Specialties: Strategic and Tactical growth for Membership Organizations, Business Management & Development

Build a Better Business, Live a Better Life Blog

Details: Published on May 19, 2025

I’ve talked in multiple blogs about the different aspects of building a successful association: The 5 Keys to Association Success, Leveling Up Your Member Engagement, Tap Into the Power of Processes for Your Business and Association, among others. These articles share important tools and techniques that I’ve developed over decades of coaching associations—tools and techniques you can implement to see a difference in how effectively your association gains, engages, and retains the kind of active members it needs to thrive.

Details: Published on April 23, 2025

I’ve been crisscrossing the country recently, speaking to associations on leadership, member engagement and networking. What has struck me is how many people want to talk about how their business impacts their ability to do their association work, and vice versa.

Details: Published on March 05, 2025

In a previous blog, I posed the question Which is more important: gaining members or retaining them? In a bit of deflection, my answer was that there was another question you should ask first. (Intrigued? Check out the blog!)

Details: Published on February 17, 2025

What takes up most of your time during the day?

We naturally think about the little things, like being interrupted by calls and emails (yes, and social media!). Those do suck away a lot of time, but whether you’re running a business or managing an association, I believe the worst offenders are relatively unseen: the time we spend fixing mistakes, reinventing the wheel and missing opportunities.

Details: Published on January 30, 2025

Hamlet famously asked, “To be, or not to be: That is the question.” Since he’s contemplating life and death, it might seem a little much to co-opt his line in a blog about association membership, but membership is the lifeblood of an association. If you don’t have a strong membership, every other element of your association—your growth, your finances, your ability to achieve your mission, your relationships with legislators and the community—will be anemic.

Details: Published on January 09, 2025

How do you feel about networking? If you’re like a lot of people, some of the words that come to mind are: Icky. Fake. Awkward. Scary. Intimidating. Mystifying.

We’re told that networking is good for us, but deep down it makes some of us feel like we’re trying to make selling sound less salesy. Even if we like the idea of networking, many of us find it intimidating because we’re introverts, or we have no idea how to do it, or we see others who look so natural and we’re sure they have a talent we just don’t have.

Details: Published on December 19, 2024

Does your association have the kind of engaged members it needs?

Members who show up, volunteer, serve on committees and even move into leadership positions might seem like unicorns, but they aren’t. You can grow them from your current membership by taking seven very important steps.

Details: Published on December 04, 2024

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions.

Why? Because New Year’s is too late! Why spend weeks or a month planning what you’re going to do instead of getting right to it? Now is always a better time to start than later.

Details: Published on November 18, 2024

When I ask an association board member, leader, staffer or committee head How is your association doing? I get a lot of different answers. Some answers are about membership: the number of new members, renewals, meeting attendees. Some answers focus on how much success the association is having building relationships with legislators and impacting regulations. Other answers emphasize culture, finances, events, continuing education, committees and affiliates. The answers are broad because the work of associations is broad. That’s exciting! Think about how much impact you can have! It can also be intimidating: Think about how much there is to juggle, wrangle, organize and administer—with mostly volunteers.

Details: Published on October 31, 2024

As I write this, people are experiencing a lot of stress and fear about politics, the economy and the state of the world. But whenever it is that you’re reading this, you’ve probably been stressed and fearful about something pretty recently, and it’s taken a toll. We feel those emotions so strongly that they can be debilitating. We can find it impossible to move forward and make progress.

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Testimonials

Jim Challenges You to Think Bigger!

Jim Roman is a wonderful human being and fantastic speaker and business coach. He has great spirit and energy and is a joy to be around. Jim challenges you to think bigger, not just in your business but in all areas of your life: personal, family, spiritual, financial and business. My favorite story about Jim: We were at the same networking event with about 50 people, and Jim walks up to me and says, “Give me three things you are grateful for.” Ever since then, I wake up every morning and write down three things I am grateful for.

- Jeff Singletary | Realtor, GRI, Keller Williams Heritage Realty

My Business Can Thrive for the Next 100 Years!

Flourishing in business has always been one of my deepest desires, but in the past it was very challenging to understand how to grow a business. Now, because I’ve worked with Jim Roman, I can confidently say I have the right systems and processes in place to thrive in business for the next 100 years—which is what every business owner truly desires. Business is no longer a challenge in my life, and working with Jim and his team has become one of my greatest victories. Jim will make you say “bye-bye” to your 9 to 5 lifestyle for good. He will walk with you on your journey to financial freedom so you can fulfill your genuine passions for a lifetime.

- Dre Richmond | Founder, DBA Marketing Pros

I’ve Exceeded My Goals for the Entire Year!

From the day I started my business, I consistently struggled to meet my financial goals. But after only three months working with Jim Roman, I exceeded my sales goals for the entire year—before Q4 even started! If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that there is so much more to running a business than just getting the work done. Jim and his team have helped me improve all areas of my business, from bringing in new business, to hiring, training and developing my team. For the first time, I feel like all the hard work I’ve put into my business is finally coming together in the way I always dreamed it could.

- Mike Jenkins | President, BrickTech IT

Grab Onto Success in a Shorter Time Period

Working with the right coach is a vital step to fulfilling your business purpose and personal goals. Jim helped me formulate actionable goals, held me accountable, and challenged me to view things in ways I wouldn’t have seen on my own. He and his team are amazing for helping sole proprietors, coaches and small businesses grab onto success in a shorter time period than ever dreamt before! I am so thankful for the growth and success I have realized because of Jim. If you are looking for the right guidance, thoughtful insight, accountability and a plan that will work¸ you will find the right place and the right person with Jim.

- Kristi Nowrouzi | Loan Officer/Branch Manager, Certified Mortgage Planners

The Best Decision You Could Make

If you ever get the chance to work with Jim, I will tell you it’s going to be the best decision you could have done for your business growth. He helped my development tenfold!

- Dusty Feazell | Realtor

Jim Truly Cares About Me and My Company

Jim has the ability to bring a new and unique perspective to the majority of the challenges that I have consulted with him on. It is evident that he truly cares about me and my company based on the fact that he offers more than short-term, "quick fix" solutions. His coaching has really helped hold me more accountable to myself so far as my professional and personal goals.

- Bruce Tibbetts | President, EMC Mechanical Services

An Integral Part of My Success

Jim and I have worked together to build a solid foundation for my business. His coaching has been an integral part of my success in my business as he provides an outside perspective that challenges me. I came from a corporate background and wanted to pursue my own business, but I quickly realized that, even with a graduate degree, I didn’t know what I didn’t know about running and managing a small business. Jim has helped me focus my efforts on those critical elements that have made my business successful while increasing my confidence as a business owner. Jim really knows how to drill down to the basics, in particular the foundational aspects of helping business owners break down their business into more manageable pieces, keeping them focused and on track to reaching goals. He is an excellent coach, trainer and mentor.

- Michele Deane | MBA, Owner, Handyman Matters

One of the Best Speakers and Trainers

Jim is one of the best speakers and trainers I have ever seen or heard, and I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best in financial services over the years. Jim was instrumental in advising me to sell my interest in my former firm and start Financial Freedom Planners. He is very excited about and believes in our vision and mission. He is very smart, extremely dynamic and knows what I do for a living. In addition, he is an expert at networking, developing effective referral partners and relationships. Jim’s advice and counsel have had immeasurable value to me and my startup, especially when I lost momentum at one point.

- Charles Roberts | CFP, President and CEO, Financial Freedom Planners, LLC

Jim Made Me Brave Enough

I was brave enough to build my house at the lake because Jim helped me envision what my life would be like one day, and I wanted it, so I moved to that goal. At one of his Boot Camps I attended, Jim gave us pins saying, “Leading the Way”; helped me realize what a responsibility each of us have as leaders of our companies. We are providing a living for ourselves, our families and our coworkers. The Boot Camp was exactly what I needed to get me back on track, to movitate me and to get me to focus on moving the company forward. He even talked to me about how to build my business to sell it one day if I wanted—and I have sold the business!!! I have had other mentors in my life, but since my dad died I have had no other mentor like Jim. I am always grateful to him.

- Lorrie Gore | President, Gundlack Plumbing, Cooling and Electric Co.

I Have a Life for the First Time in 18 Years!

I hired Jim Roman to be my coach for my business. I not only hired the best coach but also received a staff of coaches to help me with everything from understanding my numbers, improving my marketing and, most of all, putting together the best team to run my business. The business is doing so well, and I have a personal life for the first time in 18 years. I can’t put into words how thankful I am to Jim and his team. Without them, I would still be coming to work stressed every morning. Instead, our firm is winning, my family is saving for a trip to Germany, and I’m feeling great about the future.

- Trish Ferrier | President, First Class Realty, Inc.

Companies we’ve worked with