We receive lots of questions about our our signature Ready to Lead training. It is easy to talk about the unique curriculum but describing the transformational power of the program is not easy. In this series, we enlist recent alumni to tell you about the Ready to Lead experience in their own words.
Imelda Ojeda, attended Ready to Lead Arizona in January 2018
How would you describe the Ready to Lead training to someone that has never heard of it?
Ready to Lead is a weekend intensive program packed with everything you need to know to begin the journey of running for office or supporting a candidate. This program goes beyond the typical lecture-based teaching method. It takes you deep in the reasons why you want to run for office, what your platform and message would be and you get to practice hands on activities that will boost your skills and confidence that will be much needed during your campaign.
What was your favorite part of the training?
The speakers and trainers are highly qualified individuals, who not only know their subject but also have experienced the campaign life themselves either by running for office themselves, actively managing a campaign or working on related community efforts. The trainers give you live feedback on your messaging, body language, etc which is highly beneficial for a future candidate.
Why did you choose to attend Ready to Lead?
I have seen first-hand how close friends and colleagues have had a great success and experience as part of this program and how Ready to Lead boosted their confidence, skills, and connections and I knew that I wanted to be part of that too. Also, I loved how Ready to Lead is part of a larger network and how alumni are supported even after the program ends and how we can continue reaching out to our network and trainers for feedback, resources, and additional support.
What was your biggest takeaway from the weekend?
I was able to dig deep into my “WHY” and create a message that was not only compelling to my audience and future constituents, but also a message that truly aligned with my values and reasons for wanting to run for office. I was able to develop and structure a powerful message that I will be using in my future campaign and that truly represents what I stand for.
How was Ready to Lead different than other trainings that you have attended?
Like I mentioned, Ready to lead took me out of my comfort zone and put me in places where I needed to go but was nervous to do so. I needed to do some introspection and look at my core values and how these would serve me as a run for office and how my personal story is important in order to make a connection with my audience. Compared to other trainings where we would just sit and receive information from a speaker, we practiced messaging, responding to difficult questions, body language, etc which is something that I had never done in other trainings.
Are you Ready to Lead? Apply now for one of our upcoming trainings.