The first-ever Women in Print Alliance Breakfast & Advocacy Summit took place the morning before the PRINTING United Legislative Fly-In on March 24 in Washington, D.C., bringing together more than two dozen women across all segments of the print industry for meaningful conversations to strengthen leadership and advocacy skills.

The Advocacy Summit kicked off with remarks from Women in Print Alliance Director, Lisbeth Lyons Black, who emphasized that advocacy is not limited to Capitol Hill—it is a skill that can be applied in the workplace, within communities, and in everyday conversations. She explained the goal of the summit was to equip attendees with practical tools and confidence to advocate effectively in all areas of their lives.

The program featured a workshop led by Amy Showalter, CEO of The Showalter Group, who led an interactive session on “Raising your CQ (Credibility Quotient) for Access, Attention and Persuasion.” Showalter broke down the key components of credibility—expertise, trustworthiness, and goodwill—and guided participants through how to strengthen both primary and secondary credibility elements. Her session encouraged attendees to think strategically about how they present themselves and build influence in professional settings.

If you’d like to hear more credibility tips and tricks from Amy, check out her book “The Underdog Edge,”  where you’ll learn of over 30 behaviors deployed by successful underdog persuaders and how you can foster those behaviors in yourself, your stakeholders, and throughout your organization’s culture.

Attendees also gained valuable insight into the inner workings of Capitol Hill during a panel discussion moderated by Heather McTavish Doucet of Doucet Consulting Solutions. The panel featured Nancy Peele, chief of staff for U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and Hannah Spengler, chief of staff for U.S. Representative Don Davis (D-NC). Together, they offered a behind-the-scenes perspective on how bipartisan collaboration is achieved, sharing practical advice on navigating differing viewpoints, maintaining civility, and finding common ground in policy discussions.

Heather elaborated on the importance of the advocacy and leadership panel, saying “This is insider baseball pro-trips. I’m getting something everyone else isn’t hearing, and I think there’s a lot of value in that. They didn’t focus so much on legislation, it was more just about human interaction—how are we getting to know these other members that we think on paper that we have nothing in common with?”

The morning concluded with brief remarks from industry leaders participating in the Legislative Fly-In, including Marie Clark, president of EMA, and Dale Coates, Ph.D., CEO and president of TLMI. Their comments shed insight into how trade associations are aligning around shared priorities, and the importance of industry engagement at the federal level.

But the momentum doesn’t end in Washington. Women in Print Alliance encourages women across the industry to stay engaged, share their perspectives, and continue advocating for one another. Together, we can amplify our collective voice and drive meaningful change for the future of print.