Why Connection Trumps Content

Many leaders believe that adding more resources will solve engagement issues. However, without a foundation of trust, even the best content falls flat. If you want to drive real action, you must make your members and your team feel something again.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

We move past the "fluff" and get straight into practical, human-centric strategies:

•    All Carrots, No Sticks: Discover real-world strategies that build connection without the pressure of traditional corporate "must-dos.
•    Habits for Loyalty: Learn simple, repeatable habits that transform basic engagement into long-term member loyalty.
•    Authentic Leadership: Understand why being a "human" leader matters more than ever in an increasingly automated industry.

Meet the Guest: Ginger "Vitamin G" Johnson

Drawing from a fascinating background as a firefighter, art teacher, and retail executive, Ginger Johnson now serves as a "Chief Connecting Officer."

Known as "Vitamin G" for her high-energy approach, Ginger specializes in the power of genuine connection. She helps organizations build cultures of belonging where every person feels seen and valued. Through her dynamic storytelling, she provides the roadmap for teams to move toward a shared, authentic vision.

About Your Host: Farhad Khan

Farhad Khan, CEO of Member Lounge, hosts this exploration into association innovation. With his deep expertise in association technology and community engagement, Farhad helps organizations cut through the noise. His goal is to help you implement practical strategies that ensure your association is future-ready and human-focused.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

🎯 The AMPLIFII Formula™ - Frame, Message, and Tie-Down techniques that cut through digital noise
🧩 The Narrative Gap Phenomenon - Fill the spaces where people naturally create stories and become the voice they trust
🔥 Your Origin Story as a Weapon - Why your personal journey beats even the most polished AI-generated content
🧠 The Neuroscience of Human Connection - How authenticity and emotional intelligence spark real influence
📱 Social Media Strategy for Humans - Practical frameworks to stand out in AI-saturated feeds

Meet the Guest:

René Rodriguez is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and leadership advisor who has spent years researching and applying behavioral neuroscience to some of the toughest challenges in leadership, sales, and change. René helps individuals and organizations amplify their influence by mastering the art of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and authentic connection.

Meet the Host:

Farhad Khan, CEO of Member Lounge, brings his deep experience in association tech, community engagement, and AI implementation to guide the conversation. With a passion for practical innovation, Farhad helps associations cut through the noise and build future-ready strategies.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

✅ The impact of AI on content creation and association engagement

✅ Why fostering community is more crucial than ever

✅ Practical strategies to strengthen member connections in the AI era

Meet the Guest: Jonathan Milne

We’re excited to welcome Jonathan Milne, VP of AI Services at Demand Spring, where he helps B2B marketing leaders implement AI strategies that drive real results. With over 20 years at the intersection of marketing and technology, Jonathan has led enterprise clients through complex MarTech implementations and data-driven marketing strategies. A recognized thought leader and Top 40 Under 40 honoree, he frequently speaks at industry events like MarketingProfs B2B Forum and B2B Marketing Exchange.

Co-host: Bruce Rosenthal

Joining us as co-host is Bruce Rosenthal, a seasoned consultant specializing in association partnerships and sponsorships. Bruce has a rich history of developing successful non-dues revenue programs and is a recognized thought leader in the field. His expertise complements our discussion, providing practical insights into revenue strategies that drive member engagement.

Your Host: Farhad Khan

This episode will be hosted by Farhad Khan, CEO of Member Lounge. As an expert in association technology and engagement, Farhad has worked with countless organizations to help them leverage AI, community-building, and innovative revenue strategies to drive long-term success. Passionate about helping associations grow, Farhad brings deep industry knowledge and insightful perspectives to the conversation.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry leaders. Tune in and discover how associations can stay ahead by prioritizing community in the AI era!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Meet the Guest: Gerald Bramm
Gerald Bramm is the founder and principal of Bramm Research, where he has led hundreds of research projects across Canada and the U.S. for more than 20 years. His expertise spans the full spectrum of survey research: from large-scale online surveys to in-depth interviews and focus groups. Gerald brings a unique blend of data expertise and sector knowledge that makes him especially well-equipped to uncover and interpret the realities facing associations today.

Your Host: Farhad Khan
Farhad Khan, CEO of Member Lounge, brings his deep experience in association tech, community engagement, and AI implementation to guide the conversation. With a passion for practical innovation, Farhad helps associations cut through the noise and build future-ready strategies.

If you’ve been wondering where your association stands or where to even begin, this episode is for you. Tune in to get the data, the context, and the clarity you need to take your next step with AI.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

A behind-the-scenes look at Bruce's approach to customized, consultative partnerships reinforced with a marketing agency model

A discussion on how to increase and diversify revenue without compromising your association’s mission and values

Strategies to create lasting value for both sponsors and members

Real-world lessons on navigating economic shifts and evolving sponsor expectations

This book is already being called a game-changer by industry leaders. Don’t miss your chance to listen to the author and rethink what’s possible with corporate sponsorships.

View the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7FRB736

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Why Conferences Are Just the Beginning
Associations often treat the annual conference as the finish line—but it should be the kickoff. Learn how to think of your conference as a tactic, not the end goal, and build a strategy that maximizes its value all year.

Segmenting Smarter, Not Harder
Forget overcomplicated surveys. Bob shares how to segment your audience just by observing what they do—what sessions they attend, what content they engage with—so you can follow up with hyper-relevant programming, webinars, and more.

Turning Engagement Signals into Action
You already have the data you need. Whether it’s session check-ins, Q&A participation, or content downloads, learn how to use simple insights to fuel personalized outreach and better post-event experiences.

Curated Connections That Actually Work
From topic lounges to post-event discussion groups, discover how to create intentional, topic-driven networking that beats random hallway encounters—and gives sponsors more meaningful exposure.

Repurposing Content Like a Pro
Most breakout sessions vanish after the event. Not anymore. Get tips on how to record content with just a smartphone, generate transcripts with AI, and turn your best sessions into ongoing webinars, blog posts, and more.

Breaking the Mental Blocks Around Year-Round Engagement
Think it's too hard to engage members year-round? Think again. Farhad shares the mindset shifts—and modern tools—that make it easier than ever to keep delivering value beyond the three-day conference.

About Our Guests
Bob Vaez is the Founder and CEO of EventMobi, a leading event technology platform used by associations worldwide. With over 15 years of experience supporting mid-sized conferences, Bob is passionate about building tools that go beyond logistics and create lasting connections among members.

Bruce Rosenthal is a seasoned sponsorship strategist who helps associations increase non-dues revenue while enhancing member value. With decades of experience both in-house and as a consultant, Bruce brings practical, results-driven insights to the world of partnerships and engagement.

Don’t miss this energizing conversation that will change how you think about conferences—and what comes next.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Discover Technology Trends: Learn about emerging trends, including AI's role in delivering timely, relevant content and its potential to solve key challenges faced by associations today. 

Explore AI-Powered Engagement: See how features like Expert Connections AI are transforming community interactions by connecting members with expertise in real time. 

Navigate Digital Transformation: Get practical tips for adopting tools like Grain for meeting summaries and Descript for effortless video editing to enhance your operations. 

Stay Ahead of the Curve: Understand how to identify opportunities and implement solutions that future-proof your organization, even with a lean team. 

Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just starting your digital transformation journey, this episode is packed with actionable insights tailored to your needs. 🤖 

Tune in now to future-proof your association and supercharge member engagement! 
 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Mapping Out Member Journeys for Better Engagement: Each interaction, from attending a webinar to navigating your association's website, contributes to a broader member journey. Learn how associations can map these touchpoints to ensure every experience is both valuable and enjoyable.

The Role of Technology in Personalizing Engagement: Member Lounge’s innovative use of AI, like knowledge mapping and smart tagging, ensures content and resources are tailored to individual member interests. Discover how this approach minimizes content overload while maximizing relevance.

Keeping Busy Members Engaged: Time constraints don’t have to mean disengagement. Explore practical solutions such as offering on-demand content, summarizing key events, and fostering small, focused special interest groups to keep members connected.

Using Data and Machine Learning to Understand Member Behavior: Machine learning isn't just a buzzword; it's a tool to analyze member activity, predict needs, and provide proactive solutions. Find out how data-driven strategies can transform member interactions.

Unconventional Engagement Tactics That Work: From gamified experiences to pop-up challenges and breakout discussions during webinars, these creative approaches help associations stand out while fostering deeper member relationships.

Whether you’re looking to streamline member journeys, leverage AI for smarter engagement, or try fresh engagement strategies, this episode is packed with actionable insights for association professionals.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Why Communication Goals Matter: Every communication strategy should start with a clear goal. Farra explains how understanding your organizational needs, such as increasing retention or improving brand awareness, provides a crucial foundation for success.

The Importance of Audience Prioritization: Not all audiences are the same. Learn how to categorize your audience into groups you must engage, should engage, and could engage, and how to tailor your communication tactics to meet their needs effectively.

Channel Optimization for Maximum Impact: Whether it’s newsletters, social media, or a member portal, Farra emphasizes the importance of choosing the right channels for your audience and ensuring your efforts are both focused and sustainable.

Creating Data-Informed Strategies: Good data doesn’t just tell you what happened—it guides your next steps. Discover how to gather and analyze feedback from your members to refine your communication approach and improve outcomes.

Building Evergreen Communication Practices: Farra highlights the importance of developing timeless strategies and tools that can adapt to changing contexts while maintaining consistent engagement and support for your members.

About Our Guest

Farra Trompeter is the Co-Director of Big Duck Agency, where she has spent over 17 years helping nonprofits and membership organizations build stronger brands and communication strategies. As a worker-owner at Big Duck, Farra is deeply committed to using communications as a tool for mission-driven success, addressing areas such as fundraising, community engagement, and organizational growth.

A frequent speaker and podcast host herself, Farra brings a wealth of experience and insight to the Member Lounge podcast. Based in New York, Big Duck has become a virtual company, emphasizing collaboration and innovation in nonprofit communications.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Unique Cybersecurity Challenges for Associations: Discover the specific risks associations face when handling sensitive member data. Learn how outdated processes and inadequate security measures can expose your organization to breaches.

Leveraging Training for Cybersecurity Preparedness: Explore the importance of baseline and refresher courses for staff and members to recognize phishing scams and data vulnerabilities. Understand why training is crucial to fostering a culture of vigilance.

Implementing Effective Security Policies: From enforcing password protection and multi-factor authentication to storing sensitive files online, learn best practices for safeguarding your organization’s data.

Engaging Vendors for Cybersecurity Compliance: Understand how to assess and collaborate with third-party vendors to ensure they meet the latest security standards and contribute to your organization’s safety.

Navigating Emerging AI Threats: Dive into the growing risks posed by AI technologies, including deepfake scams and identity fraud, and discover proactive measures to mitigate these threats.

About Our Guest

Dan Giurescu is the Founder of Credivera and a seasoned expert in the tech industry, with over 20 years of experience building and scaling technology companies. Dan is passionate about giving back to the community and is dedicated to helping organizations understand and combat the unique challenges of cybersecurity. In this episode, he shares actionable insights on how associations can protect their members’ data and adapt to the evolving technological landscape.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

1. The Importance of Personalized Member Journeys: different member types require different kinds of interaction. Creating personalized experiences is crucial for engagement, and eventually retention. Learn more about a holistic member journey and discover the best practices to engage different membership types.
2. The Role of Technology in Enhancing Member Journeys: It’s time to transition to Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) from traditional Content Management Systems to build dynamic and personalized member experiences. Find out how DXPs make membership management a breeze while making the experience more relevant to each member.
3. A Seamless Member Experience: Think Netflix for your membership website. Your members desire an experience where they can quickly find what they need. Discover the key engagement features for your member portal that can greatly improve member engagement.
4. Benefits of Integrated Systems: Make it easier for your members to access the information they need without logging into multiple systems. Unlock a seamless member experience by integrating different systems like CRM, LMS and DXP. Unlock consistency and a unified experience through a connected ecosystem.
5. Challenges in Implementing New Technologies: Adopting to technology changes is always hard. Getting your staff on board is challenging, especially those who may be resistant to change. Learn how you can encourage your team to adopt new platforms and simplify your membership management and engagement tactics.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

1. Strategic Planning and Data Utilization for Purposeful Abandonment

Learn how to effectively use data to identify when a project or offering has become more of a burden than benefit.  Leverage external information from studies, consultants, or your competitors to drive meaningful engagement within your association.

2. Adapt to Multigenerational Membership and Leadership for Consensus Building

Understand the needs of segmenting membership to cater to different age groups within the association. Learn how you can build consensus on what initiatives to cut by considering the needs of both legacy and younger members.

3. Deliver Tangible Value and Benefits to Members Through Resource Reallocation

Members seek actionable and tangible benefits from their membership. Learn how to reallocate resources to initiatives that provide real value such as networking opportunities, mentoring programs, and other relationship-building activities.

4. Assess Program Effectiveness for Smooth Sunsetting

Securing sponsors and fundraising is not enough to save a project. It’s important to address the core issues and evaluate the effectiveness and financial viability of initiatives. Learn how you can identify underperforming offerings for potential abandonment.

5. Balance Personal and Professional Dynamics in Decision-Making

Navigate the intersection of personal and professional dynamics for your association’s success. Remove personal bias and focus on objective, data-driven decision-making for your association’s best interests and strategic goals.

________________________________________

About the Guest:

Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, is an influential strategic specialist who served as an impactful senior staff member for several trade and individual membership associations, both domestic and international. She leverages a record of transformative success and specializes in strategic planning, leadership development, and engagement.

As an association management executive for more than 20 years, she delivers strategic and actionable innovations, future-focused member engagement solutions, and tactical operational effectiveness solutions.

With a unique background in components, Pratt is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), has earned her Certified Virtual Facilitator designation from the International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC), and holds a MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

________________________________________

About the Host

Farhad Khan is the CEO & Membership Strategist at Grype Digital. He has helped numerous associations automate member engagement and retention over his career of 15+ years.

With his expertise in digital strategies and membership websites, he led Member Lounge to become one of Ottawa's Fastest Growing Companies in 2024.

Farhad was awarded the Bootstrap Awards for Best Guerrilla Marketing, and an Entrepreneurial Rising Star by Invest Ottawa. He is also a 2016 Top Forty Under 40 award Honoree by Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

• Deepen Your Understanding of Member Engagement: Engagement metrics often miss member expertise. Go beyond transactions, track member contributions. Learn how engagement data can align your member engagement with your association’s goals. Lowell shares how having deeper forms of engagement can foster deeper connections and a boost member experience.
• Unlock the Full Potential of Your Leadership: Partnership with experts to develop governance structures can fast track your success. Learn how you can empower leaders to foster collaboration and communication by using professional facilitation techniques. Achieve association excellence by strategically structuring your leadership.
• Explore Volunteerism Within Your Association: Discover best practices to encourage volunteer contributions within your association. Maximize their impact with clear strategies, while fostering engagement and leadership development. Drive your association’s success by offering meaningful opportunities to volunteers.
• Plan for Growth, Design for Engagement: Develop a strategic plan to drive engagement within your association that expands your membership. Design member journeys and experiences that cater to the needs of your members. “There is a myth that growth just happens organically… real growth happens by careful planning and design”
• Chart Vision & Action for Your Association’s Success: Crafting a clear strategic vision defining your association’s long-term goals is the key to your success. Uncover strategies to align your daily actions with your association’s roadmap. The focus will guarantee saving your time and resources.

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About the Guest:

Lowell Aplebaum, CEO of Vista Cova, is an expert facilitator, vision & strategy catalyst. He has worked with hundreds of associations of all sizes guiding leaders, members, and staff through facilitation, keynoting, and collaboration.

Lowell is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and currently studying to achieve his Doctorate of Education in Leadership. He is the former Chief

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Find out why it is important to set a higher standard of stewardship for navigating future challenges.

Discover key strategies to keep board members engaged between meetings with technology for continuous communication.

Ensure board meetings are productive and focused on strategic decisions rather than administrative details.

Foresight and Future-Oriented Governance

Understand the concept of the duty of foresight for board members. Learn why boards need to adapt and continuously rethink their purpose and approach to overcome emerging challenges.

Learn to foster a culture of learning, and engage in continuous improvement practices for long-term success.

Recruitment, Onboarding, and Board Composition

Learn how to assemble the board with the right mix of skills and perspectives.

Explore strategies to maintain continuity and building a cohesive board culture despite changes in board composition.

Encourage the use of technology, including AI, to streamline board operations and improve efficiency. Find out the ethical considerations in technology adoption board members should identify and resolve.

Board’s Role in Membership Engagement and Technology Adoption

Enhance the role of the board in supporting strategies for member engagement, and leveraging membership management systems to automate and enhance engagement efforts.

Why the board plays a critical role in ensuring aligning technology adoption with the organization’s mission and ethical standards.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

• Navigating Challenges: The landscape of member engagement is evolving, presenting new challenges. The solution lies in a dual focus on delivering value and implementing effective engagement strategies.
• Diverse Engagement Tactics: Acknowledge the diversity within your membership, including those not fully embracing technology. Initiate a volunteer journey, starting with smaller roles, to cultivate engagement.

2. Corporate Sponsorship Unveiled:

• Strategic Approaches: Moving corporate members into sponsorship programs requires a nuanced strategy. Understand their unique goals, involve them in the decision-making process, and gradually progress sponsorship levels.
• Customization is Key: Recognize that corporate goals evolve. Tailor engagement for sponsors, offering customized opportunities that align with their shifting objectives.
• Inclusive Conversations: Break away from traditional sponsorship models. Engage sponsors in meaningful conversations, making them integral to strategic planning and committees.

3. Unraveling Member and Sponsor Objectives:

• Qualitative Research for Members: Dive deep into member experiences through qualitative research. Understand their challenges, goals, and preferences to create tailored programs that add significant value.
• Strategic Business Alignment: For sponsors, inquire about their business objectives, marketing goals, and preferred outreach methods. Align association offerings with their unique needs.
• Beyond Traditional Models: Shift the conversation beyond traditional sponsorship. Explore innovative, customized opportunities that cater to sponsors' evolving goals.

4. Navigating the Technology Landscape:

• Challenge Assumptions: Rethink assumptions about member technology use. Bridge gaps by meeting members where they are, and employ a multichannel approach.
• Seamless Multichannel Engagement: Utilize various channels such as SMS and email to engage members seamlessly, respecting their channel preferences and ensuring a cohesive experience.

5. Elevating Conference Sponsorships:

• Personalized Engagement: Steer clear of a one-size-fits-all approach in conference sponsorships. Understand each sponsor's unique goals and objectives for a personalized experience.
• Value Beyond Logos: Go beyond logo placements; sponsors desire active involvement. Make them part of the conversation, provide tangible value, and involve them in strategic discussions.

6. Evolution in Continuous Engagement:

• Sustaining Dialogue: Establish ongoing dialogues with both members and sponsors. Regularly reassess their needs to adapt programs and ensure continued success.
• Dynamic Reassessment: Continuously revisit conversations with sponsors. Understand changes in their initiatives and audience focus, allowing for dynamic adjustments.

About our panel members:

Amanda Kaiser is a sought-after member engagement strategist. She is the Keynote Speaker & Engagement Strategist at Kaiser Insights LLC and the author of “Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community”. 

Bruce Rosenthal is the Founder & Convener at Partnership Professionals Network. Bruce is a corporate partnership and sponsorship guru with more than two decades of experience as a strategic advisor, consultant and education for trade and professional associations. 

About our host:

Farhad Khan is a thought leader in membership websites and digital strategies for associations. He is the CEO & Membership Strategist at Grype Digital. He has helped numerous associations automate member engagement and retention over his career of 12+ years.

As you embark on your association's journey, remember that Member Lounge is your steadfast ally, ready to support the implementation of these strategic insights for unparalleled success! 🌐💬 #MemberEngagement #SponsorshipSuccess #AssociationStrategies #LearningPost

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

• Emphasizes diverse communication channels.
• Focuses on personalized messaging to prospective members.

Member Value Documentation

• Stresses the importance of understanding members' needs and values.
• Suggests regular updates and adaptations to these values.

Technology in Member Engagement

• Discusses leveraging digital platforms for enhanced member interaction.
• Highlights the use of data analytics for better engagement strategies.

Creating Vibrant Member Communities

• Advocates for building active, engaging online and offline member communities.
• Emphasizes regular events and forums for member interaction.

Tailored Communication for Different Segments

• Addresses the need to understand various member segments.
• Suggests customized communication strategies for each segment.

About our panel members: 

Scott Oser is the President of Scott Oser Associates Inc. Scott has spent the past 25 years working with hundreds of associations. He is an accomplished speaker, writer, and respected authority in the membership communication space. 

Farhad Khan is the CEO & Membership Strategist at Grype Digital. He is a thought leader in membership strategy and an expert in membership consultation helping associations automate member engagement and retention. 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

• Adopting more modern and interconnected tools to create a seamless member journey and boost team efficiency.
• Strategic approach to technology selection in your association to ensure it meets the needs of your members.
• Empower your team by choosing technology systems that boost job satisfaction and productivity.
• Navigating association management software challenges to maintain a high-quality member experience.
• Current trends and future of association management technology to enrich your association’s experience

About Our Guest:

Co-Founder & CEO of Wicket, Jeff is a passionate advocate and change agent for software solutions available to member-driven organizations. He has been working with digital technologies for over 20 years and has helped numerous associations and nonprofits increase member acquisition and engagement.

About Our Host:

Farhad Khan is the CEO & Membership Strategist at Grype Digital. He is one of the thought leaders in digital strategy consultation, helping associations automate member engagement and retention.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Explore creative financial strategies to generate revenue for your association through automated marketing. Get invaluable insights into the best practices to engage and retain your stakeholders!

Learn how to attract sponsors whose goals align with your association's mission while maintaining member happiness with the power of state-of-the-art marketing tools.

Meet the experts in sponsorship, business development and marketing: 

Edward Byers is the Director of Membership at the Canadian Society of Association Executives. He is a passionate non-for-profit executive who has a significant role in boosting partnerships in the association realm. 

Lydia Israel is the marketing manager at Grype Digital, who is also an expert in agile marketing and business development. She has led both local and international organizations to immeasurable success in her 20 years of career.

Connect with the Experts!

The Member Lounge Discussion Community is not just a platform, it’s a hub of innovation and collaboration. Connect with the brightest minds in the association world and explore game-changing strategies to boost your association’s success. 

Engage in conversations to get the answers to your burning questions. Whether it’s pricing for your association or governance or technology planning, there’s a space for every topic!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

About our Guest
Leona Scott is a content connoisseur with passion and expertise in membership and content creation. 

She founded JEP Marketing Communication and has helped numerous member-based associations with content marketing needs.

Leona has won the Dallas Fort Worth Association Executives (DFWAE) 2023 Award for her brilliant marketing and communication efforts in the association realm and the President's Award for her excellent skills in developing popular online monthly meetups that created incredible value for its members.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Looking to level up your fundraising game? Try creative sponsorship options into your fundraising plan and create new opportunities for growth and revenue. 

With our proven strategies and tips, you'll learn how to create a winning formula that works. It's all about leveraging their content and tapping into their expertise to create even more value for your association and grow your membership.

Don't miss out on the chance to take your fundraising to new heights!

About Our Guest 

Bruce Rosenthal is a highly sought-after corporate partnerships strategic advisor, consultant, and educator who has been advancing corporate partnership programs for more than two decades.

He is the co-convener of the Partnership Professionals Network (PPN), a national sponsorship/partnership organization, where he demonstrates leadership in identifying and cultivating partnership best practices, opportunities, and solutions. 

Bruce helps organizations develop customized corporate partnership programs that increase revenue, add member value, and foster organizational sustainability. 

We talked about

• How do I get started when my group has really not had a sponsorship program?
• What are sponsors looking for?
• What are some unique sponsorship ideas at events?
• How do we design win-win sponsorship packages?
• What would be some best practices to follow when creating sponsorship packages?
• How to differentiate, especially from the sponsor's perspective, the difference between sponsorship and advertising?
• What are some ways to attract sponsors outside of events and in just the day to day of operations?
• What other ways can you include corporate partnerships to better serve members?
• How to best use partner services to provide member benefits beyond just providing discounts?
• How to include corporate partners in the online community?
• How to include sponsors to engage and create value?
• How to Leverage content from your corporate sponsors to grow your membership?
• Is there a general rule on the maximum value of sponsorship revenues that an NFP should strive for? E.g., When seeking sponsorships for a particular event, should the sponsorships sought not exceed X% of the anticipated event cost?
• What are the first three steps to set up a sponsorship program?
• How to ensure your sponsorship levels or offerings are revenue positive?
• How do you avoid burning out your regular sponsors?
• How to differentiate, especially from the sponsor's perspective, the difference between sponsorship and advertising?
• Affinity partners (discounts to members) vs. sponsors. Is there a difference besides sponsorship is paid and affinity partnership is no cost? Is it recommended to maintain both? 
• How do you get the Board in line with incorporating sponsorships?
   

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Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Are you looking to take your association to the next level? Look no further! By prioritizing communication, collaboration, and member engagement you can be at the top.

Strong connections are essential in building a community. With the right strategy you can increase engagement and ensure the long-term sustainability for your organization.

Let's take your membership model to new heights and achieve success together!

About our Guest

Amanda Kaiser is at the forefront of exploring how member and attendee engagement is rapidly changing within professional communities. She authored the book Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community and shares her distinctive perspective and strategies for nurturing a dynamic and prosperous community.

We talked about

Why is a focus on engagement so important for associations right now?

In your book you have broken down the stages of member engagement. Can you tell us about them in short?

If we want to simplify the stages in 3 different member engagement levels - low, medium and high. How would you approach these 3 types of member segments?

Association staff often have limited time for member engagement. Which areas are the most important to focus on?

Can we talk about some key activities we can do to engage members?

What is the role of a membership website in member engagement?

Another key challenge we see is associations prepare an annual plan and there can be no deviation from that plan during the year. The world is changing faster than we can imagine. How can we be more agile?

How do we engage younger members/professionals?

How to organically gain new members without it always seeming like a sales pitch

When staffing resources and time are extremely limited, how do we develop strategies in creating a self-sustaining community independent of the leadership from official staff team members to sustain it?

How do we minimize the intervention of staff members to sustain the community to avoid the burnout that happens in this leadership role?

Do professional newbies, experienced and expert members need their own groups, or is it all about connecting all? 

Is the idea of recognizing long-standing members dead?

We onboard our members virtually. Onboarding email is the only means we use currently and the organizational email address receives it. Is there a way to improve our onboarding in a way that it extends our message to the entire organization and not solely the main contact person?

How much segmentation is too much when communicating with new members?

How long is a new member considered "new"?

Any new ways to do outreach instead of just mass mailers?

How do you adapt your recommendations for members who may only meet in the virtual world?

What is a good + affordable way to reach outside our current audience?

How to effectively onboard members with automatic communications?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Effective leadership and regular evaluation are essential in achieving your association's objectives. With the right strategy you can increase revenue and ensure the long-term sustainability for your organization. Let's take your membership model to new heights and achieve success together!

About our Guest

Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, is an influential strategic specialist who served as an impactful senior staff member for several trade and individual membership associations, both domestic and international. She leverages a record of transformative success and specializes in strategic planning, leadership development, and engagement.

As an association management executive for more than 20 years, she delivers strategic and actionable innovations, future-focused member engagement solutions, and tactical operational effectiveness solutions.

With a unique background in components, Pratt is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), has earned her Certified Virtual Facilitator designation from the International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC), and holds a MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

We talked about

How do I find out where potential members hang out?

How to get the buy-in from the decision-makers in your organization to invest in IT and digital marketing (understanding social media is not free)?

How to prospect in different provinces?

How do you get your BOD on board?

How to get a buy-in from your membership at large to serve a new market?

How to keep those first year members

Beyond the financial benefits of membership, how best to sell the less tangible benefits of your association?

How to grab the attention of our prospects when there is already so much noise (emails, newsletters, events etc).?

How do you reach out to try and attract new members without coming across as spam?

How to determine membership pricing when members are associations or businesses?

Does membership recruitment require different tactics for Gen Z vs older age cohorts?

How fluid are most recruitment campaigns that you've helped to create?  

Are they planned in advance with every step concretely established, or, are they adaptive based on the results of prior actions?

What is the best channel for outreach?

What do you do when your membership is limited by mission and bylaws?

In the new digital world, how do renewals cut through the clutter and are calling and mailing invoice campaigns still effective for renewals/retention?

What are your top three most successful membership recruitment procedures/campaigns?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Learn about the expanding list of member associations that have made their members the centre of their strategic planning. And start building an infrastructure that will improve your member's experiences and win member retention.

Join us with our special guest Mark Levin and see how making your members the centre of your story can transform your association.

About our Guest

Mark Levin, CAE, CSP has more than 20 years of experience as an association executive and is also an internationally renowned speaker and consultant to the non-profit and association community. He currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute, an international trade association, and as President of B.A.I, Inc.

He is also an award-winning author; his books have been successful on five continents and have received numerous recognitions for training and motivating membership volunteers, as well as being hailed as useful tools for retaining members year after year.

We talked about

What you need to know to discover strategic opportunities through the member journey.

A streamlined onboarding process can save the association and its members time and money

How to increase your membership satisfaction and loyalty.

Audience Questions 

Are there strategic opportunities in off-boarding/cancellation process? Should this process be different base on how many years with association member had?

What is the most important strategy/tactic proven to retain members?

What are the best strategies to attract younger supporters, ensuring the next generation of the organization?

Aside from member discounts on an annual event, what are some of the most useful member retention strategies that that other associations currently use to inspire loyalty?

Are there any special considerations when the members are organizations (not individuals)?

How do you manage your members' expectations in keeping them engaged and not putting yourself in a position to do all of the legwork for them?

What are some strategies you can use with new members to retain them the following year?

How to find the balance between membership cost and value?

How do you take care of members without feeling overwhelmed?

How can we use the learnings about member retention for member recruitment?

How do you convert lapsed members that quit because of a challenge with former leadership?

What are the best and worst type of tools to engage members?

What's the best way to get and retain members?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Learn how to uncover the value you offer, conduct market research to discover expanded opportunities, attach the right price to the value your organization provides and communicate it to your audience.

Join us and our special guest Dr. Michael Tatonetti and learn all you need to know about financial sustainability for your association.

About our Guest

Dr. Michael Tatonetti is the Founder and CEO of Pricing for Associations who loves to share his expertise on how associations, nonprofits and chambers can evolve their pricing strategy, leverage value to drive innovation, and align pricing and value with their mission.

He is a Certified Association Executive and Pricing Professional as well as a proud Association Forum Forty Under 40 honoree for his dedication to the association field.

We talked about

How you can succeed with a profitable subscription based model.

What you need to know to deliver ongoing value that supports a subscriber’s goal.

Strategies to set the right price, and communicate your benefits. ​​​

Key insights to get financial sustainability in your association.

Audience Questions 

How do you decide when to use flat vs. tiered membership? And how do you create the tiers?

How much is your value add as an association with staff and overhead?

How do I balance individual membership vs organizations vs large organizations with different locations?

How do you manage competition?

How do you convince others  in your organization that raising prices it’s the best thing to do?

How to deal with objections when some members mayne individuals or businesses are not willing to pay the increased fees?

Some associations had to increase their fees due to inflation - how do you communicate the changes to your members? 

What are you seeing as the trend for associations who raised their dues during 

Covid or are looking to raise them now? 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

The lack of member engagement is a common problem that many associations experience. How would it be possible to ensure your association is following the right path?

It is time to analyze how culture is changing and start a digital transformation, find out the proper strategies that will keep your  association at the top.

Join us and our special guest Jamie Notter and learn all you need to know to have engagement solutions.

About Our Guest

Jamie Notter is the Co-Founder and Culture Designer at PROPEL with over 20 years of experience in consulting and speaking for organizations specializing  in non-profit trade associations and professional associations. 

He is a published author and a business consultant with a focus on building amazing workplace cultures that achieve breakthrough performance and impact.

Jamie shares his perspective about associations based on his expertise. His mission is to contribute with useful information that will help you to have more member engagement. 

We talked about

Key insights to understand culture patterns.

How to start implementing digital solutions in your association.

How to stop things that are not working and fix things that are broken.

The right practices to grow your engagement rate.

Audience Questions 

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

What strategies can we use beyond email to increase engagement?

Are there strategies to make our emails even more effective at driving engagement?

How to measure success?

How to encourage members in regards of the value that's being offered in the current membership area?

How do you get the members that have been around a long time to commit to including the young members?

How to get members involved at different levels of volunteering?

Register
Register for our upcoming live podcast episodes!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

The lack of member focus is a common problem that many associations experience. How would it be possible to ensure that they are making member centric decisions?

It is time to examine the ways associations can improve their practices to lead them to a higher level of member retention. Join us and our special guest Tom Abbott and learn all you need to know to have member centric solutions.

About Our Guest 

Tom Abbott is president and board director of several nonprofit organizations with over 25 years of experience. He is the Co-founder & CEO of AMC NPO Solutions and an authority on Governance. Also he is a proven and certified motivational speaker and author who has motivated audiences in excess of 10,000 people and spoken in over 20 countries.

Tom shares his international perspective about member focused associations based on his expertise. His mission is to contribute with useful information that will help you to obtain more member retention.

We talked about

Why is it difficult for associations to make member-centric decisions?

The relevant information needed to increase member retention.

How to have member-centric services and solutions.

How to train the team to have member-focus daily activities. (How to inspire your team to take a member-centric approach.)

The right practices to avoid the lack of member focus.

Audience Questions 

What is the most effective way to encourage women to become involved ?

Most effective tactic you have found?

How do you deal with multi-generational members to focus or engage with them all?

What is the best way to show member-centricity?

How to discover what members want even if they haven't expressed the need.?

How do you reconcile customer-centric with member-centric when non-dues revenue is increasingly important?

How does the membership team communicate to staff that membership is everyone’s responsibility?

How to get member feedback on what they would like to see in their member area other than surveys?

How to better support our members which are affiliated organizations,  rather than individual members?

How to support members when we are a small association with very little resources?

What are some KPI Private Clubs could use to measure membership success?

Register
Register for our upcoming live podcast episodes!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Do you have a topic you want to hear about? Let us know!

About This Episode
In this episode, we will answer the top questions submitted by you. Submit your question online or jump on the mic with us live to find the answers to all your membership site questions!

Join us as our CEO, Farhad Khan answers all your questions about membership sites and how to grow your association!

About Our Host
Farhad Khan, Membership Site Expert & CEO of Grype Digital, has coached and advised hundreds of associations to grow their membership. He is a tech entrepreneur specializing in creating membership sites for professional associations to increase member engagement.

He started his own tech company in 2009 to help associations and nonprofits solve their challenges with his digital technology skills.

Farhad’s awards and distinctions include Top 40 Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal, Bootstrap Award for Best Guerrilla Marketing and Named an Entrepreneurial Rising Star by Invest Ottawa. 

Full List Of Questions We Answered

How do you make people "want" to join your Association instead of "needing" to join your Association? 

Where should member benefits be located in their website? What about membership information?

How many emails is too many emails? How do you engage without pressure/annoying?

A bulk of membership consists of existing members who are aware of your association and benefits already. How do we deliver more value to them as a member of our association?

What tools and technology we can use to ensure membership growth and what membership systems can help automate/remind members? 

Audience Questions

With how digitally saturated our audiences are, what have you found to be the most successful tool to grow membership?

Is there a difference between retention strategies for digital members vs traditional members?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Audience Questions 
How can you show value to members that you are doing advocacy when they think you are doing it anyway, so why be a member?

How can we convince members to actually fill in surveys?

What is the best way to deliver/communicate a strategic plan to members other than newsletters or email?

Do you have any suggestions on how to include membership marketing in the plan?

How do we find out what members truly want?

What is the best way to make data-driven decisions when members don’t provide input?

What size organization do these ideas apply to?

How do you address a member or group of members if they disagree with the strategic plan?

How can an association bounce back from mistakes they have made and what measures can be put in place to make sure they don’t happen again?

Can you over-communicate with members?

Tell us about your tool, the strategy screen?

What is the best way to influence decisions when you are not in charge?

How to represent the needs of members that are not represented on the board?

Closing Questions
Key takeaway for the audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Our special guest, Chris Vaughan, Membership and Marketing Consultant answered this question and more during this exclusive podcast interview. Chris explained how retention is not a communication channel but an engagement channel and why engaged members retain themselves.

About Our Guest 
Chris Vaughan is a high-level strategy, technology, and marketing consultant for growth-focused associations such as AARP, IEEE, AMA, and SAE International, with over 20 years of experience. His expertise has also been sought out by select Global 500 companies, including Google, IBM, and Allstate.

He used to lead strategy at a big consulting firm, but left and launched his own firm to help associations grow membership and revenue. He is an expert in market research, strategic planning, and marketing strategy that can help deliver increased revenue, growth through innovation and an engaged and loyal membership.

Full List Of Questions We Asked Chris
Tell us about yourself and what you do?

You mentioned Member Engagement leads to Retention, can you explain why this is?

What are the top challenges associations face with member engagement?

Let’s talk about the Lifetime value, and why it is important?

It costs more to acquire new members than to keep existing members. Do you find this?

About your new fly-zone for the first 90 days, what communication do you recommend?

You mentioned the first 90 days are key, is there one golden strategy that words?

You mentioned engagement scores. We can get fancy and track everything. What do you recommend? Track every try of engagement or bullet it out?

You mentioned having 3 main buckets for topics? What is your approach?

Do you recommend making a few phone calls to inform your survey?

For large associations, we recommend calling 10 people to help you inform your understanding of your unengaged members. What do you think of this?

What are programs that are actually working?

How would you combine tech for associations in an ideal way?

Is there a manual way to do engagement scoring?

Do you have a formula or ratio you recommend to determine a reasonable budget for associations to invest in keeping their members happy?

What is the secret to getting boards to approve a budget for tech?

Audience Questions 
We will never have all members fully engaged, where do we focus our efforts?

Are there simple tactics that can be implemented with little cost and effort?

What can we learn about members who are not engaged in the first 60 days?

How can we best engage members so they retain themselves?

If your goal is to expand membership to underrepresented communities, how would you find out what they are looking for?

How do you deal with Zoom fatigue?

How to build a membership communication strategy?

Closing Questions
Key takeaway for the audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Audience Questions 
We are facing challenges getting organization members to renew. Without them, we would have to sell many individual memberships to make up for the loss of revenue. Should we still focus on changing the organizational members?

With so much free content and other learning opportunities out there, is providing learning opportunities still a priority?

Do we really need a social media presence?

Associations are using a mix of marketing tactics. Which ones do you see as most successful?

Closing Questions
Key takeaway for the audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Audience Questions 
How do I find out where potential members hang out?

How to get the buy-in from the decision-makers in your organization to invest in IT and digital marketing?

Beyond financial benefits of membership, how best to sell the less tangible benefits of your association?

How to do grab the attention of your prospects when there is already so much noise? How do you reach out to try and attract new members without coming across as spam?

Does membership recruitment require different tactics for gen z vs older age cohorts?

How fluid are most recruitment campaigns that you've helped to create?  Are they planned in advance with every step concretely established, or, are they adaptive based on the results of prior actions?

Can I use training opportunities to bring in new members, what does that look like?

In the new digital world, how do renewals cut through the clutter and are calling and mailing invoice campaigns still effective for renewals/retention?

For A/B testing emails, how much time you let pass before you decide which one to choose? Is one day sufficient?

How do you align the membership and marketing arms if they are led by different people and have different priorities?

What are your top three most successful membership recruitment procedures/campaigns?

What is the recommended size of a membership team, and what are the specific roles to play when executing a membership?

Closing Questions
Key takeaway for the audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Let's learn about how your association can diversify your revenue with non-dues revenue ideas. Our guest, Edward Byers, shares his expertise on non-dues revenue and how associations can diversify their revenue. Let's talk about why non-dues revenue is so important to associations and some key non-dues revenue areas.

About Our Guest

Edward Byers is the Director, Membership & Business Development at CSAE Canadian Society of Association Executives. Edward is an expert in business development and member engagement for generating revenue for associations through membership drives.

Full List of Questions We Asked Edward

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

What partnerships are important to help create these revenue streams?

Can you share an experience when you helped an association make non-dues revenue?

Typical associations are tight on staff and money, are there any easier revenue streams you would recommend they get off the ground?

What are the different options for non-dues revenue.If I am an association leader, where do I start to create non dues revenue? 

Do you have any examples of other non-dues revenues?

What types of partnership should we be exploring?

Since associations are mostly member based and the main focus should be the members, how much time should we allocate for alternate revenue streams?

Partnership is a big source of non dues revenue for associations, how would you ensure that all parties are getting value from the partnership and revenue streams?

Since we build membership sites for associations, what tools associations need on their membership site to be set up for non dues revenue?

Can you share some challenges you have had setting up non dues revenue?

Audience Questions

How can you track the progress, success or failure of a non dues revenue stream?

How do you structure the internal team to execute on sponsorships? Roles and responsibilities?

How to provide more value to sponsors and partners now that everything is virtual and it’s hard to get attendees and members to engage with sponsors?

What are some things to balance corporate partnership with advertising-sensitive members?

We are a provincial association. Do you have any best practices for associations to partner with sister provincial associations to develop programming that benefit the entire industry? Or do you recommend not to do it?

Should members care if their partnership dollars help support the mission of the association? Do members benefit from those sponsorship dollars?

Closing Questions

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

How can people get in touch if they have any questions?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Let's talk about how to take charge of your association's membership website redesign project! It starts with understanding that you — the client — are just as much responsible for a successful outcome as your service provider (your developers). Learn where everyone's responsibilities begin and end, how to pick the right developer, and how to actually launch as close to on time and on budget as possible!

About Our Guest

Natasha Golinsky is the founder and lead project manager at On Purpose Projects. Natasha is an expert at website development project management, project scoping, managing expectations and preventing project-scope creep that delays and adds costs to your membership site project.

Full List of Questions We Asked Natasha

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Can you share some common mistakes organizations make in planning their website projects?

Very often prospective clients come to us with a project plan that is not what they need to accomplish what they want. What would be your approach to planning a website project?

Can you share your thoughts about RFPs, and how they impact a project versus a workshop or formal project scoping process?

As much as we want our clients to do a thorough job understanding and scoping their project, most clients don’t have the technical experience or marketing background to do this on their own. When clients are not highly technical, how would you divide the responsibility between you and the client?

You mentioned you work on high-ticket projects with large organizations. With organizations like this, you work with multiple stakeholders and point people. What are some key project roles that the client should take on?

How does the QA process fit into the scope and cost of the project?

In order to make a project successful, we have to put some key boundaries in place. What are some key boundaries you set?

We test and QA and try to imagine every foreseeable outcome and risk, but there are always things that come up after launch that you didn’t predict. How do you handle these QA blindspots?

What if a website is already built and just needs some fixes to improve it. How would the project scoping work?

How would you scope a membership site differently than a regular website?

Audience Questions

How can you get buy-in from leadership that thinks its members don't need an engaging website to join. 

What are some important questions I should ask the developers?

How important is domain knowledge (industry-specific experience)? Eg. working on a restaurant website vs a medical website. Is working with an agency with membership experience important for member-based organizations?

What are the key things to consider when creating a tender document for a membership organization website? What are the pitfalls and the key pointers to achieving a successful outcome?

Closing Questions

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we talk about digital sustainability and how sustainable web design can help to improve the user experience​. We will explore how the pursuit of sustainable web projects can produce more functional websites and help associations to drive traffic to their website. 

About our Guest

Tom Greenwood is an author, web designer and activist devoting his time to the field of sustainable web design. His work demonstrates that making eco-friendly choices does not have to be a sacrifice; environmental choices can impact our membership and association's growth for the better!

Full List of Questions We Asked Tom

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?

What is sustainable web design?

What are some of the advantages of thinking about sustainable web design?

How popular should a website be to be really serious about this?

Can you walk us through your process: how would you build sustainability into the process?

How would you change the user experience on a website to make it sustainable?

Sustainable web design is a mutual responsibility of both the client and the developers. What can the developers do to impress upon the client that sustainable web design should be a priority?

What is the role of the client?

Should we really cut down the content on our sites and really focus in on a few things that really matter?

We are a big proponent of reducing waste. What practices can designers and developers change about our work to be more sustainable?

We build membership sites where many members visit the same pages. Is there better value to optimize the sustainability of pages that are used more than others?

We are working on a lot of websites where we are trying to include accessibility. Is there a way to include accessibility and sustainability principals hand-in-hand in the design?

For membership websites, are there things they can do to reduce their carbon footprint?

For the day to day activities, what are sustainable choices associations can make?

You mentioned a website that can help people assess the sustainability of their website. Tell us more about this?

Audience Questions

What are some examples of web design choices that people make that they don't realize have a terrible ecological impact?

How can we communicate our sustainable web choices without being pretentious or gimmicky?

Does eco-friendly also mean longterm sustainability of the internet?

Closing Remarks

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we talk with association management royalty, Velma Knowles, about the four pillars of membership growth, discussed in her latest best-selling book about how to scale your membership. We start by busting some myths associations hold around membership and replacing them with data-driven pillars that are universal to all associations.

About Our Guest

Velma Knowles is a coach and consultant to associations and non-profit leaders around the what, when and how of growing membership, engaging boards, and delivering member relevance. Velma works with leaders to create sustainable membership growth by focusing on the 4-drivers of growth: Clarity in Numbers, Alignment in Resources, Relevance in Value, and Accountability in Planning. She is a speaker and best-selling author.

Full List of Questions We Asked Velma

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

What are the biggest misconceptions around membership growth?

Can you tell us more about how association employees can avoid working in silos and how to break down those silos?

You mentioned that there are 4 key ingredients to membership growth. Can you talk about those key drivers of growth?

Out of those 4 key drivers, where should associations start?

How can we be sure to listen to the voices of members?

When we are onboarding new members, what can we do to ensure a good member journey and start building the relationship right away?

For a large association that has many new members, it may not be realistic to reach out to each new member. How do we build relationships at scale?

What are the key metrics associations should track about their members?

Why do you see a membership website as important for associations?

What features should associations have in their member portal?

We hear often hear from clients that having a login area is a barrier for members. Do you think it is inherently a barrier?

Many associations have benefits that are not being used or only used by a few members. Is there value to keeping those benefits around or time to retire them?

What universal benefits should be in an association’s portal?

Audience Questions

Are membership drives out of fashion?

How do we engage members with limited resources?

How often should we add to our different membership tiers?

What are some valuable strategies to recover members that were lost during the pandemic?

How can we turn engagement into revenue opportunities?

Closing Remarks

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we talk with an experienced association executive about how to assess the value of your membership. We talk about creating valuable member benefits, the best ways to find out what members want, and how to engage members. See below to learn more about our very special guests, Aviva Rotenberg, and see a full list of questions we asked our very special guest.

 

About Our Guest

Aviva Rotenberg is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Prior to this, Aviva was the executive director of the Canadian Bar Association and helped establish their online professional development arm. Aviva is a lawyer, MBA and speaker.

Ready to Improve the Experience of Your Members today?

Get your copy of the Member-Centric User Experience Checklist & Worksheet to get you started on impressing your members today!

Full List of Questions We Asked Aviva

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

In our discussions earlier, we discussed that creating value for your members is more important than the cost of membership — can you tell us a little more about that?

How would you define value?

Would you say that a member of a professional association would be able to apply what they learn from their professional association and make their money back?

How do you go about understanding your audience’s needs?

To gather information about your audience, do you have any particular tools you like over others?

How can we offer services and benefits that the audience can’t get elsewhere?

How would you promote an initiative to your audience?

Do you have any preferences or suggestions for how your “champions” can help promote your initiatives?

Do you have any particular way that you build your community?

We often notice that our associations advertise their member benefits are advertised on their website, but members are not using the benefits. At a closer look, we find that the benefits are not easy to engage with. What are your recommendations to avoid this?

Do you have an example of a member benefit that was made easier to use for your members?

How much more time was spent making the service easier for members?

Do you think there is an opportunity for associations to look at their member benefits and repackage them in a way that is more interesting to members?

If an association is looking to increase their member engagement, where would you start?

What are some things that associations do that devalue the value of their membership?

What can we do to market our membership without being too sales-y?

How do you sell advocacy as a member benefit when prospects know they will benefit from your advocacy whether they are a member or not?
 

In the eyes of membership, how do you make the appropriate connection between the cost of membership and the value of membership? We often find that members want a lot of add-ons without an increase in fees.

If your current membership and your target membership are different, how do you balance your resources?

How do you find the right price point for your organization's membership fees?

In 1983, our dues were $30 a year. 40 years later, our dues are $36. Our board is very hesitant to raise dues. What can we do?

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

Get Started

Get your copy of the Member-Centric User Experience Checklist & Worksheet to get you started on impressing your members today!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we talk about the value of creating a change management plan throughout the process of your association's next big tech transition (eg. membership site, member portal, website, etc.). It will make for a smoother development process and launch, where your stakeholders, staff and members can embrace the change rather than resist or reject it.

About Our Guest

Betsy Bond has been the president and founder of Bonding Change (a change management consulting firm) for the past 18 years and a change management instructor at the prestigious Prosci, the global leader of change management solutions.

Ready to Improve the User Experience of Your Members today?

Get your copy of the Member-Centric User Experience Checklist & Worksheet that we put together from recommendations made by Elizabeth during this episode.

Full List of Questions We Asked Betsy

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Change management is about getting people prepared for a change that is to come. It’s not about the technology so much, it’s about all the people who will be involved in the change, the staff, the users, the senior leaders.

We are all more or less familiar with project management, but where does change management come in?

When do we start the change management process, and when does it end?

In a typical project that we take on, there is a technical component and a people component. Our developers take care of the technical. On the people side, there is the marketing team (trying to recruit new members), the membership team (trying to keep members happy), and the financial team (who has to collect financial data), how would you get all teams involved?

How would you go about performing a stakeholder analysis?

At which point in the project would you bring the stakeholders into to the discussion about the project?

If we start with high-level stakeholders, is it possible that relevant information will be missed that the high-level group doesn’t have?

How do change management and agile design work together?

How do we overcome the adage that people are resistant to change?

How do we overcome the hurdle of the people who are most resistant to the change?

Do you have any advice to roll out a membership site to the membership? Which members do you involve in the process?

Let’s talk about improving the user experience for new members: do you have any advice for how to onboard members to new features in the membership site? 

What issues do you see come up with membership sites and member portals?

Let’s talk about training and providing on-demand support in your technology.

Sometimes we see that an association’s membership team will not have control of the membership site, or a marketing team that does not have control of the website — how would you resolve this conflict to get everyone’s voice heard?

What are the best road mapping or change management tools to use for a project?

Would you encourage annual surveys? What is the best way to design a survey?

How long does it take for members to get used to a new portal?

What is your biggest takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that has contributed the most to your success?

Get Started

Get a headstart on planning out the phases of the next big change at your association with our downloadable Change Management Planner & Worksheet.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we talk about how to create a member-focused culture where decision-making focuses on your membership and creates an active association where members want to be. We re-define member engagement, discuss the continuum of engagement for different types of members, and how lean start-up methodology can help associations thrive in a resource-poor environment. We walk about the user experience of members and if your association's ways of connecting with members are internally-focused — highlighting your board, your team and your achievements — or member-focused, offering member awards, opportunities, and even group discounts for good measure!

About Our Guest

Elizabeth Weaver Engel has more than 20 years of experience in association management, including membership, marketing, communication, sponsorship, fundraising, technology planning and implementation, social media and internet strategy. We are lucky that she shared so much so freely in this episode!

Full List of Questions We Asked Elizabeth

Associations complain about member engagement all the time — what do you think associations are doing wrong with their membership engagement?

If Associations are designing member engagement on a continuum with the understanding that their members will have different needs at different times in their careers, can you explain how members move back and forth along the continuum?

If we are looking at our membership in general, is there a way to segment our membership to better design benefits for them?

When trying to figure out who the association’s “sometimes” members are, how do you find out more about them and what is important to them? How do we create benefits for them?

Do you have any advice on how associations can bridge the gap to gather the membership anecdotes from the front-line membership staff to the C-level executives?

Who should be responsible for bridging the gap between departments to help the spread of information and experience to make more informed decisions? I think it should be the membership manager. What do you think?

Oftentimes associations don’t look at the stats and analytics because they are scared of what they will find.

If I am a small association and I don’t have the time and budget to perform and review a large survey, how would you go about collecting data from your members?
Do you think there is room for associations to repurpose and restructure their benefits rather than constantly reinvent new benefits?

Is it better to have many small benefits that many members can access or a few big-ticket benefits that will make a big impact to members?

Since we build membership websites, where do you see membership websites come into member engagement and the user experience of membership?

If an association is looking to improve their member engagement now, what would be one actionable step they can take?

How can associations get the best response from members when they are having a hard time getting a two-way conversation with members?

How can an association provide tangible ROI proof to members who want an investment measurement?

What are some low-cost and high-impact ways to increase your outreach to new audiences?

Do you have a key take-away message for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that makes you successful in your work?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we speak to Brock Murray about how SEO works to generate leads for your association to increase your membership numbers. He discussed all the best practices in creating content with SEO in mind and he also shared with us the tools he recommends for tracking your traffic. He also delved into Google Analytics and how we can maximize this tool in our SEO campaigns. 

About Our Guest

We are privileged to have, seoplus+ co-founder and COO, Brock Murray as our guest speaker for this episode. Brock is an SEO (search engine optimization) giant with experience in local, national and international SEO. He knows all things content marketing strategy and Google Analytics.

Full List of Questions from the Podcast

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

Can you tell us in brief why associations should invest in SEO?

For an association, what areas of SEO should they focus on?

You mentioned that content should be in depth; what defines depth in the SEO world?

How long should your blogs be?

Any advice on identifying keywords?

When we are working on SEO, how far do you recommend an association keep the SEO work in-house before bringing in a consultant?

SEO algorithms are always changing—you catch up with the current standards and then they change. How can we keep up and stay relevant?

Is it possible to create evergreen content (pillar content or topic clusters) that will always be relevant and desirable to search engines?

How would you come up with pillar content?

Idea of creating content around pain points of your membership.

Will Google penalize us for sharing the same blog on different platforms?

For the average association, what key performance metrics should they pay attention to for SEO?

If an association’s website is on the third page in Google search results, what does the association need to do to get to the first page in Google search results?

Can you recommend any SEO monitoring tools, for example with competitive intelligence?

Say that an association ranks on the top page of Google search results, how can an association improve the user experience on their site once they click?

Leveraging your high Google Search ranking to establish yourself as an authority in your field.

Associations have different types of content on their sites (eg. blogs, webinars, etc); is there a way to inter-connect the content for better SEO results?

How much content should an association have on its site?

How often should an association publish new content?

Is there a way to MISSING INFO to get better results?

The difference between investing in SEO and paid ads?

Does having webpages that are low traffic hurt your SEO?

Here is the list of questions we asked Brock, for your reference:

What is your advice to associations who haven’t started their digital marketing for their association: where should we start?

What is one potential SEO trend that is not popular now that you see gaining traction in 2022?

What are your top tools for SEO analytics?

What are the most important Google Analytics metrics to watch?

How do you think Core Web Vitals will start affecting websites in search?

For membership sites where most of the quality content is hidden behind the member login, SEO cannot see these pages. How can we balance keeping content private to members but benefit from SEO from those pages.

Sharing teaser content and using pay walls for SEO search engines can see the content but users cannot.

Do you have any key takeaway for our audience?

Can you share a personal habit that contributed to your success?

Can you share a digital tool or strategy that helps you with your work?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

We are honoured to have Scott as our guest for this episode. Scott has spent the past 20 years working with hundreds of associations. He is an accomplished speaker and writer and respected guru in the nonprofit space. 

In this episode, Scott shared with us many great insights and valuable advice about membership marketing in our current pandemic situation.  Here are the questions we asked him with a  timestamp for your quick reference.

1:50 Today we are going to talk about post pandemic marketing. Given that things are starting to open up, how should we approach our marketing in this climate?

5:01 Associations generally know how to help out their members on a professional level. How can associations help out their members on a personal level?

6:10 Are there certain areas of marketing that we should be focusing more on moving forward, such as online events?

8:29 If an association has not been actively involved on social media platforms, is there an easy way for associations to identify where their members are online?

10:32 Over the pandemic, associations have been doing a lot of webinars. What we are hearing from some of our clients is they are more likely to do smaller events moving forward than bigger, less frequent events like an AGM. What do you suggest?

14:12 Do you have any advice for how associations can make webinars more engaging for their audience and maintain that communication after the webinar?

17:08 If you were to design your marketing campaigns, how would you design them differently for your prospects versus members, or if you have different member segments?

21:40 You have been running marketing campaigns for associations for a long time; do you have any thoughts on a good balance between how much communication is too much?

24:34 On the other end of the spectrum, we also want to track conversion, do you have any marketing metrics that you prefer to track? 

28:29 When someone is investing in smaller campaigns to bring their prospects to the end of the marketing funnel, in their journey in between, what do you think is important to track? 

30:51 Do you have any good examples of freebies that you can give away to members? 

34:43 It is usually harder to sign up a new member than to keep an existing one. How do you design the member experience throughout the year to increase member retention rates? 

37:10 How do we get our members to get more engaged in our mentoring program and stay committed to it? 

39:55 Is there value in providing content that is unrelated to your organization but better valued by your market sector?

43:31 Do you have any strategy or advice on how we can re-engage lapsed members? 

46:37 How can I communicate with my members using a lead to coordinate discussion with a number of volunteers or members? 

50:00 Do you have one key takeaway for our audience today? 

51:12 Can you tell us about a personal habit that has contributed to your success? 

51:50 Can you share with us a tool or a strategy that makes you effective at your work? 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Tell us about yourself what you do?

We often buy things from organizations that we don’t have a relationship with, so why is it important for associations to build relationships with their audience and stakeholders?

Is there a science to building relationships with members? Are there rules, or a five-step process that works every time?

Why do you think it’s so common for associations to get membership marketing backwards? What can an association do today to make sure they focus their marketing on existing members?

What is your approach to determining which of the action items on your to-do list will have the biggest impact on your association’s marketing strategy?

Say we have narrowed down our focus — we know our audience, we know our “lovers” — now, how do we engage them?

Say we have done some interviews with our loyal members to understand what they want, out of all the needs and wants that our audience has, where do we put our money and focus?

Moving from strategy to execution: say we have strategy in place, and it’s time to execute. We know our lovers and we want to execute our marketing campaigns and deliver our services. What are the best ways to deliver services?

What content would you recommend association’s include in their member portal?

What is the role of online member communities?

How do you make new members feel welcome when your existing members are connected and active in a way that may seem like a closed click?

How do you show the value of your membership to members when some of your member benefits are accessible to the general public?

How can we ask busy members to take time to attend events and volunteer with your association?

Can you tell us about a personal habit that has contributed most to your success?

Can you share a tool or a strategy that makes you effective in your work?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

From the advice shared by David in this episode, we created a handy Web Accessibility Checklist & Worksheet. Download a copyto get your association started on making your website more accessible. 

01:55
Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your work?

03:18
Why is accessibility important to you?

04:30
Often people are not sure if they want to make their site accessible, what are the first steps they should take? Do you have any thoughts on the best practices of accessible web design?

06:25
How would you go about doing a needs analysis of your stakeholders?

08:57
If our audience has an audience that is an older population would you choose to address visual accessibility over other accessibility functionality (eg. hearing impaired), how would you choose to divide your resources

12:18
How can we make it more welcoming to our stakeholders with disabilities to self-identify?

15:22
How do we do accessible design on a limited budget?

17:28
How do we convince developers that accessible design is important?

18:00
Can you think of other reasons that make for powerful arguments to design for accessibility?

21:52
You mentioned that accessible design improved the user experience for all users; do you have examples of this you can share?

23:17
For our audience members who are not familiar, can you please explain what WCAG is?

24:44
From WCAG’s three levels of accessibility, how do you choose between which level of WCAG accessibility do follow on your site?

26:30
Do you have any thoughts on using external accessibility tools or build into the website?

29:40
Would you prefer an external tool to fill the gap, or do you think it's not effective?

32:35
Think of a hypothetical client who has an older website and they don’t have the budget to rebuild their website. Where would you start to improve the site?

35:27
Since a lot of our audience are associations who have member benefits, what advice would you give to association executives to make their member benefits more accessible?

41:36
How can we make a design artistic and also accessible?

47:10
How can we include people with accessibility needs in our development process, and not just the usability testing?

53:27
What are some concrete steps we can take to meet accessibility standards today?

55:05
What are some examples of popular websites that are most accessible?

58:51
What if you have to implement accessibility features that don't quite comply with W. 3 C. guidelines?

01:02:20
What would be your key takeaways for our audience today?

01:03:55
Can you share a personal habit that has contributed to your success?

01:05:03
Can you share a tool or strategy that helps you with your work?

01:07:00
How can people reach you?

David's practical inclusive web design suggestions have been summarized in this handy Web Accessibility Checklist & Worksheet. Download a copyto get your association started on making your website more accessible. 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

To learn more about Wes, you can visit his website.

We'll include here the questions we asked Wes in the podcast with time stamps so you can easily refer back to the parts that most interest you:

01:26 Can you start by telling us about yourself and what you do?

02:08 Why is it so important for an association to have a strategy for their data management before they put anything in place? Why is strategy so important?

03:10 What are common mistakes that you often see associations make with their data management?

04:22 Do you prefer that people build out their member database in stages and not try to do everything at once, and plan for an initial role out with the most important thing with a plan for what will come after?

08:10 You mentioned that the CRM or member database should aline with the association's objectives. We need to know the mission. What are some of the things we can do to make sure the CRM plan or database align with the association's goals?

09:29 Do you see that the data that is collected and tracking with the member data management system should inform our marketing and sales efforts and beyond?

10:58 Do you have any thoughts on how we should approach the audience segmentation?

15:57 If an association doesn't have the data they want, what do they do then?

18:00 Now during pandemic times, a lot of organizations are trying to up their digital game, they are transforming their overall systems and go online more and more. If I am looking to reimplement by data management system or CRM, where should I begin?

20:20 Can you tell us a bit more from the types of reports you would want to see from their data management system?

22:55 Tell me a bit more about how you do engagement tracking?

30:30 You mentioned that at one level we have to start by looking at what the technology will give us, how much of an engagement report and how much we can do ourselves. If we have the freedom to choose a CRM tool or member management tool right now, what are some of the things we should consider?

45:26 We are towards the end of the episode; do you have any last words for associations?

49:00 When you give the example of a board member's information not being accurate on the website or in the system, it may be there is no way for the board member to update the information independently or no one thought to update it, how would you solve that problem because we see this all the time.

51:38 Audience question: What is the number one expectation you find these days that has to be managed?

53:04 Sometimes we see that just because an association has been doing something for a long time, doesn't mean it's the right way. Sometime they have to fix their process rather than the tool?

54:17 Can you share a personal habit that has contributed to your success?

55:15 Can you share a digital tool or strategy that makes you successful in your work?

58:09 Where can people reach you if they want to get in touch with you?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Our guest is Kerstin Heuer, founder of HeuerDesign | Non-Profit Today. She has over 25 years of experience working with over 500+ nonprofits and associations to create their web design and navigation, email marketing, social media and branded content.

To learn more about Kerstin's work, visit HeuerDesign | Non-Profit Today.

Here is the link to get her downloadable Breakthrough Marketing Tool.

Below is the list of the questions we asked Kerstin in the podcast. Jump in to play the parts that interest you the most.

01:28 Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

02:00 Where should associations start with segmenting their audience?

03:36 Let's dig more into your buckets. If we look at bucket one: how would you put different audiences into one bucket? Would you combine multiple audiences if the messaging is similar?

07:36 Say an organization has an audience divide of 60%, 20%, 10%, 10%. How would you design the content of a website to reach a four different audiences? The 10% audience may be very important (say, donors).

11:22 Should an association design their website and cater the messaging to give more real estate and more messaging to the segment of their audience who are less invested in the hopes of getting their attention, and less real estate to their audience that is more invested who will look for content that applies to them?

15:03 How would you target different audiences with the navigation on a website with regards to above the fold and below the fold?

17:30 For the website navigation (or website architecture), how would you target the different audience segments?

20:26 In terms of the information architecture itself, how would you group the pages on the website?

22:02 How would you approach structuring your email marketing to connect with your many audience segments if you have limited time and resources?

35:06 Many people spend time on social media without having clear goals. If you were to plan a social media campaign for a client, how would you approach it?

40:15 How much time would you spend creating social media content for each of your audience bucket or umbrella?

43:28 If I am a professional association or a non-profit and I don’t yet have an overarching marketing and communication plan, where do I start?

45:20 Say as association has an overarching marketing strategy for the year, how would you plan the activities for the first quarter?

49:40 Do you have any material on your website that we can link to on this topic?

Here is the link to get Kerstin's downloadable Breakthrough Marketing Tool.

50:43 What would be your key takeaway for the audience for today?

52:09 Can you share a digital strategy or tool that helps you be more effective in your work?

55:16 How can people get a hold of you?

55:58 When your domain ends with an unusual domain, like your email at .today, do you find people think there is a typo or mistake?

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Christina has the experience to know how to vet your board members and create a culture of respect and productivity. To learn more about what she does, click HERE.

Here are the questions we asked Christina in the podcast. Feel free to use this as a reference to come back to her answers.

00:35
Can you start telling us bit about yourself? 

03:55
What are the common misconceptions that people have around non-profit governance?

07:01
When it comes to governance, executive teams and the board has to work together. Where would you draw the line; whose responsibility is it to actually take your governance as supposed to management?

09:25
You mention that oftentimes the board will get too hands-on with the day-to-day management or execution. Why is that bad? Why not get more help? If you have a solid board, people are willing to help out. What issues might come up from that?   

12:41:
When you say that governance should be your secret sauce to driving innovation, can you tell us more about that?

17:36
If the working culture of a board needs to change because they are not productive in an ideal sense, who are the key players who should be involved in making a change?

22:02
If the board is dysfunctional or if there is a problem in the culture overall, one of the key issues that we often find many people don't take seriously is that sometimes it's a people problem. Maybe we don't have the right team members in the team?

In my experience working with a non-profit as well often time, we find that the teams do not invest enough time in recruiting their board as their hires. I think people who are giving you strategic directions, you actually have to be more careful as apposed to hiring your employees in choosing your boards. What are your thoughts on that? 

28:06
If an organization is trying to improve its governance overall, what should be the first steps they take? 

30:20
Say we started training our board, our board is properly onboarded and they know the basics of helping the organization grow. When it comes to their day-to-day execution, like board meetings or what not, what should the board focus on and what they should not focus on?      

35:16
What are your thoughts on how boards should approach driving inovation? How should they try to make their team more innovative?

 40:28
 What would be your key takeaway for our listeners today?

 42:56
 What personal habit has contributed the most to your success?

45:21
 Can you share a digital tool or strategy that makes you more effective in your work?

48:10
How can people get in touch with you if they want to learn more about your work? 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

We also discussed why it’s important for businesses to provide ongoing training for their employees and why there can be a reluctance to invest in it.
For more information on the specialized training that CICan offers, https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/our-members/list-of-degrees/

01:09
Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what you do? 

02:49
Why is it so important for businesses to provide ongoing training for their employees? 

04:23
Why do you think there's a reluctance for businesses to invest in training sometimes?

05:26
How would you identify the training needs? 

07:07
How are post-secondary institutions like colleges and institutes actually providing training like this?

10:06
How do colleges work with businesses to create tailored courses? 

11:44
Is there a need for a minimum number of like people who will need to participate in that training? 

16:58
How expensive are these training with colleges? Are we talking about hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars? 

19:32
Are there certain things that you think we should do to identify the right training needs for the team members?

22:16
Is “Learning Assessment” available to employers right now? Like for free, or do we have to talk to the college structure to get access to the assessments? 

23:24
Can you tell us about a few other ways where business, how businesses can actually like tap into the innovation that is happening at colleges?

29:40
If I were to approach a local college about some of our training needs, which department do we go to?

30:40
How would you say this online training compare with the training that we will get from the local colleges?

33:26
Do you think, the colleagues actually have enough training available for (skilled trades and actually working)  both types of workers or are focusing a lot more on the skills, the skill traits, as opposed to the knowledge workers.

38:28
Do colleges and institutes, provide in like, any services for our businesses. So the businesses can actually find the right courses or maybe find the right institutions that they can talk to for the training needs.

40:28
Is there anything else you'd like to add for our audience about like professional development or ongoing training for employees?

42:04
Can you share a personal habit that has contributed a lot to your success?

44:07
Can you share a strategy or a tool that makes you more effective in your work?

44:59
How can people reach you, if they have any questions for you?
 

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of building and maintaining a high performing team in your organization. Getting to know your team members to display their strengths is crucial for finding greatness in every team. Always convey your mission, history and values while communicating how to be successful in the organization. 

Aydin emphasizes a key to maintaining a high performing team is to do one on one meetings, and to do them really well. Fellow.app has written an ebook on one on one meetings, compiling all the best resources and advice that you can download for free: 

https://fellow.app/blog/2019/one-on-one-meeting-definitive-guide/

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

You can find more about Mike's work in the non-profit housing sector at the MHI website -

https://www.multifaithhousing.ca

In our chats, Mike also told me about his meditation trips to Vipassana centres in different parts of the world -

https://www.dhamma.org/

Enjoy the episode!

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.

Special acknowledgement to our guests for providing powerful insights into member engagement. 

Visit memberlounge.app to learn more about us.