Episode 17 – Lurkers into Lifetime Members with Mike Tielemans

We’ve all got lurkers in our memberships—the ones who pay but stay silent, never post, never engage, and eventually cancel. In this episode, I sat down with one of the most brilliant minds in membership retention, Mike Tielemans, co-creator of the Tribe Method and co-author of 27 Tribe Secrets. He helped me build the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood into a retention machine—and today, we’re sharing how YOU can do the same. From crafting emotional onramps to designing rituals that turn customers into tribe members for life, this one’s a masterclass. Inside this episode, we dive into:

• How to convert silent lurkers into loyal, engaged tribe members
• Why most memberships fail at onboarding—and how to fix it with MRR
• The psychological triggers that drive retention and long-term engagement
• How to use rituals, rewards, and messaging to build a thriving community

Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channel: https://tribemembershippodcast.com/captivate-podcast/episode-17-lurkers-into-lifetime-members-with-mike-tielemans/ Subscribe and Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tribe-membership-show/id1789584393 Subscribe and Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BQ6TZeRRT3hIoIxsa9jsj Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Tribe Membership Show
• 00:55 Meet Mike Tielemans: Co-Creator of the Tribe Method
• 01:58 Mike's Origin Story: From High School to Digital Marketing
• 03:46 The Journey to Building Successful Memberships
• 07:07 The Importance of Indoctrination in Building a Tribe
• 10:23 Creating a Strong Community Identity
• 14:16 The Power of Rewards and Milestones
• 28:47 The Role of Gamification in Member Engagement
• 32:16 Exclusive Rewards and Status
• 33:01 The Power of Gamification
• 34:02 Launching a Sleep Challenge
• 35:22 The Importance of Rituals
• 38:19 Creating Community Engagement
• 48:47 Reigniting Lurkers with Challenges
• 53:59 The Role of AI in Fitness Communities
• 01:00:38 Building a Lasting Tribe