If Not You, Then Who? Learning to Step Forward Before You Feel Ready
Embracing Growth, Leadership, and the Courage to Ask "If Not You, Then Who?"
There is a question I have learned to ask myself throughout my career: If not you, then who?
It is a simple question, but it has challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, trust my abilities, and pursue opportunities even when I did not feel completely ready.
My career has been built on a foundation of accounting and finance, but over the years, it has grown into something much bigger. Today, as a Deputy Director in public pension administration, my responsibilities extend beyond numbers, budgets, investments, and operations. Leadership has taught me that some of the most important work we do is developing people, building trust, creating opportunities for others, and preparing an organization for the future.
I did not get here because I always had all the answers. I got here because I was willing to learn.
One of the best pieces of advice I have received is, "Never stop learning." I have carried that with me throughout my career. I believe you should surround yourself with people who know things you do not, ask questions without being afraid of what others may think, seek feedback, and remain curious.
Some of my greatest professional growth has happened when I accepted an opportunity before I felt completely prepared for it. There will always be a reason to wait: I need more experience. I need another credential. Someone else probably knows more than I do.
That is when I remind myself: If not you, then who?
Turning Doubt Into Motivation
Hard work and resilience have played a significant role in my success. I have also developed a bit of a "tell me I can't, and I'll show you I can" mentality.
Criticism and doubt are inevitable, particularly when you are growing or taking on greater responsibility. I have learned that I cannot allow someone else's perception of me to determine what I believe I am capable of accomplishing.
That does not mean ignoring constructive feedback. Good leaders need feedback. It means learning the difference between feedback that helps you grow and doubt that causes you to shrink.
Confidence, for me, has not meant knowing everything. It has meant trusting that I can figure things out, surrounding myself with good people, and being willing to keep learning.
Leadership Is About People
As my career has progressed, my definition of leadership has changed.
Leadership is not simply having a title or being the person who makes the decisions. It is creating an environment where people can grow. It is setting expectations while providing support. It is recognizing potential in someone and giving them opportunities to develop it.
You can be ambitious and kind. You can hold people accountable and still lead with compassion. You can have high expectations while remaining approachable.
I want the people I work with to know that I expect their best because I believe they are capable of it-and that I am invested in helping them succeed.
Building Something of My Own
My professional journey also includes something deeply personal.
In 2021, I established C&Y Accounting Services, an accounting firm rooted in a dream I once shared with my mother. We were supposed to build and run the business together, but she passed away from cancer in 2010.
Starting the business years later became a way of carrying a piece of that dream forward.
Today, C&Y allows me to use my accounting and tax experience to help individuals and small businesses while building something of my own. When I eventually retire from public service, I plan for the business to become my primary professional focus.
That experience has reminded me that our paths do not always unfold according to the timeline we imagined. A dream can change, be delayed, or take a different form and still be worth pursuing.
Success Is More Than a Title
My family has always been one of my greatest sources of motivation, and my faith keeps me grounded. Both have influenced how I define success.
Success is certainly about setting goals and being proud of what you accomplish, but I believe it is also about the impact you have along the way.
Did you help someone grow? Did you make something better than you found it? Did you treat people with respect? Did you follow through when people were counting on you? Did you have the courage to try something that scared you?
Those questions matter to me.
Integrity, accountability, compassion, service, and people are at the heart of how I try to live and lead. Whether I am serving members and retirees, developing my team, running C&Y Accounting Services, participating in my community, or simply being there for my family, I want people to know they can trust me, depend on me, and know that I genuinely care.
Step Forward
If I could leave other women with one message, it would be this: Do not wait until you feel completely ready.
Ask the question. Apply for the position. Take the class. Start the business. Volunteer for the project. Find the mentor. Walk into the room even when you are unsure whether you belong there.
You will not know everything, and you do not need to.
Be willing to learn. Be willing to be uncomfortable. Believe in what you bring to the table, and do not let criticism or fear decide how far you are willing to go.
Sometimes the opportunity you are waiting for begins when you stop asking whether you are ready and start asking yourself:
If not me, then who?
