Getting ready for the Debt Connection Symposium (DCS), has got us thinking about how important connections are in this industry. People seem to stay in the collection space for their whole careers, making the connections with fellow industry peers and leaders invaluable. How many people do you know who have "left" the collection space only to be pulled back in? And with consumer debt growing every year, it doesn't look like the industry is going anywhere any time soon! 
The very nature of the collection space is rough. Organizations are constantly battling regulation, dealing with people in a rough spot in their lives, and pulling profit from an area that others have abandoned. That may be what creates the camaraderie among the organizations within the industry, or, maybe we're all just a little crazy! Either way, chances are someone you meet today will be around the industry in some capacity many years down the road. That's one of the main reasons we look forward to each conference. A constantly evolving and changing landscape requires individuals to stay sharp and as current as possible. Maybe that's the reason people stay? The need to adapt and learn are great human attributes that are at times stifled in jobs, but in the collection industry, if you don't learn to adapt with the changing times, you shrivel into obscurity. Another benefit of getting out to conferences is that an invaluable amount of knowledge is in one place at one time.
The Debt Connection Symposium has a great lineup of compliance talks and sessions this year, as well as, plenty of possible industry partners who could expand profits and effectiveness. When you go to a conference, what are you really looking to take away from the experience? Is it to see the new innovations out there? Figure out where you may be failing in compliance? Or simply meet some people in the industry and take some time away from the office?
For us, it's finding great partners to grow with. We're not the biggest company around, or the smallest, however having been in the industry for over twenty-five years, we understand the strengths and benefits of a lifelong industry partner and that is what we strive to find. Getting to meet people face-to-face is something we at ADS look forward to all year. How many times have you sat up at night thinking about work? How many sleepless nights has a major decision cost you? Hopefully not many, but I doubt the number is zero. Working in the collection space is not all flowers and roses and sometimes it seeps into our private lives. This is where having trustworthy processes, innovative technology, and solid business rules in place is a must! You want to leave work every day knowing you have set your company or institution up for success.  The peace of mind that goes along with a successful day is priceless. That's the beauty of the conferences in this industry. We get to meet one another and share how we have thrived over the years, what has made us better, and most importantly, we support one another in this ride.