"Joel, check this out." "Brett, you've got to read this." "Hey, here's something I saw online and it made me think about what we were talking about." These are the kinds of texts we send back and forth.

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The subjects are all over the place: leadership, hospitality, psychology, governance, design, sports, architecture, service, family, culture, golf, or something completely unrelated that somehow connects back to clubs.

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One Good Idea grew out of those conversations.

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Joel Livingood is a longtime club executive and CEO whose career has centered on leading complex organizations through periods of change, growth, and reinvention. His work has included governance, operations, culture, capital projects, member experience, and the balancing act between long-term stewardship and day-to-day expectations.

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Brett Posten comes from the world of brand strategy and marketing, advising organizations on alignment, leadership, positioning, and experience design. Much of his work has focused on luxury brands, cultural institutions, hospitality, and organizations where expectations are high and details matter. He is also a board member at his own club, and helped lead a massive renovation of their historic golf course.

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Outside of work, both are deeply engaged in club life itself — as leaders, members, observers, and students of the industry.

 

When we first met, the conversation centered around best practices in the private club industry. Over time, it expanded well beyond clubs themselves. We became increasingly interested in how great organizations operate under pressure. How leaders build trust. How culture is reinforced. How standards are maintained. How organizations evolve without losing their identity. And how good ideas often come from outside the industry entirely.

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Like most industries, clubs can fall into an echo chamber over time. The same ideas circulate. The same assumptions get repeated. The same conversations happen again and again.

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One Good Idea was created to widen the lens.

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Not because clubs should become corporations. And not because every outside idea is automatically good. But because clubs are complicated, deeply human organizations, and sometimes the most useful perspective comes from somewhere unexpected.

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Part of what makes clubs interesting is the tension itself: boards and management, tradition and progress, member expectations and operational realities. Leadership inside that environment is nuanced. The best leaders know how to listen, adapt, communicate, and evolve without losing what makes a club special in the first place.

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Our perspective comes from both sides of the table: one from the GM world and one from the member and board world. That creates conversations that are more honest, more balanced, and more grounded in the realities of how clubs actually work.

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The platform probably sits somewhere between TED, MasterClass, and YPO: thoughtful ideas, experienced leaders, and conversations designed for people who value candor, curiosity, and continuous learning.

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We’re not here to give answers, but rather share examples. Less: “Here’s exactly what your club should do.” More: “Here’s an idea worth thinking about.” We trust that you can connect the dots according to your own situation.