Listen on Apple PodcastsIntro
Welcome to Beyond the Ribbon Cut
Ted Wind · Host, Diagonal for Chambers
Why this show exists: a place for chamber leaders to learn from one another and go past the surface-level version of chamber work.
A podcast from Diagonal for Chambers
Beyond the Ribbon Cut
The podcast for chamber leaders: candid conversations with chamber executives about member value, retention, revenue, and the future of chambers.
Beyond the Ribbon Cut is the podcast for chamber leaders. Each episode features candid conversations with chamber executives about what is working, what is changing, and what chambers need to do next. We talk member value, retention, events, revenue, technology, and the future of chambers.
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Season 1 · Streaming now
Episodes
New episodes weeklyThe season 1 lineup.
Conversations with chamber executives from across the country. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Ep. 01
Building workforce development programs that actually work
Clint Knight · Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development
How a chamber builds workforce development programs that connect employers, educators, and job seekers — and why this work belongs at the center of what chambers do.
Ep. 02
How small chambers thrive through collaboration
Marianne Cohen · Malden Chamber of Commerce
Multi-chamber collaboration as a strategic model: shared events, virtual programming, and creating bigger value with a small team.
Ep. 03
Turning social media into a member benefit
Breanna Dye · Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce
How a small chamber builds a stronger marketing system: consistent content, social media as a member benefit, and pairing traditional and digital channels.
Ep. 04
Connecting students to careers in your community
John Nyhan · Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce
The chamber's role in workforce development: connecting students with career pathways, trade-focused training, and chambers as community facilitators beyond events and membership.
Ep. 05
An operating system for your chamber
Bob Thomas · Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Operational discipline for chambers: running on EOS, aligning resources with your mission, and how statewide and local chambers collaborate.
Ep. 06
Rethinking member retention with CRM data and AI
Dom Provenzano · Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Member retention as a year-round strategy: using CRM data intentionally, building smarter touchpoints, and practical AI tools that focus staff time on the members who need it most.
Ep. 07
How to actually hand off a chamber
Rachel Gorman · Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
Succession planning for chambers: navigating a leadership transition, engaging your board in the handoff, and starting the conversation before change becomes urgent.
Ep. 08
Getting your chamber a seat at the table
Justin Groenert · Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
Advocacy as a core chamber value-add: separating advocacy from politics, building relationships with elected officials, and how collaboration moves major regional projects forward.
Ep. 09
What accreditation actually changes in your chamber
Lance Allison · One Southern Indiana
Chamber accreditation beyond the plaque: strengthening internal systems and SOPs, making the process manageable for small chambers, and how relationships led to a statewide small-business health plan.
Ep. 10
Connecting your members to corporate buyers
Jason Rae · Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Supplier diversity as a chamber value-add: certification that opens doors with corporate buyers, entrepreneur boot camps, matchmaking events, and telling the stories that show chamber value.
Ep. 11
How a small chamber team makes an outsized impact
Jodi Owczarski · Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce
Small teams, big impact: running on EOS to clarify your yeses and nos, a vetted ambassador program that extends your staff, member journeys and rankings that drive retention, and mobilizing thousands for Community Impact Day.
Ep. 12
Bringing your community's organizations under one roof
Matt Pivarnik · Greater Myrtle Beach Collaborative
The collaborative model: how chambers, visitors bureaus, and economic development organizations share one structure without losing their own boards, brands, and focus — with lessons from Tulsa, Topeka, and Myrtle Beach.
Ep. 13
Thinking bigger about your chamber's impact
Martin Manna · Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce
Thinking bigger than events: how an ethnic chamber became a voice for its community, built a foundation serving 52,000 people a year, and measures impact simply enough to fit on one page.
Ep. 14
Taking your chamber all the way to the ballot box
Chris Romer · Vail Valley Partnership
Beyond traditional advocacy: when a chamber should lead on big community issues, how to build a coalition across eight jurisdictions, and what it takes to run — and win — a ballot campaign.
Ep. 15
Running your chamber like a business
Brad Lacy · Conway Area Chamber of Commerce
The season one finale: running the chamber like a business, quality of place as a product, how Toad Suck Daze funds community investment, and chambers as the conveners who rebuild social fabric.
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About the show
The real story is everything happening behind the scenes.
You manage the board, sell sponsorships, renew members, run events, show up at city hall, and still find time to think about where your chamber is going. Beyond the Ribbon Cut is where you hear what has actually worked for other executives — so you can use it in your own chamber.
01
Real tactics, not theory
What actually moved the needle on retention, events, sponsorships, and member value — straight from the executives who tried it.
02
Executives sharing with executives
Every episode is a chamber leader sharing what worked, what didn't, and tactical advice you can use for your chamber.
03
Beyond the ribbon cutting
The ribbon cut is the part everyone sees. We get into the board conversations, the hard renewals, and the work behind the scenes.