How To Run For Office

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Zach Whiting Introduction 02:55 How Zach got into politics 07:30 Focusing on your family 10:03 Jumping into the race 15:15 Laying the groundwork for a strong campaign 20:57 Working smarter, not just harder 25:22 Raising the money 34:53 Touching voters where they’re at...not just where you want them to be... 41:04 Fun rules of Iowa elections… 45:20 Running THROUGH the finish line 50:45 WHY to run for office 53:57 How to find Zach Whiting online

00:00 Episode Introduction 01:40 Sean Davis Biography 02:40 Sean’s background in politics 13:10 What does a Policy Advisor do on a campaign? Sean’s experience on the Rick Perry for President 2012 campaign. 26:46 What can campaigns that don’t have the budget for full time policy advisors do to improve issue education? 26:00 How should candidates prepare to communicate their message to voters and the media? 33:30 Personnel is Policy. Make WHAT you believe clear by WHO you hire. 38:40 Sen. Tom Coburn’s Hiring Matrix 39:52 What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a campaign observer and covering campaigns in the media? 51:00 What are y’all up to at The Federalist and where can folks find you online? 53:00 Final words of wisdom for candidates running for office: Know why you’re running and knock doors! 53:20 Conclusion and Podcast Outro

00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:30 Rep. Briscoe Cain Introduction and how he got involved in politics 16:44 How did you and your bride balance politics and home life? Especially as a young married couple who had your kids during elections? 21:20 How do you protect your family time and important priorities with your children? 32:36 Why did you run for office and what did you learn from your first campaign loss? 46:43 What are the top lessons you’d most like candidates and staff to pick up? (Hint: canvassing with Campaign Sidekick!) 50:30 Final thoughts for candidates/campaign staff? 54:20 Pranking the TX Democrat Convention

00:00 Podcast Introduction 03:02 What Is Discipline from Jocko Willink 05:26 How I found out I was undisciplined (and you probably are too…) 09:06 Why THIS time is going to be different… 12:16 Tactics I’m using to engrain discipline in my life 19:32 How daily discipline and rituals have been fundamentally changing the way I operate. 22:06 Two easy ways to radically change your average day 24:38 How do YOU work to be disciplined? 26:18 A couple ways to help yourself and us at the same time!

As you’re celebrating our nation’s birth, let’s take a look back at what makes our founding special and unique. Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and Washington started something in 1776 that we haven’t yet completed. Welcome to the How to Run for Office Podcast from My Campaign Coach! I hope y’all are having a fantastic Independence day! Growing up, my family and several others in our home-school group would annually recite the Declaration of Independence as part of our town’s 4th of July celebration. It’s always been a holiday that I’ve loved, even though my physician father rarely let us blow anything up, and today’s podcast is a sort of meditation on the significance of the day. No matter how much you’ve studied the document, you’ll either learn something new or hear about the Declaration’s impact in a new way. Timestamp - Section Title Log: 00:00 Introduction and Special Announcements 03:16 A Meditation on Liberty and Independence 10:38 Reading of the Declaration of Independence 18:38 Conclusion

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Bonnie Siegel Introduction 02:47 Bonnie’s background and how she got into politics 06:37 Key facets of an effective brand 10:05 Problems with both party’s current outreach to Millennials 14:07 It takes a different vocabulary to communicate effectively with Millennials 18:30 How to approach the Republican branding problem with Millennials 24:15 What do Republican campaigns need to start doing differently in order to engage Millennials? 36:03 Once we identify areas of agreement with Millennials, how do we communicate the broader implications of that policy agreement? 45:02 How do we avoid the “New Coke” or IHOP vs IHOb problem while tweaking the Republican brand to appeal to Millennials? 52:55 How do we guard against the attack that we’re selling out as we change our language to better communicate with Millennials? 59:36 What’s at stake if we don’t attract Millennials to the Republican Party? 1:01:05 Final thoughts on How Republicans can win with Millennials 1:02:33 Where you can find Bonnie Siegel and Political Branding Associates online

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Shoutout 03:09 Glenn Jacobs Introduction and Background 09:51 How did you become interested in Politics and Economics? 19:48 What caused Glenn Jacobs to run for Mayor? 28:10 How Glenn Jacobs built his campaign 33:28 Looking forward to the general election in August 38:56 How will you build your team and kick off your term as Mayor, if you win? 43:04 Glenn Jacobs’ final thoughts about why you should run for office 45:08 Where you can find Glenn Jacobs online + Shoutout to Jason Vranes and Crown College

Motivations for running for office boil down to two: You want to BE somebody or DO something. Ron Wright is running for Congress because he wants to DO something. Today we’re talking about his background in elected office, especially as a fantastic Tax Collector, and why he’s running. He’s got some great advice. Today we’re talking with Ron Wright, the Tax Assessor-Collector in my home county about his run for Congress and what he’s learned through his previous elections. First, I want to say thank you to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast. Visit campaignsidekick.vote to find out how their best-in-breed voter contact platform can revolutionize your campaign and help you win! Sidekick is rolling out a ton of great new features this year and y’all should check it out! Ron Wright has been the Tax Assessor-Collector for Tarrant County for the last 7 years. Before that he worked as a Chief of Staff and District Director in Congress for several years and even further back, he was elected to the Arlington, TX city council several times. I’ll forgive your surprise over me being excited to see the guy I pay my taxes to run for Congress but the fact is that Ron’s service has truly been incredible. Well before he decided to take on the swamp in DC, he was working to drain it here in Tarrant County. Among the things that make Ron’s candidacy unique is that he was drafted into this race. Now, this doesn’t happen very often, and most folks who say they were drafted should put an asterisk next to that statement…but in Ron’s case, it’s 100% true….Who drafts the Tax Man into a race for Congress? Well, if you want to find out why folks drafted Ron and the lessons he’s learned through his public service, keep listening, cause that’s what we’re going to talk about. Since he is local, we met up and did the interview in person and had a blast. The only down-side is the AC in the building left the audio with a bit of a low bass rumble so I hope it’s not too annoying. What You’ll Learn about Ron Wright’s Race to Congress and In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction & Ron Wright Bio [02:23] How Ron Wright got started in Politics and his Background [09:05] What did working as a Chief of Staff in DC Teach you that will be helpful if you’re elected to Congress? [17:29] How did being a Tax Collector prepare you to help Drain the Swamp? [27:38] What was it like to get Drafted to run for Congress and how did that happen? [36:53] Getting into the Race and all it entails [44:21] What did you do to ensure you picked the right Campaign Manager and built a good relationship? [49:20] What was it like to meet President Trump? [50:51] Ron Wright’s final advice for Candidates Links from the Podcast: Connect with Ron Wright on Twitter and Facebook. You can also show your support by visiting https://www.wright4congress.com. Motivations for running for office boil down to two: You want to BE somebody or DO something. Ron Wright is running for Congress because he wants to DO something. Today we’re talking about his background in elected office, especially as a fantastic Tax Collector, and why he’s running. He’s got some great advice. Today we’re talking with Ron Wright, the Tax Assessor-Collector in my home county about his run for Congress and what he’s learned through h...

Leadership isn't a state of being, it's a skill. One that needs to be constantly honed. You can't be TOO good at leadership. But it's really easy to be a bad leader.  This week we're taking a look at a chapter from Extreme Ownership (by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin) which discusses the principle that there are "No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders." It's something that I believe and as you strive to hold a larger leadership role, whether in public service or within a campaign organization, it's an attitude and belief you need to adopt. 

00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:56 How Brendan Steinhauser started working with Dan Crenshaw 07:15 What were the major factors in Crenshaw making the Primary Runoff Election? 11:20 Did y’all use tracking polls or figure race position based on direct voter contact data? 14:46 How did yard signs factor into your race? 19:54 Did Dan’s interviews on podcasts impact the race and donations? 23:18 How “Slates” and Negative Campaigning backfired on Crenshaw’s opponent. 29:44 It’s critically important for a candidate to surround his/herself with REAL friends 33:10 What is your strategy to win the general election in November? 37:45 Politics isn’t the hardest thing you’ll ever do 41:42 Where to Find Brendan Steinhauser and Dan Crenshaw online

Our lives are filled with constant learning but some life lessons bear a unique significance. In this speech, I lay out the 5 which have had the greatest impact on my story and share chapters from my own history to illustrate their value. Thank you to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast. Visit campaignsidekick.vote to find out how their best-in-breed voter contact platform can revolutionize your campaign and help you win! I apologize for the several week break, y’all! Travel, family needs, and my own illness are my flimsy excuses but either way, we’re back and have some great stuff lined up. This week, I’m sharing a High School Graduation speech I gave a few weeks ago. The Home School group I graduated from 13 years ago, asked me to be their first official commencement speaker and I shared 5 lessons that have been integral to my life. While the lessons aren’t explicitly political, I think they have both broad life application and a specific value to campaigns. At the very least, you’ll get some good reminders about important life lessons you’ve probably learned AND hear some new stories about myself that haven’t yet been shared on the podcast. Later this week, I’ll release another episode (part deux of my apology for missing so much time) with Brendan Steinhauser (a previous guest) who was the general consultant for Dan Crenshaw. We had Dan on the podcast a few weeks ago to talk about his campaign for Congress and this last week he won the runoff election. Now he moves on to a likely win in November! What You’ll Learn about Raz’ Life Lessons In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction [03:12] FAITH 2018 Commencement Speech [04:38] Be Your Own Best Teacher [07:08] Work like your Grandad is watching [10:16] Pray for No Bad Choices [13:39] Seek the Center of God’s Will [16:04] Shine your Light in Dark Places [17:22] Speech Conclusion [18:24] Wrapping up the Podcast Links from the Podcast: Connect with Raz Shafer on Twitter and Facebook. Check out his new podcast, My Campaign Coach Minute on iTunes, available on Amazon’s Alexa platform. You can also join the Elite Campaign Mastermind or Support My Campaign Coach! Our lives are filled with constant learning but some life lessons bear a unique significance. In this speech, I lay out the 5 which have had the greatest impact on my story and share chapters from my own history to illustrate their value. Thank you to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast. Visit campaignsidekick.vote to find out how their best-in-breed voter contact platform can revolutionize your campaign and help you win! I apologize for the several week break, y’all! Travel, family needs, and my own illness are my flimsy excuses but either way, we’re back and have some great stuff lined up. This week, I’m sharing a High School Graduation speech I gave a few weeks ago. The Home School group I graduated from 13 years ago, asked me to be their first official commencement speaker and I shared 5 lessons that have been integral to my life. While the lessons aren’t explicitly political, I think they have both broad life application and a specific value to campaigns....

Emily Cook has been fighting for conservative causes her entire career and just a few months after giving birth to her first son, she found herself being called to run for public office. She ran a phenomenal campaign but was subjected to awful attacks by fellow Republicans because of her gender and young son. She’s got some unique wisdom to share with us on this week’s episode! Many thanks to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast! Their tools for running an effective Ground Game will supercharge your campaign and help you win. Check them out at CampaignSidekick.vote. I love getting to coach awesome conservatives. It’s an incredible part of what I get to do and Emily Cook is high on my list of favorites. She is a born and bred Texan, has worked in conservative politics for her entire career and is a great attorney. More importantly, Emily and her husband Justus are new parents like me and my bride. Their son Andrew is just a couple months older than my son, Stoney, and the work hard to make his life better and our state stronger every day. Late last year, it was to a large degree their dedication to Andrew’s future that led Emily and Justus to make the decision that Emily would take on a run for State House. Over the next four and a half months, Emily ran hard and did a phenomenal job as a first-time candidate. While the election results didn’t come back like we’d hoped, she did a great job and learned a lot. Emily joins us this week to talk about her journey and some very specific lessons she learned. While it’s an episode that everyone will learn from, her unique experience as a young mother will be especially valuable to anyone who may face a similar situation. What You’ll Learn about Emily Cook In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction [01:50] Emily Cook’s Background and Why She Ran [11:56] Building the Campaign and Finding the Path [20:46] What happened when your opponent recognized you as a threat? [38:12] How did Campaign Coaching help you? [46:45] Where can people find you online? Links from the Podcast: Connect with Emily Cook on Twitter and Facebook. You can also find out more about her at https://emilycook.org.   Emily Cook has been fighting for conservative causes her entire career and just a few months after giving birth to her first son, she found herself being called to run for public office. She ran a phenomenal campaign but was subjected to awful attacks by fellow Republicans because of her gender and young son. She’s got some unique wisdom to share with us on this week’s episode! Many thanks to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast! Their tools for running an effective Ground Game will supercharge your campaign and help you win. Check them out at CampaignSidekick.vote. I love getting to coach awesome conservatives. It’s an incredible part of what I get to do and Emily Cook is high on my list of favorites. She is a born and bred Texan, has worked in conservative politics for her entire career and is a great attorney. More importantly, Emily and her husband Justus are new parents like me and my bride. Their son Andrew is just a couple months older than my son, Stoney, and the work hard to make his life better and our state stronger every day. Late last year, it was to a large degree their dedication to Andrew’s future that led Emily and Justus to make the decision that Emily would take on a run for State House. Over the next four and a half months,

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Dan Crenshaw Bio 02:40 Dan Crenshaw’s Story 09:29 How Dan Crenshaw and his bride mad the decision to run, as well as WHY he’s running. 19:08 How did Dan Crenshaw build his campaign and get it off the ground? 32:00 What are some of the unique qualities that combat veterans bring to politics? 36:08 Where to find Dan Crenshaw online + Text update number.

00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:30 How Matt Rinaldi became involved in politics 06:15 How did you involve your spouse in your decision to run for office? 10:35 What changed your block walking strategy between your first and second races? 19:30 After running several races, what are some of the major takeaways you learned? 31:33 When you look toward your competitive general election race, what are the major things you need to show your constituents? 33:28 What are your “Whys”? 37:04 How do you go from winning a campaign to legislating effectively in just a couple months? 39:40 Using every procedural tool possible to make a difference. 56:16 Advice for future candidates and staff 58:42 Final words of advice

00:00 Podcast Introduction & Topic Overview 02:18 Building your Brains Trust and how it shapes your life 14:18 Your personal finances say a lot about your fitness to serve in political office. 20:54 Do you really have a hierarchy of duties and understand what that means? 35:46 Conclusion and final thoughts