I Just Wanted an Easy Job

When I recently retired, I truly believed I had earned the right to slow down a little.

Maybe sleep in occasionally. Maybe answer fewer emails. Maybe spend less time thinking about budgets, strategy, staffing, operations, and the 47 other things that somehow become urgent at exactly the same time.

So naturally… I became a CEO. Not a Walmart greeter like I imagined for retirement. Not a bartender, despite my confidence that my charm and questionable storytelling skills would carry me through. And certainly not the version of retirement where I’d be peacefully sailing into beachside bliss pretending I don’t know what day it is. No, life apparently had other plans for me that included board-rooms and strategic planning sessions instead.

To be fair, I knew exactly what I was walking into — at least in theory.

Before stepping into this role, I had already spent time around the organization and had a front-row seat to both the pressures and the potential that existed here. I could see the challenges. I could see what was working well and what clearly needed attention.

And if I’m being completely honest, there were moments where I questioned whether I was the right person to take this on, whether I even wanted to take this on.

Because the reality is, leadership looks very different when you’re the person ultimately responsible for the decisions.

You carry the weight of wanting to make the right calls for employees, members, stakeholders, and the future of the organization — often all at the same time.

Some days you feel confident and decisive. Other days you stare at your coffee wondering if anyone would notice if you quietly disappeared into retirement again.

What made this opportunity different for me was the people. In the relatively short time I had been here, I saw something that made me believe this organization was worth betting on. I saw passion in employees who genuinely care about the work they do. I saw determination in a Board that wants to move the organization forward. I saw people who were committed, resilient, and willing to have difficult conversations because they believed there was real opportunity ahead.

And somewhere along the way, I started to think maybe I could fit into that picture too.

Not because I had every answer. Not because I thought leadership would suddenly become easy. But because I believed good things can happen when people are aligned, honest about the challenges in front of them, and willing to work together toward something better.

The good news is, I’m learning I don’t have to carry it alone. One of the greatest strengths of the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce is our members — entrepreneurs, leaders, and businesses who somehow manage to be innovative, resilient, and resourceful… often before their second coffee. They remind me daily that progress rarely comes from easy jobs — it comes from good people showing up even when the job is hard.

So while I may occasionally question my sanity, stare blankly at my schedule blinking back the tears, or wonder how my meetings somehow multiply overnight, I’m genuinely excited about where we’re headed.

There’s still plenty ahead to figure out, and as I quickly found out…‘retirement pace’ and organizational growth don’t exactly move at the same speed. There will be challenges, tough decisions, and moments where we’ll need to adapt quickly. But there’s also momentum here. There’s real potential ahead. And most importantly, there are good people behind it all — people I’m genuinely grateful to now be working alongside.

Still…

I just wanted an easy job.