Grow Your Business – Volunteering

At the beginning of my professional organizing business, I immediately joined NAPO and NAPO Oregon.  I attended NAPO meetings monthly, and within six months, I was asked to serve on the Oregon board as board secretary. I was thrilled that they wanted me and of course, said yes! I remained on the Oregon board for seven years and retired as chapter president. This was probably the single most important action I took in my first year of business to develop my skills and education as a professional organizer and to promote my business.

Eleven years after I started my business it was running like a well-oiled machine, and with nine different streams of revenue resulting in increased profits year after year, I felt it was time I could return to volunteering in the professional organizer industry. But where and how?

One day an email from the Institute for Challenging Disorganizing (ICD) came into my inbox, communicating they were looking for nominations for treasurer for ICD’s board of directors.

Hmm, I thought, I have held every board position but treasurer. Could I do the job? Would ICD want me?

Valentina Sgro was president of ICD at the time. I knew Valentina, so I decided to give her a call and inquire about the treasurer’s role. After talking with Valentina, I submitted my nomination. Next, the nominating committee contacted me and arranged for a series of in-depth interviews, after which I was notified they would be delighted to submit my nomination to the ICD board. At the next board meeting, I was elected, along with the other new board members.

It was a bit challenging at first because treasurer work was new to me, but I love working with numbers and financials and discovered I have an aptitude for the role. I enjoyed the work, the other people on the board, and the management company staff. It felt good to be of service to the industry while connecting with other industry professionals and developing my leadership skills.

If you are a member of an association related to professional organizing and have volunteered with the association, please share which ones and how you have benefited from that experience.

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