296: Make an Impact by Writing Op-Eds with Princella Talley

On the podcast this month, we’re exploring different ways you can channel using your voice and building your thought leadership platform.

In this episode, we’re diving into the impact and legacy you can have by writing op-eds.

Did you know that most op-eds are only 650-850 words in length? You can do this!

My guest is Princella Talley, who is a writer and speaker. In 2020, she was selected as a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Princella and I talk about:

• The purpose of op-eds and why you would want to write one
• How Princella got into writing op-eds
• The elements that go into a good op-ed
• Two impactful op-eds she has written and the power of vulnerability and truth telling
• Handling backlash, sexism, and racism as a woman with a public voice
• What The OpEd Project is

About My Guest: Princella Talley dived headfirst into her craft at age six when she would clip images out of magazines and paste them into her notebook as inspiration to create new stories. She won her first writing contest at 12 years young but couldn’t claim her prize because she was under 18. Today, with over 15 years of experience, Princella has built an impressive resume as a writer, ghostwriter, and editor. Princella's writing portfolio includes an array of content from magazines, initiatives, and companies. She has been a columnist for a variety of outlets including CBS Las Vegas and Las Vegas’ Guardian Liberty Voice and was contracted as an assistant editor by publications in the United States, South America, and throughout the Caribbean islands. In addition, she has conducted numerous celebrity interviews and worked on Grammy campaigns for award-winning artists. She has also written and published works on climate change and social entrepreneurship, ecotourism, and the role of AI in environmental conservation.

In 2020, she was selected as a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. During the course of her fellowship year, her op-ed pieces and commentary were published in Grist, The Hill, Zora, World War Zero, The Urbanist, The Progressive, The Sacramento Bee, Quad City Times, Hawaii Tribune Herald, Killeen Daily Herald, The Chronicle, Herald News, Bangor Daily News, Merced Sun-Star,Times Herald-Record (Catskills Edition), Newsbug, and the Marietta Daily Journal.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/296/

Princella’s website: https://www.princella-talley.com/

Princella’s op-ed after the overturning of Roe v. Wade: https://inthesetimes.com/article/black-women-abortion-ban-roe-louisiana-universal-healthcare

The Op-Ed Project: https://www.theopedproject.org/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on social:

• Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Carol on Twitter = https://www.twitter.com/carolmorgancox
• Princella (guest) on Twitter = https://twitter.com/p_talley101

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 257: Writing a Book Gives Your Ideas Depth and Longevity with Tiffany Hawk [The Medium is the Message Series]

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

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Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable