As we work with chambers across the country, one of the things we tell chamber professionals is to try new things. Do not be tied to the way you have always done things, and we hold to that at YGM as well. “It’s been a full year at ‘TRC Talks’ now,” says Jason E. Ebey, IOM, CEO and Principal Consultant of YGM Total Resource Campaigns.

“When thinking about ‘TRC Talks,’ we see them as opportunities to highlight unique chamber programming that other chamber professionals might wish to use and implement in their respective chambers and provide some details and behind-the-scenes information so that the lift might not be so hard for replication.”

With ‘TRC Talks,’ we aim to bring you ‘Ideas and Inspiration’ with each topic, guest, and video. The nine videos produced during 2021 (and detailed below) covered a wide range of topics and are all available on the YGM YouTube channel if you missed any.

Sign Wars

Does your community do sign wars? Do you as the chamber start them? Do you get sponsors for them? We can help you get started.

How the ACCE Can Benefit Your Chamber

Anissa Freeman Starnes, IOM, is the Vice President of Member Engagement with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), and she joined Ebey for this video to discuss ways ACCE membership can benefit your chamber.

A Conversation with a Banking Professional

Do you coach your TRC volunteers on how to connect the right business with the right sponsorship? Ebey’s guest in this video is from the banking field and explains how a TRC helped his business development and increased his contacts.

The Best Apps for Recognizing Sponsors

We were delighted to have Beth Ziesenis, best known as Beth Z or Your Nerdy Best Friend, as our guest for this video. Beth shared apps that make it quick and easy to recognize your sponsors.

Strategic Thinking

Kelly Hall, CCE, IOM, MSL, President of the Longview Chamber, joined Ebey for this video to discuss how a Total Resource Campaign (TRC) can be used for strategic planning but also how strategic thinking can help a chamber throughout the year.

How PPP Data Can Grow Your Chamber

Ebey presented a hands-on review of a government website detailing all the entities which received a PPP loan and how chambers can use that information to grow their organizations.

Leveling Up Your Leadership Programs

Dr. Melissa Furman, a consultant and professor, joined Ebey to discuss ways to take your leadership program from blah to wow.

A Secret Shopper Tells All

Alysia A. Cook, PCED, IOM, is Principal of Opportunity Strategies, LLC, a professional facilitation, customized training, and strategic planning firm in Austin, Texas. She is known as a ‘secret shopper’ who goes into businesses and evaluates the shopping experience and reports back to the owners who are then able to better train their employees. She shared tips on how to better provide a quality customer shopping experience.

MADE Magazine: An Innovative Approach to Workforce Development

Lindsay Keisler, IOM, CCEC, President and CEO of the Catawba County Chamber in North Carolina, joined Ebey to provide details on how they created their MADE publication which assists with workforce development in their area.

YGM has a full slate of guests already lined up for 2022, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our ‘TRC Talks’ videos.