Let’s be real for a second: running an Employee Resource Group (ERG) is hard work.

We’ve all seen it. You start an ERG with a vision of driving culture, fostering belonging, and making your company a better place to work. But before you know it, you’re buried in spreadsheets, chasing down RSVP numbers, and manually copy-pasting invites into Slack channels.

Instead of leading the orchestra, you’re stuck moving the chairs. 😰

At Epoch, we believe ERG leaders deserve better. That’s why we are absolutely thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with Maceo Owens (aka "The ERG Homegirl") and The ERG Movement!

Together, we’re on a mission to solve the biggest hurdle in our industry: Burnout caused by manual processes. Here is what this partnership means for you and how we’re combining strategy with technology to help you build ERGs that last. 🤝

The "Stagehand" Dilemma

Maceo Owens has a perfect analogy for the current state of ERG leadership. Ideally, an ERG Lead should be the Conductor—setting the tempo, guiding the vision, and leading the performance.

But without the right infrastructure, most leaders end up being Stagehands. They are consumed by the "messy kitchen" of logistics—fixing lights, managing calendar invites, and wrestling with data. When your capacity is absorbed by stagehand work, you can’t focus on the strategy (or "Purpose") that actually drives impact.  

This is where our partnership comes in. We’re combining The ERG Movement’s operational strategy with Epoch’s automation technology to help you graduate from Stagehand to Conductor.

The 3 P’s: Respecting the Order of Operations

One of the biggest takeaways from our collaboration with Maceo is the "3 P’s Framework." Many programs fail because they do things in the wrong order.  

1. Purpose (The Why): Why does this group exist?
2. Process (The How): How do we get work done? (This is your Operating System!)
3. Programming (The What): The actual events and initiatives.

Too many teams skip straight to Programming ("Let's throw a party!") without fixing the Process. That’s a one-way ticket to burnout town. Epoch is here to be that Process layer—automating the "how" so you can focus on the "why" and the "what."

Meet Your New Teammate: Agent Epoch 🤖

You’ve probably heard the buzz about AI, but here is the truth: AI cannot fix a broken process. As Maceo says, "If you can’t automate it, you can’t 'AI' it."  

That’s why our joint offering is so powerful. We aren't just handing you a tool; we’re helping you build the foundation.

• Step 1: Clean the Kitchen. Through The ERG Movement’s "Documentation Audits" and "Fresh Start Program," we help you rewrite your SOPs and handbooks to be "AI Parsable." We turn tribal knowledge into clear, atomic instructions. ¹  
• Step 2: Automate the Basics. Epoch takes over the repetitive stuff—multi-channel promotion, calendar syncing, and membership management. No more manual headcounts!  
• Step 3: Deploy Agent Epoch. Once your process is solid, Agent Epoch steps in as your multi-tool teammate. It can book meetings, summarize feedback, and execute workflows across Slack and Email. It handles the "Stagehand" work so you don't have to.

Real Numbers, Real Impact 📈

We know that "vibes" don't secure budget approvals—data does. This partnership is grounded in the value of "Real Numbers."

By integrating Epoch with your HRIS and utilizing Maceo’s strategic frameworks, we help you move beyond vanity metrics (like just sign-ups) to prove business impact. We’re talking retention rates, promotion correlation, and deep sentiment analysis.  

Ready to Run Your ERG Like a Business?

The era of the "social club" is over. It’s time to operationalize belonging.

Whether you are looking to audit your current documentation, train your leaders on the "3 P's," or deploy a full-stack operating system with Agent Epoch, we have the solution for you.

Let’s get you back on the podium. 🎻

Join Us Live: Lunch and Learn with Maceo Owens in SF 📅

Want to see these strategies in action? We are hosting an exclusive Lunch and Learn (+webinar) with Maceo Owens on January 7th!

We’ll be diving deeper into the "3 P's," demoing how Agent Epoch works in real-time, and answering your questions live. It’s the perfect way to kick off the year and set your ERG program up for success.

Register now to secure your spot!

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Check out more about our partnership with the ERG Movement:

• Join the ERG Champs Slack community to meet a large group of peers to discuss all things ERG.
• Hear the key insights from Maceo and Keith’s discussion on automation in the world of ERGs in our blog.
• Contact our team to learn more about how Epoch can support your organization’s ERG leads and event management.

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