Have you ever given your most passionate, well rehearsed pitch for a bill during a lobby visit, only to find the lawmaker or staff barely listening? You look up to find them with eyes glazed over or worse checking their phone as you speak? It’s happened to me and let’s just say I’ve left those meetings angry and deflated. So what can advocates do to keep our audiences engaged and open? In this week’s podcast, I'm thrilled to introduce you to groundbreaking communicator and beha...

I had the great fortune recently to speak with Michael Tubbs, former Mayor of Stockton and Founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC) and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Mayor Tubbs is also currently serving as Special Advisor for Economic Mobility and Opportunity to Governor Gavin Newsom. In today's episode, we discuss why and how advocates must focus on narrative change as a key yet often missing component of campaigns for policy and political change. Storytelling is how we make sense of the ...

On the 1 year anniversary of the devastating US Supreme Court Dobbs decision, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, I have the honor to speak with Libby Schaaf, former two term mayor of Oakland and interim executive director of Emerge California. We discuss her journey to public office, why we need to elect more pro-choice women into all levels of government, and what it really means for women to "step into your own power". In this episode you’ll learn: 2:20...

The most anticipated - and dreaded - event of this year's #CABudget process is on the horizon - the Governor's "May Revision" 😱 This is an annual event in which the Governor updates his January budget proposal to account for updated revenue estimates and economic conditions. For FY 23-24, it is almost certain advocates will face far worse proposed reductions to hard fought investments in services and programs from past years. Join Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access C...

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Assemblymember Damon Connolly, who represents California's 12th Assembly District, for a spirited conversation recapping his first 100 days in office. Elected to the Assembly in November 2022, Connolly is one of 34 new members of the California Legislature. This is a record number and that turnover will only increase in the next few years. An additional 24 seats will open in 2024 and, according to Close the Gap California, by 2028 a “Motherlode” of 96 s...

Today begins Transgender Week of Visibility and to celebrate I am sharing this special episode with guests Evan Minton and Rainer Apostol. Evan (he/they) is a nationally recognized transgender advocate whose fight for gender-affirming healthcare reached the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a national co-Chair of the Transgender Advisory Committee of the Democratic National Committee and also serves as co-Chair of the Lt. Governor’s Transgender Advisory Council. Rainer (they/them) is a legislative aide ...

If you want to understand the landscape of politics and policy-making at the California Capitol, it's hard to underestimate the role of Labor. In today's episode, I have the honor to speak with Tia Orr, Executive Director of SEIU California, one of the largest labor unions in the state. SEIU represents over 700,000 workers in both the public and private sectors. Tia and I dive into the historic power struggle between corporations and workers and the role of unions in combating unchecked co...

If Kenneth Mejia’s groundbreaking campaign for Los Angeles City Controller isn’t on your radar it needs to be. In November 2022, Mejia made history by becoming the first Asian American elected to citywide office in LA. Not only did he win in the second-largest city in the United States, but he also did it in a landslide — earning just over 63% of the vote. So how’d he do it? Meet his campaign manager, Jane Nguyen. A long-time LA housing rights activist, Nguyen had no prior experience...

I'm happy to share today my excellent conversation with Lauren Babb. Lauren is the chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She is a change-maker and community leader. Last year, she was recognized as one of four black policy movers and shakers by the Women's Foundation. Lauren shares the amazing work that the Commission has accomplished around the state and her vision for the future. She highlights resources and opportunities from the Commission now available f...

We all know getting positive press coverage is an essential part of a winning legislative strategy. But for those of us without high-powered PR firms on retainer, where do we even start? Byrhonda Lyons, an investigative reporter with the Sacramento-based news organization Cal Matters, shares her valuable insight on producing national award-winning news stories and the role advocates can play in the process. We outline steps advocates can take to elevate their stories and gain more at...