Katie Favela found out she was a finalist for Statesperson of the Year because somebody called to congratulate her. She had no idea what they were talking about.
Sit with that for a second. A Ridgefield city councilmember, licensed clinical social worker and mom of two gets shortlisted for a Greater Vancouver Chamber award, next to the Clark County Treasurer and a sitting state representative. And her first reaction is basically, “Wait. Me?”
I interviewed Katie for Meanwhile in Ridgefield, and if you want the full story of who she is, it’s over there. This one’s for the rest of you. The women who would also hear about their own award secondhand, then immediately try to hand it to somebody else.
Because that’s exactly what she did. She teared up talking about the nomination, then spent a good chunk of our time steering the spotlight toward anyone else. I’ve watched women do this my entire career. We were raised to do all the things and shut up about it. Katie is great at the first part. God love her, she’s great at the second part too.
Here’s what I took away from her. Steal all of it.
Your hard start is part of the story, not something to hide
Katie had a rough start in Texas, the kind of childhood a lot of people spend the rest of their lives either hiding or explaining. She does neither. She tells it plainly, no self-pity, no polished speech, and then she talks about how grateful she is.
Then she turned it into her work. The kid who went without is now a child mental health specialist, the adult in the room for kids who need one.
If you own a business, your story is the reason you do what you do. Not a sob story. The why. People buy the why. Stop cutting it out of your About page because it feels like too much.
Find the person who says “so do it”
Katie was in the car with her husband, passed a campaign sign, and said something like, one day I’m going to be on one of those. His answer, more or less: okay, so do it.
No five-year plan. No waiting for the kids to be older or the timing to be right. She started on the Ridgefield Planning Commission, which is about as unglamorous as civic life gets, and learned how the sausage gets made. In April 2024 the council appointed her to an open seat. She ran unopposed in 2025 to keep it.
There is no right time. You are not a visitor in your life. Pick the smallest real step and take it, and get one person in your corner who says “so do it” instead of “are you sure?” If you don’t have that person yet, hi. That’s literally what I do.
Not everyone is going to like you. Vote anyway.
Katie doesn’t always vote with the majority on council. She reads the policy, asks why, and votes where her conscience lands. Kindly, and without apologizing for it.
That’s the whole game in business too. I know some of the sweetest, most generous women on earth, and they still have people who don’t like them. Those opinions come from the other person’s stuff, not yours. So make the call. If somebody wants to call you a bitch for it, fine. That’s just their word for a strong woman.
Quit apologizing for the parts you love
At one point Katie called herself a girly girl who loves pretty things, and she said it like a confession, like it might cost her credibility.
Nope. She can talk a room through mental health policy and have great hair while she does it. I’ve seen her at a 6 a.m. workout, a ribbon cutting and a council meeting in the same day, put together at every one. Those aren’t competing facts.
Your business can be pretty and serious. The thing you think undercuts you is usually the thing people remember you for.
When someone says you did good work, say thank you
This is the hardest one, so I saved it for last.
Finding out about your own nomination from someone else isn’t humility. It’s a blind spot. I see it in almost every woman-owned business I work with: the award that isn’t on the website, the five-star reviews nobody has ever seen, the press mention buried somewhere. Your business is paying for your discomfort.
When someone tells you that you did good work, the answer is “thank you.” Not “oh, it was nothing.” Not “it was really the team.” Thank you, damn it. Then put it where people can see it.
Katie’s husband, a firefighter, got this right on the first try when he heard the news: “That is awesome. Proud of you, boo.” Short, specific, correct.
Katie, one more time
Before we wrapped up, I told Katie I hope she’s proud of herself. I’m not sure she heard me, so I’m putting it in writing again. Be proud. You earned every bit of this.
Winners are announced October 14 at the Chamber’s Business & Leadership Awards. Win or lose, my point stands.
And you, reading this. What did you do this year that you haven’t told anybody about? Go crow about it. I’ll wait.