The United Way

By Jace Schmidt, community engagement manager

This advice (which has since become my personal and professional mantra) came to me at a time in my life when I needed it most, and has now become my favorite advice to give.  But in an era stained with misinformation, trusting what you learn can feel both risky and overwhelming to verify.  There is still one tried-and-true method of learning in a safe and verifiable way that all societies are built upon: sharing experiences with each other directly.

Can’t decide where to eat when traveling?  Ask a local.  Stuck on a project at work?  Reach out to a seasoned professional in your industry.  Issues in your romantic life?  Talk to someone you’ve observed to be in a healthy relationship.  Feeling a strain on your mental or emotional health?  Reach out to a good friend or licensed professional (ideally both, if you are able).

Admittedly, this advice can be easier said than done and I’m not comfortable being on a soap box.  This added context was meant only to justify my week-long absence from my office for United Way’s regional conference, and perhaps to remind our readers like you how valuable human interaction is in all aspects of life.

Expectations vs. Reality

The 2026 Great Rivers Regional Conference was my sole reason for boarding a 14 hour train at 3am, and at that hour can you blame me for asking myself “will this be worth it?”.  Admittedly, I had never been to any type of conference, so my mental image of the days ahead revolved around exchanging business cards, listening to seasoned professionals speak, and missing home.

Reader, I was only partially correct.

The three days following that train ride were genuinely the most inspiring, educational, motivating, and (dare I say) fun days I’ve had at any work-related function.  Each day followed the same base schedule: enjoying a balanced breakfast while a keynote speaker presents, followed by a couple breakout sessions of topical learning, then back to lunch with another keynote speaker, and ending the day with a couple more learning sessions in smaller groups.

Putting the “action” in “interaction”

From motivational speakers, to philanthropists, and even United Way Worldwide’s President & CEO, each keynote I witnessed was a moving experience.  Even when you feel like you have nothing in common with who you are listening to, listening to someone else’s perspective will have a lasting impact on your own perspective. 

Each breakout session split the 300+ attendees into 10 different learning topics of our choosing.  Ahead of the conference, UWHMC’s executive director, Dalton Black, and I decided it would be in our best interest for us to have no topics or sessions in common.  While he attended sessions focused on leadership and future-proofing nonprofits, I was off learning about fundraising, marketing, public relations, and event planning.

What I expected to be silently listening to lectures turned out to be activity-driven, interactive learning activities and just a dash of lecturing.  Although no two sessions focused on the same topic, there was one common takeaway: every United Way faces the same challenges, but we all came up with different solutions.

It might be common for a professional to hold their unique solutions tight to their chest, unwilling to discuss or break down specifics with someone who isn’t offering anything in return – but consistently I experienced the opposite.  Each time I approached a peer in my session to ask more about their solutions, there was no hesitation from them to offer me their business card and inviting me to connect.  Based on my past work experiences I half-expected this to be a fake invitation, but now 3 workdays removed from the conference I have already had the conversations I’d hoped to have with my new peers!

Reimagine, reset, and return reenergized

After three consecutive days of learning, listening and discussing new solutions to challenges we face regularly, the return trip back home felt nothing like the trip there.  The fear of failure, the lack of self-trust due to inexperience, and the feeling that I hadn’t exhausted all options to overcome a challenge had melted away and got left behind in Illinois.  There were only two ways forward when we returned to the office on Monday: either continue as we had in the past, or be bold and trust our colleagues.  We chose the latter.

This experience was not unique to United Way, but rather a standard that was set long before we were born.  Society thrives when business leaders don’t gatekeep the keys to their success, but instead choose to shout it from the rooftops for all to hear.  Humanity is worth more than any organization’s success, we just have to set aside our pride and selfish motivations to help each other.

As the title of this blog already stated, stay curious and never stop learning from each other.  And if you’re already succeeding to your personal standards, be excited to share your experiences and discuss your colleague’s challenges freely.  Together, we can all thrive.