Explore every episode of the podcast The Association Insights Podcast

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, recorded on the show floor at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Tanika Coates, Director of Professional Development at the American Society for Cell Biology, to explore how associations can create more meaningful professional development experiences for members at every stage of their careers.

Tanika shares how associations can move beyond one-size-fits-all programming by using data to better understand member needs, reimagining existing content and designing learning experiences with accessibility and inclusion built in from the start.

Key Highlights

Move Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Learning: Members have different needs throughout their careers, and professional development should be designed as a journey rather than a single package of programs and resources.

Let Data Guide Your Investments: AI, analytics, surveys and program data can help associations identify what members actually use, what may no longer be sustainable and where resources could have greater impact.

Reimagine What You Already Have: Creating greater value doesn't always mean creating something new. Tanika shares how associations can rethink existing publications, webinars and other content for new formats and audiences.

Design for Accessibility From the Start: Rather than relying on members to request accommodations, associations can build inclusion into their events, education, content and services from the beginning.

Rethink Value for the Next Generation: Younger professionals are looking for mentoring, networking, advocacy and opportunities to grow—not simply traditional benefits or discounts.

🎧 Tune in for practical ideas to help your association rethink professional development, make smarter use of its resources and create learning experiences that better support members throughout their careers.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Next week, we're resuming our special fall series in partnership with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Colleen and Highland's David Whited will sit down with association leaders to unpack real-world approaches, lessons learned and what's working – before David returns to close out the series and connect those experiences back to Highland's research.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we kick off our September series focused on how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals—powered by our partners at Highland.

Our guest is Jon Berbaum, President of Highland, who joins host Colleen Gallagher to explore why younger professional engagement has become an association-wide strategic issue—and why getting someone to join is only the beginning.

🎧 If your association is working hard to attract younger professionals but struggling to keep them, this conversation is for you.

Key Highlights:

Joining vs. Staying: Why younger professionals increasingly join for a specific, transactional reason—and why associations need to treat the decision to stay as an entirely separate challenge.

The Long-Term Stakes: How low younger professional engagement can impact an association's mission, revenue and long-term relevance.

From Customer to Member: Why the initial joining decision is an opportunity to begin building the experiences and relationships that give younger professionals a reason to stay.

AI and Career Partnership: How associations can look beyond staff efficiency and use AI to create new member value by coordinating resources and personalizing career support.

Trust Over Ownership: Why the question is shifting from What products and benefits do we own? to What trusted position do we occupy in someone's career?

🎧 Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on earning the decision to stay and becoming a more meaningful part of younger professionals' career journeys.

Resources:

🌐 Learn more about Highland: www.highlandsolutions.com

📊 Take the Young Professional Membership Index: https://www.highlandsolutions.com/member-index/sign-up

The YPMI takes just 15 minutes to complete and helps association leaders see where their organization is strong, where it may be stuck and where to focus next – benchmarked against the field, with insights into young professional engagement, retention and AI maturity.

Stay Connected:

Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Throughout September, we're exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Colleen and Highland's David Whited will sit down with association leaders to unpack real-world approaches, lessons learned and what's working—before David returns to close out the series and connect those experiences back to Highland's research.

🎧 This special series is brought to you by our friends at Highland, where strategy meets research meets action.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with David Whited, Principal, Research & Strategy at Highland, to explore how associations can move beyond providing products and services to become essential career partners for their members.

David shares why strong resources alone aren’t enough—and how associations can create greater value by understanding where members are in their careers, anticipating what they need, and showing up at the moments that matter. 

🎧 Whether you lead membership, strategy, marketing, or the organization as a whole, this conversation offers a thought-provoking look at how associations can deepen member relationships and become more essential throughout a professional’s career.

Key Highlights

From Career Support to Career Partnership: Associations have built exceptional resources, but David argues that resources alone aren’t enough. He explains the difference between offering a “menu” of career support and creating a coordinated journey where members feel genuinely known and supported.

How Associations Drifted from Their Original Purpose: Growth, specialization, departmental structures, pressure for non-dues revenue, and the need to scale all helped associations become highly effective distributors of products and services. 

Competing in an Unbundled World: Professionals can increasingly find education, networking, information, communities, and career guidance across platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, AI tools, podcasts, and peer networks. 

The Moments That Matter: The biggest opportunities for member value aren’t always where associations expect them to be. David shares why research into pivotal career moments can uncover when members need support most—and, just as importantly, when they want associations to step back.

Personalization That Actually Means Something: Meaningful personalization goes far beyond using a member’s first name. It means understanding where someone is in their career, recognizing the challenges they’re likely facing, and connecting them with the right resource or person at the right time.

🎧 Tune in for a forward-looking conversation about membership, trust, AI, and what it will take for associations to become indispensable career partners once again.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals sharing top trends, challenges, and insights shaping the association world. And stay tuned throughout September for a special series, presented in partnership with Highland, exploring how associations can better engage, support and create lasting value for younger professionals.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, recorded on the show floor at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, O&U’s Meghan Henning sits down with Gail R. Kulp, M.Ed., CAE, Executive Director of the Sea Tow Foundation, to talk about scaling programs, empowering partners and creating meaningful impact with a small team.

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program has grown to more than 1,500 loaner stations nationwide, and Gail shares the systems behind that growth – from making participation easy to using data and reporting to continually strengthen the program.

Key Highlights

Make It Easy to Participate: Sea Tow Foundation gives local partners everything from building plans and signage to talking points and marketing materials, removing barriers to participation.

Listen and Keep Improving: Recurring questions from partners help Gail identify where additional resources, templates or guidance are needed.

Build in Accountability: Reporting requirements help the Foundation understand how its resources are being used, measure impact and make smarter decisions about future support.

Use Data to Scale Smarter: In 2026, the Foundation awarded 9,990 life jackets to 224 organizations, using application and reporting data to help determine where resources could have the greatest impact.

Create Systems That Extend Your Team: Gail shares how templates, ready-to-use social content, media resources and outside partners allow a small staff to support a much larger network.

🎧 Tune in for practical ideas on scaling successful programs, empowering partners and helping a small team make a much bigger impact.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to share conversations with association leaders on the ideas and strategies shaping the future of the industry. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, to explore what it takes to build sustainable growth in today's association landscape.

Since becoming CEO in 2022, Phil has led USA Fencing through significant membership, club, and revenue growth while positioning the organization for the opportunities surrounding the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. But as Phil explains, lasting success isn't built around one marquee moment—it's built through member listening, strong local communities, creative partnerships, and a culture of trust.

🎧 Whether you're focused on growing membership, diversifying revenue, or strengthening member engagement, this episode is full of practical ideas association leaders can put to work.

Key Highlights

Listening Is a Leadership Strategy: Phil explains why treating members as your "bosses"—and acting on their feedback—creates stronger organizations and better long-term decisions.

Local Communities Fuel Growth: Learn how investing in USA Fencing's network of clubs has strengthened membership and created a more resilient organization.

Lead With Transparency: Phil shares how clear communication, accountability, and explaining the "why" behind decisions help build trust—even during difficult moments.

Think Beyond the Big Event: As LA28 approaches, USA Fencing is using the excitement to build long-term engagement—not just short-term visibility.

Rethinking Revenue Growth: Phil discusses how understanding members beyond their role in the association opens the door to stronger partnerships, sponsorships, and new revenue opportunities.

Tell Stories That Reach New Audiences: From creator collaborations to Comic-Con, Phil shares how creative storytelling helps USA Fencing connect with people beyond the sport.

Culture Drives Everything: Building a strong culture starts with leadership, accountability, and creating an environment where people feel they belong.

🎧 Tune in for an engaging conversation on membership growth, leadership, storytelling, and building associations that thrive for the long term.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We're continuing to feature association executives and industry leaders sharing practical insights on the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned for more conversations designed to help association professionals grow, innovate, and lead with confidence.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher welcomes Denny Lengkong, President of IntelliData, back to the podcast to explore one of the biggest challenges facing associations today: turning mountains of data into meaningful decisions.

While many organizations have more data than ever before, few are fully leveraging it to drive strategy. Denny shares practical advice on how association leaders can move beyond reporting, ask better questions, prepare their organizations for AI, and build a data culture that supports smarter decision-making—not just more dashboards.

🎧 Whether you're just beginning your data journey or looking to make AI work more effectively for your organization, this episode offers practical, actionable insights for association leaders at every stage.

Key Highlights

Why Associations Are "Data Rich but Insight Poor": Denny explains why so many organizations treat their AMS or CRM as a "glorified filing cabinet" instead of a strategic asset—and what prevents teams from turning data into action.

From Reporting to Decision Support: Learn why the most valuable data questions aren't "How many members do we have?" but "What actions will improve engagement, retention, and member value?"

Preparing Your Data for AI Success: AI isn't a magic fix for poor data. Denny shares why clean data, shared definitions, and organizational context are essential before AI can deliver meaningful results.

The Small Data Points That Predict Big Outcomes: Discover how seemingly minor patterns—like changes in a member contact or recurring attendance trends—can reveal valuable insights into member behavior and retention.

Creating a Single Source of Truth: Breaking down silos starts with shared definitions. Denny explains why agreeing on something as simple as what qualifies as a "member" lays the foundation for better reporting, analytics, and AI adoption.

Resources: Sign up for IntelliData’s monthly newsletter, The Slice: https://intellidata.tech/#newsletter-signup 

🎧 Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical advice on building a stronger data strategy, embracing AI thoughtfully, and helping your association make better decisions with the information it already has.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon

We're continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry leaders to share practical perspectives on the trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned for more conversations designed to help you strengthen your organization, engage your members, and lead with confidence.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Candice Warltier, CEO & Founding Partner of CS-Effect, to explore how associations can use trusted voices to combat misinformation, educate new audiences, and strengthen their credibility in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.

Drawing from CS-Effect's award-winning work with the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), Candice shares how a strategic influencer campaign helped counter myths about root canals by partnering with respected physicians, pediatricians, and healthcare content creators—not to promote products, but to deliver science-based education people could trust.

🎧 Whether you're leading communications, marketing, membership, or advocacy, this episode offers practical insights into how associations can thoughtfully incorporate influencer marketing to expand their reach, build trust, and engage the next generation.

Key Highlights

Why Influencer Marketing Belongs in the Association Toolkit: Candice explains how member concerns about online misinformation sparked a campaign that reached audiences traditional communications couldn't.

Trust Starts with the Right Voices: Learn why AAE intentionally partnered with physicians and healthcare educators outside dentistry—and how third-party credibility helped strengthen the campaign.

The Vetting Process Matters: From audience engagement and brand alignment to years of past content, Candice shares the rigorous process associations should use before partnering with any content creator.

Authenticity Beats Scripts: Discover why giving creators messaging guidance—not word-for-word scripts—results in content that feels genuine and resonates with audiences.

Measuring Success Beyond Likes: The campaign generated thousands of saves and shares while driving users to AAE's educational resources and Find My Endodontist locator, proving meaningful engagement goes far beyond impressions.

🎧 Tune in for a practical conversation on building trust through credible voices, combating misinformation with confidence, and using influencer partnerships to help your association reach new audiences with authenticity.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon We're continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry leaders to explore the top trends, innovative strategies, and practical insights helping associations strengthen member engagement, navigate change, and prepare for what's next. Stay tuned!

In this special episode of the Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher shares a live panel discussion from Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) on how associations can use strategic storytelling to build trust, strengthen member engagement, and drive organizational results.

Joining Colleen are:

• Courtney Rhodes, Head of News Media Relations, U.S. Travel Association

• Jeanne Metzger, Vice President, Membership, Marketing & Analytics, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)

• Alexandra Bradley, Director of Communications & Marketing, American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)

Together, they share practical strategies for helping associations move beyond promoting programs to becoming trusted, strategic voices during times of uncertainty, rapid technological change, and shifting member expectations.

🎧 Whether you lead communications, marketing, membership, or strategy, this episode offers actionable ideas for building trust, creating stories that resonate, and positioning communications as a driver of organizational success.

Key Highlights

Communications as a Business Driver: Why communications deserves a seat at the leadership table—and how it supports membership, revenue, advocacy, and reputation.

Leading Through Uncertainty: How associations can communicate with confidence, avoid reactive messaging, and build trust during challenging moments.

Tell Better Stories, Not More Stories: Why audience segmentation, member insights, and authentic storytelling outperform constant promotion.

Putting Members at the Center: Learn how member experiences, volunteer voices, and community stories create stronger engagement than organizational messaging alone.

Using AI with Intention: Practical ways AI can improve efficiency while preserving the authenticity that only people can provide.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: More conversations with association professionals sharing the trends, insights, and strategies helping associations navigate change, engage members, and lead with confidence. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Meghan Henning sits down with Tara Puckey, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CMP, President & CEO of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), for a thoughtful conversation on trust, leadership, organizational culture, and the evolving information landscape.

Drawing on her unique background in both journalism and association leadership, Tara explores why trust has become one of the defining challenges of our time—and what association leaders can do to build resilient organizations in an era of rapid technological change, increasing polarization, and rising expectations around transparency and wellbeing.

🎧 Whether you're leading through uncertainty, strengthening organizational culture, or preparing your association for what's next, this episode offers timely insights into the leadership skills today's association executives need most.

Key Highlights

Trust Is Every Association's Business: Tara explains how declining trust—once primarily a challenge for journalism—has expanded across industries, creating new expectations for associations to demonstrate credibility, transparency, and value to both members and the public.

Leading Through Polarization Without Losing Your Mission: As social and political issues increasingly intersect with organizational leadership, Tara shares why associations should proactively define their values and discuss potential response strategies before difficult moments arise.

Building Cultures Where People Thrive: Strong organizational cultures don't happen by accident. Tara discusses why trust, empathy, and authentic relationships are foundational to high-performing teams—and why putting people first ultimately leads to stronger organizational outcomes.

Why Leadership Can Feel Lonely: Even in collaborative organizations, CEOs often carry challenges they can't always share internally. Tara highlights the importance of peer networks, mentorship, and professional communities that provide support, perspective, and practical advice.

🎧 Tune in for an inspiring conversation on leading with purpose, building trust in uncertain times, and creating organizations that are prepared for the future—not just reacting to it.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon We're continuing to sit down with association leaders from across industries to explore the trends, leadership lessons, and innovative strategies shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned for more conversations designed to help your organization stay resilient, relevant, and ready for what's next.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Stuart Broadley, CEO of the Energy Industries Council (EIC), for a conversation about leading one of the world's largest trade associations serving the energy supply chain.

Representing more than 950 member companies across 120+ countries, EIC has built its reputation by helping organizations navigate global markets through market intelligence, advocacy, networking, and strategic insights. 

🎧 Whether you're leading a global association, thinking about member value, or looking for new ways to innovate, this episode offers practical lessons on leadership, strategy, and building an organization that stays relevant through disruption.

Key Highlights

Leading with Mission, Not Market Trends: Why EIC's "energy agnostic" approach has allowed the association to support members across the full energy supply chain while staying true to its mission.

Turning Data into Member Value: How EIC uses proprietary market intelligence to strengthen advocacy, uncover business opportunities, and help members make more informed decisions.

Building Global Value for Local Members: With members in more than 120 countries, Stuart shares how EIC balances global resources with the flexibility members need to pursue their own strategies.

Leadership Lessons from 700+ CEOs: Drawing on a decade of Survive and Thrive research, Stuart explains why resilience, adaptability, and passionate leadership matter more than any single business strategy.

Listening Before Investing: How independent member research helps EIC identify shifting priorities—and why networking has become just as valuable as market intelligence.

🎧 Tune in for an insightful conversation on leadership, innovation, global member engagement, and what associations can learn from one organization's commitment to data, mission, and continuous evolution.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We're continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry leaders to explore the top trends, emerging ideas, and practical insights shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back Kara Dickerson, Founder of Content With Impact, LLC, to explore how associations can transform keynote programs into powerful storytelling platforms that create value before, during, and long after an event.

Drawing on her experience leading the keynote strategy for InfoComm 2026 and previously curating executive stages for CES, Kara shares practical strategies for designing keynote experiences that inspire attendees, strengthen industry leadership, and extend far beyond the conference stage.

🎧 Whether you're planning a conference, refreshing your keynote program, or looking to create greater value for attendees and sponsors, this episode offers actionable insights for building keynote experiences with lasting impact.

Key Highlights

Start with Strategy, Not Speakers: Define the trends shaping your industry first, then build keynote programming around the conversations your audience needs most.

Balance Vision with Action: Great keynotes inspire while giving attendees practical ideas they can apply immediately—not just big-picture predictions.

Measure More Than Attendance: The real impact often happens after the event through media coverage, social sharing, on-demand views, and continued audience engagement.

Turn Keynotes into a Content Engine: Extend the value of every keynote through strategic promotion, highlight clips, post-event content, and year-round storytelling.

Create Shared Value with Industry Partners: The strongest keynote programs are collaborative partnerships that elevate both the event and participating organizations.

Use Your Stage to Shape the Industry: A thoughtfully curated keynote program positions your association as a leader while helping members prepare for what's next.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: More conversations with association leaders and industry experts on the ideas and strategies shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned!

In this solo episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher explores a simple but often overlooked truth: effective association communications don't start with content—they start with organizational goals.

Too often, communications teams get caught in a cycle of emails, social media posts, event promotions, and campaign execution without stepping back to ask what those efforts are actually meant to achieve. Whether the goal is member retention, event attendance, sponsorship growth, advocacy impact, or industry awareness, communications should serve as a strategic driver—not just a tactical function.

Colleen shares how association communicators can move beyond measuring activity and start demonstrating impact by aligning campaigns, messaging, and metrics with broader organizational priorities.

Key Highlights

Communications Is a Vehicle, Not the Destination: Why successful associations start by identifying organizational goals before choosing tactics, channels, or content.

Moving Beyond Activity Metrics: Open rates, impressions, and followers matter—but leadership increasingly wants to understand how communications contributes to growth, engagement, and strategic priorities.

From Reactive to Strategic: How communications teams can avoid becoming an internal service department and instead position themselves as partners in achieving organizational outcomes.

Event Marketing With Purpose: Why understanding the business importance of attendance leads to stronger messaging, better audience targeting, and more meaningful measurement.

Member Retention Through Value Reinforcement: How communications can help members understand the value, relevance, and impact of association membership throughout the year.

Supporting Sponsorship and Non-Dues Revenue: Why sponsors are looking for outcomes—not just visibility—and how strategic storytelling can strengthen partnerships.

🎧 Tune in for practical insights on turning communications into a strategic asset that supports growth, engagement, and organizational success.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We're continuing to explore the ideas, trends, and strategies shaping the future of associations—from communications and membership to leadership, engagement, and growth. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Lerro Gallagher sits down with Mark Fernando, Director of Governance and Administration at the American Sociological Association (ASA), to explore what it takes to build trust, transparency, and engagement within a complex member-driven organization.

Managing governance, elections, volunteer leadership, and organizational operations, Mark shares practical lessons on balancing structure with member voice, creating inclusive leadership pathways, and preparing associations for the challenges ahead.

🎧 Whether you're modernizing governance, strengthening member trust, or thinking about the future of association leadership, this conversation offers valuable insights for association professionals.

Key Highlights

Governance as the Foundation: Mark shares his "association as a house" analogy to explain how bylaws, policies, members, and staff work together to create strong, adaptable organizations.

Building Trust Through Transparency: Effective governance requires clear processes, member feedback, and consistent communication that helps members understand how decisions are made.

Running Elections at Scale: From managing dozens of ballots to navigating unexpected technology challenges, Mark discusses what it takes to maintain fair, trusted election processes.

Representation Requires Intention: Leadership development and volunteer recruitment should reflect the diversity of the membership across backgrounds, perspectives, institution types, and geography.

Communication Is a Two-Way Street: Associations often focus on messaging but overlook feedback. Mark explains why listening is just as important as communicating.

Balancing Agility and Governance: Strong governance systems create the guardrails associations need to respond thoughtfully to emerging issues without losing focus.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on governance, leadership, and the strategies associations can use to remain trusted, responsive, and member-focused in a changing environment.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals, industry leaders, and changemakers to explore the top trends, challenges, and ideas shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Dr. Michael Carr-Tatonetti, CPP, CAE, Founder & CEO of Pricing for Associations, to explore one of the most powerful—and often misunderstood—tools available to association leaders: pricing.

From membership dues and event registrations to sponsorships and education programs, pricing decisions influence far more than revenue. Michael shares why associations often underprice their value, overcomplicate their offerings, and allow fear of member backlash to hold them back from making strategic decisions.

🎧 Whether you're considering a dues increase, or looking to strengthen your organization's financial sustainability, this conversation offers practical guidance grounded in data, value, and member experience.

Key Highlights

Pricing Is About Sustainability, Not Greed: Why associations need to rethink their relationship with pricing and view it as a tool for supporting mission and long-term organizational health.

Value Comes Before Engagement: Michael explains why understanding what members truly value should come before efforts to increase participation and engagement.

The Case for Small, Consistent Price Increases: How incremental adjustments can help associations keep pace with rising costs while avoiding major pricing shocks.

Simplify to Strengthen Decision-Making: Why fewer, clearer pricing options often lead to a better member experience and stronger purchasing decisions.

What Sponsors Actually Want: Insights into how sponsors define ROI, what drives long-term partnerships, and why transparency matters more than ever.

The Future of Membership Value: As AI and free information become more accessible, Michael shares why associations must double down on community, connection, and unique member benefits.

🎧 Tune in for a candid conversation on building stronger pricing strategies, communicating value more effectively, and creating financially sustainable associations.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We're continuing to sit down with association leaders and industry experts to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Adrienne Lerro, Partner at PwC, to discuss what it takes to successfully lead transformation in large organizations.

Drawing on her experience leading global operational and technology transformations, Adrienne shares why the most successful organizations focus on solving business problems—not simply implementing new technology. The conversation explores how AI is accelerating change, where organizations are seeing the greatest returns, and why people, processes, and data remain critical to long-term success.

🎧 Whether you're evaluating AI, managing organizational change, or looking to improve efficiency while strengthening member value, this episode offers practical insights for association leaders navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.

Key Highlights

Start with the Business Problem: Successful transformations begin with a clear understanding of the challenge you're trying to solve. Adrienne explains why technology alone rarely delivers results without the right strategy, processes, and objectives in place.

Reimagine Processes—Don't Just Automate Them: Organizations seeing the biggest gains from AI aren't simply making existing workflows faster. They're stepping back, redesigning processes, and rethinking how work gets done.

Bring Your Team Along: Change is hard—especially when AI enters the conversation. Adrienne shares why involving employees in the transformation journey, investing in upskilling, and creating opportunities for growth leads to stronger outcomes.

AI Supports Expertise—It Doesn't Replace It: While AI can eliminate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency, human judgment, critical thinking, and accountability remain essential. The future belongs to organizations that combine technology with skilled people.

Break Down Silos: Looking ahead, Adrienne sees significant opportunity in connecting traditionally separate functions, processes, and data sources to improve experiences, reduce risk, and drive better organizational outcomes.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, AI, and the strategies organizations can use to drive meaningful transformation.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We're continuing to bring you conversations with association professionals, industry experts, and leaders sharing the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned for more insights designed to help organizations adapt, innovate, and better serve their members.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Leslie Frazier, SVP of Community and Industry Relations at Virginia REALTORS®, for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, advocacy, housing, and the evolving role of associations in building stronger communities.

With experience spanning political campaigns, state government, and association leadership, Leslie shares how relationship-building, data, and authentic communication help Virginia REALTORS® navigate complex issues like housing affordability, advocacy, and belonging in a rapidly changing environment.

🎧 Whether you lead advocacy, membership, communications, or strategy, this episode offers practical insight into how associations can stay trusted, relevant, and member-focused during times of change.

Key Highlights

The Real Role of Virginia REALTORS®: Leslie explains how the state association supports nearly 33,000 members through advocacy, research, education, and housing expertise.

Advocacy That Stays Bipartisan: In a constantly shifting political landscape, Virginia REALTORS® focuses on relationship-building and housing as a universal issue that impacts everyone.

Building Belonging Authentically: Leslie shares how the organization approached DEI by focusing on conversations, representation, and weaving belonging into the association’s everyday work.

Why Data Matters: From rising home prices to shifting buyer demographics, Virginia REALTORS® uses research and accessible data to strengthen both member value and public trust.

Leadership Starts with Relationships: Leslie emphasizes the power of genuine connection, small touchpoints, and networking as critical leadership skills for association professionals.

The Future Is Collaboration: As housing intersects with workforce and economic issues, Leslie discusses why associations must think beyond traditional silos and build broader partnerships.

🎧 Tune in for an insightful conversation on advocacy, leadership, housing, and why strong relationships remain the foundation of impactful associations.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals, industry leaders, and changemakers to explore the top trends, challenges, and ideas shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Katy Thorbahn, President & CEO of Shiny, for a thoughtful conversation about customer indifference, trust-building, and why the most effective organizations focus less on selling—and more on being genuinely helpful.

Drawing from her deep experience in financial services marketing, Katy shares how brands in highly commoditized industries build loyalty by creating confidence at every step of the customer journey. While her work centers on financial services, the lessons translate directly to associations navigating member engagement, retention, and long-term trust.

🎧 Whether you’re rethinking onboarding, trying to improve renewal experiences, or looking for ways to create stronger member connection in a crowded landscape, this conversation offers practical, human-centered insights that associations can apply immediately.

Key Highlights

Defeating Customer Indifference: Katy explains why many organizations aren’t competing against direct competitors as much as they’re competing against indifference—and why associations need to clearly show members why they matter.

Ruthlessly Customer-Centric Marketing: From financial products to membership organizations, Katy shares why the most effective marketing starts by deeply understanding the person on the other side of the decision.

Helpful Marketing Builds Trust: Being helpful means more than promoting benefits. Katy discusses how organizations can guide people toward the right solutions—even when that solution may not be them—and why “no dead ends” matter.

Confidence Is Built After the Yes: The customer journey doesn’t stop once someone joins. Katy explains why onboarding, follow-up communication, and post-decision experiences are often the moments that most influence long-term loyalty.

Human-Centered Experiences Still Win: At the heart of every successful strategy is empathy. Katy reminds us that whether someone is choosing a credit card or joining an association, people simply want to feel understood, supported, and confident in their decisions.

🎧 Tune in for a practical and refreshing conversation on customer psychology, member confidence, and how associations can create more meaningful, loyalty-building experiences by focusing on what truly helps people.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals, industry experts, and business leaders to explore the trends, strategies, and ideas shaping the future of member engagement, trust-building, and organizational growth. Stay tuned.

In this special replay episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, O&U CEO Colleen Gallagher revisits the very first episode of the show — originally recorded more than four years ago when the podcast launched as The Association 100.

As OnWrd & UpWrd approaches six years in business, Colleen reflects on the early conversations, industry frustrations, and vision that led her and Meghan Henning to build an agency focused on helping associations strengthen communications, visibility, and trust.

While the industry has evolved significantly since this episode first aired, many of the core themes — authentic storytelling, strategic communications, and serving as true extensions of client teams — remain just as relevant today.

🎧 Tune in for a look back at where it all started and the mission that continues to shape Association Insights and OnWrd & UpWrd today.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals across sectors, sharing candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to move their organizations forward. Stay tuned for what’s next.

In this solo episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & Upwrd, host Colleen Gallagher takes a step back to unpack where AI actually stands right now in association communications and PR.

After months of rapid experimentation across the industry, Colleen moves beyond the hype to focus on what’s actually working, where teams are seeing real value, and where challenges are starting to surface. From accelerating workflows to protecting voice and credibility, this episode offers a clear, practical lens on how associations can use AI effectively—without losing what makes their communications impactful.

🎧 If your team is navigating how to use AI in PR, messaging, or content strategy, this episode will help you cut through the noise and focus on what matters most right now.

Key Highlights

AI Is Accelerating PR—Not Replacing It: AI is making research, drafting, and monitoring faster—but it’s not replacing the core drivers of effective PR: judgment, relationships, and credibility. The real opportunity is using AI to create more time for strategic work that actually moves the needle.

Where AI Is Actually Delivering Value: From faster media monitoring and trend identification to refining messaging and enabling personalization at scale, AI is helping teams work smarter—especially when it comes to staying relevant in fast-moving conversations.

Efficiency That Unlocks Strategy: Behind-the-scenes gains—like media list updates, reporting, and content repurposing—are freeing up time for higher-value strategic thinking, where communications teams make the biggest impact.

What Matters Most Right Now: Use AI to support—not replace—your thinking. Protect your voice. Prioritize strategy over speed. And keep humans at the center of the process—because credibility still depends on judgment.

🎧 Tune in for a clear, experience-driven perspective on how associations can move from experimentation to intentional, effective use of AI in their communications and PR strategies.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals across sectors, sharing candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to move their organizations forward. Stay tuned for what’s next.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher takes a step back to focus on a foundational—but often overlooked—driver of association success: trust.

In a landscape shaped by information overload, growing skepticism, and declining institutional credibility, trust is no longer assumed—it’s earned, reinforced, and, if neglected, quickly lost.

🎧 Whether you’re leading communications, shaping strategy, or thinking about how your organization shows up in the market, this episode offers a clear, practical lens on how to build trust in a time when it matters more than ever.

Key Highlights

Why Trust Is More Fragile Than Ever: With misinformation rising and audiences more skeptical, associations can’t rely on legacy credibility. Trust must be built—and rebuilt—through consistent, relevant communication.

The Hidden Erosion of Member Trust: Trust doesn’t disappear overnight. It fades through generic messaging, lack of clarity, or content that doesn’t reflect real member challenges—often long before engagement drops.

Earned Media Is Built on Credibility, Not Titles: Reporters don’t choose sources based on press releases—they choose who they trust. Associations that provide clear, timely, and grounded insights become go-to voices over time.

Leadership Visibility vs. Leadership Trust: Showing up isn’t enough. Trust in leadership is built through consistent, authentic, and clear communication—not polished, one-off messaging.

Trust Is the Real Path to Becoming a Go-To Source: It’s not about being everywhere—it’s about being reliable. When stakeholders trust your perspective, opportunities for visibility, influence, and engagement follow naturally.

Where Associations Should Focus Right Now: From consistency and clarity to member-centered messaging and follow-through, trust is built in the everyday execution—not just big moments.

🎧 Tune in for a practical, perspective-driven conversation on how associations can strengthen trust across communications, leadership, and media—and why it’s the metric that matters most moving forward.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry leaders to share top trends, insights, and real-world strategies shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned!

In this solo episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd, breaks down one of the most overlooked opportunities in association communications: how to better use the member data you already have to shape stronger, more relevant messaging.

While many organizations focus on collecting more data, Colleen challenges that assumption arguing that most associations already have a wealth of insight at their fingertips. The real gap isn’t access to information. It’s how that information is translated into what organizations actually say publicly.

🎧 If you’re responsible for communications, marketing, membership, or leadership strategy, this episode offers a practical, mindset-shifting approach to building messaging that resonates—and drives real engagement.

Key Highlights

You Already Have the Data—You’re Just Not Using It This WayFrom event feedback to email engagement, associations are constantly collecting signals—the opportunity is using them to shape messaging, not just operations.

Patterns Are Where Messaging Comes FromIndividual data points are helpful, but repeated questions and themes reveal what truly matters to your members—and what your messaging should reflect.

Tone Matters Just as Much as ContentIt’s not just what you say—it’s how you say it. Member behavior shows whether they respond to clarity, urgency, or practical insight.

Your Members Are Your Strongest Messaging AssetReal member experiences and challenges make messaging more credible, relatable, and easier to amplify.

Messaging Should Be a Living StrategyStrong messaging isn’t static—it evolves with your members, your industry, and the conversations happening in real time.

🎧 Tune in for a practical, thought-provoking conversation on how to close the gap between what your members are telling you—and how your organization shows up in response.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders and industry experts to explore the real challenges teams are facing—and the strategies helping them build stronger, more resilient organizations.

In this solo episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher explores how leading associations are rethinking their annual meetings—not just as events, but as strategic opportunities to build visibility, credibility, and momentum that lasts well beyond the closing session.

🎧 Whether you’re planning your next annual meeting or reflecting on one you just hosted, this episode offers practical insight into how to turn a single event into longer-term impact for your organization and your members.

Key Highlights

It’s More Than an Event—It’s a Visibility Moment: The strongest associations treat annual meetings as opportunities to shape conversations, strengthen positioning, and lead with purpose while they have their industry’s attention.

Lead With a Clear Point of View: Rather than hoping something resonates, high-performing organizations go in knowing what they want to say, what matters most right now, and how they want to show up.

Capture the Right Content in Real Time: Some of the most valuable content comes from unscripted moments—member perspectives, speaker soundbites, and real-time reactions that feel authentic and engaging.

Showcasing Members Creates Real Value: By elevating member voices and stories, associations build trust, reinforce member ROI, and create a stronger sense of connection and visibility.

Extend the Life of the Event: The best teams use event content long after attendees head home—turning sessions, insights, and conversations into ongoing thought leadership and engagement.

Alignment Makes It Work: Success starts before the event begins. When communications, events, and leadership are aligned on messages, priorities, and goals, teams can execute with far greater impact.

🎧 Tune in for a practical conversation on how to turn your annual meeting into a stronger driver of visibility, connection, and long-term impact.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to feature association professionals sharing top trends and insights shaping the future of the industry. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher is joined by Meghan Henning, Senior PR Strategist & Founding Partner, and Christine Stay, Director of Operations at OnWrd & UpWrd, for a fast-paced conversation on the real challenges associations are facing right now.

Instead of going deep on one topic, this episode takes a rapid-fire approach to the situations many teams are navigating every day—from lack of visibility and overwhelmed staff to stalled campaigns, underused member stories, and uncertainty around AI.

🎧 Whether you’re leading communications, managing operations, or wearing multiple hats, this episode offers useful insight on how to focus, prioritize, and move forward with more clarity.

Key Highlights

Stop Sharing Updates—Start Telling Stories: Associations often default to announcements instead of narratives. Meghan explains why storytelling—especially through member experiences—is the key to media interest, engagement, and real impact.

When Everything Is a Priority, Nothing Is: Christine breaks down how overwhelmed teams can regain control by narrowing focus to 2–3 priorities, building clear ownership, and giving permission to deprioritize what doesn’t matter right now.

AI as a Strategic Partner (Not a Shortcut): From repurposing content to generating new angles, AI can significantly reduce workload—when used intentionally. The key: maintain human voice, apply guardrails, and start small with one clear use case.

Thought Leadership Without the Time Burden: Executives don’t need to be online constantly to build a voice. The team shares how to capture authentic perspectives, repurpose existing content, and create a sustainable process for visibility.

Member Stories = Untapped Gold: Associations are sitting on some of their most powerful content. Member stories build credibility, drive engagement, and scale across channels—but only if there’s a system to capture and use them.

Why Engagement Falls Flat (and How to Fix It): If content isn’t resonating, it’s time to step back. Are you audience-first or organization-first? Are you saying something worth repeating? The answers often reveal the gap.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, practical conversation on how associations can do less, better—and make smarter progress with the time and resources they have.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon

We’re continuing to feature association professionals sharing top trends, practical insights, and real-world strategies for navigating change and driving impact. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Alexandra Bradley, President; Kim Howard, CAE, President-Elect; and Whitney Meyerhoeffer, MPA, CAE, Secretary/Treasurer of The Alliance for Women in Associations.

Together, they share how the Alliance came to life, the gap it is designed to fill, and why creating community for women in the association space feels especially urgent right now.

🎧 If you’re thinking about leadership growth, community-building, or how associations can better support women at every stage of their careers, this conversation offers thoughtful perspective and practical insight.

Key Highlights

Why the Alliance launched now: Alexandra explains that while women make up much of the association workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership. The Alliance was created to offer community, support, and resources at a time when many organizations were pulling back on DEI efforts.

More than networking: Whitney shares why the Alliance is being built as more than a networking group. For many women, career growth is happening alongside caregiving, invisible labor, and shifting expectations—making real community and shared support more important than ever.

The leadership gap women still face: Kim points to sponsorship as one of the biggest missing pieces in leadership advancement. Beyond mentorship, women need advocates who will elevate their work and help create pathways into senior roles.

What early momentum is showing: From strong founding member interest to high-energy in-person events, the response has made one thing clear: this need is real, and women across the association space are looking for connection, support, and a place to grow.

What comes next: The Alliance is focused on growing membership, expanding events, and launching meaningful educational programming and virtual engagement opportunities that help women navigate leadership and career growth in practical ways. 

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders and industry experts to explore the real challenges teams are facing—and the strategies helping them build stronger, more resilient organizations.

Building Stronger Association Teams: Wellbeing, Leadership, and Sustainable Performance

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Johanna Roodt, Founder, Wellbeing Consultant & Coach, Leladijo Consulting, for a timely conversation on what it really takes to build healthy, high-performing association teams.

From burnout and communication breakdowns to leadership habits and practical wellbeing strategies, Johanna brings both lived experience and actionable insight—drawing from her work leading association teams and supporting professionals across high-pressure environments like events.

🎧 If you’re leading a small but mighty team, navigating constant demands, or thinking about how to better support your staff without adding more complexity, this episode is packed with practical, real-world takeaways.

Key Highlights

Why Burnout Is Rising—Especially in Associations: Johanna shares why burnout is becoming more common across teams—including younger professionals—and how always-on culture, small teams, and mission-driven work can accelerate the risk.

The Hidden Signs Leaders Often Miss: Burnout doesn’t always look like disengagement. High performers may actually overdeliver and push harder—making it even more important for leaders to check in and recognize early warning signs.

How Stress Impacts Team Communication: When pressure rises, communication often breaks down. Meetings get skipped, messages are misinterpreted, and blame can creep in—creating a cycle that’s hard to reverse without intentional structure.

Clarity Is the Ultimate Stress Reducer: Clear priorities, defined roles, and consistent communication routines help teams stay focused—even when everything feels urgent. Johanna explains how leaders can simplify without slowing down.

Simple, No-Budget Ways to Support Team Wellbeing:  You don’t need a formal program to make a real impact. From weekly capacity check-ins to time-blocking, flexible work norms, and celebrating small wins, small shifts can dramatically improve team health.

The Leadership Mindset Shift That Changes Everything: Wellbeing isn’t about big initiatives—it’s about daily habits. Leaders who listen, communicate expectations clearly, and create psychological safety build stronger, more sustainable teams.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, practical conversation on how association leaders can reduce burnout, strengthen communication, and create environments where teams can truly thrive—not just keep up.

Resources:

Johanna is offering our listeners an exclusive 50% discount on her self-paced “Certified Event Mental Wellbeing” e-learning course! Use code VIP50 at checkout. Offer valid through Monday, March 30th.

👉 Register here: https://event-mental-wellbeing.thinkific.com/products/courses/event-mental-wellbeing-course

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders and industry experts to explore the real challenges teams are facing—and the strategies helping them build stronger, more resilient organizations.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd, sits down with Melissa Loner, MBA, QAS, Chief Executive Officer of the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP), one of the 2025 Association Insights Comm Impact Award winners.

NSCP was recognized for its thoughtful, transparent internal communications strategy during the leadership transition from longtime Executive Director Lisa Crossley to Melissa’s leadership. From early board and member communications to a symbolic passing-of-the-baton moment at the organization’s national conference, the transition reflected what a mission-driven, people-first approach to change can look like.

🎧 In this conversation, Melissa unpacks what made the transition work, why transparency matters so much in association leadership, and what other organizations can learn from NSCP’s award-winning approach.

Key Highlights

Why NSCP’s mission resonates so deeply: Melissa shares how NSCP supports compliance professionals across the financial services industry through education, advocacy, and connection, while creating a trusted community for professionals navigating complex regulatory environments.

Reframing succession as a celebration: Rather than treating leadership change as something quiet or uncertain, NSCP intentionally positioned this transition as a celebration of Lisa Crossley’s legacy and the organization’s next chapter.

How thoughtful sequencing built trust: Melissa explains why board alignment, member communication, and phased announcements were so important to making the transition feel smooth, reassuring, and grounded in continuity.

Why transparency and over-communication matter: Melissa reflects on the role honest, clear communication plays in membership organizations, where trust and continuity are essential.

What internal succession really looks like: Coming from within the organization offered deep knowledge and credibility, but Melissa also shares the surprises, risks, and learning curves that came with stepping into the CEO role.

Lessons for other association leaders: From staying open to learning to not letting fear of mistakes create paralysis, Melissa offers practical insight for leaders planning succession and navigating change.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, communications, and how associations can handle transition with clarity, trust, and purpose.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to feature association professionals sharing top trends, leadership insights, and strategies shaping the future of the association space. Stay tuned.

In this solocast episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd, takes a step back to reflect on the evolving role of communications leadership in associations.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience working alongside associations across healthcare, transportation, finance, workforce development, and professional services, Colleen shares the leadership lessons, patterns, and strategies that separate organizations that simply communicate from those that become the trusted voice in their industry.

Whether you're leading communications, marketing, advocacy, or membership engagement, this episode offers practical insights on how associations can strengthen trust, shape conversations, and position themselves as go-to sources of expertise.

Key Highlights

Seven Lessons in Communications LeadershipColleen reflects on key lessons from her career working with associations—from the central role of trust and authenticity to the importance of strategic focus, crisis preparedness, and leadership judgment in an increasingly complex media environment.

Navigating Politicized and Complex IssuesAs industries face increased public scrutiny and political pressure, associations are being called on to provide credible perspectives while maintaining trust with stakeholders.

The Rising Importance of the CEO VoiceFrom thought leadership to media interviews and LinkedIn visibility, executive leadership is playing a growing role in shaping how associations communicate with members, media, and policymakers.

Why Member Stories Matter More Than EverThe most powerful communications asset associations have may be their own members. When organizations elevate real-world stories and experiences, they humanize complex issues and bring industry challenges to life.

Becoming the Go-To Voice in an IndustryColleen breaks down six factors that help associations become trusted sources for journalists, policymakers, and stakeholders—from proactive messaging and consistent narratives to research, executive visibility, and strong media relationships.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful look at what it really takes for associations to build credibility, shape conversations, and lead with authority in today’s rapidly evolving communications environment.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals and industry leaders sharing the trends, insights, and real-world strategies shaping the future of associations.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes exploring communications, leadership, member engagement, and the evolving role associations play in helping industries navigate change.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host OnWrd & UpWrd’s Colleen Gallagher welcomes back Louise St. Germain, Interim Executive Director of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) for a powerful conversation on leadership during transition, global scale, and what it truly takes to maintain stability while building momentum.

After more than a decade in senior leadership at the ISTH—and over two decades in global health communications, advocacy, and crisis response—Louise has stepped into the organization’s top leadership role during a pivotal period. With 7,500 members across 120 countries and major milestones ahead—including the 2026 Congress in Paris—she shares what it means to lead with humility, curiosity, and clarity.

🎧 Whether you’re navigating executive succession, scaling global impact, or supporting teams through change, this episode offers grounded insight for association leaders at every level.

Key Highlights

Continuity Lives in People, Not the Org Chart: Rather than focusing solely on structure during leadership transitions, Louise emphasizes investing in relationships, culture, and mentorship. Succession planning, she reminds us, is a strategic responsibility—not a crisis response.

Leading at a Truly Global Scale: With members across 120 countries, the ISTH operates in a deeply multicultural environment. Louise shares why humility and lifelong curiosity are critical—and why global leadership requires listening before assuming your frame of reference is universal.

Crisis Communications as Executive Leadership Training: Louise’s background in crisis and advocacy communications has sharpened her ability to lead with clarity under pressure—knowing what you know, being honest about what you don’t, and creating enough calm and consistency for teams to stay oriented during uncertainty.

Building Sustainable Leadership Pipelines: For associations planning executive succession, Louise offers clear advice: plan earlier than you think you need to, invest continuously in leadership development, and build cultures of mentorship that create internal pathways for growth.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful, energizing conversation on stewardship, stability, global collaboration, and how association leaders can guide organizations confidently through moments of change.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon

We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals across sectors to share candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to move their organizations forward. Stay tuned for what’s next.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with OnWrd & UpWrd’s Account Director, Roger Hughlett, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on media, messaging, and what associations need to understand about today’s newsroom realities.

With more than two decades of experience spanning journalism, editorial leadership, association communications, and corporate strategy—including senior roles at CompTIA and the Wireless Infrastructure Association—Roger has seen communications from every angle: reporter, editor, in-house leader, and now agency partner.

🎧 Whether you’re pitching a story, aligning with government affairs, or evaluating your agency relationship, this episode offers practical insight into how to build credibility, break through noise, and become a trusted voice in your industry.

Key Highlights

What Reporters Actually Need: Roger explains why quality information—not volume—wins. Reporters are looking for news they can use, insights with value, and clear angles that serve their audiences. 

Exclusivity Still Matters: In a crowded media environment, exclusives remain powerful. Understanding what works—and what doesn’t—from a reporter’s perspective can transform how associations approach outreach.

What PR Professionals Misunderstand About Newsrooms Today: Modern newsrooms are lean, often virtual, and under pressure. Deadlines are relentless. Roger shares why thick skin, respect for timelines, and understanding how reporters generate stories from the ground up are essential.

Reporters Are Brands Now: In today’s media landscape, journalists operate as personal brands across social platforms and speaking circuits. Associations must treat them as peers—building relationships, not transactions.

Agency Life Through a Former Client’s Eyes: Roger reflects on the shift from in-house leadership to agency partner—and what surprised him most about the intensity, collaboration, and behind-the-scenes work agencies deliver. 

Breaking Through in a Noisy World: Associations that stand out bring data, insight, perspective, and a willingness to engage in the broader conversation. You can’t ask to be quoted if you haven’t shown up with something meaningful to say.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on media relationships, advocacy alignment, agency partnerships, and why strong writing still matters more than ever.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry leaders to share candid insights on the trends, challenges, and strategies shaping the future of associations. Stay tuned for more conversations designed to help you strengthen impact, relevance, and member value.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host OnWrd & UpWrd’s Meghan Henning sits down with Amy Leitman, JD, President of NTM Info & Research (NTMir) for a powerful conversation about advocacy, awareness, and what it takes for a small nonprofit to execute a truly global media campaign. 

Amy shares the deeply personal origin story that shaped her work in rare disease education and support—and how a patient-driven mission can scale into meaningful impact over time.The conversation also digs into the behind-the-scenes strategy of building a breakthrough, fully bilingual media campaign that earned an Association Insights CommImpact Award for Excellence in Media Relations.

🎧 If you work at an association or nonprofit with a small team, limited budget, and a big mission—this episode is packed with practical insight on how to scale impact without losing credibility or trust.

Key Highlights

From Personal Story to Global Mission: Amy explains how patient questions—not organizational assumptions—became the foundation of NTMir’s programs, resources, and research priorities, creating an organization built entirely around real-world needs.

Reaching the Audiences You’re Missing: By recognizing gaps in who they were reaching—especially Spanish-speaking patients—NTMir committed to a fully bilingual approach that went far beyond token translation, strengthening credibility and accessibility.

Building a High-Impact Media Strategy on a Small Budget: Amy breaks down how the organization identified the right media and marketing partners, leveraged retargeting and AI-supported tools, and focused spending where it would drive measurable awareness and discovery.

Why a Satellite Media Tour Still Works: The episode dives into how satellite media tours can deliver massive reach efficiently—when paired with the right spokespeople, expert preparation, and strategic market targeting.

Balancing Science with Human Storytelling: Amy shares how NTMir safeguards medical accuracy through rigorous expert review, while still centering the lived experiences of patients to create emotional resonance with broad audiences.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals across sectors, sharing candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to move their organizations forward. Stay tuned.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning of OnWrd & UpWrd sits down with Julie Hirschhorn, Manager of Public Relations at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), for a timely conversation on trust, tone, and leadership in healthcare communications.

As vaccines have become increasingly politicized, AAFP leaned into its most powerful asset: family physicians as trusted, local voices. Julie unpacks how AAFP’s National Immunization Awareness Month campaign reframed the conversation around vaccines—leading with empathy, evidence, and credibility—while navigating misinformation, fear, and polarization. The campaign earned AAFP an Association Insights CommImpact Award for its bold, compassionate approach.

🎧 If your association is grappling with polarizing issues, fragile public trust, or high-stakes communications, this episode offers practical insight into how to lead with clarity and purpose.

Key Highlights

Why 2025 Required a Shift in Strategy:  Julie explains how the evolving vaccine landscape—and rising misinformation—signaled the need for a more intentional, audience-specific communications approach rooted in science that hasn’t changed.

Three Audiences, One Cohesive Message:  From family physicians and the public to policymakers, learn how AAFP tailored messaging while maintaining consistency, credibility, and mission alignment.

Tone Matters More Than Ever:  Hear how AAFP balanced scientific accuracy with compassion—avoiding shame, alarmism, and jargon in favor of empathy, shared values, and human connection.

Family Physicians as the Face of Trust: Julie walks through how AAFP activated national, state, and local physician spokespeople—equipping them with media training, local data, and adaptable messaging.

Why Local Media Builds Credibility: From local TV interviews and parenting publications to op-eds and letters to the editor, discover why community-based coverage played a critical role in trust-building.

Measuring Impact Beyond Media Hits:  Success wasn’t just about placements. Julie shares how AAFP looked at message resonance, physician feedback, and real-world behavior change over time.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing the conversation with association professionals across sectors—sharing candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to strengthen trust, engagement, and impact. Stay tuned for what’s next.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with Lisa Townsend, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), to unpack what it looks like when an association doesn’t just react to industry change—but leads through it.

As the global clinical research industry prepared for significant updates to the ICH E6 guidelines, ACRP recognized the moment for what it was: not just a regulatory update, but a critical inflection point for education, trust, and leadership. Lisa shares how her team transformed that complexity into a coordinated, member-driven communications and learning ecosystem—earning an Association Insights CommImpact Award and empowering tens of thousands of professionals worldwide.

🎧 Whether your association is navigating regulatory change, industry disruption, or shifting member expectations, this episode offers practical insights on how communications, collaboration, and agility can turn uncertainty into leadership.

Key Highlights

Positioning Communications as Strategy, Not Support: Lisa shares how early involvement from leadership—and a CEO who deeply understood communications—allowed ACRP to plan proactively, align messaging with strategy, and define what it truly meant to be a “trusted source.”

Planning Ahead When the Stakes Are High: With advance insight into the timing of the ICH E6 updates, ACRP began planning months ahead—launching communications before competitors and setting expectations with clarity and confidence.

Members as Co-Creators, Not Just Consumers: From subject matter experts to working groups and community conversations, ACRP leaned into “for members, by members” content—boosting credibility, relevance, and reach.

Sequencing Without Overwhelming: Lisa walks through how the team carefully layered resource hubs, blogs, webinars, tools, and live sessions—ensuring members always knew where to go without feeling overloaded.

When Things Break, Trust Is Built in the Response: A record-breaking webinar turnout exposed technical limits—but ACRP’s fast, transparent pivot reinforced trust and demonstrated what leadership looks like when things don’t go perfectly.

Measuring What Really Matters: Beyond record registrations and downloads, Lisa explains how qualitative feedback, conversations, and community signals shaped decisions and revealed deeper success.

Lessons for Small Teams with Big Mandates: With a lean staff and modest budget, ACRP’s campaign proves that strategic clarity, cross-functional teamwork, and intentional reuse of content can drive outsized impact.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, thoughtful conversation on how associations can lead through change—not by doing more, but by doing the right things at the right time.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon We’re continuing to sit down with association executives and industry leaders to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how associations are navigating disruption, growth, and opportunity. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Jen O’Brien, Director of Research and Innovation at the American Marketing Association (AMA), to unpack the newly released Future Trends in Marketing Report—and what it means for association marketers navigating rapid change.

With AI reshaping how work gets done, how audiences discover brands, and how trust is built, this conversation moves beyond hype to focus on practical, long-term implications. Jen shares how AMA approached foresight-driven research, why a 5–10 year lens matters right now, and how associations can better support professionals through disruption, skill shifts, and evolving career paths.

🎧 Whether you lead marketing, communications, membership, or strategy, this episode offers clear insight into what’s changing—and how associations can stay relevant, trusted, and future-ready.

Key Highlights

Why AMA Built a Future Trends Report (Without an Agenda): Jen explains why AMA wanted to create a marketer-centered trends report—free from vendor bias—and how foresight research helps professionals prepare rather than react.

The Age of Autonomous Agents: What happens when AI moves from “tool” to “teammate”? Jen breaks down how autonomous agents are changing both consumer discovery and internal marketing workflows.

From Search to Discovery: Traditional SEO isn’t enough anymore. Learn why associations must think about social-first content, answer engine optimization, and visibility inside AI-driven environments.

Trust in a Fragmented World: With declining trust across institutions, Jen shares why associations can’t take credibility for granted—and how a single misstep can undo decades of goodwill.

The Rise of the Liquid Workforce: Portfolio careers, freelance talent, and AI-assisted work are reshaping teams. What association leaders should consider when structuring, supporting, and retaining marketing talent.

Sustainability Without Greenwashing—or Greenhushing: Why sustainability remains an innovation imperative, how to stay authentic in polarized environments, and what associations can learn from brands navigating public pressure.

Preparing Professionals for What’s Next: From skill disruption to career pathways, Jen outlines the unique role associations can play in helping workers adapt, reskill, and maintain dignity through change.

Resources: Download your copy of AMA’s 2026 Future Trends in Marketing Report today: https://resources.ama.org/2026-trends-report-nm 

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: More conversations with association professionals and leaders sharing the trends, shifts, and insights shaping the future of associations—and what it takes to stay relevant, resilient, and member-focused in a rapidly changing world. Stay tuned.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Katy Doss, Founder & CEO of Script Marketing, for a practical conversation on the marketing basics associations can’t afford to skip—especially as attention gets harder to earn and teams are stretched thin.

While Katy’s work centers on marketing for outdoor service businesses, her approach translates directly to association challenges: building trust, staying visible without overdoing it, and creating consistent member engagement that actually drives action.

🎧 If you’re a marketing team of one (or close to it), trying to prioritize channels, improve credibility, or plan smarter for 2026, this episode is full of grounded insight.

Key Highlights

The 10–15 Touchpoint Rule (and Why Associations Underestimate It): Katy explains why it takes repeated exposure for people to notice—and why you’re not “over-emailing” as quickly as you think.

Brand Is More Than a Logo: Your brand is how people describe you. Katy shares why clear messaging, strong visuals, and consistency build credibility fast.

Human Connection Wins: Video, staff visibility, and member stories are powerful trust-builders—especially when associations stop sounding institutional and start sounding human.

GEO Is the New SEO: To show up in AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, associations need accurate, consistent information across platforms and helpful content created regularly.

Small Teams: Do Less, Better: Batch work, measure results, and drop what isn’t working. Katy also shares when it’s worth outsourcing—especially paid digital ads.

Credibility Leaks to Fix: Outdated blogs, inconsistent posting, and slow responses quietly erode trust—easy fixes that make a big difference.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association professionals and industry experts to share what’s working, what’s changing, and the top trends shaping engagement, growth, and strategy heading into 2026. Stay tuned.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with Chris Burroughs, President & CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), for a candid conversation on leadership, advocacy, and how associations respond when an industry crisis hits.

Chris reflects on stepping into the CEO role after nearly 15 years leading government affairs—and why that policy background translates into enterprise leadership, strategy, and member value. The discussion then turns to the logistics industry’s most urgent challenge: freight fraud—now more sophisticated, more organized, and more damaging than ever.

🎧 If you lead an association team facing fast-moving risk, this episode offers practical insight into how to mobilize, communicate, and move the needle.

Key Highlights

From Policy Expert to Association Leader: Chris shares what surprised him most about moving from subject-matter leadership into the CEO role—and why deep institutional knowledge, relationship-building, and a service mindset made the transition possible.

Why Freight Fraud Became an Industry Crisis: Once a niche concern, cargo theft and strategic fraud have evolved into sophisticated, organized criminal operations. Chris explains what changed, why small and midsize businesses are especially vulnerable, and why underreporting remains a major challenge.

Building a Multi-Pronged Response: TIA isn’t waiting on a single fix. Chris walks through the association’s ecosystem approach—combining advocacy, member tools, education, data sharing, and new partnerships with the FBI and federal agencies.

Advocacy Takes Time—and Patience: From revisiting long-standing legislation to pushing for stronger interagency collaboration, Chris offers a realistic look at how policy change actually happens—and why persistence and bridge-building matter.

The Power of Real Member Stories: A $400,000 lobster heist made national headlines—but it represents a much larger problem. Chris explains why elevating real member experiences is essential to education, awareness, and credibility.

🎧 Tune in for a practical, real-world conversation on leadership, advocacy, and how associations can lead when the stakes are high.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming SoonWe’re continuing the conversation with association professionals across sectors, sharing candid perspectives on top trends, emerging challenges, and the strategies leaders are using to move their organizations forward. Stay tuned for what’s next.

In this New Year’s solocast episode of Association Insights, host Colleen Gallagher—CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd Marketing & Communications—takes a grounded, practical look at the evolving media and PR landscape for associations.

With newsrooms shrinking, attention getting harder to earn, and AI reshaping how information is discovered and indexed, Colleen breaks down what’s changed, what hasn’t, and where associations have the clearest opportunity to build credibility and influence in 2026—through relationships, speed, and authentic storytelling.

🎧 Whether you lead communications, membership, advocacy, or executive strategy, this episode offers a clear perspective on how to show up consistently, credibly, and at the right moment.

Key Highlights

The Media Environment Is Louder and More Competitive: Why shrinking beats and low response rates mean associations can’t rely on volume, generic announcements, or outdated tactics.

Relationships Aren’t Optional—They’re the Strategy: How associations can lean into their unique advantage as trusted industry voices and expert sources journalists can count on quickly.

Speed + Story = Real Impact: A behind-the-scenes look at how TIA and a member’s $400K lobster theft story became a national narrative—by acting fast, targeting the right markets, and connecting the member experience to a broader fraud trend.

Authenticity Outperforms Polish: Why “corporate” messaging is falling flat—and how human, member-centered storytelling is what cuts through with media, members, and the public.

PR in the Age of AI: How earned media and authoritative content increasingly shape how associations show up in AI-powered search—and why visibility now includes accuracy, indexing, and influence beyond traditional pickup.

What Leaders Should Prioritize in 2026: Clear takeaways on focus, ownership, credibility, and doing the right things better—without trying to do everything.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Over the next few months, we’re featuring our Association Insights Communications Impact Award winners—breaking down what they did, why it worked, and what other associations can learn from their campaigns.

In this final episode of 2025, host Colleen Gallagher, CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd, reflects on a year of learning, listening, and leadership across 53 episodes of The Association Insights Podcast this year.

From member value and communications to AI, advocacy, culture, and leadership, this solocast pulls together the most consistent themes that emerged across conversations with association CEOs, communicators, strategists, and builders navigating a year defined by uncertainty—and intentional change.

Rather than predictions or hype, this episode focuses on what association leaders actually shared about what’s working, what’s shifting, and what deserves more focus as we head into 2026.

Key Reflections from 2025

• Uncertainty is the environment—strategy is the response

• Relationships, not transactions, drive influence and trust

• Member value is defined by experience, not benefits lists

• Data matters only when it’s used to adjust and improve

• AI is a leadership decision, not just a technology one

• Culture determines whether strategy succeeds or stalls

Colleen also offers reflection questions to help association leaders close out the year with clarity—and outlines what associations should be prioritizing in 2026, grounded directly in insights shared throughout the podcast.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded close to 2025—and a clear-eyed look at what associations should carry forward into the year ahead.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re kicking off 2026 with new conversations, fresh case studies, and practical insights from association leaders navigating change, growth, and opportunity. Stay tuned for what’s next.

A Virtual Roundtable Replay

In this holiday-week episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we’re re-airing our December LinkedIn Live roundtable, Member Value Reimagined—How Associations Are Evolving to Meet Modern Expectations.

As member expectations continue to evolve, associations are rethinking what value truly means—beyond benefits to belonging, relevance, and impact. Hosted by Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO of OnWrd & UpWrd and publisher of Association Insights, this candid conversation features Stephanie Denvir of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Kerri McGovern of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and Brian Peters of The Adhesive & Sealant Council, sharing how they’re adapting engagement, personalization, and retention strategies heading into 2026.

🎧 Whether you lead membership, communications, marketing, or strategy, this episode offers real-world insights you can apply heading into the new year.

Key Highlights

Redefining Member Value in 2025: How associations are moving beyond static benefit lists to focus on experience, trust, and outcomes—and why value looks different across audiences.

Retention, Relevance, and Belonging: How leaders are proving ROI to boards, identifying “stickiness” levers, and letting go of programs members no longer perceive as valuable.

Personalization That Actually Scales: Practical approaches to onboarding, segmentation, behavioral signals, and benefit utilization—without adding headcount.

Data, Technology, and the Human Touch: How dashboards, scorecards, NPS, and AI tools can support smarter decisions while preserving trust and people-first engagement.

Year-Round Engagement That Drives Renewal: What content, community structures, chapters, and leadership visibility strategies are keeping members engaged beyond events and renewal cycles.

Stop / Start / Scale for 2026: A fast-paced lightning round on what associations should stop doing, start prioritizing, and scale because it’s working.

🎧 Tune in for an honest, experience-driven conversation on how associations can evolve their value proposition, deepen engagement, and head into 2026 with clarity and confidence.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: More conversations with association leaders and practitioners sharing what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re navigating growth, engagement, and impact across the sector.

In this special year-end episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we’re re-airing the live broadcast of the 2025 Association Insights CommImpact Awards, originally streamed on YouTube. Hosted by Colleen Gallagher, President and CEO and Meghan Henning, Senior PR Strategist of OnWrd & UpWrd, the ceremony celebrated associations across North America whose communications, storytelling, and engagement efforts are setting new standards of excellence.

The Association Insights CommImpact Awards recognize outstanding work across eight core categories, spotlighting campaigns that elevate industries, strengthen member communities, and demonstrate the power of strategic, human-centered communication.

Key Highlights:

Advocacy Excellence: American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

Recognized for their National Immunization Awareness Month campaign, which delivered trusted, compassionate messaging in a highly politicized public health environment—reaching millions and strengthening vaccine confidence nationwide.

Best Media Relations Campaign: NTM Info & Research (NTMir)

Honored for World NTM Day 2025, a bilingual global media campaign spotlighting an underrecognized lung disease and achieving nearly 200 million impressions across 25 countries.

Innovative Content Strategy: College of American Pathologists (CAP)

Awarded for a dynamic, multi-channel content ecosystem that advanced education, engagement, and member value through advocacy communications, podcast storytelling, and platform-specific campaigns.

Thought Leadership & Research: Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)

Recognized for transforming the release of ICH E6(R3) into a comprehensive suite of educational resources reaching tens of thousands of professionals worldwide.

Effective Member Engagement Initiative: American Bus Association (ABA)

Honored for the ABA News Center, a modern digital hub amplifying member stories and driving increased engagement and visibility across channels.

Event Promotion: Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) with Media Source

Recognized for their International Plasma Awareness Week 2025 campaign, leveraging national survey data, patient storytelling, and a virtual media tour to drive public awareness and action.

Outstanding Internal Communications: National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP)

Awarded for a thoughtful, people-first succession communications strategy that ensured clarity, stability, and trust during a leadership transition.

Leadership in Public Awareness Campaign: Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)

Honored for the “Care Matters” PSA campaign, a story-driven effort highlighting the role of state medical boards in safeguarding patient trust and earning more than 44 million views.

Join us as we celebrate these associations and the impactful work shaping the future of association communications.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders, builders, and problem-solvers to unpack what’s working, what’s changing, and how to lead with clarity in 2026 and beyond. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast—and the next installment in our Big Ideas & Trends Series—host Meghan Henning sits down with Stephanie Simpson and Derek Neal, CAE to talk about what a real association turnaround looks like behind the scenes.

Stephanie Simpson will conclude her tenure as CEO of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) this month to step into her new role as CEO of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Derek Neal serves as AMLE’s Chief Operating Officer. Together, they share how a legacy organization serving 10–15-year-olds and the educators who love them moved from years of financial losses and stagnation to renewed clarity, growth, and relevance.

Key Highlights

🎧 Whether you’re facing your own version of a turnaround or simply rethinking your strategy for 2026, this conversation offers honest, practical perspective on leading change with mission—and people—at the center.

From “We’ve Always Done It This Way” to Acting Now: Stephanie and Derek walk through AMLE’s inflection point: shifting from a “wait until after conference” mindset to acting quickly—renegotiating contracts, modernizing staffing, and using a successful conference year as a launchpad for deeper change rather than a reason to delay.

Focusing on Who You Can Help Most (First): With limited staff and resources, AMLE made a deliberate choice to prioritize middle school principals as a primary audience—recognizing that supporting school leaders would create a multiplier effect for teachers, students, and systems.

Rebuilding Trust Through Listening—and Asking for Help: Instead of treating lapsed members as lost, Stephanie went directly to them with a different message: we need your expertise. From reworking AMLE’s foundational text to co-creating new resources, they turned listening tours into opportunities for members to regain professional pride and ownership.

Re-anchoring Around “Successful Middle School”: AMLE modernized its core framework by updating and renaming its flagship position paper to Successful Middle School: This We Believe—then used it as the backbone for everything from school recognition programs to new book series and resource hubs like middleschool.org and Embracing the Change: Middle School 101 for Families.

Advocacy on a Budget: Flipping the Script on Middle School: Without a big lobbying budget, AMLE built a National Policy Agenda for the Middle Grades and paired it with a “Flip the Script” communications campaign to challenge negative stereotypes about middle school. Strategic partnerships have amplified their voice without overextending resources.

Turning Challenges into Strategic Opportunities: From COVID to economic uncertainty and shifting hotel markets, Stephanie and Derek share how they intentionally reframed disruption as opportunity—from accelerating overdue staffing changes to securing better future meeting contracts while supporting partner communities.

🎧 Tune in for a grounded, optimistic look at how an association can reinvent itself without losing sight of its mission—or the young adolescents at the heart of the work.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: December’s Big Ideas & Trends Series continues with more conversations on the shifts, experiments, and bold moves shaping associations heading into 2026.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher kicks off our Big Ideas & Trends Series with a candid conversation about what it really takes for associations to innovate.

Colleen is joined by Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting; Jamie Notter, Culture Scientist; and Chrissy Bagby, CAE, PMP, Chief Strategy Officer, American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB).

They unpack the new white paper and share how Lean Startup thinking, paired with culture change, can help associations test ideas, reduce risk, and stop “we’ve always done it this way” from running the show.

Key Highlights

It’s Not the Method, It’s the Culture: Why associations don’t have an idea problem—they have a culture and psychological safety problem.

AAVSB’s Story: How Chrissy’s team moved from big, risky builds to structured experiments, shared understanding, and the role of the “cooperative skeptic.”

Build–Measure–Learn in Real Life: What to measure early on, why behavior beats opinions, and how to use data without getting paralyzed by it.

Boards, Staff, and Decision Clarity: Practical ways to define roles, set guardrails, and bring volunteer leaders along without slowing everything down.

🎧 Tune in for honest, practical insight on how to bring Lean thinking into your association—whether you’re in the C-suite or leading from the middle.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: December’s Big Ideas & Trends Series continues with more conversations on the shifts, experiments, and bold moves shaping associations heading into 2026.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Jamie Shibley, Co-Founder & CEO of The Expressory, to talk about how thoughtful appreciation can become a real strategy for retention, sponsorship loyalty, and long-term trust—not just a year-end “nice to have.” Drawing on her roots in her grandfather’s relationship-driven flower shop and years in corporate and e-commerce, Jamie shares how associations can use simple, intentional touchpoints to make members, sponsors, and donors feel genuinely seen.

🎧 Whether you’re behind on holiday planning, rethinking how you thank sponsors and donors, or looking for new ways to support member renewals in 2026, this conversation will help you move beyond generic swag to meaningful, strategic engagement.

Key Highlights

Holiday Triage Without the Panic: Why it’s not “too late” in late November—and how to use New Year’s or other moments as powerful appreciation windows.

Donors & Sponsors as Long-Term Partners: Ideas for gifts and messages that reflect their impact and values, instead of one-off branded items.

Member Renewal with Heart: How to use mailed touchpoints, stories of impact, and small gestures to support renewal and year-round engagement.

Personalization at Scale: Ways to make appreciation feel personal using shared challenges, goals, and themes—without custom gifting for thousands.

Measuring the ROI of Appreciation: Practical ways to track retention, referrals, and conversations sparked by strategic gifting.

🎧 Tune in for a practical, encouraging roadmap to investing in relationships—not just technology—in the year ahead letting you turn appreciation into a strategic lever for member, sponsor, and donor loyalty—all year long.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: In December, we’re launching our Big Ideas & Trends Series, sitting down with association CEOs and senior leaders to explore the shifts, strategies, and bold bets that will shape associations heading into 2026. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning takes listeners to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a powerful conversation with Ed Silver, Vice President of Business Development at Explore Asheville. With more than 25 years in travel and hospitality—from Flight Centre and American Express Travel to GBTA and Lodging.com—Ed brings a unique blend of tech, business development, and destination strategy to his role.

From supporting Asheville’s recovery after Hurricane Helene to rethinking how DMOs show up as true partners for associations, Ed shares how Explore Asheville is aligning events, community needs, and long-term impact.

🎧 Whether you’re scouting future host cities or rethinking how you choose destinations altogether, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how to move from “room blocks and contracts” to mission-aligned, high-impact meetings.

Key Highlights:

From Shareholder Value to Community Value: Ed shares why he shifted from global travel tech roles to destination leadership in Asheville—and how he’s now channeling his private-sector experience into building economic opportunity and resilience for his local community.

DMOs as Strategic Partners, Not Just Vendors: Explore Asheville doesn’t start with a list of hotels—it starts with your goals. Ed breaks down how his team co-designs the attendee experience, matches association missions to Asheville’s creative energy, and helps shape events from concept through execution.

Beyond Room Nights: Measuring Real Economic Impact: Visitor spending in Asheville reaches nearly $3 billion annually, and Explore Asheville looks well beyond heads-in-beds. Ed explains how his team models direct spend and broader economic impact, times meetings for “shoulder seasons,” and helps planners understand how their events support local restaurants, small businesses, and year-round jobs.

Sustainability, Inclusivity, and Balance as Core Pillars: Sustainability isn’t a side project—it’s one of Explore Asheville’s strategic imperatives. Ed shares how they:

• Invest in projects that serve both residents and visitors (like restored sports complexes)

• Encourage safe, responsible travel

• Promote local suppliers, creatives, and small businesses

• Welcome values-aligned associations looking for destinations that reflect their commitments

Data + Storytelling: The Next Chapter for Destination Marketing: Drawing on his technology background, Ed talks about how Explore Asheville is leaning into data, personalization, and marketing automation to deepen relationships with planners—while keeping the human, relationship-driven side of the meetings business front and center.

Why You Should Call the DMO First, Not Last: Ed’s biggest advice for association professionals: involve the DMO early. From incentive funding and venue matchmaking to bringing local leaders into your program and designing community engagement, DMOs can dramatically multiply the impact of your event—if they’re at the table from day one.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, future-focused conversation on what it really means to choose a destination partner in 2026 and beyond—and how places like Asheville are redefining what meetings can do for both attendees and communities.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association executives, destination leaders, and industry innovators to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how to build events and strategies that truly move your mission forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Denny Lengkong, President of IntelliData, for a candid, jargon-free conversation about turning association data into decisions. From “Dashboarding 101” to building a culture that breaks down silos, Denny shares practical ways teams of any size can start small, prove value, and scale their analytics—without blowing the budget or waiting on IT.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a lean staff or modernizing a large association, you’ll get clear steps to move from scattered reports to a repeatable, data-driven rhythm.

Key Highlights

Start Simple → Scale Smart

Stop waiting for the perfect stack. Denny’s “cup-of-noodles to pizza oven” analogy shows how to begin with an Excel table and a basic chart—then evolve into multi-source dashboards as your literacy and needs grow.

Three Questions Before You Build Anything

Reverse-engineer your dashboard:

1. What problem or goal are we answering?

2. Who’s the audience (peers, execs, board, members)?

3. Do we actually have the data—and is it clean and complete?

These answers shape the visuals, the data model, and your collection plan.

What “Data-Driven” Really Means

It’s not a buzzword: it’s making routine adjustments based on what the numbers say—mid-campaign, mid-year, and not just at year-end. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Kill the Silos, Create a Single Source of Truth

Membership says 5,000; events team says 5,500? You’ve got silos. Denny outlines how successful associations share data, align definitions, and anchor reporting to one trusted source.

You Need a Champion (and Ideally, a Small Data Team)

Lasting change needs ownership. The most effective associations appoint a cross-functional lead or lightweight data team to set standards, prioritize asks, and coach the organization.

Cost, Time, and Bandwidth (The Honest Answer)

You can DIY and learn—start small for near-zero cost—or bring in help when bandwidth, speed, or complexity outgrows your team. Either way, show quick wins to build momentum and buy-in.

Share Early, Win Early

Publish simple visuals, gather feedback, iterate. Early exposure sparks better questions, better data collection, and stronger internal demand for insights.

A Case Study with Dual Impact

Certification programs + learning products: by connecting exam outcomes with course and resource usage, one association identified what helped candidates pass—then proactively guided non-passers to the right prep. Members succeeded faster; the association grew non-dues revenue. Win-win.

🎧 Tune in for practical steps, real examples, and a playbook for moving from “we have data” to “we use data” across your association.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders, builders, and problem-solvers to unpack what’s working, what’s changing, and how to lead with clarity in 2026 and beyond. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Suzanne Struglinski, seasoned communications and PR practitioner, to talk about what it really takes to plan a successful event when it’s not your full-time job.

From coordinating the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) conference to helping with the all-volunteer Women of the Year Awards with Washington Women in Public Relations, Suzanne brings candid, field-tested insights for association and nonprofit professionals who are balancing event planning on top of everything else.

🎧 Whether you’re a one-person department, a comms pro doubling as an event lead, or part of a volunteer-driven organization, this episode is packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and smart shortcuts for pulling off high-impact events on lean resources.

Key Highlights

Start with Realism, Not Perfection: When your team is small (or just you), it’s critical to set realistic goals, delegate, and identify what’s truly achievable. Suzanne shares why you can’t—and shouldn’t—try to do it all alone.

Budget Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind): From food and beverage minimums to unexpected AV and Wi-Fi costs, Suzanne walks through how to prioritize spending, read contracts carefully, and get creative about where to save without compromising attendee experience.

Decisive Leadership Under Pressure: Event planning demands quick calls. Suzanne explains how to make smart, timely decisions—like cutting concurrent sessions to save thousands—and why trusting your judgment matters more than perfection.

Designing a Great Guest Experience: A stellar event starts with empathy. Hear Suzanne’s “door-to-door” approach to building a seamless attendee experience, plus how to balance tradition and innovation to keep programming fresh and engaging.

Showcasing ROI Beyond Attendance: Attendance is just one metric. Suzanne shares how to use events to capture year-round value—like generating new visuals, creating evergreen content, and building member loyalty that lasts far beyond the closing session.

Media and Messaging Tips for Events: As a veteran PR pro, Suzanne breaks down when and how to invite media, what makes something newsworthy, and why events can double as powerful relationship-building opportunities—even if they don’t generate headlines.

Tools, Timelines, and Teamwork: For volunteer-led teams, timelines are everything. Suzanne shares her go-to milestone approach (12 months out, 9 months, 6, 3, and 1) and why communication and clarity are key to keeping everyone aligned.

Staying Grounded (and Sane): Her best advice? Be realistic, remember your event’s true purpose, and know that you’ll never please everyone—and that’s okay. Success is about delivering value, not perfection.

🎧 Tune in for a refreshingly honest and highly practical conversation on how to manage events that feel big and look professional—even when your team is small and your plate is full.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders, communicators, and change-makers for candid conversations about what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re leading their organizations forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Julie McDowell, Director of Strategic Communications & Digital Content, and Becca Battisfore, Senior Content Strategist, at the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for an in-depth look at how a legacy association is modernizing its approach to content, data, and digital engagement.

From managing messaging across member and customer audiences to aligning analytics with KPIs, Julie and Becca share how the CAP’s digital team of five supports 18,000 members and countless laboratories worldwide—all while driving measurable impact.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a large communications department or a lean digital team, this episode offers real-world insights on prioritization, collaboration, and content strategy that actually works.

Key Highlights

From Skepticism to Strategy: Julie reflects on launching the CAP’s social media presence more than a decade ago—and how the team turned early doubts into a thriving online community for physicians and laboratory professionals.

Audience First, Always: The CAP’s content strategy starts with a single question: who is this for? Learn how the team balances the needs of two overlapping but distinct audiences—members and customers—through smart segmentation, email strategy, and channel selection.

Metrics That Matter: Becca breaks down how she approaches analytics—from what metrics are truly meaningful to how data drives decision-making. She explains why open rates are outdated and how she connects clickthroughs, behavior, and conversions for a complete picture.

When to Stop Doing What’s Not Working: Julie shares one of the most liberating lessons for association communicators: give yourself permission to stop doing the things that aren’t driving results. Focusing on what works energizes teams and delivers greater impact.

Collaboration as a Core Strategy: From internal “road shows” to sharing data across departments, Julie and Becca explain how transparency, shared KPIs, and storytelling have helped build buy-in and alignment across CAP’s 600-person staff.

Storytelling Through Sound: As the voices behind the CAP’s long-running CapCast podcast, the pair discuss how audio storytelling has evolved from quick Q&As to powerful narratives that humanize members and spark connection—from personal wellness journeys to myth-busting forensic science.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful, data-driven, and refreshingly candid conversation about what it takes to build smarter content strategies in associations today—and how to lead with both heart and analytics.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with top association leaders and communication strategists to uncover what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re leading their teams—and their missions—forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of the Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher continues the Member Value Reimagined series with an energizing and candid conversation with Julie Davis, Director of Marketing and Membership, and Ben H. Rome, Director of Communications and Brand, at the American Bus Association (ABA).

From strategic tech upgrades to authentic storytelling, Julie and Ben share how ABA is reimagining member value in ways that are both deeply personal and forward-looking. You’ll hear how they’re modernizing systems, listening with intent, and building a sense of belonging for one of the most passionate communities in travel and transportation.

Key Highlights

Why Marketplace is Just the Beginning: ABA’s flagship event is a major driver of member satisfaction—but Julie and Ben are on a mission to make sure the other year-round value is just as visible, accessible, and appreciated.

Bringing the Member Experience into the Future: From exploring a new member app to investing in data systems and automation, Julie shares how ABA is embracing a fan-first mindset to modernize the member journey—especially for digital-native generations.

Authentic Storytelling that Builds Community: Ben reveals how member-driven storytelling has become a powerful differentiator for ABA—creating emotional connections and elevating the association’s brand far beyond traditional marketing.

The Power of Listening (and What Happens Next): It’s not just about hearing members—it’s about engaging with them through councils, conversations, and curiosity. Julie and Ben explain how their team uses real-time feedback to surface insights, validate new ideas, and build programs that matter.

Advice for Associations in Transition: Whether you’re building a tech roadmap, expanding your member base, or navigating cultural change, Julie and Ben offer grounded, practical advice for association professionals rethinking value, engagement, and growth.

🎧 Tune in for a warm, thoughtful, and actionable conversation on how to modernize member value while staying grounded in what matters most—your people.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re sitting down with more association leaders to unpack bold strategies, fresh thinking, and member engagement that actually works. Stay tuned for episodes that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher continues the Member Value Reimagined series with a conversation that’s both timely and inspiring. Her guest, MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), shares how his organization—formerly the CompTIA Community—is redefining member engagement and impact across the global IT channel.

🎧 From steering a major rebrand and organizational split to expanding GTIA’s global footprint and strengthening cybersecurity readiness, MJ offers an insider’s look at what it means to deliver real, evolving member value in a rapidly changing industry.

Key Highlights

From CompTIA to GTIA: A Bold Transition Built on Trust

MJ walks through how the 42-year-old association successfully separated from CompTIA’s certification business in record time—building new systems, a new brand, and a new future for members in just 65 days.

A Member’s Perspective at the Helm

Having started as a GTIA member, board chair, and now Chief Community Officer, MJ brings a rare 360-degree view of the member experience—and shares how that empathy drives everything from programming to communication.

Global Growth with Purpose

With communities now spanning North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, GTIA is leaning into its “G” for global. MJ shares how the association connects members from Birmingham to Brisbane, exchanging best practices and insights across borders to help businesses thrive.

Events That Drive Connection and Impact

From flagship conferences to regional meetups, GTIA’s events have become engines for connection and collaboration. MJ explains how their level playing field approach—where every exhibitor has equal footing—creates authentic engagement across the ecosystem.

Cybersecurity as Core Member Value

GTIA’s cybersecurity programming, including the ISAO and Cybersecurity Trustmark, is helping members protect their businesses while elevating industry standards. MJ discusses how the organization fosters a culture of shared learning, collaboration, and resilience in an era of accelerating threats.

Listening, Storytelling, and Scaling Value

MJ underscores the importance of listening to members, telling their stories, and communicating value clearly and confidently—so more people understand the impact of association membership and the power of community.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, forward-looking conversation about how GTIA is redefining what membership means in the global technology space—and how associations everywhere can build trust, relevance, and impact for the future.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Our Member Value Reimagined series continues with more association leaders rethinking benefits, access, and engagement in bold new ways. Stay tuned for fresh ideas that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we're continuing our Member Value Reimagined series with an eye-opening conversation about one of the most overlooked engagement tools in the association toolkit: audio.

Host Meghan Henning sits down with Kevin C. Mitchell, Esq., CEO of Modio Information Group, to explore how narrated content and branded audio platforms are helping associations transform their member experience, extend the life of their publications, and even open up powerful new revenue streams.

🎧 Whether you’ve already launched a podcast or are just starting to explore audio strategy, this episode will reshape how you think about access, content delivery, and engagement.

Key Highlights:

Turning Publications into 268 Extra Hours of Engagement: Modio works with associations like the American Bar Association, the American Chemical Society, and the American Academy of Family Physicians to convert their top written content into human-narrated, on-demand audio experiences. Kevin breaks down why audio unlocks hundreds of hours of listening time annually—without competing with your members’ core work responsibilities.

Why Podcast Traction Falls Flat—and How to Fix It: If your association’s podcast isn’t gaining momentum, it might be the delivery, not the content. Kevin explains why desktop players and Spotify links won’t cut it—and why mobile-first, branded audio apps are critical to success.

Case Study: AAFP’s App as a Member Magnet: Learn how the American Academy of Family Physicians launched AAFP Audio, growing new audience segments, boosting listens to its publications, and securing sponsorship support—all through a custom-branded audio platform.

Member-Only Access, Monetization, and Data Control: Don’t send members to Spotify and lose the data. Kevin shares how branded apps allow associations to retain control, gate premium content, gather engagement insights, and monetize on their own terms.

Why Human Narration Still Wins: Spoiler: Modio doesn’t use AI-generated voices. Instead, they tap into students from the field to narrate content—improving pronunciation, comprehension, and community connection.

The Real Non-Dues Opportunity: Digital audio advertising now surpasses video and social media in time spent. Associations that invest in branded audio can finally tap into this $7B+ market—while gathering first-party data that powers future monetization.

Future-Proofing Your Member Value Strategy: As AI and search engines continue to reshape how members find and consume content, audio is emerging as a key strategy to preserve attention, revenue, and direct relationships.

🎧 Tune in for real-world examples of how audio platforms drive member value, a compelling case for audio as a core part of your engagement strategy, and practical advice for getting started or scaling up—without overwhelming your team.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Our Member Value Reimagined series continues throughout October, with fresh ideas from associations rethinking what benefits, access, and engagement really look like. Stay tuned for more interviews that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we launch our Member Value Reimagined series with a bold and inspiring story from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT). Host Meghan Henning sits down with Pat White, Director of Membership, and Nealy Wheat, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, to explore how ASNT broke the mold—replacing a traditional dues-based model with a freemium structure that’s already delivering surprising results.

🎧 From board buy-in to cross-team collaboration, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how associations can challenge the status quo, grow their reach, and still drive revenue—without sacrificing value.

Key Highlights:

A Strategic Pivot, Driven by Data: Faced with declining membership and ambitious growth goals, ASNT asked a radical question: What if we started with free? Pat and Nealy walk through how this question set off a cross-functional strategy shift that redefined what member value looks like—and who gets access to it.

What the Freemium Model Actually Includes: Hear how ASNT reduced 11 membership categories down to 4, created a new “Associate” level with limited but meaningful benefits, and structured the experience so members could opt in to value rather than be forced to buy in.

The Financials Behind the Shift: With membership revenue making up less than 10% of total income, ASNT had room to explore—and a CFO willing to model every risk scenario. Nealy shares what it took to balance boldness with sustainability, and how the organization made the case to its board.

$100K in New Revenue—From Non-Paying Members: That’s right. Since launching in January 2025, ASNT has welcomed 2,000+ new and returning members into its Associate category—resulting in over $100,000 in new non-dues revenue. Pat breaks down where the dollars are coming from and how engagement is higher than ever.

The Marketing and Rollout That Made It Work: From a smart survey to a savvy social media launch, Pat credits ASNT’s marketing team for building buzz, generating leads, and crafting campaigns that resonated with the right audiences—without overwhelming them.

Lessons in Leadership and Change Management: Nealy and Pat offer candid insights on what made this transformation possible—from a risk-tolerant board and empowered staff to a culture of innovation that embraces iteration and continuous improvement.

🎧 Tune in for a real-world case study of a freemium membership model that actually works, along with smart strategy and practical advice from finance, membership, and operations pros. You’ll also hear fresh thinking on how to reduce friction, streamline benefits, and attract more members—without sacrificing your bottom line.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Our Member Value Reimagined series continues throughout October, featuring association leaders who are redefining benefits, access, and experiences to better serve today’s members. Tune in next week for more ideas that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.