Vetted Beats Exclusive

Chief is a community-based business focused on senior executive women, with a unique approach to building an elite network while avoiding traditional exclusivity. Here's their framework for building a high-value community.

Core Business Model

• Membership costs $5-8k annually
• Companies typically sponsor the membership
• Core groups of 10 members meet monthly with executive coach
• Currently ~15,000 members with 60,000 person waitlist
• Revenue estimated $60-100M in recurring revenue within 3 years

Vetted vs Exclusive Approach

• Position as "vetted" not "exclusive" community
• Focus on VP-level and above executives
• Members naturally fall into mentor positions
• Careful curation of peer groups for maximum benefit
• Strict vetting ensures peer-level quality

Brand Building Strategy

• Minimal social media presence (LinkedIn only)
• No traditional marketing/hype
• Focus on showcasing members over founders
• Physical spaces initially used to establish brand presence
• Word-of-mouth as primary growth driver

Community Engagement Tactics

• Started with Slack for initial community building
• Moved to proprietary platform in 2020
• Built-in utility drives regular engagement
  • Monthly core group meetings
  • Resource sharing
  • Hiring networks
  • Professional services referrals
• Focus on practical value over social scrolling

Value Proposition

• Addresses "lonely at the top" problem for senior women
• Companies see it as cost-effective vs traditional executive coaching ($30k/6mo)
• Creates strong retention incentive for companies
  • Refusing to sponsor sends negative signal to valuable employees
  • Sponsorship shows investment in top talent