Episodes
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Mark Sterne, who is based in Chicago, is the founder and president of the Print & Marketing Solutions Group. He works with associations and other organizations to improve their marketing ROI and constituent engagement with effective print, fulfillment, digital publications and web-to-print solutions.
His focus is to help associations with printing, marketing and fulfillment for their books, magazines, meetings, membership recruitment, renewal and retention programs.
In this episode, we talk about:
How to find the right balance between print and digital. The importance of knowing your specific audience and their wants. Why some students and younger members like print products. Ways to save costs on print products. How print can help build community among members. Benefits of using direct mail today. Creative ways to use QR codes, which you can personalize and track. Current status of paper availability and supply chain, after the shortage during the pandemic.Resources:
Mark’s email address
Contact Mark by phone: 847-498-9640
Recommend future Association Station guests, for season 3 in 2024, to Melanie [email protected].
Check out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Today’s guest is Beth Rosenberg. Beth is the director of communications at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), which is based in downtown DC. She primarily oversees the digital editorial content and social media channels.
Beth has worked at NBAA for 11 years and was previously a newspaper reporter, working at newspapers throughout the Northeast and with the Associated Press and trade publications.
Beth walks us through how she takes a newsroom approach to planning and developing content for her association and also how she has this newsroom approach on-site at their annual events. She describes how she does it and why it’s helpful and what you should think about if you go this route.
In this episode we talk about:
How Beth manages the content demands as a director of communications. How it’s helpful to host a weekly “enterprise” call with staff. What excites her now about association communications. Why they switched from a weekly newsletter to a daily newsletter. How they began to take a newsroom approach to covering content. How they use that newsroom approach at their in-person events. How they use their in-house TV studio at their events. How they use “playbooks” at the events to keep track of their content.Resources:
Beth on LinkedIn Beth’s email address National Business Aviation AssociationCheck out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Episodes manquant?
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Today’s guest is Chris Durso. Chris lives in Arlington, Virginia, right outside Washington, DC. He is the editor-in-chief of Construction Executive magazine, which is published by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). He has more than 30 years of experience as an editor, writer, publications leader and content strategist across a variety of industries.
In January/February 2023, Chris and his team at ABC debuted a redesigned and reimagined Construction Executive magazine, along with the new look of its accompanying newsletter. The magazine is published nine times a year and has a circulation of 50,000 — about half are members, the rest subscribers. With the flagship print magazine leading the content plan, they are now in the midst of redesigning the magazine website and boosting their social media strategy.
In this episode, we talk about:
How they began the process of reimagining and redesigning their print magazine, along with a magazine website and newsletter. How they chose a new outside design firm. How this process differed from Chris’ previous experience with association magazine redesigns. They debuted the new look via the magazine-associated newsletter, CE This Week, then debuted the new look of Construction Executive magazine. What they changed about their newsletter. After the magazine and newsletter redesign, they are now in the midst of redesigning the magazine website, www.constructionexec.com. They increased their art budget to lean into the visual aspect of their industry. The importance of taking the time to find the right vendor partners. Why it’s beneficial to look outside the association world for redesign inspiration.Resources:
Construction Executive magazine Chris on LinkedIn Chris on TwitterCheck out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Today’s guest is Crystal Shelley, of Salt Lake City. Crystal is the owner of Rabbit with a Red Pen. She edits fiction and is an authenticity reader. Drawing on her background as a social worker, she unites her love of language and passion for social justice by pushing for writing and representation that’s more dignified, intentional, and just.
Crystal is the creator of the Conscious Language Toolkits for Editors and Writers — these toolkits are fantastic resources and I’ll put a link to them in the show notes.
Crystal also serves on the board of ACES: the Society for Editing and is an instructor for the Editorial Freelancers Association.
In this episode, we talk about:
What “conscious language” is, a term coined by Karen Yin, who also created the Conscious Style Guide. What the difference between “conscious language” and “inclusive language” is. Why using conscious language — and critically assessing the language we use — in our content is important. Style guides are just that: guides. The primary ones, such as the Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, don’t always reflect the most updated and conscious language or the accepted language of a particular group. Some pitfalls when editing and striving for conscious language. How we can advocate for using more conscious language at our associations. How staff can respond to members who criticize using “woke” or “politically correct” language or content. Why everyone should embrace and use “singular they” in their content. How to think about which words to use when identifying people by race and ethnicity. What ableism and ableist language is and how incredibly prevalent it is in our society. What “inspiration porn” is and why not to write so-called “inspiring” stories of people with disabilities. What an “authenticity reader” or “sensitivity reader” is and how associations can use these experts to avoid stereotypes and harming readers.Resources:
Crystal’s Conscious Language Toolkits for Editors and Writers Crystal’s website Crystal on Twitter Crystal on Instagram Crystal on LinkedInStyle Guides:
Karen Yin’s Conscious Style Guide Trans Journalists Association Style Guide Native Governance Center Style Guide National Center on Disability and Journalism Style Guide American Psychosocial Association (APA) Style Lydia X. Z Brown’s Glossary of Ableist PhrasesAuthenticity reader directories:
Editors of Color Database ACES–the Society for Editing’s Editors for Hire database Editorial Freelancers Association Member Directory Writing Diversely Sensitivity Reader DirectoryCheck out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Today’s guest is Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE, who has been the executive director of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) since 2019. Christina, who lives in Virginia, is a seasoned association executive who brings a data-driven framework to business planning and strategy. She received an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives.
ATLIS’ magazine, Access Points, won awards from AM&P Network and ASAE after Christina and her team reimagined the magazine. It went from what was, frankly, more of a stuffy academic journal, into a glossy, highly readable, redesigned magazine — but with an intention to use it as their association’s No. 1 marketing tool. The magazine is sent to both members and anyone else who wants it, as a vehicle to recruit new members to the young association.
In this episode, we talk about:
How Christina and her team re-envisioned ATLIS’s print magazine, Access Points, to use it as their No. 1 marketing vehicle, starting in 2021. Why they now send the magazine for free to anyone: members, non-members, member prospects. How they worked with an outside partner to redesign and reimagine the magazine. How having a marketing goal and non-member readers affects the content. The magazine is an investment, not a money maker directly, but the return on investment is an increase in membership and participating in ATLIS events. As a small staff, how Christina considers what projects to outsource. What a strong relationship with an outside partner looks like. Advice for associations who might want to consider this approach with their publication. Why long-form and deep dives in magazines are still important — not everything can be short blurbs and soundbites, especially for our specialized audiences. Why flipbooks aren’t the answer for digital magazines. Access Point’s four “buckets,” which establish the content, align with the association’s existing overall four areas of content.Resources:
Christina on LinkedIn ATLIS website Christina on TwitterCheck out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Today’s guest is Jemilah Senter, of MCI USA. Throughout her career, Jemilah, who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has focused singularly on marketing and communications, including marketing strategy, brand developing, marketing technology assessment and implementation, and more. For the past two years, Jemilah was vice president of marketing and communications at MCI USA, where she oversaw the creative team for the associations division. Recently, she moved into a new role to lead marketing for MCI USA.
Jemilah and I are both interested in generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. As members of SIIA’s AM&P Network for associations, we were both asked to co-host a generative AI workshop in May for AM&P Network members. Jemilah co-hosted an event in Chicago, while I co-hosted one in DC.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why associations should be paying attention to generative AI tools. These are “tools,” devices that can assist us. Associations should be talking about how they will use generative AI so the entire association is aligned in its approach. Generative AI use cases for associations include content ideation, headline writing, background research on a topic, analysis of survey results, ideas for non-dues revenue, creating audience personas. An AI tool is like a “booster chair” that can be used to give you that “lift” to get you started on a project or to inspire you on a topic. Prompt engineering — how you ask AI a question — is a skill to develop to improve your use of the tool and get better answers. Why ChatGPT and similar tools should not be used to write content, which should be authentic, unique and reflective of your brand. The biggest risk with these tools revolves around quality control — ChatGPT doesn’t fact-check itself. Watch out for incorrect or inconsistent responses, as well as plagiarism. It will also provide made-up citations — asking it for sources is not enough; you need to fact-check those sources. Another risk is around intellectual property and copyright. ChatGPT is pulling information from existing online content, so does someone already own that content? And even if not, it’s still not unique content. Consider creating an association cross-functional team to start exploring use cases for generative AI tools.Resources:
Jemilah on LinkedIn Jemilah’s email address: [email protected] MCI websiteCheck out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD, CAE, is a psychologist and principal at Executive Therapy & Consulting. He has 13 years experience as a nonprofit executive, including four years as CEO of a $6 million association. Nabil is a licensed psychologist who can see patients in over 30 states via telehealth and is available for individual counseling.
As a global speaker, Nabil speaks to businesses and associations on mental health topics such as stress and wellness, burnout, impostor experience, and creating a culture of employee well-being.
In this episode, we talk about:
How the pandemic lockdown led to social isolation and an increase in loneliness. How remote and hybrid work is affecting association staff — and why choice is so important for employees. Managers are not trained in how to supervise remote workers. Telling the difference between stress and burnout. Telling the difference between stress and burnout versus more serious anxiety and/or depression. Associations that provide mental health resources and benefits improve employee recruitment and retention. It’s not just from the COVID-19 pandemic — there’s an intersectionality of mental health issues in the U.S. related to social justice issues, microaggressions, the political climate and more. The importance of finding ways for social connection, for both extroverts and introverts. The importance of supervisors scheduling regular meetings with their staff and teams — and learning how to be better listeners. How to incorporate mindfulness, deep breathing, and laughter into your daily lives to help combat stress.Resources:
Nabil’s website: https://executivetherapy.solutions Email Nabil at [email protected] Nabil on Twitter Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General Advisory in May 2023 on the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection.Check out Melanie’s other podcast for freelancers, consultants and solo business owners: Deliberate Freelancer (free on any podcast app).
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Joy Burwell is the director of communications and membership at the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA). She manages the communications and marketing for the organization and oversees the membership department.
Before joining AOPA three years ago, Joy was assistant vice president of communications at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She also spent six years at Amplify Public Affairs and has worked at the American Academy of Nursing. She is a graduate of James Madison University and received her master’s degree in public policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Joy recently oversaw the launch of AOPA’s new logo, vision, mission and strategic priorities—with a small association staff of only 14 people.
Topics covered:
Combining the communications and membership teams into one department and what that means for strategy and content. Undergoing a strategic planning process that led to a rebrand. Making a plan to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic focused and reenergized. The benefits of hiring an outside consultant. Creating a new “rallying cry” for the association and its members. The process of creating a new logo with an outside firm. Tips for creating—and then launching—a new logo (including a video launch). Focusing on telling members’ stories on social media. COVID-19 silver linings: less-formal communications, and people across industries more willing to help one another. Using data to inform and drive decisions.Resources:
Joy on LinkedIn AOPA’s #WeAreOandP social media campaign AOPA relaunch video AOPA’s website Melanie on LinkedIn Melanie on Twitter @MelEdits Email your podcast guest and topic recommendations to [email protected] -
Carrie Hartin is president of sales solutions and services at MCI USA. Carrie lives in Baltimore, Maryland. At MCI USA, she leads a team that generates revenue for more than 40 associations across the U.S. They provide a wide range of customized sales solutions—in media, sponsorships, training programs, and more.
Topics covered:
Dealing with current revenue challenges. The changes over the years in what marketers are looking for—from ad sales to multi-channel approaches. The speed of content and the ability to update and change content very quickly. The challenge of mapping out a member experience that connects a variety of content and resources. Solutions to the challenge of creating more content with fewer internal resources. The mindset needed to move your association content forward. Engagement as the currency of today’s advertising marketplace. A few tips on how to move your digital-first plan forward right now. How providing revenue for associations gives them financial freedom to do more to meet their mission. How to develop unique partnerships between your association and marketers/advertisers. Why it’s important to be nimble and able to pivot.Resources:
WeAreMCI.com Access the free Ultimate Event Marketing Guide from MCI.
(MCI will publish a revenue recovery guide in fall 2022, so look out for that soon.) MCI on LinkedIn Carrie on LinkedInEmail your Association Station topic and guest recommendations to [email protected]. Diversity is a plus!
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Today’s guest is Samantha Whitehorne, senior director, and editor-in-chief, of Associations Now at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Sam leads content development and management of ASAE’s Associations Now media channel.
Throughout her 17 years at ASAE, Sam has managed both print and digital channels and developed content that positions Associations Now as the definitive source of news and thought leadership for association professionals. Since Associations Now initially launched in 2005, it has won more than 60 awards from FOLIO, Association Media & Publishing, Association Trends, and others.
Prior to joining ASAE, Samantha worked at Prevention magazine. She earned an M.A. from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and a B.A. from American University.
Topics covered:
Sam’s evolving role at ASAE over 17 years. The evolution of Associations Now, which was a print magazine. Now, it’s a digital-first media channel. How they use an artificial intelligence-driven platform for member e-newsletters. How Associations Now staff and their outside partner develop content each day. Around 2020–but pre-pandemic—digital revenue overtook print revenue for the first time. How they saw that both advertisers and members were becoming more interested in the digital content. Associations Now has never said they’re getting rid of print entirely; they create special publications in print. When they eliminated the print magazine, ASAE wanted to give members something new. So, they relaunched AssociationsNow.com and redesigned their e-newsletters at the same time. Associations Now created new Deep Dive feature packages online on specific topics. Examples of digital and sponsored content products that Associations Now now sells. Advice for when you reduce or eliminate print publications. Being transparent and acknowledging the grief some staff may have over eliminating print. The exciting opportunities of multimedia and video in association content.Resources:
Samantha on LinkedIn Samantha on Twitter AssociationsNow.com Associations Now Deep Dive packagesEmail your Association Station topic and guest recommendations to [email protected]. Diversity is a plus!
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Bill Bell is senior vice president of sales at Fox Associates, a team of integrated media sales specialists. Fox Associates represents membership associations on behalf of their advertising sales. Fox has been around for over 50 years, and Bill has been with Fox since 2001, successfully working with national accounts in all major cities and categories.
Before that, Bill held sales positions with the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, and Sunset Magazine.
Topics covered:
How good sales teams represent associations and their publications and media. What the media landscape looks like today and how that affects sales. The differences and challenges when selling for associations, rather than B2B. How a sales funnel works. What content people should consider as they select and begin working with a sales team. Why reader surveys still matter. Where digital versus print ads stand today. Examples of products that associations can sell to earn non-dues revenue. The details of how one white paper was created by a company and promoted to members.Resources:
Fox Associates
Bill’s email address: [email protected]
Fox Tales newsletter
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Today’s guest is KiKi L’Italien, the owner of the consulting firm Amplified Growth; she trains association staff and speaks on a number of topics, particularly trust, community and membership. She helps organizations develop stronger ties between their mission and their members, honing her approach to communications and strategy for many organizations—nonprofits and corporate alike—including Optica, American Red Cross national headquarters, QVC and the American Institute of Architects.
KiKi is also a senior consultant with Tecker International and speaks regularly about management strategy, including digital strategy, and cultivating communities of trust.
She is also the creator and host of Association Chat, an online community, blog and podcast.
Kiki was featured in 2021 by Cvent as one of the 20 Event Professionals You Should be Following and in August 2021 as 30 Nonprofit IT Influencers to Follow in 2021 by BizTech magazine.
KiKi has served on the membership and component relations section councils for ASAE and was recognized in 2019 at IMEX as a Hall of Fame recipient for Organizational Leadership by the Association for Women in Events. Other awards include BizBash Top 1000 People in the U.S. Event Industry (2019) and SURGE Innovation Pioneer (2018).
She is the current president of the Woman’s Club of Wenonah, New Jersey.
Topics covered:
How she got started in associations. How the #AssnChat tweet chat and hashtag was created and how it has grown into a larger community. What associations need to be focusing on with their digital strategy. Hint: Figure out how important your legacy programs are and whether you should keep them around. Should you keep those programs you created during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic? Why cross-training staff and keeping up with staff training is critical right now, especially during the Great Resignation. Why you need to capture and write down the processes for various roles. The importance of trust in associations—with members, with staff leaders and co-workers, with your content. Distrust has become exacerbated in times of uncertainty, such as the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter and the COVID-19 pandemic. How to endeavor trust in member relations and content. How much trust do you have in yourself? Do you keep your promises to yourself? How the pandemic increased local and regional member participation.Resources:
AssociationChat.com Association Chat Knowledge Hub Association Chat YouTube videos Association Chat Facebook group Tecker International Blog Kiki on LinkedIn Kiki on Twitter -
Today’s guest is Sarah Black, a longtime association content creator and strategist who lives in New Jersey. Over the past 15 years, Sarah has honed a career focused on strategic content and publishing innovation.
In January 2022, she became the vice president of content and communications for the American Society of Plant Biologists, where she focuses on community engagement, publishing operations, and data and metrics analysis in content development.
Before that, she worked at an association management company, as director of content and creative. There, over about nine years, she worked with more than 20 associations to innovate their content game, strengthen their publications and drive strategic messaging.
I spoke with Sarah about how she thinks about the connection of content and membership and, more specifically, how an association’s content plays an integral part in their membership strategy and goals.
Topics covered:
Switching careers from content creation to publishing operations and strategy. Associations that have an entrepreneurial mindset and what that means. How content serves as both a member recruitment tool and member retention tool. Giving away a lot of content means you’re focused on member recruitment and engagement, but it can challenging for retention. Locking down content—behind a paywall, for example—is more focused on member retention, but it makes it harder for potential members to get to know you, to want to join your association. Providing content to potential members through a “free membership” tier. Figuring out how to operationalize a successful new program among all the demands on staff time—and investing in those resources. Creating a committee of members that brainstorms an annual editorial/content calendar—and then brings in the content as a way of building their network.Resources:
Sarah on LinkedIn Sarah’s email address: [email protected] -
Randy Townsend, MPS, who lives in the DC area, has been director of publishing operations at the Public Library of Science (PLOS) since November 2021. Before that, he spent 16 years at the American Geophysical Union. Randy was also recently elected president-elect of the Society for Scholarly Publishing.
At PLOS, Randy translates organizational vision and mission into clear priorities and practical goals to ensure alignment and collaboration. He has been a leader in policy implementation and journal strategy.
In June 2022, Randy finished his term on the AM&P Network’s Associations Council Advisory Board. He was also on the Executive Advisory Board of AM&P Network and chaired the organization’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Randy is also the inaugural editor-in-chief of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing and is an associate professor of the MPS in Publishing program in the College of Professional Studies at George Washington University in DC.
Topics covered:
What is scholarly publishing? Why Randy took the position at PLOS after 16 years at AGU. How Randy approaches scholarly publishing and aims to create a “happy path,” or a smooth journal and peer-review process. What his recent election as president-elect of the Society for Scholarly Publishing will entail. Why Randy wanted to help college students launch George Washington University’s Journal of Ethics in Publishing (he’s the journal’s first editor-in-chief). Tips on launching a journal, including pulling together a strong editorial board. Why diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work is important to Randy. How he started to get involved in DEI in the workplace when he and others encouraged discussions around harassment, bullying and discrimination. The positive DEI efforts associations are undertaking. The need to protect people who speak out on DEI issues.Resources:
Randy on LinkedIn Randy on Twitter Society for Scholarly Publishing GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) C4DISC’s antiracism toolkits -
Randy Ford, of Chicago, is the owner of First Story Strategies. He is a writer, storyteller, and communication coach. He creates content at the intersection of people, policy, and progress. His work is supported by his experience working on Capitol Hill for a congressional representative for 10 years.
Randy has been using the principles of story for more than 20 years as a writer, journalist, media strategist, and political aide. He started his career as a radio journalist in his home state of Tennessee and led award-winning team coverage on the impact of tax policy on individuals and families.
Then, he headed to Capitol Hill in DC, where for 10 years he was a senior aide to a member of Congress. Next, he joined LRG Public Affairs, heading up content, editorial, strategic communications, and event services for nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients.
Topics covered:
Why Randy loves working with membership associations. How he approaches working with an association client. How to do a communications or content audit. How to build a successful relationship with a consultant or freelancer. Matching communications messaging and breaking down siloes. The silver lining of the pandemic: the growth in connecting worldwide, without requiring in-person meetings. Engaging in empower or affinity groups of larger organizations. Repurposing content, particularly from events and conferences. How to repurpose conference videos in multiple ways. The impact that member stories can have in state legislatures and Congress.Resources:
FirstStoryStrategies.com Randy’s email address: [email protected] Randy on Twitter Association of Consultants to Nonprofits -
Stacy Brooks Whatley is director of marketing and communications at the American Physiological Society (APS). As a director since 2019, she oversees media relations, social media, website content strategy, the award-winning I Spy Physiology blog, and overall communications outreach for APS. She is also editor-in-chief of the award-winning The Physiologist Magazine, APS’ member-focused publication that relaunched in 2019.
Stacy devotes much of her time at work helping APS members—primarily biomedical researchers with PhDs—learn how to better communicate their research to the media, the general public and other researchers.
This podcast host, Melanie Padgett Powers, works with Stacy as managing editor of The Physiologist Magazine. The two have known each other since 2005 when they became communications co-workers—and fast friends—at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Stacy is also the new president of AM&P Network’s Associations Council (formerly Association Media and Publishing or AM&P), as of June 21, 2022.
Topics covered:
Engaging and featuring more than just the super volunteers in your content. Using a “Let us get to know you” form. Using member photos rather than stock photos. Sending birthday emails to members. Deciding what to cover and through which vehicle—while not getting distracted by the shiny object. Creating a web presence or content hub for a print-first magazine. The life-changing flexibility of working from home since the pandemic started. Creating “collective” work-life boundaries as a staff. Analyzing what would make your work life better. Lessons from Tonya Mosely: “rest as a radical concept for women of color.” Lessons from trauma therapist Resmaa Menakem. Becoming AM&P Network’s Associations Council new president in June 2022. The community, education and support Stacy has received from AM&P Network over the years. Associations Council’s vibrant freelance community, including the sole proprietor membership category and Freelance Connections Committee.Resources:
www.physiology.org The Physiologist Magazine Podcast Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosely Resmaa Menakem AM&P Network’s AMPLIFY Summit, June 22–23, 2022 Stacy on LinkedIn Stacy’s email address: [email protected] -
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