When you want to create another level of marketing, using internal talent to spread your message, how do you do it? In the case of Powering Chicago, it was about creating a unique YouTube show that engages a niche audience. In this episode of “Can You Hear Me?”, co-hosts Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford interview Elbert Walters III, the Executive Director of Powering Chicago, who will talk about why their program was created, the benefit for those of you who want to start your own shows.
When you want to create another level of marketing, using internal talent to spread your message, how do you do it? In the case of Powering Chicago, it was about creating a unique YouTube show that engages a niche audience. In this episode of “Can You Hear Me?”, co-hosts Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford interview Elbert Walters III, the Executive Director of Powering Chicago, who will talk about why their program was created, the benefit for those of you who want to start your own shows.
Find more about Bert's work with Powering Chicago by visiting www.poweringchicago.com and by watching the Power of Better YouTube Show.
Rob Johnson [00:00:18] Hello, everyone. I'm Rob Johnson, president of Rob Johnson Communications. Thanks for being with us.
Eileen Rochford [00:00:23] And I'm Eileen Rochford, CEO of the marketing and strategy firm The Harbinger Group. We're always seeking new and innovative ways to elevate our client's messages in the work that we do. And one of those ways is to create and provide content for a YouTube channel, including developing and launching new shows on YouTube. So that's what we're going to talk about.
Rob Johnson [00:00:42] That's right. Our guest today, we have a lengthy intro for him. Our guest today knows all about that. He is Elbert Walters III, the executive director of Powering Chicago. Now, Powering Chicago is a partnership between IBEW Local 134 union electricians and signatory electrical contractors of Chicago and Cook County, the ECA. Several years ago Powering Chicago made a conscious effort to highlight its contributions to the industry in Chicagoland, including starting a unique YouTube show called The Power of Better.
Eileen Rochford [00:01:14] That's right, Rob. And you and I know this because particularly for my firm as Powering Chicago's marketing agency, we're doing all of the marketing analytics on YouTube and LinkedIn. And you, Rob Johnson of Rob Johnson Communications were hired to produce that show. And the show showcases the expert and high tech work done by Powering Chicago's contractors, their end users and some of their partners. So, Bert, welcome to "Can You Hear Me?" You are quite a talent and a good friend and a great client. And I'm really grateful. And I know Rob is, too, for you being here with us today to tell us all about, you know, what is really a unique experience for many. There aren't many people who get to do what you do.
Elbert Walters III [00:02:03] Well, thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. And, Rob, just so you know, you stole the intro, so there's no need for me to be here.
Rob Johnson [00:02:09] And that's the end of the program. Thanks for joining us. [laughing]
Rob Johnson [00:02:14] Well, Bert, our listeners should know that you are not only the executive director of Powering Chicago, but the host of The Power of Better. You're the host of the show, and before that, you were a union electrician for 17 years before spending four years as an IBEW Local 134 business representative. You had no experience in broadcast communications, posting, any of that sort of thing prior to doing this show, and it's very impressive how well you've made this pivot. How challenging would you say it was for you? When we're having those meetings and we're talking about starting this YouTube show and I think everybody in the room is looking at you like "that guy would be the perfect host." What was that like?
Elbert Walters III [00:02:55] Well, yes, it was a challenge, especially coming from a field where you're not connected to any kind of marketing, any kind of of showcasing and reaching out to demographics on what your specific skill sets are. So it was a challenge, especially for me coming from an area where you're producing material on the job site and your marketing is what you've done for that day in terms of the amount of material product that you get up in the job site. So switching over to marketing, not just for what we do as individuals in the industry when it comes to, you know, the labor, but also speaking on behalf of our contracting partners, it was a real challenge, right? Because coming from an opportunity where you have to represent members and now you have to represent the both partners and that means the Electrical Contractors Association and the over 600 contractors that we have. But not only that, the nearly 12,000 members that we represent, it creates a unique position. And luckily with the training that we were able to have in our partnership with not only The Harbinger Group, but with you, Rob Johnson, we were able to hone their skills and create a strategic marketing plan that reaches out to not only the individuals that are hiring our contractors and are familiar with our members, but also creating content to specific markets, right. And it was a great opportunity for us to actually showcase what we do, but dig deep into those talents that I didn't even know that I had, right. Again, and that lends credence to the fact that your group was able to identify the skill sets that we have and it's proven that you don't necessarily have to be an actor or have acting skills, right. But that it's all about hearing and really wanting to promote the industry that you're here to represent.
Rob Johnson [00:04:55] And you've done a great job of that, too. I mean, having that authenticity I think makes such a difference, don't you think, Eileen?
Eileen Rochford [00:05:02] I do. I think it makes all the difference in the world. And that's kind of what we're here to talk about, right? Honestly, any organization that has someone internally who's comfortable learning the skills needed to host a show like this, be the face, the voice, you know, of their organization, their partnership, their membership, their company at large. If you have that and you have someone like Bert, honestly who has the courage to do that, to step outside of their comfort zone, that's the most authentic voice imaginable for an organization, in my opinion. And I know you share that, Rob, which is kind of why we went down this path with Bert. Bert, that journey has to have been a challenging and hopefully a little exciting one for you. From the moment everyone involved said, "Go, we're going to create this show and it's going to be great. We have great talent. We have great stories to tell." You had to learn a lot of things. Can you tell us about some of the things that you had to learn and what that felt like for you just, you know, being the host of a YouTube show?
Elbert Walters III [00:06:21] Eileen, you're so kind. Thank you. Because you know the story behind the story.
Rob Johnson [00:06:26] She sure does.
Elbert Walters III [00:06:29] I've never been one to want to be out in the forefront. I'm one of the individuals and my personality type is one that I would love to be behind the scenes, right. And to be thrust in the forefront, to speak not only for an organization like IBEW, but to speak on behalf of the entire industry was a challenge. I still get goose bumps right now thinking about that first day that I was asked to do this. But I think you hit it right on the head that I had a passion for what this industry was able to do for me, what it was able to do for my family, what we're doing that's different. And I thought that it was my duty, right, to go out and speak about the opportunities, to speak about some of the interesting and innovative techniques that we're using to benefit our end users, to benefit from those who engage with us, and to benefit our clients, quite frankly. And right now, it's becoming more and more, I want to say not easier, but it's becoming more and more efficient and effective, right? Because now you're leaning and you were able to teach me some of the skill sets that I need to operate to make this process less daunting, to make this process more about me, right. Because again, I didn't see this the passion that everyone else saw, right. But you and Rob were able to identify and really bring out some of those skillsets that I had that I did not really show in the beginning or that I did not see in myself that allowed me to speak for the industry. And it's very difficult, right. And I know we'll touch on this, but our industry is so vast, right? It's not like we have, you know, just construction. We delve in so many different types of industries here in electrical industry, unionized electrical industry, and so to speak, to some type of expertise takes a lot of strategy, right? It takes a lot of forethought and planning. And that's why I appreciate the partnership even more, because we were able to collaborate and share what our industry does and incorporate that in the strategic marketing plan that was developed.
Rob Johnson [00:08:43] You know, Bert, I know the idea initially came from your involvement in another program. It highlighted a lot of different unions in the work that they do, and I know there was a desire for Powering Chicago to say, "We want to shine the light on ourselves, not just all these other groups." So that's kind of how it came to be. I know that. But when you were sitting there having these discussions before I was hired on and so I know Eileen's been there from, you know, day one with this whole idea- How important was it for Powering Chicago to have someone like you with vast industry knowledge to host The Power of Better, to give it the authenticity to each episode as opposed- not that another host wouldn't have done a great job- but you're living it and breathing it every day. How much of a priority was that and how did you all decide "Yeah. Oh, we're going to have Bert do it." I know you said when you're in that room, you were like, "Uh oh, what's coming next?" But it was a big moment.
Elbert Walters III [00:09:42] Absolutely. Coming from the South side of Chicago, born and raised, represent South side. It was really, really difficult for me to think that I have the skillset. And when you look at yourself, Rob Johnson, you're a highly acclaimed individual in the media outlet and thinking that you're going to have someone like myself be on the same level as far as representing these industries- it was a really, really difficult concept for me to accept. However, it's paramount that you have someone that has lived the industry, right, to lend credibility to the fact that what you're speaking about and what you've experienced is actually being presented to the audience and to those who are actually listening and consuming your content, right. And that goes back to what I spoke about earlier about collaboration, partnering with The Harbinger Group with yourself Rob Johnson, is that you're able to identify who has the credibility, who has the authenticity, but I think what's most important is to have a passion for the industry. And you were able to identify that in me. And again I have so much love for this industry for what it was able to provide for me and my family that it came across and being able to speak on behalf of an industry and live that industry, work in that industry, lends credibility. I think that's of the utmost importance because when you're speaking about a topic, anybody can read a sheet, right? Anybody can read what's in front of them. However, when you want to delve into the minutia of what you're able to provide and see what it has done, nothing speaks more than reaching out and saying, "Hey, listen, look, Bert or whoever that is within your industry has lived this. They're able to speak to it to a certain level that cannot be replicated."
Eileen Rochford [00:11:46] Mm hmm. So the advice to our listeners is find your Bert.
Rob Johnson [00:11:50] Exactly and you know what I like too, Bert? Well, and just for a little behind the scenes here, we will send, you know, themes, questions, if you will. I don't like to call them a list of questions, but themes, to the people who are interviewing, so they'll know where we're heading with the interview. But the really important part for you is, you know, you may start them off with a few things to get them going, but we always tell them, listen, wherever this interview takes, this is where we're going. And because you have that industry expertise, because you may hear something that I wouldn't necessarily hear because you've been in the industry for so long. That's what I'm counting on too, that you're going to be able to identify something that was said and then all of a sudden you take that conversation in a totally different direction and one that's going to have some great discovery. And I think they end up being, you know, better interview. So for me it's fun. You know, I used to be in front of the camera. You said you love being behind the scenes. Now the roles are reversed. You're the host. I'm behind the scenes and I have such great joy in watching you kind of ascend and take on this role and grow into it and and really do a great job. I hope people will subscribe to the Powering Chicago YouTube channel because the the episodes are really you know, I know it's me patting ourselves on the back a little bit, but the I think the the episodes are very interesting and getting more so.
Eileen Rochford [00:13:05] So that's a nice bridge, if I may take it. I'm going to just walk right over that bridge. Thank you, Rob.
Rob Johnson [00:13:10] Sure.
Eileen Rochford [00:13:12] Bert, can we talk about for a few minutes? Because I think this is beneficial for folks who are listening and thinking about, well, you know, we might benefit from starting a show for our own organization. Can we talk about the topics and how the process that you guys go through for identifying and then pursuing the topics that you have included in the five episodes of The Power of Better that have been produced thus far?
Elbert Walters III [00:13:39] Absolutely. And I'm glad you spoke to that. But again, for me, representing, like I stated, over 600 contractors and over 12,000 members or nearly 12,000 members, there are a lot of industries that we touch. There's a lot of innovation within our industry. And so it was about specifically just reaching out to our network and finding out what our end users are using to make sure that they're receiving the best quality electrical installations and who's using maybe some innovative and creative tools in order to meet those deadlines and goals that they set. And so, again, going back and peeling it back a little bit. You know, for us in the industry, it's easy peasy. Almost so much to the point where we look over, right, and so having the partnership with you and Rob was actually a godsend in the sense that you really weren't connected to the industry. And so there is a lot of conversation about, "wow, that's interesting." But for us it was like, "Oh, that's what we do," right? However, being able to have that partnership where you have a fresh set of eyes on some of the technology that's being implemented and used in the industry, we were just able to reach within our network and say, "Hey, listen, look, there is a great opportunity here to showcase not only the reason why we claim that we're the best, but to showcase with the best. And it's proven that we're the best. And without patting ourselves in the back, why don't we just focus on what we are doing that separates us from our competition?' And that came in the way of having, again, a strategic plan and conversation about what are we seeing out there in the industry that is new? How do we incorporate that in a storytelling mode that would be consumed by those who we are actually reaching out to share this information with. And I think what also plays into that conversation is having the willingness of our partners to not just pat ourselves on the back by talking about what we're doing, but including the stakeholders as well. And I think that means the end user, right? Because again, at the end of the day, they're seeing the benefit of the skills that we are providing to our end users, to our clients, to our customers. And for us, it is always about showcasing why we are different, why we are your choice for electrical installations within the Chicago Cook County region, but also having those who can lend more credibility. We talked about that a little bit earlier to why we are the best, right? And we can always say, you know, to use another analogy that I like to use for us who are parents. You know, all of our children are the best, right? And you need to pick out one contractor to say that they're the best. I think that's a little bit difficult. However, we have a plethora of options to choose from when we are looking to highlight what technology, what process improvement, what is being used in the industry to help our end users, those who choose to use our contractors and our members to install their electrical systems. We have a plethora to choose from as far as the talent, the innovation, and we reach out to those and we've had some challenges, but I think the results from the show prove that we're putting out great content that people are consuming in a different platform that we typically would not have chosen to go through.
Rob Johnson [00:17:24] Oh, and what a great bridge Bert just left for me to talk about the next thing I want to talk about here, which is the analytics. I think they've been pretty impressive. The fifth episode was released just a few weeks back. Episode six is on the way soon, but the numbers so far over 1 million views on YouTube and LinkedIn for show promos and the episodes themselves. Now for a program searching for a niche audience in the electrical industry, that's got to be gratifying because we want people to know this, this show- it isn't for everybody, but it's for a specific audience of people who may be wanting to hire people that we're highlighting. What are you learning from these numbers that you see and how does it guide the strategy moving forward?
Elbert Walters III [00:18:09] That's a great question, Rob. And I can say this, what it says just on the surface is that this is where individuals are going to look for innovation, to look for contractors. It's a whole different marketplace, right? Again, typically for our industry, it has been let's knock on the door, let's let our reputation speak for us. However, the way that individuals go about searching for, looking for and engaging others is change. And we had to change. And again, I can't say it enough. It's about collaborating and really trusting in the partners that you have to help you with your marketing plan. And so I am very appreciative to have The Harbinger Group with us. And as far as this collaboration is concerned. Again, you spoke to it early, we were excited about just separating and pulling ourselves from the other media platform that we were using to kind of just really be more focused on what our capabilities are. And of course, living on YouTube is great. It's a platform that we were really excited about where we were going. However, through collaboration and clear marketing strategies, their marketing strategies, we were able to identify the fact that most of our niche audience live on a platform that we had not really engaged in- in that way. And I'm excited to say that because of the partnership, because of the strategic planning that we all sat down and had, we were able to identify that particular market. And we've seen our numbers grow exponentially, right? And that's a key for me. That's a key indicator that not only are we reaching the right individuals, but that, again, that partnership is key. And for us in this industry, it's about sharing what our people abilities are to those who make the decisions to choosing the contractors that we've had.
Rob Johnson [00:20:11] I think it's excellent that and what you're talking about is, you know, we said let's go for YouTube and it's still vibrant for us. But all of a sudden, based on the analytics we're getting and Tony Bosma at The Harbinger Group is front and center every week with, okay, here's what we're learning. And hey, LinkedIn's really catching on. And so all of a sudden for our listeners, I want to make sure they're clear on the fact that it's not necessarily a pivot. It's more of an addition to saying,"Hey, LinkedIn's got a lot of people that we want to attract. So we're targeting YouTube and LinkedIn and those numb ers are are backing that up." So The Harbinger Group, to your point, Bert has done some really excellent work, and I think it's exciting to think, okay, here's where we're going, but where are we going to go? And we start with this and we say, let's do two stories per episode, and it's still ten or 12 minutes, which isn't much. And then Tony's like, You know, I think we should do one story per episode. People like the shorter episodes, five ish minutes, and you can really market that one story really hard. And that's the journey we're going on now. So the beautiful thing is you created this Bert and Powering Chicago and we're just following what the analytics tell us and we can innovate and do interesting work. I think it's terrific.
Elbert Walters III [00:21:26] Absolutely. And it's really key because having their partnership and being able to speak honestly and let the analytics share where you're seeing the most engagement, I think is key, right. Again, and you spoke of Tony Bosma, you spoke of The Harbinger Group. And for me, this is not to pat The Harbinger Group or a Rob Johnson on the back, but it's it's really about sharing the fact that when you have true partnership. The achievements are endless. There are no boundaries in which you can make when you really care about not only the clients that you have and you can call them clients, but I like to call them partners in this marketing industry. When you have partners, you're able to share, Hey, listen, look, this is where we think we want to go. All right, Well, that doesn't make sense. However, you know what? How about we use this platform and you accept that information. This is not a dictatorship, and even though it's a client customer base relationship at its core, when it's a partnership, you're able to share what you think is best, take that information and use it. And we've been able to use the information that we get, the analytics that we receive to make sure that we incorporate those platforms, those strategies that best suit what we're able to do. And I'm excited to see where we can go, not just from here on, but in the future where we can continue to share what we are and what our capabilities are in the electrical industry.
Eileen Rochford [00:22:54] Thank you. I just want to pipe in and say I appreciate all your words about partnership. It's so gratifying. We feel the same about you guys, for sure. And the entire partnership here in the creation of The Power of Better, it's been a joy, you know, to be in marketing for as long as I have and still have these joyful experiences of creating new partnerships with multiple creatives and multiple internal clients where the environment is so productive and healthy, collaborative, it's wonderful. So you're right, the best content is created when those are the dynamics, and we're fortunate to be doing that here. Do you mind if I ask you a question? Again, it's about your journey here. I'd really love to hear about some of the things and this Power of Better YouTube show journey that you feel where you've done really right or, you know, were done especially right in the process as well as things you see or have identified as being areas for improvement. Because again, we're trying to share some advice here with our listeners, so we'd love to hear about know, yeah, this went great or we learned something this time. Tell us all about it.
Elbert Walters III [00:24:14] Yes, absolutely. So again, I can't say it enough. It's a collaborative effort. And again, in going after a new marketing strategy that is foreign in your industry, there's more than one opportunity to learn and there's more than one opportunity where you've exceeded in more than one opportunity, where you you've seen a challenge and you can do better. To go into specifics, I can just share that. When we first began the program and Rob, you alluded to it, we had two programs within one episode, right? In understanding where and how your particular niche audience consumes content is so important. So in this particular example, an anecdote that I'm cheering this Pokemon episode was great, but what we've learned over time was that it was too long, and so we had to pivot and change the way we shared our content. And of course, just like anyone else, you think that you're doing the best that you can and what you are sharing is your baby, and this is the way it should be because it's your thought process. However, again, being able to accept the fact that the information that you share, the collaborative effort that we that we have developed, that even those things that may not have come across as what you would like to have is is key because. It allowed us to open our mind to accept the fact that maybe we need to look at things differently. And I'm speaking to me directly because for me, the 12 minute program was perfect. It was the greatest thing ever. I've watched a lot of YouTube and I spend 15 minutes on watching content that I like. However, when we pivoted to the new platform and kept it in a shorter time frame, all of our analytic data proved that this was the proper strategy to use and implement. And again, it lends to the fact that there was a collaborative effort. For me personally, if I can share this anecdote, then I know we're going long, but I will. I have to share this in the beginning. I'm learning and knowing that there is a certain type of authenticity that I have within my person to share to the audience or share to the marketplace. I think was a journey that I had to receive and accept, right? And when sharing in looking at where I've come from in the beginning to where I am now, and to see the engagement from those who watch the program and to see how much that I have grown in this and sharing that, it makes me feel really excited about the growth that I was able to achieve just from leaning on and taking advice from the group. For me, I spoke about it earlier. For me, it's always about doing the work in the background and not really thinking that I am foreground material. But again, when you trust the work and the experience that others have had, you're able to let go, if you will. And in me letting go and, you know, giving a little bit of my authentic self. Those who have seen it and know me were excited about the growth that I've made. As a matter of fact, they often share that, you know, I should have a career after electrical work or in voiceover and maybe a little bit of acting. And so again, it just lends credence to the fact that you're able to trust your partner. And I use that word deliberately. You're able to trust your partner, you trust their advice and again, share. And there are some things that are a challenge. For instance, in the very beginning, some of the content that we share, we had to actually stop and really real back some things because you have to understand the industry for which you are working. And for us, safety is paramount. And when we're when we are sharing content, we want to make sure that we're sharing the images, the content, the materials that are germane to our industry in our focus and being able to have the ability to share that. And when I say share that, sometimes there are heated conversations, right? But you're sharing, right, about what we're trying to get across to to to to our particular audience. But in that we were able to grow to the point where now it's almost this is I don't have to the lack of a better word oversee a lot of the content now because there is a learning that has taken place and our understanding it has taken place and what we are looking to present and the the partners actually sharing that content and making sure that it is in line with our goals and our principles.
Rob Johnson [00:29:21] That's a wonderful sentiment, Bert. And let me just say, just watching you elevate yourself episode after episode, and then to hear you say what you said about people noticing, "Hey, my gosh, you're really getting good at this." It gives me great joy to watch that happen right before my eyes. So kudos.
Elbert Walters III [00:29:38] Thank you. Thank you. And it's all true.
Eileen Rochford [00:29:40] I'm hearing some great advice that I just want to underscore for our listeners. You said so many good things, but one in particular jumped out at me, Bert, and that was the advice to just have the courage to try this, you know, to just start your show and your original vision. It might need to change, but kind of be open and learn from your first efforts and realize I've taken the first step. But the next steps don't have to be going in the same direction to be the right outcome for our organization. So I appreciate you bringing that point up very much. Yeah. Oh, you know, there's another thing I want to underscore, because I know we're going to wrap up. We made the point here that I want to make sure everybody heard, and that is that, you know, you may be creating a YouTube show and that it may be where it lives. But if your audience isn't there, naturally, then be sure to spend your ad dollars on the platform for your digital advertising where your audience really lives. Like in our case, that ended up being LinkedIn was the right choice to promote the show, and the ad dollars that were spent there yielded five times the outcome of what was being spent on YouTube. So do your research and make sure you know where is your audience and run those ads on the external platform from YouTube to pull them back to YouTube or not. You can run the whole episode like we've been doing on LinkedIn and it's turned out just great. So that's that's a great piece of advice. Anything else, gentlemen, that we want to share with our listeners before we wrap?
Rob Johnson [00:31:20] But we could go on and on, but in the interest of time, we probably should.
Eileen Rochford [00:31:24] Okay. All right. Well, Bert, thank you so much for joining us. You know, it is terrific to be in business with you.
Rob Johnson [00:31:31] Yes, it is.
Eileen Rochford [00:31:32] You're just a wonderful human being and indeed a joy to work with. So we appreciate you coming on and sharing your experience on something that was really challenging for you, but you had the courage to do it. So thank you.
Elbert Walters III [00:31:43] Absolutely. Thank you so much. I really appreciate the partnership and thank you for inviting me.
Eileen Rochford [00:31:48] All right, everybody. That's it for another episode of "Can You Hear Me?" I'm Eileen Rochford.
Rob Johnson [00:31:54] And I'm Rob Johnson. We thank you for listening. We thank Bert for being on with us. And remember, you can find "Can You Hear Me?" wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, Google, podcasts and more.