By Maura Thomas, CSP
Ask a bunch of NSA members why they join and attend events, and I bet the most common response you will receive is some version of, “It’s the people.”
But this short phrase really doesn’t convey the powerful meaning behind it. Admittedly, my first few NSA events were intimidating, and it did take a while for me to “get it.” But I’m so glad I didn’t give up. It was worth every moment of self-doubt, every awkward conversation, and every effort to rally myself to get out of my hotel room when it felt a little overwhelming.
Influence this past July was my 19th NSA event, and I was telling some people in my chapter how good it was. They asked me why and I found myself repeating, “It’s the people,” but that felt so inadequate, it caused me to reflect on what I really mean when I say it.
This article is really for those who are new to the organization, or who aren’t yet members, or who have yet to attend a national event—anyone who hasn’t yet attended enough to see what “It’s the people” really means. I hope my thoughts will help to convey the power behind these three little words and encourage you to invest in discovering it for yourself. Because the payoff for me has been massive. I’ve made friends all over the country, learned a ton, grown my business, and become a kinder, more empathetic, wiser version of myself.
It’s the people in NSA who are the most interesting, brave, creative individuals I’ve never found anywhere else: performers, artists, athletes, soldiers, adventurers…Those I meet at national events continually astound me, inspire me, impress me, and challenge me. I always come back from a national event with a story to share with my husband and friends about the fascinating people I’ve just met.
It’s the people who never fail to offer hope, optimism, kindness, and a deep, authentic desire to make the world a better place. Being around this group touches my heart in a way that feels critical in this global climate of division, anger, and upheaval. It heals my soul and uplifts me like nothing else. The welcoming atmosphere at events has a “coming home” vibe for me now.
It’s the people who become invested in your success and not only help you learn and grow but also trust you enough to send clients and referrals your way.
It’s the people who offer their wisdom and expertise freely and generously, challenging each other to be a better version of ourselves—better speakers, better business owners, and better humans.
I’ve often said that the way learning happens at NSA is often not a straight line. I go, I listen, I absorb, and six months or a year later something in my business has drastically improved. And it’s not until I’m asked, “Where did you get that idea,” that I trace it back to a session I attended or a conversation I had at an NSA event.
It’s the people who become advisors, then colleagues, then friends, then family. One of my closest friends started out as a random, passing introduction in a hallway between sessions at Influence years ago.
It’s the people who have (or are) just the resource you need, when you need it.
It’s the people who understand life on the road, lonely hotel rooms, and bad room service, and are waiting to welcome you to their city with a meal, or a drink, good company, and a pep talk when necessary.
Some seemingly small examples that have had such a big impact on me…When Mimi Brown, CSP, introduced herself to say, “I read your book and it made such a difference, I had to find out if you were a member, because we need you here.” At my first Influence, when Tim Durkin found me looking a little dazed and uncertain, he simply hooked my arm in his and included me in everything he did for the next several hours, introducing me to dozens of people along the way. When Ford Saeks, CSP, CPAE, used time on stage at the CSP Summit to tell everyone in the room that “they need to meet me.” When Rob Ferre, CSP, recommended me for a gig on the NSA Facebook page when we barely knew each other, because he liked my interview on Speakernomics™. There are so many moments like this that I will never forget, and I call them to mind when I doubt myself.
Only others in this industry can truly understand the emotional roller coaster of this business: the pressure to perform, the hotel rooms that were nowhere near as advertised, the inevitable bad speaking review, mishandling a client call, or failing to get a gig.
So if you’re new, welcome! I hope I’ve convinced you to lean in. And for those of you who have experienced the full value of what the organization has to offer, I hope this article will remind you that your participation matters: every new person you greet, referral you make, encouragement you offer, and every out-of-town colleague you invite to coffee when they visit your hometown.
If you share a short story or anecdote in the comments about why you’ve kept coming back, we can start to capture a whole volume of experiences that will help explain to every new and future member why they should stick around long enough to experience the power of “It’s the people” for themselves, and then to remember to pay it forward to the next generation of members, so the experience lives on.
In my interview for board service, I was asked why I wanted to serve. I shared how much I love the organization and how much value I’ve received from being a member, and that I wanted to give back to the organization. But here’s what “the organization” means to me: it’s the people. I promise to work hard to help the organization grow and improve, and I look forward to meeting more of you. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone I’ve crossed paths with that helped me to understand what “It’s the people” really means. (Don’t forget to add in the comments your own examples of what “it’s the people” means to you!!)