The Crisis Killing Service Organizations - And How to Save Them

Rotary clubs, Lions International, Chambers of Commerce, and countless other service organizations are dying. Membership is aging out, younger generations aren't joining, and traditional models that worked for decades are failing spectacularly.

In this eye-opening episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch and guest Miguel de Jesus tackle this crisis head-on. Miguel, a seasoned executive who went from East Harlem public housing to building $2B in revenue at Paychex, brings decades of organizational leadership experience. Susan, running a nonprofit in Oregon while watching service organizations struggle, offers frontline perspective on what's not working.

Together, they dissect why Monday noon meetings don't attract busy professionals anymore, how ego-driven leadership kills organizations just like it kills companies, and why value propositions matter more than tradition. But this isn't just about problems - it's about solutions.

Discover how to reach students before they graduate, why "actionists beat activists" with younger generations, and how organizations can adapt their models without losing their mission. Whether you're leading a Rotary club, Chamber of Commerce, or any community organization, this conversation offers a roadmap for survival and growth.

The future of community service depends on leaders willing to evolve. Are you ready to adapt?

1. Traditional Models Failing - Monday noon meetings and old networking styles are driving away modern professionals and younger generations
2. Value Proposition Crisis - Service organizations can't answer "what's in it for me?" beyond giving opportunities that don't resonate with everyone
3. Student Engagement Opportunity - Reaching college and high school students creates future members but requires new approaches and connections
4. Actionists Over Activists - Younger generations want hands-on, tangible impact projects rather than traditional meeting-heavy service models
5. Leadership Adaptation Required - Organizations need strategic thinking, not just tactical fixes, to survive the membership crisis

Community Connection Missing - Modern mobility and lack of traditional community structures require intentional relationship-building approaches

Miguel de Jesús: Miguel de Jesús transformed from growing up in East Harlem public housing to becoming a powerhouse business executive. His strong family foundation and early discipline through music and sports provided the launching pad for extraordinary career success.

After attending Long Island University and Columbia's MBA program, Miguel joined Xerox and rapidly advanced through executive roles. At Paychex, he helped grow the company from $40 million to over $2 billion in revenue while leading 1,500+ team members.

Today, Miguel is a sought-after business coach, keynote speaker, and trainer specializing in emotional intelligence and AI-influenced business practices. He serves military special operations personnel transitioning to civilian careers through the Honor Foundation and recently completed five years as Director of Business Development at Cal State University San Marcos.

His core values—compassion, competence, achievement, and helping others—drive everything he does as he teaches leaders how to lead with both humility and results.

Your son just graduated college with excellent grades, but can't get past the "AI robot" screening resumes. Meanwhile, companies like Nike are using AI filters as their first hiring step, eliminating potentially brilliant candidates before any human ever sees them. What's going wrong with this approach?

In Part 2 of our series with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, President of GRI (Growth Resources Institute), we dive beyond traditional resume screening into the world of AI-enhanced behavioral profiling. While most companies use AI to filter OUT candidates based on keywords and credentials, GRI uses AI to understand HOW people actually function in roles.

Frederic reveals the fundamental flaw in asking for "perfect" candidates and shares how behavioral intelligence helps you spot the hidden characteristics that drive revenue performance—especially in candidates who might not have the perfect resume. We explore why recent college graduates with stellar academics are being eliminated by systems that can't see their potential, and how companies can identify candidates who are ready to quit their current jobs (and how to attract them).

Susan shares a real-world example of interviewing two best friends using GRI's approach, demonstrating how behavioral insights create instant trust and reveal traits that would never appear on a resume. This isn't just about hiring—it's about seeing what your eyes cannot see.

Connect with Frederic Lucas-Conwell:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/flucasconwell/

https://gri.co

https://x.com/griplatform

https://www.linkedin.com/company/griplatform

Most hiring managers are drowning in resumes, conducting endless interviews, and still ending up with costly mis-hires that drain productivity and morale. What if the problem isn't finding good candidates—it's understanding what you actually need before you start looking?

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch sits down with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, President of GRI (Growth Resources Institute), to explore how behavioral intelligence is revolutionizing the hiring process. Unlike traditional personality tests or gut-feeling interviews, GRI's approach uses objective, nuanced assessments to help organizations understand not just who people are, but how they actually function in specific roles.

Frederic reveals why so many job descriptions ask for "Mr. or Mrs. Perfect" and how this backwards approach leads to expensive hiring mistakes. We dive into the true financial impact of poor hiring decisions—from wasted interview time to costly three-month turnovers—and how behavioral intelligence can help you identify mismatches in weeks instead of months.

Whether you're a CEO struggling with team performance, an HR professional tired of hiring misses, or a manager trying to get the best out of your existing team, this conversation offers practical insights into building high-performing organizations through a better understanding of people.

Connect with Frederic Lucas-Conwell:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/flucasconwell/

https://gri.co

https://x.com/griplatform

https://www.linkedin.com/company/griplatform

When Frank Scavo sent me his latest article about consulting skills, I knew we had to dig deeper. After 20 years of working together—first as his client, then as colleagues—we've lived the collaborative consulting model he champions. In this conversation, we explore why seasoned executives often struggle to transition into consulting, the critical difference between having authority and wielding influence, and why the best consulting relationships blur traditional boundaries. Frank shares hard-won insights from his 50-year career, including the fascinating failure of his "retread model" and what it really takes to move from telling people what to do to helping them discover solutions together.

Links from this episode:

Frank Scavo on LinkedIn

The Enterprise Spectator on Substack

Arabella Penrose Books

"Flawless Consulting" by Peter Block

Previous episode we refer to.

Growth Resources Institute

Binky Patrol

Local SEO just got a reality check. Darren Shaw, founder of Whitespark, joins Rooted in Revenue to debunk some widely held myths while sharing what actually drives results for small businesses trying to dominate local search. If you're a real estate agent sharing office space with ten competitors, a service provider working from home, or any brick-and-mortar business wondering why your Google rankings aren't improving despite "doing everything right," this conversation will change how you approach local SEO forever.

Shaw breaks down the local filter that's silently crushing businesses sharing addresses, reveals why citation consistency isn't the ranking factor everyone thinks it is, and explains why your Google Business Profile needs constant attention, not a "set it and forget it" approach. Plus, he tackles the age-old question about Yelp's practices and shares the one ranking factor that trumps almost everything else.

Darren founded Whitespark in 2005 as a web design and development company; however, his passion and curiosity for all things local search led to a shift in focus in 2010, and ultimately to what the company is today. These days, Whitespark specializes in local search software and services and is one of the most respected and cited in the industry.

Darren has been working on the web for over 19 years and loves everything about local SEO. He leads research initiatives such as the Local Search Ranking Factors survey and the Local Search Ecosystem. He is a regular contributor to search marketing publications, and speaks at conferences around the globe.

When Darren isn’t speaking at conferences, researching the latest in local search or designing the next best local SEO tool, he is spending time with his wife and daughter in their hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. In his spare time he’s traveling, sporting fancy socks, and drinking too much coffee.

• https://whitespark.ca/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshawwhitespark/
• https://www.instagram.com/darrenshawseo/
• https://www.facebook.com/darrenshawseo

Lany and Susan dive into the sometimes murky waters of consultant-client relationships. Drawing from years of experience sitting on every side of the boardroom table, they tackle the age-old question: "Who is responsible for doing the tasks at hand?"

Let's face it—consultants don't come with magic wands, and CEOs don't get to toss the keys and walk away. Whether you've ever wondered "Why isn't this working?" or "I paid a consultant, so why isn't everything fixed?" this episode cuts through the confusion with practical advice on setting boundaries, managing expectations, and creating successful partnerships.

Susan and Lany share real-world stories about scope creep, communication breakdowns, and the emotional rollercoaster that can derail even the best-intentioned business relationships. They also offer straightforward tips for both sides to keep things running smoothly, from clear contracts to honest conversations about decision-making authority.

Tune in for a no-nonsense discussion about what makes consultant-CEO partnerships work, and what doesn't!

1. Clear Roles and Responsibilities: CEOs and consultants must understand who owns what in the relationship. Consultants provide expertise and guidance, but CEOs remain the ultimate decision-makers.
2. Communication is Critical: Most problems in consultant-client relationships stem from poor communication or unclear expectations.
3. Consultants' Role: Consultants bring fresh perspectives, specialized expertise, and assessment capabilities but aren't responsible for the final decisions or outcomes.
4. CEO Authority: Business owners need to maintain their decision-making power and not abdicate responsibility to consultants.
5. Documentation and Contracts: Clear contracts and documentation help prevent scope creep and establish expectations for both parties.
6. Implementation Shared Effort: Even after a consultant provides recommendations, implementation requires effort from both parties.
7. Knowing When to Part Ways: Sometimes the relationship isn't a good fit, and both parties should know how to amicably end the engagement.

In this episode, Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan revisit a topic we can’t stress enough: branded email addresses. Using Gmail, Yahoo, or even AOL for business? You’re losing trust before the conversation starts. We dig into real examples, onboarding requirements, offboarding protocols, and the risk of letting your team operate with inconsistent or unprotected emails. Your email isn’t just a communication tool—it’s your brand's handshake.

Related Reading:

• Domain, Email & Website Evaluation for Your Brand

• Why Branded Email Matters – Quick Reminder

Listen, nod, then take action.