The Power of Association to Make Your Dream Come True

Last updated on September 14th, 2024 at 12:24 am

Going after your big dream can feel like standing on the edge of an expansive ocean, staring out at endless possibilities while wondering if you’ll ever cross to the other side. The weight of uncertainty can feel isolating, and navigating it alone can be overwhelming.

But dreams aren’t meant to be pursued in solitude.

The key to making your dream come true is to build bridges—relationships that carry you across the gaps in your knowledge, experience, or confidence. These connections become your lifeline, giving you a sense of direction when the waters seem too vast to navigate alone.

Knowledge is power, but community is the force that brings that power to life. It’s through the leverage of relationships that dreams are made real. Where can you find these people? By joining an association of like-minded souls who share your passion.

There’s an association for just about every field—from hobbies to careers, callings to crafts. For me, it’s the National Speakers Association—my home, my family, my tribe. These are the people who see the world through a similar lens, understand the nuances of my challenges, and offer the support to reach beyond them.

Without this community, I wouldn’t be where I am today and certainly wouldn’t have the vision for where I want to go next. Together, we rise

Here are 7 top reasons to join an association of your peers:

1. The Education.
My association continues to provide quality programs to help me in my business. Sometimes, they provide information I can’t find anywhere else, all in one place, from the best in the business.

2. Information About My Industry.
My association helps me see the bigger picture of my industry, market trends, and future predictions. They can give me an aerial view that I can’t get from where I sit.

3. Access To The Successful People.
Much better than a LinkedIn connection, associations give you face-to-face access to the people who have made it in your industry.

4. A Group Of People Who Can Relate To What You Do.
Sometimes, our family and friends can’t truly relate to our lives and the challenges we face. An association provides a group of people who truly understand what you are trying to do and why it’s hard. You cannot only share the obstacles, but you can also share the victories.

5. An Ongoing Network of Helplines.
I can no longer count how many times I have reached out to people in my industry for help and received it. Often, they are strangers, but they still help. Our association gives us a common bond.

6. People Who Can Actually Book You!
Do you think you can’t get business from your peers? You’re wrong.  Not only do I refer my speaker friends all of the time, but I also get referred by my speaker friends. Networking is networking, and fans are fans. Associations help you increase your market exposure.

7. Friends Who Become Like Family. The friends I make in my association become friends for life. My best friends are those I met at conventions and meet up with every year after that. Associations give you a community of people who share the same dream—people who rush to help when you need it, cheer for you when you need it, and pick you up when you need it. The friendships I have formed have become my greatest blessings.

Here are 7 things to do when you join an association:

1. Invest the money and time to attend the events.
It’s worth the investment.

2. Get involved.
The more you put in, the more you get out.

3. Fight the comparison feelings.
You may be overwhelmed at first, feeling like the new kid. This naturally leads to feelings of not belonging, of being behind. Ignore those feelings. They aren’t true. You have just as much to offer as they do.

4. Ignore the divas.
Just like in every group, you will have annoying people and people who thrive on their own egos.  Let it go.  There are far more nice, genuine people. Don’t waste your energy on the ones who treated you with disrespect. They really aren’t worth it.

5. Do the work.
The advice doesn’t mean anything unless you follow it. Don’t be a lifelong college student. Act on what you learn.

6. Follow up on relationships.
Meet a new friend? Reach out to them. Tell them when you’re in their area. Meet for coffee. Don’t be discouraged if they are too busy. Some people just move on and reach out to someone else.

7. Share what you know, share what you have, and leverage your gifts.
There is enough business to go around – enough opportunity for us all.  Help others in that association reach their dreams, and it will come back to you tenfold.

Nothing is more powerful than the woman who links her arms with another woman, another woman, and another woman–leveraging talents, pooling resources, multiplying wisdom manifesting encouragement and courage. We are truly stronger together. And when one succeeds, so do we all.

Chasing a dream might feel lonely at first, but with the right people by your side, it transforms into a shared journey that leads to dreams coming true—and isn’t that the ultimate goal?