6 Degrees of Associations: Presented by Core Adventures

Greg Melia, CAE, CEO of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), is our guest on the Six Degrees of Associations this week. With a stated goal of supporting CX professionals to share, learn, inspire, and grow throughout their entire careers, Greg is at the helm of this premier non-profit with a global reach that serves the customer experience profession. Greg shares his journey to association leadership with us and...

As we learn in this week’s episode of the 6 Degrees Podcast with Stephen Gold, the President and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance, mindfulness, like life itself, is a journey, not a destination. There are no winners or losers. There are many elements of mindfulness that association professionals will find helpful, and we are honored to have longtime association community thought leader Stephen Gold join our show this week to provide a...

A highly respected voice and leader in the association community, Sharon Kneebone, IOM, FASAE, CAE, is our guest this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast. As the Executive Director of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, Sharon joins the show to share her story as an association professional reaching the pinnacle of our industry and the lessons she's learned throughout her career.Sharon highlights the many rich an...

Janelle Julien is an executive-level communications specialist in the association space, known for driving impactful communication plans within both nonprofit and for-profit corporate sectors. She joined us this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast to discuss what she’s learned given her rich background spanning publishing and association communications. Janelle discusses the evolving landscape of content delivery, empha...

Justin Moore, PT, DPT, the CEO of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), brings his passion to the Six Degrees of Association Podcast this week. As a physical therapist by trade, he walks us through the advantages—especially on the public policy front—that he has enjoyed while leading an association that helps build a brighter future for this profession, which is the fifth-largest healthcare occupation. He also discusses...

The keys to ensuring your association is on the path toward a vibrant future—and avoiding the common traps of stagnation—are outlined in depth with our Six Degrees of Associations Podcast guest this week, Vincent Talucci, CAE, the thoughtful and strategic Executive Director/CEO of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Vince highlights the IACP's commitment to modernizing policing, emphasizing the importance ...

Lori Anderson, FASAE, CAE, the President & CEO with the International Sign Association (ISA) is our fantastic guest this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast. Lori’s career began as a music teacher before transitioning into government relations and ultimately taking the helm at ISA. Lori draws parallels between her experiences in music education and leadership, noting that running an association is a lot like conduct...

Michael Hoffman, the CEO of Gather Voices, is our guest on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast this week, where he provides a master class on using user-generated video to amplify your membership’s voice. As a serial entrepreneur, Michael shares tools, tricks, and strategies for communicating better with your association constituents through video. Michael also shares his unique journey into the world of associations, which beg...

Joanna Pineda is our guest this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast. She is the Founder, CEO, and self-proclaimed “Chief Troublemaker” at Matrix Group International, where she has been in business for more than twenty-five years. In addition, she is a keynote speaker, author, blogger, and association podcaster who is fluent in several languages and has a passion for traveling the world. Joanna discusses her career journ...

As we enter 2025, Six Degrees of Associations Podcast Producer and part-time host Casey Callanan joins our regular host, Lucas McCann, to look back at the recurring trends and topics our guests discussed in 2024 and explore what that means for 2025. In this episode, we highlight the themes that emerged again and again in 2024:

• Authenticity in media (podcasts, social media) – while not exclusive to 2024 this trend continued in fu...

Harnessing her passion for the association community and the work it entails, Katrina Holland joins our 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast this week to discuss her reflections on joining MedTech Color as the young association's first-ever executive director. With over 25 years of association experience, Katrina joins our show to discuss her diverse career path that began with improv and law before leading her to association managem...

This week on the 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast we are joined by our guest Randy Townsend MPS. Randy currently serves as Director of Engagement for Origin Editorial. This is in addition to his role as Adjunct Professor where his focus is ethics in publishing at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. In a timely conversation for the association community, Randy delves into his pioneering work in the peer review space...

The message from our guest this week on the 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast is abundantly clear: associations need to step it up when it comes to events, be unafraid to take risks, and be willing to make mistakes because the “same old thing” will no longer suffice. We are honored to be joined by Marsha Flanagan, MEd, CEM, the President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), for this lively disc...

Dean West, a true association industry visionary, is our guest on the 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast this week. He is in his 25th year as founder and CEO of the Chicago-based Association Laboratory. According to their website, “Association Laboratory helps association leaders make better decisions through research and strategy consulting services, dissemination of association sector research insights, and the education of associ...

Our guest this week on Six Degrees of Associations, Deedre Daniel, is so interesting that she founded a company called The Interesting Conversations Company. Suffice to say, she is intriguing, and so is this week’s conversation, which focuses on overcoming digital distractions and building connections. As discussed in today’s episode, Deedre left her secure corporate job to make life more interesting! Her company’s tagline says it ...

Dave Will is our guest this week on the 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast, and he doesn’t mince words when it comes to the misguided and flat-out incorrect ways most associations communicate with their members via email, social media, and other related tools. It’s something he is very passionate about since Dave is the co-founder and CEO of PropFuel, a conversational engagement platform that helps associations with member insight ...

Simply put: if you want to understand what the association community is like these days in Europe, there is one person you need to talk to first: Ioannis Pallas.

Ioannis currently serves as the Managing Director of ESAE (European Society of Association Executives), and he joins us this week on the 6 Degrees of Associations for a fun, informative, and in-depth chat about association life in Europe and North America. We compare and c...

Rich Vallaster III, CEM, DES, the Senior Director of Industry Relations and Community Engagement at Personify, is our guest this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast. He helps us envision what a brighter future for association events and member experience can—and should—look like. As a dedicated tech advocate, Rich highlights how technology can empower associations to enhance member engagement and improve event experie...

John Bode, the President & CEO at Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is our distinguished guest this week on the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast. With roots in agriculture and a dynamic career spanning legal and government roles, John highlights the transformative power of associations in advocating for impactful policies. John's leadership at CRA has been marked by a proactive approach, navigating the organization through ch...