What Does the Chamber of Commerce Do and Why Join? With Guest K.C. Cloke

February 16, 2024

And from experience I can say:

1. They’re all different.
2. Your involvement drives your outcomes.
3. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint.

So if you’re on the fence about joining your local Chamber or just want to know what a Chamber does, this episode is for you!

Join K.C. and I as she fields questions and explains all things Chamber of Commerce. Her enthusiasm for business and candid can-do attitude will win you over…just ask Aveleen!

Episode Summary

The Role and Differences of Local Chambers of Commerce (12:12)

• The Chamber of Commerce is not a government entity, but a business association that advocates for its members.
• Casey highlights the unique approach her chamber has to supporting their community and region through partnerships and collaboration.

Local Businesses and Tourism in Lake of the Ozarks (16:07)

• Monica discusses the geography and communities of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, and how they impact local networking and events like the Lake Expo.
• She emphasizes the importance of understanding a business’s target market when considering chamber membership.

Business Networking and Chamber of Commerce Benefits (21:20)

• Chamber membership offers affordable opportunities for businesses and nonprofits to connect and grow.
• Casey emphasizes the importance of networking at chamber events, leads groups, and connecting members with specific needs.

Chamber of Commerce Involvement and Committees (24:30)

• Monica and Casey discuss the importance of vetting chamber groups for compatibility and finding the right fit for personalities and goals.
• Find opportunities to network and get involved in your community through local chamber committees, even if you have limited time or availability.
• Chamber of Commerce representatives emphasize the importance of communication and engagement to derive value from membership.

Chamber of Commerce Involvement and Networking (29:02)

• Monica shares her experience with the Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the importance of setting goals and finding a comfortable level of involvement for introverts.
• She shares her success in engaging the community through creative ideas and personal relationships.

Benefits of Joining a Local Chamber of Commerce (30:45)

• Monica and Casey discuss the importance of understanding the local chamber of commerce and its benefits for businesses.
• They discuss the benefits of joining a Chamber of Commerce, including networking opportunities and advocacy support.

Connect with our guest:

• kcloke@camdentonchamber.com
• +1 573-346-2227
• CamdentonChamber.com
• https://www.facebook.com/camdentonchamber

Episode Transcript

K.C. Cloke 0:04

I had one member reach out and they were there was some legislation coming into effect that was going to impact Natalie their business. But a lot of businesses on the water, a lot of our restaurants that are very famous, and many of them were even aware of this legislation getting ready to come in effect. And all it took was a few phone calls. I called our state rep, I’ve got a great relationship with her shared what was going on, asked if we could formulate a meeting and have her bring the other surrounding state reps to the table. Word got out that a meeting was happening with some of these business leaders and our elected officials and legislation change. I got fooled immediately. We didn’t even have to have the meeting. And so make sure you’re communicating with your chamber on on what your latest challenge is.

Monica Pitts 0:51

You’re on mission and you just need more people to know about it. And whether you’re brand new to marketing or a seasoned pro. We are all looking for answers to make marketing decisions with purpose. I’m Monica Pitts, a techie crafty business owner, mom and aerial dancer who solves communication challenges through technology. This podcast is all about digging in and going digital. I’ll share my marketing know how and business experience from almost 20 years of misadventures, I’ll be your backup dancer. So you can stop doubting, and get moving towards marketing with purpose. Hello, again, everybody. And welcome back to marketing with purpose. My name is Monica Pitts, and I have a guest today and we’re going to talk all about Chambers of Commerce. Now, I in the past 18 years of running my business have been part of many different chambers of commerce, both large and small. I’ve been on the committees, the ones that like actually do important things, and the ones that pretend to be important, but don’t do anything. I’ve gotten business from chambers of commerce, and I’ve gotten nothing, right. And so they’re all different. And from the experiences that I’ve had with chambers of commerce, I can say that they’re all different. And really your involvement is going to drive your outcomes. And it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. So I say think about like branding versus doing advertisement, right? So it’s going to take your involvement and energy over a period of time to really get back from your chamber. And yeah, so joining a chamber is great if you want to get involved with your community, if you want to network with community members in like a business centric environment and meet people. Or if you’re just trying to build your business in a physical location. I think that all of those things are needs and goals that a chamber of commerce can help you attain. And so I’m not an expert in them, though, so So whenever I’m not an expert, I have to bring on an expert. And so with me today, I have Casey cloak because she is the director of the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce, which I’m a member of and my daughter Abilene wants to be Casey when she grows up, she wants to jump sorry, she’s gunning for your job case, I

K.C. Cloke 3:09

will start the secession planning now.

Monica Pitts 3:14

She’s nine and she wants to be Casey when she grows up. And I’m sure after she answers all these questions for me, you will understand why. So Casey, why don’t you kick this off by introducing yourself and telling us what to do over at the Chamber of Commerce?

K.C. Cloke 3:31

Yeah, so as you mentioned, name’s Casey cloak. I’m currently the Executive Director for the Campton area Chamber. I’ve been here for almost three years. But that doesn’t in my chamber, longevity, I actually before I came over to Camdenton, we live in a community. For those that aren’t familiar with Lake of the Ozarks, it’s a very large community. I mean, we, we have more shoreline in the state of California. So that shows how big our lake actually is. And so with that, we are one lake region. However, we have intimate communities and nestled within the lake region. And so prior to my time with cubed scenario chamber, I was the director for the Lake Area Chamber, which serves to other different cities within the lake region. And I was there for five years. So I’ve got a total of almost eight years in the chamber world. And even before my time as a staff member, I served on the board of directors for the Lake Area Chamber. And so I really have been invested in involved in our lake chambers for over 15 years. Because before that, I was a marketing director and I understood the importance and the benefit of being a chamber member. And so I’m a huge advocate from it even before I became a staff but now I get paid to tell you why you should invest in the chamber. But my particular role as the executive director and we are a smaller chamber here at the candidate scenario. It’s myself and Dorothy, who is our administration and Communications Assistant. It’s just the two of us. So, aside from wearing the executive director hat, I also wear the membership director hat. So I’ve always recruiting fellow businesses and organizations to join I also in the operations and the financials, and sometimes the maintenance. So we’ve got the joys of small businesses, it sounds

Monica Pitts 5:17

like you’re a lot less like a director or a chamber of commerce and a lot more like a small business owner. So that’s gonna make it actually pretty easy for you to relate to your constituents and your members. Right? You know, I

K.C. Cloke 5:33

love having those conversations with other small businesses. They’re like, how do you know so like, I’m in the same boat as you. I mean, we really are, I’m running a business as well. But, you know, ultimately, a chamber and what I do in my role here, is really what I’m passionate about. I love people, I love getting to know people. I love helping people like I think that I was, I think that was, what my purpose is here is to make everybody else’s lives easier. Being able to contribute. I’m not just a seat warmer, I’m very engaged in our community. And every time I say yes to something, which is most the time, I’m really horrible at saying no, which I will warn you can be dangerous. But I do say yes to you, I make sure that it follows our organization’s mission. And our chambers mission is to support the businesses within our community, as well as our community advancing the economic development opportunities, even natural resources.

Monica Pitts 6:34

Sounds like you’re leading by example there, Casey. Now, let’s check off the first box in this conversation, which is I really want to explain to people what a Chamber of Commerce is, because there’s a lot of you no questions, people think it’s one thing when it’s actually something else. So tell me, Casey, like what is a chamber of commerce, most

K.C. Cloke 6:56

people don’t realize like it is. It’s a membership driven organization, you know, we are in business, because of the membership investments that other businesses pay to belong to us. But it really started because it is it’s fellow businesses, it’s, it’s a business entity that is there to help support local businesses and providing resources, referrals. It really just to support that business as well and be a voice. So advocacy, you’re gonna hear me mention that throughout our call today to you know, a lot of the small businesses, they may be a two person like us here, or maybe a few others, but they need to really focus on running their business. But there may be some other challenges happening in their in their particular business, or maybe it’s in their industry. And so having that open door, open conversations about what their biggest challenge, or maybe their biggest success, too, because we’d love to hear how people are, are being successful and sharing that I’m able to communicate that and I’m able to communicate it pretty far. You know, with my involvement and other boards and organizations, I sit around the room with local elected officials, state elected officials and other dignitaries that are movers and shakers, and are able to make things happen and are able to make the decisions that we need for the betterment of our small business as well as our community. And so, you know, I always joke I hate politics, I do. And in being in the chamber, I’m involved enough to be able to stay unbiased, but at the same time, I don’t, I can stir the pot and I am reputable at doing so because I’m stirring the pot on behalf of our membership.

Monica Pitts 8:43

Now, at the beginning, I said that no two chambers are alike. So I mean, as we talk about Chambers of Commerce in general, I want people to have a good idea of what the Camdenton chamber is like, because that’s the one that you leave. So take a second and introduce our listeners to the Camdenton area and our chamber of commerce because I think that’s going to help them put into perspective some of the examples that you share with them today. So holding you back

K.C. Cloke 9:11

into the camp Anson area, you know, we are a smaller community of the lake region, our chamber we have about 360 businesses or organizations that invest in our in our chamber. And, you know, it’s not just the membership that keeps us operating because obviously you know, we have a building and within our building, we have a nice boardroom that is also a benefit of our members if they need a separate room to host a maybe business event or activity. We have that available to do so. But we also are luckily Where are where we started where we’re located is right down the road from one of the states and one of the Midwest most popular parks is Ha ha Tonka State Park and so there’s a lot of visitor traffic that passes through our office. They see that there’s a chamber office so they pop in before they make their way to the park and so we I have the luxury of being able to visit with a lot of our tourist that happen to pop in. Maybe they’re picking up a mat or want to learn more about where to play, where to stay, what to do where to eat. So we have a lot of great conversations, even in person here at our office sounds like

Monica Pitts 10:14

you really lucked out with that location. Hmm. But I mean, you still are a business. So I mean, I know you’re doing that service. And that’s an amazing service that you’re giving to the community and to the people who are traveling and passing through our community. But like, how are you paying the bills? Because I mean, it’s a business, right? So how does that work? We

K.C. Cloke 10:37

do have a nice building, we have bills to pay, just like all the other businesses and our membership doesn’t fully support all of those operational expenses. So we take it a step further, which many chambers do. We get more involved in the community side too, and have community engagement activities or events or festival. So ours in particular, and a lot of people don’t realize they think it’s their led by the city or the county, but we host the dogwood Festival, which is huge in Camden center, even in the lake region, it’s going on it’s 73rd year this year, includes pageants, parades, Carnival, all of that. That’s not really a business engagement activity. But here’s why it is justified from the chamber as it brings in the traffic to our community, which ultimately, you know, yes, having 5000 people on the school grounds at the carnival for three nights in a row is fantastic. But our businesses and our members see the trickle down impact. So folks that are coming into Canada tend to do the carnival rides, they’re going to stop somewhere to eat dinner, they’re going to stop at a local retailer as well, while they’re there. So really does have a huge impact, even outside of the event specific perimeters. And so that’s why you see a lot of times chambers are involved in those events, or leading those events, as it may not be specifically driven to supporting business or have a business hat to it. But there there’s enough impact to the member in the business community that it’s worth the time and investment. So yeah, we do have

Monica Pitts 12:11

a lot of Yeah, it pushes business out, like it pushes the business out to the other businesses. So in a way you are creating that benefit for your members by having this event for them. And while you mentioned that you don’t like politics. And I do think that some chambers, especially the bigger ones can start to feel a little political, yours is much smaller. And so it’s so much more friendly and like easygoing. And I do feel like I can definitely see like the impact that our chamber here has on the community for sure. Because it’s really interfacing with the community. And I’m not sure that all chambers do that. Right. There’s other nonprofits that take care of those events in bigger communities, because the chamber couldn’t do it. All right. But also the chamber is not a government entity like you don’t like the government does not fund you, your members fund you and your advocacy on behalf of your members makes you like an association. So you’re like a business association, more than you are a government entity. And I think that’s something that people don’t realize is like doctors join an association, Dentist join an association. They all have associations, asphalt, like asphalt producers, like all of it. They all have associations with lobbyists that like lobby on their behalf. And so the Chamber of Commerce is like our spot as small business owners that I might not have another place to do that for us. No,

K.C. Cloke 13:42

and I’m glad you touched on that. Because I think many of times, there’s a lot of confusion thinking that the chamber is a subdivision of the city or of the county. And that is certainly not the case, we do have a great collaboration with those entities. That’s important. Because you know, our success in growing and supporting, recruiting and retaining businesses in our community has a direct impact to those municipalities and to the counties. Now, other areas, though, I will say, you know, I’m very fortunate, I’m heavily involved in the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, I get to meet with directors from all around the state every fall when we come together. And so I get to hear and compare. And it is quite interesting. Yeah, you’re right. Larger chambers maybe do have a different direction. I know some chambers that have well, they have a staff of 20 as well. So they have a legislative and Governmental Affairs. And I also know other chambers that do take funding from government entities. So they are they have a little more red tape. And that’s why I’ve always, you know, kudos to them for establishing something that works for them. But in our community. We don’t want the red tape. I mean, we are such a unique community anyway. And our businesses are so unique they are and so we would hate to have any type of restrictions that would hold us back from really doing What we do best, and there’s other chambers out there too, that are in partnership with their local Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, you’ll see that like even in Missouri, I know Branson has a has a setup very similar to that. But our organization is completely leased here at the lake, our chambers are separate entities. We’re separate businesses, separate organizations. But we do work a lot together, we understand, you know, the goal, not only to support Cannington, but to support the region, we have to come together and work together. And so you’ll find a lot of our activities that we do, or publications that we produce, are in partnership with the Lake Area Chamber, as well as the lake West chambers, those of the three dominant chambers that surround the lake. And then there’s even times where we want to do the Tri County effort. And then that’s when we invite the Versailles chamber, as well as the Eldon chamber to the table depending on what the particular project or item is. But we have great relationships all five of us. And it’s pretty incredible to see us working together on so many great things.

Monica Pitts 16:07

Well, I can imagine that like, and so for those who don’t know, like, the reason that we have so much shoreline is because there’s an enormous lake in the middle of the state of Missouri. And if you’ve watched Ozarks, the show Ozarks, that is not really what it’s like here, okay. And we don’t act like that either. Like I’m sure that there is a population here that acts like that. But Casey and I are like, pretty representative of the human beings that I encounter on a daily basis. And so it’s not really like that. But you know, I’m glad that it’s getting our name out, I guess, but maybe not in the best way. But unlike the state of California, don’t just drive up the coast to get to the next place like you would think like as a crow flies, it could be five miles to get someplace, but it’s going to take you 40 minutes to get there. Because you have to drive all the way around the lake to get there. And there’s not a ton of toll bridges. There’s one. But so it’s like some of the communities are just

K.C. Cloke 17:07

there when you want to be free.

Monica Pitts 17:10

Oh my gosh, that’s exciting, hey,

K.C. Cloke 17:12

next year, it will be a free bridge. That’s

Monica Pitts 17:15

awesome. I mean, so like, there’s some communities that you can just easily drive to that are like 20 minutes away. And then there’s other communities that you’re going an hour to get to because you go way around the lake. And so I definitely see us networking more in the different spots. And then there’s some spots on the lake that are much more developed. And they’re really geared towards tourists like Osage beach that has like all kinds of like, I mean, more restaurants than we have in Camdenton, they have more like places that you could have a convention or, you know, like just more hotels and that kind of thing. And so I can imagine that even when the lake Expo goes on, that’s like actually a group effort to a degree to get that to happen and come off. Do you guys plan the lake Expo with other chambers? Or is that just all Camdenton

K.C. Cloke 18:08

so our home business and like living Expo is just a Camdenton driven event that we we host ourselves. However, as you mentioned, Kimpton doesn’t have the luxury of some larger meeting space. And so it’s the one candidate scenario chamber event that I have to take out of the kibbutz in area in order for hosts, which is why it should it proves right there the value of having those great relationships. But hopefully, you know, there’s some projects underway that that may change over you know, the next few years, I hope so.

Monica Pitts 18:40

Little bit but too much like

K.C. Cloke 18:45

like, your grounds and you know, more agritourism, which is something that we don’t offer heavily in the Lake community and is a great opportunity. So but no, the expo you’re right is something that is our event, we do have to take it out of the area. And I think that ties into my next item I wanted to cover because I answer this probably on a weekly basis is, you know, we know there’s multiple chambers, why should we join yours. And so really, I’m not the type to just want to collect a check from everybody. And I want to make sure you know, when I welcome a new member we even when I’m just discussing membership with a business, I like to sit down and learn more about their company because all of our benefits I got literally a spreadsheet I could share. It’s not a value to every business, but really each chamber represents a different community which has different strengths and weaknesses and opportunities. So one of the first questions I try to find out when that best business is inquiring, you know, who’s your market, like, Who are you trying to market? Is it primarily the tourists? Well, we do have some great tourist attractions. In fact, one of the most famous is bridal cave right in our own backyard here in Campton. So we do still have that market but if you’re looking to target more of the tourism items like in Osage beach that I always let them know, like, maybe you should look at like area. Now we do have a lot of shared members too. And that is one thing that these businesses see the value in, they’re getting different benefit perks from the different chambers. And so they’re reaching a larger audience for a very minimal cost. But our chamber, I’m really proud, we actually won an award for this through the Missouri chamber, we have a leads group. And what that particular leads group is, we have two of them, they meet monthly, they allow one person per industry in that group. So it’s a more small intimate setting, to where they meet here at the Chamber office in the boardroom. There’s usually the ranges from 20 to 25, business members, owners or management, and they spend an hour kind of talking with each other what’s, uh, you know, what’s a great lead that we can support them with by providing or referral, maybe even getting more specific, like, Hey, I’ve been trying to get into XYZ, if anybody knows Tom Jones, I would love an introduction. And you never know around that room who they know. And so it’s amazing to see that hey, I know, Tom, I’ll make up a call call after the meeting. Stick tight. And we’ll I’ll introduce you. And so it’s just great to see that support. And I think that’s another benefit you get in a smaller community, smaller chamber, is we’ve really not that they’re not neighborly in the larger areas, but they’re just really is this want and desire for everybody to succeed?

Monica Pitts 21:20

Yeah, it’s about like, I feel like you’re saying, hey, you need to put yourself out there you need it. What you put into it, is what you’re gonna get out of it. So if you’re planning on joining a chamber, I mean, the first thing I would do is stop by the office and talk to the people and see what the vibe is, and see if you, you know, can kind of jive with them and like their energy and then to, like, maintain a conversation with them. If you’re going to go to an event, you can let them know, Hey, I’m going to this event. Are you going to be there or ask you know, another business owner that you can tag along with because it is scary going by yourself? And but I do feel like if you do that first, then you can at least kind of feel out what it’s going to be like, in whatever committee or you know, group of people that you’re going to be in it’s you want to be with people that you like, or, or it’s just a drag, basically, you know, it. It’s not any fun. When you don’t like anybody?

K.C. Cloke 22:24

No, you’re right. Yeah, no, these important? No, and I’ve that’s one thing I’ve noticed too, because again, you know, the leads have been established for about two years, there’s some personalities that just don’t mesh well. And so even like, if I have a new business looking to join one of these groups, I encourage them to go check out both because they are, even though they’re structured, the same, they’re structured, identical, only one meets a little bit more than the other. The personalities really change how that meeting runs. Because it’s a peer led initiative, we do our best to find the right place for everybody. Um, you brought up committees to that’s one thing I haven’t even touched on, you know, you can network through attending the socials, you can network through participating in the leads. But another great opportunity to network you can get more involved or engaged in your community is find out what committees are available through your local chamber, you know, ours, and it’s we’ve got such diverse committees. I mean, whether you’re passionate about legislation, and government, we’ve got a legislative Governmental Affairs Committee that you can tap into, but maybe you like event planning, you know, we have got a lot of events, we’ve got, you know, our dogwood festival and our air show and I know Monica and her family were they dove right into our Christmas on the square event and I tell you what, you guys were a godsend. It was amazing to see your whole family out there supporting this event. In even leading up to it, mind you, so your committee involvement. Maybe you don’t have a lot of time based on your industry to attend those meetings. But maybe it’s volunteering, like maybe knowing okay, that falls on this particular weekend I have available, what do you need, definitely reach out to your chamber and find out how you can get involved explain whatever your scheduling situation is they’ll find a fit for you. I guarantee it. I know when you first join a chamber can be overwhelming because I and I see that every time I sit down with a business because I hand them our packet and it’s literally got probably 30 different benefits outlined on this spreadsheet like here’s an you know, set yourself goals for maybe first quarter I want to utilize these second quarter I want to utilize these. We have our own goals like we want to make sure X amount of businesses are utilizing their business spotlight or they’re they’re doing this and so we send out reminders, just make sure that the form of communication that your chamber uses is something that you’re paying attention to.

Monica Pitts 24:44

I love your statement about goals because we just had goal setting as a team it may create and one of my goals is I will pick for big chamber events that I’m going to go to to get involved in the Chamber of Commerce this year, and I will utilize my membership and so I’m like what What are the things that I want to utilize my membership for? And so then I sent an email to you. And I was like, Hey, I think I want to utilize these membership perks to do these things. And you’re like, Okay, well, I would do it this way. And so I feel like that goal setting of how you would use that membership and making sure that like, you’re you’re educated about what your opportunity is, and that you’re the driver in this relationship, if I mean, like, you can sit back, but then to like, just making sure that the, the things that you’ve planned to do are things that are comfortable for you. So you know, we talked about the networking events, but there’s a lot of introverts out there who that just makes them feel really uncomfortable. And so if that’s the way that you are, then it probably makes more sense to join a committee. So for me, I might seem like an extrovert, but I’m actually kind of an introvert. I’m, I’m just an introvert that can talk to other people. And so like, if I have a purpose, like if I have something to do, I’m way, way, way better at like, Okay, so in college, I was a bartender at a music venue. And people would be like, aren’t you just gonna go to the concert because you have tickets? And I’m like, No, I’d much rather be bartending, because then I have a purpose. And I’m around all these people. But I know exactly where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing, I’m not just standing there being touched accidentally by other people. I don’t like that plan. And so if you’re that person, then you can join the committee. And then you have a purpose. You know, you’re going to the committee meeting, you’re hoping make decisions, you can volunteer to help out in an event, you have a purpose, Casey will tell you here are the trash bags, and you put the trash bags in the trash cans, and you get it done friends, it’s like, great, right, because you have a purpose. So if you are an introvert, the Chamber of Commerce can still be a great place for you to get involved. And then after you know, some more people, then you can go and participate in those bigger networking events. Because you’ll have like a little network of humans that you know, their faces and, and it’ll be easier to get involved. Because I I don’t know, I don’t like just going into a room of strangers. I’m like, not any fun. I don’t like the room of strangers. But one thing I do think about the way that you guys run committee meetings, even just having only been on one committee is that I really enjoy this energy and the problem solving that goes on in those committee meetings, especially because, you know, I work with a small team of people. And I love that about working in a team of people just solving problems. And I feel like you guys are really good at listening to all of the solutions that come about, and being open minded about them and not just doing it the same way. Because that’s the way it’s always been done. You’re like, Oh, you think through this. And if there’s a better idea, you’re like, open to it. So I love that. And I want to compliment you on that. Because I think you’re rocking it there.

K.C. Cloke 27:54

I will say yeah, I think there was a phrase like 20 years or something like that. It’s the way it’s always been done. I absolutely hate that phrase. And that is right next to that’s not my job. The Phrases You Never Want to tell me because I will I will clear that up for you very easily. But you’re right, you know, especially new members to the committee, if you’re just getting ready to jump out of committee. I know I mentioned earlier, you know, get engaged, get involved, share your insights, because people, the drivers like myself of those committees, you know, I don’t know what I don’t know. But if you’ve got ideas, I love expanding and growing our activities and our events and our services. And sometimes it may not it may not be it’s probably a no, but it may not be not now, I’m not saying that right. It may not be a yes or not now is what yeah, yes, there we go. And in but it’s still planting those seeds and getting those ideas generated something fresh and new. holies is attractive versus doing things the way it’s always been done. And I think you were a prime example of that. Monica, even with our Christmas on the square activities, you know, we had just started a new tree lighting ceremony just a few years ago. And each year we’ve seen it grow in attendance and through activities that you really like you took that bar and you bumped it way up. And it was all just through your own personal relationships. It was it was folks I didn’t know and I didn’t know we’re in our community. And we’re that talent. And the silk aerialists, you know, I just I had to google that. I’m like, I don’t really know what that is. So it was Yeah.

Monica Pitts 29:31

So well, it was fun because we were in the committee meeting and they were like, We need something that’s going to keep people around and entertained. And maybe even I mean, so and it was cool is where so I said okay, well I have an aerial rig. I’m an aerialist, I can get people to come out and do tricks and they were like, Okay, and so we went out and we set up the rig and it was actually really well lit. It was dark. It’s right next to this really busy intersection but well off the street. Okay. You’re not going to get hit by a car. And so it looks really cool from the street to. And I think that that’s something that people are gonna remember for next year. And I went to the local aerial fitness business, and I was like, Hey, can we bring some people, and they got clients from it, like, they’re not even Chamber members. But I’m like I’m performing for hours by myself. So that was exciting to me that, you know, we could build that community through this other outlet that was happening at the chamber, and hey, being involved in a committee got that done. Yay.

K.C. Cloke 30:41

I truly believe eventually it will have brought us some new members here. Because I do feel like that business, you know, it’s sometimes they don’t, you know, not all businesses know about the chamber or what they do, or they may not even know at all what a Chamber of Commerce’s so in sometimes it’s hard for me to get outside of the office to recruit. But they definitely got bumped my priority list after I got to meet them at the Christmas on the square event. And they were fantastic. But but it is sharing those ideas, whether you feel it’s silly or not speak up, because you never know what’s going to come out of that conversation and those ideas. So committees don’t always have to be daunting, boring discussions, I think Monica could attest, we have a lot of laughs even has a great, you know, again, we have great personalities in the room, we joke, we laugh at ourselves, even. But we get stuff done, we do and we respect everybody scheduled to so we’re not the type to have a meeting just to have a meeting. You know, in fact, there has been several occasions where I had a committee meeting scheduled for whatever occasion it was, and looking at the agenda. It’s like, wow, this could be a either a 10 minute zoom call or an email even. And so I do try to respect everybody’s time. And that’s what I turn around, say, Hey, guys, you know what, we don’t have enough to really qualify a meeting, here’s the items we need to address this month. Reply All let’s get the conversation going. And we get stuff done even as efficiently as possible. So we respect everybody’s time, we respect the time that it’s taken away from their business, too. But we do love seeing them get invested. Because you know, getting engaged with the Chamber means you’re getting involved and invested in the community, because that’s what we’re all about. We’re all about not just the business community, but supporting the community as a whole. So

Monica Pitts 32:25

yeah, I love it. So friends, if hopefully now, after listening to this conversation, you understand what a chamber is. It’s like an association for businesses. Yep. And you know that all the chambers are different. They’re run differently. Some of them have some government funding, but a lot of them are just independent entities, and the way that they grow, and the way that they benefit you is through your involvement. So you’re going to get out what you get in. And it’s your responsibility to educate yourself about the benefits, and make sure that you’re taking advantage of them. And to make sure you do this to the fullest extent, set some goals, set some goals. But I think the very first step would be just looking up your local chamber of commerce and walking into that office, having a conversation and then seeing if the way that they benefit their members is actually going to meet up with your goals as a business. Because like Casey said, sometimes it makes more sense for people to join another chamber than to join her chamber. And hopefully, the person that you’re talking to is as cool as Casey and will like point you in the right direction. So Casey, any last words that you want to give people that are considering joining a Chamber of Commerce in their area?

K.C. Cloke 33:39

Yeah, so I’ve got two different last words, of course, I’m always full of words, but for the existing businesses that are organizations for the existing Chamber members. If you don’t have a good Congress, or a good relationship with your chamber right now, if there’s not current dialogue going on, reach out to them, they really do care. They want to support you. And you’d be amazed at what can come about just by having that, that five minute conversation, maybe it’s a phone call, send them an email, say, Hey, I’d love to chat with you for just a few minutes, if you could, you’d be amazed at just from meeting people at the grocery store. And of course, I you know, I can’t go anywhere without running into somebody. But it’s great to another great perk of small town. You know, I had one member reach out and they were there was some legislation coming into effect that was going to impact not only their business, but a lot of businesses on the water a lot of our restaurants that are very famous, and many of them were even aware of this legislation getting ready to come in effect. It was all thanks to DNR. Gotta love them sometimes. And all it took was a few phone calls. I called our state rep. I’ve got a great relationship with her shared what was going on asked if we could formulate a meeting and have her bring the other surrounding state reps to the table. Word got out that a meeting was happening with some of these business leaders and our elected officials. and legislation changed, I got pulled immediately. We didn’t even have to have the meeting. And so it’s just little examples like that. Make sure you’re communicating with your chamber on on what your latest challenges or successes, we want to hear the successes too, we want to be able to share that those tools and opportunities with other businesses. So for the existent, don’t

Monica Pitts 35:19

just complain, do something about it. Yes. Even if it’s just complained to the right person.

K.C. Cloke 35:27

Don’t come to me with a challenge. Unless you’ve got an idea for a solution. It may not be the right one. But let’s brainstorm you know, don’t just add my lap and expect something to happen. Let’s Converse. And then for those that are on the fence about a chamber, if we haven’t really educated you enough, with just this call today, I encourage you go to that chambers website, find their online directory, most of them should if they don’t, I would be a little worried, but find their online directory. Reach out to one of those members, call them call that person and ask him you know, how long have you been a member of the chamber? What has it done for your business? What would you recommend? Or is there anyone ask him? Like, what do you not like, you know, do those background checks like we do for employees? And I really do feel pretty confident that once you have a conversation or two with other fellow members, you’re gonna see that there’s some great opportunity for yourself.

Monica Pitts 36:19

Yeah, because it is it’s an inexpensive marketing investment, if it’s going to help you meet your goals. I mean, really, if it’s going to help you meet your goals, and it’s an inexpensive marketing investment investment, especially if one of your goals is getting involved in your community, by baby, boom, done.

K.C. Cloke 36:38

Goldman communicate. It’s all it’s what it’s all about.

Monica Pitts 36:41

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for hanging out with us. Casey, will you let people know how to get a hold of you if they want to talk to you about joining the Chamber of Commerce in Camdenton? Or like maybe they just have a question they want to ask you.

K.C. Cloke 36:55

Absolutely. You can always visit us online at candidates and chamber.com, you want to see our latest happenings and activities. We’re also on Facebook. But feel free to give me a call to you can always reach me at 573-346-2227. And I mentioned the podcast. And so in case if you’re not from around the area of I don’t recognize the zip code, or the area code that I’ll still take that call, but I would I would be happy to answer any questions or even get you connected. If you’re having a hard time finding out who you should be talking to in your community. Let me help ya,

Monica Pitts 37:27

especially if you’re in the state of Missouri, because she does have a good relationship with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. So thank you so much for hanging out with us. And you guys, if you didn’t get that phone number written down or you don’t have the web address in your brain, that’s cool, because you can go out to May create.com, and may yecreat.com. Or there’s a link in the show notes of every distribution network where you can click to get back there, we’ll have all of Casey’s information there as well as an outline. So if you enjoyed this conversation, or if you learned a thing or two, feel free to subscribe to our podcasts because we have conversations like this every single week. We’re here to help you solve communication, challenges through technology and even traditionally, in the case of joining the chamber, and to help you market with purpose. So until next time, you know what to do go forth and market with purpose.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai