Beyond Dues: Rethinking Revenue for a New Chamber Economy (Avi S. Olitzky)
Every chamber leader knows the uneasy truth: dues alone can’t sustain the work anymore. Expenses climb, member expectations rise, and sponsorship dollars stretch thinner each year. Yet when someone suggests exploring “alternative revenue,” the conversation too often turns into a scramble for one-off ideas—a golf outing here, a raffle there, maybe a new ad in the directory. Those things help for a moment, but they don’t build stability. The chambers that will thrive in the next decade aren’t just
How to Stop Passive Aggressive Employees (& Even Board Members) Dead in Their Tracks - Glenn Shepard
How to Stop Passive Aggressive Employees (and Even Board Members) Dead in Their TracksBy Glenn Shepard Make a dog mad, and he’ll bite you. Two seconds later, he’ll be licking your face in adoration. Dogs are so forgiving that it’s impossible to ruin your relationship with one. Cats, on the other hand, play by a different set of rules. Make a cat mad, and it won’t react right away. It’ll wait until you leave the house, then spray the walls with urine just to remind you who’s in
Membership as a Journey, Not a Transaction - Avi Olitzky
By Avi S. Olitzky Every chamber faces the same annual cycle: invoices go out, reminders follow, renewals trickle in, and someone inevitably asks, “Who haven’t we heard from yet?” That pattern—predictable, procedural, and exhausting—treats membership like a transaction. You pay dues, you get access. It’s clean, it’s measurable, and it’s uninspiring. The truth is that membership was never meant to be a transaction. It’s a relationship—and like any relationship, it evolves. People join for one reason,
Ten Ways to Tell If You Have a Sociopath on Your Board - Glenn Shepard
Ten Ways to Tell If You Have a Sociopath on Your BoardBy Glenn Shepard If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “This person is brilliant but something feels off,” you might not be imagining things.Some of the most destructive boardroom conflicts don’t come from incompetence or laziness, they come from personality disorders masquerading as leadership. In chambers where volunteer leaders often hold real influence over policy, finances, and reputation, having a sociopath on your board isn’t just
Leadership in the Gray Zone - Pamela Green
by Pamela J. Green, MBA, SPHR, PCC, ICC Chamber leaders know what it feels like to sit in the middle of competing priorities, multiple stakeholders, and a world that seems to change by the minute. From member expectations to community crises, from workforce shortages to legislative battles, chamber executives are constantly navigating the “gray zone” of leadership. In this zone, the old playbooks don’t always apply. Problems are not neatly defined, and solutions are rarely straightforward. That’s why
