General Consultant Discussion

It is hard to believe it has been just over two months since many of us were hanging out together in San Diego. It feels more like a year than two months with all that has been going on.

Coming out of Meeting of the Minds we had a new board, which even though it is unchanged from before MotM is 40% different from the board after our last MOTM. I especially want to thank Karen O'Lane and Alan Clark for stepping in mid year to take over the board positions left vacant during the year.

We held officer elections immediately after the general business meeting. The board elects officers, and we usually have a presumed slate of officers going into the general business meeting. The President is a big job for a volunteer, with the intention for it to be a two-year commitment, since it takes more than a year to be effective at making change. Since we haven't officially announced the outcome of those elections, I will announce them now:

We held officer elections immediately after the general business meeting. Since we haven't officially announced the outcome of those elections, I will announce them now:

Robert Wood, President
Jerry Norman, Vice President
Jim Woodhead, Secretary
Karen O'Lane, Treasurer
Alan Clark, Board Member at Large

I'm sure this list will bring up a lot of questions. Feel free to ask away. We have a great team and I am excited to work with them and the executive director. Anyone interested in getting a seat on the board should apply to join one of the committees or task forces. Volunteer service to the group is one of the key criteria to serve on the board.

Thank you to all of the board members and officers for volunteering and helping keep the group running as smoothly as possible.

Thank you to our executive director, Moira Goggin, who is a critical part of the team. She helps keep the wheels turning and the lights on all of the time.

Another big addition to the group over the last few years that keeps evolving is our committees and task forces. This is an evolution that is we will continue to foster and improve. We appreciate all of you.

Our most recently added task force is the 90 Minds Mod Squad. The Mod Squad came out of a suggestion that Jeff Fiddelman made to Moira. He wanted to create a group within the group who can work with the Sage 100 development team and come up with suggestions of quick fixes and mods that Sage can make to improve Sage 100. The Sage R&D team really enjoyed the Mod Squad session at Meeting of the Minds and I expect that we'll see some exciting news coming out of the suggestions that the Mod Squad sent over to the Sage 100 dev team. Thanks to Jeff Fiddelman, Beth Bowers, Andrew Hagenbach, Bill Pfanhl, and Madeline Stefanou for their work on this task force.

We've been on Higher Logic for about 16 months. We contracted with a group who customizes Higher Logic to make some improvements. We've hit a few road bumps getting the whole project going but hopefully we will see the results of that initial work in the next couple of months and then we can work with a new group to get some of the heavier improvements made. The first phase is basically some cosmetic updates and we will be adding the directory. Once that phase is complete, I will be working with the new company to get into some of the more functional changes. I will update you when we know more.

I've been a member of 90 Minds since 2010 but it feels like forever, in a good way. I've been in the MAS 90 / Sage 100 community since 1998, and I had been helping with the group since before I actually joined 90 Minds. Then I joined the admin team (as the leadership team was known back then) in 2011 and I've basically run membership and handled most technical problems for 90 Minds from then right up until earlier this year. Despite rumors and 3am emails, I do sleep.

My intention is to get out an update to the membership on a regular basis. Feel free to reach out to me. My email is robertw@ddfcgi.com and you can always @ me here. I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.

Robert Wood, 90 Minds President

------------------------------
Robert Wood
Consultant
90 Minds, Inc.
Ocala FL
352-615-5898
------------------------------

So ... I saw this and immediately though - US Presidential Address... thank you for the update! 

Having been involved I can say that your position is often unofficial "cat herder" since with such a large and diverse group as 90 Minds it seems everyone has their own ideas of which direction to turn given various options.

It's easy for us all ( myself especially ) to throw out ideas and suggest "let's do this" when the reality is that this is largely a volunteer effort and everyone has family and jobs and outside interests to juggle in addition to keeping the 90 Mind train running.

I know we try to get a reading on the group interests/future direction during events like MOTM.

But that is one event and quite frankly many times members don't know what they want until you show them a plan.

A great case in point is membership.

For many ( too many ) years we collectively bickered about letting in members who were geographically competitive with existing members. 

Believe it or not - at one point a member could veto the addition of another member who they felt was a competitor within their state.

Then as we collectively watched from the audience as Sage changed their focus, I think we started to realize the true purpose ( collaboration ) of the group, and the more active participants the better.

We easily doubled our group size and the concern about competitive issues never arose ( at least not in a major way ).  

Instead, the power of 90 Minds has been the building of the brand and the authority that our members bring when they share their knowledge and attend our events.

And as our size grew so did our clout with publishers and ISVs. This is a great thing because it helps each of us collectively as members should we encounter a difficult issue and need assistance from within or outside our community.

The challenge for our group - as the great Wayne Gretzky says - skating to where the puck will be and not where it has been

• Some of us are very technical
• Some of us are very sales-oriented
• Some of us are ISVs
• Some of us are doubling down on Sage 100
• Some of us are diversifying away from Sage 100 

The point being? 

Not everything that is going to happen within 90 Minds is going to be something we ( as members) are always keenly interested in - but overall the group direction needs to evolve and sustain our community so that's the needs of the group as a whole continue to be met.

Good Luck!

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
------------------------------

Thanks, @Wayne Schulz!​

------------------------------
Robert Wood
DDF Consulting Group, Inc.
Ocala FL
352-615-5898
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-07-2020 12:23
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Presidential Address

So ... I saw this and immediately though - US Presidential Address... thank you for the update!

Having been involved I can say that your position is often unofficial "cat herder" since with such a large and diverse group as 90 Minds it seems everyone has their own ideas of which direction to turn given various options.

It's easy for us all ( myself especially ) to throw out ideas and suggest "let's do this" when the reality is that this is largely a volunteer effort and everyone has family and jobs and outside interests to juggle in addition to keeping the 90 Mind train running.

I know we try to get a reading on the group interests/future direction during events like MOTM.

But that is one event and quite frankly many times members don't know what they want until you show them a plan.

A great case in point is membership.

For many ( too many ) years we collectively bickered about letting in members who were geographically competitive with existing members.

Believe it or not - at one point a member could veto the addition of another member who they felt was a competitor within their state.

Then as we collectively watched from the audience as Sage changed their focus, I think we started to realize the true purpose ( collaboration ) of the group, and the more active participants the better.

We easily doubled our group size and the concern about competitive issues never arose ( at least not in a major way ).

Instead, the power of 90 Minds has been the building of the brand and the authority that our members bring when they share their knowledge and attend our events.

And as our size grew so did our clout with publishers and ISVs. This is a great thing because it helps each of us collectively as members should we encounter a difficult issue and need assistance from within or outside our community.

The challenge for our group - as the great Wayne Gretzky says - skating to where the puck will be and not where it has been

• Some of us are very technical
• Some of us are very sales-oriented
• Some of us are ISVs
• Some of us are doubling down on Sage 100
• Some of us are diversifying away from Sage 100 

The point being?

Not everything that is going to happen within 90 Minds is going to be something we ( as members) are always keenly interested in - but overall the group direction needs to evolve and sustain our community so that's the needs of the group as a whole continue to be met.

Good Luck!

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
------------------------------

Well said @Wayne Schulz and @Robert Wood.

There will always be someone that isn't happy with a decision.  The board was elected to act in the best interest of all the members. They should be applauded for doing what they believe is best, even when they may be criticized. 

​​​​​​​

------------------------------
Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-07-2020 12:23
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Presidential Address

So ... I saw this and immediately though - US Presidential Address... thank you for the update!

Having been involved I can say that your position is often unofficial "cat herder" since with such a large and diverse group as 90 Minds it seems everyone has their own ideas of which direction to turn given various options.

It's easy for us all ( myself especially ) to throw out ideas and suggest "let's do this" when the reality is that this is largely a volunteer effort and everyone has family and jobs and outside interests to juggle in addition to keeping the 90 Mind train running.

I know we try to get a reading on the group interests/future direction during events like MOTM.

But that is one event and quite frankly many times members don't know what they want until you show them a plan.

A great case in point is membership.

For many ( too many ) years we collectively bickered about letting in members who were geographically competitive with existing members.

Believe it or not - at one point a member could veto the addition of another member who they felt was a competitor within their state.

Then as we collectively watched from the audience as Sage changed their focus, I think we started to realize the true purpose ( collaboration ) of the group, and the more active participants the better.

We easily doubled our group size and the concern about competitive issues never arose ( at least not in a major way ).

Instead, the power of 90 Minds has been the building of the brand and the authority that our members bring when they share their knowledge and attend our events.

And as our size grew so did our clout with publishers and ISVs. This is a great thing because it helps each of us collectively as members should we encounter a difficult issue and need assistance from within or outside our community.

The challenge for our group - as the great Wayne Gretzky says - skating to where the puck will be and not where it has been

• Some of us are very technical
• Some of us are very sales-oriented
• Some of us are ISVs
• Some of us are doubling down on Sage 100
• Some of us are diversifying away from Sage 100 

The point being?

Not everything that is going to happen within 90 Minds is going to be something we ( as members) are always keenly interested in - but overall the group direction needs to evolve and sustain our community so that's the needs of the group as a whole continue to be met.

Good Luck!

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
------------------------------

Thank you for the post, @Robert Wood and thank you for the kind words.
​

------------------------------
Moira Goggin
Executive Director
90 Minds, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-07-2020 12:32
From: Doug Higgs
Subject: Presidential Address

Well said @Wayne Schulz and @Robert Wood.

There will always be someone that isn't happy with a decision.  The board was elected to act in the best interest of all the members. They should be applauded for doing what they believe is best, even when they may be criticized.

​​​​​​​

------------------------------
Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 05-07-2020 12:23
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Presidential Address

So ... I saw this and immediately though - US Presidential Address... thank you for the update!

Having been involved I can say that your position is often unofficial "cat herder" since with such a large and diverse group as 90 Minds it seems everyone has their own ideas of which direction to turn given various options.

It's easy for us all ( myself especially ) to throw out ideas and suggest "let's do this" when the reality is that this is largely a volunteer effort and everyone has family and jobs and outside interests to juggle in addition to keeping the 90 Mind train running.

I know we try to get a reading on the group interests/future direction during events like MOTM.

But that is one event and quite frankly many times members don't know what they want until you show them a plan.

A great case in point is membership.

For many ( too many ) years we collectively bickered about letting in members who were geographically competitive with existing members.

Believe it or not - at one point a member could veto the addition of another member who they felt was a competitor within their state.

Then as we collectively watched from the audience as Sage changed their focus, I think we started to realize the true purpose ( collaboration ) of the group, and the more active participants the better.

We easily doubled our group size and the concern about competitive issues never arose ( at least not in a major way ).

Instead, the power of 90 Minds has been the building of the brand and the authority that our members bring when they share their knowledge and attend our events.

And as our size grew so did our clout with publishers and ISVs. This is a great thing because it helps each of us collectively as members should we encounter a difficult issue and need assistance from within or outside our community.

The challenge for our group - as the great Wayne Gretzky says - skating to where the puck will be and not where it has been

• Some of us are very technical
• Some of us are very sales-oriented
• Some of us are ISVs
• Some of us are doubling down on Sage 100
• Some of us are diversifying away from Sage 100 

The point being?

Not everything that is going to happen within 90 Minds is going to be something we ( as members) are always keenly interested in - but overall the group direction needs to evolve and sustain our community so that's the needs of the group as a whole continue to be met.

Good Luck!

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990

As another Past President, I second Wayne's sentiments. 

90 Minds started as a small, informal group nearly 2 decades ago. For much of that time, it was largely informal and all volunteer. Wayne led the change in membership structure which then led to a more cohesive structure anchored first in the Socialcast collaboration platform and then in MOTM. The first MOTM was quite informal, too -- but the second one, while modest, had the basic format that we all have come to love. 

As we grew and our industry (especially Sage) changed, the "admin group" saw that it had to evolve further in order to maintain relevance. I was privileged to join the board as part of that effort, and over the past 3 years, we accomplished a lot in terms of laying more foundation to increase value to our members. While a lot of it was structural, much of it directly affects our members.  

One big area of change was in committees. Much of the decisionmaking in the group is done within the committees. These volunteer committees come up with programs, offerings at MOTM, membership rules and monitoring, and more. It requires commitment, but these members keep volunteering so it must be worthwhile. Another area of change has been that the board now pretty much only deals with policy issues (and they are definitely challenges); the details and operations are left to the committees and exec director. 

And yet, the board can't really decide on policy without input from members. And that is a big part of the President's job: ensuring that the board doesn't become some form of "echo chamber." Of course, the policy decisions also must integrate outside considerations (this Covid-19 situation has produced a nearly insolvable problem for MOTM 2021!), but keeping these decisions grounded in our members is fundamental. This is the "herding cats" part that Wayne referred to.

With everybody's help, I am confident that Robert will navigate 90 Minds through the rough seas everybody sees coming toward us!

------------------------------
Jerry Norman
VP, 90 Minds
Smartbridge Partners
512.419.1444 x112
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-07-2020 12:23
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Presidential Address

So ... I saw this and immediately though - US Presidential Address... thank you for the update!

Having been involved I can say that your position is often unofficial "cat herder" since with such a large and diverse group as 90 Minds it seems everyone has their own ideas of which direction to turn given various options.

It's easy for us all ( myself especially ) to throw out ideas and suggest "let's do this" when the reality is that this is largely a volunteer effort and everyone has family and jobs and outside interests to juggle in addition to keeping the 90 Mind train running.

I know we try to get a reading on the group interests/future direction during events like MOTM.

But that is one event and quite frankly many times members don't know what they want until you show them a plan.

A great case in point is membership.

For many ( too many ) years we collectively bickered about letting in members who were geographically competitive with existing members.

Believe it or not - at one point a member could veto the addition of another member who they felt was a competitor within their state.

Then as we collectively watched from the audience as Sage changed their focus, I think we started to realize the true purpose ( collaboration ) of the group, and the more active participants the better.

We easily doubled our group size and the concern about competitive issues never arose ( at least not in a major way ).

Instead, the power of 90 Minds has been the building of the brand and the authority that our members bring when they share their knowledge and attend our events.

And as our size grew so did our clout with publishers and ISVs. This is a great thing because it helps each of us collectively as members should we encounter a difficult issue and need assistance from within or outside our community.

The challenge for our group - as the great Wayne Gretzky says - skating to where the puck will be and not where it has been

• Some of us are very technical
• Some of us are very sales-oriented
• Some of us are ISVs
• Some of us are doubling down on Sage 100
• Some of us are diversifying away from Sage 100 

The point being?

Not everything that is going to happen within 90 Minds is going to be something we ( as members) are always keenly interested in - but overall the group direction needs to evolve and sustain our community so that's the needs of the group as a whole continue to be met.

Good Luck!

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
------------------------------