Top 5 Association Podcasts of The Week! 06/21/2024

|June 21, 2024|

Welcome to your weekly digest of the top 5 association podcasts every association professional should listen to IMMEDIATELY.

 

 

1) Reboot IT 501(c) Technology – The IT Director as Business Partner (with Adam Kuhn of Futures Industry Association)

I learned more about industry tech leader Adam Kuhn from this 38-minute episode with Reboot IT’s host Dave Coriale than from all my previous exchanges with Adam over the years – and I’ve known Adam Kuhn for at least 15 years by this point!!

In this episode Adam and Dave talk about the role of the IT Director as Business Partner and share how that role started back in the day (think: just keeping the machines ON so people could work) compared to what it is today (figuring out how to constantly improve so the organization runs better and people are empowered to adapt and grow).

Also…Dave and Adam are fun to listen to, and Dave even mentioned the Association Chat Road Trip to ASAE Annual (without naming it, but WE know)!

Fun fact: Adam is now ON the Road Trip!

Worth noting: Occasional Tom Petty riffs in the background add to the authenticity of this podcast. Dave is always an excellent host, and the quality of this podcast—in content and technical aspects—makes it a fun listen.

 

2) Associations Thrive – The Importance of the Association Workforce Trends Survey (with Jose Segarra, Rick Burt, and Don Dea)

Another one of the best-sounding association podcasts out there, host Joanna Pineda, who has a voice MADE for this kind of thing, interviews three guests whose names you are already likely familiar with in the industry for this episode… Jose Segarra, Board Member of Association Latinos, Don Dea, Founder and Chair of the ASAE AANHPI Association Community, and Rick Burt, Board President of Black Association Executives.

I think sometimes we tend to ignore or gloss over the kind of research that our industry needs most and the great thing about this episode is that it clearly explains HOW this latest survey came about and WHY it matters.

This will help get us all better data we can use – everyone in the association space, from CEOs to entry-level employees, across all demographics, should participate in the survey.

In fact, let me cut to the chase and just plop the survey they reference right here: Take the Survey!

Get Nike about it. Just do it.

 

3) The Member Engagement Show – Association Credential Programs (with Heather McNair)

Okay, I just have to admit that for me – I’m talking FOR ME – talking about credentialling is typically a yawn of an endeavor.

I absolutely understand and appreciate how critical it is to associations. I do! But I just never thought that a podcast episode about the topic would be included in my top 5 list. And yet…

I’ve heard people, within the Association Chat community and within my Big Red M team meetings, regularly talk about the need for better tracking of their CE hours and concerns around staying on top of re-certification. This is an evergreen topic in the association industry and so I was curious to learn more about what host Kelly Whelan and guest Heather McNair, CEO of Cloud Generation, would discuss.

Look, I’m not going to pretend that suddenly I’m going to go binge-watch a bunch of demos about credentialing programs. However, this discussion was easy and fun to listen to, and I walked away with a firm idea of what areas most need to be considered and handled correctly when building or revitalizing a certification program.

Also…WHY is this still so hard to get right? This is (or can be) a major way to bring value to members or an industry at large. We have the technology to figure this out…let’s DO IT.

 

4) The Association 100 – Advancing DEI and Disability Inclusion in Associations (with Samyuktha Neeraja)

You know how it feels when you hear someone speak eloquently and passionately about a subject you think is critical and often find difficult to discuss yourself?

This is my first listen to the Association 100 Podcast, I wasn’t familiar with it before this week, and I was thankful to stumble across it and listen as host Colleen Gallagher and guest Samyuktha Neeraja energetically discussed inclusion – even in how we should ask before shortening or changing someone’s name. (Although I literally only have one syllable to my first name that is repeated –“Ki-Ki”– I have witnessed how incredibly rude people can be about how they handle a name…)

**Adding this podcast to my regular listening list!**

 

5) Association Chat – Hybrid Meetings, Karaoke, and Road Trippin’ to Cleveland

I answer a question about strategies for boosting member engagement in hybrid events and then we venture into go-to karaoke songs and I reminisce about unforgettable karaoke nights in Charleston.

Regular listeners can get the scoop on the SUPER exciting Association Chat Road Trip to ASAE Annual in Cleveland, complete with live reporting and insider tips. Tune in for actionable insights, a dose of fun, and a sneak peek into the chaos and joy of association life.

Listen to ALL of this week’s Top Pods on the Association Chat Top Pod Playlist