Building Power While Living Real Life: Ashley Bryant Bailey on Representation, Leadership, and the Ohio Statehouse

What does it look like to build power while also living a full, real life?

In this episode, Nan sits down with newly appointed Ohio State Representative Ashley Bryant Bailey (District 26) for a candid conversation about what it really looks like to serve as a young Black Democratic woman in Ohio’s legislature. 

Bailey shares how her early career at Procter & Gamble helped shape her leadership style, and how that foundation now shows up not only in her work as an elected official, but in her commitment to building something bigger: recruiting, supporting, and electing more Black women to lead. Talk about Carry As You Climb in action. 

They also talk about the realities of the Ohio Statehouse today, from party-line politics to the microaggressions she navigates, and the personal side of leadership: balancing public service with raising children and caring for family.

Their conversation covers: 

• Returning home to lead in your own community
• Building power and pipelines for Black women in leadership
• Lessons from trailblazing women in politics
• Balancing public service, motherhood, and caregiving
• Why resilience defines Ohio’s future

Resources Mentioned: 

• Higher Heights
• Ohio House Profile for Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey
• Christie Kuhns (Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio)
• Lisa Blunt Rochester

About Our Guest: Ashley Bryant Bailey is the State Representative for Ohio’s 26th House District, serving the Cincinnati area. Prior to her appointment, she served as a senior advisor at Higher Heights for America, a national organization focused on building and electing Black women leaders. 

She began her career at Procter & Gamble and spent more than a decade working in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC before returning home to Ohio. She brings a national perspective to her work in public service and is committed to expanding opportunity, representation, and equity.

About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She’s currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She’s a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister and friend. 

About the Show: Carry As You Climb is focused on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and the rest of the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the

nonprofit sector. 

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Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler

Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone and do not reflect those of any organization with which she is affiliated.