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

It's time for the Fourth Annual One-Question Survey!

July 28, 2010

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

Membership Director Postion Open

July 21, 2010

One of my former clients, the Licensing Executives Society, is seeking a membership director. LES is located in Alexandria, VA, […]

The Best Blog You're Not Reading

July 20, 2010

There are, of course, millions of blogs on the intertubes these days, so it always gives me great pleasure when […]

New Article Posted – Case Study: Custom Software vs Off-the-Shelf

July 19, 2010

A new article has been posted to my website. I’ve written in the past about why associations should avoid creating their […]

New Article Posted – Three Steps to Ensure Switching Systems Doesn't Slow You Down

June 17, 2010

A new article has been posted to my website. For many associations, making the change to a new database is not […]

A New Blog You Should be Reading

June 15, 2010

My client and colleague Dave Martin of the Electronic Retailing Association has just launched a new blog called the Dirty […]

Working in a homegrown system is malpractice

June 8, 2010

Yes, that’s harsh, but more and more it’s true. I’ve written before about how associations should not be in the […]

Tracking Volunteers and Form 990

June 4, 2010

At many of my recent talks, I’ve been discussing the importance of tracking and managing volunteers. Volunteerism is THE distinguishing […]

There is no single "correct" solution to any problem

June 3, 2010

And that’s why there are so many association management system (AMS) options available. Quite often I’m asked by potential clients […]

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