Podcast

Read more about the article The Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

The Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we wrap up our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, for a final conversation connecting the lessons from our association leader interviews with Highland's broader research into what younger professionals really need. David shares why associations must move beyond simply distributing benefits and resources to become trusted career partners – and how creating more intentional experiences at critical career moments can strengthen engagement and retention.

Continue ReadingThe Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement
Read more about the article Belonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection

Belonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Ryan Vanderbilt, Vice President of Membership, Marketing & Communications at the American Psychiatric Association (APA), to explore what it really means for members to feel they belong—and how associations can foster meaningful connections throughout their careers. From APA's new strategic plan to research-driven experiments with mentorship, micro-volunteering and member communities, Ryan shares how APA is moving beyond traditional benefits to become a more relevant and supportive professional home.

Continue ReadingBelonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection
Read more about the article When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of Associations During the Pandemic

When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of Associations During the Pandemic

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back Joanna Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker at Matrix Group International, on the eve of the launch of her new book, When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of How Associations Protected Professions and Saved Industries During the Pandemic. Joanna shares the remarkable stories she uncovered of associations working behind the scenes during the pandemic – and the lessons they offer association leaders navigating disruption today. From advocacy that kept industries operating to leaders making critical decisions in a matter of days, the conversation explores what associations accomplished, why so many of those stories remain untold and what we can learn from them now.

Continue ReadingWhen It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of Associations During the Pandemic
Read more about the article Small Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement

Small Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Laura Burch, Vice President of Product Evolution, and Kelsey King, Director of Product Development and Management, at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to explore how small, intentional experiments can help associations tackle big questions around member engagement, career support and retention. From testing an AI-powered career tool to rethinking how existing resources reach members, Laura and Kelsey share what worked, what didn’t—and why an experiment that doesn’t produce the expected result can still create tremendous value.

Continue ReadingSmall Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement
Read more about the article From Executor to Orchestrator: Rethinking Marketing Careers in the Age of AI

From Executor to Orchestrator: Rethinking Marketing Careers in the Age of AI

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back Jen O’Brien, Director of Research and Innovation at the American Marketing Association (AMA), to unpack findings from AMA’s new 2026 State of Marketing Careers Report. Jen shares what AMA’s research reveals about how AI is reshaping marketing roles, why generalists may have an advantage in a rapidly changing environment and what these shifts mean for associations helping professionals navigate their careers.

Continue ReadingFrom Executor to Orchestrator: Rethinking Marketing Careers in the Age of AI
Read more about the article Career Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul

Career Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Sid Bhatnagar, CEO of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), to explore how associations can become career-long resources for their members. If your association is rethinking how it supports members throughout their careers, this conversation is for you.

Continue ReadingCareer Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul
Read more about the article Designing Professional Development That Actually Meets Member Needs

Designing Professional Development That Actually Meets Member Needs

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, recorded on the show floor at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Tanika Coates, Director of Professional Development at the American Society for Cell Biology, to explore how associations can create more meaningful professional development experiences for members at every stage of their careers. Tanika shares how associations can move beyond one-size-fits-all programming by using data to better understand member needs, reimagining existing content and designing learning experiences with accessibility and inclusion built in from the start.

Continue ReadingDesigning Professional Development That Actually Meets Member Needs