October 8, 2025 • 32 mins
TMSA's On The Move Podcast - Featuring Kelly Usher
In this episode of On the Move, we’re joined by Kelly Usher, Executive Director of the Traffic Club of Chicago, who brings years of leadership, operations, and community-building experience to one of the most established networking organizations in transportation.
Kelly shares her career journey—from her roots in recruiting and association management to leading one of the most active professional clubs in logistics. We’ll talk about how organizations like TCC continue to evolve to meet modern member needs, and what collaboration looks like across the industry as she joins us for her first TMSA event at the Executive Summit, followed by the joint TMSA × TCC networking event.
Whether you’re an industry veteran or a new leader looking to grow your network, this conversation explores how community and connection are still at the heart of transportation.
Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:23):
Hello, everyone, and welcome to On the Move, a show
where we share transportationsales and marketing success
stories.
I am Jennifer Kurkis Romain,Executive Director of the
Transportation Marketing andSales Association, which is a
trade nonprofit educating andconnecting marketing and sales
professionals in transportationand logistics.
(00:44):
And today on the show, I'mexcited to have Kelly Usher,
who's executive director of theTransportation Club of Chicago.
It is very fun to be in thisindustry and to make connections
and friends.
And when you find somebody thathas a similar role to you and be
able to talk about all thethings that we get to talk about
behind the scenes.
And then right before we wentlive today, we realized that
(01:06):
we're both ready for the spookyseason.
So we both have our jackskeleton mugs, which is so fun.
I love to get into the spookyseason.
Welcome to the show, Kelly.
How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01 (01:19):
I'm excited to be here.
Thanks for having me.
Of course.
So today we're going to talkabout all kinds of things.
But first, I want to talk aboutyour path to leadership, to
getting that executive directorrole at the traffic club.
You've had a diverse career.
You've been in recruiting,you've been in operations.
Now association leadership.
What led you to your positionand what do you like most about
(01:42):
leading in the logistics andtransportation space?
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
Great question.
Thanks for asking.
I definitely didn't grow upthinking that I would be in
logistics.
I was always obsessed withdance.
And that led me to theUniversity of Iowa.
After Iowa, I really wanted tomove to Chicago.
Michael Jordan was always my bigidol.
And the beautiful city wascalling to me.
(02:06):
So I took a chance on myself andwent to an audition for the
Chicago Lovables, the Bullsdance team.
Had no expectation of making theteam, but when I did, I was
thrilled, obviously.
And that was a great experience.
But I didn't have an apartmentset up in Chicago yet.
I didn't have a job set up inChicago yet.
I wish I would have done things,you know, a little differently
(02:28):
to have that set up because itis a time commitment.
And then getting a hiringmanager to take a chance on you
as an entry-level professionalthat has other time commitments.
You know, it was an experience,but um I landed in the logistics
industry, learned a ton abouthow things get to your home,
what the trucks do, what thebrokers do, what the shippers
(02:51):
do.
Um, the whole supply chainindustry is just something that
you continue to learn somethingnew every day.
And I fell in love with it.
So got the bug, stayed in thelogistics industry for quite
some time and found my way torecruiting because I really
loved helping people findpositions that are going to
really be great for their skillset, you know, and make them
(03:13):
happy and move them to the nextlevel of their career and
success.
And in while working inlogistics, in recruiting, that's
what led me to the Trafford Clubof Chicago.
Um, one of my colleagues was amember and recommended that I
attend an event and said greatthings about the people, the
networking opportunities, theeducational aspect.
(03:33):
And so, you know, piqued myinterest.
And I attended my first holidaygala in 2021.
And it was a great experience.
I met two amazing women,Christina Aguirre and Valerie
Perucci, which, you know, bothwere involved in the club and
board members.
And we struck up a really greatconversation about um diversity,
(03:54):
equity, and inclusion, anddiversifying the different types
of events that the Traffic Clubof Chicago holds and you know,
diversifying our membershipacross all the different modes
in the industry and in all thedifferent ways that we can.
And so we really talked aboutwanting to get more women
involved, and they recruited meonto the Young Professionals
Committee as a volunteer.
(04:15):
And that was a great experienceto, you know, be part of the
group that comes up with theideas behind what we can do to
provide value to our members andreally enjoyed that.
So the next time the boardelections and nominations came
around, I decided to throw myhat in the ring and found myself
a seat at the table as a boardmember and headed up the
(04:38):
marketing committee, which wasgreat.
And um, just over time got moreinvolved in what makes the
Traffic Club of Chicago tick.
What kind of support do we needto continue to grow in the right
ways that we want to grow?
And so found my way to theexecutive director seat, and
it's been a great ride since.
SPEAKER_01 (04:58):
So if people are listening, you're probably like,
wow, this story sounds vaguelyfamiliar because it is.
Because, and that's one of thethings me and Kelly learned when
we first met each othervirtually is our path to
executive leadership at thisassociation level is so similar
because I also was coming intoTMSA as a partner member, fell
(05:18):
in love with the organization,what it stood for, joined the
education committee, led themarketing committee, got my seat
on the board, and then into theexecutive director role.
So um our paths do align thatway, and it's been fun to you
know watch you grow into yourrole and vice versa, and love
that TMSA and TCC get to cometogether and um share a space.
(05:41):
And so I think that that is fun.
I love hearing stories, but yes,I remember when we first met and
we were like, oh wow, we havesuch similarities here, um, and
having that community has beenreally great.
Um, so I do want to touch onthat because we both lead these
organizations that have such alegacy.
TMSA has been around for over ahundred years.
(06:02):
The Traffic Club has such a richhistory legacy as well.
I'm curious your experience andkind of balancing that history
with that need to stay modern.
You talked about like, oh, hey,we want to be there for the
members, we want to provide theevents, the education, all of
those pieces for today'sprofessionals.
How are you doing that,especially as younger
(06:22):
generations are coming in andwanting different things from
this type of engagement?
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Absolutely.
So, what I love about theTraffic Club of Chicago is we do
have that rich history, but wealso honor that rich history
whenever we can.
Um, we never forget our roots.
Blame it all on my roots, GarthBrooks reference.
Um But so some of the ways thatwe honor our history are by, you
know, celebrating where we'vebeen, our four families, as I
(06:51):
like to call them, um, left usthis great legacy and have left
us lots of efforts as well inbeing able to see what it was
like at that time.
We have our centennial bookletthat was created for our 100th
anniversary, and um, you know,it's extensive background into
where the Traffic Club ofChicago came from.
(07:11):
And it's it's great to be ableto look back through, you know,
what what we were and what weare today, what we've
accomplished, and celebratethose wins.
And um a couple other ways thatwe do that is also by offering
emeritus and honorarymemberships to our past
presidents, our past boardmembers.
Um, we honor our past presidentsat every annual dinner for their
(07:33):
dedication and hard work andgetting us to where we are
today.
We even brought back the TrafficClub Steam Engine Bell for our
annual dinner this year, whichwas really fun.
It was a heavy guy to get to getinto the space.
Um, so lots of work there.
But it was it's really fun tobring back, you know, items like
that to remind us of where we'vecome from.
(07:55):
And as far as, you know, intoday's world, we're always
looking for opportunities to beaccessible to anyone who either
works in this industry or workswith professionals in this
industry from all modes of theindustry and um from all
experience levels as well.
And so by diversifying thedifferent types of events that
we hold, whether they're casualhappy hours, educational events,
(08:19):
more buttoned up annual dinnertype attire or golf outings,
there's something for everyone.
And what I think is cool in thisdigital age is we know those
relationships are gonna move alot further than the cold
outreach on LinkedIn and it's adigital age, and everyone's you
know, a bot until you meet themand shake hands, right?
(08:39):
And so being able to have aspace to do that and to
facilitate those connections isreally what I love in my
day-to-day, you know, life as Ias I live it and what I loved
about recruiting.
So being able to intentionallyconnect people that want to get
connected at our events is myfavorite thing.
SPEAKER_01 (08:59):
And I've had the opportunity to go to a couple of
different Traffic Club ofChicago events.
So I did the symposium 2023,2023.
And then um I got to go to theannual dinner and actually sit
at the head table with the bellum with my name, which is very
cool.
It was very formal.
Um, it was a great event.
(09:20):
My uh, I don't even know if Iever told you, but it normally
takes me five hours to drive toChicago, but that day took me
eight.
I got stuck in traffic.
So I was very pleased with howmy hair actually turned out with
the very little time I had.
You like but it um but it was agreat event, and it's that space
was so beautiful being to see,getting to see all the people
(09:43):
together.
Um, TMSA, you know, we're spreadout across the country.
We have some internationalmembers.
There is something cool aboutnot that you don't have members
that aren't based in Chicagobecause people do business in
Chicago, but getting all thosepeople together in such a
beautiful room, celebrating thesuccess of the organization, all
the people there.
It was a really special moment.
(10:04):
Glad that I got to come and dothat.
Um, and I'm excited.
And um, I'm excited because onthe flip side of things, you are
going to attend your first TMSAevent in a couple weeks.
You'll be attending ourexecutive summit, which is
(10:25):
October 22nd through the 23rd.
Anyone that's listening to theshow can use the code move2mit
10 at events.tmsa today.org ifyou're interested in registering
as well.
But you're telling yourregister.
Hit the register button.
Absolutely.
Um, I know we've talked about wetried to get to you to elevate
(10:46):
this year, but it didn't workout.
We were coming to Chicago, soI'm like, here, this one's a lot
easier to get to.
What are you looking forward tomost to your experience at TMSA?
SPEAKER_00 (10:56):
I'm so excited, honestly.
I love opportunities to learnand meet great people.
And I think the the knowledgesharing that happens at events
like this is so beneficial foreverybody to you know hear new
ideas, hear new ways of doingthings and and try that out for
yourself and make it your own.
I mean, I feel like we've builtsuch a great partnership um
(11:19):
between our clubs, and I'm I'mexcited to you know see what you
all are doing that you know maybe different or similar to what
we're doing, and um just learnfrom learn from all the great
speakers.
You've got a great lineup.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
I am very excited for our lineup.
We have a shippers panel, wehave a commercial growth panel,
we're highlighting our mountainmover award winners.
We have Nicole Glenn coming into keynote, talking about how to
build in tremendous times.
And um, just really greatlineup.
Excited to have the show, andthen very excited to announce
(11:55):
that TMSA and TCC are doing aformal collaboration as well
after the executive summit.
This will be October 23rd.
We will put the link to theevent in the show notes.
But after the summit closes, weare doing a joint networking
event beyond the boardroom, um,talking about inclusive
leadership.
And this is something that wehave been talking about for
(12:16):
months.
So excited that we get to then,you know, um have it come
together.
And um, we both felt like asfemale leaders, our journeys
have been um being supported bypeople in the industry and
making sure that we're helpingeverybody rise up to the
leadership level.
It's not enough just to have umdifferent voices come into the
(12:37):
industry, but to rise them toleadership and making sure that
we're leaving space at the tablefor everybody.
And something that was bothimportant to you and I.
And both TMSA and TCC was reallyexcited to do this event.
From your perspective, why doyou think partnerships like this
matter?
And what do you hope attendeestake away from this event?
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
Yeah, I think partnerships matter with sister
associations like ours or withpeople in general for those
opportunities to continue and tolearn and grow and just have
advocates by your side to youknow boost you up to where you
want to be.
And as one of my very wise andlovely past lovables that I
(13:21):
danced with once said to me, andto our entire group, I should
say, is that we're not competingagainst each other to make a
game, to get onto that court.
It's not me versus you, it's meagainst myself yesterday and
pushing myself to be better thanthe day before or the
(13:42):
performance before, or the theroutine that I just performed,
like doing it better every time.
And so that's something that Ithink there's so many people out
there that are the take it tothe grave model.
Like, I'm not gonna share likemy secret sauce with you.
It's it's special, you know, andit is special, but I think
there's something even morespecial when we collaborate.
So I'm really excited aboutthat.
(14:04):
I think um, as far as takeawaysfrom this event, it's gonna be a
great panel discussion talkingabout empowering inclusive
leadership, which I think is sokey.
And we've made progress, butwe've still got room to grow.
And so I'm really excited toconnect all of those industry
leaders for people to be able tohear from their perspectives
(14:26):
about this topic.
And it's gonna be a greatnetworking opportunity in a
beautiful space.
If you haven't been to theSkyland Club, let me tell you,
the views from the terrace arephenomenal.
And the weather should be shouldbe decent to be able to go out
there and at least like takesome photos as well.
But it's a really beautifulspace, it's gonna be a great
(14:46):
menu, great networkingopportunities.
So definitely recommend.
SPEAKER_01 (14:50):
I am really excited about it.
Um, and just yes, like when wewere talking about spaces, I'm
like, okay, like we're travelingin, so we want to go somewhere
that's nice and beautiful andhas great views.
And you're like, yes, thisplace.
So like being able to nail thatwas great.
And I agree.
I think hearing differentperspectives and being in the
(15:11):
room, like, yes, like we'recoming in from the TMSA side as
the executive summit, so it'sgonna be leaders in the space
and being able to amplify thatand be able to, so we're
networking with each other allday.
Executive Summit is a smallerevent, it's about 60, 70 people,
and then being able to networkgrow with those people and then
go and um take it up anotherlevel with the TCC event, end it
(15:34):
going um somewhere different,getting that beautiful view,
getting to network and learn alittle bit more before we head
out of Chicago.
Super excited about it.
We do have it up on the TMSAagenda, so you can um check that
out at events.tmsa today.org.
And like I said, we'll put thedirect link in the show notes as
well.
I realized did not put that inhere before we came on.
So we'll make it up inpost-production.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
Um other thing I just want to say on that topic.
I think by having this event onthe final day of your summit um
in the evening, we hope that,you know, young professionals
that might not be able to stepaway from a conference style
event um because of, you know,having to work.
I mean, logistics never stops,right?
(16:18):
Right.
So um by you know, having thisas a as a tag on event, I think
may make it more accessible tothose young professionals that
may not be able to take a fullday away from their jobs.
SPEAKER_01 (16:30):
Absolutely.
When we talk about inclusiveleader, like we talked about
like, yes, this is like smallbusin women's small business
month or whatever, and we'relike, that's awesome.
Let's talk about how we can bemore inclusive.
Like we are female leaders, howcan we do that?
But I loved when we got togetherand we talked to uh more of the
stakeholders in this event thatwe talked about it's being
inclusive to all different typesof people and having those young
(16:53):
professionals, having um alldifferent types of leaders,
great, getting differentperspectives on what that means.
Um, like I said, it's it'sfinding the ways to keep those
seats open at the table so thatwe're getting different
perspectives, so that we're allputting out the best output and
um doing our best every day.
So I love it.
Really excited about it.
And yes, very excited.
(17:15):
I mean, I'm excited about theevent itself, but so excited for
that location too.
It looks really beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (17:20):
Yeah, I'm excited too.
We had our our holiday galathere the last two years.
So if anyone happened to attend,it's gonna be at the same place.
Hopefully, love it just as muchin October as you did in the
holiday season.
SPEAKER_01 (17:33):
Absolutely.
So excited for that.
Um, and excited to get you tocome to TMSA.
I do think um for both of ourorganizations and for us, member
engagement connection, it's ahuge piece of what we do and why
we're here.
It's why associations are stillimportant in 2025.
We've talked about, oh yeah,digital connections.
(17:53):
We can talk to people onLinkedIn, we can call people on
the phone, but getting peopletogether, creating those
engagements while we learntogether is so impactful.
Why do you think making thoseconnections meaningful, meeting
in person, creating that spacefor people to connect?
Why is that so important intoday's logistical world?
SPEAKER_00 (18:14):
Yeah, great question.
I mean, I have kind of atwo-point answer to that.
From a recruiting staffingperspective or a career
perspective, I have found thatI've only applied for two jobs
that I ever got.
Everything else has been via areferral.
And when I first moved toChicago and everyone told me
it's all about who you know, goout there, make connections,
(18:37):
like ask for a referral beforeyou apply for a job.
I was like, does that reallywork?
Like, is that for real?
You know?
And um, as I put that intopractice, I really did see the
benefits of, you know, peoplegetting to know me and me
getting to know them and um whatcame of those connections and
relationships and careeropportunities.
(18:57):
And I feel like from arecruiting perspective, I saw
that quite a bit.
Um, because when you're applyingfor an up for an opportunity and
nobody knows you, then you'rejust kind of a piece of paper.
You know, you're the words inyour profile.
And until someone gets to engagewith you, get to know your
personality, get to know yourexperience.
(19:18):
But especially if someone hasworked alongside you and can
speak to your success and yourposition, that's gonna go even
further.
If you have somebody that willvouch for you and say, I know
this person, I think they'd be agreat fit for the role, that's
gonna make the recruiter andhire hiring manager's life even
easier, right?
So it's really important fromthat perspective.
And also I feel that for youngprofessionals, especially in
(19:42):
today's age, and you know, eversince COVID, networking shut
down, right?
We were all kind of in our ownbubble.
And I feel like there's youngerprofessionals out there that may
not be as comfortable withnetworking as some of the more
seasoned professionals.
Um, and so being able to makethose connections in a creative
(20:06):
space where it's safe andintentionally connecting people
to one another who may be bestfriends or may be coworkers one
day or may be able to dobusiness together.
That's something that I reallyfeel um happens in those
personal in-person interactionsversus just digitally.
(20:26):
You still can make friendsdigitally for sure, but it's
even more fun when you meet themin person.
SPEAKER_01 (20:32):
I agree.
And I think too, yes, likecoming out of COVID, I remember
going to my first TMSA eventafter that and like laughing
because there are so many peoplethat were like on the marketing
committee that I'd seen everyother week for a year and a half
through the computer, and now Igot to meet them in person.
You kind of forgot that you hadit.
Um, but I do, I think there'ssomething to be said for that
in-person networking.
(20:53):
I think you're a little bit morevulnerable and honest when you
can read people in a room in asmall group, and we're all going
through challenges in thisindustry.
This has not been an easy marketfor nearly anybody.
And so knowing that, oh, likeI'm not alone, people are going
(21:14):
through this too.
Um, that's something that I findTMSA is really powerful with.
Um, it's the sales and marketingpeople.
People are going through thatsame thing.
Um, but the camaraderie isthere.
And I definitely felt that eventhough the event that I went to
for the traffic club was like600 people, the camaraderie was
still there.
The people still like so manyhugs and excitements when people
(21:36):
saw everybody.
And so it was cool to seebecause I was like, what does
that look like at a bigger eventwhen it's still because I'll go
to other industry shows, butit's not membership based.
And so it was cool to see thatcamaraderie at that level of a
membership organization thatstill has a bigger event.
So that was like a cool vibe tosee.
And I agree, I think youngerprofessionals coming in, being
(21:57):
matched with other youngerprofessionals or being able to
find a mentor or multiple,because we should have different
mentors for different thingswe're trying to accomplish.
Um, I loved going to TMSA when Ifirst started to talk to people,
like I was on the marketingside.
Like, let me talk to the salespeople because I want to be able
to help my sales team.
So, how do I do that?
How do I sound smart to my salesteam?
(22:19):
What are you guys actuallylooking for?
Things like that.
So I think these spaces, um,creating those spaces, give
people the opportunity to meetpeople and connect with people
that you may not have theopportunity to connect with in
the same way.
And it is a safer way to do itbecause they agree with the
(22:40):
mission of the organizationalready.
Like you have a commonality whenyou step in the door.
SPEAKER_00 (22:44):
Absolutely.
And I feel like there's so manymethods of communication these
days.
It's so difficult to keep up oneverything.
So if you're feeling ghosted bysomebody, right?
And then you see them in theroom, that's your opportunity
to, you know, go in and and be areal person in front of them,
right?
Or or see in the crowd.
Oh, I I know that person fromLinkedIn.
Oh, that's so funny.
(23:05):
We should connect, you know.
Um, but yeah, there's definitelysomething beautiful and magical
that can happen at in-personnetworking events and having
that common interest in anassociation is definitely
something that I think can, youknow, break the ice a little
bit.
Hey, we're both you know, weboth like Truffa Club or we both
like TMSA, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
Absolutely.
And so looking ahead as you looktowards the next year for TCC,
what is your vision and growthand engagement?
What do you hope members willgain from being involved?
What's kind of the next stepsfor you guys?
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
Yeah, we've got some great things up our sleeves that
we're working on.
And, you know, the value andbenefit to our members is really
what drives us.
You know, we we host events foryou all.
We don't host them forourselves, right?
Um, and it's it's just great tosee that, you know, I have a
(24:00):
great group of people around methat are all driven with that
same mission.
And so we've been brainstorming,we've got some fun things that
we're gonna be rolling out, waysto network outside of events and
stay connected, and additionalresources and tools.
So definitely stay tuned.
Um, but yeah, we're we're reallylooking forward to all that
(24:20):
we're gonna accomplish nextyear.
I think we had a beautifulannual dinner this year, which
was a big goal for us to try anew space.
Navy Pier is absolutelygorgeous.
We're gonna be back again thisyear, so that'll be awesome.
Um, but yeah, I think we havereally identified the feedback
that we need from our members tosay, okay, what are you enjoying
(24:43):
about what we're putting on?
Um, what do you want more of?
What do you hope for, wish forfor yourself?
And how can we make that happen?
And so we're really putting ourour efforts into creating more
of those opportunities, beinginnovative, experimenting with
new things, and and then also,you know, keeping around the
(25:04):
events and um benefits that thatpeople are really enjoying.
So I'm excited to see what wewhat we come up with next year.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
And one of the synergies I always see between
our groups too is just like howmuch we do appreciate and rely
on our members to be that voiceto help us guide what comes up
for for the future.
Um it's been exciting in thatjoint event being able to get
with um your education committeeand talk to them and like, oh
okay, that's cool, because wehave an education committee too.
(25:35):
Like, how is that different?
How does that work?
And so um it's it's so importantfor the membership to be active.
I think that's a great way toum, like we're talking about
making those connections to getinvolved in your industry
associations, it will help withyour professional development
and um make those connectionsthat you have for life.
I know I don't know about you,but I I talk to many of my
(25:56):
members on a personal level, ontop of professional regularly.
SPEAKER_00 (26:03):
Yeah.
And I mean, we're always lookingfor volunteers on our
committees.
We have our board um nominationsopen right now for people to
serve two years as a board ofdirectors um member.
And having a seat at that tablereally does have an impact on
the future of our club and givesa voice to people who, you know,
(26:26):
want to contribute and want todo something for the greater
good of you know, thisorganization that reaches so
many more people than maybe wedo in our, you know, day-to-day
interactions and things.
So that opportunity isdefinitely something that has
been, I don't want to be cornyand say life changing, but
career changing for me for sure,um, as a board member, having
(26:50):
that visibility, having thatopportunity to advocate for
people and for topics that Ifeel strongly about.
Um, and this is an event, thebeyond the boardroom empowering
leadership um event is somethingthat I feel really passionately
about and have wanted to do foryears.
And so I'm excited that that'shappening.
And with good people, goodthings can come.
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
Absolutely.
And I do, I feel like we wouldbe remiss if we didn't give a
special shout out to DennyGrimm, who is a longtime
supporter of both ourorganizations.
And he is so happy and thrilledthat we are finally doing a
joint event.
I know it was one of the firstthings he told me when I started
in this position at TMSA that weshould do a joint event with the
Traffic Club of Chicago.
(27:32):
I'm like, can I get my feet onthe ground first?
But um, so excited that we didthat.
And I know he's been with us forover 50 years and has been a
long, long, long time member ofthe Traffic Club of Chicago as
well.
So I just wanted to give him aspecial shout out because I know
he's really excited about theevent as well.
SPEAKER_00 (27:50):
And Austin, he's excited that you and I have been
connecting too.
Yes, yes, talk about people whoare facilitating connections.
You know, Denny's the master, soabsolutely okay, Kelly.
SPEAKER_01 (28:03):
One last question for you.
This is a question I askeverybody who comes on the show.
And if that's if you can go backin time and advise a younger
version of yourself, and thiscould be anything personally or
professionally, when would yougo back to and what would you
say?
SPEAKER_00 (28:17):
I am really glad that you asked that because that
is my favorite interviewquestion.
Um, and I I have so many, right?
But um, I would definitely tellmyself at a young age, I can't
decide exactly what age, but notto let life steal your shine and
(28:40):
change you, right?
Always be yourself, the bestversion of yourself.
And, you know, it's always goodto improve and expand your
knowledge base and um become abetter person, but don't lose
sight of who you are and don'tlet anyone else let you lose
sight of that, right?
Or tell you who you are.
If you know your trueintentions, then that's what
(29:03):
matters and let that shinethrough.
Um, I definitely would also tellmyself it's okay to not know
what you want to do with yourlife or not know how to do
something, but just try, putyourself out there.
And that's what's been, I think,one of my most successful traits
is just not being afraid of achallenge.
SPEAKER_01 (29:25):
Absolutely.
I think those are great tips.
And I do think there's somethingto be said, you know, that quote
that's like if you don't standfor something, then you don't
stand for anything or whatever,something of that nature.
And I think that's true.
I think um knowing who you are,what you believe in, moving
forward, um, and believing inyourself, I think is really
important.
(29:45):
And I I there's a commonalitywith that question that a lot of
answers come back to that.
Like, oh, I wish I would havejust believed in myself a little
bit sooner in life.
And so for our youngerprofessionals that may be
listening, fun tip believe inyour Yourself now.
And um, I like what you said.
Like, it's okay not to knowthings.
Um, because you know, don't beafraid to ask questions.
(30:07):
I think we're afraid to soundstupid too often, and so we're
afraid to ask questions or thinkour perspectives are not as
valuable.
Um, but I do think the moreperspectives that we have at the
table, the better.
And that was something that tookme a really long time.
Like I remember at an earliercompany, I was like, oh, my
(30:27):
perspective is very differenthere.
But I realized that my voice, myperspective was closer to our
clients than the rest of theteams, just for where they were
coming in from.
So I was like, oh, I'm actuallyfairly important here because if
this doesn't make sense to me,the messaging isn't gonna make
sense to our prospects either.
(30:48):
So not being afraid to voicethat opinion, you know.
Of course, you know, you canfind people in industry
associations to run your ideasthrough before you pitch it to
your team or something likethat.
But like not being afraid tohave your perspective, your
voice, great advice.
SPEAKER_00 (31:03):
Absolutely.
I'm I'm a big hand raiser.
I'm always like, um, sure.
I have a comment.
It might not be, it might not belike the smartest question, but
if you don't ask, then you don'thave the opportunity to
understand or be heard.
SPEAKER_01 (31:17):
So absolutely.
And I would assume most of thetime you're not the only one
with the question.
So it can help break the ice forother people to ask questions
and not be afraid to, you know,really understand what's going
on.
So I think that's great.
Well, thank you so much forcoming on the show again.
Excited for TMSA ExecutiveSummit that you'll be joining us
(31:38):
at and our after hours event.
If you are interested in joiningus at the executive summit
events.tmsa today.org, and youcan use the code MOVE2Summit 10.
And on that, in the agenda, youcan see the after hours event
with the Traffic Club ofChicago, and we will post the
link directly to that toregister for that in the show
(31:59):
notes.
So thank you again, Kelly, forcoming on the show and just for
your partnership collaboration.
Um, it's been such a joy to getto know you and really excited
that we got to um jump on theshow and let other people see
how awesome you are.
So it's been great.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:15):
Oh, thank you.
You're awesome.
I've appreciated all of all ofthe opportunities that you've
given to me to learn andcollaborate with you.
And so I'm I'm super excited andvery grateful to be here today.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (32:28):
Thank you, and I will see you in a few weeks in
Chicago.
SPEAKER_00 (32:32):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:34):
Bye.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to On the Move, a show
where we share transportationsales and marketing success
stories.
I am Jennifer Kurkis Romain,Executive Director of the
Transportation Marketing andSales Association, which is a
trade nonprofit educating andconnecting marketing and sales
professionals in transportationand logistics.
(00:44):
And today on the show, I'mexcited to have Kelly Usher,
who's executive director of theTransportation Club of Chicago.
It is very fun to be in thisindustry and to make connections
and friends.
And when you find somebody thathas a similar role to you and be
able to talk about all thethings that we get to talk about
behind the scenes.
And then right before we wentlive today, we realized that
(01:06):
we're both ready for the spookyseason.
So we both have our jackskeleton mugs, which is so fun.
I love to get into the spookyseason.
Welcome to the show, Kelly.
How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01 (01:19):
I'm excited to be here.
Thanks for having me.
Of course.
So today we're going to talkabout all kinds of things.
But first, I want to talk aboutyour path to leadership, to
getting that executive directorrole at the traffic club.
You've had a diverse career.
You've been in recruiting,you've been in operations.
Now association leadership.
What led you to your positionand what do you like most about
(01:42):
leading in the logistics andtransportation space?
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
Great question.
Thanks for asking.
I definitely didn't grow upthinking that I would be in
logistics.
I was always obsessed withdance.
And that led me to theUniversity of Iowa.
After Iowa, I really wanted tomove to Chicago.
Michael Jordan was always my bigidol.
And the beautiful city wascalling to me.
(02:06):
So I took a chance on myself andwent to an audition for the
Chicago Lovables, the Bullsdance team.
Had no expectation of making theteam, but when I did, I was
thrilled, obviously.
And that was a great experience.
But I didn't have an apartmentset up in Chicago yet.
I didn't have a job set up inChicago yet.
I wish I would have done things,you know, a little differently
(02:28):
to have that set up because itis a time commitment.
And then getting a hiringmanager to take a chance on you
as an entry-level professionalthat has other time commitments.
You know, it was an experience,but um I landed in the logistics
industry, learned a ton abouthow things get to your home,
what the trucks do, what thebrokers do, what the shippers
(02:51):
do.
Um, the whole supply chainindustry is just something that
you continue to learn somethingnew every day.
And I fell in love with it.
So got the bug, stayed in thelogistics industry for quite
some time and found my way torecruiting because I really
loved helping people findpositions that are going to
really be great for their skillset, you know, and make them
(03:13):
happy and move them to the nextlevel of their career and
success.
And in while working inlogistics, in recruiting, that's
what led me to the Trafford Clubof Chicago.
Um, one of my colleagues was amember and recommended that I
attend an event and said greatthings about the people, the
networking opportunities, theeducational aspect.
(03:33):
And so, you know, piqued myinterest.
And I attended my first holidaygala in 2021.
And it was a great experience.
I met two amazing women,Christina Aguirre and Valerie
Perucci, which, you know, bothwere involved in the club and
board members.
And we struck up a really greatconversation about um diversity,
(03:54):
equity, and inclusion, anddiversifying the different types
of events that the Traffic Clubof Chicago holds and you know,
diversifying our membershipacross all the different modes
in the industry and in all thedifferent ways that we can.
And so we really talked aboutwanting to get more women
involved, and they recruited meonto the Young Professionals
Committee as a volunteer.
(04:15):
And that was a great experienceto, you know, be part of the
group that comes up with theideas behind what we can do to
provide value to our members andreally enjoyed that.
So the next time the boardelections and nominations came
around, I decided to throw myhat in the ring and found myself
a seat at the table as a boardmember and headed up the
(04:38):
marketing committee, which wasgreat.
And um, just over time got moreinvolved in what makes the
Traffic Club of Chicago tick.
What kind of support do we needto continue to grow in the right
ways that we want to grow?
And so found my way to theexecutive director seat, and
it's been a great ride since.
SPEAKER_01 (04:58):
So if people are listening, you're probably like,
wow, this story sounds vaguelyfamiliar because it is.
Because, and that's one of thethings me and Kelly learned when
we first met each othervirtually is our path to
executive leadership at thisassociation level is so similar
because I also was coming intoTMSA as a partner member, fell
(05:18):
in love with the organization,what it stood for, joined the
education committee, led themarketing committee, got my seat
on the board, and then into theexecutive director role.
So um our paths do align thatway, and it's been fun to you
know watch you grow into yourrole and vice versa, and love
that TMSA and TCC get to cometogether and um share a space.
(05:41):
And so I think that that is fun.
I love hearing stories, but yes,I remember when we first met and
we were like, oh wow, we havesuch similarities here, um, and
having that community has beenreally great.
Um, so I do want to touch onthat because we both lead these
organizations that have such alegacy.
TMSA has been around for over ahundred years.
(06:02):
The Traffic Club has such a richhistory legacy as well.
I'm curious your experience andkind of balancing that history
with that need to stay modern.
You talked about like, oh, hey,we want to be there for the
members, we want to provide theevents, the education, all of
those pieces for today'sprofessionals.
How are you doing that,especially as younger
(06:22):
generations are coming in andwanting different things from
this type of engagement?
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Absolutely.
So, what I love about theTraffic Club of Chicago is we do
have that rich history, but wealso honor that rich history
whenever we can.
Um, we never forget our roots.
Blame it all on my roots, GarthBrooks reference.
Um But so some of the ways thatwe honor our history are by, you
know, celebrating where we'vebeen, our four families, as I
(06:51):
like to call them, um, left usthis great legacy and have left
us lots of efforts as well inbeing able to see what it was
like at that time.
We have our centennial bookletthat was created for our 100th
anniversary, and um, you know,it's extensive background into
where the Traffic Club ofChicago came from.
(07:11):
And it's it's great to be ableto look back through, you know,
what what we were and what weare today, what we've
accomplished, and celebratethose wins.
And um a couple other ways thatwe do that is also by offering
emeritus and honorarymemberships to our past
presidents, our past boardmembers.
Um, we honor our past presidentsat every annual dinner for their
(07:33):
dedication and hard work andgetting us to where we are
today.
We even brought back the TrafficClub Steam Engine Bell for our
annual dinner this year, whichwas really fun.
It was a heavy guy to get to getinto the space.
Um, so lots of work there.
But it was it's really fun tobring back, you know, items like
that to remind us of where we'vecome from.
(07:55):
And as far as, you know, intoday's world, we're always
looking for opportunities to beaccessible to anyone who either
works in this industry or workswith professionals in this
industry from all modes of theindustry and um from all
experience levels as well.
And so by diversifying thedifferent types of events that
we hold, whether they're casualhappy hours, educational events,
(08:19):
more buttoned up annual dinnertype attire or golf outings,
there's something for everyone.
And what I think is cool in thisdigital age is we know those
relationships are gonna move alot further than the cold
outreach on LinkedIn and it's adigital age, and everyone's you
know, a bot until you meet themand shake hands, right?
(08:39):
And so being able to have aspace to do that and to
facilitate those connections isreally what I love in my
day-to-day, you know, life as Ias I live it and what I loved
about recruiting.
So being able to intentionallyconnect people that want to get
connected at our events is myfavorite thing.
SPEAKER_01 (08:59):
And I've had the opportunity to go to a couple of
different Traffic Club ofChicago events.
So I did the symposium 2023,2023.
And then um I got to go to theannual dinner and actually sit
at the head table with the bellum with my name, which is very
cool.
It was very formal.
Um, it was a great event.
(09:20):
My uh, I don't even know if Iever told you, but it normally
takes me five hours to drive toChicago, but that day took me
eight.
I got stuck in traffic.
So I was very pleased with howmy hair actually turned out with
the very little time I had.
You like but it um but it was agreat event, and it's that space
was so beautiful being to see,getting to see all the people
(09:43):
together.
Um, TMSA, you know, we're spreadout across the country.
We have some internationalmembers.
There is something cool aboutnot that you don't have members
that aren't based in Chicagobecause people do business in
Chicago, but getting all thosepeople together in such a
beautiful room, celebrating thesuccess of the organization, all
the people there.
It was a really special moment.
(10:04):
Glad that I got to come and dothat.
Um, and I'm excited.
And um, I'm excited because onthe flip side of things, you are
going to attend your first TMSAevent in a couple weeks.
You'll be attending ourexecutive summit, which is
(10:25):
October 22nd through the 23rd.
Anyone that's listening to theshow can use the code move2mit
10 at events.tmsa today.org ifyou're interested in registering
as well.
But you're telling yourregister.
Hit the register button.
Absolutely.
Um, I know we've talked about wetried to get to you to elevate
(10:46):
this year, but it didn't workout.
We were coming to Chicago, soI'm like, here, this one's a lot
easier to get to.
What are you looking forward tomost to your experience at TMSA?
SPEAKER_00 (10:56):
I'm so excited, honestly.
I love opportunities to learnand meet great people.
And I think the the knowledgesharing that happens at events
like this is so beneficial foreverybody to you know hear new
ideas, hear new ways of doingthings and and try that out for
yourself and make it your own.
I mean, I feel like we've builtsuch a great partnership um
(11:19):
between our clubs, and I'm I'mexcited to you know see what you
all are doing that you know maybe different or similar to what
we're doing, and um just learnfrom learn from all the great
speakers.
You've got a great lineup.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
I am very excited for our lineup.
We have a shippers panel, wehave a commercial growth panel,
we're highlighting our mountainmover award winners.
We have Nicole Glenn coming into keynote, talking about how to
build in tremendous times.
And um, just really greatlineup.
Excited to have the show, andthen very excited to announce
(11:55):
that TMSA and TCC are doing aformal collaboration as well
after the executive summit.
This will be October 23rd.
We will put the link to theevent in the show notes.
But after the summit closes, weare doing a joint networking
event beyond the boardroom, um,talking about inclusive
leadership.
And this is something that wehave been talking about for
(12:16):
months.
So excited that we get to then,you know, um have it come
together.
And um, we both felt like asfemale leaders, our journeys
have been um being supported bypeople in the industry and
making sure that we're helpingeverybody rise up to the
leadership level.
It's not enough just to have umdifferent voices come into the
(12:37):
industry, but to rise them toleadership and making sure that
we're leaving space at the tablefor everybody.
And something that was bothimportant to you and I.
And both TMSA and TCC was reallyexcited to do this event.
From your perspective, why doyou think partnerships like this
matter?
And what do you hope attendeestake away from this event?
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
Yeah, I think partnerships matter with sister
associations like ours or withpeople in general for those
opportunities to continue and tolearn and grow and just have
advocates by your side to youknow boost you up to where you
want to be.
And as one of my very wise andlovely past lovables that I
(13:21):
danced with once said to me, andto our entire group, I should
say, is that we're not competingagainst each other to make a
game, to get onto that court.
It's not me versus you, it's meagainst myself yesterday and
pushing myself to be better thanthe day before or the
(13:42):
performance before, or the theroutine that I just performed,
like doing it better every time.
And so that's something that Ithink there's so many people out
there that are the take it tothe grave model.
Like, I'm not gonna share likemy secret sauce with you.
It's it's special, you know, andit is special, but I think
there's something even morespecial when we collaborate.
So I'm really excited aboutthat.
(14:04):
I think um, as far as takeawaysfrom this event, it's gonna be a
great panel discussion talkingabout empowering inclusive
leadership, which I think is sokey.
And we've made progress, butwe've still got room to grow.
And so I'm really excited toconnect all of those industry
leaders for people to be able tohear from their perspectives
(14:26):
about this topic.
And it's gonna be a greatnetworking opportunity in a
beautiful space.
If you haven't been to theSkyland Club, let me tell you,
the views from the terrace arephenomenal.
And the weather should be shouldbe decent to be able to go out
there and at least like takesome photos as well.
But it's a really beautifulspace, it's gonna be a great
(14:46):
menu, great networkingopportunities.
So definitely recommend.
SPEAKER_01 (14:50):
I am really excited about it.
Um, and just yes, like when wewere talking about spaces, I'm
like, okay, like we're travelingin, so we want to go somewhere
that's nice and beautiful andhas great views.
And you're like, yes, thisplace.
So like being able to nail thatwas great.
And I agree.
I think hearing differentperspectives and being in the
(15:11):
room, like, yes, like we'recoming in from the TMSA side as
the executive summit, so it'sgonna be leaders in the space
and being able to amplify thatand be able to, so we're
networking with each other allday.
Executive Summit is a smallerevent, it's about 60, 70 people,
and then being able to networkgrow with those people and then
go and um take it up anotherlevel with the TCC event, end it
(15:34):
going um somewhere different,getting that beautiful view,
getting to network and learn alittle bit more before we head
out of Chicago.
Super excited about it.
We do have it up on the TMSAagenda, so you can um check that
out at events.tmsa today.org.
And like I said, we'll put thedirect link in the show notes as
well.
I realized did not put that inhere before we came on.
So we'll make it up inpost-production.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
Um other thing I just want to say on that topic.
I think by having this event onthe final day of your summit um
in the evening, we hope that,you know, young professionals
that might not be able to stepaway from a conference style
event um because of, you know,having to work.
I mean, logistics never stops,right?
(16:18):
Right.
So um by you know, having thisas a as a tag on event, I think
may make it more accessible tothose young professionals that
may not be able to take a fullday away from their jobs.
SPEAKER_01 (16:30):
Absolutely.
When we talk about inclusiveleader, like we talked about
like, yes, this is like smallbusin women's small business
month or whatever, and we'relike, that's awesome.
Let's talk about how we can bemore inclusive.
Like we are female leaders, howcan we do that?
But I loved when we got togetherand we talked to uh more of the
stakeholders in this event thatwe talked about it's being
inclusive to all different typesof people and having those young
(16:53):
professionals, having um alldifferent types of leaders,
great, getting differentperspectives on what that means.
Um, like I said, it's it'sfinding the ways to keep those
seats open at the table so thatwe're getting different
perspectives, so that we're allputting out the best output and
um doing our best every day.
So I love it.
Really excited about it.
And yes, very excited.
(17:15):
I mean, I'm excited about theevent itself, but so excited for
that location too.
It looks really beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (17:20):
Yeah, I'm excited too.
We had our our holiday galathere the last two years.
So if anyone happened to attend,it's gonna be at the same place.
Hopefully, love it just as muchin October as you did in the
holiday season.
SPEAKER_01 (17:33):
Absolutely.
So excited for that.
Um, and excited to get you tocome to TMSA.
I do think um for both of ourorganizations and for us, member
engagement connection, it's ahuge piece of what we do and why
we're here.
It's why associations are stillimportant in 2025.
We've talked about, oh yeah,digital connections.
(17:53):
We can talk to people onLinkedIn, we can call people on
the phone, but getting peopletogether, creating those
engagements while we learntogether is so impactful.
Why do you think making thoseconnections meaningful, meeting
in person, creating that spacefor people to connect?
Why is that so important intoday's logistical world?
SPEAKER_00 (18:14):
Yeah, great question.
I mean, I have kind of atwo-point answer to that.
From a recruiting staffingperspective or a career
perspective, I have found thatI've only applied for two jobs
that I ever got.
Everything else has been via areferral.
And when I first moved toChicago and everyone told me
it's all about who you know, goout there, make connections,
(18:37):
like ask for a referral beforeyou apply for a job.
I was like, does that reallywork?
Like, is that for real?
You know?
And um, as I put that intopractice, I really did see the
benefits of, you know, peoplegetting to know me and me
getting to know them and um whatcame of those connections and
relationships and careeropportunities.
(18:57):
And I feel like from arecruiting perspective, I saw
that quite a bit.
Um, because when you're applyingfor an up for an opportunity and
nobody knows you, then you'rejust kind of a piece of paper.
You know, you're the words inyour profile.
And until someone gets to engagewith you, get to know your
personality, get to know yourexperience.
(19:18):
But especially if someone hasworked alongside you and can
speak to your success and yourposition, that's gonna go even
further.
If you have somebody that willvouch for you and say, I know
this person, I think they'd be agreat fit for the role, that's
gonna make the recruiter andhire hiring manager's life even
easier, right?
So it's really important fromthat perspective.
And also I feel that for youngprofessionals, especially in
(19:42):
today's age, and you know, eversince COVID, networking shut
down, right?
We were all kind of in our ownbubble.
And I feel like there's youngerprofessionals out there that may
not be as comfortable withnetworking as some of the more
seasoned professionals.
Um, and so being able to makethose connections in a creative
(20:06):
space where it's safe andintentionally connecting people
to one another who may be bestfriends or may be coworkers one
day or may be able to dobusiness together.
That's something that I reallyfeel um happens in those
personal in-person interactionsversus just digitally.
(20:26):
You still can make friendsdigitally for sure, but it's
even more fun when you meet themin person.
SPEAKER_01 (20:32):
I agree.
And I think too, yes, likecoming out of COVID, I remember
going to my first TMSA eventafter that and like laughing
because there are so many peoplethat were like on the marketing
committee that I'd seen everyother week for a year and a half
through the computer, and now Igot to meet them in person.
You kind of forgot that you hadit.
Um, but I do, I think there'ssomething to be said for that
in-person networking.
(20:53):
I think you're a little bit morevulnerable and honest when you
can read people in a room in asmall group, and we're all going
through challenges in thisindustry.
This has not been an easy marketfor nearly anybody.
And so knowing that, oh, likeI'm not alone, people are going
(21:14):
through this too.
Um, that's something that I findTMSA is really powerful with.
Um, it's the sales and marketingpeople.
People are going through thatsame thing.
Um, but the camaraderie isthere.
And I definitely felt that eventhough the event that I went to
for the traffic club was like600 people, the camaraderie was
still there.
The people still like so manyhugs and excitements when people
(21:36):
saw everybody.
And so it was cool to seebecause I was like, what does
that look like at a bigger eventwhen it's still because I'll go
to other industry shows, butit's not membership based.
And so it was cool to see thatcamaraderie at that level of a
membership organization thatstill has a bigger event.
So that was like a cool vibe tosee.
And I agree, I think youngerprofessionals coming in, being
(21:57):
matched with other youngerprofessionals or being able to
find a mentor or multiple,because we should have different
mentors for different thingswe're trying to accomplish.
Um, I loved going to TMSA when Ifirst started to talk to people,
like I was on the marketingside.
Like, let me talk to the salespeople because I want to be able
to help my sales team.
So, how do I do that?
How do I sound smart to my salesteam?
(22:19):
What are you guys actuallylooking for?
Things like that.
So I think these spaces, um,creating those spaces, give
people the opportunity to meetpeople and connect with people
that you may not have theopportunity to connect with in
the same way.
And it is a safer way to do itbecause they agree with the
(22:40):
mission of the organizationalready.
Like you have a commonality whenyou step in the door.
SPEAKER_00 (22:44):
Absolutely.
And I feel like there's so manymethods of communication these
days.
It's so difficult to keep up oneverything.
So if you're feeling ghosted bysomebody, right?
And then you see them in theroom, that's your opportunity
to, you know, go in and and be areal person in front of them,
right?
Or or see in the crowd.
Oh, I I know that person fromLinkedIn.
Oh, that's so funny.
(23:05):
We should connect, you know.
Um, but yeah, there's definitelysomething beautiful and magical
that can happen at in-personnetworking events and having
that common interest in anassociation is definitely
something that I think can, youknow, break the ice a little
bit.
Hey, we're both you know, weboth like Truffa Club or we both
like TMSA, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
Absolutely.
And so looking ahead as you looktowards the next year for TCC,
what is your vision and growthand engagement?
What do you hope members willgain from being involved?
What's kind of the next stepsfor you guys?
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
Yeah, we've got some great things up our sleeves that
we're working on.
And, you know, the value andbenefit to our members is really
what drives us.
You know, we we host events foryou all.
We don't host them forourselves, right?
Um, and it's it's just great tosee that, you know, I have a
(24:00):
great group of people around methat are all driven with that
same mission.
And so we've been brainstorming,we've got some fun things that
we're gonna be rolling out, waysto network outside of events and
stay connected, and additionalresources and tools.
So definitely stay tuned.
Um, but yeah, we're we're reallylooking forward to all that
(24:20):
we're gonna accomplish nextyear.
I think we had a beautifulannual dinner this year, which
was a big goal for us to try anew space.
Navy Pier is absolutelygorgeous.
We're gonna be back again thisyear, so that'll be awesome.
Um, but yeah, I think we havereally identified the feedback
that we need from our members tosay, okay, what are you enjoying
(24:43):
about what we're putting on?
Um, what do you want more of?
What do you hope for, wish forfor yourself?
And how can we make that happen?
And so we're really putting ourour efforts into creating more
of those opportunities, beinginnovative, experimenting with
new things, and and then also,you know, keeping around the
(25:04):
events and um benefits that thatpeople are really enjoying.
So I'm excited to see what wewhat we come up with next year.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
And one of the synergies I always see between
our groups too is just like howmuch we do appreciate and rely
on our members to be that voiceto help us guide what comes up
for for the future.
Um it's been exciting in thatjoint event being able to get
with um your education committeeand talk to them and like, oh
okay, that's cool, because wehave an education committee too.
(25:35):
Like, how is that different?
How does that work?
And so um it's it's so importantfor the membership to be active.
I think that's a great way toum, like we're talking about
making those connections to getinvolved in your industry
associations, it will help withyour professional development
and um make those connectionsthat you have for life.
I know I don't know about you,but I I talk to many of my
(25:56):
members on a personal level, ontop of professional regularly.
SPEAKER_00 (26:03):
Yeah.
And I mean, we're always lookingfor volunteers on our
committees.
We have our board um nominationsopen right now for people to
serve two years as a board ofdirectors um member.
And having a seat at that tablereally does have an impact on
the future of our club and givesa voice to people who, you know,
(26:26):
want to contribute and want todo something for the greater
good of you know, thisorganization that reaches so
many more people than maybe wedo in our, you know, day-to-day
interactions and things.
So that opportunity isdefinitely something that has
been, I don't want to be cornyand say life changing, but
career changing for me for sure,um, as a board member, having
(26:50):
that visibility, having thatopportunity to advocate for
people and for topics that Ifeel strongly about.
Um, and this is an event, thebeyond the boardroom empowering
leadership um event is somethingthat I feel really passionately
about and have wanted to do foryears.
And so I'm excited that that'shappening.
And with good people, goodthings can come.
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
Absolutely.
And I do, I feel like we wouldbe remiss if we didn't give a
special shout out to DennyGrimm, who is a longtime
supporter of both ourorganizations.
And he is so happy and thrilledthat we are finally doing a
joint event.
I know it was one of the firstthings he told me when I started
in this position at TMSA that weshould do a joint event with the
Traffic Club of Chicago.
(27:32):
I'm like, can I get my feet onthe ground first?
But um, so excited that we didthat.
And I know he's been with us forover 50 years and has been a
long, long, long time member ofthe Traffic Club of Chicago as
well.
So I just wanted to give him aspecial shout out because I know
he's really excited about theevent as well.
SPEAKER_00 (27:50):
And Austin, he's excited that you and I have been
connecting too.
Yes, yes, talk about people whoare facilitating connections.
You know, Denny's the master, soabsolutely okay, Kelly.
SPEAKER_01 (28:03):
One last question for you.
This is a question I askeverybody who comes on the show.
And if that's if you can go backin time and advise a younger
version of yourself, and thiscould be anything personally or
professionally, when would yougo back to and what would you
say?
SPEAKER_00 (28:17):
I am really glad that you asked that because that
is my favorite interviewquestion.
Um, and I I have so many, right?
But um, I would definitely tellmyself at a young age, I can't
decide exactly what age, but notto let life steal your shine and
(28:40):
change you, right?
Always be yourself, the bestversion of yourself.
And, you know, it's always goodto improve and expand your
knowledge base and um become abetter person, but don't lose
sight of who you are and don'tlet anyone else let you lose
sight of that, right?
Or tell you who you are.
If you know your trueintentions, then that's what
(29:03):
matters and let that shinethrough.
Um, I definitely would also tellmyself it's okay to not know
what you want to do with yourlife or not know how to do
something, but just try, putyourself out there.
And that's what's been, I think,one of my most successful traits
is just not being afraid of achallenge.
SPEAKER_01 (29:25):
Absolutely.
I think those are great tips.
And I do think there's somethingto be said, you know, that quote
that's like if you don't standfor something, then you don't
stand for anything or whatever,something of that nature.
And I think that's true.
I think um knowing who you are,what you believe in, moving
forward, um, and believing inyourself, I think is really
important.
(29:45):
And I I there's a commonalitywith that question that a lot of
answers come back to that.
Like, oh, I wish I would havejust believed in myself a little
bit sooner in life.
And so for our youngerprofessionals that may be
listening, fun tip believe inyour Yourself now.
And um, I like what you said.
Like, it's okay not to knowthings.
Um, because you know, don't beafraid to ask questions.
(30:07):
I think we're afraid to soundstupid too often, and so we're
afraid to ask questions or thinkour perspectives are not as
valuable.
Um, but I do think the moreperspectives that we have at the
table, the better.
And that was something that tookme a really long time.
Like I remember at an earliercompany, I was like, oh, my
(30:27):
perspective is very differenthere.
But I realized that my voice, myperspective was closer to our
clients than the rest of theteams, just for where they were
coming in from.
So I was like, oh, I'm actuallyfairly important here because if
this doesn't make sense to me,the messaging isn't gonna make
sense to our prospects either.
(30:48):
So not being afraid to voicethat opinion, you know.
Of course, you know, you canfind people in industry
associations to run your ideasthrough before you pitch it to
your team or something likethat.
But like not being afraid tohave your perspective, your
voice, great advice.
SPEAKER_00 (31:03):
Absolutely.
I'm I'm a big hand raiser.
I'm always like, um, sure.
I have a comment.
It might not be, it might not belike the smartest question, but
if you don't ask, then you don'thave the opportunity to
understand or be heard.
SPEAKER_01 (31:17):
So absolutely.
And I would assume most of thetime you're not the only one
with the question.
So it can help break the ice forother people to ask questions
and not be afraid to, you know,really understand what's going
on.
So I think that's great.
Well, thank you so much forcoming on the show again.
Excited for TMSA ExecutiveSummit that you'll be joining us
(31:38):
at and our after hours event.
If you are interested in joiningus at the executive summit
events.tmsa today.org, and youcan use the code MOVE2Summit 10.
And on that, in the agenda, youcan see the after hours event
with the Traffic Club ofChicago, and we will post the
link directly to that toregister for that in the show
(31:59):
notes.
So thank you again, Kelly, forcoming on the show and just for
your partnership collaboration.
Um, it's been such a joy to getto know you and really excited
that we got to um jump on theshow and let other people see
how awesome you are.
So it's been great.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:15):
Oh, thank you.
You're awesome.
I've appreciated all of all ofthe opportunities that you've
given to me to learn andcollaborate with you.
And so I'm I'm super excited andvery grateful to be here today.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (32:28):
Thank you, and I will see you in a few weeks in
Chicago.
SPEAKER_00 (32:32):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:34):
Bye.
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