From Our Chapter President (2026-2027)

September 2026

Dear NSA Carolinas Members,

Hey- what happened. I feel like I just woke up from a nap and all of a sudden… it’s officially Fall season. Given how fast stuff has changed lately, I am surprised that I was surprised. At least some of the changes have been super-positive.

As a Chapter, we have welcomed (as of the time of this writing) 50 new members so far this year.  That brings our total up to 346 family members!  Way to go team!  Additionally, your Board of Directors approved and launched our first scholarship program to help those in need cover some of their costs for the upcoming October Retreat in Myrtle Beach.  Oh, how wonderful it will be to utter the words, “Honey, I’m going to a work-thing at the beach. Wanna come with?”

I’m so excited about what the Programming Team has put together for this event. They are committed to tackling our toughest challenges in the speaking business. Not only during this retreat but the slate of offerings that will follow.  And, oh boy, it is just in time!

Our business has always undergone some form of change over the decades that I have been paying attention. But something is different about this year. The definition of what clients are buying is really changing.  According to the Freemen Report, keynotes MUST become more captivating than ever. The report reveals that only about half of attendees went to the event’s primary keynote and only 47% said the keynote contributed to the event ROI.

To take this one painful step deeper, 59% said they prefer an industry expert and only 18% said they prefer a motivational speaker.

Ouch.

That. One. Hurt.

Listen. Some of the news is good news. The Forrester survey shows that event planners intend to increase workshops, roundtables and structured networking. So, as I look across a broad set of research, I come away realizing that the demand level for speakers is still there but the outcome clients want has shifted.

There is a shift towards greater interactivity. Audiences want to participate and engage instead of just consume.

Audiences appreciate motivation but more importantly, they want something they can use.

That’s why I have started providing Field Guides, and other “take-home” resources for almost all of my presentations.

So, take heart and fear not.  If you focus on outstanding content coupled with engaging front-of-the-room presence, you will create an experience for your audience. Let’s think about what we do in terms of creating experiences vs giving presentations because those who can do that well will be the most successful this year. The research is also warning us to stay dead centered in our swim lanes. Ok, that’s me taking liberties with paraphrasing.

Stated plainly: Your specific expertise has become more valuable than broad capability.

So yeah, we have to make adjustments because we are selling services to clients who have already made adjustments because their business is changing rapidly. According to PCMA, over 75% of event professionals said their business model changed last year verses about 25% who said the same thing one year earlier. That rate of change for our clients means that they no longer tolerate mediocrity, but instead demand excellent experiences.

And finally, be you. 

Maritz’s research shows younger audiences want someone to talk with them rather than talk at them. They are looking for speakers they can trust and that trust is based on your authenticity.

The market isn’t telling us to become better speakers; it is telling us to become better at creating experiences that drive outcomes.

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

August 2026

Dear NSA Carolinas Members,

Hello again friends. August is the month where we celebrate Professional Speakers Day and reflect on the challenges and rewards of serving in this amazing industry. I want to take a moment and applaud each of you for the courage and conviction that it takes for you to navigate building a successful speaking business.

And what an honor it is to be in this NSAC family where abundant generosity flows like a mighty river. From the superstars who step up to lead our group mentoring cohorts to the volunteers who put so many hours into all aspects of serving you in this chapter, you and I are surrounded by superheroes. 

Unfortunately, I do need to remind us of something that is especially important.

While the superheroes continue to pour into our success, it is our responsibility to respect their intellectual property (IP). As they share their thoughts, structure, content, and processes with us, we must in turn ensure that we are not using anything that someone else created without their explicit permission to do so. I am not an attorney nor did I ever play one on TV but, it is important to remember that we also cannot use a derivative version of their document, content, or any other created form.

I recently saw one of my catchphrases used on another speaker’s presentation materials. As a brain-nerd, I remind myself that sometimes these things can happen unintentionally. Especially if the phrase is “super-sticky” for the brain, it may come back to you in a moment without you recalling where you heard it. There's actually a name for this: cryptomnesia, when your brain mistakes an old memory for a shiny new original thought. Psychologist Richard Marsh found it even happens in casual conversation: someone says "effervescent," and a week later you're using it like you invented the word (source: APA Monitor). And phrases that are especially "sticky" are more likely to trigger this. Content that's easy to process gets remembered and liked more, which is part of why a punchy line lodges itself in someone's head long after they've forgotten whose stage it came from.

So, when I see my own words show up somewhere else, I try to lead with curiosity. In my most recent conversation, that I mentioned earlier, the speaker was not a member of our NSAC family, and she responded with an immediate apology and changed her materials. I appreciated her promptness and commitment to safeguarding our friendship.

Our chapter has experienced a couple of situations this year where someone else’s original IP showed up elsewhere without permission. If you fell into the “cryptomnesia brain pit”, and accidentally borrowed someone else’s IP, then it can be an easy remedy to acknowledge it and fix it. If you are using something that was provided to you in one of our educational sessions, please reach out to the person who provided it to gain an understanding of how they intended for you to leverage the materials.

The good news: your brain is not a criminal mastermind. It's just a slightly overconfident filing cabinet that occasionally hands you someone else's folder and swears it's yours. The fix isn't complicated. Give credit, send a quick note, ask a question. That's it. That's the whole redemption arc.

We're a chapter full of professional communicators. If anyone can handle "hey, I think I accidentally borrowed your line," it's this room. So, let's keep doing what we do best: building each other up, giving credit where it's due, and trusting that a five-minute conversation solves 99% of these moments.

Your hippocampus thanks you. So does your fellow speaker.

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

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