From Our Chapter President (2026-2027)

June 2026

Dear NSA Carolinas Members,

Hello friends.  I am truly honored and humbled to support your success as President of this amazing Chapter.  When I was originally asked to join NSA over three decades ago, I quickly said “nope.”  I had competed in several Toastmaster competitions, had an undergraduate degree in Communications, worked in Radio and TV, was already getting paid a few hundred dollars to speak, and was ignorant enough to think that this NSA-thing wasn’t really going to teach me that much more.

Then, over the next year, I was exposed to a couple of speakers who were in NSA and one of them was Nido Qubein. That is when I realized that this professional speaking thing has a whole other level in this game and I haven’t even been picked for a team yet.  So, I packed my broken ego into my nearly empty wallet and accepted my fellow Toastmaster’s offer to investigate the National Speakers Association.

I am sooooo grateful for that friend who saw more in me when I thought I had gone as far as I could go.  So many of us share the same story of someone encouraging us to join this team.  And that is one of the reasons why this year’s theme packs strong emotional content for me. No matter where you are in your career, you have the ability to reach someone who needs someone.  The world has become a lonely place, and this business is way too difficult for anyone to do it alone. All of us can demonstrate abundant generosity by simply encouraging each other every chance we get.

This year’s theme is “Each One Reach One.” The theme is about lifting up others in our profession by sharing your thoughts and experiences. Or maybe it is by inviting someone to a Chapter event. Or maybe you are really good at connecting people to others. Or maybe you start a small group of colleagues who struggle with the same things you do so that you all can explore the path to success together. Or maybe… well- I think you get the idea.

And now for a Neuro-nerd moment (‘cause you know I can’t help myself). When we adopt a mentality of Each One Reach One, the National Institute of Health review (2021) states that your brain may register the other person’s need, engage empathy systems, and then reward the act with a positive emotional payoff. I would add that given the high threat environment that our brains endure each day, adopting this attitude will support the well-being of all parties involved.  Another NIH review found that both giving and receiving social support were associated with lower vulnerability to negative psychological outcomes. Research also suggests that prosocial behavior is often linked with better mood and reduced stress responses in daily life. 

So, with each One Reach One… everyone wins. Will you join me in embracing this for our Chapter?

John Edwards, CSP
President (2026-2027), NSA Carolinas