150 Podcast Episodes Might Just Be the Most Valuable Thing I’ve Ever Created

Earlier this month Association Transformation hit 150 episodes. That’s not just a number, it’s a body of work. It’s a commitment to the membership and nonprofit sector that has unfolded over five years of consistent, curious, and challenging conversations. And while I’m not usually one to dwell on milestones, this one feels different. Because 150 episodes is a long game. It represents hours of insight, lived experience, humour, frustration, strategic thinking, and, perhaps most importantly, community.

When Elisa and I first launched the podcast, we did it out of a shared belief that membership organisations deserved more candid, more human conversations. That membership professionals (staff, CEOs, consultants, board members) needed a place to reflect, to be inspired, and occasionally, to be provoked. Not every association event has space for that. Not every newsletter gets read. Not every strategy workshop has room for real talk. But podcasting? Podcasting gave us a platform to be honest. To get practical. And to explore the undercurrents that shape this sector.

Since then, we’ve welcomed guests from all corners of the association ecosystem. Some brought technical expertise, others brought stories of trial and error. All of them brought generosity, of time, of knowledge, of spirit. We've explored topics as varied as mergers, volunteer engagement, governance failure, DEI, tech adoption, AI readiness, global leadership, the role of associations in advocacy, the weight of mission, and the reality of burnout. There’s no script. No big media machine. Just two people (sometimes three or four) asking better questions and holding space for people doing important work.

But this milestone also speaks to something broader. Podcasts like ours are not just media. They are assets. Valuable, dynamic, long-lasting assets in an association’s toolkit. And yet, most associations haven’t fully tapped into the power of podcasting. We talk endlessly about member engagement, value propositions, and thought leadership; but rarely do we invest in channels that actually build long-form, meaningful relationships. We push out newsletters. We repackage toolkits. We repeat annual themes. And still, members feel distant. Disengaged. Transactional.

Podcasting changes that.

Podcasts allow associations to connect with their communities in a different register. They are intimate. You’re in someone’s ear, not on a screen. There’s no PowerPoint, no spotlight, no filter, just voice. And that voice can tell stories, unpack learning, question assumptions, and bridge divides in a way few other mediums can. For busy members, podcasts can accompany the school run, the commute, the dog walk, or the weekly reset. They don’t demand your undivided attention, but they do reward it.

For us, Association Transformation has become a testing ground for ideas. It’s where new themes bubble up before they hit the keynote stage. It’s where we can wrestle with the practicalities of running, governing, and growing an association without being reduced to bullet points or frameworks. And it's where we get to hear from people who rarely get invited to the main stage, i.e., junior staff, solo consultants, early-career leaders, voices that matter.

More importantly, it’s archived. That’s the beauty of podcasts. They don’t vanish after the event or expire after the campaign. They stay available. They accumulate. They allow future leaders to go back and understand where the sector was, and why. They are a living, breathing knowledge bank. And yet, so many associations overlook them. Or if they do launch one, it can be a vanity project: heavily scripted, committee-approved, and lacking any real spark. What members want is authenticity. And what the sector needs is conversation.

I’m proud of the fact that we’ve never tried to be polished. We’ve tried to be real. We’ve disagreed with guests and with each other! We’ve shared mistakes. We’ve gone off-topic. We’ve changed our minds. That’s what transformation looks like. It's messy, non-linear, and full of curiosity. That’s what associations should be modelling for their members.

If you’ve listened to the podcast, thank you. If you’ve shared it with a colleague or recommended it to a board, thank you. If you’ve been a guest, thank you. You’ve helped us build something meaningful. And if you haven’t tuned in yet, start wherever you like. Episode 1 or episode 150. There’s no wrong place to begin.

As I reflect on what 150 episodes represents, I realise it’s more than a milestone. It’s a reminder. A reminder that our sector thrives not just on frameworks and financial models, but on dialogue. On listening. On connection. Podcasts make that possible. And they make it personal.

Here’s to the next 150. And to all the associations ready to find their voice.