled a Sumo wrestler for the kids 2:40 - Why I started questioning everything about our Instagram strategy 3:08 - The drop-off problem: views but no sales 3:42 - The stat that stopped me cold (DM opt-in rates vs. landing pages) 4:06 - What if we just kept people inside Instagram? 4:38 - We tested it — opt-ins more than doubled 5:03 - Part 1: The high-converting content formula (hook + 3 teaching points + CTA + caption) 6:05 - Why you should never say "link in bio" again 6:41 - Caption structure: CTA as the first line 7:37 - Part 2: DM automation with ManyChat 8:06 - Why DMs crush landing pages (65-90% vs. 30-40%) 8:45 - How to set up the automation sequence 10:06 - Why instant responses build trust in 2026 10:14 - Part 3: The $7 impulse offer 10:58 - Order bumps and membership upsells on the back end 11:42 - The math: 100 opt-ins → $400/month recurring from one Reel 12:20 - Part 4: Repurpose the winners 13:00 - Next steps: Your 3-step action plan 13:36 - Experience this funnel yourself — DM me SUMMIT26 14:13 - Next week: Dean Graziosi's 680,000-registrant launch 14:45 - Full recap of the One-Post Funnel system   📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me  🎟️ FREE SUMMIT: Join Stu and 24 creators for the Audience to Income Summit (April 8-10, 2026): DM "SUMMIT26" to @stumclaren on Instagram or visit https://membership.io/summit    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    Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

I'm standing in one of the busiest subway stations in the world: Tokyo, rush hour, millions of people moving around me, and I don't speak a word of Japanese. But I knew exactly where I was going. And that experience taught me something about YOUR marketing. My family and I are traveling through Japan right now, and three things have stood out to me that apply directly to how you and I market our businesses. From the Tokyo subway system to a hotel booking gone wrong to our daughter who doesn't love traveling suddenly falling in love with a temple, each experience revealed a marketing principle that most of us are getting wrong. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why simplicity is the ultimate marketing strategy — and how to build a "color, letter, number" system for your business • How the gap between what you promise and what you deliver is quietly costing you customers (72% will switch after one confusing experience) • What Japan's culture of safety and cleanliness teaches us about building communities where members actually engage ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Standing in Tokyo's subway at rush hour 0:42 - Welcome to Marketing Your Business 1:18 - Setting the scene: A family of four in Tokyo 1:56 - Lesson 1: Simplicity is the ultimate marketing strategy 3:13 - The Tokyo subway's color-letter-number system 4:06 - What's the "color, letter, number" system for YOUR business? 4:18 - 7-Eleven's smoothie machine and effortless onboarding 5:00 - 72% of customers switch after one confusing experience 5:47 - Lesson 2: Close the gap between promise and delivery 6:12 - The hotel room that "accommodates five" 7:06 - When trust breaks down in your marketing 7:58 - 65% of customers switch when experience doesn't match the promise 8:27 - Lesson 3: When people feel safe, they open up 8:33 - Marla at Japan's oldest temple 9:27 - Japan's culture of cleanliness and safety 10:03 - What's the "cleanliness" of your community? 10:37 - The three big takeaways recap 11:00 - Your homework: Pick one and take action this week 11:15 - Join us for the free Audience to Income Summit 12:38 - Wrap-up 📥 RESOURCE: Grab the resources from this episode at https://podcast.stu.me 🎟️ FREE SUMMIT: Join Stu and 24 industry leading creators for the Audience to Income Summit (April 8-10, 2026) — https://membership.io/summit 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 Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Krystal Schouten launched her membership before anything was built—and it worked. She helps women stop peeing their pants (yes, really), and in this episode, she reveals the limiting belief that almost held her back. Krystal Schouten is a pelvic floor fitness specialist who helps women overcome incontinence and regain confidence. In this episode, she shares her journey from one-on-one personal training to launching a membership - including the fear that almost stopped her. We talk about: • The "welcome to motherhood" myth she's fighting against • How COVID forced her to pivot (and her mom pushed her to keep going) • The limiting belief "I can't be big" and where it comes from • The $2/day reframe that makes membership pricing accessible • Why she launched her membership before anything was built • How she handles the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship 📚 FREE RESOURCE: Get Krystal's Founding Member Launch Checklist + Pricing Reframe Script → https://podcast.stu.me   CONNECT WITH KRYSTAL: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/fitness.reset  • Website: https://fitnessresetinfo.com  • Membership: The Body Reset Method  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  Subscribe for new episodes every week.

What if four small changes to a single page could nearly double your conversion rate and cut your lead costs in half? That's exactly what happened when we stopped assuming and started testing. We had an opt-in page for our workshop that had been running for years. People were signing up, and we were happy with it. But working and working well are two very different things. It's like a car driving with the parking brake on... you're still moving, but you don't realize how much faster you could be going. So we got curious. We ran four split tests. Small changes, not a radical redesign. And the results surprised us. In this episode, you'll learn: • The headline swap that made the single biggest difference (and why "explicit benefit" beats "implicit benefit" every time) • Why we ditched the button-to-form setup that had been "best practice" for years • The short page vs. long page test, and why it won on a free opt-in • The social proof element most people skip that actually moved the needle This is part 2 of a two-part series. If you missed the last episode on the 6 webinar conversion points, go back and listen to that one first. It sets the stage for everything we cover here. 📥 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  Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.

My client Lisa came to me and said, "Stu, I am terrible at selling." She wanted to revamp her entire webinar presentation. But when we broke down the numbers, we found something she never expected.   Lisa wasn't bad at selling at all. Her close rate was actually strong. The real problem? She wasn't getting enough people into the room in the first place. It was a traffic and show-up problem, not a selling problem. And once we identified that, the solution became simple.   In this episode, I walk you through the 6 conversion points in any webinar funnel -- the chain of events that determines whether your webinar works or falls flat. Most business owners look at the whole thing and say "this isn't working." But when you break it down link by link, the answer becomes obvious.   In this episode, you'll learn: • The 6 conversion points in every webinar funnel (and how to diagnose each one) • Why "I'm bad at selling" is almost never the real problem • How to tell if your bottleneck is traffic, opt-in, show-up, stay-on, close, or follow-up • Why attendees who interact through Q&A and polls are 30% more likely to buy • The follow-up stat most people ignore: 25% of webinar sales happen after the event   📥 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    Subscribe and leave a review if this episode helped you.