A Setback That Became A Reroute — And What I Tell Anyone Navigating Leadership

One of the toughest moments in my career wasn’t public.

It happened quietly, behind the scenes, during the 2020 general election.

 

After years of working in presidential politics, I was in talks for a role at Biden HQ—the kind of job that could have put me on a path to a job in the White House. It felt like the natural next step in a decade of work.

 

And then, it vanished.

 

No dramatic explanation.

Just politics.

 

A senior staffer I had previously worked with—someone with whom I’d had a competitive relationship during the primary—apparently tanked my candidacy. Whether that’s the full story or not, it stung. Badly.

 

I accepted a regional voter protection role in Texas. Technically “below” my experience level, but I took it because I cared more about beating Donald Trump than about titles. Still, it was an ego check. A big one.

 

Then something unexpected happened:

 

That setback rerouted my life for the better.

 

I was still in active conversations about agency roles after the election, but the White House–track I’d worked toward for years slipped away—not because of my merit, but because of internal dynamics completely outside my control.

 

And that stung all over again.

 

But because I wasn’t locked into a White House post, I was free to take an unexpected opportunity in the DC office of an Indianapolis-based law firm—an option Tony Coelho encouraged me to pursue.

 

That role forced me to become a generalist.

It expanded my policy range.

It gave me financial stability I’d never had.

 

That stability allowed me to start my own firm which gave me the flexibility to launch Next Gen Hoosiers.

 

Which led folks to encourage me to explore this congressional seat.

 

Which led me here.

 

The job I didn’t get is the reason I can run full-time today.

The closed door became the foundation for everything I’m building.

 

If there’s one thing I’d tell anyone navigating leadership:

 

Setbacks are not stop signs. They are recalibrations.

You’re still moving. You’re still ascending.

The path just may look different than you imagined. And sometimes, that’s the gift.