The Blueprint Interviews

Rob Quartel has started multiple businesses, worked on multiple Presidential campaigns, ran for multiple federal offices, is an expert on maritime and transportation issues, and a now a fellow podcast host! This conversation walks through Rob's journey weaving in and out of the public and private sectors. The chat ranges from his experience working for a brand new EPA, running for office (and incidentally saving a future Senator's life), working as the Issues Director for two Presidential campaigns, a deep dive on the Jones Act (a controversial piece of legislation that affects all of us), and his story of starting NTELX - which has helped keep the country safe in a post 9/11 world. The conversation is packed with knowledge. Specifically on all things US maritime (starting at 48:05) Enjoy!

Dan Glickman served as Secretary of Agriculture, a 9x Congressman from Kansas - including serving as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and much more. The focus of our discussion is on an op-ed he penned in August, titled Our Food Is Killing Too Many of Us, Improving American nutrition would make the biggest impact on our health care. We go deep into the nuances of the real crisis in American Health Care - food. And how an emphasis on food can have an outsized impact on outcomes and spending. Starting at 47:15 we touch on Chinese influence in Hollywood, based off the Blueprint News piece on the subject.

Ira walks us through the process of how trade deals and their implementation work. From his experience working on NAFTA to working as Chief of Staff for a Senator, he sheds light on what is a uniquely opaque topic, trade. He also touches on the current climate of politics around trade as an issue including what to do with China. He uses real life anecdotes to paint in the details. And we close with a 15 minute history lesson on the Senate and his thoughts on the current state of the Senate. Ira Shapiro's Bio: He served as Chief U.S. Trade Negotiator with Japan and Canada, and as General Counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the Clinton administration. In these roles, he was centrally involved in completing the negotiations of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the multilateral Uruguay Round and successfully resolved contentious bilateral disputes between the U.S. and Japan on automobiles and semi-conductors. He also played a key role in the legal team that won two landmark victories in World Trade Organization (WTO) cases against China, representing the U.S. motion picture, recording, and publishing industries. Mr. Shapiro served twelve years in senior staff positions in the U.S. Senate and was part of the legal teams that helped the Presidential candidates select Vice Presidential running mates in 1992 and 2000. A veteran of American politics, Mr. Shapiro is the author of The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmanship in Times of Crisis, a critically acclaimed narrative history of the U.S. Senate in the late 1970s.

Having spent over 30 years both inside and outside government as lobbyist and public servant, Peter Madigan joins us to breakdown what lobbyists actually do. He goes deep into why lobbying exists and uses many personal anecdotes regarding how it works in the real world. Highlights include the story of how GPS technologies came to consumer markets, how the law making process has changed, and numerous other stories rich in history and perspective. Peter's bio: He started two successful lobbying firms. Served on a presidential transition team as the Chief of Staff to United States Trade Ambassador. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Legislative Affairs. Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Legislative Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Floor Assistant to the House Republican Chief Deputy Whip. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Republican Institute (past Vice Chairman)and the Cohen Institute (Chair), the School of Policy and International Affairs at the University of Maine.

Craig Carey is a restauranteur and entrepreneur based in Washington DC. Craig is the founder of Big Buns and Damn Good Burgers in Arlington, VA which he started from scratch and grew into multimillion dollar enterprises before selling to a restaurant group where he now works. His story, from idea to sale, is nothing short of incredible. He details what it takes to open, grow, and manage a restaurant - and everything in between. If you're interested in or curious about the restaurant space or simply want to hear a kickass story, give it a listen and let us know what you think!