Are Membership Clubs Dead?

From London’s 17th-century gentleman’s clubs to the meteoric rise of Soho House, private membership clubs have always been about more than cocktails and couches—they’re cultural status symbols. But as Soho House goes private again in a $2.7 billion deal, the playbook for exclusivity is being rewritten. 

Today, Sammi unpacks the cracks in the traditional model and explores what’s next: hyper-niche communities, the luxury third-space economy, and the rise of the anti-club prioritizing privacy over paparazzi. Whether you’re eyeing a $10,000 waitlist or curious about how exclusivity itself is evolving, this episode reveals how the future of belonging is shifting from velvet ropes to invisible threads.

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Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 What Is the Ultimate Status Symbol?

00:48 From Coffee Houses to Soho House

02:21 The $2.7B Soho House Pivot

04:14 Cracks in the Exclusive Club Model

07:36 Hyper-Niche Clubs, Luxury Third Spaces, and the Anti-Club Movement

07:59 Sammi’s Predictions 

08:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

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