Better By Association – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert are joined by Sarah Sladek, founder and CEO of XYZ University, renowned author, and keynote speaker at this year's New Ideas Conference. Sarah dives into the evolving landscape of member engagement, emphasizing the need for associations to adapt to shifting demographics. She discusses the emotional connection members have with organizations and the critical focus on retention over recruitment. Sarah also highlights the importance of aligning organizational values with members and maintaining a member-first approach to drive meaningful change. This episode was recorded live at TSAE’s New Ideas Conference in The Woodlands.

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show notes

Sarah Sladek has been referred to as a social equity expert and recognized as both a Global Leader in Strategy and a Talent Economy Influencer. Organizations worldwide have relied on her insights to plan their futures, foster cultures of relevance and belonging, and realize growth. Leaders who seek Sarah’s expertise tend to want a different outlook for their organizations, but they aren’t sure how to make it happen. They feel stuck. Overwhelmed by change, turnover, conflict, and decline. Sarah has the solutions to these challenges and more.

Since 2002, she has dedicated her career to understanding the concepts of engagement and belonging and answering these core questions:

• Why are organizations experiencing more turnover, disengagement,

• and decline than ever before?

• Why are younger generations less likely to feel like they belong?
• Is sustainable change possible?

Sarah studies belonging through the lens of social change and generational influences, alongside trends and shifts in organizational cultures, workforce development, consumerism, and economics.

She refers to this comprehensive approach as Next Gen Intelligence. Using this approach, Sarah has successfully turned organizations around, bringing them to a place of increased relationship-building and revenue generation. Sarah is the founder and CEO of XYZ University, a training and consulting firm advising organizations worldwide. She is the author of six books. Her latest book, MemberShift: Why Members Leave and the Strategies Proven to Bring Them Back, hit the market in late 2023 and received the Silver Nonfiction Book Award. In addition, Sarah is a web show host, podcaster, member of Forbes Business Council, and contributing writer for Boardroom magazine. She was recently named to the global list of Women Who Advance Associations, and she’s prominently featured in the Jobs of Tomorrow docuseries currently streaming on Tubi. Her expertise has been prominently featured in international media, and she has keynoted events throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.

In this episode, Paulina Van Eeden Hill, CAE, chief operating officer at Strategic Association Management, executive director of the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented, and 2024-2025 board chair of the Texas Society for Association Executives, joins hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert. Paulina shares her insights on balancing responsibilities, personal growth, and blending both scientific and artistic approaches to leadership. The conversation covers the role of Association Management Companies, how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) has shaped her organization, the importance of continuous learning, taking on new challenges, and the human side of association management.

This episode is sponsored by eLearningDOC.

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode, we talk to Lori Gracey, CAE, executive director of the Texas Computer Education Association. She joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation focused on leadership, learning how to lead and where to go for advice, technological advances including the use of AI, and the importance of being involved in an organization like TSAE. 

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show notes

Lori Gracey currently serves as the executive director of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) with a staff of 21 dedicated individuals serving more than 80,000 members around the world. During her 14 years in this position, she has led TCEA in membership and revenue growth, helped to pay off their building and purchase a new, larger building (also paid off), and implemented new conferences, partnerships with other associations, and professional development opportunities for members and non-members.

Lori earned her CAE in 2014. She has served on the TSAE board and regularly presents at different TSAE events, including Association 101, New Ideas, webinars, Learn at Lunches, and the CEO Forum. She leads a weekly meeting with executive directors of other educational technology associations and has also organized and led several governance events for volunteer leaders in similar associations from around the world.

Prior to entering the association world, Lori garnered 28 years of experience in education, with 22 years as a curriculum and technology director. She served on the TCEA board of directors for 13 years previously. Lori is a past presenter at the International Society for Technology in Education and a regular presenter at the TCEA convention. She has served as the ISTE 2017 and 2013 Conference Program Chair and the 2007 NECC International Conference Chair Person, and has conducted professional development for the Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education, Texas Association of School Boards, and hundreds of school districts across the country.

A MA in English and a BS in Education have helped Lori to manage the intricacies of whatever career she challenges.

In this episode, we talk to Leslie Midgley, executive vice president and CEO at the Texas Land Title Association. She joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation focused on leadership, her passion for the association community, mentorship advice, leadership challenges, and the importance of being involved in an organization like TSAE. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at TSAE’s New Ideas Conference in Fort Worth. 

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show notes

Leslie Midgley joined the staff of the Texas Land Title Association over 40 years ago and has been involved in every aspect of the association since that time. Since 2001, she has been at the helm, serving as Executive Vice President and CEO, the chief paid position of the 2,500+ member organization. Prior to that, as Administrative Director and then Vice President of Operations, she was responsible for managing the association's day-to-day operations, supervising the TLTA staff and overseeing all programs and services. Leslie has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from St. Edward's University in Austin. In 1999, she successfully completed the Certified Association Executive (CAE) program through the American Society of Association Executives of which she is also a member. She served for a number of years on the Board of Directors of the Texas Society of Association Executives and was Chairman of the Board of that organization in 2005-2006.  She has been honored by both the title and association industries with the following awards: Texas Land Title Association President’s Award (2002, 2016) and Texas Society of Association Executives Distinguished Executive Award (2013), Chairman’s Award (2007), Professional Excellence Award (1990) and Making a Difference Community Service Award (2016). Additionally, she has been very involved as a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, Central Texas Chapter, and served on their Board of Directors from 1997-2004, was Board President in 1998-1999, and received the Jack C. Kern Award for Special Service in1998. She has also been an active member of Impact Austin, a philanthropic organization that awards financial grants to Austin area non-profits. Leslie is a member of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Central Texas and served as that organization’s President and Board Chair in 2016-17. Leslie lives in Austin with her husband Mike. They enjoy cooking, traveling and spending time with their grandkids.

In this episode, we talk to Carrie McIntyre, principal at Navigate. She joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for a fun conversation focused on increasing non-dues revenue, what works (and doesn’t), valuable sales and marketing tips, and the importance of belonging to an organization like TSAE. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at TSAE’s New Ideas Conference in Fort Worth. 

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode, we talk to Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP, executive director and CEO of American Mensa and the Mensa Foundation and board, and current Chair for the Texas Society of Association Executives’ Board of Directors. He joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation focused on association challenges, curiosities, diversity, equity and inclusion, being authentic, and his drive to lead TSAE.

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode, we talk to Christopher Williston, VI, CAE, president and CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, about innovating your association. He joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for a fun conversation that defines innovation, and includes how IBAT is innovating, what it takes for an organization - regardless of size - can innovate, and how to convince your leaders and staff that innovation is needed. He also talks about his career and life journey in the association space and what it was like working with his dad.

In this episode, we talk to Alex Richardson, CEO and co-founder of The Art of Mentoring. He joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation wrapped around, what else – mentorship! They chat about the importance of mentorship in the association space, taking advantage of untapped expertise, setting up a formal mentorship program, qualities of a good mentor (and mentee), and the value of belonging to an association.

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show notes

Alex Richardson is the CEO, co-founder and tech enabler behind Art of Mentoring, a HR technology company that designs strategic mentoring programs for corporates, associations and government departments in Australasia and North America.

Alex co-founded of Art of Mentoring alongside his mother, global mentoring expert, Melissa Richardson in 2013. The combination of Alex’s deep understanding of technology and Melissa’s mentoring mastery presented an opportunity to leverage technology to mobilise strategic mentoring programs and help associations attract, develop and retain their members.

Whilst mentoring has been an important part of Alex’s life, he also has a passion for music that runs deeps, which saw Alex study sound engineering and go on to produce albums throughout Australia, Africa and Brazil. Agile, adaptive, and technologically creative, Alex has been instrumental (pardon the pun) in the development of mentoring technology from the ground up. His nous for establishing long-standing relationships with partners and clients, has propelled Art of Mentoring into the HR Tech sector, and he’s not slowing down.

Alex has built some of the world’s largest mentoring programs across a variety of sectors such as Government, Defense, Membership Associations and Corporates in countries all around the world. He specializes in programs that create transformational mentoring relationships, shift culture and solve complex problems. Under his leadership, Art of Mentoring will continue to push the boundaries of unlocking the potential of powerful relationships enabled by technology.

In this episode, we talk to Cathi Hight, president of Hight Performance Group, and membership guru. She joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation about taking care of members throughout the member journey, attracting the next generation of members, the importance of telling your organization's story, membership marketing, and four core ways your members will engage with your association. 

This episode is sponsored by Visit College Station.  

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show notes

Cathi Hight has more than 25 years’ experience in the association industry. She is passionate about helping member-based organizations evolve and thrive. Considered as a Membership Guru, Cathi is the developer of The Member Retention Kit and A New Approach to Tiered Membership. She helps associations meet the changing expectations of members and to effectively communicate the value of membership.

Cathi’s top five StrengthFinder® talents are Strategic, Maximizer, Significance, Focus and Deliberate and she leverages these talents to facilitate scenario and strategic planning, develop foresight for boards of directors, and implement strategic recruitment and retention initiatives for associations of all size and industry.

Cathi is a frequent speaker for national and regional associations, including the Great Ideas event for ASAE (American Society of Association Executives), Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) conventions, and state conferences. She has been an instructor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management (association management certification program) since 2004. Cathi is a member of ASAE, ACCE and TSAE (Texas Society of Association Executives).

Cathi has a diverse career experience serving in leadership roles for association, manufacturing, finance, training and development, and nonprofit sectors. She was a Motorola University Instructor for six sigma, cycle time reduction and benchmarking. Her multi-industry background allows her to share best practices as a speaker, trainer, consultant, and author. Cathi holds a B.S. in Human Development from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

In this episode, we talk to Annette Hicks, CMP, vice president of meetings & events for the Texas Food & Fuel Association. She joins our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for a timely conversation about the future of association event planning, cutting costs, creating amazing RFPs, the importance of mentorship, and advice for young professionals starting in the hospitality industry. Oh, and we learn a valuable lesson: Don't mess with people's bacon!

This episode is sponsored by Visit Corpus Christi.  

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.