Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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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

You can’t outsource buy-in

December 16, 2021

You can’t outsource buy-in One factor consistent with all of my most successful projects is that there is strong buy-in […]

Use it or lose it!

December 8, 2021

Use it or lose it! I’m referring here to the data you collect. If you are collecting data that you’re […]

“If I could only do one thing…”

December 1, 2021

“If I could only do one thing…” Managing data throughout your organization can be overwhelming. Do you have the right people […]

Gratitude

November 24, 2021

Gratitude As Thanksgiving in the US approaches, I’m reminded of the importance of gratitude, in life, and yes, in data management. […]

“It’s more than I have, but less than I want.”

November 17, 2021

“It’s more than I have, but less than I want.” “It’s more than I have, but less than I want.” […]

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law

November 10, 2021

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” – Cyril Parkinson Many […]

Just Respond

November 3, 2021

Just Respond Growing up my father used to tell my many siblings and me that if we showed up to […]

People fear uncertainty, not change

October 27, 2021

People fear uncertainty, not change If you’ve ever worked on any big project that was likely to bring about significant […]

“Working with you is like going to therapy.”

October 20, 2021

“Working with you is like going to therapy.” I was working with a client last week and at the end […]

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