Case Study: Launching a Thriving Membership Community on Heartbeat — From Idea to 78 Members

Brianna Leever
Sep 3
4 min read

Updated: Sep 9

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Client: Ligare

Project: New Online Community Launch

Platform: Heartbeat

Outcomes: 78 members, 240 registrations for the kickoff event, and a National media feature

“The most important thing to me was the handholding. I don’t have a tech background, so knowing where to start and where to go next was incredibly helpful.” — Megan, Ligare

The Challenge: Building a Meaningful Online Community for the Christian Psychedelic Society

When the Christian Psychedelic Society approached me to help build their community, I instinctively knew I was the perfect fit for the job. Megan, the priest leading this effort, is a natural community-builder. She thrives on creating authentic connections in person. But translating those skills to the online world was unfamiliar and daunting for her and the team.

We were not just launching another online group. We were creating an authentic, open-hearted membership community designed to foster meaningful experiences and sustainable growth, while honoring their unique mission and identity. The question wasn’t just how to build an engaging platform but how to do it without a tech background or a clear roadmap.

Many facing this kind of challenge might “fake it till they make it,” or throw more content out into the void. Megan took a different path. She owned her lack of knowledge and chose to learn from a community strategist. She admitted, “I don’t know what I don’t know,” and that honesty set her community up for success. Within the first month, their community generated more than triple the investment cost of our strategy sessions.

Megan and her team knew they wanted to create a membership community that would be an open-hearted space for connection.

The vision was clear; the “how” was overwhelming:

Which platform to choose: Circle or Heartbeat?
How to structure onboarding so new members feel truly welcome?
How to manage the steep learning curve of a new community platform?

“I knew I wanted to start a platform, but was unsure whether to choose Circle or Heartbeat. When I Googled for guidance, your articles stood out—they were so organized and answered all the questions I’d been asking. Those articles were helpful, but it quickly became clear we needed support beyond just reading.”

That’s where working together made all the difference.

Membership Community on Heartbeat — Click the image to read the article

The Approach: A Guided Roadmap with a Community Strategist

Working together, I provided both strategy and hands-on, step-by-step implementation. Megan described the support as focused mentorship, essential to moving from vision to reality without getting lost in tech overwhelm.

Four key areas shaped our collaboration:

Platform Selection: After reviewing options, I guided Megan and her team to launch on Heartbeat, valuing its intuitive design and responsive support.
Structured Roadmap: Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, I created an arc to the journey: start here, then move there. This clarity helped avoid spinning wheels.
Launch Support: As we approached the launch, with time growing short, I offered precise tech solutions and hands-on assistance to ensure everything progressed smoothly.
Community Strategy Tips: Beyond tech, I shared tactics to translate in-person connection into online engagement, like turning quick chat prompts from live events into thoughtful discussion threads within the community to encourage sustained and meaningful participation.

The Results: Early Growth & National Recognition

In just two weeks, Ligare’s new community saw remarkable traction:

78 paying members joined at $150/year or $40/quarter
240 registrations for the kickoff event, with 80 attending live
A feature in The New Yorker, spotlighting Ligare and its mission (our team didn’t have anything to do with this feature, but it’s worth noting their team’s success in getting the exposure!)
Members described as “super open-hearted and thoughtful,” creating a mix that exceeded expectations

Insights: The Difference a Community Strategist Makes

For Megan, the biggest realization was that online community-building is its own craft.

“Running an online community is like dating in the era of apps. You might be great in person, but online requires different tips and tricks. Bri gave me the tools and awareness to start learning this craft.”

Key Learnings from building a Membership Community

Expert guidance flattens the learning curve. Working with a community strategist keeps the process focused: we anticipate the stressors and roadblocks ahead so you don’t have to.
Structure creates momentum. A roadmap transforms “where do I start?” into confident action.
Engagement begins on day one. Turning member enthusiasm into long-term connection requires a thoughtful strategy.
Authenticity is everything. Megan appreciated that Bri honored their mission and helped them avoid cookie-cutter approaches.

“My biggest reservation was protecting the authenticity of the community in a space that often tries to commodify it. Bri honored where we were coming from.” — Megan

What’s Next

With early momentum, Ligare’s focus is shifting to nurturing deeper discussions, fine-tuning event workflows, and converting its newsletter audience of 2,500 into new paying members.

Ready to Build Your Own Community?

Ember Consulting provides strategy, technical guidance, and implementation, enabling you to launch your membership community with confidence and clarity.

Book a discovery call with Bri