FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO

Membership organizations of every shape and size usually get asked the same question most often, in one form or another, by prospective new members: “What’s in it for me?” (otherwise known as WIIFM). When it comes to Chamber membership, we have many answers to that question. The challenge is nding the answer that resonates with you and your business and will bring the most value to you for your membership investment.

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with one of our City Councilmembers covering several topics on a “philosophical level.” I shared that one of the philosophical discussions many chambers have is whether or not to get involved in political advocacy. The Vacaville Chamber has a long-standing tradition of advocating on behalf of issues and candidates that are pro-business. This doesn’t always make us popular, and our candidate or position doesn’t always win, but exercising our voice in support of business is one of the ways we bring value to our membership and the business community as a whole.

Advocacy doesn’t always require taking a stand on an issue, it can also take the form of providing information to our community and better connecting you with our elected leaders and city staff. This was the case at our Movers & Shakers Breakfast Summit held on March 8 at the Opera House. The sold-out crowd was able to learn a wealth of information through the State of the City 2023 presentation by Mayor John Carli and City Manager Aaron Busch. If you weren’t able to attend, you can nd a video of the event on our Facebook feed.

Speaking of social media, communication and marketing are also answers to the question of WIIFM. I think utilizing our outreach efforts is often an underrealized opportunity for our members and maybe this is the membership service that will be most meaningful for your business. We are continually growing our digital network and want to help share your news on our Facebook page, our weekly eblasts, and monthly email of member specials. Don’t forget to include the Vacaville Chamber in your marketing plan!

In addition to communicating about our members, we also share information to help businesses in their day-to-day operations and long-term goals. Our staff scours industry and community headlines to gather knowledge that will help businesses comply with complex laws and regulations, providing resources, training opportunities, and expert guidance on a broad range of issues. This information can be industry speci c, like the topics discussed at our Vacaville Restaurant Alliance meetings, or bene t any type of business, like the presentations at our Business Issues Forums. If there’s something we can help your business learn more about, let us know and we’ll have our team work on getting you answers.

I don’t think any conversation about Chamber membership would be complete without talking about networking. While I know this may not be at the top of everyone’s list, and means more to some than to others, it is still a viable way to grow your business. The Chamber staff and I hope to meet you at a mixer or other event so that we can learn more about you and your business and help make new connections for you in our network. (Make sure to save the date of June 22 for our Night of Champions Annual Dinner – more details coming soon.)

As always, thanks for reading and hopefully nding an answer to WIIFM in this column. If I didn’t quite get to a meaningful answer for you, give me a call or email and let’s gure it out!

Debbie Egidio President/CEO Vacaville Chamber of Commerce

Has there ever been a time in your life when you knew you had to give something up because it wasn’t serving you well?

I have. Probably many times. Recently, I gave up something that was not bene cial to my overall life. At some point I said enough and made the decision to remove it from my life.

And then…change happened.

According to Oxford Languages the word Decide is Latin based, meaning “to cut off.” It has been described by many that making a decision is to remove or cut off options. What I nd interesting about making decisions is that we own them and their effects. For business owners, it’s an asset and a liability. As an adult in the United States of America, we get to choose how we live our lives. Yes, there are exceptions to this, but for the most part it’s one of the greatest things we have in our country. It’s freedom! Based on our decisions, we can choose to focus on the short-term pleasures and rewards that may or may not be bene cial to our overall life or lifestyle. We can also choose to make decisions for the future. Like an investment, the compounding effect shows a lifetime of decisions, good or bad.

What is one decision you need to make in your life or business that, if you did, would change the course or direction for you? What’s stopping you?

William Hutchison Murray, a Scottish mountaineer and writer wrote this quote about decisions: “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one de nitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

That’s powerful.

Once we make a decision, we cut off the options and move into action. It’s the rst step that is always the hardest. In the military we used to say, “suck it up.” I must admit that in today’s age, that doesn’t sound very nice, but the base of the meaning is that we use grit to push past what is comfortable to obtain our desired goal or end state. I love the mindset “let’s get comfortable being uncomfortable.” If our decision is based on a desired goal or end state, then largely the only thing stopping us is ourselves.

What are you going to commit to today that will make your life better tomorrow? Are you open to being accountable for your own actions? If so, you are UNSTOPPABLE.

Happy Spring!

Ed Rapisarda Chairman of the Board Vacaville Chamber of Commerce

Alocalnonpro tHMO,WesternHealthAdvantageoffersplans witheasyaccesstoquality,affordablehealthcarefromabroad networkof3,000+doctorsandspecialistsandexceptionalhospitalsnearby.Solanoareaemployerscan ndarangeofhealth planswith exibleoptionsthathelpbalanceyourhealthcare needswithyourbudget.

Countoncollaboration,innovation,andoutstandingservicewith plansthatincludepreventivecare,wellnessprogramssuchas tnessdiscounts,andvirtualcareoptionsmakingiteveneasier toaccesscarewhenyouneeditmost.