141: Advocating for What You Want for Yourself and Others with Nicole Tisdale [Leadership Series]

We’re kicking off a new podcast series on Leadership: what does it mean to be a leader for your audience, your clients, your community, and yourself.

You’re going to love the stories and strategies that my guest, Nicole Tisdale, shares.

Her story of literally running down a Congressman to ask him for a job is incredible - and shows the power of an “elevator pitch” (or, in this case, the Capitol Hill subway pitch).

I had to ask Nicole where she got the confidence to go after what she wants - and you’ll hear what she answers.

Nicole first contacted me earlier this year after listening to episode 98 with Dr. Nicole Rochester and her work that she’s doing to improve the doctor-patient-caregiver relationship.

Nicole said she wanted to shout through the podcast during that episode to tell Dr. Nicole what she could do to get policies enacted, something most of us never think about doing.

We also talk about women in politics, how Nicole approaches her speaking engagements, and why she decided to write a book.

Nicole has a fascinating and impressive background: she worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years as a high-ranking staffer, with a focus on issues related to national security.

Nicole recently started her own company to help organizations and individuals learn how to advocate for themselves, whether it’s in Congress, your state legislature, or local city council.

About My Guest: Nicole Tisdale, principal of Advocacy Blueprints, works with individuals and organizations who are eager to accelerate policy issues, increase advocacy efforts, and create changes in their organizations and communities. Nicole’s passion is making government accessible to all. During her ten-year tenure on the US House Committee on Homeland Security, Nicole developed a strong proficiency in handling congressional investigations of the Executive Branch and the private sector by mastering congressional process and procedure.

Serving as the former Director of Intelligence and Counterterrorism and the Director of Outreach and Coalitions for members and staff, she helped to advance the Committee’s outreach efforts by creating strategic partnerships between the private sector and the Committee in an effort to harness support for legislation and oversight for national security efforts. Her book, “Right To Petition: A Practical Guide to Creating Change in Government with Political Advocacy Tools and Tips,” is already a political reference bestseller and has received numerous excellent reviews, as the first of its kind.

Nicole received both her Juris Doctorate (’09) and Bachelors of Art (’06) from the University of Mississippi.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/141

Connect with Nicole on her websites at https://nicoletisdale.com/ and https://advocacyblueprints.com/.

Nicole’s book “Right To Petition: A Practical Guide to Creating Change in Government with Political Advocacy Tools and Tips.”

Download our free Strategic Speaking Guide at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategic-speaking/ or text the word SPEAKING to 33-777.

Get on the interest list for the Master Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery.

Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.

Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call.

Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review!

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 98: Expanding Your Personal Story into a Universal Message with Nicole Rochester, M.D. [Coaching]
• Episode 114: Building Your Thought Leadership Platform with Lisa Zawrotny [Coaching]
• Episode 125: Handling Hard Conversations at Live Events with Sarah & Beth of Pantsuit Politics

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.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

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