Part 1 of 2 “Tell Everyone Your Dream – Regardless of What Others May Think”

Jane Goodall found her calling early–not in politics or academia, but in the companionship of animals. Her parents’ marriage dissolved in the shadow of World War II, leaving five-year-old Jane in a household of women: her mother, sister, and grandmother. While London endured the Blitz and her father drifted further from their lives, Jane found steadiness in creatures who didn’t leave, change, or carry the weight of a war-torn world. Before she was even 2, Jane smuggled earthworms into her bed and tucked them under her pillow (her mother gently asked her to return them to the garden). At 4, she spent four hours in the hen house–desperate to see a hen lay an egg (she was successful). Seven years later, Jane sold her dollhouse to buy a dog. Her favorite book was Dr. Dolittle and she, like the protagonist, dreamt of traveling to Africa one day to study them.

As Goodall grew older, she never lost sight of her dream–though many considered it unrealistic and, well, slightly bizarre. After all, at 22, she had no academic training, degrees, publications, connections, or wealth. And, as one biographer wrote, “in the eyes of the scientific world, she was decidedly the wrong gender for such work.” But Goodall possessed something more valuable than credentials or social approval. She had the unshakeable belief that this was simply what she was meant to do. And, she shared her dream with anyone who would listen.

That decision to speak up whenever and wherever possible led her to Africa and to an anthropologist who recognized that she was, indeed, perfect for this work.

Dr. Louis Leakey offered Goodall the opportunity to study chimpanzees. But when British authorities heard a woman would conduct research on her own, alone, in the jungle they balked. Impossible! Inappropriate! So, Goodall’s mother, Vanne, came with her. They arrived at Gombe in July 1960 and the rest, as they say, is history.

If you’re a woman considering a run for office or community organizing–whether it’s school board, state legislature, or beyond–Goodall’s story offers a masterclass on how to begin before you feel ready.

Tell Everyone Your Dream – Regardless of What Others May Think

Goodall didn’t keep her ambitions quiet. She told everyone about Africa.

The grocer. Her mother’s bridge partner. The woman at the employment agency. Anyone who would listen heard about her plan to study animals in the wild. (You can imagine the “that’s nice, dear” responses).

But here’s what happened: Someone’s cousin mentioned knowing someone in Kenya. That someone was an old school friend. She invited Jane to Kenya. The two of them attended a party, Jane, again shared her ambitions, and one partygoer said that she should reach out to Dr. Louis Leakey. So, she did. And became his secretary.

The pathway from dream to reality? She talked about it. Constantly. Unapologetically.

Contrast this with how women approach political ambition today. We whisper our interest in running for office–if we voice it at all. We couch our aspirations in conditionals: “Maybe someday,” “If the right opportunity,” “When my children are older.” We’ve internalized decades of conditioning that ambitious women are “pushy”, “aggressive”, “difficult” and “unlikeable”.

But here’s the compounding problem–women are 10% less likely than men to be recruited to run for office in the first place. Why? Because recruiters, party officials, and community leaders don’t know we’re interested. We haven’t signaled our availability or declared our intentions.

In other words, we’re waiting to be discovered while actively camouflaging ourselves.

Women who eventually run for office report that encouragement from others was the decisive factor. But that encouragement came only after someone learned about their interest–often by accident, often years delayed.

Goodall’s approach offers a different model. She didn’t wait for an invitation to pursue her dreams. She issued her own announcements. Your political aspirations aren’t a secret to guard. They’re information that needs to circulate. Because somewhere in your network–maybe three connections away, maybe next week’s community meeting–is your Louis Leakey.

But they can’t find you if they don’t know you’re looking to be found. Speaking your ambition is how pathways get created. It’s how secretaries become scientists who redefine humanity.

Come back on Thursday, October 23, 2025 for Part 2 of “Jane Goodall’s Life is a Lesson in Political Preparation”