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

Perfection kills

June 30, 2014

Some 25 years ago, I published a printed directory for the association I worked for which ultimately won an ASAE […]

Very often, it's the nickels and dimes that matter

June 26, 2014

AMS vendors often point out that, when considering the selection of a new AMS, the association needs to look at […]

"It's like a loaded gun; very powerful and very dangerous."

June 24, 2014

That’s what one of the AMS vendors said to me when describing the flexibility of their system. Sure, it’s hyperbole, […]

New Article Posted – Developing a Cycle of Virtuous Data Management

June 23, 2014

In last month’s newsletter, I discussed the Cycle of Doom, which I see repeated too often at many associations. But there […]

New Video on Avoiding the Cycle of Doom

June 3, 2014

Personify interviewed me last week on my recent article, Improving User Adoption and Avoiding the Cycle of Doom. In the […]

Thoughts on the ASI Partners Conference

May 20, 2014

I had the opportunity recently to attend ASI’s iNNOVATION Conference in Florida. This conference is for ASI’s partners and re-sellers. […]

Inconsistent processes leads to inefficiencies (and errors!)

May 12, 2014

Standing in line in airport security last week, I noticed that half the people in line were taking their shoes […]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant

March 28, 2014

This phrase is often used in the political arena. It means that the best way to root out corruption is […]

Are you deluging your members with email?

March 27, 2014

Here’s Tony Rosell, one of the brilliant minds at Marketing General, in a tweet about how associations are using email: […]

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