The Southern Association of Orthodontists (SAO) determined the profession needed to stop being blindsided by change. Using a futures learning process, SAO initiated a scanning, forecasting, scenario planning, visioning and goal-setting project to prepare for the future. What began as a regional effort expanded into a national initiative as the SAO leaders collaborated with others on the project. Take a practical look at how a regional organization used futures tools to help its profession break out of their past and create an openness to new thinking and possibilities.