Navigating a Worldwide Pandemic with Sheree Anne Kelly

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability and to correct obvious transcription errors while preserving the meaning of the original conversation.

Episode 64 — Navigating a Worldwide Pandemic with Sheree Anne Kelly
Clean Speaker-Labeled Transcript
Guest: Sheree Anne Kelly
Automated QA: Passed

00:00.15 Brandon Burton
Hey there, just real quick before we get into this episode, this is Brandon and I just wanted to share a quick message. If you are listening to this, chances are good that you are a chamber professional. And guaranteed if you're listening to this, you also listen to podcasts. Have you considered creating a podcast for your chamber and all the benefits that that can bring? Check out my free chamber podcasting guide at chamberchatpodcast.com slash podcasting. To learn how you can get started with your own chamber podcast. This is the Chamber Chat Podcast, the show dedicated to chamber professionals to spark ideas and to get actionable tips and strategies to better serve your members and community.
00:47.074 Sheree Anne Kelly
And now your host, he is thankful to live in a country that respects the freedom of religion. He's my dad, Brandon Burton.
00:53.644 Brandon Burton
Welcome to Chamber Chat Podcast. This is Brandon Burton, and you're tuning in today for episode 64 of Chamber Chat Podcast. And it is my goal as you tune in and listen to help introduce you to people and ideas so you can better serve your chamber members and your community. And today our guest is Sherry Ann Kelly, which a lot of you are going to be very familiar with Sherry Ann. But Sherri Ann is the chief executive of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, representing more than 10,000 industry professionals. She's responsible for leading the team, which serves a community via professional development, innovative problem solving, best practices, and industry thought leadership. Previously, Sherri Ann was senior vice president of the Public Affairs Council and executive director of their foundation. During her sixteen years at the Global Association, she served as chief public affairs expert and oversaw thought leadership, consulting and benchmarking services. During her tenure, she opened the council's first international office in Brussels. Prior roles included positions in the Government Affairs Department of the National Association of Home Builders and serving on the corporate development and corporate relations team at the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Sherri Ann holds an MBA from Georgetown, a Masters of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins, and a Bachelor's of Arts from Bucknell University. Current industry leadership roles include serving on the Executive Committee of the World Chambers Federation and as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Chamber Committee of 100. She is also a board member of the Anglichef Institute. on comparative political and economic systems and immediate past chair of the Buckmill Institute for Public Policy. I'm excited to have Sherrianne with us today, especially in this time as this recording is is taking place on the tenth of April 2020. So we're right in the midst of the the COVID nineteen pandemic and Sheryan will
03:19.798 Brandon Burton
share some thoughts with us on how to navigate through a worldwide pandemic and we will get into this discussion as soon as we get back from hearing from our sponsor. During this time of uncertainty, most chambers are looking for ways to replace funding from events and programs that either been canceled or postponed due to social distancing that does not allow for us to meet as large groups. Another topic that is top of mind for Chambers is how to help their member businesses recover from the financial impact their businesses experienced. With these considerations in mind, I want to introduce you to Swipe It. Swipe It offers a credit card processing affinity program for Chambers of Commerce that can help answer your questions about how to replace some of your lost revenue. while also allowing for you to serve as an advocate to your member businesses by introducing them to a resource that can save them money on their credit card processing fees so they can become more profitable. Swipe It has been a supporter of Chamberchat Podcasts from the beginning and they are the best in the credit card processing business. Visit Chamberchat Podcast dot com slash C C, which stands for credit card, to learn how you can get swiping With swipe it.
04:46.286 Brandon Burton
Okay, Sherry Ann, we are back and before we jump into our our topic for discussion today, would you just take a minute and say hello to the audience, maybe share something interesting about yourself so we can all get to know you a little bit better?
05:01.152 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. Brandon, thanks so much for having me. I I really appreciate it. I know it's a pleasure to just be able to share some of the great things that we've been hearing out in the community. a little bit about me. I run and I hike, which is handy during a pandemic when you can't do many other things. I've been trying to come up with some creative projects to entertain myself. so my next project that I'll be working on is bacon-infused bourbon. So I guess that's sort of interesting. I I often think my son's more interesting than I am. he's 12. He's actually elite baby, so he had a real birthday this year. and I've been managing his homeschooling like so many other parents have been out there while I'm also working from home. So I have a recommendation for all the parents out there. if you're trying to manage your own art class, I highly recommend the old Bob Ross painting videos, which my son and I have been doing together on Netflix. So that's my recommendation.
05:59.156 Brandon Burton
That's awesome. So you mentioned you're a runner and a hiker. Have you noticed during this time as you go outside and you come across other runners and hikers? Do you guys like separate across the street or across the path and like keep your distance?
06:17.09 Sheree Anne Kelly
We sure do, you know, and I I've found a way to make that happen even more so. So I didn't have a face mask, which has now been mandated in my county. You actually have to wear face masks if you're out in public. I didn't have a normal one, but my son had a cloth face mask that has shark teeth on it. So I've been wearing that when I go outside. And I tell you, people will walk a wide arc around somebody with a shark tooth mask. So that's been very handy.
06:44.364 Brandon Burton
That's right. That is good. well, for I I think the listeners to ChamberThat Podcast are very familiar with ACCE, but would you like to maybe expand on what ACCE has to offer and maybe some things about the organization that the average person may not know, or maybe someone who's not necessarily a member of ACC might might not know or understand about the organization.
07:12.152 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. So we represent chambers all over the US, but we also have international members as well. We have 1,600 organizations that belong to our association. We're known very much for our professional development. We host the country's largest convention for chamber executives. We've got lots of best practices and sample materials on our website. We also host Really great networking groups. So CEOs of chambers from similar sizes can get together and talk about challenges and opportunities. But we also bring together chamber executives with different expertise. So if you're in membership or government relations or workforce and talent or communications or event planning, we've got groups that get together and talk about what works and what doesn't. We also offer benchmarking data. So if you want to hear about benchmarking salaries or budget. Benchmarking, we've got all of that information available. We offer retirement and insurance benefits. We do custom consulting. We are headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, but we actually have team members who are scattered across the US. I think one of the areas that people don't realize about ACCE is that our staff experts are really our number one resource. They spend the vast majority of their time out in the field figuring out what works and what doesn't. And if you're a member of our organization, you have access. To them in an unlimited capacity. So it's that's probably one of the things most people don't realize you can take advantage of.
08:41.92 Brandon Burton
That is great and good good background information for everyone to to pay attention to. Now, in the introduction I'd I'd mentioned the topic that we'll be discussing today being that of navigating a in a worldwide pandemic. And as we are recording this, a lot of people are officing out of their their home. They're they have stay at home orders, things of that nature. I myself am actually recording this right now in my closet. So just that that disclaimer that I do have four kids and they're somewhere around the house. So at some point, hopefully, I mean, mom knows to keep away, but I've got some little ones, so they may come barging in the closet door. So just just a fair warning, but I think a lot of people can relate. So Sharianne, in in your position and and with ACCE, what what are some of those things that you can suggest or maybe those tips and pointers that you've been sharing with with chambers across the country about how to help them navigate as maybe maybe we start with with how they how they interact with their community and getting good information out there.
10:01.974 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. you know, these are really challenging times. And I know for a lot of chambers out there it's it's scary, especially if you don't have strong reserves, if you've never had to navigate a a large scale challenge if you weren't running a chamber, say, in you know, 2008. but I'm also realizing it's there's never been a more clear purpose for chambers. It's never been a better time to really showcase the value. of a chamber of commerce than right now. And I'm seeing this everywhere. Just really creative ways to help your community, creative ways to help small businesses in your area. I've seen great outside the box thinking. And this is really a time to engage that creative side of your brain to think in a whole new way about how do we deliver services, making sure you're focused on your core value proposition, and just being a catalytic leader. In your community. I'm just, it's been fantastic to witness this. And I'll definitely highlight some of the creative things I've seen as far as chambers helping out their communities. One thing I wanted to mention before I hop into that is obviously a lot of chambers realize through the stimulus packages that have come out recently, Chambers of Commerce and all C6 associations were. Sort of skimmed over in some of the best benefits that were offered in those stimulus packages. So we are fighting very hard to get C6s included in the next round of stimulus, which we're hearing we may get language on that very, very soon. One of the best things that we can do to try to educate our legislators on what chambers really do is to share the stories that you are encountering in your community. So if your chamber is helping small business or is helping to get one of your local businesses to support pandemic efforts, make sure you showcase that and you put it out on social media. You can even tag your federal legislators to let them know chambers are on the front lines and they are making huge differences in their communities. And so we deserve the kind of support that other organizations have gotten in the stimulus package. If you go on our website we have some guidance on
12:24.415 Sheree Anne Kelly
exactly how to do that and how to tag your legislator in your posts. And we're using the hashtag Chamberstrong in order to track those stories.
12:33.992 Brandon Burton
Hashtag cham Chamber Strong, you said, right? you know, it's interesting. Just a a few weeks ago I I had a guest on the the podcast, Sarah O'Brien, and she's a a consultant, but her whole episode was about purpose statements for chambers and really defining what the purpose of of an individual chamber, what it is. And then all of this started to unfold, and it's like, man, this is really identifying what the purpose and the value is of a chamber. And it's being able to be seen on a huge level where before it was the the local businesses that would, you know, kind of get familiar with the chamber. And but now, I mean, entire communities can see the value of a chamber. So I think that's a really important point that you brought up and being able to engage that creative side of our brain. It's it's no longer the day-to-day business as usual, but it's seeing where where can you bring that value. to the business community and and to the the community at large really to be able to sustain some kind of a a strength and and maybe help define what that new normal might look like.
13:46.412 Sheree Anne Kelly
Absolutely. And I what we've realized is there has been a lot of misconception and misunderstanding about what chambers do. And that's part of the reason that we were left out of the stimulus package. There was this misconception that all chambers do is lobby for business, which couldn't be further from the truth. And so the more we can share those stories of innovation, of creative problem solving, of business support. of you know community engagement and community development, the more we can talk about that in a very public way, the more we can showcase that chambers do bring this strength, especially in a time of crisis. So there yeah, there are some fantastic stories about community support. So I'm just going to run through some of the creative things that I've seen from chambers that hopefully might get some of the listeners thinking creatively about what you can do.
14:39.754 Brandon Burton
That would be great. Some some examples would be awesome.
14:42.828 Sheree Anne Kelly
Yeah, I'm a practical, tactical kind of person. So so one of the best things that I'm seeing chambers do right now is sharing really easy, simple resources on what is available to help your local businesses. You know, the SBA loans that are available, idle loans, PPP loans, showcasing which community lenders are available, hosting webinars that discuss exactly how you can apply for these loans, simplifying what's out there. You can certainly put up a link to more information about these loans, but really making it very, very easy for your members to get that information, I think is so helpful. One of the best things I've seen chambers take on is opening up who they're helping. So not just focusing on your members, but every business in your community. Because right now everybody's in need, it's crisis time, and your non-member success is just as critical to your community as your members' success. And what may happen down the road is you've made this connection, you've helped this non-member, you've probably got their email address because you've connected with them. And later on, if they're in a good financial position, they'd be an ideal prospect to reach out to. So that's something to think about of expanding. The scope of your service to weave in some of those non-members. A lot of chambers are also picking up the phone and calling all of their members. They're training their staff on what kinds of general scripts they should be following, and then reaching out and having that human touch with members. That's been incredibly successful for a lot of folks. Just because you get the chance to have some back and forth, you can hear more specifically about. what challenges they're facing or what opportunities you might be able to step in and help out on. And we have sample scripts open to anybody on our website. We have a coronavirus resource page that includes templates, sample communications, policy changes for event cancellations, lots of good information there, but we have sample scripts for calls as well.
16:53.548 Brandon Burton
I'll I'll try to get those scripts up on the show notes page too, so people that are listening can easily access that and point to your website as well.
17:01.966 Sheree Anne Kelly
Perfect. One other thing we've seen is chambers surveying their members so that they've got good data on what's happening to your business. Are your doors open? Are they closed? Have you been able to get loan funding? What are your needs? How many employees do you have? And that information not only helps the chamber figure out what kinds of services and benefits you can offer, but we're finding that a lot of local government officials don't have good data on what's happening with their businesses. So the chamber can provide this, which in turn can help our elected officials make smarter decisions about what's needed in our communities. So surveying is another great opportunity.
17:42.382 Brandon Burton
Yeah, and and I've seen I'm I'm a member of several chambers and I've seen several of the surveys going out asking just that. Are you open? You know, what capacity, you know, how how's the outlook for you as a business? but hearing that chambers are actually picking up the phone and calling every member, I think that's a whole different level of gathering information, getting the feedback and showing the care that the chamber has for each individual member. I think that is huge. But Either way, either way you're collecting data and figuring out how you can best serve those members is gonna be so valuable. But I didn't mean to cut you off. Go ahead.
18:16.716 Sheree Anne Kelly
Know that I think humanizing your organization by having that personal connection makes such a difference, especially in difficult times. Sometimes your members just want to be able to vent, or they don't have someone in their sort of immediate circle who understands what they're going through. So you can be sometimes just that good listener, but also a resource with ideas or somebody who can brainstorm with them as well. We've seen some really interesting. Models where also chambers have created hotlines for their local businesses. They've have either retrained some of their staff on answering basic questions around what kinds of loans are available or what sorts of resources are going to be most helpful for their community. But some chambers have also engaged outside experts, whether it's members from law firms or members from communications groups. I even have one chamber that leveraged the local university staff from their business department to help answer questions for small businesses so they have an immediate resource that they can call into. So that's been a really interesting model. obviously funding is a huge issue. A lot of small businesses need access to capital right away. and while the SBA has great loans out there, it's not the the money isn't getting into people's hands immediately. And it hasn't, it's been a little bumpy as to what Amount of money people actually receive. So we have seen some chambers set up disaster grants and bridge loans for their local businesses. So some chambers that have a separate 501c3 foundation are finding local organizations that are willing to gift money, or sometimes they're working with their city officials to find funding so that they can get. capital into the hands of those small businesses right away, with the chamber being the conduit and sort of the number one go-to source of that funding. So that's another really creative opportunity that we've seen.
20:20.076 Brandon Burton
Very creative and important. Because I think you know, as you talked about access to these federal disaster loans and everything, just a a real life example that I learned of this morning. So a friend of ours has a a small medical practice and they had applied you know, their businesses way down right now, as you can imagine. I mean, well, I don't know. Maybe you maybe you don't imagine. Maybe you think everyone's getting sick, so the medical offices are full, but but theirs is very slow right now. And they were one of the first to apply for the the federal disaster loan and you know talks about the ten th up to ten thousand dollar grant and I think a lot of people see that and think, my small business will get a ten thousand dollar grant to help me out. Well, their funding came through today and it was it was like fifty four hundred dollars. And they're like, and I don't think this is a grant. I think they want us to pay this back. So it i there is some confusion as far as what that the amounts are that are coming through and and it's a hard time because the it's hard to get answers from people too. So as you're talking about chambers employing, you know, some of the, you know, legal help from members or local universities or or things like that to be able to get answers to some of these questions is so valuable.
21:40.094 Sheree Anne Kelly
Absolutely. It's, I mean, the SBA is completely overwhelmed with applications and questions. So getting any insight there is probably not likely at this point. So making sure you can find, again, those resources that are available that can just make this a smoother process. And obviously, you know, there are a lot of folks who are out of work right now. So quite a few chambers have been setting up job listing sites. Some are even trying to match up. If an organization has a large number of layoffs, they're trying to match up those individuals with job openings because there are certain industries and certain organizations that are looking for additional help during this pandemic, whether it's contract work or full-time positions. So a lot of places to try to match up those individuals who are currently out of work. Some really creative things that I've seen. One chamber, actually my hometown chamber in Carroll County, Maryland. They have a digital ad board in town, right? Pretty typical for a lot of communities. Well, right now ad rates are incredibly low because there's just not really traffic happening there. So the chamber was able to sort of, I think they bargained maybe a membership out of it, but they've gotten advertising time on that board and they're promoting things like supporting local businesses and showcasing good stories of what local businesses are doing. Just kind of a creative way to take advantage of something that might be available that you might not normally think of and getting, you know, getting some good information out to your local community. Seen lots of you know, shop local activities, takeout blitzes with local restaurants. Some groups are supporting feeding the frontline, which is where you can accept donations, and then a restaurant can create. make food and deliver food to whether it's hospital workers or firefighters or other individuals who are sort of on the front lines of this pandemic. It's also an interesting concept. That's called feeding the front line. COVID supply chain is another interesting area that we've seen chambers get involved in, whether it's maybe helping your local brewery convert to becoming a producer of sanitizer, of hand sanitizer,
24:00.14 Sheree Anne Kelly
I've got chambers out there that are currently the number one go-to resource for their entire healthcare community for getting PPE equipment. So whether it's finding incubators that have lots of 3D printers that can print face shields or connecting suppliers and producers to make face masks or hospital gowns, there are lots of chambers that have sort of taken the lead role in making sure that. All of the resources that are needed in their community are being built, shipped in, found, created. They're they're sort of the conduit for all of that. And that's been fantastic to see. So that's another thing to think about as well.
24:44.906 Brandon Burton
Yeah, that is great ideas. And I think of of the list that you just ran through, all these different examples, surely, you know, people can get some ideas, engage that creative side of their brain and and do their own version of one of these things, or maybe spark an idea to do something else that could positively impact their community. So I mean that's looking at the the community side of things. Now If maybe we shift the focus and look internally at the chamber themselves. I mean, things are changing. a lot of people are a lot of this chamber staff are working from home and just doing things differently. What what kind of things need to be thought about and looked at kind of as we navigate our way through this unprecedented time?
25:39.02 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. No, and I think it's just as important that, you know, we're serving our communities, but we also have to think about the long-term viability and sustainability of our own organizations. Decisions are going to be made based on lots of different factors. You know, what is your current financial situation? How is your region or community specifically being impacted? but there are lots of factors to sort of weigh as you go through that. I would say the number one thing to think of right now is your staff. How are they doing? How are they handling the work from home situation? You know, do you have team members who might perhaps have a little bit more anxiety than others and that you may need to check in on a little more frequently? Are you having enough of that face-to-face Zoom kind of contact so people have that human experience? at ACCE, we're doing weekly happy hours on Zoom, and it's just a nice chance to not talk about work. And we joke around and share, you know, insights. We have fun games that we've sort of woven into our happy hour. you know, it's best outfit, most comfortable outfit, you know, best drink, best drinking cup, best corny joke. You know, we just come up with things to make it a little more lively and interesting. so kind of making sure that you've got your finger on the pulse of your team, because it it can be daunting working from home if they have. children or if they take care of older family members or if they have other stressors in their life, this can be a really tough time. So checking in, making sure that you understand how they're holding up, I think that's maybe the number one thing to think about.
27:21.388 Brandon Burton
That makes a lot of sense. I know a lot of them are are doing the homeschool thing with their kids right now and that's a it is a stressor and trying to manage, I mean, the time that you're putting into your work versus the time with the kids and and everything all the other responsibilities that are shifting given the current situation. So that's important to check in and make sure that they're doing all right, you know, mentally and and just being able to to manage their way through this.
27:50.232 Sheree Anne Kelly
And I I've heard some chambers that are doing daily Zoom communications with their staff. I haven't gone that route because I know there's so much going on. I don't want to force people to be pulled away. I I'm personally on an extraordinary number of Zoom calls each day, which is great and I love looking at everyone, but I also realize you can't really multitask when you're on hit mute and type emails, which I miss a little bit from the conference call days. So I
28:12.227 Brandon Burton
That's true.
28:19.438 Sheree Anne Kelly
We've gone with a Monday morning Zoom all staff meeting, lots of communication on Microsoft Teams, and we've got lots of other chat functions, and then we do a happy hour on Fridays. So we sort of bookend the week that way. Obviously a lot of chambers are going virtual with programming. I've seen virtual networking events, happy hours, training programs, lots of webinars. Really thinking through what are the most critical services that you can provide and how can you do so in a virtual way. I also do think this is a time to rethink what you're doing. You don't necessarily need to take the calendar you had before COVID-19 and try to make that calendar virtual. You know, really focus on the most critical and important areas and maybe think creatively about how do you engage people in a virtual world on those specific topics.
29:13.678 Brandon Burton
I think that's a good point. And I think it also is an opportunity as you do that reevaluating to as you look to the programs in the future, once things do get more back to normal. everybody is used to doing Zoom calls now. They're used to doing things virtually. And although there's going to be some craving to be able to go out and have that human interaction, that face to face interaction again when that time is is, you know, cleared to do that. There's gonna be a segment of the population, I believe, and and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they they may prefer the the virtualness of it. And when you have a in person program or event, you may have a digital offering too for those people that wanna dial in on on Zoom or whatever the platform you use to be able to have a further reach and engagement with more of your members. that's just kind of a way that I'm seeing an opportunity to maybe I don't know like capitalize on the situation, but to be able to to plan going forward with the new outlook on the world.
30:19.434 Sheree Anne Kelly
Absolutely. I think hybrid programs will be much more common. And you have to realize that so many of our member organizations are going to be having financial challenges for quite some time. So making sure that you've got an option that is incredibly cost effective, that doesn't require much of a registration fee, that doesn't require travel, that's going to incentivize people to make sure that they, you know. can to they can attend, they can be a part of that experience. You know, a really hot topic is obviously membership renewals. What are organizations doing about that? We've seen many, many, many options. And I don't think there's any one right answer. You really have to judge it based on what's going on in your community. I've seen some organizations say, we're just not asking for renewals right now. We're going to pause for maybe 30 days, 45 days before we address it. I've seen some organizations say for the next at least three months, anytime one of our members has a renewal, we're going to make a phone call instead of sending some sort of electronic communication and get a pulse of get a pulse of where they are, see if they need some sort of adjustment. I've seen lots of creative ideas around dues postponement that if an organization says, I I'm just not able to pay right now, some chambers are saying we'll postpone your Due date or move your anniversary date might be 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, but making sure that that member still has access to all of the benefits and resources, even if they can't pay right now. I have seen an increase in monthly payment options. So it's okay if you can't pay your entire dues right now, but maybe we can do a monthly installment. But my recommendation is maybe not to assume that all of your members can't pay. Pay right now. Whatever kind of communication you have, it does have to be adjusted, whether you're sending emails or making phone calls, you know, letting people know that there is some flexibility available to them and that you're happy to talk offline about what that looks like. We have seen some members just pay their bills without batting an eye.
32:36.554 Sheree Anne Kelly
we've also had new members come in the door because they've seen the value of of what's being provided. So I wouldn't assume that you're not going to have any cash flow, but just having a real mind for flexibility.
32:47.84 Brandon Burton
Yeah. I love the idea of of those phone calls just to get the pulse on the business because like you said, you can't just make those assumptions. And when you do make those phone calls, whether business is good or bad for them right now, they see that you care. Yeah, you're calling to get that pulse. And then as the discussion evolves, you can get to the talking about the renewal and and the options available there. But let's show the care first. I think that's so smart.
33:14.264 Sheree Anne Kelly
And we do have sample member renewal communications on the website as well. So there's some good examples. And just a couple other things, looking at chamber management, funding sources. We're seeing organizations try to find more funding through sponsors. We know that membership will likely take a hit. So if you can find groups that really support some of your efforts and ask them to sponsor your organization or your initiatives or your virtual events, you can find creative ways. To give sponsors value for a virtual program. We're certainly seeing organizations take out loans where they can if they need to. If you have a 501c3 foundation, that's an angle to try to find funding through grants. If your C3 pays some of your salary directly and that's how it is recorded and reported, you can also take advantage of the PPP loans. So those are some options. Budgeting and planning is challenging. we've had lots of conversations with chamber executives who are saying, How can I really forecast through this? Nobody has a crystal ball. And again, it's going to vary from market to market, but we're seeing a lot of chambers projecting, you know, revenue losses across almost every line, which means you have to make some really tough decisions about cuts and trimming some of your budget. We have heard of a handful of chambers who have already closed their doors. they were Unfortunately, in really tough financial situations, didn't have much reserves, were already in a problematic financial position. But in order to try to stave that off, we've also seen chambers that have creatively come up with ways to furlough some of their staff, or they've done across the board salary cuts. Some are making strategic layoffs, a lot are repurposing their existing staff. So if you had event planning staff, you may be retraining them on Customer outreach and member outreach. And that's something we've certainly seen. This is also a time to rethink partnering with other chambers. You know, you may want to consider a regional partnership or maybe even a merger. There's in a time like this, there's real value in strength of coming together. And you know, if you haven't considered it previously, this might be time to think about some of those regional partners.
35:39.736 Sheree Anne Kelly
Who might make just good collaborative partners on an initiative, or perhaps there's an opportunity to try to join forces. So those are just some of the things that we've seen on the chamber management side. A lot of chambers are starting to think about recovery planning for themselves and for their members. You know, as this starts to shift and we start to have a return to work, you know, what can we be doing in order to prepare our community for that? Most of what we've seen is really gathering some of those critical stakeholders in your region together to start talking about it, sharing information, everybody getting on the same page, making sure that your community stakeholders can share the same kinds of talking points and information with your legislators and decision makers. So those are some of the pieces that we're seeing. And I know we've covered a lot of ground, but I think those are some of the best chamber innovations and creative problem solving that we've seen out there.
36:41.42 Brandon Burton
Definitely good things to to be thinking about and to start taking some action on some of these points to make sure that both their community and the chamber itself can be strong as a recovery come as recovery time comes around. So towards the end of these interviews, I I like to ask a question about what would be one action item that you would encourage a a chamber professional to do to try to take their chamber up to the next level, but maybe instead of looking at it from taking it up to the next level, just what would be one one strong action item in this time of uncertainty that you would suggest a chamber does?
37:24.97 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. I you know it's hard to pin it down to one thing because I think having that pulse and touch point on your community is so critical. But if I had to narrow it down, I would say really think creatively right now. You know, if if you're trying to mirror what you did before in this new dynamic, that may not be the best approach. Really think about what are the biggest challenges and problems that your community and your members are facing right now. And how can you be the go-to resource and the catalytic leader that helps fix those problems? And looking at it through that type of lens of a solution center, I think can help focus what you're working on and make sure that you are providing the highest value and return on investment for. the people that you serve. I think that would be my number one recommendation is really, really think big picture and try something new. This is this is the chance to to get, like I said before, creative in how you approach some of the challenges that you're facing.
38:36.588 Brandon Burton
Very good advice. So the question that I ask everyone that I have on the show is as we look to the future, and I know we don't have a crystal ball and the future is not super clear right now, but how do you see chambers of commerce and their purpose moving forward?
38:52.942 Sheree Anne Kelly
I I believe so firmly that chambers of commerce play the most critical roles in their communities and they are among the most misunderstood groups that are out there. You know, if you say Chamber of Commerce to anyone out on the street, you will get a different answer as to what they do or who they serve or how they function. So what I'm excited about is the opportunity to try to clarify what that role and scope is. What I see chambers being in the future, I sort of have this concept in my head of what I call community incorporated, where chambers are the community resource that brings solutions to the biggest problems that the community faces. And they help leverage business. So the incorporated part is sort of the second part of that concept, where business is this critical resource and conduit for solving some of those problems, but it's taking this bigger perspective around helping the community in a holistic way. That's what I see chambers doing. We're seeing a lot of chambers shifting in that direction now. And I think it's smart. You know, they're taking a a different approach, a much more inclusive approach to what they're doing. They're trying to help the entire community. And I think that's only going to showcase the the value of a chamber of commerce if if we continue to focus on The bigger picture. That's what I see Chambers doing in the future and I think that's really exciting.
40:25.366 Brandon Burton
I don't know, you might have a crystal ball there that you're looking into 'cause that sounds really good.
40:32.286 Sheree Anne Kelly
I'm an optimistic realist, Brandon.
40:34.478 Brandon Burton
That's right. Well, Sherrianne, as we wrap up here, I wanted to to give you an opportunity to maybe give a way for listeners to get in contact with you if they have any questions about what you discussed or if they wanted to try to continue this discussion offline. What would be the best way for listeners to reach out to you?
40:54.232 Sheree Anne Kelly
Sure. So I am great on email. My email address is S S in Sam Kelly K-E-L-L-Y at ACCE dot O R G. ACCE is on all social media platforms, and our handle is at ACCEHQ, as in headquarters. And we're everywhere. We're on Instagram and YouTube and Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook. we try to post lots of good examples and best practices on all those social media platforms. My social media platform of choice is LinkedIn. So you can also find me there forward slash in forward slash Sherry Ann. So yeah, those are the best ways to reach me. And I'm happy to talk with anyone. Don't hesitate to reach out at all.
41:39.97 Brandon Burton
Very good. I will make sure that we get your contact information on the show notes page for this episode, which will be found at Chamberchat Podcast dot com slash episode sixty-four. And Sherrianne, I just wanted to thank you so much for spending time with us today here on Chamber Chat Podcast and sharing these insights that you have and some of these great things that you've seen around the country happening in other communities that these local chambers as they're listening can take and and implement as they try to to better serve their communities and their chamber members. I I just I think you brought extreme value today and just thank you so much for for spending time with us.
42:22.168 Sheree Anne Kelly
Brandon, it was such a pleasure. Thank you for for having me. It was great.
42:27.52 Brandon Burton
If you are a Chamber Professional, please subscribe to Chamber Chat Podcast in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. When you subscribe to Chamber Chat Podcast, new episodes will show up in your podcast app each week as they are released. If you're finding value in this podcast, please leave us a rating and a review in iTunes. But most importantly, please share Chamber Chat Podcast with your colleagues that are in the industry.