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The Accidental Meeting That Changed Everything
“Courage is not the absence of fear.
Courage is acting in the face offear.”
When Carlota Ramirez had the opportunity to intern at Casa Vida, she jumped at it. She quickly realized that her experience there was helping her develop traits that would be valuable later in life. She built a reputation as someone with grit, humility, and curiosity. After being accepted into college, she faced many challenges but excelled in her classes and extracurricularactivities.
After college, Carlota returned to Casa Vida to volunteer and later applied for a program assistant position. Fast forward a few years—she became a key staff leader and then the Director of Programs for six years. These experiences fostered a genuine love and appreciation for the organization and its importance to thecommunity.
Fast forward again, and Carlota was just six months into her new role as executive director and CEO. Everything that once felt familiar had become a thing of the past. Her new position was overwhelming on many fronts. While her business card read “CEO,” her self-talk was working overtime—unfortunately, not in a positiveway.
At times, her inner dialogue was filled with thoughts like, “You’re not ready for this. Who do you think you are? You’re a fraud. You’re too young for this big job.” This pointed to a classic case of imposter syndrome. Carlota was on the verge of tears when she caught sight of a familiar face standing in front of her. It was Dr. BowenOrman.
“Hello, Carlota Ramirez, yes? I’m BoOrman.”
“Oh yes, Dr. Orman. I remember meeting you at the Chamber of Commerce dinner. Please call meCarla.”
“Alright then, Carla it is, and please, just Bo; we can skip the formalities,” he said with a friendly smile. “How are youdoing?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Carla replied, though she didn’t look or sound fine. His instincts, based on her facial expression and posture, told him anotherstory.
Bo Orman had just retired from Heritage Village, a multi-site senior living facility renowned for providing excellent services to senior citizens. He had spent many years as the CEO and was known for being an engaged communityleader.
Carla was curious about what he was really like. Her former boss had referred to him as someone with “the heart of a dove and the hide of a rhinoceros.” She knew him to be a savvy and respected leader and wondered how he could be both tough and tender all atonce.
Bo asked again, “Howare you doing?” He paused, allowing his question to sinkin.
“Well…” she began, pausing for a few seconds and letting out a big sigh. “If you have a few minutes, could we talk about my board ofdirectors?”
“Your board. Of course. Mind if I take a seat?” Boreplied.
“Please,” said Carla. Thus began a series of important conversations between two nonprofit CEOs—one a rookie filled with doubt, concerns, and questions, but also with a heart and passion for youngpeople.
Bo Orman is seasoned, recently retired, and has a successful track record. He has a stellar reputation in the community as someone who guided a mediocre organization through rocky times, ultimately transforming it into an exceptional, high-impact nonprofit that served the community in vital ways. Word in the nonprofit community is that he also cultivated a great board of directors, one that helped broaden and deepen the organization’s impact through theirleadership.
This accidental meeting and the conversations that followed would change both their lives and the lives of those they connectedwith.
“Dr. Orman, I mean Bo,” Carla said, and they both smiled. “You know, I spend most of my working hours surrounded by other people—teenagers, board members, community leaders, parents, staff… well, you know what I mean. There are many times when I feel completely alone. I mean, not physically alone, but emotionally… isolated. As the Director of Programs, I saw Casa Vida in one way, but now, as the Executive Director, I feel like I’m looking through the window from a completely different direction. I never would have anticipatedthis.”
Bo paused for a moment before responding. “Carla, first of all… you’re feeling isolated. Welcome to the club! I don’t mean to make light of your situation, but that feeling of being alone is very common for leaders. Truth be told, there were times, particularly in my early years, when I felt exactly the same way. I can recall specific situations—donor events, board meetings, presentations to my own staff—when the room was filled with people, yet I felt like the only person who cared about the success of Heritage Village. At times, it was a heavy weight tocarry.”
“Thank you, I think?” Carla laughed nervously and then continued, “It’s nice to know I’m not alone in having these thoughts, but somehow… I have to get to a better plac
