Last week, I shared the three traits that really matter most if you’re going to have staying power and be effective in American politics: compassion, credibility, and consistency. Those three qualities, balanced between each other will help you stand out from the masses when you’re trying to be heard. They’ll increase your access, and keepContinue reading “In Advocacy, Consistency Makes You Bold”
Tag Archives: Quotes
What do I do when a federal agency isn’t helping me?
We are not subjects of our government. We own the responsibility of holding them accountable.
“What do I do when…?”
One of my absolute favorite things to do professionally is training aspiring advocates. For me, there is no replacement for stretching the relationship building muscles and helping folks understand just how natural it can be to stand up for their cause. The trainings I do almost always center on the importance of practical application becauseContinue reading ““What do I do when…?””
What to Say When You Don’t Know the Answer
This week I got to do what I love most in my work – train aspiring advocates. And this time, that training session was focused on an exceptionally bright, and engaged group of college students. What they lacked in direct experience with political issues, they were eager to make up for in vim and vigor.Continue reading “What to Say When You Don’t Know the Answer”
Stories from Congress: the one where a guy handed me a spine
Yes. He handed me a spine. I’ll say that again. Yes. A spinal cord. A protester once handed me a spinal cord. There I was, offering a friendly smile, and the guy hands me a model spinal cord – thinking he was about to embarrass me into agreeing with him on an issue. You haveContinue reading “Stories from Congress: the one where a guy handed me a spine”
A Beginner’s Guide to Building Credibility: Stop Using This One Word if You Want to Win Champions to your Cause
Effective advocates hunt for opportunities to build their credibility.
Need a boost for your sense of optimism? Start here
“I want to know how you can be so optimistic.” I don’t know why, but this has become a common thread in my conversations lately. As I’ve been briefing advocates on the current political landscape, and helping friends make sense of the recent election, a thought like this almost always creeps into the conversation. UntilContinue reading “Need a boost for your sense of optimism? Start here”
Become a Better Advocate: Have Hard Conversations
“How do we get our leaders to stop fighting and start working?” I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question. Even working for centrist members of Congress, that sentiment came up nearly every week I was on the job. For almost a decade. I can tell you since IContinue reading “Become a Better Advocate: Have Hard Conversations”
Become a Better Advocate: Find a Team
They take care of the process, allowing you to focus on humanizing the issue.
Success in Advocacy: Clear is Greater than Clever
Being too clever can shut the conversation down long before we ever finish talking
Part of the Possible 