How to Get Amazing Value from Your Volunteer Experiences

There’s a TON of value to unlock when you become an active volunteer of your local association’s chapter. But what does it look like? I discuss that and the best ways to become a valued member of your chapter in this episode with my guest, Corey Perlman.

Corey is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), and the Past President of the National Speakers Association Atlanta Chapter and founder of Impact Social Media. Corey is a bestselling author and keynote speaker who helps businesses and professional speakers turn their online presence into real-world results—not just likes and followers.

We dive into topics including:

Corey’s origin story with getting involved with your local chapter.

Why joining a committee will boost your brand recognition in your local chapter.
What you can expect to do for and get from your volunteering efforts.
How to know if joining your local Board of Directors is the right move for you.
Why Corey believes that people who volunteer’s biggest regret is not doing it sooner.
The benefits of joining your local Board of Directors.
The one reason and value, above all else, to become an active volunteer for your local association’s chapter.

…and more golden nuggets of advice!

Why is Volunteering So Important to Corey?

NSA membership has been the best investment Corey’s ever made in his career. He can tie six and maybe even seven figures of revenue to his involvement with NSA over the years. So, besides the relationships which have been life changing and paramount, the return on investment has been unbelievable. The value of the education alone, such as learning about pitfalls to avoid from more experienced speakers, has been extraordinary. In short, Corey says NSA is the greatest association he’s ever been involved with.

What is the First Step to Getting Involved with and Known in Your Local Chapter?

The first thing you need to do is figure out what your local chapter’s needs are. What you’ll find is there are always needs to be filled through volunteering. It’s a volunteer organization and it doesn’t work and succeed without its members stepping up and volunteering. So, figuring out where the holes are and then where your strengths and aligning the two is step one.

For Corey, he started to get to know a lot of speakers on the National level, so a nice fit for him was serving on the Board of his local chapter as Program Director. That was his initial start to volunteering at NSA Georgia. Then he became President soon after that. It’s about figuring out where your chapter’s needs are, and then matching those needs to where you have the right strengths and what gives you energy.

You don’t want it to be something that you don’t like to do because you’ll get burnt out quickly. Find something to do that is energy giving versus energy taking.

What Can You Expect to Give and What Are the Benefits of Joining a Committee?

Joining a committee is helpful because it’s dipping your toe in the water a little bit. It’s not like you’re on an island by yourself. It’s also not a lot of time and energy. Corey believes you’ll gain so much more than you’ll put into it. A committee is a great way to start just because you’ve got some people to help you out along the way. If Corey had to put a time constraint around it, he’d say, at most, expect to volunteer a couple hours a month.

Then you’ll probably also get some stage time at your events where you can talk about what’s happening on your committee. The bottom line is, when you’re on a committee more people get to know you. They can’t refer you business unless they know you and what services you offer. Part of volunteering means that the people in your chapter get to know you more and your star begins to rise and gets a little bit brighter on the NSA landscape.

Don’t do it just to get something but know that building your personal brand is an added value of volunteering.

In What Ways Does Being on a Committee and Taking Leadership Roles Build Your Brand?

First of all, the committee gets to know you. So, beyond your expertise and what you speak about or the services you offer, they get to know you as a human being, which is great. And then slowly but surely, the rest of your chapter gets to know you. They get to see the great things you’ve created for your NSA chapter and also learn more about the services you provide.

For example, if you join the marketing committee, it’s people seeing your name on the emails that go out, it’s the attention grabbing flyers that are being created and so on. If you’re on the programming committee, it’s the great speakers that you help to book for your meetings. Each week or each month you can deliver content to get your name out there, and so on and so forth.

What’s really amazing about NSA is, they’re great at recognition because it’s really their only currency if you think about it. Corey knows when he was President that he wanted to make sure that he recognized the people who were volunteering and supporting his chapter. He made it a point, and he thinks most Presidents do this, to acknowledge and appreciate the committees and the people that put the work into getting us all together and providing value for everyone involved.

And that’s just the beginning of the story!

Watch this episode for the rest of the story and more golden nuggets of advice!

You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”

About My Guest

With over 15 years of experience in digital marketing, Corey Perlman has worked with organizations of all sizes—from small business owners to global brands—helping them simplify social media and focus on what actually drives engagement, visibility, and revenue.

He is the author of three bestselling books, including Authentically Social: Break Through By Being You!, which serves as the foundation for his keynote presentations and content strategy philosophy. Corey is known for delivering practical, no-fluff strategies that audiences can implement immediately.

A Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Corey is an active member of the National Speakers Association and a Past President of the NSA Atlanta Chapter. He regularly speaks at conferences and events across industries, with a focus on helping audiences turn followers into fees and stay top of mind in a crowded digital world.