I am not a first-time blogger. And I’m not new to published writing. I’ve written an op-ed column for over eight years in one of the newspapers in my senatorial district in Vermont. I estimate that the words in all my columns total up to nearly a quarter of a million words. That’s a lot of ideas and opinions! But the thing is, when I first started writing my column, I REALLY feared that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a new idea every single week.
Turns out, I’m very opinionated.
So, this beginning is not a beginning as a writer. It’s also not a beginning for me as a public figure. I’m currently running for my 4th term in the Vermont Senate, and–as Majority Leader–I’m in the press fairly often. I’ve had to work through the discomfort of being so very public and of being a target of criticism by complete strangers–some of whom say nasty things about me or my ideas. That hasn’t stopped me. And it hasn’t turned me into a bitter, hardened person. I’m strong, but my skin is not thick.
I still believe in the power of authentic, vulnerable leadership.
This blog is about merging all the different parts of Becca Balint: historian, politician, coach, writer, activist, mom, and leadership trainer. It’s about YES/AND, not EITHER/OR. I’m a fiercely loving leader who believes we all are flawed and incredibly talented. The tension between the two is the very stuff of life.
I’ll share my thoughts, strategies, opinions and perspectives. And I give you full permission to do the same. Let’s see where this all leads, together.