April 23, 2025 • 37 mins
On The Move with Beth Malik
One year ago, Beth Malik helped us launch TMSA’s On the Move as our very first guest—now, she’s back to celebrate the podcast’s one-year anniversary! As Senior Director of Marketing at SMC3 and the President of TMSA’s Board, Beth shares what it’s been like to lead the association through its milestone 100-year anniversary while navigating a challenging market.
In this episode, Beth reflects on the evolution of TMSA, the power of community in times of uncertainty, and what’s next for the association. Whether you're a longtime member or new to TMSA, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how leadership, strategy, and resilience keep the organization moving forward.
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 1 (00:23):
Hello everyone, welcome to On the Move, a show
where we share transportationsales and marketing success
stories.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at the
Transportation Marketing andSales Association, which is a
trade nonprofit educating andconnecting marketing and sales
professionals inside theindustry, and today on the show
(00:43):
I have Beth Malik, seniorDirector of Marketing at SMC3,
and she is also the TMSA BoardPresident, and I wanted Beth to
come on the show today becausewe are celebrating our one-year
anniversary of On the Move.
Welcome back to the show, beth.
How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thank you, jen.
I'm doing great and I'mthrilled to be here on the
anniversary.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I'm so excited.
So, in case you didn't know, Imade Beth come on as our first
guest of the podcast as we weregearing up to launch her
presidency when we went into ourElevate last year in 2024.
And so she'll be doing now.
She's been president for almosta year and has one more.
But to celebrate the occasion,before we dive into Beth, we do
have a little video to celebratethis milestone.
I'm not a fool.
(01:59):
Yay, how fun.
It was fun.
I just keep seeing thetransition of the length of my
hair in all of those videos,which means the transition to
purple and then as it goes inand out.
(02:21):
But I, the podcast wassomething I really wanted to do
and was so happy to have theboard support.
It's been an awesome experienceto be able to sit and interview
and talk to our members and ourspeakers and everyone involved
in the association.
We have such great thoughtleaders and different
perspectives and it's beenreally rewarding.
So it's been really cool to beable to do that.
I'm really happy to have youback on the show, so to be here.
(02:53):
Thank you.
We are midway through yourpresidency.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
What has been your favorite milestone so far?
Yeah, so you have anotheranniversary coming up with my
year anniversary in my two yearterm as president of TMSA, and I
think it's.
That's a great question.
It's hard to choose just one,but I'd have to say celebrating
TMSA's 100th anniversary was astandout moment.
Marketing or marketing making,marking a century since our
(03:18):
founding in 1924 andcommemorating it all at the TMSA
Elevate Conference in NewOrleans last year.
That was incredibly meaningfuland there was a parade down
Bourbon Street to celebrate itas well, just for TMSA, with
TMSA members.
So it was such a powerfulmoment, bringing our community
together in a meaningful way.
(03:38):
And since that time we've beenworking on setting up TMSA for
even longer term success.
We've made important structuraltransitions.
We've also implemented some keystaffing updates, including
bringing on a new director ofprogramming, eileen Dabrowski,
who's already working oninnovative ways to bring even
(03:59):
more value to our members.
So for me, it's about thatblend of honoring where we've
come from and actively shapingwhat's next.
Those have truly beenmeaningful moments this first
year.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I would agree that I enjoy Elevate every year, but
last year, having that thecombination of because I
remember going into that event,we're like we want to honor
where we came from but also becognizant that some people are
stepping in the door for thefirst time at TMSA so they might
not care about this legacy thatwe have and how, and still
wanting to put on a successfulconference where people can be
(04:38):
educated and network and learn.
So it was a tough kind of nut tocrack to be able to do all of
those things and it was reallycool to see it all together and
have everyone really celebratein such a big way.
Yeah, that was awesome.
And then you did be able tobecome president.
So just for people, if theydon't know, when you sign up to
be a president at TMSA, you arecommitting five years of your
(05:01):
life to the organization, whichis quite a commitment, because
they serve as president electfor one year and then president
for two years and chairpersonfor two years.
So you were named presidentlast year but you had already
served one year in your in thepresident elect.
But when you were announcedpresident last June, the
(05:21):
industry, the world, has kind ofbeen in a tough and uncertain
economic landscape pretty muchthat entire time of your
presidency, and so how do youweather the storm of that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, so it's, that's true.
But honestly, when I look atthis past year and think about
that question, the storm didn'treally start with my presidency.
It's been brewing since early2020.
The transportation and supplychain markets have been through
(05:56):
wave after wave of volatility,from the pandemic, the massive
supply chain disruptions, to the2021 time freight boom,
followed by corrections,inflation and now going into
this well, this ongoinguncertainty, really in 2024 and
now in 2025.
(06:17):
So you know, I stepped intothis role last year knowing that
I was joining a long line ofgreat leaders who had navigated
these headwinds and others.
My focus has been on guidingand stabilizing our structure
the board committees becausethey're all feeling these
(06:39):
challenges too.
We've been intentional aboutmonitoring our finances closely
while doubling down on the valuewe deliver to members, because
our members are going throughthis together with us and at the
heart of it, I think it's aboutcommunication, community
(06:59):
playing the long game andsupporting our members now and
continuing to grow member valuebuilding for that stronger
future ahead of us.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Absolutely.
I do think that this industry,this community inside TMSA,
really does go through thingstogether, and being able to
communicate and help each otherthrough it has been really
helpful for myself, but also anyof the members that we talked
to about it, so I think that's areally good insight.
(07:30):
Thank you for that.
And you're right You've beenaround the past leaders of the
board because you have served onthe board of directors for 10
years prior to taking thepresidency, and I'm curious,
from your perspective, now thatyou've been in that leadership
role, what is the biggestdifference between serving on a
board and leading a board?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah.
So over those years of servingon the board, I have had the
chance to serve in a fewdifferent roles, including on
the executive team as treasurer,which gave me a solid grounding
, especially when it comes tofinancial strategy and
stewardship of the association.
And you know, looking at thosepositions, when you're working
(08:12):
on a committee or focused on aspecific area like finance,
education, marketing,recognition, any of our areas in
our committees you are reallydialed into that piece of the
puzzle.
And when you step into thepresident role, your perspective
has to broaden.
Now it's about connecting allthose pieces, more so than being
(08:34):
an expert on individual ones,and making sure everyone's
aligned and empowered in theirroles.
So we're moving forward as one.
One of the biggest shifts alsohas been the partnership with
you, Jen, TMSA's executivedirector.
You know as president, we workclosely together to make sure
(08:54):
what's being discussed at theboard level translates into
meaningful actions across theorganization.
So it's a balance of bigpicture leadership but also
day-to-day support as well.
So I think that's the biggestdifference.
You it's been a privilege theentire time, no matter where
I've served, especially with ateam of such talented and
dedicated board members allthrough the years, and yourself
(09:18):
at headquarters beside me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Thank you yeah.
I definitely think that thatpresidential role.
You do have to look at all thethe pieces together, and I work
with the entire board, but we do.
We have our monthly one to ones.
We're always in emails.
I always know how to get aholdof you, whether it's your email
or your cell phone, becausesometimes you have to move
quickly or there's things goingon and and you can't always
(09:42):
anticipate what's happening atany moment, and so you have to
really be able to see.
And that's been interesting forme too is because I've now, in
my term here as executivedirector, I've had three
presidents and everyone leads alittle bit differently too, and
so it's like, ok, what's yourleadership style and how much do
you need to know and when doyou want to know it?
(10:03):
And finding that balance inbetween I think is has been
interesting for me too.
Um, but I think you're doing agreat job and, uh, it's, it's
been fun to work with you and uh, yeah, we started as when you
were treasurer.
Well, first we started when Iwas a board member then we
started together and then thentransitioned then from treasurer
(10:27):
to president-elect to president.
So it's been a fun journey, hasbeen, and I do want to note that
all of our board and committeemembers are volunteers of the
organization, and so you're aleader in your day job, but also
a leader at work, and I'mcurious if you approach those
leadership and guidancedifferently in a volunteer
(10:48):
capacity.
I know that's something that,like, committee leaders have
been like.
I don't know how to do this thesame way because I'm at work.
I can just tell them they haveto do it and they do it because
it's their job, but this is verydifferent.
So do you approach thatdifferently?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, I would probably say like yes and no.
So if it's a great question,because leading volunteers is
unique, it's a unique kind ofleadership I've learned and it's
definitely very focused onrelationships and shared purpose
.
So, as you mentioned, everyoneon the board, including myself,
(11:23):
is balancing a demanding fulltime career outside of TMSA.
And we're all here volunteeringat TMSA because we care deeply
about the industry and TMSA'smission, not because we're being
compensated.
So you know, as president, Iknow that everyone's time is a
(11:45):
gift and you know people may dipin and out of active
participation depending onwhat's happening in their lives
or careers.
We don't have formalaccountability tools like in a
corporate setting, so instead webuild trust with each other and
buy in and create space forpeople to lead in a way that
(12:07):
fits their time and talents.
But really, the core principlesand expectations around
governance, strategy, alignmentall still have to apply with all
of that.
So in a volunteer role, westill absolutely have to be
strategic, aligned andthoughtful in how we guide the
organization.
But it's all driven by passionand purpose and that's what
(12:30):
makes it special.
So when you're surrounded bypeople who want to be there, who
are bringing their passion tothe table.
That's what makes it incrediblypowerful.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, and I know one of the things that we've done
over the past year or so isreally think through our
committee structure and how muchcan we ask volunteers and how
much should headquarter takeback, or what does that
relationship look like?
Because it's always evolving,it's always shifting, it's
always changing and as we learnmore and as we do more, those
(13:01):
answers continue to grow.
But I think that having thatcollaboration is really helpful
and you can see, okay, like ifthis thing didn't get done
exactly the way we wanted it to.
Well, maybe that's notsomething we can ask volunteers,
or maybe at this timeframe ofthe year when people are really,
really busy, that's not a timethat we can roll out that
project.
I feel like for me, those arethe biggest takeaways.
(13:23):
Takeaways because, yes, we havea very small headquarter team.
Everyone else is volunteers andso if we rely on volunteers,
with understanding that this isnot their job, how can we
maximize that support and letthem serve in a way that makes
sense for them, while stillexecuting on what the
association needs to do?
So that's been a uniqueexperience challenge, I think,
(13:44):
especially in this currentenvironment, like really being
like how do we maximize the timethat these people are giving
because they do care and they dohave this passion and support
for the organization.
But I think that we have grownin that way a lot and we do have
different, like programmanagement platforms now that
can help our committees andthings like that.
(14:07):
And all of our committeeleadership is on the board of
directors as well, in casepeople didn't know that.
So they um come to the boardmeetings, they can see the full
picture and then report back totheir committees as well.
Um, with that, it can be a bigyou know load to have volunteer
hours on top of your you knowload to have volunteer hours on
(14:27):
top of your you know full-timejob in your life.
So do you have any advice forpeople that want to get more
involved in any organization notjust ours but may be hesitant
because of their currentworkload?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, I think a couple things come to mind and
it's a really common concern forpeople, especially in a
fast-paced industry like ours.
But I think the key is justbeing intentional.
So first, start with the why.
If getting involved aligns withyour values whether that's
(15:02):
giving back or building yournetwork or growing as a leader
it's easier to prioritize andprotect that time commitment of
being a volunteer.
So you know, start with that.
And then, second, really treatit like a professional
investment, not an extra task.
(15:22):
Volunteer leadership reallybuilds board experience.
It sharpens your communicationand strategy skills.
It definitely expands yournetwork, so it can be career
development in action.
It is not just another task onthe to-do list.
That can be really powerful.
And then, finally, I think,just talk to someone who's
(15:44):
already doing it.
A quick chat with a board orcommittee member can give you a
clear picture on what's involvedand if it will be manageable
for you.
And you might be more readythan you think and the rewards,
both personally andprofessionally, can be well
worth it.
And you know, but, jen, I wouldsay I would ask you.
(16:04):
You are a fellow nonprofitboard president and that's been
really fun in this year becauseyou're doing the same thing that
I'm doing.
You're a volunteer boardpresident outside of your job at
TMSA, so you're kind of askingme all these questions and
you've got your own perspectiveon things that I'd love to hear
(16:25):
about, like what your biggesttakeaways are from leading a
board and how you approach yourleadership in a volunteer-driven
environment.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Absolutely.
I feel like I want to answerthis in two ways.
So one, because we're talkingabout TMSA first.
So the only other board Iserved on before the one that
I'll talk more about in a minutewas TMSA, and the reason why I
joined the TMSA board wasbecause I was a member and
(16:54):
immediately upon walking intoTMSA I knew like these are very
like-minded people.
I can learn from them.
I was on the marketing side.
I loved talking to otherdirectors of marketing, but also
really loved talking to thesales side, so that I could
understand the sales side moreand create better sales
collateral for my sales team.
And so I promptly went into theeducation committee.
(17:18):
And then I had set a personalgoal for myself to join a board
of directors.
I felt like that was somethingI wanted to not just have on my
resume.
But yeah, like all the reasonsthat you said, like the
professional development youknow, I believe in setting goals
for ourselves personally andprofessionally, and I was like,
oh, I feel like I'm gonna try tobe on the tmsa board, because
(17:41):
at that point I had alreadyvolunteered for a couple years.
I had ideas of how to improvethe organization and make
mindful change, and so I thentook over the marketing
committee and joined the boardof directors at that time.
So I was like I'm alreadygiving my time.
If I'm setting a goal to be ona board, why not make it this
(18:03):
place that I'm alreadyvolunteering and already
passionate about and I alreadycare about?
Obviously, I care about TMSA somuch.
Then I, you know, transferredand then became the leader of
the organization that just keptevolving.
But then when you come to TMSAheadquarters, obviously you give
up your board seat because youknow you report to the board and
you can't have that dual role.
So then at that point I waslike I still really want to give
(18:27):
back and be thoughtful in beingon a board and serving on a
board.
And so I looked at where else Iwas volunteering, which was an
organization called the OhioAlliance to End Sexual Violence
and I was doing marketingcommunication support for them
in a volunteer capacity.
And so it was in 2022, I kindof came off the board at the end
(18:49):
of TMSA board at the end of 21,and then joined the OASB board
in 2022, because I still thoughtit's important to give back and
to do it in a really thoughtfulway.
And so from there I became vicepresident of the board very
quickly and then I've beenserving as board president since
the end quickly, and then I'vebeen serving as board president
(19:12):
since the end, since last Julyhere.
So it it is a workload for sure,but I really liked what you
said about what is the purposeand the like.
I don't believe in joining aboard of directors or
volunteering your time on thingsthat you don't believe in,
because then it is going to feellike a chore and like something
else.
It has to be things that youare passionate about, that you
believe in, that you believe inthe cause and believe in the
(19:35):
people that you're working with.
And when you do that thenyou're like, okay, even if I do
feel a little overwhelmed.
It serves such a big purposeand you know that your time that
you're investing is reallyimportant to the cause, to the
mission, to the organization.
So at OASB it has been fun tobecause, like, we have monthly
(19:56):
check-ins about your boardpresidency and my role at TMSA.
But also, hey, we are both inthis kind of new adventure
together of leading boards and Iknow being organized is
incredibly important in theboard president role and making
sure that you I told myexecutive director over there.
(20:17):
Like my whole goal is to not tobottleneck what the staff needs
to do.
That's my goal here to makesure the board is approving
things in an orderly fashion andthat we're not, you know,
causing the staff to not be ableto move forward on on the
mission.
So, just being mindful of thingslike that, I do think that
everyone is incredibly busy, butI want to be busy with the
(20:41):
things I care about, and so thatis being a mom, being a wife
and being a family to my familyand all of those things.
But also like it does not makeme feel like a whole person if
I'm not volunteering and givingback to a community that I care
about or to organizations that Icare about.
So I make sure I put that in asa piece of the puzzle.
(21:02):
But I do think on the otherside of that, it's important not
to then burn out and do toomany things all at once.
So like I don't reallyvolunteer a lot of other places
right now because I'm I am aboard president.
So like I know people who serveon like multiple boards, I
don't think that you can do thatif you're a leader of one.
I mean you might be able tosome people are superhuman but
(21:24):
like be really mindful with thattime that you're giving back.
Like I donate to other causes.
I might go to an event or twoor something like that but like
really serve.
I want to make sure that if I'mserving, if I'm leading on a
board, that I'm giving it theproper space.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I think you know it's also treat that time on your
board like a commitment.
You would like block time for itmake boundaries around it and
tell people what you're doing to, like they understand,
(22:00):
especially when I think of, likeTMSA.
Everyone on the board is in theindustry and why wouldn't you
be telling everyone at yourcompany you're doing this and
you're growing from this andyou're involved like this, and
they, like you know, at SMCthree, they're very we're very
proud that we serve on the board.
I serve on the board of TMSAand support the industry.
(22:22):
So it's really, you know,treating it like any other
commitment too, and everyone hastheir limits, though You're
right, Like everyone's very busyand you really you have to
cherish your time and that's onewe have volunteers here at TMSA
that they'll be like, okay, Ihave to step out for like three
to six months and I'm likethat's fine.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I honestly would rather you tell me that than say
like, oh, I, I can do all thisstuff.
No one is actually super human.
Everyone has just certaincapacities that they have.
So, being mindful of that andand I feel like those, the
people who are transparent, likethat and like, okay, like I
know, I have a ton of projectslike coming up, I need to step
(23:03):
away and then I'll come back,those people do come back.
It's the people who don't sayit and don't step away when they
actually need to, but then theygo and they hit that burnout
mode and then they just likewash their hands of it.
Those are the ones that we lose,and I'm always sad when that
happens, cause like, just beopen and honest, or like I know
we have some people that they'relike I can't serve in a regular
(23:23):
committee right now because Ican't, and I'm like, okay, do
you want a special project?
I committee right now because Ican't, and I'm like okay, do
you want a special project?
I'll give you a special project.
You can work on it on your owntime, and so some people will do
that too.
If someone wants to give usvolunteer hours, we don't say no
, we find the way to make itwork for them, and so I think
that's really important too, andit doesn't always have to be on
(23:44):
a board level or a fullcommittee level.
There's always things we'retrying to create programmings,
add new member benefits andresearching what that looks like
, understanding what the membersneed.
Some of that stuff doesn't needto be in a committee.
Help us research what thatlooks like or talk to people and
report back.
There's always something thatcan be done.
But I definitely think likecontributing in a way that's
(24:10):
meaningful for you for thingsthat you care about is going to
be most important, and it doesmake me feel fulfilled to do
that.
And you said one thing like yes,like SNC three really supports
you, being on the board andbeing a president and things
like that.
And I would say the same yeah,like OSB's annual conference is
(24:32):
at the end of June TMSA knowsthat.
So like it's nice that it's notbefore our conference.
But you guys, I mean Itypically take a few days off
after Elevate anyway, but youknow, okay, a couple weeks after
Elevate, for the past like twoto three years, like I'm gone
then because I am doing my otherrole and having that support is
really helpful and just talkingthrough that stuff, because if
(24:56):
I just checked out for threedays you guys would be like,
where are you?
But you're like, oh no, she'sdoing this other thing.
That's great.
And Kathy, that it's in a timeperiod where she's not doing a
ton for us anyway, becausethat's our sleep time after
Elevate.
But it's, I know, like in thepast I've gone to like advocacy
day in April, which is in likethe heart of stuff for Elevate,
(25:17):
and you guys are always sosupportive of that.
So I do think, talking to yourmanagers and stuff, because a
lot, especially for somethinglike TMSA, because it is
professional development,they'll help you.
They'll be like, oh, this couldbe a great opportunity for you.
Let's see how we can fit itinto your schedule and you know
figuring out how to make thatwork.
So I think that's all reallyimportant.
(25:38):
Yeah, so it's a journey forsure, but I do think I try to
look through everything is, youknow, what's the purpose, why
are we doing this and how can wedo it together.
So, and you then, with that,will be entering your second
(25:58):
year as president when we hitJune.
So what are you looking forwardto in that second year?
What are you looking forward toas we come up on Elevate and
Executive Summit this year?
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yes, oh, wow, okay.
So yeah, as I move into mysecond year of the two-year term
, it's all about, I would say,building on a strong foundation
we've set.
So year one was aboutsolidifying the structure,
celebrating our 100thanniversary, bringing on key new
leadership, and now I'm reallyfocused on continuing that
(26:30):
momentum and delivering on theassociation's strategic plan
with the board and with ourheadquarters staff.
So that's what I'm lookingforward to the next year.
You're looking ahead to theAustin conference in June, the
Elevate conference.
I am always excited aboutnetworking opportunities with
our attendees and sponsors.
Of course, we've got afantastic lineup of education
(26:52):
sessions this year.
I'm really looking forward toour keynote.
You know an expert on brandstorytelling that she really
doesn't just talk aboutstorytelling, but how to take it
beyond the basics to amplifyyour marketing.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Post-conference workshop, I think the next month
that's free to those thatattend to put everything they
learn to work.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So I think that's going to be $100 charge extra,
but, okay, great value, wellworth it.
We've also we have an economicpanel that will dive into some
really valuable insights fortoday.
Like we talked to ourenvironment, we've got South by
Southwest team there to talkabout their you know marketing
efforts.
So it's going to be a greatchance for people to connect and
(27:41):
learn from each other this June.
So then in the fall, we've gotthe executive summit and that's
more intimate, focused on seniorleaders discussing the future
of our industry.
So I'm looking forward to bothevents and seeing our community
come together and learn fromeach other and network in such
meaningful ways.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Absolutely.
I'm really looking forward tohow both of these events are
shaping up.
You can learn more about bothof them at tmsatodayorg.
But registration for both isopen and if you register for
both at the same time, you canget a $200 discount if you
bundle your registration, whichis really cool.
(28:22):
But yeah, like you said, Southby Southwest is coming to
elevate the economy panel.
I'm really pumped about.
I was actually left.
We make our speakers turn inslides like three weeks in
advance, but we all agree thatthe economy can wait till the
very end because the way thingsare going, if we make them turn
in those slides early, it couldbe out of date.
But because we want to give themost informative, most
(28:45):
up-to-date information that wecan, we also have a shippers
panel, which is always a hugehit people wanting to hear
directly from the shippers andengaging with them.
And then we have breakouts,which will be very targeted
marketing sales, and thengeneral um for people who want
to learn about both.
And then this year we actuallyhave a demo track.
(29:06):
So we have some technologyproviders that are coming to
show how exactly you can utilizeum platforms and really engage.
What they think is so importantbecause everyone wants to be
doing more efficient work andhow can we lean into our tech
stack to do that.
So really being able to seethat in a real way is going to
be incredibly impactful.
(29:26):
And then one of my favoritethings that we added to Elevate
last year was our 15-minutestorytellers.
So we have Robert Bain, thestrongest man in logistics, and
Christy Knitchell, who's CEO atKnitchell Logistics, coming and
telling their stories, which I'mso excited about I just
confirmed, Christy, and reallyexcited because one of the
(29:47):
things I've always loved abouther story is, even though she
took over her father's company,she really started at the ground
floor and worked every singlejob there, so she didn't just
step into the leadership rolenot knowing how the company
worked or what they did, and Ithink that's incredibly
impactful and something thatsales and marketers can really
learn about, because we'realways you know, we're not
always given that scope and wedon't always shadow those jobs,
(30:09):
and so hearing how she did thatand being able to apply that to
our roles, I think will beincredibly um impactful for our
audience.
So really excited about that.
And um, austin's just a funtown too, so excited to to go
there.
I will be doing site visits fornext year in the um coming week,
so we will announce that wherewe will be headed for the 2026
(30:31):
elevate conference in the membermeeting at elevate.
So for the 2026 ElevateConference in the member meeting
at Elevate.
So all exciting things.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Absolutely Add to your next year.
I love the demos, the demos, Ithink will be really interesting
too this year.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I love that.
We added that.
Yeah, I'm excited, okay, well,we are rounding out our second
interview with you here on Onthe Move, and so when I have
people back on the show, I don'task them my initial question
that I ask everyone who comes onthe show.
I've had to adapt to asecondary question, and that's
if you could go back to one dayof your life and relive it, what
(31:07):
day would you go back to andwhy?
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Okay, well, I think.
Well for sure, one day I wouldwant to go back to is actually
the day I came eye to eye andswam with a humpback whale, and
so one of the photos from thisexact moment is actually like
behind me right now.
It's on the wall over here soyou can't see it in focus, but
(31:32):
it's pretty full circle that I'mtalking about it now, but you
can see the meaning because it'sright here with me every day.
And, jen, you know that myhusband and I are avid scuba
divers.
We spend most of our vacationtime under the water or on the
water, and this particular daythat I'm talking about, we were
out in the water on the SouthPacific Ocean and there was a
(31:54):
mother humpback and her baby,about a four-day-old calf, very
close to our small group of onlyabout five people out in the
water, and the calf was verycurious.
It was swimming close to us andthen it would run back to its
mom like kids, right, and itwould keep doing that it would
get a little closer, and we alljust like, like kids right, and
(32:15):
we keep doing that it would geta little closer, and we all just
were, of course, absolutelyamazed.
We stayed very calm, observing,in awe, for a while.
It was a long time.
They stayed with us just, andit was just beautiful.
And I was off to one edge ofthe group, off to the side, and
you know, we're in thiswonderful setting and suddenly,
(32:37):
suddenly, I just felt thispresence, like, like when
someone's standing too close toyou, only on a much grander
scale, and I turned and therewas a third whale.
It was a full grown, adult,male whale that had probably
(32:57):
been there the whole time, andit was just a few feet, a few
feet away from us in the waterand it breached its head
slightly.
I was above the water at thetime.
It looked me in the eye and weboth, with our eyes locked, put
our heads under the water, stilllooking at each other, and we
(33:18):
held this gaze, this, as it justswam past me, curious, calm,
like, truly awesome, and it wasso close I could have touched it
.
Its pectoral fin was comingright at my head, which I didn't
even know, because we werelooking at each other in the eye
(33:38):
there's a video of it, thoughand it just calmly, in complete
control, lifted up its finaround my head and moved along
while it was looking at me, andthere was just this to me, there
was just this unspokenunderstanding.
There was just this unspokenunderstanding.
Like I see you, I'm interestedin you.
We are different, but we're notthreats to each other, so we
(34:05):
can share this space and timehere together.
And they swam off, and longafter I stopped screaming with
joy in the water and couldactually sit back and reflect on
the situation.
What struck me the most was theconnection between these two
completely different beings thatwe truly had meeting in a
moment of curiosity instead offear.
(34:27):
You know, I could have easilypanicked, and but it was just.
We were both just so calm andit just.
I think it's just an example ofhow we show up.
You know how our presence canimpact the world around us in
ways we might not even realize.
So, you know, I go back to thatday in a heartbeat, because
(34:47):
sometimes the universe remindsus that we're part of something
much bigger, and that wasdefinitely a time for me.
I mean, I would go back to thatday too.
That's a great story.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I want to see the videos now.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
I have video evidence , which is crazy.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
So cool.
I do know that you scuba divebecause my son is obsessed with
underwater creatures, so Beth sonicely sends them on her
journeys so he can watchvicariously from our couch.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
But that's an amazing story.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
This is why I love asking these questions, because
we talk regularly, and neverhave I known that you went face
to face with a humpback whale sowhat an incredible story.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
I think I've showed you that picture, but that's
just the baby.
So that was just a four day oldcalf, but the big one was the
one that was like right, we werejust having our moment together
.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, what an incredible story, so glad that
you shared it with us, so happyfor everything that you do for
TMSA and getting to work withyou, and excited that you came
back on the show.
For those of us those of youwanting to check out next week's
episode we will have JasonGreen, who is the president at
Faye, which is another prettyspecial episode for me.
(35:58):
We talk all about AI and stuffwhich is really important and
great, but Jason is actually myboss before I came to TMSA and
the company that introduced meto TMSA, so I get to reflect
with him on something I think isreally important.
But here at TMSA people arelike oh, you're such a great
leader and all that stuff, whichI appreciate.
(36:19):
But part of that is because hemet me where I was when I was
two months postpartum of havinga child and hiring me in the
time frame and the amount ofwork I wanted to work at and I
wouldn't be here if I wasn't metthere and I feel like that's a
pretty cool leadership story.
So check that out and we hopeto see all of you in Austin,
(36:41):
texas, june 8 through 10 for ourElevate conference.
And thank you again, happy oneyear.
Thank you, On the move and happyto have you back on the show.
Thank you, bye.
Hello everyone, welcome to On the Move, a show
where we share transportationsales and marketing success
stories.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at the
Transportation Marketing andSales Association, which is a
trade nonprofit educating andconnecting marketing and sales
professionals inside theindustry, and today on the show
(00:43):
I have Beth Malik, seniorDirector of Marketing at SMC3,
and she is also the TMSA BoardPresident, and I wanted Beth to
come on the show today becausewe are celebrating our one-year
anniversary of On the Move.
Welcome back to the show, beth.
How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thank you, jen.
I'm doing great and I'mthrilled to be here on the
anniversary.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I'm so excited.
So, in case you didn't know, Imade Beth come on as our first
guest of the podcast as we weregearing up to launch her
presidency when we went into ourElevate last year in 2024.
And so she'll be doing now.
She's been president for almosta year and has one more.
But to celebrate the occasion,before we dive into Beth, we do
have a little video to celebratethis milestone.
I'm not a fool.
(01:59):
Yay, how fun.
It was fun.
I just keep seeing thetransition of the length of my
hair in all of those videos,which means the transition to
purple and then as it goes inand out.
(02:21):
But I, the podcast wassomething I really wanted to do
and was so happy to have theboard support.
It's been an awesome experienceto be able to sit and interview
and talk to our members and ourspeakers and everyone involved
in the association.
We have such great thoughtleaders and different
perspectives and it's beenreally rewarding.
So it's been really cool to beable to do that.
I'm really happy to have youback on the show, so to be here.
(02:53):
Thank you.
We are midway through yourpresidency.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
What has been your favorite milestone so far?
Yeah, so you have anotheranniversary coming up with my
year anniversary in my two yearterm as president of TMSA, and I
think it's.
That's a great question.
It's hard to choose just one,but I'd have to say celebrating
TMSA's 100th anniversary was astandout moment.
Marketing or marketing making,marking a century since our
(03:18):
founding in 1924 andcommemorating it all at the TMSA
Elevate Conference in NewOrleans last year.
That was incredibly meaningfuland there was a parade down
Bourbon Street to celebrate itas well, just for TMSA, with
TMSA members.
So it was such a powerfulmoment, bringing our community
together in a meaningful way.
(03:38):
And since that time we've beenworking on setting up TMSA for
even longer term success.
We've made important structuraltransitions.
We've also implemented some keystaffing updates, including
bringing on a new director ofprogramming, eileen Dabrowski,
who's already working oninnovative ways to bring even
(03:59):
more value to our members.
So for me, it's about thatblend of honoring where we've
come from and actively shapingwhat's next.
Those have truly beenmeaningful moments this first
year.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I would agree that I enjoy Elevate every year, but
last year, having that thecombination of because I
remember going into that event,we're like we want to honor
where we came from but also becognizant that some people are
stepping in the door for thefirst time at TMSA so they might
not care about this legacy thatwe have and how, and still
wanting to put on a successfulconference where people can be
(04:38):
educated and network and learn.
So it was a tough kind of nut tocrack to be able to do all of
those things and it was reallycool to see it all together and
have everyone really celebratein such a big way.
Yeah, that was awesome.
And then you did be able tobecome president.
So just for people, if theydon't know, when you sign up to
be a president at TMSA, you arecommitting five years of your
(05:01):
life to the organization, whichis quite a commitment, because
they serve as president electfor one year and then president
for two years and chairpersonfor two years.
So you were named presidentlast year but you had already
served one year in your in thepresident elect.
But when you were announcedpresident last June, the
(05:21):
industry, the world, has kind ofbeen in a tough and uncertain
economic landscape pretty muchthat entire time of your
presidency, and so how do youweather the storm of that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, so it's, that's true.
But honestly, when I look atthis past year and think about
that question, the storm didn'treally start with my presidency.
It's been brewing since early2020.
The transportation and supplychain markets have been through
(05:56):
wave after wave of volatility,from the pandemic, the massive
supply chain disruptions, to the2021 time freight boom,
followed by corrections,inflation and now going into
this well, this ongoinguncertainty, really in 2024 and
now in 2025.
(06:17):
So you know, I stepped intothis role last year knowing that
I was joining a long line ofgreat leaders who had navigated
these headwinds and others.
My focus has been on guidingand stabilizing our structure
the board committees becausethey're all feeling these
(06:39):
challenges too.
We've been intentional aboutmonitoring our finances closely
while doubling down on the valuewe deliver to members, because
our members are going throughthis together with us and at the
heart of it, I think it's aboutcommunication, community
(06:59):
playing the long game andsupporting our members now and
continuing to grow member valuebuilding for that stronger
future ahead of us.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Absolutely.
I do think that this industry,this community inside TMSA,
really does go through thingstogether, and being able to
communicate and help each otherthrough it has been really
helpful for myself, but also anyof the members that we talked
to about it, so I think that's areally good insight.
(07:30):
Thank you for that.
And you're right You've beenaround the past leaders of the
board because you have served onthe board of directors for 10
years prior to taking thepresidency, and I'm curious,
from your perspective, now thatyou've been in that leadership
role, what is the biggestdifference between serving on a
board and leading a board?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah.
So over those years of servingon the board, I have had the
chance to serve in a fewdifferent roles, including on
the executive team as treasurer,which gave me a solid grounding
, especially when it comes tofinancial strategy and
stewardship of the association.
And you know, looking at thosepositions, when you're working
(08:12):
on a committee or focused on aspecific area like finance,
education, marketing,recognition, any of our areas in
our committees you are reallydialed into that piece of the
puzzle.
And when you step into thepresident role, your perspective
has to broaden.
Now it's about connecting allthose pieces, more so than being
(08:34):
an expert on individual ones,and making sure everyone's
aligned and empowered in theirroles.
So we're moving forward as one.
One of the biggest shifts alsohas been the partnership with
you, Jen, TMSA's executivedirector.
You know as president, we workclosely together to make sure
(08:54):
what's being discussed at theboard level translates into
meaningful actions across theorganization.
So it's a balance of bigpicture leadership but also
day-to-day support as well.
So I think that's the biggestdifference.
You it's been a privilege theentire time, no matter where
I've served, especially with ateam of such talented and
dedicated board members allthrough the years, and yourself
(09:18):
at headquarters beside me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Thank you yeah.
I definitely think that thatpresidential role.
You do have to look at all thethe pieces together, and I work
with the entire board, but we do.
We have our monthly one to ones.
We're always in emails.
I always know how to get aholdof you, whether it's your email
or your cell phone, becausesometimes you have to move
quickly or there's things goingon and and you can't always
(09:42):
anticipate what's happening atany moment, and so you have to
really be able to see.
And that's been interesting forme too is because I've now, in
my term here as executivedirector, I've had three
presidents and everyone leads alittle bit differently too, and
so it's like, ok, what's yourleadership style and how much do
you need to know and when doyou want to know it?
(10:03):
And finding that balance inbetween I think is has been
interesting for me too.
Um, but I think you're doing agreat job and, uh, it's, it's
been fun to work with you and uh, yeah, we started as when you
were treasurer.
Well, first we started when Iwas a board member then we
started together and then thentransitioned then from treasurer
(10:27):
to president-elect to president.
So it's been a fun journey, hasbeen, and I do want to note that
all of our board and committeemembers are volunteers of the
organization, and so you're aleader in your day job, but also
a leader at work, and I'mcurious if you approach those
leadership and guidancedifferently in a volunteer
(10:48):
capacity.
I know that's something that,like, committee leaders have
been like.
I don't know how to do this thesame way because I'm at work.
I can just tell them they haveto do it and they do it because
it's their job, but this is verydifferent.
So do you approach thatdifferently?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, I would probably say like yes and no.
So if it's a great question,because leading volunteers is
unique, it's a unique kind ofleadership I've learned and it's
definitely very focused onrelationships and shared purpose
.
So, as you mentioned, everyoneon the board, including myself,
(11:23):
is balancing a demanding fulltime career outside of TMSA.
And we're all here volunteeringat TMSA because we care deeply
about the industry and TMSA'smission, not because we're being
compensated.
So you know, as president, Iknow that everyone's time is a
(11:45):
gift and you know people may dipin and out of active
participation depending onwhat's happening in their lives
or careers.
We don't have formalaccountability tools like in a
corporate setting, so instead webuild trust with each other and
buy in and create space forpeople to lead in a way that
(12:07):
fits their time and talents.
But really, the core principlesand expectations around
governance, strategy, alignmentall still have to apply with all
of that.
So in a volunteer role, westill absolutely have to be
strategic, aligned andthoughtful in how we guide the
organization.
But it's all driven by passionand purpose and that's what
(12:30):
makes it special.
So when you're surrounded bypeople who want to be there, who
are bringing their passion tothe table.
That's what makes it incrediblypowerful.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, and I know one of the things that we've done
over the past year or so isreally think through our
committee structure and how muchcan we ask volunteers and how
much should headquarter takeback, or what does that
relationship look like?
Because it's always evolving,it's always shifting, it's
always changing and as we learnmore and as we do more, those
(13:01):
answers continue to grow.
But I think that having thatcollaboration is really helpful
and you can see, okay, like ifthis thing didn't get done
exactly the way we wanted it to.
Well, maybe that's notsomething we can ask volunteers,
or maybe at this timeframe ofthe year when people are really,
really busy, that's not a timethat we can roll out that
project.
I feel like for me, those arethe biggest takeaways.
(13:23):
Takeaways because, yes, we havea very small headquarter team.
Everyone else is volunteers andso if we rely on volunteers,
with understanding that this isnot their job, how can we
maximize that support and letthem serve in a way that makes
sense for them, while stillexecuting on what the
association needs to do?
So that's been a uniqueexperience challenge, I think,
(13:44):
especially in this currentenvironment, like really being
like how do we maximize the timethat these people are giving
because they do care and they dohave this passion and support
for the organization.
But I think that we have grownin that way a lot and we do have
different, like programmanagement platforms now that
can help our committees andthings like that.
(14:07):
And all of our committeeleadership is on the board of
directors as well, in casepeople didn't know that.
So they um come to the boardmeetings, they can see the full
picture and then report back totheir committees as well.
Um, with that, it can be a bigyou know load to have volunteer
hours on top of your you knowload to have volunteer hours on
(14:27):
top of your you know full-timejob in your life.
So do you have any advice forpeople that want to get more
involved in any organization notjust ours but may be hesitant
because of their currentworkload?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, I think a couple things come to mind and
it's a really common concern forpeople, especially in a
fast-paced industry like ours.
But I think the key is justbeing intentional.
So first, start with the why.
If getting involved aligns withyour values whether that's
(15:02):
giving back or building yournetwork or growing as a leader
it's easier to prioritize andprotect that time commitment of
being a volunteer.
So you know, start with that.
And then, second, really treatit like a professional
investment, not an extra task.
(15:22):
Volunteer leadership reallybuilds board experience.
It sharpens your communicationand strategy skills.
It definitely expands yournetwork, so it can be career
development in action.
It is not just another task onthe to-do list.
That can be really powerful.
And then, finally, I think,just talk to someone who's
(15:44):
already doing it.
A quick chat with a board orcommittee member can give you a
clear picture on what's involvedand if it will be manageable
for you.
And you might be more readythan you think and the rewards,
both personally andprofessionally, can be well
worth it.
And you know, but, jen, I wouldsay I would ask you.
(16:04):
You are a fellow nonprofitboard president and that's been
really fun in this year becauseyou're doing the same thing that
I'm doing.
You're a volunteer boardpresident outside of your job at
TMSA, so you're kind of askingme all these questions and
you've got your own perspectiveon things that I'd love to hear
(16:25):
about, like what your biggesttakeaways are from leading a
board and how you approach yourleadership in a volunteer-driven
environment.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Absolutely.
I feel like I want to answerthis in two ways.
So one, because we're talkingabout TMSA first.
So the only other board Iserved on before the one that
I'll talk more about in a minutewas TMSA, and the reason why I
joined the TMSA board wasbecause I was a member and
(16:54):
immediately upon walking intoTMSA I knew like these are very
like-minded people.
I can learn from them.
I was on the marketing side.
I loved talking to otherdirectors of marketing, but also
really loved talking to thesales side, so that I could
understand the sales side moreand create better sales
collateral for my sales team.
And so I promptly went into theeducation committee.
(17:18):
And then I had set a personalgoal for myself to join a board
of directors.
I felt like that was somethingI wanted to not just have on my
resume.
But yeah, like all the reasonsthat you said, like the
professional development youknow, I believe in setting goals
for ourselves personally andprofessionally, and I was like,
oh, I feel like I'm gonna try tobe on the tmsa board, because
(17:41):
at that point I had alreadyvolunteered for a couple years.
I had ideas of how to improvethe organization and make
mindful change, and so I thentook over the marketing
committee and joined the boardof directors at that time.
So I was like I'm alreadygiving my time.
If I'm setting a goal to be ona board, why not make it this
(18:03):
place that I'm alreadyvolunteering and already
passionate about and I alreadycare about?
Obviously, I care about TMSA somuch.
Then I, you know, transferredand then became the leader of
the organization that just keptevolving.
But then when you come to TMSAheadquarters, obviously you give
up your board seat because youknow you report to the board and
you can't have that dual role.
So then at that point I waslike I still really want to give
(18:27):
back and be thoughtful in beingon a board and serving on a
board.
And so I looked at where else Iwas volunteering, which was an
organization called the OhioAlliance to End Sexual Violence
and I was doing marketingcommunication support for them
in a volunteer capacity.
And so it was in 2022, I kindof came off the board at the end
(18:49):
of TMSA board at the end of 21,and then joined the OASB board
in 2022, because I still thoughtit's important to give back and
to do it in a really thoughtfulway.
And so from there I became vicepresident of the board very
quickly and then I've beenserving as board president since
the end quickly, and then I'vebeen serving as board president
(19:12):
since the end, since last Julyhere.
So it it is a workload for sure,but I really liked what you
said about what is the purposeand the like.
I don't believe in joining aboard of directors or
volunteering your time on thingsthat you don't believe in,
because then it is going to feellike a chore and like something
else.
It has to be things that youare passionate about, that you
believe in, that you believe inthe cause and believe in the
(19:35):
people that you're working with.
And when you do that thenyou're like, okay, even if I do
feel a little overwhelmed.
It serves such a big purposeand you know that your time that
you're investing is reallyimportant to the cause, to the
mission, to the organization.
So at OASB it has been fun tobecause, like, we have monthly
(19:56):
check-ins about your boardpresidency and my role at TMSA.
But also, hey, we are both inthis kind of new adventure
together of leading boards and Iknow being organized is
incredibly important in theboard president role and making
sure that you I told myexecutive director over there.
(20:17):
Like my whole goal is to not tobottleneck what the staff needs
to do.
That's my goal here to makesure the board is approving
things in an orderly fashion andthat we're not, you know,
causing the staff to not be ableto move forward on on the
mission.
So, just being mindful of thingslike that, I do think that
everyone is incredibly busy, butI want to be busy with the
(20:41):
things I care about, and so thatis being a mom, being a wife
and being a family to my familyand all of those things.
But also like it does not makeme feel like a whole person if
I'm not volunteering and givingback to a community that I care
about or to organizations that Icare about.
So I make sure I put that in asa piece of the puzzle.
(21:02):
But I do think on the otherside of that, it's important not
to then burn out and do toomany things all at once.
So like I don't reallyvolunteer a lot of other places
right now because I'm I am aboard president.
So like I know people who serveon like multiple boards, I
don't think that you can do thatif you're a leader of one.
I mean you might be able tosome people are superhuman but
(21:24):
like be really mindful with thattime that you're giving back.
Like I donate to other causes.
I might go to an event or twoor something like that but like
really serve.
I want to make sure that if I'mserving, if I'm leading on a
board, that I'm giving it theproper space.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I think you know it's also treat that time on your
board like a commitment.
You would like block time for itmake boundaries around it and
tell people what you're doing to, like they understand,
(22:00):
especially when I think of, likeTMSA.
Everyone on the board is in theindustry and why wouldn't you
be telling everyone at yourcompany you're doing this and
you're growing from this andyou're involved like this, and
they, like you know, at SMCthree, they're very we're very
proud that we serve on the board.
I serve on the board of TMSAand support the industry.
(22:22):
So it's really, you know,treating it like any other
commitment too, and everyone hastheir limits, though You're
right, Like everyone's very busyand you really you have to
cherish your time and that's onewe have volunteers here at TMSA
that they'll be like, okay, Ihave to step out for like three
to six months and I'm likethat's fine.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I honestly would rather you tell me that than say
like, oh, I, I can do all thisstuff.
No one is actually super human.
Everyone has just certaincapacities that they have.
So, being mindful of that andand I feel like those, the
people who are transparent, likethat and like, okay, like I
know, I have a ton of projectslike coming up, I need to step
(23:03):
away and then I'll come back,those people do come back.
It's the people who don't sayit and don't step away when they
actually need to, but then theygo and they hit that burnout
mode and then they just likewash their hands of it.
Those are the ones that we lose,and I'm always sad when that
happens, cause like, just beopen and honest, or like I know
we have some people that they'relike I can't serve in a regular
(23:23):
committee right now because Ican't, and I'm like, okay, do
you want a special project?
I committee right now because Ican't, and I'm like okay, do
you want a special project?
I'll give you a special project.
You can work on it on your owntime, and so some people will do
that too.
If someone wants to give usvolunteer hours, we don't say no
, we find the way to make itwork for them, and so I think
that's really important too, andit doesn't always have to be on
(23:44):
a board level or a fullcommittee level.
There's always things we'retrying to create programmings,
add new member benefits andresearching what that looks like
, understanding what the membersneed.
Some of that stuff doesn't needto be in a committee.
Help us research what thatlooks like or talk to people and
report back.
There's always something thatcan be done.
But I definitely think likecontributing in a way that's
(24:10):
meaningful for you for thingsthat you care about is going to
be most important, and it doesmake me feel fulfilled to do
that.
And you said one thing like yes,like SNC three really supports
you, being on the board andbeing a president and things
like that.
And I would say the same yeah,like OSB's annual conference is
(24:32):
at the end of June TMSA knowsthat.
So like it's nice that it's notbefore our conference.
But you guys, I mean Itypically take a few days off
after Elevate anyway, but youknow, okay, a couple weeks after
Elevate, for the past like twoto three years, like I'm gone
then because I am doing my otherrole and having that support is
really helpful and just talkingthrough that stuff, because if
(24:56):
I just checked out for threedays you guys would be like,
where are you?
But you're like, oh no, she'sdoing this other thing.
That's great.
And Kathy, that it's in a timeperiod where she's not doing a
ton for us anyway, becausethat's our sleep time after
Elevate.
But it's, I know, like in thepast I've gone to like advocacy
day in April, which is in likethe heart of stuff for Elevate,
(25:17):
and you guys are always sosupportive of that.
So I do think, talking to yourmanagers and stuff, because a
lot, especially for somethinglike TMSA, because it is
professional development,they'll help you.
They'll be like, oh, this couldbe a great opportunity for you.
Let's see how we can fit itinto your schedule and you know
figuring out how to make thatwork.
So I think that's all reallyimportant.
(25:38):
Yeah, so it's a journey forsure, but I do think I try to
look through everything is, youknow, what's the purpose, why
are we doing this and how can wedo it together.
So, and you then, with that,will be entering your second
(25:58):
year as president when we hitJune.
So what are you looking forwardto in that second year?
What are you looking forward toas we come up on Elevate and
Executive Summit this year?
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yes, oh, wow, okay.
So yeah, as I move into mysecond year of the two-year term
, it's all about, I would say,building on a strong foundation
we've set.
So year one was aboutsolidifying the structure,
celebrating our 100thanniversary, bringing on key new
leadership, and now I'm reallyfocused on continuing that
(26:30):
momentum and delivering on theassociation's strategic plan
with the board and with ourheadquarters staff.
So that's what I'm lookingforward to the next year.
You're looking ahead to theAustin conference in June, the
Elevate conference.
I am always excited aboutnetworking opportunities with
our attendees and sponsors.
Of course, we've got afantastic lineup of education
(26:52):
sessions this year.
I'm really looking forward toour keynote.
You know an expert on brandstorytelling that she really
doesn't just talk aboutstorytelling, but how to take it
beyond the basics to amplifyyour marketing.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Post-conference workshop, I think the next month
that's free to those thatattend to put everything they
learn to work.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So I think that's going to be $100 charge extra,
but, okay, great value, wellworth it.
We've also we have an economicpanel that will dive into some
really valuable insights fortoday.
Like we talked to ourenvironment, we've got South by
Southwest team there to talkabout their you know marketing
efforts.
So it's going to be a greatchance for people to connect and
(27:41):
learn from each other this June.
So then in the fall, we've gotthe executive summit and that's
more intimate, focused on seniorleaders discussing the future
of our industry.
So I'm looking forward to bothevents and seeing our community
come together and learn fromeach other and network in such
meaningful ways.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Absolutely.
I'm really looking forward tohow both of these events are
shaping up.
You can learn more about bothof them at tmsatodayorg.
But registration for both isopen and if you register for
both at the same time, you canget a $200 discount if you
bundle your registration, whichis really cool.
(28:22):
But yeah, like you said, Southby Southwest is coming to
elevate the economy panel.
I'm really pumped about.
I was actually left.
We make our speakers turn inslides like three weeks in
advance, but we all agree thatthe economy can wait till the
very end because the way thingsare going, if we make them turn
in those slides early, it couldbe out of date.
But because we want to give themost informative, most
(28:45):
up-to-date information that wecan, we also have a shippers
panel, which is always a hugehit people wanting to hear
directly from the shippers andengaging with them.
And then we have breakouts,which will be very targeted
marketing sales, and thengeneral um for people who want
to learn about both.
And then this year we actuallyhave a demo track.
(29:06):
So we have some technologyproviders that are coming to
show how exactly you can utilizeum platforms and really engage.
What they think is so importantbecause everyone wants to be
doing more efficient work andhow can we lean into our tech
stack to do that.
So really being able to seethat in a real way is going to
be incredibly impactful.
(29:26):
And then one of my favoritethings that we added to Elevate
last year was our 15-minutestorytellers.
So we have Robert Bain, thestrongest man in logistics, and
Christy Knitchell, who's CEO atKnitchell Logistics, coming and
telling their stories, which I'mso excited about I just
confirmed, Christy, and reallyexcited because one of the
(29:47):
things I've always loved abouther story is, even though she
took over her father's company,she really started at the ground
floor and worked every singlejob there, so she didn't just
step into the leadership rolenot knowing how the company
worked or what they did, and Ithink that's incredibly
impactful and something thatsales and marketers can really
learn about, because we'realways you know, we're not
always given that scope and wedon't always shadow those jobs,
(30:09):
and so hearing how she did thatand being able to apply that to
our roles, I think will beincredibly um impactful for our
audience.
So really excited about that.
And um, austin's just a funtown too, so excited to to go
there.
I will be doing site visits fornext year in the um coming week,
so we will announce that wherewe will be headed for the 2026
(30:31):
elevate conference in the membermeeting at elevate.
So for the 2026 ElevateConference in the member meeting
at Elevate.
So all exciting things.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Absolutely Add to your next year.
I love the demos, the demos, Ithink will be really interesting
too this year.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I love that.
We added that.
Yeah, I'm excited, okay, well,we are rounding out our second
interview with you here on Onthe Move, and so when I have
people back on the show, I don'task them my initial question
that I ask everyone who comes onthe show.
I've had to adapt to asecondary question, and that's
if you could go back to one dayof your life and relive it, what
(31:07):
day would you go back to andwhy?
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Okay, well, I think.
Well for sure, one day I wouldwant to go back to is actually
the day I came eye to eye andswam with a humpback whale, and
so one of the photos from thisexact moment is actually like
behind me right now.
It's on the wall over here soyou can't see it in focus, but
(31:32):
it's pretty full circle that I'mtalking about it now, but you
can see the meaning because it'sright here with me every day.
And, jen, you know that myhusband and I are avid scuba
divers.
We spend most of our vacationtime under the water or on the
water, and this particular daythat I'm talking about, we were
out in the water on the SouthPacific Ocean and there was a
(31:54):
mother humpback and her baby,about a four-day-old calf, very
close to our small group of onlyabout five people out in the
water, and the calf was verycurious.
It was swimming close to us andthen it would run back to its
mom like kids, right, and itwould keep doing that it would
get a little closer, and we alljust like, like kids right, and
(32:15):
we keep doing that it would geta little closer, and we all just
were, of course, absolutelyamazed.
We stayed very calm, observing,in awe, for a while.
It was a long time.
They stayed with us just, andit was just beautiful.
And I was off to one edge ofthe group, off to the side, and
you know, we're in thiswonderful setting and suddenly,
(32:37):
suddenly, I just felt thispresence, like, like when
someone's standing too close toyou, only on a much grander
scale, and I turned and therewas a third whale.
It was a full grown, adult,male whale that had probably
(32:57):
been there the whole time, andit was just a few feet, a few
feet away from us in the waterand it breached its head
slightly.
I was above the water at thetime.
It looked me in the eye and weboth, with our eyes locked, put
our heads under the water, stilllooking at each other, and we
(33:18):
held this gaze, this, as it justswam past me, curious, calm,
like, truly awesome, and it wasso close I could have touched it
.
Its pectoral fin was comingright at my head, which I didn't
even know, because we werelooking at each other in the eye
(33:38):
there's a video of it, thoughand it just calmly, in complete
control, lifted up its finaround my head and moved along
while it was looking at me, andthere was just this to me, there
was just this unspokenunderstanding.
There was just this unspokenunderstanding.
Like I see you, I'm interestedin you.
We are different, but we're notthreats to each other, so we
(34:05):
can share this space and timehere together.
And they swam off, and longafter I stopped screaming with
joy in the water and couldactually sit back and reflect on
the situation.
What struck me the most was theconnection between these two
completely different beings thatwe truly had meeting in a
moment of curiosity instead offear.
(34:27):
You know, I could have easilypanicked, and but it was just.
We were both just so calm andit just.
I think it's just an example ofhow we show up.
You know how our presence canimpact the world around us in
ways we might not even realize.
So, you know, I go back to thatday in a heartbeat, because
(34:47):
sometimes the universe remindsus that we're part of something
much bigger, and that wasdefinitely a time for me.
I mean, I would go back to thatday too.
That's a great story.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I want to see the videos now.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
I have video evidence , which is crazy.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
So cool.
I do know that you scuba divebecause my son is obsessed with
underwater creatures, so Beth sonicely sends them on her
journeys so he can watchvicariously from our couch.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
But that's an amazing story.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
This is why I love asking these questions, because
we talk regularly, and neverhave I known that you went face
to face with a humpback whale sowhat an incredible story.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
I think I've showed you that picture, but that's
just the baby.
So that was just a four day oldcalf, but the big one was the
one that was like right, we werejust having our moment together
.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, what an incredible story, so glad that
you shared it with us, so happyfor everything that you do for
TMSA and getting to work withyou, and excited that you came
back on the show.
For those of us those of youwanting to check out next week's
episode we will have JasonGreen, who is the president at
Faye, which is another prettyspecial episode for me.
(35:58):
We talk all about AI and stuffwhich is really important and
great, but Jason is actually myboss before I came to TMSA and
the company that introduced meto TMSA, so I get to reflect
with him on something I think isreally important.
But here at TMSA people arelike oh, you're such a great
leader and all that stuff, whichI appreciate.
(36:19):
But part of that is because hemet me where I was when I was
two months postpartum of havinga child and hiring me in the
time frame and the amount ofwork I wanted to work at and I
wouldn't be here if I wasn't metthere and I feel like that's a
pretty cool leadership story.
So check that out and we hopeto see all of you in Austin,
(36:41):
texas, june 8 through 10 for ourElevate conference.
And thank you again, happy oneyear.
Thank you, On the move and happyto have you back on the show.
Thank you, bye.
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