How To Run For Office

00:00 Introduction and Wendy Day’s Bio 02:30 Tell us about how you got involved in politics and the crazy road that brought you here 05:55 Talk a bit more about your time working with Gold Star families, those who have lost servicemen and women in the military. 07:02 Cruz Presidential Campaign Stories + What to do when you don’t get many resources? 15:15 How did you motivate your volunteers through the tough campaign and harsh winter? 20:30 What do you offer campaigns and organizations through your political consulting business? 21:25 The importance of being Interested vs. Interesting when it comes to voter persuasion 25:45 “If you raise their blood pressure, you’ve lost their vote” 27:40 Using software and data to target voters for post-canvassing follow-up (plus funny block-walking stories) 31:35 How do you get earned media on the campaign trail? 39:50 What are the keys to building your campaign message strategy? 46:35 Raz’s great dane, Thor, yawns really loud… 47:35 How to prepare for political debates 50:43 Finding your speaking voice when writing speeches and debate introductions 52:01 What excites you most about what you’re doing in Politics? 54:14 Politics is 100% Relational, Principle and Strategy like H20 is Water, Steam and Ice. 55:23 Preview of Wendy’s new book about Moms Power in politics! 57:19 Where you can find Wendy online 57:55 Outro and announcements

00:00 Show introduction and Ryan Mauldin bio 01:20 Ryan’s Political background and how he got involved in the professional side 03:59 How to sneak up on your opponent: The power of being underestimated 05:07 Running a grassroots campaign in a rural district 07:39 How did things evolve after that first race that you won? 11:40 What does your working relationship with Clients look like and what kind of campaigns do you work for? 16:05 What attributes do you look for when analyzing a candidate’s digital campaign and how do you help get them on the right track? 20:43 What are pitfalls of NOT outsourcing some of your campaign’s digital operation? 22:10 What are metrics that we should NOT pay attention to when gauging our progress 24:06 What are the first steps first time candidates need to take to build their digital presence right? 27:46 How to create the feeling of direct action to the candidate and WHY that’s important 29:00 How do we make candidates look….”human”? 32:02 Voters need to like you as a candidate. It’s more important than that they agree with you. 33:54 What excites you most about your work? 35:40 Where can people find you online? 36:30 Closing it out - Learn more about Ryan's advice on digital campaign tips by contacting his team!

00:00 Special Request 00:24 Introduction - Aaron Harris 02:00 Tell us a bit more about your background and what you’ve been involved in. 03:30 What was it that got you started in politics? 05:00 Managing campaigns and working in partisan races 08:50 Winning Jonathan Stickland’s first House campaign 12:00 Pros and Cons of running as an incumbent 13:00 Dealing with electoral challenges without compromising 17:17 Killer GOTV tips for Candidates 23:20 How Wendy Davis helped Conservatives win big in Texas 25:00 How are Municipal/Non-Partisan races different from other elections? 32:03 Talking about Voter Fraud: how it occurs, where it’s an issue and how to keep it from stealing your race. 34:51 Do you know how many dollars, doors and donors you need to win? 36:38 Don’t be afraid to submit Open Records Requests! They can help you a lot. 38:08 How to microtarget your voters and use data to turn out voters on election day 41:06 What is your GOTV Strategy and what are you going to do with the data? 43:08 Breaking down the differences between Identification, Persuasion and GOTV 46:05 Do you have a clear message and are you sticking to it? 48:33 Do you have a well outlined budget and clear vote goal? 50:56 Don’t get pulled off your message! 51:20 Where can listeners find you online? 51:52 Outro

00:00 Lead In 00:26 Rep. Matt Krause Introduction 01:42 How did you get involved in politics and what are you doing now? 03:10 Two critical things to be ready for as a first-time candidate 03:40 Can you tell us about your first campaign and what you learned from losing it? 05:48 The importance of Block Walking/Canvassing and Fundraising 07:56 After your loss in 2010, what did you do to prepare for running again in 2012? 10:42 What did you do different in the 2012 race that helped you win in a crowded field? 13:34 The importance of Candidates personally knocking doors 14:20 How did you manage the transition from candidate to elected official? 17:16 What role does your wife play in helping keep you on track in office? 18:41 How did you and your wife work through the idea of running for office and find that political/family balance? 21:20 Why do we need more Conservatives to run for office? 23:35 What should potential candidates do now to prepare for their campaign? Pray, family, key community leaders, pro help, build game plan, confirm path to victory, work hard. 25:51 How to gauge how much someone ACTUALLY supports your campaign 26:57 How do you balance being a candidate, elected official, father and husband? 29:19 Personnel is Policy. What do you look for in potential campaign or legislative staff? 31:19 Looking back, what advice would you give yourself as a first time candidate? Freedom to fail, don’t be discouraged, whatever happens you’ve helped your community, win/loss isn’t the measure of your candidacy. It’s about whether you stay true to your principles. 32:37 Where can people find you online?

Important Time Stamps & Descriptions: 00:00 Opening 00:26 Gabby Hoffman Introduction & Welcome 01:49 How Gabby got started in politics: Student Activism, Radio, Writing & Social Media 05:53 Gabby's Business launch and Current Political Involvement 07:08 The Non-Political side of Gabby's work: Hunting, Fishing and Guns! 12:33 How has your parents' experience fleeing Communism motivated your interest in conservative politics? 17:54 What kinds of products and services do you offer clients? 21:10 What are the most important ways to judge a campaign's health? 24:59 What major components of a campaign's media and content strategy need to be in place prior to launch?​ 28:17 Leveraging influencers and bloggers to grow your campaign (the Ted Cruz way!) 30:15 What social media networks should candidates be on and what are their roles? 33:35 What tools for social media management and creating posts should people use? 39:22 What excites you the most about where you're at and where you're headed? 41:56 Where can listeners find you online? 43:58 Wrapping up​

00:00 - Opening 00:37 - Toby Marie Walker Introduction & Welcome 03:17 - Where are you focusing your attention since Cruz ended his Presidential campaign? 04:48 - The IRS Targeting of Conservative Orgs and Toby’s role in fighting back 07:25 - How Toby got involved in politics & the wild ride she’s experienced over the last 9 years 09:45 - What keeps you motivated in the face of so much pressure and ugliness? 12:33 - What do you look for when deciding which candidates to support? 14:57 - Toby’s biggest pet peeves with candidates she has supported in the past 16:35 - Why accountability matters & How to stay true to your roots 18:46 - What is the role of a candidate’s Kitchen Cabinet? 22:40 - Who bears the blame for communication failures and how to avoid them 24:37 - How should campaigns use recruit, retain and deploy volunteers? 26:10 - Volunteers are as valuable as donors. How should we treat them? 27:20 - Phone Bank War Stories: How Toby runs a volunteer call center 29:52 - When is it ok to ditch the phone-bank script? 31:52 - How to use prizes and incentives to motivate volunteers 33:20 - Tips for being a rock-star phone-banker: Don’t miss! 35:45 - Campaign Manager Tip: How to keep volunteers from lying to you! 38:55 - How to be an effective ambassador as a phone-bank leader 41:15 - Balancing Quality vs Quantity in Voter Contact 42:15 - How to motivate your crew through strong leadership 43:09 - “ABC = Always Be Campaigning 46:30 - How to be the “Political Answers Guy” in your community 48:29 - Keeping your credibility while working in politics 49:39 - What advice would you give yourself if you could start over. 53:01 - Where to connect with Toby online 54:01 - Toby’s thoughts on My Campaign Coach Training

How to Run a Data Driven Campaign This episode, we’re talking to Brendan Steinhauser, a national grassroots organizer and campaign manager with a fantastic record. Brendan spent seven years in Washington, D.C. working as the national Director of Federal and State Campaigns for FreedomWorks and he’s managed a number of campaigns, from state to federal level. Since 2012, Brendan has operated the Austin based Steinhauser Strategies with his bride Randan, providing full service public relations, government affairs and political consulting service. He has been awarded MSNBC’s “Inside the Beltway” award, Campaigns & Elections Magazine’s “Rising Stars” award, the Leadership Institute’s “Outstanding Alumni” award, District of Columbia Republican Committee’s 35 Under 35 Award, and named as one of Time Magazine’s 40 under 40 Rising Political Stars. A native of Flatonia, Texas, Brendan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and served as Executive Director of Young Conservatives of Texas – UT-Austin. Brendan received his M.A. in Statecraft and International Affairs from The Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. Show Notes [00:25] – Brendan Steinhauser Introduction * [01:10] – Background and Steinhauser Strategies Overview * [02:49] – Training the next generation of Candidates * [06:32] – Maintaining Motivation when working in politics * [09:06] – How Steinhauser Strategies serves its clients * [10:20] – Setting up a winning campaign * [16:15] – The 80/20 Rule * [19:23] – Top indicators of campaign health * [21:42] – Learning to win from losing * [23:35] – Preparing TODAY for a future candidacy * [28:10] – What to look for in campaign staff * [32:00] – Running a data-driven campaign * [40:15] – Holding true to your principles * [43:05] – How to find Brendan online Twitter: @BStein80, @RazShafer, @MyCampaigncoach LinkedIn: Click Here Web: Steinhauser Strategies  

Show Notes: [00:35] – What it takes to get started working in politics [01:45] – Brian’s background in politics [04:45] – The value of character and work-ethic in politics [07:30] – How to land your first job in politics [10:55] – Understanding WHY you want a political job [12:34] – Common pitfalls new candidates face with the Media [14:33] – How to build relationships with the Media [19:03] – How Ted Cruz handles the media [21:00] – Answer the question you WANT to answer [22:00] – How to prepare for Media contact [26:05] – Building your campaign’s elevator pitch [28:00] – Staying on-message during a press event [30:02] – Keep your message short [32:40] – Common traits of winning campaigns [36:00] – How to connect with Brian ​ Find Brian Online: * Twitter: @BrianSikma * Facebook: Brian Sikma * MediaTrackers.org

Show Notes: [00:30] – Tony McDonald Introduction [01:37] – Tony’s background in politics [02:55] – Young Conservatives of Texas [06:05] – Building a strong team, as a newly elected official [11:45] – How to make your mark as a Freshman Representative [13:08] – Fighting for the First Amendment in Texas [15:00] – Dealing with false ethics charges [17:52] – Favorite campaign FAIL [21:01] – Preparing to launch your campaign [23:45] – Favorite Campaign successes and failures [27:15] – Daring to win Find Us on Twitter:@TweetTonyMac, @RazShafer & @MyCampaignCoach Tony McDonald’s Bio:click here!

What You’ll Learn from Drew Ryun in this Episode: [00:27] – Drew Ryun Introduction [01:52] – How did your family get involved in politics? [04:00] – Give us an overview of your political career [06:25] – What do candidates need to have squared away before they decide to run? [09:57] – How to kick-start your campaign fundraising More… [13:22] – How major donor fundraising works [15:04] – Key indicators major donors look for when analyzing campaigns [16:24] – How to prepare your pitch for major donors [19:33] – What PAC’s look for when considering endorsements [22:19] – Advice for newly elected officials – Keeping promises, hiring staff and leaving a legacy [27:05] – Favorite funny political experience [29:03] – Proudest political achievements   Links: * Twitter: @DrewRyun, @RazShafer & @MyCampaignCoach * Facebook: @MyCampaignCoach * Web: www.MadisonProject.com

How to Run For Office Podcast Introduction Welcome to the How to Run For Office Podcast’s Introduction Episode! I’ve been involved in politics for 20 years and have had the opportunity to train thousands of activists and hundreds of candidates in how to increase their political impact, as well as wearing about every other political hat you can imagine. From knocking on doors to working in the United States Senate to doing policy research and running national PAC and SuperPAC efforts. I’ve learned a lot from so many great teachers and that’s knowledge I want to share with you. More… While I’ve been blessed to have some incredible experiences during my time in politics, I realized about a year ago that there is nothing I’ve enjoyed as much as helping prepare conservative candidates and their staff to win campaigns. Leveraging the lessons I’ve learned over those 20 years to help them push the movement forward. We’re launching this podcast, as part of the My Campaign Coach training brand, focused on equipping candidates and staff to run more efficient, effective elections. This isn’t another current events or commentary podcast. We are here for one reason: to help you win. Whether you’re listening to this podcast, reading our blog or taking one of our coaching courses, we want the content we create to contribute directly to your campaign’s success potential. This show exists because I believe that learning from successful candidates, staff and operatives is pivotal to achieving long-term wins in the world of politics and policy. The basics are the same as any other field you want to excel in: learn to be winner by training with those who have. Each guest, and the questions we ask them, are selected with the goal of giving you access to some of the industry’s most effective operators, many of whom you may have never even heard of. From big national names to local consultants and candidates who are impacting politics closer to home, we want every conversation to encourage and educate you in how to run better campaigns and grow your political legacy. I want you to come away, every week, with new information and concrete action steps that will help you win your campaign. There are a plethora of great podcasts that give insightful commentary or cover current events – but that’s not what we’re about. Our focus is to provide individuals, who are motivated and inspired, with the critical knowledge and action steps to become a successful candidate or operative. Next week, in the first full interview, we’ll be talking to my mentor and former boss, Drew Ryun. He’s done it all and will give you some great advice about common campaign mistakes, how to prepare your core message strategy and how to overcome common hurdles with fundraising. By way of a confession, we did have some audio quality problems on the first two episodes but got the kinks worked out by number three. I hope you’ll check them out though, because they are full of great tips and insights that I think you’ll find very helpful! Check out the show-notes for links to more resources as well as information about how you can interact with us online. We’ll talk to y’all again very soon! Show Notes: [01:15] – Why We’re Here [01:56] – What you’ll hear [02:39] – Drew Ryun interview preview [02:52] – Confession Links:  * Twitter: @MyCampaignCoach & @RazShafer * Facebook: @MyCampaignCoach