At 24, I didn’t expect to be tapped for a seat at a table where mayors, senators, and senior executives debated policy that shaped local business. And yet—that’s exactly what happened.
In 2019, I was working at The Family Support Center when our organization joined ChamberWest. The chamber was active and expansive, with countless opportunities to get involved. Not long after joining, my Executive Director, Jocelyn De La Rosa, was invited by the ChamberWest President to serve on their Legislative Affairs Committee—a group focused on policy impacting businesses across the region.
Instead of taking the seat herself, Jocelyn turned to me. She asked if I would represent our organization on the committee.
At first, I was stunned. I felt deeply honored—but also immediately overwhelmed. This committee was made up of senior leaders and elected officials. I knew the mayors only because I’d recently become a ChamberWest Ambassador and met them at ribbon cuttings. What did I know about legislation? About policy? About how bills even moved through the system?
The imposter syndrome arrived fast.
I was comfortable in rooms with high-level leaders, but this was early in my career. I questioned whether I was ready. Whether I was qualified. Whether someone else—someone older, more experienced, more credentialed—should be in that seat instead.
But I said yes.
I still remember the nerves walking into my first 7:30 a.m. meeting. I found my desk nametag, picked up the same documents everyone else grabbed, and quietly took a seat. For weeks, I listened more than I spoke. I learned the language. I studied how the committee worked. I followed bills through the tracker and absorbed everything I could.
And then—almost without realizing it—the room began to feel familiar.
Seven years later, I still sit on that committee. I stayed even as I changed companies, and today I serve as staff at ChamberWest. That single “yes” accelerated my growth in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It shaped my career faster than any internal promotion ever could.
We often talk about growth opportunities within our organizations—and those matter. But external opportunities matter just as much. Boards. Committees. Volunteer leadership roles. These rooms stretch you, expose you to new perspectives, and develop you in real time.
— Makaila Kelso, Sego Leading · 2025
Looking back, what stays with me most is Jocelyn’s leadership. She understood her people—their strengths, motivations, and readiness. She knew that even if I was the youngest and least experienced person in the room, I would rise to the moment.
If a woman finds herself in a similar position, my advice is simple: don’t overthink the tap. Someone likely sees something in you that you haven’t fully seen yet. Be humble. Be curious. Learn from the room.
One day, you’ll look back and barely recognize the unsure woman you once were.