As I was preparing for the second session of Leadership KFB, I found myself dealing with a bit of imposter syndrome. I’m just a farm kid from Western Kansas; what perspective do I have that could potentially impact my legislators? There are plenty of people who are more qualified, smarter and have a better connection than I do. I deeply believed my perspective would not add value to the conversation around challenges facing agriculture and rural Kansans. What I found was those thoughts could not have been further from the truth.

Early in our session, we were interacting with Kansas Farm Bureau professionals who work daily alongside legislators to lobby and advocate for challenges that affect agricultural producers. Claudia Hissong joined us for an update on the active House and Senate bills, and Sheridan Wimmer and Greg Doering helped us to construct our messages when speaking with legislators. All of this gave us the tools to advocate in a way that feels authentic and valuable. While these sessions helped me feel much more prepared, I still found myself with lingering feelings of doubt in myself — not because I felt unprepared, but because I felt as if there was nothing of value I could contribute to the conversation.

The panel at Kansas Chamber changed my perspective. As I sat in a room with industry leaders in finance and business — men who have decades of lobbying experience in their respective areas — one comment grabbed my attention.

"I have a good rapport and reputation with legislators,” says Scott Heidner, senior vice president of Braden Heidner and Associates in Topeka. “I can speak with them until I am blue in the face and they listen, but they prefer to hear from constituents. They find so much more value in hearing from you.”

This was not something I had anticipated. If anything, it was the complete opposite. The lack of value I was feeling wasn’t rooted in anything substantial — it was simply self-perceived. Legislators value authenticity and the lived reality their constituents can provide. The bills and issues they work on impact real people and real lives, not just votes on a ballot. Connecting with them is not just acceptable but it’s also encouraged.

I began to realize my experience mattered because it is authentic, real and valuable  — exactly the principles legislators need when discussing bills. Despite what I had convinced myself before the session, advocacy is not limited to those with strong titles, extensive education or an expansive network. No one’s experience or perspective should be described as less than or not enough to be in the conversation.

It’s constituents our lawmakers want to hear from. When it comes to the continuation of a strong agricultural landscape in Kansas, sharing our stories is paramount. I encourage my friends in rural communities to connect with their local and state representatives and share their story — we all have one to tell.


Read about Hallie's first capsule of Leadership KFB here.

Learn more about Leadership KFB here.