Ahead of its 60th anniversary, the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce launched a podcast called “Chamber Chat,” which aims to impart inform listeners about chamber business.
“I really wanted to make information more accessible, and I really wanted to make information about the chamber more accessible because I understand people are busy,” said Allyson Gutwein, the chamber’s executive director. “Sometimes you can’t make it to a meeting. Sometimes you don’t want to attend something in person, or, as a business owner, you are still working.”
Gutwein envisioned starting a podcast when she applied for her position a little more than a year ago, but her plan was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Another constraint was limited accessibility of Zionsville Town Hall, which housed the chamber’s office until November 2020. The chamber moved to 112 N. 9th Street the same month and now records podcasts at its new location.
“We wanted to make sure whenever we were doing our podcasts people had easier access to the chamber at the new office,” Gutwein said. “We have a room set up for just podcasts. We wanted to do those last year, but we didn’t have the ability with limited access.”
The podcast has a new business theme each month. As of Feb. 26, 17 episodes have been released.
February’s theme was “Making a Difference,” which Gutwein said showcased local nonprofits that typically don’t receive the same level of attention and donations after the holidays.
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the chamber’s founding, so the podcast theme is centered on advice for building a sustainable business.
“We are talking about a lot of our businesses that have been in our community for a number of years,” Gutwein said. “Why have they lasted this long? Why have they chosen to stay in our community? What do they think helps them to be sustainable? Because in 60 years you’ve seen a lot, including a global pandemic.”
Episodes of “Chamber Chat” can be found on Spotify, Google Podcasts and the chamber’s website, zionsvillechamber.com. It will eventually be available on Apple Podcasts, Gutwein said.
