"I don't know, but I bet there's research on it"
The things we do over and over define us. Habits. Good or bad. I learn a lot by doing this analysis of my Zoom calls.
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July 30, 2026
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We’ve been out representing Mr. Golden at a number of conferences this spring and early summer. It’s interesting that in the age of AI and endless scrolling, our best bet for meeting new people appears to be face-to-face. (Or F2F as marketers on Linkedin like to call it.)
In fact, a number of you reading this are people who Matt, Lili, and I (Tim) met at the following conferences:
Here are a few things I heard and noticed during our conversations.
First off, dark maple syrup from Wisconsin might be the best free conference swag of all time. This was a moment of clarity. Much like you, I’m here to help, but I’m also here for pancakes.
Secondly, everyone has more data than they know what to do with. And somehow we’re still not happy.
A food co-op knows what people buy, but can’t easily see who is shifting from weekly shopper to occasional shopper. A YMCA knows who is scanning in, registering for programs, volunteering, or giving, but those signals may live in several different systems. A non-profit association knows who attends webinars, opens emails, joins committees, and shows up at their annual conference, but may not have a simple picture of member engagement.
People I talked to described data living in separate systems: Catapult, Mailchimp, Daxko, Volunteer Matters, ReClique Core, Salesforce, MemberClicks/AMS tools, webinar platforms, email platforms, spreadsheets, and Post-it notes on their desks. (Post-it notes are not a system, per se, but I heard it enough to mention here.)
As they described their own platforms, more than a couple of people looked deflated, hands on hips, rolling their eyes or scrunching up their noses like they just smelled something awful. (All CRM and marketing platforms seem to have a couple of things in common. We’re optimistic when we move to them, and later we’re very excited to leave them. It’s probably because the middle parts are so unsatisfying.)
It would appear this is where many of y’all need assistance, because connecting data across platforms can lead to understanding:
Knowing those things can help us segment based on behavior, lifecycle stage, levels of engagement, or spend. Once you've done this, it gets a lot easier to speak to different people in relevant ways.
Back in 2022, I spotted a Craigslist ad with a picture of an unfinished, upside-down powerboat hull in Temecula, CA. The original builder had started the project in 2003, but passed away before finishing it. After a bit of negotiation, the boat project ended up on my trailer, heading 1,300 miles north on its first adventure, ending up here at my shop in Anacortes, WA.
I chipped away at the boat project in the evenings, on weekends, during lunch breaks, and occasionally very early mornings. I got the boat upright, faired the sheer, added decks and a coaming, a cuddy, the windshield, cleats, plus all the other parts that add up to a powerboat. After that, I sanded, painted, and varnished, again and again, for wayyyy too many hours. (I also had a chance to learn how to wire a 12V electrical system. Pretty interesting stuff.)
Four years later after I picked up the boat (and 23 years after her keel was laid by the original builder), here she is: a Bartender 19 that I named “Bristlecone.” If you’re counting, this is the fifth wooden boat that I’ve finished and launched, and my first powerboat.
What’s the takeaway? How does it feel? What’s the inner dialogue? Good question. My hands still hurt, but when she’s in the water here in the San Juan Islands, the boat sits on her lines, and while underway, everything works exactly as designed. Things don’t always turn out like that. And that’s pretty satisfying.
Here’s a brief summary of the ways we can help. Or hit reply and say hi. We’d love to hear what you're up to these days.
MXGolden is a service offering of Clyde Golden, the member retention marketing agency for nonprofits and mission-based organizations.
Anacortes, WA
