By Hayden Burton | Cedar Falls High School, IA
DECA’s 2026-2027 membership campaign, “Next Big Thing,” challenges all members to think of it as more than just a phrase. It can mean many different things to the members of DECA. For some, it means competing for the first time, running for a leadership position, placing at association conferences, or even attending their first conference. No matter what it looks like, everyone's Next Big Thing means growth and the next step in their DECA journey.
In this article, I will outline how all members, including you, can find your Next Big Thing, use setbacks as motivation, and take steps to grow in competition, in your leadership role, and as individuals through DECA.
Defining Your Next Big Thing
Before chasing your Next Big Thing, it is important to know exactly what that is. Your goals don't have to be, and should not be, the same as others, so finding what exactly you want to accomplish is important.
Here are three questions to ask yourself to set your benchmarks:
- If I look back on this DECA year, what would I be most proud of myself for doing? These specific visions are crucial because they are based on what makes you happy rather than what is most popular. This could even include things such as: making 10 new connections on LinkedIn at ICDC, improving my test score by 20 points, studying my performance indicators more each day, or transferring to prepared events rather than role-plays.
- What areas do I want to be more involved in? Community service, networking, chapter activities, competition? DECA offers so many opportunities that it is hard to cover them all in a single school year. Expanding your involvement into a new area next year can help you explore new things you enjoy!
- What is something I was most nervous about last year? Pushing past nervousness can be a great tool to find your Next Big Thing because it unlocks so many more areas to explore that you previously wouldn't have. For me, this was giving my Association Office Candidate speech at Iowa’s SCDC, but I pushed past that nervousness, and it helped me discover areas I needed to work on to excel next year.
Putting it into Action
After you define your personal Next Big Thing, the next step is turning that goal into action. DECA gives you so many ways to grow, no matter what your Next Big Thing is: competition, leadership, chapter involvement or professional development.
Let's use two broad examples of what a member's Next Big Thing could look like and how they can execute it:
1️⃣ Competition Focus
- Practicing role-plays with your advisor or fellow member as the judge (switch off roles to hear other perspectives of the prompt)
- Studying performance indicators with practice tests on DECA+ or Quizlet
- Review feedback through judges’ notes at districts or SCDC
- Trying new events that match your interests or a course you’re currently taking at school
2️⃣ Leadership Focus
- Get more involved in chapter activities or create your own to show initiative
- Serve on a committee for your chapter that aligns with your skills or interests
- Mentor new members to make sure everyone has somebody to look up to
- Run for a leadership position to put your great ideas into action
By taking advantage of all DECA has to offer, you can turn your idea of your Next Big Thing into a reality by the end of the 2026-2027 DECA year.
Use Setbacks as Motivation
The Next Big Thing for you may not always come from success. Sometimes it begins when something doesn't go your way: you don’t place at state, you don’t make it to finals at ICDC, or you don't get elected to the leadership role you wanted. All of these setbacks can help you get a clearer picture of what you want to improve; they give your DECA efforts next year a purpose.
A setback doesn’t have to stop your progress; it can become the reason you find your Next Big Thing and improve next year.
Your Next Big Thing is out there waiting for you; it may be a competition-based opportunity, a leadership role a new skill, or a personal step towards greater self-confidence. No matter what yours is, accomplishing it starts with defining your goal through self-reflection, taking real steps to complete it, and growing through challenges. It will be exciting to see everyone living out their Next Big Thing during the 2026-2027 DECA year.
