Association Chat host and association thought leader, KiKi L’Italien, invited me on her podcast to discuss the CAE designation, my personal journey with the CAE, and what makes the League stand out.

Like the line in the movie “Jaws” says: “Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water . . .”

The 21st century is a wondrous age unlike any before. We can travel the globe in a matter of hours. We can talk to and see each other in real time using handheld devices. Individuals are realizing and exercising their power to create their own lives. We have embraced the power of choice and we are redefining what success means.

As I write this, I’m heading back from ASAE22 in Nashville, TN. It’s a great town with friendly people. Some of them are a little too friendly (I’m talking about YOU girl twerking on the party bus). Things have changed in Nashville as it grows and continues to add interesting and fun things to do while serving conferences and conventions with increased services.

This year, there is a lot of disappointment (to say the least) for new CAEs because they do not get to walk the stage. I must say I am disappointed too because I know how hard it is to earn the CAE, and I see in our courses and study groups dedicated professionals learning the content and the importance of the CAE. It’s a very emotional time – you work hard for a long time to study and prepare to take the CAE Exam. One of the things that you daydream about is your time to walk across the stage.

Years ago, I realized I was a grown up and had reached a certain level of emotional maturity when I could objectively judge a situation involving a person I do not like. I learned to set aside emotion and evaluate the situation; personal opinions did not apply. It took me years to become a disciplined and objective thinker, and it’s something that we all need to constantly work on and hone.

It was brought to my attention by a group of colleagues that digitalNow, considered one of the flagship nonprofit management meetings, is scheduled on Yom Kippur this year. For those not familiar with Yom Kippur, it is arguably the most important religious holiday in Judaism. It is the Day of Atonement in which individuals seek to make up for their transgressions and sins. For those who practice the Jewish faith, it is a day that cannot be skipped or double-booked.

When I was a child, I lived in a neighborhood with a lot of other kids around my age. Being from working class families, we had to earn our extra spending money (the candy and comic books didn’t pay for themselves!) so we were always looking for ways to earn some cash.

This week in ASAE’s Collaborate Component Relations community, the topic of Rogue Chapters was discussed. Being a company that is familiar with the concept of “rogueness,” I’d like to offer my take on this situation.

Rogue Tulips Consulting, through its education arm, The 501c League, is proud to be a leader in CAE education and development. While we can’t guarantee you will pass the exam, we CAN guarantee we will be there for you throughout your CAE Journey and beyond. This fall we will be back with study groups, courses, practice exams, and coaching for CAE Candidates and current CAEs!

This year, there is a lot of talk in the association community about modernizing the chapter system. It comes from a lot of areas: outdated ways of delivering services locally, governance systems that no longer serve the members, and draconian requirements to maintain chapter or affiliate status that create unpaid staff positions for volunteers.

Many times, when people consider compensation, they think hourly wages or salary. Money is an important part of compensation, but it is not the only measure of performance and experience, nor should it be the only reward. I specifically mention performance and experience because these are two important factors in determining compensation (and rewards!) for employees at any level in your organization.

Yesterday, I was on the Morning Coffee Chat (supported by Mighty Citizen and hosted by Nicole Araujo) where you never know what will happen or what will be discussed! A new member of the group brought up the question, “How do you collect customer feedback from a dispersed staff and call center comments?”

Most days I’m a positive person because I know from experience things are never as bad as they seem. Even on those “nothing is going right” days I tend to think, “Okay, this too shall pass. Like a bad kidney stone, but it will pass.”

On May 24, 2022, the ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council held its monthly “Crunch & Munch” discussion focused on the topic of modernizing and updating the current association chapter model. I was excited to be invited to the discussion which was inspired by several Rogue Speak articles I wrote on this topic. The Council leadership was well-represented by Cheryl Goldsby, Steve Idzikowski, and Jessica Irizarry.

Podcasts are all the rage! From individuals to organizations, podcasts are everywhere. Whether you are a global podcaster like Joe Rogan, or you have a small niche audience, options are available for recording, sharing, and promoting your podcast to the world. You don’t need to be a celebrity to have a podcast, but you do need interesting guests. Whether you are doing a daily, weekly, or monthly podcast, having someone to interview or converse with is key to an interesting episode.

As the CAE Candidates near the end of the May exam period, they are wondering if they passed, or nervous about taking it by May 15. No matter how many times a Candidate has seen the exam, the consistent comment I hear is: “I will be so happy to be done with all this studying!”

In my last article, “Is Your Chapter System from another Century?”, I outlined the argument that the “mini-me” structure of chapters needs to be done away with in favor of a more agile, modern system based on the way we live now.

If you are a membership association, you are familiar with chapters even if you don’t have them as part of your organization. Chapters can be great ways to offer regular engagement for your members locally or regionally, and it keeps the association “top of mind” in between national conferences.

We are well into 2022 now, but if we think back to the overwhelming uncertainty of the lockdown in 2020, we remember that many of our nonprofit management colleagues lost their jobs. This was the result of panicked Boards of Directors thinking they needed to save money due to the loss of income from in-person events.

We all talk about it. We say we believe in it. We claim to practice it. But in reality, a majority of people do not participate in conversations as active listeners.