Cyber Security

Internet of Attacks (IoA)

Ransomware, Phishing Scams, DDoS Attacks, Social Engineering … the list continues to grow for cybersecurity threats in 2017 and beyond. Attacks have become far more sophisticated than the old email from a prince requesting money.  With the Internet of Things (IoT) and our increasing connection and dependence on the internet, we will continue to see more widespread attacks across the…

Election 2016 – Let’s Bridge the Divide

I wasn’t going to write about the election. I was really trying to avoid it. But now that it has consumed my mind for the past seven days, I decided to write. I have friends and family on both sides of the fence. I have colleagues who are angry and colleagues who are thrilled. And…

‘It’s a Little Known Fact That …’

Remember Cliff Clavin, the fictional character on “Cheers” and the bar’s know-it-all postal worker who never seemed to be out delivering the mail? He often began his witticism at the bar with, “It’s a little known fact that …” If Cliff happened to be a member of your association’s board, he might say, “It’s a…

Don’t Let Too Many People Kill Your Re-branding

So, you have decided your organization’s brand is in need of a refresh. One of the first questions that may come to mind is, whom from your organization do you involve? Should it be the board, a committee, a task force or maybe even the entire membership? It is here that I ask you to…

Marketing: Make Sure You Are On Target

Often when I am talking to a company’s marketing department, they tell me how strongly they feel about social media – blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. I agree that these are good communication tools, and that there is a large portion of our population (particularly younger Americans) who use social media as their exclusive source…

Google… Help Me Engage Millennials

One of the common themes that we hear from client associations is the difficulties they experience in recruiting, engaging, and retaining Millennials. As a Millennial myself, I’ve often thought about this issue. Millennials are thought of as a group that doesn’t value the personal connections and networking that are offered by associations. They’d rather just…

Recognition – Strategies to Keep Those Important Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of every association. Recruiting volunteers is one thing – but retaining those volunteers is a challenge we all face. To retain volunteers, an organization needs to be aware of what motivates and leads each one to feel satisfied with the time he or she donates. Nothing motivates like recognition. Showing appreciation…

Life Lesson from a 5 Year Old

I’m sitting at a park with my 5-year-old and I find myself admiring her courage. But it’s not the kind of courage it takes to swing from the monkey bars without mom’s help, or to go down the scary tornado slide without mom catching you at the end. It’s the courage to walk up to…

It’s an Election Year – Is Your Association Prepared?

As if we aren’t sick of politics already, here’s another angle to consider: Historically, the economy takes a dive during the inaugural year of a presidency. Look back at even the past three presidential inaugural years and you will see the U.S. economy experienced some level of a recession during those years (1993, 2001, 2009).…

Hey Alexa: Register Me for That Convention

There is a massive cultural shift happening – one that will continue to transform the way people think, buy, and act. People’s behaviors are changing because of technologies, and rapidly. A few years ago the saying “Drive Through Generation” – the need for immediate gratification – was being blamed for “irrational” and “entitled” attitudes and…
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