The Bond Between at The National Best Friends Conference

A few weeks ago, Rachel (Founder & CEO) and Tashina (President) had the opportunity to present a session at the national Best Friends Conference in Salt Lake City called “Creating Synergy Between the Dreamer & the Doer.” And honestly? We thought maybe a handful of people would show up and politely nod along.

Instead, the session sold out.

Which probably tells you something important right away: almost every organization has a Dreamer and a Doer… and almost every organization has tension between them.

Throughout the session, we talked openly (and very honestly) about what it looks like to build an organization when one person naturally lives in big ideas, vision, momentum, and possibility… while the other is focused on execution, sustainability, timelines, staffing, and making sure everyone survives the idea. We joked about 11 PM “great idea” texts, emotional whiplash, “squirrel ideas,” and the very real experience of one person saying, “We could totally do this!” while the other quietly wonders if the budget, staffing plan, and laws of physics agree.

But underneath the humor was something we care deeply about: both roles are essential.

Dreamers push organizations forward. They see possibilities other people miss. They challenge assumptions, create momentum, and inspire growth. But without Doers, even the best ideas remain just that... ideas. Doers create systems, sustainability, accountability, and structure. They help organizations grow in ways that are healthy, scalable, and actually achievable long term.

And the truth is, most organizational conflict doesn’t happen because one side is wrong. It happens because both people care deeply, but are optimizing for different things at the same time.

One of the biggest things we shared during the session was the importance of creating intentional “Idea Flow.” In animal welfare especially, there is never a shortage of urgent needs, creative ideas, or opportunities to help. If every idea immediately becomes a project, teams burn out quickly. Over time, we’ve learned the importance of creating systems that allow ideas to exist without instantly becoming operational chaos.

Sometimes ideas need to be explored. Sometimes they need to sit for a while. Sometimes they belong in what we jokingly call the “Squirrel’s Nest” - important and exciting, but not necessarily for today.

What surprised us most after the session was how emotional many of the follow-up conversations became. So many people shared that they finally felt understood in their role within their organization. Integrators felt validated in the exhaustion of constantly absorbing urgency and trying to create stability. Visionaries felt understood in the loneliness that can sometimes come with carrying ideas that feel bigger than current reality. And many people admitted they had never really thought about how much healthier organizations become when these two roles stop seeing each other as obstacles and start seeing each other as regulators, translators, and partners.

Because the goal isn’t for Dreamers to stop dreaming.

And it isn’t for Doers to stop protecting sustainability.

The goal is learning how to work together in a way that allows big ideas to become real without losing the people carrying them out.

Honestly, the session reminded us of something we think about often at The Bond Between: some of the most impactful work happens not because one person had a brilliant idea, but because multiple people trusted each other enough to build something bigger together.

And that feels like a pretty good lesson both inside and outside of animal welfare.