Abundance+ created a Netflix-style membership community and 2X’ed their revenue

Justin started his content creation journey through his passion for being outdoors and documenting it, initially inspired by his background in mountain boarding. He learned video editing skills early on while producing his own mountain boarding videos, which led him to start a YouTube channel in 2016. 

He also started a blog along with his YouTube channel and built an email list to keep his audience engaged with regular updates, vlogs, and tips. 

With thousands of hours worth of recording videos, homesteading, and sharing stories, Justin’s YouTube channel has 1.08M subscribers as of writing this story. 

Like any other creator, Justin wanted to do more for his audience through his content and make a bigger impact. Justin’s passion for practical, educational, and inspirational content resonated deeply with the homesteading community, fueling his creator business. 

So while his blog and YouTube channel had become a launchpad, he scaled beyond those two channels to start his own membership community with Uscreen. 

With Uscreen's support, Justin Rhodes launched Abundance+, providing an exclusive membership community platform tailored to homesteaders. The Abundance+ app is on six different devices, including iOS, Android, and TV — so more people can enjoy and learn from his content in an easy and convenient way. 

“When we launched this business, we were dumpster diving. We were living on food assistance. We were growing our own food so that we could eat. We were maxing out credit cards. We were $20,000 to $30,000 in credit card debt and thinking, 'If this doesn’t work, we’re going to have to sell portions of the farm and still not know how we’re going to make it. So, launching our first product, being successful, and then discovering YouTube as a venue to create content, we realized that we could monetize it. Those two videos going viral early on brought us that first income, and we couldn't even believe it.” 

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+ 

Before Uscreen, Justin was running his membership website on WordPress using a combination of plugins and third-party applications. 

But scaling a membership website on a platform that’s primarily designed to host more straightforward websites is really hard. You don’t get tailored features that are intentionally designed for membership businesses, nor do you get the control or flexibility you’d need as a business owner.  

Justin’s membership felt like patchwork where he had to cobble together different plugins and third-party services to create a semblance of functionality. Each integration added complexity and increased the chances of things breaking, leading to constant maintenance. 

"While I was evaluating my move from my traditional member program software, I needed something that people could consume easily on a phone, not just through a browser or so through an app. And they could easily consume on TV and something that tied and communicated those things so you could start something on your phone, pause and eat dinner, finish it on your TV."

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

This WordPress setup simply couldn't scale to meet those demands.

Specifically, he had four challenges with his traditional membership site software: 

1. Limited Features: WordPress plugins often couldn't provide the level of control and community engagement required for his audience.
2. Complex Integrations: Justin had to rely on various third-party plugins for payment processing, video hosting, and community features, leading to a disjointed user experience.
3. Lack of Cross-Device Continuity: Users couldn't start watching on one device and continue seamlessly on another, impacting viewer retention.
4. Poor TV Compatibility: No easy way to provide a high-quality viewing experience like Netflix on smart TVs. 

"I wanted to take my membership area to a Netflix-style thing, and all I knew to do was ask Mr. Google Pants how to create a streaming platform. And there you were among several others."

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

Shifting from a simple WordPress-based membership to a full streaming service was a significant investment, with uncertainties about the outcome. 

After researching the top membership site platforms, Justin discovered Uscreen and was convinced of its potential right off the bat. Here was a platform designed explicitly for video streaming businesses, offering features like native apps, robust community tools, and seamless cross-device continuity — everything a video membership business owner, like Justin, needed to grow their business. 

In 2021, Justin decided to make the switch from his traditional platform to Uscreen: 

"I looked through all the others, and you know, you stood out and had a few phone calls and meetings. I ended up liking Uscreen—it seemed like you guys were really focused and had the market cornered."

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

The decision to switch to Uscreen marked a significant milestone for Justin and his brand, Abundance+. "Getting on the platform and figuring it out was incredibly easy. It was like creating a website with Wix or Squarespace—just plug and play. It was super easy," he says. But the real gamble was going beyond just a website to launching full-fledged apps.

"I had no idea what the apps would do because it's a whole other level. It's a whole other investment to go beyond just the website to the apps. It was one of those things where I had a sense that it would do well. I predicted that's where the future is going with entertainment and education. I just had to gamble with an educated guess and say, 'Let's do it.'"

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

Creating a Community

Justin knew that to compete with the "big dogs" like Netflix and Disney Plus, he had to niche down and focus on his unique audience. "The reason I launched the community is because that was a classic answer to a problem I experienced, where the solution wasn't there. How can we create a community so people are less lonely and have friends in the same space, like-minded people? So, I was meeting a need I had, realizing others had that need, and just going to town, coming up with the solution."

This idea of creating a space where like-minded people could connect led to Abundance+ becoming more than just a streaming platform. It became a home for sustainable, regenerative homesteading enthusiasts. "One way I think I stand out or compete with the big dogs — Netflix, Disney Plus — is to niche-ify. So, we're going at just one field, which is sustainable regenerative homesteading."

Delivering Value to the Audience via Streaming

The journey didn't stop at creating a community. Justin wanted to offer practical, step-by-step guidance to his audience while also providing inspiration through his challenges and triumphs. "People enjoy me going through the obstacles to get the garden in the ground, but then there are people who actually want to get the garden in the ground and want the step-by-step. So I created this member area for those instructional videos, and eventually, the member area evolved."

With Uscreen, he was able to expand Abundance+ into a full streaming service with seamless access across devices and a thriving community that engaged directly with his content. The platform empowered Justin to connect with his audience in a way he couldn't have imagined on WordPress.

The transition to Uscreen proved to be one of Justin's best business decisions:

"We went from $30,000 a month to over $130,000+ a month with the Abundance+ launch with Uscreen. When I look at that number, I am absolutely blown away and honored because that means I'm bringing a lot of service into the world. That's the measure of success."

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

Justin’s own desires and needs to have a high-quality Netflix-style show where he could sit down with his family and enjoy something on the television pushed him to deliver on the same need for his own audience. And Uscreen helped him turn his imagination into reality with the Abundance+ apps. 

Justin doubled his business in the first year and even doubled his YouTube views — call it the circle of creator businesses? What you put in one channel has a domino spike in the other.

"We're riding the wave of the future, and that future of entertainment and education is this individualized content. What Uscreen has done for the average creator has empowered them to not just have their own channel on YouTube — that's empowering enough — but now they can have their own platform, their own YouTube, their own Facebook, their own community. They have a better sense of ownership and community.

So, find the passion and pursue it consistently and patiently. Even though it's your passion, there are some days when it sucks, and you just have to keep going. Have the Nike mentality — just do it. Stop thinking so much."

-Justin Rhodes, Founder of Abundance+

Today, the journey continues. Justin Rhodes' Abundance+ is more than just a streaming platform; it's a vibrant community where sustainable living thrives, and its growth shows no sign of slowing down.

1. Embrace Vulnerability and Just Hit Publish:

Be willing to show both your successes and your failures. One of Justin's early viral videos was about a chicken dying on his farm. Despite fearing ridicule, he shared it anyway and found that people appreciated the honesty and related to the struggle. Just hit publish even if you're uncertain. If you're on the fence, post something tomorrow. Don't worry about perfection—just start sharing and refine your style as you grow.

"Be willing to show the good, the bad, and the ugly."

2. Treat It Like a Job and Keep Learning:

Treat your creative work like a job, even before it brings in income. Consistency is crucial, so pick up the camera even when you don't feel like it. Seek out mentors, read books, and listen to podcasts to keep improving your craft. Learn from those who have been where you want to go and implement their strategies.

"Treat it like a job, even when it's not a job."

3. Find Your Passion and Build Community:

Discover what you're passionate about and attach a servant's heart to it. Share your passion with others to complete your joy. Provide amazing value through your content, and build a community where like-minded people can connect and share their journey together.

"Find your passion and somehow attach a servant's heart to it."

Story Written By: Aarushi Singh