My Audacious Goal

When I finally said it out loud, it felt even crazier than when it had been running through my mind for weeks on end. Worse yet, when I blurted it out, my audience was a sitting member of Congress. And as soon as the words left my mouth, I immediately braced for a body blow. Surely a rational third party would rein me in. There are plenty of reasons to think this just can’t happen.

We were walking back toward the Capitol complex after a late dinner delayed by votes in the House. It had been a long day for everyone in town that day – like most session days in DC. Over dinner, we’d agreed to give each other a reprieve and not speculate on the politics of the moment. We swapped stories about our kids. We complained about, and celebrated, some Ohio sports teams. And we talked about some goals.

This wasn’t a typical DC dinner – largely because it wasn’t about the issues. It was simply about being humane to one another. And it was great – despite the side-eye looks from some bystanders hearing us drop a few F-bombs while discussing my beloved Cleveland Browns.

But, strangely, when we left the restaurant and started trekking back to the Capitol, the weight of what still laid ahead of us the remainder of the week was held at bay. We weren’t talking about the drama of the moment. We were carrying on about the big things we want to do.

See, that member of Congress has already written a book – something I’m aiming to do soon – and they carried on about their idea for the next. Then they stopped and turned the spotlight back on me: “what do you want to do, Luke? What’s the big thing that has you excited?”

That’s when it happened. That’s when – after months of dithering – I finally said it: “I want to train one million Americans how to fight for their cause in a better way. Because they – and you – deserve the best possible debate on the issues that really matter. And if we make them better, the system will have to get better too.”

To that point, the representative didn’t know that I write this blog. They didn’t know that I’ve been creating social media content on the topic. They certainly didn’t know that I am secretly pulling together a book for advocates who really want to change the world. But they did know that I am serious. About it all – even the big number.

Here’s where it could go off the rails. Because, really, who am I? Just some lucky guy from Ohio who has gotten to work in and around his field of interest for nearly 15 years. A guy who’s been fortunate to have great mentors and examples (and a few not-so-great ones) and enjoy the time to really understand the human factor of what I see day in, and day out. So, obviously this sitting member of congress, a person with real reach and influence would tell me I’m crazy, right? Certainly it’s clear that this idea was a waste of time, right!?!?!

“That’s so fucking cool. We need it. How can I help?”

Eleven. Eleven words. And the type of support every dreamer needs.

Well, it’s out of the bag now. Now I have to go do it. Like that famous scene in Major League – it’s time to go win the whole thing. So, that’s what I’m going to do. And I’ll need your help.

When I started this blog, it was in response to the heat of the moment surrounding the death of George Floyd. Since then, I’ve had opportunities to talk about my work and train a bunch of people. But that’s just the beginning, and I won’t reach the end without your input along the way.

Do you have a cause you’re actively advocating for right now? Let me know about it, and what questions you have about making progress on it. Do you know an organization that needs help training advocates? Connect them to me. In the coming weeks, months, and years I’m going to roll out new resources to help. But I’ll be up front with you here – it won’t all be free. The work takes time and effort – and has to help put food on my family’s table too.

But I’m not aiming to turn this into a contract lobbying business – there are already plenty of those. I want to serve those who aren’t at capacity to retain a full time lobbyist, but who also have a network of passionate individuals ready to compete with those high-power lobbying teams. Because I know they can. And if we help the non-profit world get even just a little better at this work, we’ll force others in advocacy to step up their game too. They’ll have to get better. And isn’t that better for all of us?

I’ve seen individuals – armed with the truth, a meaningful story, and a determination to stay at it – make big changes for the issues that matter most to them. But there are too few being empowered at that level. Those are the people I want to win to my cause: democratizing democracy again. And I think we can do it. I think we can disrupt the status quo by right-sizing services that real people need if they’re ever going to stop feeling so left out, and left behind, by politics as usual.

Can you help me find those people?

It’s way too early for me to predict what will come of all this. But here’s the thing about audacious goals – lots of people accomplish them. It’s time for me to get after it.