Changing the Face of Power Podcast with Rebecca Thompson: Run for Office | Fulfill Your Purpose | Change the World

This week’s featured guest Raeisha Williams is a candidate for City Council in North Minneapolis, MN. A millennial with a background in communications, Raeisha has worked for BET, TV One and CNN and has served as a publicist and marketing consultant. As a fierce advocate for social justice, she shares her story of how she now uses her expertise to lift up the issues impacting her community and why she’s working to change the face of power.

One of the biggest reasons more women don't run for elected office (besides the fear of raising money) is because of the negative self talk + conversations we have with ourselves about why we can't such as “I don't have enough experience, people will wonder "Who does she think she is? Or what if I lose?”. In this week’s bonus episode Rebecca shares 10 ways to stop doubting your brilliance so you can run for elected office.

This week’s featured guest Myya Jones made national headlines when she announced her candidacy for Mayor of Detroit at just 22 years old. The recent college graduate shares her story of how she was inspired to get into politics and her mission to give people of color, women, and millennials a seat at the table in local politics.

This week’s featured guest LaToia Jones is an organizer, community leader, activist, and former candidate for Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair. Usually working behind the scenes to create change within democratic politics and the labor movement, Jones shares her story of why she decided to transition from strategist to candidate and how she’s fighting to change the face of power within the Democratic Party.

Leslie Love was elected as State Representative in the 10th House District of Michigan in November 2014. She sits on the House Committees on Commerce and Trade, Financial Services, and Workforce and Talent Development in the 98th Legislature of the Michigan House of Representatives. She serves as the Democratic Caucus Vice Chair and Chaplain for the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, as well as being a member of the Progressive Women’s Legislative Caucus, Greater Wayne County Caucus, and Hispanic Caucus. Leslie was appointed to serve on the MiSTEM Advisory Council, a group of business, K-12 and higher education and philanthropic leaders dedicated to helping make Michigan a world leader in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Prior to her election to office, Leslie was the director of theatre operations and an adjunct professor at Marygrove College for 12 years. She was a professor for Wayne County Community College District as well. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Siena Heights University, a Master of Fine Arts from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Marygrove College.

This week’s featured guest Channel Powe serves as an elected board member for the Balsz School District and as President of the Arizona School Board Association’s Black Caucus. Named the 2015 Advocate of the Year by the Arizona School Board Association, Powe uses her platform as a mom, policy maker and activist to fight for everything from police accountability and transparency to combatting disproportionate suspensions and bullying.

This week’s featured guest Holly J. Mitchell is a mom, state senator, and social justice advocate. Mitchell shares her story of how she uses her platform to be a champion for working families across the state of California.

This week’s featured guest Dee Dawkins-Haigler is a former state representative, wife, mother, ordained minister and international businesswoman. Dawkins-Haigler shares her story of balancing it all while making a global impact.

This week’s featured guest LaDawn Jones is a wife, mother, lawyer, entrepreneur, political commentator and former Georgia State Representative. Jones shares her story of balancing it all and how being an elected official can be just one of many ways to serve your community.

This week’s featured guest is Brenda Carter, a member of the Pontiac School Board and President of the Michigan Association of School Boards. A passionate advocate for children, Brenda shares her story of how she uses her voice to create change at the local level.

This week’s featured guest Tina Fletcher is an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) in Washington, DC. A living example of how to make a big impact at the local level, Tina shares her story of being a former high school teacher and running to represent her students and their families.

In the Season 2 premiere episode of Changing the Face of Power Podcast, East Point, GA Mayor Jannquell Peters shares her story of how she has used her platforms as an advocate + elected official to provide a voice for the voiceless.

This week’s featured guest is Leslie Andrews, a candidate for the Detroit Public School Community District Board with over 20 years of experience in non-profit development, community relations and corporate giving. Running for one of 7 seats in a staggering field of over 60 candidates, Leslie shares her journey as a first time candidate aiming to leave her mark.

Most of the women featured on the Happy Black Woman podcast are businesswomen; entrepreneurs who are building their dreams through a successful company. Today’s guest is a bit different. Rebecca Thompson is fulfilling her life-calling by championing a cause: black women in politics. Rebecca’s determination and spirit are a powerful demonstration of what can happen when black woman get energized toward public office. You will be inspired and encouraged - possibly even motivated to get involved in your community's politics - by listening to this episode of the podcast. The face of power tends to be male and it tends to be white. If you haven’t noticed how things are in this world, the faces of power tend to be male and they tend to be white. There’s nothing wrong with that - anyone can be an elected leader in the United States if they truly have the heart to serve the people. But those two facts do show us that the black community, and black women in particular, are underrepresented among the elected officials who have so much power in determining the course of our communities and nation. Rebecca’s realization of that fact is part of what motivated her to run for office and help other black women learn the skills needed to run for office in their jurisdictions. If you want to run for office you need to be clear about WHY you are doing it. There are many reasons you may want to run for office. But if you’re going to put yourself and your family into the public eye in that way you need to be clear on exactly WHY you are doing it. Rebecca Thompson says it’s essential because you will run into moments where it doesn’t seem that what you’re doing is worth it. Opponents will falsely accuse you. You will be slandered. The press will have unreasonable questions and demands. How are you going to persevere if that’s the case? You’ll do it by having a clear sense of WHY. Rebecca Thompson is Rosetta’s guest on this episode of Happy Black Woman. You don’t have to know how you’re going to raise the money. One of the major hurdles you’ll have to get past if you are going to run for elected office is the issue of money. You will need money to run a successful campaign - a LOT of it. How are you going to raise money if you don’t feel that you have a public persona already? Rebecca Thompson was in those exact shoes when she decided to run for office and her approach was much more successful than you might think it would be for a first-time candidate. Rebecca shares her fundraising strategy and tells the results of her demanding and powerful campaign, on this episode. What is your freedom worth to you? When Rosetta asked Rebecca Thompson about the ways she keeps herself on track in the midst of a busy life Rebecca said that she has to remind herself first of all that she’s working to maintain her own freedom. When that’s clear in her mind she has to ask herself a simple question and give an honest answer. “What is my freedom worth?” Is it worth missing a favorite TV show because she needs to work on an important project? Is it worth going to bed late or rising early? Those are the kinds of questions anyone has to ask themselves if they want a better life than they have - or if they want to make an impact like Rebecca does by encouraging black women in politics. You can hear Rebecca’s inspiring story on this episode. Outline of this great episode [0:30] Rosetta’s introduction to Rebecca Thompson, host of the Changing the Face of Power podcast. [3:32] Why Rebecca is so passionate about encouraging black women to run for office. [9:11] The first steps for a women who are interested in running for office. [14:18] The impact of reaching out to people she knew when running for office. [20:43] What is needed to step into the public ring? [24:47] How Rebecca stays on track. [28:15] Books Rebecca values. [29:38] How you can connect with Rebecca. Resources & Links mentioned in this episode http://www.rebeccamthompson.com Rebecca on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candicacycoach/ Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CandidacyCoach BOOK: Think And Grow Rich About REBECCA THOMPSON Rebecca Thompson is a nationally renowned speaker, trainer, and candidacy coach; a former candidate for state representative, and host of the “Changing the Face of Power Podcast”.Rebecca’s mission (and life’s work) is to change the face of power by informing, inspiring, and supporting black women to run for office at the state and local level so they can fulfill their purpose and change the world.She has traveled the world training candidates to run for elected office and is a graduate of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale, EMILY’S List, The White House Project and numerous other leadership programs. Rebecca is a national trainer for VoteRunLead and ElectHer, which trains young women to run for elected office. She also serves on the National Leadership Team of Political Parity, a bipartisan group of national women’s organizations dedicated to getting more women elected to office.Rebecca was inspired to create - Changing the Face of Power – the first and only podcast in the country dedicated to inspiring black women to run for office –after losing her election for state representative by just 6 votes on Election Day. She wants to teach women candidates everything she learned the hard way so they can run and win the first time.

This week’s featured guest is Misha Stallworth, a candidate for the Detroit Public School Community District Board. Misha’s journey as a candidate began in June 2016 when legislation was passed to end emergency management in Detroit Public Schools. With just 5 months to mount a campaign, Misha is running for one of 7 seats in a staggering field of over 60 candidates. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Misha shares her story of how she’s building on her family’s legacy in Detroit politics and creating a name for herself.

This week’s featured guest is Leslie Herod, a candidate for the Colorado House of Representatives. A millennial with extensive policy experience, Leslie won her June 2016 primary with an impressive 61% of the vote and will now face a republican challenger on November 8th. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Leslie shares her story of starting as a student leader and how she is now paving the way for others.

This week’s featured guest is Regina Thomas, a candidate for 3rd Circuit Judge from Detroit, MI. An accomplished wife, mother, and lawyer, Regina made it through a crowded primary with 21 candidates and is on the November 2016 ballot vying for 1 of 4 seats on the 3rd Circuit Court. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Regina shares her journey as a first time candidate fighting to be the voice for justice in her community.

This week’s featured guest is first time judicial candidate Kenyetta Stanford-Jones. In August 2016, Kenyetta earned the highest number of votes in a crowded primary and will be on the November 2016 ballot. A wife, mother, and attorney in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Kenyetta shares her story of running as a first time candidate and how she’s changing the face of power in Detroit.

This week’s featured guest is Erin Jones, a candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction from Seattle, WA. If elected, Erin would make history as the first African-American elected statewide. Raised in the Netherlands, Erin is an award winning educator who speaks 4 languages. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Erin shares her powerful story of using her privilege to transform the lives of others through education.

A rising star and politico, Maurielle Stewart is currently the youngest member of the Town Council in the Town of Cheverly, MD. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Maurielle reinforces that all politics are indeed local and the importance of young women in politics.

As the City Treasurer for St. Louis, MO, Tishaura Jones made history in 2013 when she became the first woman to ever hold the position. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power, Tishaura shares her story of how she balances serving her community with being a single mom and a badass.

At just 24 years old, Park Cannon recently made history by becoming the youngest member of the Georgia House of Representatives and as one of just 3 openly queer women serving in the legislature. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power Podcast, Park shares her story of running and serving authentically.

Today’s featured guest Christina Sanders is a seasoned politico, civic engagement expert, and former candidate for City Council in Houston, TX. As the founder of ThePoliChic.com Sanders travels the country training women to turn their passion into action through public policy.

Today’s featured guest Simone Lightfoot is a Trustee on the Ann Arbor, MI Board of Education. A wife, mother, veteran and civil rights activist, Lightfoot shares her story of her lifelong fight for justice and creating lasting change in her community.

Today’s featured guest Candice Quarles is elected to the City Council in DeSoto, TX, a suburb of Dallas with nearly 50,000 residents. Elected in May 2016 in a special election the first time candidate won with more than 66% of the vote making her the youngest member currently serving on the council. 

Nina Morris is entering her 9th year on the Lancaster, TX City Council. Elected at just 25 years old she was the youngest councilmember elected in the city’s history. This week on Changing the Face of Power Podcast, Nina shares her moving story of how she campaigned while battling lupus nephritis, dialysis, chemotherapy, and ultimately a kidney transplant. Nina’s story exemplifies the power of defeating obstacles no matter how challenging.

Recently elected to represent Kentucky’s 41st District, Attica Scott made history becoming the first black woman elected to the Kentucky Legislature in 20 years. In this week’s episode of Changing the Face of Power Podcast, Attica shares her powerful journey into politics and how setbacks can be leveraged into comebacks.