With the Leadership Institute's Building Your Brand Workshop around the corner, here are some pointers to give you a head start on building your brand through op-eds.You have something to say. But sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. How do you get your voice out there?A good place to start is blogging. I know, I know, everyone has a blog. But there's a reason for that. You can practice putting your thoughts and arguments down while getting feedback from friends and peers.Through practice on your blog, you can begin to harness your thoughts and build a framework for your field of expertise.So you've been blogging – but you're ready for more. It's time to write an op-ed.An op-ed is an article or piece with an opinion and written with a strong point of view. Here's why you'll shine in an op-ed:You'll show your expertiseDevelop your argumentLearn to use facts to back up your argumentAnd establish your credibilityFollow these general guidelines for your op-ed:Limit your word count to about 700 words or lessOpen with a strong leadMake your argument quickly and conciselyRemember, you cannot submit a piece that's already been publishedBe patient and don't give upYou'll find many informative websites on how to submit your op-ed. Here are a few links with guidelines for DC area news sources to get you started:Washington ExaminerWashington TimesWashington PostPolitico The Hill Now go write! (And remember me when you're a rich and famous expert.)Still want more insight? Take LI's Building Your Brand: From Op-ed to On-camera Wednesday and Thursday evenings, April 26-27. Register here!>

Enjoy the 22Q with Jarrett Ray, Director of Online Fundraising at The Prosper Group.The 22Q is an informal interview series (archives here) with young conservatives, connected to LI, who are working in the public policy process. The 22 questions ask them to explain what they do, and how they see politics and the next generation of the conservative movement. Their opinions are their own, and are not endorsed by the Leadership Institute.---Part 1: What I doHow I describe my job in 10 wordsDeveloping and executing online fundraising plans for GOP candidates and organizationsMy day-to-day at work...in three sentencesI spend the majority of my time writing and designing emails, online ads, and websites. A team of designers and developers helps me bring these ideas to life.I oversee an account manager and intern who mock up and execute online campaigns faster than most staffers can say social media.I couldn't do my job withoutA to-do list. My obsession with to-do lists is a running joke in my office. I've literally used a napkin in order to stay organized.Most important moment in my career (so far)Consulting on Mitt Romney's email prospecting effortsUnexpected skill that has helped me the mostA sense of adventure. I've been on the ground with political campaigns in six states and worked on races in dozens of others. Every campaign is an opportunity to learn about local issues and meet new people.The best advice I have receivedRather than ask questions first, always try your best to figure it out. Part 2: PoliticsThe biggest change I've seen already in politicsThe explosive change in public opinion polls on gay marriage is fascinating. I remember in 2006 when Virginia Republicans placed a marriage amendment on the November ballot as a way to help George Allen's reelection campaign. There is a lot to be learned in how gay rights activists pulled it off.The element of working in politics that most surprised meEveryone says time management is really important. They're right.The most important issue many don't see yetState and local Republicans have increasingly published back against the federal government's largesse. I think you will see a push toward more local control as a way to counter Washington overreach.Where I think the movement will be in five yearsThis is more of a trend, but online/mobile advertising will be more important than TV ads.How I formed my political beliefsI'm naturally conservative, but my activism was sparked in college in reaction to a professor who graded me down for taking a conservative stance on an opinion paper. The situation caused me to dive into political philosophy classes and take a leadership role in College Republicans. Part 3: The next generationWhat I'd say to my 18-year-old selfYou don't need to be a political science major to work in politics. You will get all the experience you need volunteering on a campaign or interning for your local state senator.(For the record, I double-majored in college and graduated with degrees in Political Science and Philosophy.)Skill or experience I'd recommend students get nowHone your writing skills now. The ability to effectively communicate opens up a lot of doors.To gain experience, write op-eds for your college paper or volunteer on a campaign and offer to assist with their social media campaign.Three things I'd tell every young political junkie to read1. Set up an email account for political emails and sign up for emails from politicians of all stripes.2. Drudge Report.3. The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly. The focus of the book is on international development, but Easterly's realist conservative approach provides real-life examples of how to apply complex free-market ideas.My most useful class in collegeIntro to Political Philosophy. The class opened up a world of interesting thinkers to me.I met some of my closest friends (from both sides of the aisle) in that class too.Three future leaders from my generationHopefully someone reading this gets the tools they need at the Leadership Institute to start a career and become a future leader. Part 4: Me, personallyThe most fascinating figure in world historyGeorge WashingtonMy heroes in fictionWalter von Ulrich from Fall of Giants.I really love Ken Follet novels. He is a master of historical fiction.The most inspiring art I've read, seen, or heardHike to the top of a mountain and take a picture. You can't find art better than that.I'd star in House of Cards or West Wing (choose one)West Wing. Aaron Sorkin might be a liberal, but he is a great writer.I can't get through my day withoutPandora, Bose headphones, and Stride gumMy connection to the Leadership InstituteAt James Madison University, I brought the Leadership Institute to campus to give its Youth Leadership School.I went on to take the Campaign Manager, Internet Activist, and Grassroots Campaign Workshop -- all excellent. Thank you everyone who participated in the #LIJobFair #VVS13— Leadership Institute (@LeadershipInst) October 12, 2013>

The granddaughter of a campaign man for both Ronald Reagan and Jesse Helms as well as a five-time conservative book author follows family tradition: taking on a high-profile role to shape public policy. Hadley Heath has dedicated the start of her career in Washington, D.C. to learn and educate others about health care policy. The issue is timely, with a Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” expected this Thursday. “Local folks should come to SCOTUS [the Supreme Court of the United States] Thursday,” Hadley encouraged. Hadley focuses on health care policy as a senior policy analyst for Independent Women's Forum. “One of my favorite projects is the HealthCareLawsuits.org Web site, a site we created to track the legal challenges to President Obama's health law,” Hadley said. “Health care is a great issue for limited government conservatives: It gives us a chance to explain the difference between government control and market-based solutions.” Hadley's op-eds on health care have been published in Roll Call, The Tampa Tribune, Daily Caller, Townhall, Human Events, and National Review's Critical Condition blog. She has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, Al-Jazeera English, FoxNews.com, PJTV, as well as a variety of talk radio shows. This week she is booked for many on-air appearances. At her employer's suggestion, Hadley enrolled in the Leadership Institute's On-Camera Television Workshop in August 2010, just a few weeks after being hired by Independent Women's Forum (IWF). “Independent Women's Forum encouraged me to attend media training, and naturally they turned to the Leadership Institute as the best source of professional training,” Hadley said. “I learned in the Leadership Institute's training that communication on television is very different from communication in writing. You may not have the chance to make your main point later; you should begin by getting directly to the point,” Hadley said. “I was nervous to do any live on-camera work, but LI's workshop was an important step for me in overcoming this fear and learning how to present myself as a likable, articulate advocate for limited government.” Hadley's grandfather and his example marked her for life in the public policy arena. “My grandfather is a life-long conservative and has been influential on my views on society and government,” Hadley told the Leadership Institute. Co-founding the chapter of Young Republicans at Shelby High School in North Carolina was another confidence booster early on in Hadley's political journey. But it wasn't until college at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill that Hadley became an articulate, assertive conservative. “I owe a thank you to all the liberals at UNC who, through practice, taught me a lot about articulating and defending my conservative views,” Hadley shared. She majored in economics and journalism with a focus in electronic/broadcast media. However, her global perspective was enhanced by receiving the Morehead-Cain scholarship. “This scholarship afforded me unique travel experiences in college including a survival course in California's Sierra Nevadas, a service project in Calcutta, India, an independent research project in Western Europe, and a semester abroad in Santiago, Chile,” Hadley fondly remembered. “This scholarship program definitely shaped my direction in life and gave me opportunities I could not have found elsewhere.” As a college junior, Hadley read What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us by Danielle Crittenden, an IWF scholar. The book so sparked her interest in IWF's work that she applied for a summer internship with the organization. “This led to the job offer that got me where I am today,” Hadley told LI. “The women I've worked with at IWF have been incredible mentors: They've helped me hone my writing skills and my understanding of public policy, and importantly, they've supported my every venture - whether professional or personal.” The Independent Women's Forum is a is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) research and educational institution that aggressively seeks earned media, provides easy-to-read, timely publications and commentary, and reaches out to the public to cultivate support and encourage women to join the organization in working to return the country to limited, constitutional government. “I did not come to Washington with the expectation of appearing on TV,” Hadley shared. “I simply wanted to advocate for limited government in the best way that I can. My training at the Leadership Institute definitely gave me the confidence to pursue broadcast media as another avenue to do this. Since my training, I've found that appearing on live television gets easier and easier with practice. But my first experience on TV would've been much harder without the important lessons I learned at LI.” Hadley joins more than 107,000 graduates trained by the Leadership Institute since 1979. You too can become LI trained. LI offers training in 50 states and dozens of countries each year. Please go here to register for an already-scheduled training or contact LI to request training in your area. “The Leadership Institute is a friendly, encouraging environment for conservatives to find the professional training they need to survive in Washington,” Hadley said. “We face a difficult but important task - advocating for limited government in a city prone to favor government expansion. But that's why LI's work is so vital: This Institute can prepare conservative professionals for the toughest challenges and equip them for success.” Please welcome Hadley as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate to be featured as LI's graduate of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Hart at LaurenHart@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute does not oppose or support any candidate, official, or legislation and all programs are open to the public.

January 21, 2011, Arlington, VA—Leadership Institute Graduate Amanda Carpenter, who is currently a speechwriter and senior communications advisor to Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has been named one of the Top 10 Capitol Hill Staffers to watch, according to the Washington Post. Amanda Carpenter has taken 10 LI trainings, including: Broadcast Journalism, Public Speaking, Student Publications, and Television Workshop—both introduction to techniques and on camera, and the Youth Leadership School. She has lectured as a distinguished faculty member at four LI trainings, including: Conservative Career Workshop, Advanced Student Publications School, and two Public Relations Schools. Ms. Carpenter has “achieved two of her long-term goals in 2010, when she placed op-eds in both the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. But it's her digital media savvy that really distinguishes Carpenter from the pack. Among her other qualifications for the job was an enviable Twitter presence. At last count, Carpenter has well over 16,000 followers on the micro-blogging site,” The Washington Post said. To read the full article from the Washington Post, please click here. Her full story can be found here. The Leadership Institute is an educational foundation whose mission is to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. To accomplish this, LI identifies, recruits, trains, and places conservatives in government, politics, and the media. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 91,500 people have been trained (with half of those being in the last six years) in one or more of the 40 current programs offered in all 50 states and across the globe. For more information, please visit: http://www.leadershipinstitute.org -30- 

The Leadership Institute welcomed over 40 students to its headquarters in Arlington, VA on November 17-18, 2009 for the Writing Workshop. Veterans of journalism and communications in the conservative movement offered the students practical tips on how to improve their writing skills. The training covered essential topics for one to succeed in the field, such as how to write op-eds and press releases.>