Helping Yourself While Helping Others

Why should you apply for a 2014 ISPA volunteer task force position? ISPA asked veteran task force member Melanie Edwards to share her experience and how it has benefited her personal and professional life. 

I have had the great pleasure to be a part of the ISPA family since 1994.  In exchange for the time and support I brought to the association, I developed leadership skills that benefited me both personally and professionally.  Volunteering on a task force is as easy as it is rewarding.  It helps you make new industry friends, learn new skills and advance your career.  Here are my reasons why:

#1 Volunteering Connects You to Others
One of the best known benefits is that volunteering has a tremendous impact on ISPA. Volunteers are truly the glue that holds the association together.  Involvement on a task force allows you to connect to the ISPA community and enlarge your network, all while making it a better place.  

#2 Volunteering Increases Your Social and Relational Skills
Volunteering on a task force gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.  It also provides you the opportunity to meet key industry leaders.  I enjoy feeling as though I am always at the pulse of the industry through these connections.

#3 Volunteering Is Good for Mind and Body
It provides a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction and helping others kindles happiness. Becoming involved with ISPA is fun and both relaxing and energizing. It has also renewed my creativity, motivation and vision for my personal and professional life.

#4 Volunteering Can Advance Your Career
If you’re considering advancement in the spa industry, becoming a volunteer can help you get experience in new areas of interest and meet people who can support your goals for the future. Over the course of my involvement, I have strengthened my workplace skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, public speaking and organization.  

My past and current involvement with ISPA has been extremely rewarding.  It is exciting to see how a group of professionals from different segments of the spa industry can have such an influence on the association.  I encourage you to get involved.  The most valuable skills needed for a task force are an open mind, a willingness to do whatever is needed and a positive attitude.  


Melanie Edwards
General Manager, SpaCare Group
www.spacaregroup.com 

Would you like to apply for a 2014 ISPA volunteer task force? Submit your application by December 17 for consideration.