Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen talks about leadership in government through a lens that feels anything but abstract. She shares what it was like growing up with a parent struggling with opioid addiction and how that experience shaped the way she thinks about policy, fairness, and the role of congress in people’s everyday lives.

What does it mean to step into an institution built for older, wealthy men when you’re a millennial woman raising two kids? How do you push for the government to reflect the realities of modern families when the rules were written centuries ago? And what happens when your own family’s story becomes the reason you take on that fight?

Brittany and Topher talk openly about the barriers that make public service harder than it should be - the childcare waitlists, the cross-country flights with a newborn, the outdated rules that leave younger voices out of the room. They point out why citizen voices still matter most. This is leadership with real stakes, grounded in lived experience and aimed at building systems that actually work for people.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcoming Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen

01:10 Being a Millennial Woman in Congress

02:00 Balancing Leadership and Family Life

03:20 Viral Moment Flying with Newborn to Vote

04:15 Modernizing Congress for Parents and Families

09:25 Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

14:02 Growing Up with a Parent Struggling with Addiction

17:10 Passing the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act

18:40 How Citizens Can Influence Government Policy

20:08 From Apathy to Action Getting Off the Sidelines

25:53 Advice for Millennials and Gen Z Considering Public Office

Connect with Brittany Pettersen:

Visit Brittany’s Website

Follow Brittany on Instagram

Follow Brittany on X

Visit the Participation Trophy Website 

Connect with Topher on LinkedIn 

Follow Topher on Instagram