Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

My most recent posts

AI is a journey, not a destination

By Wes Trochlil | April 15, 2026

AI is a journey, not a destination Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking about AI like it’s a moon shot. “We need an AI project.” “We’re rolling out AI in Q4.” That language suggests AI is something you implement once and then check off the list. It isn’t. AI is a journey, and […]

Action produces information

By Wes Trochlil | April 8, 2026

Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing.” – Brian Armstrong, co-founder of Coinbase This is the great thing about data and why I’ve been in this business so long. […]

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…

By Wes Trochlil | March 25, 2026

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is the “single source of truth.” As I like to characterize it, when someone asks “Where is the data about X?” everyone knows the answer and everyone gives the SAME answer. One of the most common challenges I hear from my […]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

By Wes Trochlil | March 18, 2026

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well over 37 years now. And one of the things I’ve always loved and appreciated about association staffers is their willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done. But the problem is this “Yes, we can!” attitude can also […]

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

By Wes Trochlil | March 4, 2026

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.” – (Borrowed with permission from Intellidata’s Slice newsletter.) In my experience, many associations hold themselves back from cleaning up their data, because they are overwhelmed with where to start, and they also think success can only be achieved […]

Older Posts

ARC Solutions Demo

August 7, 2008

I had the opportunity to sit through a lengthy demo of the Polaris product from ARC Solutions. Overall I was […]

Take my one question survey

August 5, 2008

If you are an association staffer or executive, I’d appreciate it if you could answer my one question survey. It […]

Swimming with your clothes on (When it's time for a staff change)

July 31, 2008

Let’s face it, sometimes there is a mismatch between a person’s abilities or attitude, and the needs of the job. […]

New Article Posted

July 29, 2008

I’ve posted a new article on my website, entitled “Establishing a Contact Tracking Policy.” Of course, if you’re already on […]

Collect as little data as possible (when selling)

July 24, 2008

Yes, you read that right. When selling anything online, whether it’s membership joins, renewals, event registration, or product sales, you […]

BI Case Study: National Defense Industrial Association

July 22, 2008

This is the last of four case studies on how associations are using business intelligence, about which I presented at […]

Reports are Better than Queries

July 17, 2008

I’m often asked by my clients, when pulling data, if they should use a report or a query. The answer, […]

BI Case Study: Professional Golfers Association

July 8, 2008

This is the third of four case studies on how associations are using business intelligence, about which I presented at […]

BI Case Study: National Association of College and University Business Officers

June 17, 2008

This is the second of four case studies on how associations are using business intelligence, about which I presented at […]

Scroll to Top