Crown BJJ: From Google Drive Links to a Structured Member Community in Under Four Weeks

The Challenge

Tournament photos at Crown BJJ were shared via Google Drive links sent to the entire member list, with no way to control who saw what or where files lived long-term. The member experience started and stopped at the door.

Client Background

• 500+ active gym members across adult and kids programs, with multiple disciplines including BJJ Fundamentals, BJJ Advanced, Muay Thai, and a competitive team
• An existing recurring revenue model with tiered memberships billed on contract, but no digital space tied to those tiers
• An active content operation including tournament photos, seminar recordings, newsletters, performance resources, and ongoing announcements, all without a central home

Key Challenges Faced

No Central Content Hub

Tournament photos were shared via Google Drive links sent to the entire member list, with no way to control who saw what or where files lived long-term.

Member Experience Started and Stopped at the Door

There was no digital space where members could connect, access resources, or feel part of the Crown community between sessions.

Tiered Membership Had No Digital Equivalent

Billing tiers existed, but there was no access-controlled platform to give members the right content for their level.

The Solution

TekConnected built a structured Circle.so community mapped to how Crown BJJ actually operates. Circle's native workflows, paywalls, and post categories replaced the need for separate email tools, file-sharing platforms, and manual tier management, requiring no additional tooling spend.

What Was Built

Tiered Access Architecture

Mapped to the existing membership model, covering free, standard, and premium tiers with space-level access control, so billing tiers finally had a digital equivalent.

Automated Member Onboarding

Email sequences guide new members through the platform without manual intervention, directing them to Start Here and their relevant training space within three days of joining.

Content Organization Systems

Post categories, space groups, and resource libraries so members find what they need without asking staff, with 58 post categories built and mapped across 16 spaces.

Community Structure Mirroring the Gym

Adult Training, Kids and Family, and Competition exist as separate spaces with private access.

Competition HQ

Consolidates upcoming tournaments, prep strategy, nutrition, and travel logistics in one private space the wider community cannot access.

Operational Documentation

Delivered at handover so Crown's team can manage the platform, post content, and onboard new members independently.

The underlying principle is that a community should run on systems, not on the owner's time.

Technology Stack

Results & Outcomes

Approximately 80% Reduction in Content Distribution Time

Tournament photos, seminar recordings, and announcements now live in one access-controlled space, with no more manually sending Google Drive links to 500 members.

Zero Manual Onboarding Steps

New members enter through an automated email sequence triggered on join, directing them to Start Here and their relevant training space within three days.

$0 in Additional Tooling

Circle’s native workflows, paywalls, and post categories replaced separate email tools, file-sharing platforms, and manual tier management.

58 Post Categories Built and Mapped Across 16 Spaces

Members can find exactly what they need without asking staff.

Strategic Impact

• Community structure now mirrors the gym’s real tiers: Adult Training, Kids and Family, and Competition are separate spaces with private access.
• Content is discoverable and evergreen, with seminar recordings, technique libraries, and recovery resources organized and findable rather than buried in group chats or old emails.
• SOP documentation delivered at handover, so Crown’s team can manage the platform, post content, and onboard new members without calling TekConnected.
• The competitive team has its own hub in Competition HQ, consolidating tournaments, prep strategy, nutrition, and travel logistics in one private space.

Who This Applies To

This build pattern fits an organisation that:

• Produces plenty of content that lives in the wrong places, so members stop looking for it
• Runs on fragmented tools such as Google Drive, WhatsApp groups, email threads, and text blasts that do not compound
• Bills members on recurring contracts without giving them a recurring experience between payments
• Has membership tiers with no access-controlled digital equivalent