To our members:
I am humbled and honored to have served as Chapter President in 2024. We accomplished so much this year; with record attendance at many of our events, connecting with one another to elevate ourselves and the industry, and finding collective Success Through Service. I’m proud of what we’ve done together this year.
The final pillar of service that I want to focus on in 2024 is how serving ourselves is just as important to our personal success as serving others.
I personally bristle at the overuse of the phrase “self care,” in recent years as a stand-in for many folks (myself included) to justify bad habits, rather than finding the substantive wisdom of how caring for ourselves is imperative to being able to show up for others in the best way possible.
Think of every flight you’ve ever taken: the familiar announcement before takeoff that, in the event of an emergency, passengers are advised to put their own oxygen masks on first before assisting others. As a parent, this advice runs counter to my own instincts, but it’s a clear reminder that if we don’t first do what is necessary to care for ourselves, we can’t effectively help others.
I’ve found the same to be true in my professional practice. If I’m feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or anxious, it can interfere with my ability to support my partners, advise clients, and maintain relationships. But when I’m taking care of myself through things that I find personally fulfilling and simple, everything is easier. On my own, I do it by riding my bike, building community with others, working on puzzles, and practicing gratitude.
What I’ve learned, however, is that the best way I can serve myself is to ask for help. When I do, the results are better for everyone. It may free up my time to focus on a specific client or task, give me space to address my own mental and physical wellbeing, or simply connect with someone capable of acting as a sounding board to reason out an issue.
This is why I’m grateful for TMA, and our Chapter in particular. We have so many talented, energetic members and leaders who have such a broad range of skills and experience that nearly every situation I find myself in professionally, there’s a TMA Chicago-Midwest member who can help.
As we close another successful year, I hope each of you takes time to rest and prepare for the year ahead. Serving as President in 2024 has been a privilege, and I want to thank each and every one of you—particularly our 2024 leadership team who made my job fun and easy, our Chapter Sponsors who make it possible for us to continue providing first-class events and programming, and Katlyn and Amanda of Glatz Management Services for their invaluable support. I can’t wait to celebrate together at our Board Appreciation event in January. 2025 looks to be another great year for the Chapter under David Levy’s leadership, and I can’t wait to see where we go next!
Jack O’Connor
2024 TMA Chicago/Midwest Chapter President
