VAULT · Member Journey Map
The end-to-end experience, from awareness to lifelong membership. Every stage, every touchpoint, every SOP anchor.
The eight stages
- Awareness — first impression outside the club
- Consideration — waitlist, tour, application
- Onboarding — the first 90 days
- Practice — the ongoing membership
- Community — belonging beyond the training floor
- Milestones — moments that anchor loyalty
- Retention — signals we watch, actions we take
- Alumni — for members who move away
Stage 1: Awareness
Where members first hear of VAULT: - Editorial press (Charlotte Magazine, Charlotte Observer lifestyle, Business North Carolina) - Social feeds via Taj’s influencer network and Trill’s dance world - Corporate wellness referrals from anchor accounts (BofA, Truist, Ally) - THE VAULT INVITATIONAL press and streaming (Y2+) - Word of mouth from founding members
Touchpoints owned: - Website (visual + copy standard per 01_BRAND) - IG @vaultclub (curated by Tia) - Press mentions - IG @thevaultinvitational (Y2+) - Corporate wellness sales collateral
Standard: Every touchpoint reads as one brand, one voice. No noise. See 01_BRAND/02_VOICE_AND_TONE.
Stage 2: Consideration
Waitlist (pre-open)
Landing page collects email, phone, referral source, and one-line “what draws you to VAULT.” Waitlist members get: - Confirmation email with brand story (from 01_BRAND/01) - Monthly progress emails during buildout (behind-the-scenes) - Early access to founding member application 90 days before soft open - Guaranteed founding member offer if application accepted
Tour + application
Once open, all new members tour by appointment. No walk-ins. Tour is: - 45 minutes with Director of Member Experience or dedicated Membership Concierge - Full facility walkthrough with arrival ritual delivered as if member (they leave having experienced the club, not been sold) - Discussion of practice goals, availability, tier fit - Application submitted online post-tour
Founding year application review: Every application read by Taj personally (creative director veto). Assumed acceptance ~85%. Rejections are principled, not arbitrary (fit, behavior on tour, incongruence with member community).
Acceptance + onboarding kickoff
Accepted members receive: - Welcome package via courier (VAULT-branded box, letterpressed acceptance card, membership wristband, first-visit reservation card, in-house apparel voucher) - Digital: app access provisioned, member profile setup wizard, calendar of intro sessions - Personal call from Director MX to schedule first visit
Stage 3: Onboarding (first 90 days)
Day 1 (first visit): - Full arrival ritual (01_ARRIVAL_RITUAL) - 60-minute intro session with Head of Programming (goals, current practice, physical assessment, class + recovery introduction) - Complimentary post-visit smoothie in members’ lounge with Director MX (or member of team) - Departure ritual (05_DEPARTURE_RITUAL)
Days 2-30: - Personalized class recommendations delivered via app - First recovery session included (choice of sauna, cold plunge, private steam) - Instructor introductions across pole, dance, gym, PT - One-on-one with Head of Programming at day 30 to review
Days 31-90: - One complimentary personal training session - Invitation to first community event (member mixer, class launch, member-hosted talk) - Retail credit ($100 toward apparel) for feedback interview at day 60 - Formal member profile completed with drink preference, favorite music, personal notes
End of day 90: - Milestone card + note from Taj on member’s cubby - Check-in with GM (5 minutes, on floor) to gauge experience - Referral offer activated (bring a guest, waived guest fee)
Stage 4: Practice (ongoing)
The primary state. Most members spend 90% of their VAULT lifespan here.
Typical week (Studio tier, active member): - 3-4 training visits (mix of pole, dance, gym, PT) - 1-2 recovery visits (sauna, cold plunge, steam) - 1 café or lounge visit (co-working, brunch, evening drinks) - Occasional guest brought
Every visit runs the full ritual: arrival → practice → recovery → departure.
Stage 5: Community
Members belong to more than their calendar. VAULT hosts monthly and quarterly programming:
- Monthly member mixer in the lounge (curated food + drink, Trill DJ or invited artist)
- Quarterly retreat off-site (Highlands, Blowing Rock, Charleston partner properties) at additional cost, members-only booking
- Quarterly member gallery night (art rotation reveal + wine)
- THE VAULT INVITATIONAL (annual, members get priority tickets + backstage hospitality)
- Athlete + artist salons (invited-only guest lectures, Trill-hosted with dance world figures)
- Corporate wellness member-employer bridges (BofA, Truist, Ally executive nights)
The lounge is not decoration. It is the third-space that makes VAULT sticky. Design intent: members choose to arrive early or stay late.
Stage 6: Milestones
Recognized moments that create memory:
- Membership anniversary: hand-signed card from Taj + Trill, small ritual (favorite drink brought to member’s next visit unannounced), retail credit
- Personal training milestones: progression cards for pole (first pull-up, first hold, first inversion), gym (first PR), dance (first solo). Card is embossed, presented at milestone by Head of Programming or GM.
- Referral milestones: first three referrals accepted → founder pin, quarterly retail credit; five referrals → free anniversary retreat trip; ten referrals → private lounge event
- Birthday: cake or seasonal dessert delivered from café, no announcement, notes from staff who know them
- THE VAULT INVITATIONAL debut: members who compete or place get their own recognition ritual at post-event
Stage 7: Retention
Signals we monitor: - Attendance frequency drop (visits per month falls below prior 90-day baseline) - Class variety collapse (member using one class only vs. broader practice) - No lounge or community event attendance for 90 days - Retail spend drop - Personal training discontinued - App engagement drop - No response to member outreach
Actions when signals fire: - Director MX outreach (not sales) with warmth. “We noticed we haven’t seen you. Anything we can help with?” - Offer of complimentary session (favorite class or PT) - Adjustment offers (tier change, pause option)
Pause > cancel policy: Members can pause membership up to 90 days per year for travel, injury, life. This retains long-term LTV. Cancel is offered honestly if pause doesn’t fit, no retention pressure. Aggressive retention scripts erode brand.
Stage 8: Alumni
Members who move away, cancel for real reasons, or take a season off remain in the alumni track: - Alumni-only email quarterly (Taj-signed, brand-facing not sales) - Alumni rate on retail apparel and digital membership - Invitation to VAULT INVITATIONAL each year - Reactivation offer 12 months post-cancel: no re-init fee, tier flexibility
Alumni are ambassadors. When they move to a market where VAULT franchises later, they are the founding introduction to that market.
The moments that matter most
Ranked by impact on retention (from member interview research at hospitality-first fitness brands):
- Day 1 arrival ritual
- Day 90 Taj note + Founder recognition
- First real relationship with an instructor
- First personal milestone celebrated
- First community event attended
- First recovery experience
- First guest brought
- First VAULT INVITATIONAL experience
If any of these misfire, retention drops. If all of these hit, member becomes lifelong.
The map on one page (for staff training)
AWARENESS → CONSIDERATION → ONBOARDING → PRACTICE → COMMUNITY → MILESTONES → RETENTION → ALUMNI
Owned by: Marketing Director MX Head of GM + Director MX Taj (personal All staff Taj + Tia
Programming Instructors touches)Every member is in one of these stages at all times. Every staff member knows which stage a member is in via the profile system. That is how consistency is delivered.