Election Reflection
No, we’re not talking about THAT election - it’s way too soon. I’m talking about last year. It’s taken me awhile to wrap my mind around election season 2023, but wanted to share some reflections. As you may know, I ran for city council in 2023. I didn’t win my race, but it was good experience (which is not completely the same as ‘a good experience’).
Me, September 2023
I had a boss that used to say “things lead to things”, and while it may have seemed ineloquent at the time, I reflect on that statement frequently.
The more you do, the more you learn.
Learning is never a step backward.
Doing something the first time teaches you how to do it better the next time.
I learned how to start a business. That’s what a campaign is – it’s a small business, even if only meant to last a finite number of months. You have a bank account, you have expense reports, you have communications, you have data management, you have a loose team of volunteers to manage, you have a website, you have graphics, you have print files to create, you have sourcing to find different printers for every item, you have event-planning, you have speech-writing, you have social media, you have endorsements to apply for, you have interviews for local media….you have to define your story and decide what people should know about you. Just typing this now makes me wonder how I really did all of this. But I’m quite proud of myself for pulling it all together – from being recruited to run in August to election day in November– in less than 3 month. I amassed nearly 3000 votes, which wasn’t enough to win, but it was only a few percentage points less than an 18 year incumbent.
As I kicked-off my own consultancy this year, all of these elements (banking, website, social, graphics, etc) felt so familiar - because I’d done so much of this just a year ago! While the subject matter is different, and I certainly intend to be in business more than 3 months, I feel like I’ve been here before.
On the flip side, if you’ve started a business – or even if you’re just interested in starting a business - you likely have what it takes to run for office.
Have you ever considered getting involved in local politics? How much do you know about your own city council, school board, or township trustees? We all know that local policies impact our lives more than state-wide and national politics can. You don’t have to BE the candidate, but there are endless ways to get involved.
Maybe it’s advocacy. One of my favorite things about my campaign was becoming an advocate for a national organization, where I am now a local leader. I had a friend comment that I seemed more interested in the issues than the limelight–which feels accurate–so I’m continuing to work on an issue (curbing gun violence in communities). In Ohio, this is something city councils are not empowered to work on, so I see I can do more without the title of city councilor. While change is (was?) happening slowly at the national level, I know that a few more children are safe in my community because of my advocacy.
Things really do lead to things.
If you’re interested in chatting about my consultancy — or my advocacy— I’m here! Schedule a call!
