Your story in 12 words or less.
By Beth Feeley
Could you share your “story” in twelve words or less?
We had never thought about it. My friend and colleague Lisa Carter and I attended the 2018 AEI Leadership Network Midwest and found ourselves pondering what we might say, because Arthur Brooks, President of American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and author of The Conservative Heart, challenged us and a roomful of 200+ people attending the conference to do just that as our homework. Why 12 words? Because if we can communicate succinctly what we are about and what guides us, we will better understand one another and be better at together addressing the challenges facing our world.
Beth Feeley and Lisa Carter with Arthur Brooks at AEI Leadership Network Midwest.
The AEI Leadership Network is a new effort by AEI to gather leaders together to hear leading voices on policy and media, exchange ideas, network and, most of all, walk away inspired to apply what they learn to their work, which ranged from education, grassroots advocacy, serving in state legislatures, policy development, government relations, non profit and for profit businesses.
In addition to Arthur Brooks, speakers included best-selling author Jonah Goldberg, Washington Examiner Editor Tim Carney, media expert Beverly Hallberg, Blair Milo and Danny Lopez from the Governor’s Office of Indiana, and AEI scholars Robert Doar and John Bailey; each speaker shared expertise and perspective on a variety of topics from Opportunity Zones, workforce development, the state of safety net programs, writing effective op-eds and the future of communities.
The theme of storytelling and face to face interaction was woven throughout the two days. Perhaps the most powerful story-teller/presenter in our view was Ian Rowe, CEO of PublicPrep in the South Bronx, who spoke about his experience on the front lines of running his network of charter schools that are breaking the cycle of poverty by offering better educational opportunity to the families he serves. Read this story he shared of how he happened upon “”Who’s Your Daddy?” trucks roaming the neighborhoods he serves. See also this profile of Ian and PublicPrep in the Wall Street Journal.
Cristo Rey is another example of innovative educational options for disadvantaged communities as highlighted at The Policy Circle’s Leadership Summit this past September where Cristo Rey President Antonio Ortiz was featured as a panelist. To read more about Cristo Rey, see the Policy Circle brief on Creating Career Pathways or watch the panel here (the full list of Policy Circle 2018 Summit panels is linked here).
Policy Circle members Danielle Mergner, Laura Kotelman, Elizabeth Shydlowski and Policy Circle President and co-founder, Sylvie Legere, also attended the two-day AEI event.
Arthur Brooks shared that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged by a friend to write a novel in six words and he came up with this:
“For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Used.”
And now, we are off to do our homework.
– Lisa Carter and Beth Feeley (Circle Leaders in Chicago)
P.S. Check out this trailer for the film “The Pursuit,” a new feature-length documentary that follows Arthur Brooks as he visits the sources of the stories he shares in his best selling book The Conservative Heart. Policy Circles are able to schedule screenings when the film is released in 2019! Stay tuned for more info!
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