Category: Podcast Episode

David Brown is the President & CEO at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest and highest accredited Chambers in the nation, and 2015 ACCE Chamber of the Year. David’s experience as a Chamber leader over the past 30+ years has positioned him well to speak on our topic of discussion for this episode of Leadership in a Crisis.

David shares some background about the Greater Omaha Chamber’s 2040 vision which did not see the COVID-19 pandemic coming, however it did take into account to possibility of interruption in commerce. By looking ahead at possibilities, David, his team and board have been able to lead with a calmness during this time of uncertainty.

In our discussion, David covers the timeless importance of great leadership and how that transitions into leading during troubling times. Because David does have that leadership forward vision, he is able to share his thoughts about how we move forward to help your member businesses regain their strength. He emphasizes the importance of taking the pulse of your staff, your members, and your overall community to learn what their needs are.

If you would like to connect with David about what he has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, you can see his contact information below:

• dbrown@omahachamber.org
• 402-616-4175 cell

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Liz Horton is the Senior Vice President at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. She has over 18 years of Chamber experience with the past three years being at the Greenville Chamber. In her three years in Greenville, their Chamber has experienced many changes. It is with this background of change that Liz joins us for this episode to discuss ways to manage changes at your Chamber.

Some of the changes that Liz has recently experienced include implementing a new tiered dues membership model, a new strategic plan, staff realignments, and they sold the Chamber building and moved to a new location downtown. We also discussed some of the changes that may be on the horizon for Chambers as we start to recover from the COVID-19 economic slow down.

Some of the key strategies that Liz suggests that should be included when managing any change are, effective communication, buy-in from partners, and the importance of getting stake holders involved with the decision making process (especially those with differing opinions).

If you would like to connect with Liz about what she has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, you can see her contact information below:

• lhorton@greenvillechamber.org
• 864-239-3723

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Toby Teeter, President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce is our guest this week. Toby is a career entrepreneur in the digital marketing space and he is now applying some of his expertise at the Joplin Chamber of Commerce. In this episode, Toby shares how they are utilizing digital marketing to attract new talent to their area.

The Joplin Chamber of Commerce is tasked with the responsibility for driving the economic development in their community and part of that is bringing in new talent to fill the needed job positions in Joplin. The Joplin Chamber created a new website, choosejoplin.com to showcase what the area has to offer. Then they worked out a partnership with the 100 top employers in the area to strategically develop their digital marketing campaign. Through the use of tracking pixels, they are able to retarget advertising to people who have recently looked at the job application pages for these top 100 employers.

Another aspect of this digital campaign is to attract people who are from Joplin but have moved away. During certain holiday weekends, the Chamber will target digital ads to people who are in town visiting family to show off how the “new Joplin”.

Both aspects of this digital marketing strategy are working very well for the Joplin Chamber and similar strategies can be applied at your Chamber. Infact, the new website, choosejoplin.com has served as a platform for Joplin to pitch Tesla for a new manufacturing facility. If you do not have economic development responsibilities, maybe you can target the tourism sector or potential members. There are several ways that a strategic digital marketing strategy can serve your Chamber.

If you would like to connect with Toby about what he has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, please see his contact information below:

• joplincc.com
• choosejoplin.com
• toby@joplincc.com
• LinkedIn

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Betsy Gardner Eckbert, IOM is the President & CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. She has a unique background including an entrepreneurial journey and time as a stay-at-home mom which have made her specifically qualified to lead the Winter Park Chamber with the passion that she exhibits. In this episode, Bestsy focuses on ways that we can work towards closing the relevancy gap for Chambers of Commerce.

A few of the areas that Betsy covers during our discussion are:

• The need for Chambers to be the hyper-local news source for their community.
• Digital engagement (SEO).
• Needs of customers (members) through surveys.
• Marketing support.
• Talent support.
• Economic and workforce development.
• And something that Betsy is very passionate about, the returning workforce which in large part were stay-at-home moms. Below are a couple videos that showcase the Chamber’s Relaunch Program.

If you would like to connect with Betsy about what she has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, please see her contact information below:

• winterpark.org
• bgardnereckbert@winterpark.org
• 407-644-8281
• LinkedIn

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Brian Williams, founder of Northshire Consulting is our guest this week. Brian specializes in Multiple Employer Plan (MEPs) which allows for a business organization such as a Chamber of Commerce to pool their member businesses together to fund a MEP 401k plan. In this episode, Brian explains the origins of MEPs and the advantages for member businesses, their employees and the benefits for the Chamber.

In the past, we have seen association healthcare plans. These multiple employer plans are similar in nature. They provide a huge benefit, especially for smaller businesses to join the Chamber to take advantage of such plans. This also creates a “stickiness factor” that allows for the Chamber to retain members much easier because the can see the tangible value that they receive with their membership. For this same reason, MEPs can serve as a great tool for attracting new members.

If you would like to connect with Brian about what he has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, please see his contact information below:

• northshireconsulting.com
• chamber401ks.com
• bwilliams@northshireconsulting.com
• 800-498-1876
• Facebook or LinkedIn

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Michael Gellman, founder of Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits and long-time instructor at Institute joins us this week on Chamber Chat Podcast for part tow of a two part series to discuss what your Chamber needs to consider with regard to it’s financial health amid the hyper-changing environment that we find ourselves in today.

Important!!

There is homework that goes along with these episodes. If you have not already done so, please download the Financial Health Assessment and Implementation Framework Worksheet here or at se4nonprofits.com/resources. Please keep this worksheet handy as a reference while you listen and Mike will help you fill it out to learn the financial health for your organization and to help you establish a plan to move forward. Also, it may be helpful to listen to the first half of this series before moving forward. The first part can be found at chamberchatpodcast.com/episode67.

As we conclude this two part series, you can look forward to these outcomes as we learn from Mike.

• How hyper-change impacts planning and decision making.
• Is your organization well positioned, financially healthy, and strategically ready for a sustained period of stress and uncertainty?
• How hyper-change impacts your funding sources and programming and service needs.
• Strategies for organizations who are financially strong vs. financially weak.
• How to effectively communicate with your board.
• Important actions that will affect the financial health and continuity of your organization.

If you would like to connect with Mike about what he has shared in this series or to continue this conversation off-line, he can be reached by email at mgellman@fiscalstrategies4nonprofits.com. You can also visit either of Mike’s websites Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits or Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits.

In your mission to be a great Chamber you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well and you will have a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Michael Gellman, founder of Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits and long-time instructor at Institute joins us this week on Chamber Chat Podcast for part one of a two part series to discuss what your Chamber needs to consider with regard to it’s financial health amid the hyper-changing environment that we find ourselves in today.

Throughout this two part series, you can look forward to these outcomes as we learn from Mike.

• How hyper-change impacts planning and decision making.
• Is your organization well positioned, financially healthy, and strategically ready for a sustained period of stress and uncertainty?
• How hyper-change impacts your funding sources and programming and service needs.
• Strategies for organizations who are financially strong vs. financially weak.
• How to effectively communicate with your board.
• Important actions that will affect the financial health and continuity of your organization.

Important!!

There is homework that goes along with this episode. Please download the Financial Health Assessment and Implementation Framework Worksheet here or at se4nonprofits.com/resources. After you listen to this episode, you can fill out the first half of this worksheet which gives a financial assessment for your organization. Then keep this worksheet to reference and continue filling out during our second part of this series with Mike.

Be sure to tune in to episode 68 as we continue this conversation with Mike and make a plan to see that your Chamber is sustainable into the future.

In your mission to be a great Chamber you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well and you will have a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Sheree Anne Kelly is the President & CEO for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She joins us on this episode of Chamber Chat Podcast for a very timely discussion about how a Chamber should navigate during a worldwide pandemic. What we are currently experiencing was not something most people expected and many were not prepared for the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic would have on their organization or their members.

Sheree Anne shares ideas and things to consider in the areas of how you interact and communicate with your community, including your members and your overall value proposition. She also discusses how this pandemic could effect your Chamber internally and what you need to be thinking about and planning for as we move forward.

Along with this topic, be sure to visit ACCE’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Page and follow #chamberstrong on your social media channels to follow stories about gaining legislative support for Chambers of Commerce.

If you would like to connect with Sheree Anne about what she has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, she can be reached by email at skelly@acce.org or on LinkedIn. You can also visit acce.org for more support. ACCE is active on all social media under the handle @accehq.

In your mission to be a great Chamber you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well and you will have a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Have you considered producing a podcast for your Chamber? There are a few organizations that are already taking advantage of this medium to further their mission in their community. In many ways, a Chamber of Commerce is well primed for podcasting. If you think about it, you already have an audience base of some sort. Many Chambers use Facebook Live videos or YouTube to get messages out to their community, which are great, but depending on what the message is, these may not be the best mediums for delivery. Video is not for everyone. You may consider repurposing your video content into podcast episodes. You may choose to use entirely different content for your podcast versus your video content. That is the beautiful thing about podcasting, you get to decide.

There are some great upsides to podcasting. It is very inexpensive to get started. You can batch produce content. Your podcast can be a medium to showcase your member partners. There are new revenue sources to be explored through podcasting. The list can go on and on…

For Chambers who are interested in starting their podcasting journey, I have produced a very simple Chamber Podcasting Guide to help you get started. This is a free guide (for now) that will explain why you should podcast, what you need to consider before starting, the equipment and software you will need, as well as a map for your first 10 episodes to help you get started. You can visit chamberchatpodcast.com/podcasting to get your guide for free.

If you are ready to take the next step to launch your Chamber’s podcast, you will need a podcast host. I would recommend using Libsyn to host your RRS feed which is how your podcast will be delivered to the various podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.). Libsyn is the host for Chamber Chat Podcast and is one of the most reliable podcast hosts on the market. Libsyn takes the hassle out of connecting with the various podcast platforms and has tools to schedule your shows to release on certain dates. I tend to batch produce episodes and I can schedule when they are released. If you would like to give Libsyn a try, you can use my promo code “chamber” at checkout and you will get the rest of this month and all of next month FREE as you get started with Libsyn.

In your mission to be a great Chamber you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well and you will have a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.Image