How Young Professionals Can Shape Public Policy | Jillian Olson

How can young professionals get involved in public policy, and why should they care? Jillian Olson, director of the Young Professionals Program at Washington Policy Center, joins host Henry Clavo to talk about giving the next generation a voice through education, community and mentorship.

Jillian explains why policy touches daily life, how mentors shaped her path from photographer to business and political consultant, and how free markets work, using a simple coffee shop example. Recorded February 27, 2026.

In this episode:

- Why policy touches every part of your life, from groceries to gas prices

- How the Young Professionals Program gives young people a voice and direct access to elected officials

- Measuring success: event attendance up 50%, 200% growth last year, and members testifying on bills

- Barriers to innovation and upward mobility, from Jillian's point of view

- Why mentorship matters from 18 to 39, and the questions to ask before choosing a mentor

- "That's what YPs do": how community builds conviction

- Free market principles explained with a cup of coffee

- The five-year plan to grow the program statewide

About the guest

Jillian Olson is the director of the Young Professionals Program at Washington Policy Center, a role she stepped into in 2024. Before that she ran her own political consulting firm helping free market candidates win competitive races, and earlier she built and operated a business consulting and photography company in Texas. She is based in Spokane, Washington.

Find Jillian and WPC Young Professionals: https://www.washingtonpolicy.org (Events and About Us pages), WPC Young Professionals on Instagram and Facebook, and the Washington Policy Center YouTube channel.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sGK2-bfXtSE

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Chapters

0:00 Cold open

0:13 Orlando Insights Podcast intro

0:52 Welcome: Jillian Olson, Washington Policy Center

2:36 The core mission of the Young Professionals Program

4:29 From Texas to Washington State

6:01 Giving young professionals a voice on policy

9:52 Measuring success: attendance, growth and civic action

13:41 Barriers to innovation and upward mobility

17:01 Home ownership, property taxes and schools

18:49 Why mentorship matters from 18 to 39

21:37 A mentor in his 80s and a career pivot

22:50 Questions to ask before choosing a mentor

24:15 Asking for help

24:46 Building conviction through community: "That's what YPs do"

28:07 Free market principles explained with a cup of coffee

31:08 A Vietnam market and a controlled economy

32:55 Balancing education with action

36:17 How to get involved in local policy

39:13 The five-year plan for Young Professionals

41:22 Why local elections matter

43:34 Upcoming events and how to connect

46:17 Outro