Like many association professionals, I fell into association management. I originally pursued life as a policy wonk and lobbyist in DC but realized that I liked the business side of associations better. I started out in policy work because I majored in political science and always thought, "Someday, I'll make my mark in DC." Little did I know that my political science education would inform a large chunk of what became my chosen profession.

When I moved away from policy work, I became a communications and board relations staffer. One day, I was asked to "cover" chapter relations when a coworker went on leave. That was a critical turning point: For the next 15 years, I was a component relations professional (CRP) at several organizations.

My component relations experience was helpful through all phases of my career because it taught me how to interact with a variety of people in many different situations.

As a CRP, I worked with local chapters, regions, committees, and special interest groups. My studies in political science taught me all the things that a successful CRP needs to know: relationships, culture, history, policy, strategy. These are also areas you need to master to be a successful CEO.

My component relations experience was helpful through all phases of my career because it taught me how to interact with a variety of people in many different situations. My early communications experience was a big plus because component relations programs are not successful if you are not a good communicator.

After I had some experience, I set a career goal: Someday, I would make my mark as a CEO. I was motivated to set that goal because, as a CRP, I had to know as much as possible about everything in the organization, from budgeting to taxes to bylaws (just to name a few).

At the time, although I didn't fully form the thought, I understood I was getting valuable executive experience. However, that goal was put on hold for years when things changed dramatically. My job, and another that followed, ended in layoffs, and my career took a turn into consulting.

As a consultant, I learned a lot about business, selling yourself, and working without a net—all things that a successful CEO needs to know. My CRP experience informed and supported my consulting work, as the same skills applied in different situations, and I consulted on component relations from time to time.

During this period of unemployment and consulting, I still considered myself an association executive, and when the opportunity arose to obtain my Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation as a consultant, I welcomed the challenge. It was a chance to test myself: Did I really know as much as I thought I did? Was I ready for the risk of possible failure? Again, my CRP skills and experience supported me through my CAE work, which required preparation, research, organization, and a willingness to take risks.

I passed the CAE exam and was excited and proud to have accomplished this important goal. At that point, I set a goal of finding a CEO position—after all, despite my sojourn as a consultant (which I loved!) my long-time career goal was to become a top staff executive in an association. I realized a dream put on hold can still happen. So, I put everything I had into finding the right position.

Now, I am a CRP, CAE, and CEO. I guess you can say I've "C-een" it all.

This is how being a CRP helped me become a CEO: I learned the soft skills and the business skills to be successful. All these skills come into play as a CEO, even if you don't realize it as a CRP—and I think I'm better at being a CEO because of my CRP experience. Why? Because I've already been tested, and I demonstrated I can do it.

Your journey will be different from mine, as we are all unique, but you can find the right CEO position with a combination of patience, work, research, and relationship management—the same way you find success with your components.

CRPs show their constituents what is possible for their organization. Being a CRP shows you what is possible for yourself.