How To Run For Office

Steve Beren’s odyssey has led him from New York to Oregon and from left wing radicalism to the conservative right. As a political consultant, he’s done an incredible amount of work in a short time and his time in the trenches of the left is now paying off for the right. Thank you to Campaign Sidekick for supporting this podcast. Visit www.campaignsidekick.vote to find out how their best-in-breed voter contact platform can revolutionize your campaign and help you win! I hope y’all are doing well and had a great Easter and Passover. I got to spend some time down with my family at the ranch polishing my shooting skills, catching some fish and eating plenty of my mom’s fine cooking. Plus my little man Stoney just hit six months old and we had plenty of grandparents and great-grandparents at the ranch to spoil him. It was great! It’s good to be back with y’all and a new interview though! This week we’re talking to Steve Beren, owner of One Spark Marketing of Washington State. He’s been working in the political consulting field for a number of years, has run for office himself and is a long time activist in the Washington State GOP. The really interesting part though is that through the first several decades of his life, Steve was a radical leftist activist. He was a union activist, leftist infiltrator, socialist and antiwar radical. That’s hardly the avatar of someone you’d figure would become a conservative, let alone a successful Republican consultant later in his life. Steve’s conversion story and his advice on what he calls “the Holy Trinity of Political Campaigns” is fantastic and I think y’all will enjoy our conversation. As you’re listening, I’d love it if you’d give some thought to who you’d like me to have on in the next few months. I’m trying to streamline some of my processes and really focus in on the things y’all get the most from. So any advice on guests and how you believe we can increase the value that My Campaign Coach provides to you would be most appreciated. Shoot me an email to Raz@MyCampaignCoach.com or message me on Facebook. Either one will get to me quickly and be incredibly helpful. What You’ll Learn about the Holy Trinity of Political Campaigns In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction [03:07] Steve Beren’s background and political conversion story [16:32] What kind of candidate’s do we need? [18:12] The Holy Trinity of Campaigns: Messaging, Fundraising and Name Recognition [45:54] Steve’s model of Political Consulting [55:02] Closing Wisdom and How to Reach Steve Beren [58:03] Help us with advice and closing thoughts from Raz Links from the Podcast: Connect with Steve Beren on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Check out his websites, One Spark Marketing, www.steveberen.com, and read more about him at the Cowlitz County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner on April 14, 2018. Steve Beren’s odyssey has led him from New York to Oregon and from left wing radicalism to the conservative right. As a political consultant,

What You’ll Learn about Raz Shafer's 25 Campaign Tips In This Episode: 00:00 Podcast Introduction 03:29 Rejection on the campaign trail is a fact of life. Dust yourself off and get back on the horse. 05:07 You can’t win a campaign by working banker’s hours. 06:32 Never pass up an opportunity to say “Thank you!” 07:35 A good message without proper repetition is wasted air. 09:10 Never lie or embellish your campaign bio. You WILL get caught. 10:31  Communication isn’t what I say, it’s what YOU hear. 11:57 Unless you’re Donald Trump, candidates shouldn’t wear hats. 13:41 Never use an endorsement that isn’t in writing. 14:52 Don’t run for a job you can’t excel at. 16:12 You should never be too busy to listen. 18:27 Prepare to be attacked before you are. 19:51 No candidate is an objective participant in their own campaign.  21:06 Never say or write anything you don’t want on Buzzfeed. 22:48 “What orators lack in depth, they make up for in length.” - Charles-Louis de Secondat 24:20 How to win: Work harder and smarter than your opponent 25:37 Don’t just ask winning candidates for advice. Losing teaches lessons winners may never see. 26:53 Every facet of your campaign should be infused with a sense of urgency. No lollygagging. 28:10 There is no greater enemy to your campaign than your own ego. 29:46 Handwritten notes are one of the most powerful tools you have. And they’re cheap! 31:20 If you can’t tell someone why you’re running in 30 seconds or less, don’t run. 32:35 Never break the law. You’re not Frank Underwood and you WILL get caught. 33:42 All campaign documents and material should be secure and accessible. Use the cloud. 34:40 Free interns are awesome! Get all you can, train them well and keep them busy. 35:49 Projecting enthusiasm is critical. I don't care how tired, stressed or far down you are in the polls. Smile! 36:51 Rejection on the campaign trail is a fact of life. Dust yourself off and get back on the horse. 37:47 Conclusion and Outro

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Chris Perkins Bio 02:52 How Chris Perkins became involved with Political Campaigns 22:40 Polling Lessons Learned from 2016 30:37 What can we learn from the Texas Primary Election? 40:18 Looking at the November General Election, what’s the outlook for the Republican/Democrat balance in Congress? 49:24 Looking at the Texas Senate race between Cruz and O’Rourke 55:16 What does Ragnar Research do and what makes you unique? 57:22 Top things to look at when looking at polling vendors and figuring out what you NEED 1:01:04 Where can people find you online?

Last week we covered part 1 of our interview with Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell. His miraculous story of survival on 9/11 and heart for public service both come through clearly in that episode. Check it out before going on into this one! Our guest this week is a good man, great leader and dear friend to me. Within Texas’ political circles he is known to be a principled man and devoted Christian. We had such a good time talking that we ran way long on the interview so I’m splitting it into two parts. This is the second part, but you can listen to the first here. Brian Birdwell is a native Texan, decorated military veteran and lifelong conservative Republican currently representing Texas Senate District 22. Senator Birdwell was born here in my backyard of Fort Worth, Texas and served a bit over 20 years in the United States Army. On September 11, 2001, Brian was serving in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed just yards away from his second floor Pentagon office. Brian was critically wounded and severely burned. 60% of his body was burned and more than half of those burns were 3rd degree. He was the closest survivor to the point to Flight 77’s impact. As a Christian, Brian believes his survival and miraculous recovery after 39 operations is a testament to Christ’s grace. In 2010, Brian ran and won a special election for the Texas State Senate, where he has served faithfully for the last 8 years. His story, both personal and political are riveting and I hope y’all will get a lot from what he shares with us. In this second part of the interview, we continue to discuss his initial election and he shares some powerful advice for new candidates. We finish it off with his summation of why we need conservatives to step up and run for office. Part one of this interview covers Brian’s background, what happened to him on 9/11 and takes us through most of his first Senate Election. Links from the Podcast: Connect with Brian Birdwell on Facebook and Twitter. You can also view his incredible testimony at www.iamsecond.com. Last week we covered part 1 of our interview with Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell. His miraculous story of survival on 9/11 and heart for public service both come through clearly in that episode. Check it out before going on into this one! Our guest this week is a good man, great leader and dear friend to me. Within Texas’ political circles he is known to be a principled man and devoted Christian. We had such a good time talking that we ran way long on the interview so I’m splitting it into two parts. This is the second part, but you can listen to the first here. Brian Birdwell is a native Texan, decorated military veteran and lifelong conservative Republican currently representing Texas Senate District 22. Senator Birdwell was born here in my backyard of Fort Worth, Texas and served a bit over 20 years in the United States Army. On September 11, 2001, Brian was serving in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed just yards away from his second floor Pentagon office. Brian was critically wounded and severely burned. 60% of his body was burned and more than half of those burns were 3rd degree. He was the closest survivor to the point to Flight 77’s impact. As a Christian, Brian believes his survival and miraculous recovery after 39 operations is a testament to Christ’s grace. In 2010,

Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell is a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was also a 20-year Army Officer and the closest survivor to the point of impact at the Pentagon on 9/11. His story is incredible and this week he’s here to share it with us. Our guest this week is a good man, great leader and dear friend to me. Within Texas’ political circles he is known to be a principled man and devoted Christian. We had such a good time talking that we ran way long on the interview so I’m splitting it into two parts, the first of which you’re listening to and we’ll release the second half next week. Brian Birdwell is a native Texan, decorated military veteran and lifelong conservative Republican currently representing Texas Senate District 22. Senator Birdwell was born here in my backyard of Fort Worth, Texas and served a bit over 20 years in the United States Army.   On September 11, 2001, Brian was serving in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed just yards away from his second floor Pentagon office. Brian was critically wounded and severely burned. 60% of his body was burned and more than half of those burns were 3rd degree. He was the closest survivor to the point to Flight 77’s impact. As a Christian, Brian believes his survival and miraculous recovery after 39 operations is a testament to Christ’s grace. In 2010, Brian ran and won a special election for the Texas State Senate, where he has served faithfully for the last 8 years. His story, both personal and political are riveting and I hope y’all will get a lot from what he shares with us. Part one of this interview covers Brian’s background, what happened to him on 9/11 and takes us through most of his first Senate Election. In part two, which we’ll release next week, we continue to discuss his initial election and he shares some powerful advice for new candidates. We finish it off with his summation of why we need conservatives to step up and run for office. What You’ll Learn from Brian Birdwell In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction and Brian Birdwell’s bio [02:05] Welcome to Senator Birdwell and discussing his new favorite title: “Grandad” [05:06] Brian Birdwell’s background and how he became involved in politics [08:11] What happened to Brian on 9/11/2001 [23:01] How Brian got back to Texas and became involved in state politics [30:10] The development of Brian Birdwell’s conservative philosophy [39:00] Why you SHOULDN’T run for office! [47:30] Wrapup of Part 1 of our Brian Birdwell interview and quick look ahead to Part 2. Links from the Podcast: Connect with Brian Birdwell on Facebook and Twitter. You can also view his incredible testimony at www.iamsecond.com.   Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell is a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was also a 20-year Army Officer and the closest survivor to the point of impact at the Pentagon on 9/11. His story is incredible and this week he’s here to share it with us. Our guest this week is a good man, great leader and dear friend to me. Within Texas’ political circles he is known to be a principled man and devoted Christian. We had such a good time talking that we ran way long on the interview so I’m splitting it into two parts, the first of which you’re listening to and we’ll release the second half next week. Brian Birdwell is a native Texan, decorated military veteran and lifelong conservative Republican currently representing Texas Senate District 22. Senator Birdwell was born here in my backyard of Fort Worth, Texas and served a bit over 20 years in the Un...

Bruce Redden has spent the last 5 years serving as Ted Cruz’s right-hand man. In his first interview, he’s here to share some of the secrets that have made him effective and war stories from the campaign trail! In politics, some of the most important people are the ones who you rarely hear speak. Our guest this week has been working in the United States Senate for about 10 years and been Senator Ted Cruz’s right-hand man but this is the first interview he’s ever done. Before we get started with the interview, I wanted to remind y’all that the My Campaign Coach Minute podcast is live on iTunes and Amazon’s Alexa. We’re in our second week and we’re getting some great feedback. Each episode is 1-2 minutes long and I share insights about concrete campaign tips that every candidate or campaign operative needs to know! Bruce Redden is a native of northwest Oklahoma and became fascinated with politics relatively early in life. Immediately after graduating from Oklahoma State University (where he’s well-loved for kicking the game-winning field goal over Alabama in the 2006 Independence Bowl), Bruce began working in Washington DC. I first got to work with Bruce when we both joined Senator Cruz’s office in January of 2013. His experience as a Regional Director in Senator Hutchison’s office made him an incredibly valuable resource to me as I learned the job and it quickly became clear that he was a master at it. Over the last 5 years that he worked for Senator Cruz, Bruce became an invaluable part of the team and Ted’s right-hand-man. If you saw Cruz on the presidential campaign trail, Bruce was either next to him or just out of the camera shot. From donor events to strategy sessions to helping choreograph the day to day of the campaign action, Bruce was right there. Today’s podcast is going to give you a great window into what it’s like to be a body-man and Regional Director. We’ll talk in detail about our time with Senator Cruz and how Bruce developed such a close bond with him. Check out some of our other interviews with Senator Cruz’s Campaign and Staff Alumni: John Drogin, Jon McClellan, John Lappe, Bonnie Siegel, Josh Perry, Dr. Mark Campbell. What You’ll Learn about Bruce Redden In This Episode: [00:00] Podcast Introduction and Bruce Redden Bio [02:10] Bruce’s background and how he got started in politics [05:15] What is a Regional Director in a US Senate office? [09:34] Dealing with Crisis situations in a US Senate office [17:30] Planning and running fantastic political events [25:38] How did your role with Senator Cruz evolve over time? [37:11] Running for President with Ted Cruz [44:20] Bruce’s favorite war stories from the campaign trail [49:18] Conclusion and Outro Links from the Podcast: Connect with Bruce Redden on Facebook and Twitter. Bruce Redden has spent the last 5 years serving as Ted Cruz’s right-hand man. In his first interview, he’s here to share some of the secrets that have...

Here’s today’s tip: Unless you’re Donald Trump, candidates shouldn’t wear hats. If you want the perfect visual example of why hats aren’t a good idea for candidates, just google Dukakis in the Tank. I’ve also linked to an article about the seminal event on our blog. As you read about issues with candidates and hats, whether Calvin Coolidge in an Indian headdress, Mike Dukakis and his tank helmet or John Kerry in his bunny suit, there are two main lessons to take away. The first is a simple one: Hats often look goofy and detract from the image we have in our collective mind of what a public official should be. The second lesson is the larger one. In nearly all of these situations, the candidate in question tried to adopt a public image that was a significant departure from their brand. In Dukakis’ case, he decided to abandon his family’s all-American immigrant story that had catapulted him to the Democratic nomination and adopt a strongly pro-national defense message. The picture of him wearing the tank helmet, looking uncannily like Mr. Rogers in battle gear, was used by the Bush campaign to highlight this dissonance between his record and the image he was trying to build. As a candidate, you should build on the brand you’ve cultivated before launching your campaign and use it as the starting point for the rhetoric and visuals of the race. It’s easy to challenge candidates as having adopted a new persona on the campaign trail because it’s so often true. And visuals tell that story better than rhetoric. President Trump gets away with wearing hats because wearing his famous MAGA hat is consistent with his pre-campaign behavior. His now-ubiquitous trucker style golf hat can be found in any number of pictures from before his candidacy, so Americans were used to seeing him in a hat. It was part of his image. Adding his campaign slogan to the front was a genius move and lands him as our lone exception to the no-hats rule. To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermind and our page under My Campaign Coach. If you want to help support our efforts, you can do that with financial support via Patreon.com/mycampaigncoach or by giving us a nice rating on iTunes! Here’s today’s tip: Unless you’re Donald Trump, candidates shouldn’t wear hats. If you want the perfect visual example of why hats aren’t a good idea for candidates, just google Dukakis in the Tank. I’ve also linked to an article about the seminal event on our blog. As you read about issues with candidates and hats, whether Calvin Coolidge in an Indian headdress, Mike Dukakis and his tank helmet or John Kerry in his bunny suit, there are two main lessons to take away. The first is a simple one: Hats often look goofy and detract from the image we have in our collective mind of what a public official should be. The second lesson is the larger one. In nearly all of these situations, the candidate in question tried to adopt a public image that was a significant d...

12 votes cast more than 20 years ago changed the trajectory of the rest of my life. This week I’m sharing how I got started in politics in 1996 and why I keep putting it all out there every cycle. Texas has the earliest primary election in the nation this year and we’re just under 4 weeks out from knowing who wins and who loses. This week’s episode is a bit different and shorter than most because I want there to be one. Specific takeaway. I’m going to tell you about the first election I ever worked in and how 12 votes changed my life. Before I get rolling, I wanted to let y’all know that earlier this week we launched the My Campaign Coach Minute podcast. It’s a 60-90 second podcast that goes out every business day and it’s available on MyCampaignCoach.com, iTunes and you can even add it to your Flash Briefing on Amazon’s Alexa platform! Each episode focuses on a specific strategy or tactic that will help you win whatever campaign you’re working on. I think it’s going to be a great compliment to the longer form interviews and coaching we do on this podcast every week. 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! 12 votes cast more than 20 years ago changed the trajectory of the rest of my life. This week I’m sharing how I got started in politics in 1996 and why I keep putting it all out there every cycle. Texas has the earliest primary election in the nation this year and we’re just under 4 weeks out from knowing who wins and who loses. This week’s episode is a bit different and shorter than most because I want there to be one. Specific takeaway. I’m going to tell you about the first election I ever worked in and how 12 votes changed my life. Before I get rolling, I wanted to let y’all know that earlier this week we launched the My Campaign Coach Minute podcast. It’s a 60-90 second podcast that goes out every business day and it’s available on MyCampaignCoach.com, iTunes and you can even add it to your Flash Briefing on Amazon’s Alexa platform! Each episode focuses on a specific strategy or tactic that will help you win whatever campaign you’re working on. I think it’s going to be a great compliment to the longer form interviews and coaching we do on this podcast every week. 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!

00:00 Podcast Introduction & James Spadola Background 01:54 Background on the Elected Officials of America Podcast 14:27 Top game-changing strategies James has learned from his interviews with elected officials 27:47 How James got involved in the Military, Law Enforcement and then Politics (Plus stories from the war in Iraq) 36:47 Lessons James picked up during his campaign for State Senate 45:53 What do you mean by the idea of “losing well” and why is it important? 55:53 How to find James and his Podcast online!

00:00 Intro and Updates 06:15 Why should you think about creating a DIY video studio? 08:04 The saga of me setting up my studio and all the things I did WRONG + lessons learned 10:42 Pick your studio space carefully 13:31 How to find the right video camera for your studio 18:27 What kind of microphone should I choose? 21:08 Which lighting setup should I use in my studio? 25:24 What about my video background? 29:23 Notecards and teleprompters and how to keep your message tight 34:03 Which software programs and apps should I use for recording and editing video? 38:21 Content is king, so here’s how to make sure yours is great! 42:44 Awesome tips for looking great on camera! 47:15 Conclusion, closing and outro

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Chris Voss background 05:31 How Chris Voss’ work ethic got him into Hostage Negotiation and why he believes “Hard work is a shortcut.” 11:02 How Chris developed and tested his hypothesis about negotiation 15:03 What does it mean to, “Get to No” and why does it matter? 25:23 How Chris’ negotiation strategies can help you break through in public policy fights 33:45 What can hostage negotiation victories teach me about raising money for a political campaign? 36:40 “You’re right vs That’s right.” A small change that makes all the difference! 41:45 Why do you think that TOO MUCH compromise is what’s wrong with politics? 45:12 How to ensure the adoption of any deal 50:08 What is a Black Swan and why do they matter? 54:34 Final words of advice from Chris Voss 56:18 Where to find Chris online and how you can get his book and sign up for free virtual mentorship (Text FBIempathy to 22828 to subscribe) 58:36 Raz’s final thoughts and how you can support the Podcast!

00:00 Podcast Introduction and Drew Ryun Background 06:41 Why fundraising matters and how to get started! 12:34 Tips to consider when hiring a fundraiser 18:40 How to prepare for major donor meetings 24:32 Make your ask for a specific amount and purpose 28:36 Essentials for a strong canvassing ground game 38:00 When to challenge your Consultant 40:56 Why you should use Campaign Sidekick! 43:28 Closing thoughts from Drew Ryun 45:18 Final comments and outro

What You’ll Learn about Opposition Research from Willis Jones In This Episode: 00:00 Podcast Introduction & Willis Jones Bio 01:18 How Willis became involved in politics and interested in opposition research 06:30 Why Opposition and Vulnerability research is ALWAYS critical to a campaign 24:30 How much does opposition research cost and what do you get? 31:05 Willis’ favorite war stories 36:42 Final words of advice for candidates and campaign staff 40:12 Where can people get ahold of you on and offline? 41:48 Closing thoughts and Exit

Merry Christmas, Y'all! All of us at My Campaign Coach hope y'all are having a blessed holiday season and enjoying  some great time with family and friends.  Wanted to give y'all a little look behind the scenes at how the past year has been and what we've got coming up in 2018!  Have a wonderful Christmas and we're excited to be back with you in the New Year!

What You’ll Learn from Raz Shafer In This Episode: 00:00 Podcast Introduction 02:22 Vetting Candidates: How to make sure your endorsement doesn’t backfire 08:32 How to use Systems and Processes to supercharge your candidacy 13:40 Building your Campaign Calendar 18:16 How to build your Campaign Organization Chart 25:02 What are all the ways you can contact voters? 33:04 Closing and Outro