From Accidental Beginnings to Intentional Leadership: A Decade of Growth

Sometimes you decide to take a chance. Sometimes you decide to step into the unknown. And sometimes those decisions work out in ways you never expected.

I didn’t plan to work in this industry. In fact, when I first stepped into it more than ten years ago, I didn’t even know it existed. I had an introduction, we both took a chance, and here we are. New state, new industry, new processes and systems that felt like a foreign language — I was just trying to find my footing. Every day brought a new challenge, and every challenge brought a new opportunity to figure things out.

Somewhere along the way, the unfamiliar became familiar. The questions became answers. The problems became puzzles I actually enjoyed solving. And the work that once felt overwhelming slowly became something I took pride in.

Now, as I look ahead to earning another industry certification, I can see it clearly: I didn’t grow into this industry — I grew because of it.

The best way to learn is hands-on, side by side with people who want you to succeed. I’ve been fortunate to find those people along the way. Late nights, weekends, and projects that pulled me away from home — each one taught me something. They taught me more about the industry than any book ever could, but they also taught me not to take things for granted.

Work — life balance isn’t a constant. It comes in seasons, and those seasons are always shifting. Every late night or out-of-town trip is time away from what matters most: my family. That perspective has shaped how I approach my work and how I show up for the people around me.

Every project brings new challenges — new things to learn, new deadlines to meet, new ways to improve. Over the last few years, the biggest thing I’ve gained is confidence. Confidence in understanding how the pieces fit together. Confidence in anticipating problems before they show up. Confidence in troubleshooting when they inevitably do. Confidence in building solutions that make the next challenge a little easier.

Instead of feeling intimidated, I now feel proud.

Proud that ten years in, I’m still learning. Proud that I’m no longer the person who stumbled into an unfamiliar industry hoping to keep up. Proud that I understand the landscape, see the bigger picture, and know how to help others navigate it too. Proud that I don’t just have a job — I have a career.

Careers aren’t built in straight lines. They’re built in moments — small wins, hard lessons, unexpected opportunities, and the people who help shape us along the way.

And I’m grateful for every one of those moments.

“It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.”

— Philip Green

My Journey From Wood Badge Participant to Staff

When I first walked into Wood Badge 137 as a participant, I was overwhelmed. I walked out still overwhelmed—but empowered. I completed my ticket, kept growing, and continued along my Scouting journey. Life moved, opportunities shifted, and suddenly I found myself with an opportunity staff Wood Badge 148.

And once again, I walked in overwhelmed… but for a completely different reason.

This time, I thought I knew the material. I knew it would take time and effort, but I didn’t realize how much of both. And now I wasn’t just learning—I was being entrusted with training a new generation of leaders. I was being asked to share a message, trust that it would land, and then let those leaders go out and strengthen their units, their communities, and Scouting as a whole.

No big deal, right?
HA.

SEEING WOOD BADGE FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

Being on staff is a completely different world. You get humbled the moment you walk into that first staff meeting. You realize your experiences—no matter how meaningful, or how many—are just one small piece of a much bigger picture. You see how much others have done, how much they’ve given, and how much heart they bring.

And then something amazing happens:
You realize you’re among servant leaders with the heart of a teacher.
You realize you belong there too.

I was surrounded by an incredible group of Troop Guides—strangers who became teammates, teammates who became friends.

I could write an entire post about them alone, but for now I’ll simply say this:

THANK YOU.
For helping me tie a woggle (and everything else).
For making gifts and memories for the participants as well as the staff.
For the smiles, the energy, the encouragement.
For showing up as your full, authentic selves.
And yes… for reminding me, “Eyes up here.”

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING ON STAFF.

You may not feel ready to staff a course when you first say yes. But ready or not, the moment you commit, it’s game on. Every meeting, every assignment, every late-night prep session shapes you into the leader the course needs.

You may start out knowing only one or two people. You may recognize a face or a name. But by the end, you’ve laughed, cried, learned, and grown together. You’ve shared stories and jokes that would make no sense to anyone outside that room. You’ve seen whistle is the loudest. You’ve discovered that the questions you had… they had too. The doubts you carried… they carried too. And somehow, you sync up so quickly it feels like you’ve known each other forever.

WHAT YOU CARRY FORWARD.

The jokes.
The gratitude.
The late-night planning.
The realization that you are not alone as the only non-coffee person in the room.
The moments of “Are we really doing this?”
The moments of “I can’t believe we GET to do this.”
The camaraderie that only comes from shared service.

It all stays with you.

SEE ONE. DO ONE. TEACH ONE.

Ready or not, you may get thrown into the deep end—but you rise, because others believed you could. And because, deep down, you wanted to become the kind of leader who lifts others higher.

As a good friend once said:
People put you not where you see yourself, but where they see you need to be.

When Opportunity Knocks

Sometimes opportunities come when you least expect them. Sometimes they come from where you least expect them. Whatever the source, whenever or however they come, you have to be ready. Ready to accept them, accept the challenge and be ready to possibly get out of your comfort zone. No one ever made it farther in life without embracing opportunities. Sure they might be scary, but it’s worth it if you’re strong enough.

That’s how we moved to Texas almost 7 years ago. There was an opportunity and we took it:

• YES it was out of our comfort zone.

• YES it meant getting into new career fields.

• YES it meant leaving things behind for the unknown.

• YES it meant being open to the possibilities of what was next.

BUT with all of that, we did it. Two small children, two dogs and a full moving truck later, we made it. All jokes aside, I think it has been really good for me. I have grown a lot in the last 7 years both personally and professionally. I can say that because now I am in a profession that has a lot of growth potential. I am no longer aimless in jobs that won’t go anywhere productive long term.

So a move to Texas was the opportunity I needed to jumpstart my non-existent career. Was it the opportunity I needed in other parts of my life? Only time will tell. There are things that I have done here that I would think I would have still done if I was in KC. Obviously though, besides the career, the biggest opportunity has been the friendships and relationships I have made along the way. Now my personal network is bigger and broader than ever.

“Too often, the opportunity knocks, but by the time you push back the chain, push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar alarm, it’s too late.” — Rita Coolidge

What is Wood Badge?

So the other day I posted about LEGACY. I mentioned that the word has been on my mind lately since I came back from Philmont Leadership Challenge (PLC). I will tell you more about that but first I have to mention the precursor to PLC: Wood Badge. What is Wood Badge? It’s so many things wrapped together in a straight forward, easy to digest way. There is nothing that you can’t get from reading a few books. HA. If you know anything about Wood Badge, I bet you smiled at that statement.

Wood Badge is so many things it’s difficult to explain. I might as well try. Wood Badge is corporate level leadership training through the guise of Scouting. It not only addresses challenges in Scouting, but in life as well. It teaches you about yourself, how to communicate with others, how to motivate others and how to delegate, for starters.

WOOD BADGE TEACHINGS: (just to name a few)

• Drive, Vision, Mission and Values

• Know Yourself

• Communicate Effectively

• Manage Conversations

• Coach and Mentor

• Inspire the Heart

See, just those topics alone: aren’t those worthwhile skills for everyone? Knowing your Drive, Vision, Mission and Values. Sound familiar? Knowing Yourself. Isn’t that a good skill for everyone? Communicate Effectively. Tell me that couldn’t be usefull in whatever position you hold. See, those things are just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t explain it all, you just have to do it. It’s worth the price of admission, and then some, but only if you’re strong enough and ready for it.

“Invest in yourself. You get OUT what you put IN.” — Emily Ley

That quote couldn’t be more true. If you go into Wood Badge with an open mind, you will get so much more out of it. I went because a few people told me I should. (One of those legacy people. One that I can’t say no to, who has shaped my life in so many ways. One of those people that everything I do in Scouting now has her hands all over it.) I really had no idea what I was getting into. An extra few nights camping? I’m in.

Really though, one of the few experiences I’ve had that I can say is life changing. How I interact with people, how I see things, all changed because of not only this class, but the people as well. It’s hard to make friends when you become an adult, but Scouting helps makes that a little easier.

Do yourself a favor. If you are in Scouts, sign up for Wood Badge. If you aren’t in Scouts, sign up for something similar. You, and those you interact with, will be glad you did.