Dissecting & Defining Engagement

Send us Fan MailMembership work is relationship work, and relationships are built in real time. Sara Bustard, MBA, CAE, Deputy Director of the Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce, joins me to talk about a membership career that runs from explosives engineers to osteopathic physicians to chambers of commerce. She's also a student of improv. It started after a car accident and a concussion, when a Facebook ad said "Try improv" and she signed up for a level one class. Three years later she's through level four, on several teams, and performing at festivals.We get into what improv taught her about staff meetings and board rooms: the active listening that keeps people from repeating what was just said, and the habit of saying "hear me out, I don't have this hashed out yet" instead of polishing an idea in private. I asked her whether the membership director role gets the respect it's due, whether you have to be funny to do improv, and whether "yes, and" just turns into one-upping. She also ran an improv for business workshop for her chamber's members this year that had a wait list.In this episode:How Sara got into associations, and why membership has been the constant through chambers, dental, osteopathic and explosives groupsThe concussion and the Facebook ad that got her into her first improv classLevels, teams and a residency at the Harrisburg Improv TheaterLesson one: active listening, and why people repeat what was just said in meetingsLesson two: "hear me out," and sharing an idea before it's fully formed"Yes, and" explained, and why it isn't one-uppingThe improv for business workshop that filled up with a wait list, and the two more her members asked for next yearWhat membership pros should ask prospects and members instead of running the pitchAbout Sara: Sara Bustard, MBA, CAE, is Deputy Director of the Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce and a longtime membership professional who has worked with chambers, state and international associations, and medical and scientific societies.Connect with Sara: [email protected] and https://www.phoenixvillechamber.orgAssociation Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org.Until next time, put your members and your mission first!

Send us Fan MailMike Burns, Co-Founder and CEO of StratSimple, and I went through almost 200 strategic planning RFPs for a white paper we wrote together. As a fellow strategic planning nerd, he joins me to talk about what we found: RFPs that prescribe a five-year plan before anyone has done the listening, no budget or range, and very little about what happens once the plan is approved.We get into why so many plans end up on a shelf, how many survey responses you really need, and how long a planning cycle should take now. I also asked Mike what StratSimple does that Asana or Monday doesn't, and what advice he'd give an association CEO or board chair who's drafting an RFP right now.In this episode:Why Mike started StratSimple after a plan he helped build went nowhereWhy software can't replace a facilitator, and where it can help before and after the retreatWhat surprised us most across almost 200 strategic planning RFPsThe "implementation cliff" and why staff shouldn't be left holding the bagThe CFO who admitted, "We don't hold anyone accountable for anything, ever"How much lead time an RFP needs, and why 100 thirty-page proposals helps no oneWhy 250 to 300 survey responses can be enough for a 5,000-member organizationOur wish list for your next strategic planning RFPAbout MikeMike Burns is Co-Founder and CEO of StratSimple, a software company that helps nonprofits and associations with the listening at the front of strategic planning and the implementation at the back.Read the white paperhttps://associationtransformation.org/strategic-planning-rfpsConnect with MikeEmail: [email protected]: https://www.stratsimple.comAssociation Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org.Until next time, put your members and your mission first!

Send us Fan MailAttendees are registering later, booking hotels last minute and still expecting to be wowed. John Bailey, CEM, Director, Shows & Exhibits at the National Rifle Association, joins me to talk about planning events at a scale most of us never see. His team runs the Great American Outdoor Show, a nine-day consumer hunting and fishing show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that draws more than 200,000 people, plus an annual meeting and exhibits that moves to a new city every spring.We get into why people are deciding later, what exhibitors expect in return for their dollar, and why and how John knows it all comes down to content attendees can't get anywhere else. I also asked him about the less glamorous side of the job: hotel contracts, attrition and how far out you really need to book.In this episode:Why a nine-day show keeps its nine days, and what would make them scale backHow the team picks host cities for an annual meeting that moves every yearWhat canceling an event 30 days out in April 2020 taught themWhy attendees are booking later, and what that does to room blocks and F&B countsThe $300 hotel mark and keeping costs in reach for families and exhibitorsWhat exhibitors expect when they aren't taking orders on siteWhy John recommends a housing bureau, and why they book five to seven years outTightening the aisles, traffic flow and planning for tens of thousands of people in one buildingAbout JohnJohn Bailey, CEM, is Director, Shows & Exhibits at the National Rifle Association, where he leads the Great American and the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits.Connect with JohnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bailey-cem-9281158/Association Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, and Andrew Chamberlain, Founder and Managing Director of Elevated. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org.This episode is general information, not legal advice for your organization.Until next time, put your members and your mission first!

Send us Fan MailDid you know Olympic sports are run by associations? When you watch Olympic fencing, you're seeing an association at work. National governing bodies like USA Fencing are 501(c)(3) membership organizations, and they deal with a lot of the same things your association does: limited staff, member dues, pricey events, board composition and finding new members.Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, joins me to talk about how fencing became the fastest-growing sport in the Olympic and Paralympic world since Paris '24. Phil explains how 23 staff serve more than 50,000 members, why a third of his board seats go to elite athletes, and why your best recruiters are the members you already have. I asked him whether that growth was just a feel factor that came with a new CEO. It wasn't, and he gives the credit to his team and his community. I also pushed on whether working with content creators cost real money, and he walked me through his "hack and slash" approach to earned media, sword fight at New York Comic-Con included.In this episode:What a national governing body does, and its two missionsWhy your existing members are your best marketingListening to every corner of your membership without agreeing with everyoneRunning a 50,000-member organization with 23 staff over the 230 weeks between GamesWhere the money comes from: membership, events, merchandise, sponsorship and a foundationA governance-led board where a third of the seats go to elite athletes, by lawComic-Con, Gen Z creators and other low-cost ways to earn mediaHow to find a fencing club near youAbout PhilPhil Andrews is CEO of USA Fencing, the national governing body for fencing in the United States.Connect with PhilEmail: [email protected]: https://www.usafencing.orgTry fencing: https://tryfencing.orgAssociation Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, and Andrew Chamberlain, Founder and Managing Director of Elevated. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org.Until next time, put your members and your mission first!

Send us Fan MailRenewal letters are landing, and the numbers aren't pretty. Brian Haney, CAE, SVP and Association & Non-Profit Specialist at Relation Insurance Services, joins me to talk through health insurance for associations, especially small-staff shops trying to build a 2027 budget.Brian's first message: you probably have more options than you think. They won't all be cheap, but they're there. We get into what those options are, why the state where you're headquartered decides your market (even if your whole team is remote), the renewal increases he's seeing so far, and how to bring your board and your staff along.In this episode:- Why the fourth quarter is the benefits world's April 15- Small group plans, PEOs and level funding, and when each might fit- Why every plan in your lineup renews at its own rate- How much your board actually needs to see- Why covering employees at 100% while dependents pay their own way creates two classes of employees- Whether you can skip the broker and ask ChatGPT, and how brokers get paid- Benchmarking dental, vision, life and disability to offset a tough medical renewal- Brian's 90-60-45-30 timeline for a calmer open enrollmentAbout BrianBrian Haney, CLTC, CFBS, CFS, CIS, CAE, LACP, LUTCF, RFC, is SVP and Association & Non-Profit Specialist at Relation Insurance Services, where he works with associations and nonprofits on their employee benefits.Connect with BrianEmail: [email protected] a meeting: https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/brian-haneyWeb: https://relationinsurance.comAssociation Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, and Andrew Chamberlain, Founder and Managing Director of Elevated. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org.This episode is general information, not legal or insurance advice for your organization.Until next time, put your members and your mission first!

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 178 of Association Transformation, Elisa sits down with Brian Weiss (SVP of Society Programs at the American Chemical Society, with PMI, RMA, AMA, and NCMA behind him) for the globalization conversation most associations skip straight past. A few of the highlights:🌍 Do the non-business case before the business case. Why is the board really asking? You can't meet an expectation nobody's named.🌍 Your readiness assessment isn't a go/no-go. It's the calibration tool you'll keep coming back to for the next five years as the board turns over.🌍 You don't need a big balance sheet. Partners, AMCs, and sister associations are all doors in.🌍 The single biggest thing Brian's seen trip expansions up: HQ won't let go. Centralized brand, localized delivery, that tension makes or breaks it.If globalization is on your board agenda (or about to be) watch or listen before anyone spends a dollar. 🎧

Send us Fan MailCybersecurity isn’t just an IT problem. It’s a leadership, governance, and organizational resilience issue! In Episode 178 of Association Transformation, Elisa and Andrew sit down with Mike Baker, VP, Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for DXC Technologies, to bring cybersecurity out of the server room and into the association boardroom. They explore what association leaders really need to understand about today’s cyber risks, where organizations may be more vulnerable than they realize, and how leaders can create a culture of security without becoming cybersecurity experts themselves. From protecting member and organizational data to managing human, technology, and third-party risk, this conversation offers a practical perspective on why cybersecurity belongs on every association leader’s agenda.CISA Free Cybersecurity Services & Tools — the US government's curated catalog of no-cost services, including vulnerability scanning for your organization.Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity Toolkit for Mission-Based Organizations — free tools and step-by-step guidance built specifically for nonprofits and associations.CIS Critical Security Controls — Implementation Group 1 — the 56 "essential cyber hygiene" safeguards for any small-staff organization.

Send us Fan MailThe Association Transformation summer hiatus is over early, and for good reason. Three-time guest Jay S. Daughtry, M.Ed., joins Andrew and Elisa for a timely preview of the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition. Jay just released his annual "What I'm Looking Forward to at ASAE Annual 2026" guide, built with input from voices across the association community, and he shares the highlights: The Classic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the closing celebration at Lucas Oil Stadium, how to navigate a packed schedule, getting real value from the trade show floor, cracking the evening party circuit, and energy management tips for introverts. Elisa will be at #ASAE26 in Indianapolis, so say hello if you see her! Check out the podcast here:https://associationtransformation.org/latest-episodes  and you can grab Jay's guide here:https://go.associationplatforms.com/asae26highlights/

Send us Fan MailMost associations are not short on ideas. The real struggle is moving from plan to progress.In episode 175 of Association Transformation, we dig into Project Management Paralysis - why association projects stall, how communication and culture get in the way, and what it takes to turn good intentions into real execution. Because plans do not execute themselves.

Send us Fan MailThis week on Association Transformation, we’re unpacking another UK controversy: members can ask hard questions about outcomes and value, but they don’t get to design the org chart. Instead of letting leadership lead, parts of the charity sector has jumped straight to a public “bun fight" with one of its membership organisations (the NCVO), including open letters, outside pressure, and a not-so-subtle attempt to dictate how the organization should staff itself. Elisa and Andrew get blunt about what’s really going on: member overreach. Accountability is fair game. Operational control is not. The CEO’s job is to design the structure, deploy talent, and run the business, without members trying to manage the org by petition. Listen in and weigh in: where does legitimate scrutiny end and governance-wrecking interference begin?