Podcast appearances and mentions of michael skolnik

As the election in the United States approaches, I'm honored to bring back these words of wisdom from a diverse group of mothers working toward a brighter future in this special episode “Mom the Vote.” Original Show Notes At the time of this episode's release, we are at a crossroads in the United States. This election of 2020 is one of the most important in our history. As activist Michael Skolnik says, the election is not 7 days away. The election is now.  What can we do in our last few days before the conclusion of the election of 2020? Like so many of you, I am asking myself what matters most and what I can do that can have an impact in these 7 days. When I feel myself swirling, I remember I don't have to figure this out alone. So, I reached out to you, fellow mothers and grandmothers, many of you activists, and asked for your words of wisdom.  Ahead, I have 7 pieces of advice, reflections or calls to action, that we can all connect to for guidance and inspiration each day ahead. This is an election minisode…because I wanted these to be bite-sized and easy to digest. Please join me in taking these words in, taking action, and paying the messages forward to other mothers in your network.  I hope this minisode has you, as it does me, ready to dig in, to connect to community, to engage in multiple ways, to vote for our children, to remember why this matters, to get the vote out with women of color and make sure their votes count, and to mother like an organizer. Together, we can do this! #momthevote #votelikeamother #momsrising Thank you to Jen Jenkins Dohner for the beautiful “VOTE” podcast art. Find her work, Postcards for Progress here. Episode Highlights: The election is not 7 days away…the election is now and we can look to one another for how to use these days to the fullest.  Why it matters to dig into propositions and ballot measures you might not understand. Our election is not just about us as individuals, it's about us as a society. How we can use discernment and tap into our community to get us through. Register today for Nicole Lee's Way Station, happening Friday to support you in that. 5 ways that you can get engaged through MomsRising. All the reasons why we should vote for our children. How elections can be a joyful time for families. The critical role that women of color voters play in this election and how we can make their vote count. Sign up here to text bank with She the People Wednesday. Wise advice from a life-long organizer, mother and grandmother working to galvanize voting from and for domestic workers through Hand in Hand and her Caring Majority Facebook Group. Resources Recommended by Our Mother Contributors: The event Nicole Lee is co-facilitating:Way Station  5 Ways to Help Get Out the Vote from MomsRising She the People Black-Led Organizing Fund California Voter Guide Vote411 Lose the Cape Vol 4: The Mom's Guide to Becoming Socially & Politically Engaged (& How to Raise Tiny Activists), 2nd Edition 7 Pieces of Advice From Our Contributors: Advice #1 – Nancy Cavillones – Dig into Ballot Measures Because They Matter to Someone Nancy Cavillones is an indie author's best friend and is on a mission to keep authors sane by handling the minutiae of their online presence and communications. She's been online in some form or other since 1993, and still has the AOL dial-up tone stuck in her head. (Interested in the full history? Check out her LinkedIn.) She enjoys taking the scenic route, forcing her kids to appreciate nature, and spending time in New York City by herself in a desperate attempt to recapture her college days. Originally from Upstate NY by way of Long Island, Nancy recently relocated to Northern California with her family from Redding, Connecticut.  Nancy is the co-editor of Lose the Cape Mom's Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!). Where to reach Nancy: The Real Nani Twitter @va4indieauthors LinkedIn @ncavillones Lose the Cape Mom's Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!). Advice #2 – Nicole Lee – Reach Out Personally to Voters, Use Discernment and Connect to Community Nicole Lee is a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, leadership coach, nationally recognized speaker and strategist who regularly consults with nonprofits, schools, businesses and political and social movements to improve their climate for themselves and all those that they serve. She is the founder of Inclusive Life™ and co-founder of the Lee Bayard Group LLC and Black Movement-Law Project (BMLP). For almost a decade she served as President of TransAfrica, working with leaders across the globe to advocate for a just U.S. foreign policy. Nicole is a prolific speaker who has given testimony to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and other international bodies. She has been a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. She has been recognized for her outstanding contributions in the private and public sectors through numerous awards, including Congressional Black Caucus, Running Starts “Women to Watch”, Black Women's Roundtable TrailBlazer, Global Leadership and the National Newspapers Publishers Association's Press Champion Award. She is both an attorney and an intuitive coach. Through this unique blend, she has contributed to movements in the U.S. and abroad through human rights documentation, coaching and holding space in difficult situations.  One of her proudest moments was working alongside civil rights icon Bill Lucy, the architect of the historic Memphis sanitation strike  for a national commemoration of the life of his good friend Nelson Mandela. Nicole lives in Washington, DC with her husband, political scientist Marc Bayard, children and three pets.  Where to reach Nicole: Nicole Lee website Register for WayStation Facebook Twitter @nicoleclee Instagram @nicoleleeil Advice #3 – Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner – Find Five Ways to Engage Through MomsRising Kristin is the Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder of MomsRising and Board President of the MomsRising Education Fund. She has been involved in public policy and grassroots engagement for more than two decades and has received numerous accolades for her work. She is also an award-winning author of books and articles, frequent public speaker, media contributor, and host of the radio program “Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising).” Kristin is also a former political director, policy analyst, and political strategy consultant for non-profit organizations and foundations. Where to reach Kristin: Moms Rising 5 Ways to Help Get Out the Vote from MomsRising Facebook Twitter @MomsRising  Instagram @momsrising Advice #4 – Kalima Salahuddin – Vote for Our Children and Have Them Join You in the Process Kalimah Salahuddin currently serves as President for the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education She is the immediate Past President of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) were she served for two years and continues to serve as the Coordinator for the SMCSBA Equity Network.  At the County level she serves on the COVID-19 Recovery Council and the Advisory Council for the Equity initiative. She was one of the founding members of the REACH Coalition to increase equity and community health for all. She also was recently appointed to the Board of the Housing Leadership Council and previously served as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco where she has been a regular site volunteer.  She is currently employed at Exelixis as a Coordinator on the Investor Relations / Public Affairs team and is mother to three wonderful adults. Advice #5 – Jena Schwartz – Connect to All the Reasons That Voting Matters Jena is an extroverted introvert, a lover of trees and fresh water swimming and babies and bulldogs, and a rabbi at heart. All of her works, from writing groups to retreats to individual coaching, editing, and mentoring, is devoted to creating safe and brave spaces where we get to write, share, and connect. She has been blogging as a practice since 2007. She works with people who struggle to value their writing if/when it's not “productive” or clearly “going somewhere.” Where to Reach Jena: Read Jena's Full Facebook Post Jena Schwartz website Facebook Instagram @jenaschwartz Advice #6 – Aimee Allison – Get Out the Vote and Make Sure Every Vote Counts From Critical Women of Color Voters Aimee Allison is founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the voice and power of women of color. She brings together voters, organizers, and elected leaders in a movement grounded in values of love, justice, belonging, and democracy. In 2018, Ms. Allison was one of the primary architects of the “year of women of color in politics.” In April 2019, she convened the first presidential forum for women of color, reaching a quarter of the American population. A democratic innovator and visionary, Ms. Allison leads national efforts to build inclusive, multiracial coalitions led by women of color. She leverages media, research and analysis to increase voter engagement and advocate for racial, economic and gender justice. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Hill, Essence, Teen Vogue and Newsweek. In the early 1990's, Ms. Allison earned a rare honorable discharge from the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and works today to support courageous, moral leadership. Aimee Allison holds a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University. Author of Army of None, she has appeared in hundreds of outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Associated Press and NPR. She is building a political home for a million women of color, nationally and in battleground states. She was featured in Politico's 2019 Powerlist.  Where to Reach Aimee: Aimee Allison website She The People LinkedIn Instagram @aimee_allison Sign up for Wednesday Text Banking with She the People  Tune into the full conversation with @Aimee Allison on political impact and fundraising released earlier on the podcast ℅ How Women Lead Advice #7 – Lian Hurst Mann – Remember Elections Are About Legacy…And Mother Like an Organizer Lian is a longtime organizer and faculty of the National School for Strategic Organizing (www.thestrategycenter.org). She is currently working with Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network. Where To Reach Lian: Instagram @herwisdomgrows  Hand in Hand – The Domestic Employers Network Caring Majority Rising Facebook Group

Waylon Tate is Principal at J. Waylon & Associates, a full spectrum PR and marketing agency that provides traditional public relations, digital outreach, and advertising services, mostly for startups. He and two of his friends with their own companies have created what Waylon refers to as a “communications trifecta,” with the ability to collectively and collaboratively meet every need an entrepreneurial startup might have. Web development, graphics, and photography? The client works with Waylon's friend Tracy at Critical Launch. Printed material? The client may work with Waylon & Associate's inhouse printshop or with Waylon's friend Mikey at PrintRunner.    Although Marketing and PR are quite different fields, both rely on attention to the bigger picture and the longer game. With an understanding of both disciplines, Waylon believes it makes sense for his clients to be able to get both of these experiences “in the same place.” Public relations requires an understanding of what is “warm and fuzzy” to particular network and media audiences. Waylon works closely with each client to elicit their operational definition of PR. For some, it may be no more than editorial solicitation. Others may want to reach into the influencer market, an investment which Waylon often recommends, especially in direct-to-consumer businesses, for its ability to provide the biggest return on investment.  Influencers do not have to be “big names,” so much as they are people who have “come up through the ranks and are really good at taking pictures and developing a broad network of supporters.” Approaches to senior program producers or publication editors have to include not only the topic of conversation, but also how the material will resonate with that platform's audience.  Waylon believes the days of the promotional press releases are past and suggests that they may no longer be effective because of the intense competition for “air space.” The key to everything is communications which, Waylon says, “is all about relationships.” Relationships with the editors and the writers the agency works with have far more impact than sending out press releases. You have to think, “What does an audience want to hear about?” Waylon believes that, in the coming months, ecommerce is “going to absolutely explode into a level we probably can't even comprehend at the moment.” Waylon did not start his career in any form of Marketing. After completing his Master in Public Policy (capstone project: Citizens Prosecutor Attorney), he finished a prestigious fellowship in Washington, D.C., and returned to Dallas to work in the District Attorney's Office under the Texas's first African-American DA. When the DA left office, Waylon had a choice: to take a cushy job in corporate communications . . . or to strike out on his own. Today, his public service experience plays into a new gig that he and Tracy started: Politicize.co. Waylon explains that their success is the result of reinterpreting what PR and marketing look like for progressive political campaigns. They use the same model and flow for political campaigns as they use for marketing restaurants and storefronts. The purpose is the same: to get people to buy into a brand.  Waylon can be reached on his agency's website at: https://www.jwaylon.com/ or on politicize.co. Transcript Follows: ROB: Welcome to the Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Kischuk, and I'm joined today by Waylon Tate, Principal at J. Waylon & Associates based in Dallas, Texas. Welcome to the podcast, Waylon. WAYLON: Thanks, Rob, for having me. ROB: Excellent to have you here. Why don't you start off by giving us a rundown of J. Waylon & Associates and the expertise of that business?  WAYLON: Absolutely. J. Waylon & Associates is a full spectrum PR and marketing agency here in Dallas, Texas. We really dive into both of those categories at the same time, handling everything from traditional public relations like editorial solicitation, navigating all of the editorial aspects of PR, but also diving pretty heavily into digital outreach and advertising as well. ROB: Waylon, you sit at this intersection of marketing and PR. What I've seen is quite often, firms will specialize in either one or the other and actively choose not to engage in the other side of the business. Why do you think that is? WAYLON: It's interesting that you say that, first and foremost, but my approach was always different. I think when I started my agency, I came into it with an active understanding of both of those different disciplines. Marketing definitely has its own angles and things that you need to do, and PR is a very specialized field as well. I really wanted to enter into the marketplace myself as a startup addressing both of those needs to the clients. We work mostly with startups, and it made more sense to me, as I think it made sense to our clients, that they were able to get both of those experiences in the same house. ROB: Got it. Nonetheless, we all have to draw lines in our business. What lines of business have you then chosen not to engage in? Particular practices or things outside of the lanes you've chosen to be in, and why? WAYLON: Gosh, that's a good question. I wish I had a better response for you. I'm kind of an all-inclusive kind of guy. To give you a little bit more of a backstory as to how my agency came out, there really is a creative hub. It's a trifecta of communications, if you will. About 6 or 7 years ago, me and two of my best friends decided that we wanted to start our own gig. We really did create a communications trifecta. Myself, J. Waylon & Associates, we do mostly marketing and public relations. My best friend Tracy owns another company called Critical Launch, which does web development and graphics and all of those kind of things, photography and a number of other things. My other friend Mikey owns PrintRunner. So we actually have two print shops, one in-house here in downtown Dallas and another one in a city not too far away. We were really able to collectively meet every single need that a startup would encounter as they were going on that journey of entrepreneurship – everything from printing business cards to building their website to building out all of their social accounts and then to fully engage and build out platforms to increase their brand awareness through public relations, but also increase their on-the-ground sales through marketing efforts as well. ROB: It's really interesting how you've created specialization and focus while still serving a broad set of needs by having different entities and brands to serve those different needs.  WAYLON: Absolutely. ROB: Public relations means a lot of things to a lot of people. How have you seen the definition of public relations evolve and maybe even refocus after some of the noise – PR has become so noisy that maybe it's not even effective. What would you say? WAYLON: Well, I'll tell you this. You just hit the nail on the head. In fact, when we're engaging with a potential new client, most of the time they don't really understand that public relations is a very broad term. I think it's important that we create an operational definition for each client in their own framework. What does PR mean to them? For some clients that means nothing but doing editorial solicitation; for other clients that means reaching into the influencer market. To touch on the question that you just asked, I can tell you that influencers, love them or hate them, have become a huge need for most businesses, especially in direct-to-consumer businesses that are selling merchandise. We represent a number of bars and restaurants, and I can tell you the influencer marketing that we do has made – I will actually encourage my clients to move a considerable amount of advertising dollars into hiring influencers because the return on that investment is normally much higher. ROB: What does an influencer look like for a local restaurant? Are these A-list, B-list celebrities? Or is it something more nuanced? Is it more of a social person with a high audience? WAYLON: Probably the second of those. It's not so much about fame. I think it's so much about the peer-to-peer respect. I don't know if you know this, Rob, but there's certainly an underlying group of influencers in the food marketplace that are really able to capture in a different way than an A- or B-list celebrity would in that I think the public at large has become much more cognizant of how the whole influencer marketing game works, and they're more willing to participate in an activity or maybe visit a place that they wouldn't normally, based on what an influencer suggests rather than what a celebrity is getting paid to talk about, even though the influencers are many times paid as well. ROB: For a food influencer, I'm picturing in my mind someone who got through half a season of Top Chef, so people got to follow them before they got eliminated. Is that one category? Or is it something I wouldn't even expect? WAYLON: I would think that might be one category, but the majority of influencers that we work with here in Dallas – and keep in mind, Dallas is the number five media market in the country; we have a big population here as well. But no, to be honest with you, these are people that have come up through the ranks and are really good at taking really, really good pictures and developing a broad network of supporters. I think, again, we always have to assign definitions to these terms, and they're forever evolving, but no, the majority of influencers that we work with have a really large following but have never had media exposure through reality television and those means. ROB: Really interesting. I've never really thought about this alignment between influencer and PR because both of them require an attention to the bigger picture and the longer game. To an extent, you can measure the lift to a restaurant as to how one month was over another, but in a broader sense, much like – as you would call it, I think – an editorial solicitation, you're not necessarily getting leads coming in or credit cards coming in that you can link back in the traditional attribution model. WAYLON: That is absolutely true. In fact, there really is no – and this is going to sound incredibly crazy, probably, to hear – but I tell my clients, there are metrics. There are analytics. If we deploy a digital advertisement, we're going to be able to follow that train, that sales tunnel to understand where it's coming from. With public relations, it is a much different ballgame, and many times it's very difficult to navigate earned media and to understand exactly how you're getting from Point A to Point B and was it effective in placing those dollars there. But they serve two very different purposes. For example, in March, believe it or not, during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we launched a pretty high-end wine bar and marketplace called Trova here in Dallas. We knew going in that we were going to be up against some obstacles, obviously. But we really utilized each one of those services in a very different way. For the public relations avenue, we built out a communications plan that was driven in understanding that there would be some media interest in “Why is this woman investing so much money into opening this wine bar in the middle of a pandemic when the city is really shut down?” There was indeed a lot of interest in having that conversation, which really increased brand awareness. We saw a huge uptick to the website and other digital sources when those articles started generating. But for the marketing aspect, we understood that we were going to have to really pivot to different ways of getting people engaged and seeing the follow-through to purchase. Was that curbside? Was that order deliveries to go? Traditional ways of marketing a restaurant is you're trying to bring people into the space. Well, obviously, in a pandemic when you're mandated to not be inside of the space, you have to understand, this is moving forward; the client is moving forward with opening the space, so how do you do that from a marketing perspective? We did it. It wasn't easy, and we're still not easy. We're still working through that. ROB: I have a friend in the restaurant business, and I don't know whether he has a very good PR firm or whether he is an instinctive public relater. You mentioned, “Why is this woman opening a restaurant and spending lots of money on it to open during a pandemic?” There are so many layers and hooks and pegs to pull on there, versus what a restaurateur might want to do is say (A) “I'm opening a restaurant or (B) “I'm opening a restaurant; here's the kind of food I'm making.” They're such basic stories. How do you think about turning this factual story of “I'm opening a restaurant” into something that is worth talking about, that has a hook to it? WAYLON: The essence of public relations specifically dealing with the media is you really have to understand the audiences of each one of those networks or publications. What we always do as PR agents is try to figure out what is the warm and fuzzy. And you have to understand that if we're going to senior producers of morning shows or editors of particular publications, we have to explain to them in the pitch not only “this is what we're wanting you to talk about,” but “this is how it's going to resonate with your audience.” There are a number of magazines here in Dallas that focus on nothing but the food and beverage industry, so the pitches that we had to them were much different than the pitches we had to really engaged podcasts or the morning shows. For the first probably 4 weeks that we deployed this communications campaign, most of those conversations really circled around her, the owner, and this journey that she was about to go through. I think that what we found was there was a really good pickup of people that were interested – yes, there's a new space opening up and it's something that we want to visit, but also, I think she got a lot of support because everyone in the city understands what entrepreneurs are going through. I think they wanted to be in many ways the wind beneath her wings of making this journey that was about to take place a reality and support her however they could. ROB: Really interesting. I'll ask, with that level of customization going into the pitch to the publication or to the outlet, what then is the place in 2020 for the vaunted press release? WAYLON: Let me tell you this, Rob. I haven't sent a press release in probably 10 months. Again, I think that maybe it could be the difference in generational folks that are working communications, but press releases to me – and this is probably going to sound like sacrilege to a lot of other publicists that are going to listen to this podcast – in many ways are archaic because you're competing with so many other brands that are trying to push whatever it is that they're wanting to talk about. Communications in and of itself is all about relationships. We rely much more on the relationships that we have with the editors and the writers that we work with than we do on sending out press releases. It just doesn't make sense to me. I mean, maybe if you're in consumer goods and you're creating a new product or you're launching a brand new item, that might be a space for that, and then you put something on the wire. But for really hyperlocal communications, at least for me and my agency, we don't really send out press releases. ROB: Got it. Thanks for the take there. I appreciate that sort of thing. You can certainly get pitched on all sorts of platforms and all sorts of different plans to push out press releases, but that thought of “What is the audience wanting to hear about?” is a much more thoughtful approach to it. Waylon, you mentioned a little bit of the mechanics of starting and the partners and the trifecta of businesses, but let's step a moment into the “why.” What made you decide to put a stake in the ground and start your own business instead of being a part of joining/leading someone else's? WAYLON: I found my way to public relations and marketing in an odd way. I have a Master's in Public Policy. I had finished a pretty prestigious fellowship in Washington, D.C., came back to Dallas and started working with the district attorney's office. In fact, the capstone project that I did for my master's project was starting what was called the Citizens Prosecutor Academy. Now, keep in mind the Dallas District Attorney's office is the seventh largest in the country. It's huge. They have some 500 employees. So, to be able to engage as a master's student with such a large entity was a pretty cool experience for me. But what it did was it opened me up to a district attorney that was the first-ever African-American elected to that office in the entire state of Texas. He was on Bill Maher and in the New York Times, something on a much bigger scale than a normal district attorney would be. I really got a firsthand kind of power worker experience with communications just in that experience alone. When he left office, I really had two choices. I was going to go into a corporate communications job and have a cush-cush experience, or I would take that leap of faith and really jump out on my own. If I never make another good decision, that was the good one to make. That was really the way I found myself to PR and marketing. Then it was just a really good time for my two friends as well. I think we all foresaw what was coming. We really looked internally at our own strengths and what we could bring to the table, and it made sense, for us at least, that I would be able to, as a good communicator, bring in the clients and then offer them stellar web development that I could push over to Tracy, or all of their printing needs and move over to Mikey. And it worked equally with the other two; if Tracy was developing a website for one of his clients, it made sense for him to suggest PR and marketing to me. ROB: If one looks at your background, clearly you have that background in public service. You also have a branch of business that you work on involving political activity, and I would imagine some PR and marketing around that world. How do you think about the cyclicality of that business? The good part is you have a steady-state PR business that is operating when there's not anything of political note to dive into, but then you have a year like this year where there's everything political to dive into. How do you handle that burst of activity on the political side with also trying to build a resilient and ongoing business in the traditional PR and marketing space? WAYLON: Well, with a lot of caution and care, I'll tell you that. You always have to approach the situation when you own your own business with, like I said, caution and care. With J. Waylon & Associates, we are a PR and marketing agency for brands in particular – storefronts, authors, attorneys, doctors, things of that nature. You never really want to trail into the political conversation when you're dealing with storefronts specifically. So, we really wanted to separate those. Tracy and I launched a whole other gig called Politicize.co, and you're right; the cyclical nature of being in this 2-year or 4-year rotation, we gear up and we understand that in those crucial months, I'm going to have to pull back a little bit and let the employees work more on the marketing and PR side. We normally don't engage with new clients during those months because I'm all about giving a stellar experience, especially in the onboarding process, to new clients. So just making those wise decisions as to understanding your business as a whole. What does the PR and marketing agency look like on a year calendar? When are our busiest months? Specifically for us, we deal with a lot of bars and restaurants. September, October, November, we always know that's going to be the busiest months for those businesses. The same thing with the political company. We understand, even if it's a municipal election – that's going to be in May, so you have to give that 3-month ramp before that. Or in a 4-year cycle, a presidential election year, you're looking at November, so what does 4-6 months before that look like? ROB: It's interesting because what I hear you saying in a way is that on the political side, not that you don't have to work for the new business, but you know that for that season of time, your new business is going to come in through the political arm. So you can spin down some of the new business on the PR side. Overall, it's a fascinating solution. I did some work once upon a time in a political technology startup and watched as those different campaign workers would – a campaign ends earlier than you thought, so some of them – you kind of scatter to the winds. People scatter to other campaigns, they scatter to PAC-like entities, some into local. But you have a solution where you get to go back to your business when it's done. WAYLON: That's correct. Good for me, right? You always have to be cognizant of your time, and that's something, the older I get, that I really understand – understanding how much time I need to reserve for whatever aspect of my life, be it professional or personal. Tracy and I really brought a new interpretation to what PR and marketing looked like for progressive political campaigns. Again, I think that's what has been our success in that market. We didn't look at the campaign as campaigns have been looked at for many, many years. We engaged campaigns that were doing nothing but on-ground canvassing and had no digital plan of action in place, and we really approached even the political campaigns that we've worked on in a private marketplace approach. The campaign is in and of itself a brand, and you're trying to get people to buy onto that brand. So what do you need to do? It was the same model and flow that we use for the clients with restaurants or storefronts. ROB: Some of the work I was in – it was back in 2008, 2006, 2010 era. At the time, there was sort of a suspicion. Any campaign you engaged with at that time wanted you to declare your party allegiance, and it was almost outside of their frame of thought, even 10 years ago, the possibility of a neutral third party – even though as a technology firm you're going to think about how to serve the full scope of audience of parties. How has that trended? Are campaigns more open to something like a NationBuilder and this idea that technology can be nonpartisan? Or has it required a little bit more specialization into declaring an allegiance as a solutions provider? WAYLON: I have to say, the elections that we've been able to work on thus far have been in a municipal environment, or at least a local environment. We haven't really worked on state campaigns yet. With municipal elections, they are nonpartisan. You can always identify just through their actions, the pillars of their campaigns, what side of the equation they mostly fit on. Tracy and I were adamant from the very beginning about the side of the equation that we wanted to work on, and it's written into the DNA of the company itself. In fact, I think the tagline is that we are “bringing progressive campaigns into focus” or something of that nature. But I think that it would be difficult for a tech agency like you were talking about – and they are very much partisan when you get to NationBuilder and things like that and the fundraising technologies that are out there – but if you're handling the PR and marketing campaigning stuff, even on a local level, it would just be hard to have as much passion into the campaign if you don't believe in the cause of what they're doing. ROB: Right. That aligned purpose is really helpful. That's the conversation we had with Michael Skolnik of We Are Soze up in Brooklyn back at South by Southwest about a year and a half ago. They had very passionate people in Brooklyn who were aligned to progressive causes, but fascinatingly, I think they were more beneficially ideological than partisan. They knew what they wanted to happen in the world more than they knew the party. They just happened to line up. WAYLON: I'll tell you this: that passion goes a long way. From the owners of those two different agencies, you see the success measured in very different ways. If we're representing a new startup and they're selling something to the public, of course we get really excited when we start seeing growth or they start scaling. But it's a very different kind of excited or measurement of success when we know that a campaign is getting to the finish line and it's probably going to go in their favor because we understand the impact of those two different things. For a startup, you're going to see success measured in dollars, bottom line, what does that look like? But for a campaign, there are so many ideological things that are wrapped into campaigns, and you understand that in most cases, that campaign and the candidate, should they succeed, is going to be making hopefully changes for a lot of people. It's interesting the way we step back and look at what success looks like for each one of those situations. ROB: Really interesting that difference in the level of passion and involvement you have. It's hard to be so personally impacted by a SaaS product unless it's very, very close to your heart. Waylon, when you think about the history of the firm so far, what are some lessons you have learned along the way of building J. Waylon & Associates that you might do a little bit differently if you were starting – let's say today or even looking forward, post-pandemic, in case you would do something remarkably different right now because of where we are. WAYLON: I think probably the biggest lesson that I've learned – we had a lockdown, obviously, here for a couple of months, and it gave me a lot of time to really look back at what I've done so far and what I want the next chapters of my agency to look like. I think if I could go back in time and tell myself something when I first started, it would be to be a little bit more picky and choosy as to what you do. Don't take all of the business that comes your way just because you would have business. Really carve out somewhat of a niche into the brands that you want to represent. Just as any small business owner, in the very beginning you're excited to have any business, whatever that may be. But the more successful that we've become, the more I can be a little bit more picky and choosy as to who we represent. ROB: Where has that led you? How are you deciding what to say no to right now? WAYLON: I daresay low-hanging fruit. This probably comes from a personal trait of mine, which is I want everything to be perfect all of the time for my clients. So it's difficult for me personally to not give the same approach, thought, care, and attention to a $3,000 client that we give to a $20,000 a month client. So I'm constantly having to pull back and go, I need to be paid for my time. How does that look? What kind of clients can be we bring on? Even if I fall in love with the idea or the concept, I have to make really big decisions about myself and the clients we bring on because I wouldn't be a good businessman myself if I gave the same amount of time and attention to a lower budget client that I do to a higher budget client. ROB: Definitely something to learn from that there. Waylon, what is coming up for J. Waylon & Associates or perhaps the broader marketing world in general that is exciting to you? WAYLON: One and the same. I think that you're going to see – we are already seeing this – that ecommerce is going to absolutely explode into a level that we probably can't even comprehend at the moment. The agency is starting to bring on more clients that are in the ecommerce marketplace, which is good for us. We have clients now that have ecommerce shops. It's really forcing us as marketers to dive deeper and to really increase the tools that are in our own tool belt, to be able to offer those services to our clients at the same level of esteem that we offer other marketing solutions and public relations solutions to our clients. ROB: That's exciting. We'll look for much more through the end of the year and in 2021. I wish you and your team the best. Thank you for coming on the podcast, Waylon. WAYLON: Thanks so much, Rob. I appreciate it. ROB: Be well. Thank you for listening. The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast is presented by Converge. Converge helps digital marketing agencies and brands automate their reporting so they can be more profitable, accurate, and responsive. To learn more about how Converge can automate your marketing reporting, email info@convergehq.com, or visit us on the web at convergehq.com.

In 2006, Carlos's fiancée (now his wife) was approached by a client to do SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay Per Click). Carlos got into the agency in 2008 when the economy “tanked” and the funding for the startup where he worked dried up. From 2008 forward, the agency has been “tapped” on a regular basis by traditional (radio, print, TV) agencies needing digital services for their clients. Bloom works with a variety of different industries – retail, B2B, government agencies, and some non-profits. Hospitality, which is big in British Columbia, is currently challenged because of the pandemic. Over the years, the focus of needs has become more complex – from a “We need to be on FaceBook” to “We need to be on Facebook, on LinkedIn, on Twitter, on Instagram.” When asked why these traditional agencies did not develop their own digital services in-house, Carlos explained that many digital marketers who started in the mid-2000s were self-taught. They learned the craft by “reading blogs, by attending conferences, by networking with other marketers.” He says, “It takes time to build expertise and a skillset where you're able to run big-enough campaigns.” Partnerships with Bloom meet larger agencies' needs for solid, experience-based digital expertise and have given Bloom the opportunity to work with larger clients than they might otherwise have had.  Carlos gave a nod to Converge's marketing performance reports by relating that the number one complaint that he hears from clients coming from other agencies is, “We get an invoice every month, we don't know what our agency is doing, we don't know what they've been working on, we don't know what the next steps are.” Carlos notes, “You can save so much time and deliver so much better quality and end results using the proper tools.” Communication with clients is critical. Carlos commented on the problem that good digital marketing people are hard to come by and even harder to retain. He says, “Once somebody becomes skilled at running campaigns with six-digit budgets every month, they get poached.”  In this interview, Carlos discusses how Covid has changed his business and how the marketing industry has “always been on the leading edge of change.” He is looking forward to a disrupter in the digital marketing industry because there are no barriers to becoming an expert, no licensing, and the service is becoming commoditized. What that new model will look like . . . and who will do it . . . who knows? Carlos can be reached on his agency's website at bloommarketing.ca – (.ca for Canada), or on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. Transcript Follows: ROB: Welcome to the Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Kischuk, and I'm joined today by Carlos Obregon, Co-founder at Bloom Marketing based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Welcome to the podcast, Carlos. CARLOS: Thank you very much, Rob. It's great to be here. ROB: I'm pleased to have you here. Why don't you start off by telling us about Bloom Marketing and what focus areas the firm excels in? CARLOS: We started Bloom Marketing back in 2006. Initially it started as a result of my then-fiancée, now wife. She was approached by a former client, and she was invited to become a contractor doing SEO, doing PPC. That was the first client. I joined the company two years later as a result of the 2008 financial problems. I was working for a startup, and at the time all their funding dried up as a result of it, so the staff was laid off. We were then expecting our first child. There is nothing to light up your entrepreneurial fire like having a mortgage and a baby arriving soon. [laughs] ROB: [laughs] Yeah. So, you started off in that SEO, pay-per-click; where has that path taken you in terms of the specialties of the firm now? What does a typical client engagement look like? CARLOS: We started our agency and organically, we started getting approached by traditional media agencies wanting to build up their digital marketing expertise because invariably – we're talking about 2008-2009. This is when they were doing radio, print, TV. They were asked by their clients, “We now need to be on Google, we need to be on Facebook, we need to rank better on organic searches.” That led to us developing several partnerships with traditional media agencies. That became our social growth. By having access to larger clients than what we would have had otherwise, we were able to nourish and develop these partnerships. That happens still today. We still maintain most of these partnerships. That has allowed us to tap clients that we probably wouldn't have access to because we don't have a radio department, we don't have a print advertising department. So more or less, that's been our path. We didn't really plan it that way, but that's how it's been working out. ROB: That's an excellent path. I've definitely seen a lot of these traditional media purveyors – they're used to selling TV ads, they're used to selling radio ads. Actually, some friends of mine were involved in a company that was acquired by Gannett, who was one of these big old school media companies. They tried to equip the sales folks to go out and sell digital, and it didn't go very well. What do you think it is in these organizations – by now they certainly could have built an in-house practice and an in-house capability. What do you think has made it hard for them to turn that corner? They really do need these partnerships. They need you. CARLOS: I think in part it's because those of us who started mid-2000s with digital marketing, we're all self-taught. There were no programs in universities or colleges for digital marketing. So, we just learned as we went by reading blogs, by attending conferences, by networking with other marketers. It takes time. It takes time to build expertise and a skillset where you're able to run big enough campaigns, where you're able to communicate with the client. That's a crucial part of the business, communication. I know you're involved in the reporting side of the tools. That's probably the number one complaint that we hear from people coming from other agencies, from past experiences. Communication. So many times we've heard, “We get an invoice every month, we don't know what our agency is doing, we don't know what they've been working on, we don't know what the next steps are.”  I think it takes time to build the marketing expertise. Once somebody becomes skilled at say running campaigns with six-digit budgets every month, they get poached. We're all trying to make a living, so understandably. ROB: Right. That training effect is challenging I think also, especially where you started out in some of that SEO and PPC world. I had some friends who ran an online marketplace for building products, essentially, and these two guys are running this $20-30 million a year business, and the founders are still doing a lot of the PPC because every time they get somebody up to speed, they get poached. CARLOS: Yeah. I've seen it over and over again. At one point I remember one of the biggest agencies here in Vancouver, a traditional agency, their entire digital marketing team was two people. They were both entry level, and here they were running gigantic companies. [laughs] ROB: Yeah. So, you had those beginnings in certain areas, and the marketing world has changed quite a bit since you started the firm. What are some of the more services you offer now? What different expertises are you working with clients on? You mentioned where the clients are coming from; what does a typical client look like?  CARLOS: We're actually involved in several different industries. Hospitality is pretty big here in British Columbia. At the moment it's going through challenges because of the pandemic. We're also involved in retail, B2B, and we have also done some nonprofits as well as government agencies. One key difference now is before, we would be approached and they'd say, “I need to do SEO because I need better rankings.” What I think now is the needs of the customers encompass more. Right now we get approached and they say, “I need to be on Facebook, I need to be on Instagram, I need to be on Google, Microsoft ads, on LinkedIn, on Twitter.” There's a lot more of a whole vision of what the needs are and all these different channels the business needs to be visible on. I think that would be the main change. More than one channel, now it's multichannel. ROB: When someone comes to you and they want to order everything on the menu, how do you help them in that decision process? They still have to choose where they're going to allocate more of their effort and budget, and also maybe some channels aren't quite appropriate for them. How do you think about that guidance?  CARLOS: Again, we go back to the communication. We have an onboarding process where we meet with the prospective client or client and first we try to understand, what are the goals? Usually you get an answer like, “I want more business.” Well, yeah, but what does that look like? Do you mean more subscribers initially? Do you want more people signing up for a trial?  Do you want more people ordering a sample? Do you want to get appointments? Do you want to get viewings for real estate? When we start narrowing down the goal, we say, “You're a business-to-business company, so perhaps Facebook is not the ideal channel if you're selling industrial equipment. Why don't we explore LinkedIn first, where you can target people based on which companies they work for and their job titles?” For the most part, it's a back and forth. We agree on what the goals are, we agree on how we're going to measure, what kind of timelines we have – because as you know, some products have a really long sell cycle, so it makes it tricky to measure sometimes. But again, it goes back to making sure you align and you understand what the client wants and they understand what you can deliver and how long it will be. That would be more or less how we approach it. ROB: That certainly makes sense. On this journey, you already gave us a little bit of a picture of the origin of the firm and how it sounded like your wife started the firm and then a couple years later she let you into the business. CARLOS: [laughs] Pretty much. ROB: How many people were on the team? Were you Employee #2, or were there some other people that had come in between the two events? CARLOS: We had contractors from the start. I was not Employee #2 per se. I was “Person on the Payroll #2.” Up until today, we continue to work mostly with freelancers and contractors who are part of our team, but they're not under contract. They're not just working for us. So I was #2 on the payroll but not necessarily #2 in the company. ROB: That's an interesting thing. I'm going to pull on that a little bit. When you talk about contractors, what percent of your team would you say is full time versus contract? CARLOS: I would say full time is about 40% and contract about 60%. ROB: That's a strategic choice, right? I know people who say that their target is 30% contract, but at the end of the day they can't help themselves and they end up being much more towards 100% of it being full time, or maybe 10% on contract. How have you reached that decision strategically? What led you there? CARLOS: We didn't really choose it; it just kind of happened. People we found that were really good at what they do usually wouldn't want to commit to working full time for any one firm. I think it comes down to quality and reliability. The contractors we work with, we know they're never going to come and work exclusively for us just because they've achieved a certain level of success and they want flexibility. They want to be able to turn down work occasionally. So it just happened that way. Now, looking back, I think it was a good thing that we learned how to work with contractors early on and how we maintained those relationships, given the changes that we're undergoing right now. A lot of people are working remotely. Those who already have practice in working remotely, it was an easier transition. Some other ones were more abrupt. But I feel like the days of huge agencies and huge offices are probably behind us. ROB: Is your team in any office right now or is everybody completely remote still? CARLOS: We're a hybrid. We do have an office, and I go about three times a week or so. But we have contractors who live 2,000 miles away from here, just as an example. We're never going to have them in the office, and that's fine. ROB: In that sort of environment, how are you thinking about people knowing each other, working together, team-building? What do you think that looks like right now, number one, and then number two – suppose we're in full regathering and getting together mode, but you're still distributed. How are you thinking about team? CARLOS: I'm a really social guy. I miss being able to hang out with groups of people. I really, really miss it. In some instances it's possible to have most of our team in any one place, especially at certain times of the year or if there is something happening in Vancouver like a big conference or some reason for everyone to be together. But I think moving forward, we're going to have to do a hybrid where those of us who are close by might be able to meet up and be physically in the same boardroom, but I think from now on we're always going to have people remote conferencing. ROB: It's definitely something I've been trying to sort my way through. Before, we had an office. I liked having an office. I wanted people who wanted to be in an office. And then I just kind of changed my mind. In February, we made a hire who's an American, but in Santiago, Chile. We just hired someone in Sacramento. We're looking at people in Chicago and Tucson, Arizona. I'm thinking a lot about how we get together, whether we have some sort of annual team event or what it looks like. I don't quite know yet. So I'm asking a little bit for myself as well. CARLOS: Yeah, we're definitely in – none of us were planning for this to happen, for these drastic changes. Who knows? Perhaps next year we'll be somewhat back to some normal, but I think especially in our industry, we're always at the leading edge of change. Things were changing rapidly in our industry to begin with, and now with the work from home revolution, perhaps we're going to have team members that we never meet in person. But I don't know if it happens to you – to me, I have people that I work with remotely and have for years, and even though I don't see them physically very often, I feel like I know them really well. It's like we're buddies. So, I don't think we're giving up that much by not meeting everyone in person frequently. ROB: Really interesting. It's good to have thoughts on that. It's good to talk to each other about that. Carlos, as you reflect on the path of the business so far, what are some lessons you have learned along the way that, if you were starting over today, you might do things a little bit differently? CARLOS: Definitely. You know what the number one is? ROB: What's that? CARLOS: I wouldn't accept every client that comes through the door. I learned that initially because I started working in the firm in 2008, and there was a lot of uncertainty. Huge banks were going under. Huge insurance companies were going under. Everybody was kind of in panic mode. So, I started getting customers and I would say yes to everything and everyone because I didn't know when the next one was going to be. I had bills to pay, I had a mortgage, I had a kid on the way. Looking back, I could've been pickier because with some of those projects, I had no alignment. I didn't really connect with the client. Perhaps I didn't understand their goals, they didn't understand me and how I wanted to deliver. Although we never really had any frictions or difficult breakups with clients, there were a lot of projects that I did not enjoy. We're in a free market and we obviously need to make a living and grow and prosper, but we also need to enjoy what we do as much as possible. So that would be my number one learning. Don't accept every gig. I put it down on paper here in front of me for our chat today. That would be my key takeaway. ROB: It's draining on your energy, those things that you take on that maybe don't align. There comes a point – and you probably have realized this at different times – there comes times when you're at capacity and you end up almost having to say no to something you'd rather do, or at least scramble to figure out how you're going to do it. It can be hard to keep the quality level high when you're scrambling for a solution. CARLOS: That, and obviously the contracts and the projects that you enjoy, we all do better. We're more creative. We come up with better ideas on projects we enjoy rather than something like, “I don't even know how to sell this product. What does the end customer want? Do I really want to be promoting this? I don't believe in this product or this service.” So yeah, definitely a learning. ROB: I think we all need reminders of this. It's so easy to get off track so quickly, and then you get into the mode where you're just handling the decision that you've made. Are there any tools you have found that have helped you think ahead and think about working on the business? Because you have a lot going on and a lot of people involved. CARLOS: Yeah. I love finding new tools and experimenting, whether it be marketing automation, reporting, or analytics. You're an expert in this industry. You can save so much time and deliver so much better quality and end results using the proper tools. Now, as you're fully aware, it's a highly competitive industry. There are so many new tools. It's hard to keep on top of it. You have to do a lot of reading, which I happen to enjoy. But we definitely love using and finding and testing new tools. I remember when I first started working in-house, running a huge technical company, I was doing the SEO for this company, for this startup here in Vancouver. It was comparison shopping. I was doing the SEO, and from one day to the next, the person who was running the Google Ads left. The CEO approached me and said, “Can you take care of this, at least on an intern basis, while we find somebody else?” I was like, “Okay, yeah, sure.” It was a six-digit budget in Google Ads. And this was in 2005. The days of Google Ads Editor were not around yet. [laughs] We had to download all the data to spreadsheets. The campaigns were so gigantic – we were bidding on over 100,000 keywords at the time – that Excel kept crashing. Whenever we tried to do any analysis of bids and conversions, it would always freeze up. Thinking back, if I had the tools we have now back in the day, oh my God, I would've done a full day of work in one hour. ROB: [laughs] Wow. If only you could travel back in time with tools, you could take over the world. One thing I think that's interesting that you have uncovered in your story – we've had guests before whose spouse is involved in the business, but they were very vague. They wouldn't really admit it on the audio. It's really interesting that you brought it to the forefront. What have you found makes it work well to work on a business, on an entrepreneurial venture, with your spouse? CARLOS: We can go back even further than that. I'll give you a little bit of background. I actually met my now wife at a marketing conference here in Vancouver. She was working for an agency at the time; I was working as in-house SEO at another company. So, we met, and that's how it started. We actually met because of digital marketing. Then we got engaged, and that's when she started working freelance. Then I joined in 2008. It's been 14 years and we're still happily married. I can't deny that there have been difficult times where we don't agree and I want to do things one way and she wants to do things different or vice versa, but for the most part I think we complement each other really well. There are areas of the business – a lot of guys will agree with this – I don't get involved in the finance. She's the treasurer. [laughs] I like to socialize and meet people. I do a lot of the business development. It's something that she doesn't enjoy. We've made it work that way. I keep my hands off the money and the checkbook, and then whenever she gets a new lead or someone that needs more information, I usually do the communication. We've made it work. Just for mental health, we work with different clients. She looks after some clients, I look after different clients. Occasionally we work on the same project, but we keep some things separate. ROB: That sounds like a good tip in general. That's good for division of work, I think, in any company. You want people who work on some clients and not others. You want some people to work in their area of strength in finance, and others in business development. We do that, but I think there can be maybe this pull as co-owners to have your hand in a little bit of everything. It sounds like being able to split that up a little bit has served you well just to not be all in each other's business literally every day. CARLOS: Yeah. When we're at home, we have a rule of no business discussion. We talk about the kids, we talk about dinner, and we talk about vacations. We try to stay away from work because otherwise you end up working 16 hours a day, one way or another. ROB: That makes sense. Carlos, when you look ahead at what's coming up in the marketing world, what's coming up for Bloom Marketing, what are you excited about? CARLOS: I think the digital marketing agency world is ripe for disruption. I don't know who's going to do it, but if you recall, real estate was revolutionized by Re/Max. They completely put the business model on its head by giving realtors a lot more control of their commissions and how they split costs. I think this industry is ripe for disruption somewhere along those lines where perhaps rather than having an owner, a founder, and account managers and strategists and business development, I wonder if it could be pooling a partnership of frontend developers, backend developers, usability experts, web designers, SEO experts, PPC experts, and put them all in one company, split the costs, and somehow share revenue. I don't know what that would look like, but I'm hoping there's disruption because we're becoming commoditized. Every week I run a search on Google for “digital marketing agency Vancouver,” and every week I see new names coming up. There is no barrier of entry in this industry. You just put up your website and you say, “Okay, I'm a digital marketing expert,” and you are. It's unregulated. It's not like you have a license. ROB: Huh. That's interesting. It's interesting to think about the different ways that we get clients and the different ways that realtors get clients. The real estate industry is set up to equip the realtor to focus on a few things and other people in the process – different people are – let's say most real estate firms, for instance, don't have handypeople on staff to fix up the house before listing it. They just don't. It's all parceled out. CARLOS: Yes. ROB: So, it's interesting. What's possible, what's not possible? I wonder, what are the next couple steps that would prove that to be more possible and more true? CARLOS: I'm sure there's going to be a better way of creating a digital marketing agency business model, different than what we have right now. But if you come up with it, remember me. Call me, okay? [laughs] ROB: [laughs] Yeah. One thing I have seen – I'll share this; it's been a little while since we talked about it on the podcast, but it's come up a couple of times here and there. There is one firm that we've spoken with that was a co-op. They were structured as a co-op, where they were owned by their employees, and when the employees left, they gave up their ownership in the company. Soze was the agency there, out of Brooklyn. It sounds like a very Brooklyn kind of thing. But I just swapped emails with Michael Skolnik, who's their – I don't know what you say – he's the founder, I guess, but I don't know what his official title is within that mix since everybody owns the business. But he's going to look at open sourcing the local documents once they've got all that ready. I've got him on commitment to check in with in the new year. That may not be exactly where things go, but it is an interesting model because it does feel strange. I guess as a founder, you take the risk. Some people would look at it and say, “Fine, you take the risk, you get the reward.” But there's other times, I think, where you have a business that's doing well, but its service is revenue, so there's only so much of it you're going to reinvest in the business. And when it's going well, maybe it feels like it flows a little bit too much to the owners. CARLOS: Yeah. You're saying the co-op models – yeah, that's one way. I'm sure some smart guy will come up with a really good business model for the 21st century. ROB: [laughs] Perfect. We'll keep our eyes out and we'll keep talking about that here. Carlos, when people want to find you and when they want to connect with Bloom Marketing, where should they look to connect? CARLOS: Our website is bloommarketing.ca – .ca because we're in Canada I'm also active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. That'll be the easiest way to find us. ROB: Excellent. Carlos, thank you for coming on the podcast. Best wishes to you and to Bloom Marketing going forward. CARLOS: Thank you. All the best, and thank you very much for the invite. ROB: Thank you. Be well. CARLOS: Thanks. Bye. ROB: Thank you for listening. The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast is presented by Converge. Converge helps digital marketing agencies and brands automate their reporting so they can be more profitable, accurate, and responsive. To learn more about how Converge can automate your marketing reporting, email info@convergehq.com, or visit us on the web at convergehq.com.

At the time of this episode’s release, we are at a crossroads in the United States. This election of 2020 is one of the most important in our history. As activist Michael Skolnik says, the election is not 7 days away. The election is now.  What can we do in our last few days before the conclusion of the election of 2020? Like so many of you, I am asking myself what matters most and what I can do that can have an impact in these 7 days. When I feel myself swirling, I remember I don’t have to figure this out alone. So, I reached out to you, fellow mothers and grandmothers, many of you activists, and asked for your words of wisdom.  Ahead, I have 7 pieces of advice, reflections or calls to action, that we can all connect to for guidance and inspiration each day ahead. This is an election minisode...because I wanted these to be bite-sized and easy to digest. Please join me in taking these words in, taking action, and paying the messages forward to other mothers in your network.  I hope this minisode has you, as it does me, ready to dig in, to connect to community, to engage in multiple ways, to vote for our children, to remember why this matters, to get the vote out with women of color and make sure their votes count, and to mother like an organizer. Together, we can do this! #momthevote #votelikeamother #momsrisingThank you to Jen Jenkins Dohner for the beautiful “VOTE” podcast art. Find her work, Postcards for Progress here. Episode Highlights: The election is not 7 days away...the election is now and we can look to one another for how to use these days to the fullest.  Why it matters to dig into propositions and ballot measures you might not understand. Our election is not just about us as individuals, it's about us as a society. How we can use discernment and tap into our community to get us through. Register today for Nicole Lee’s Way Station, happening Friday to support you in that. 5 ways that you can get engaged through MomsRising. All the reasons why we should vote for our children. How elections can be a joyful time for families. The critical role that women of color voters play in this election and how we can make their vote count. Sign up here to text bank with She the People Wednesday. Wise advice from a life-long organizer, mother and grandmother working to galvanize voting from and for domestic workers through Hand in Hand and her Caring Majority Facebook Group. Resources Recommended by Our Mother Contributors: The event Nicole Lee is co-facilitating:Way Station  5 Ways to Help Get Out the Vote from MomsRising She the People Black-Led Organizing Fund California Voter Guide Vote411 Lose the Cape Vol 4: The Mom's Guide to Becoming Socially & Politically Engaged (& How to Raise Tiny Activists), 2nd Edition 7 Pieces of Advice From Our Contributors: Advice #1 - Nancy Cavillones - Dig into Ballot Measures Because They Matter to Someone Nancy Cavillones is an indie author’s best friend and is on a mission to keep authors sane by handling the minutiae of their online presence and communications. She’s been online in some form or other since 1993, and still has the AOL dial-up tone stuck in her head. (Interested in the full history? Check out her LinkedIn.) She enjoys taking the scenic route, forcing her kids to appreciate nature, and spending time in New York City by herself in a desperate attempt to recapture her college days. Originally from Upstate NY by way of Long Island, Nancy recently relocated to Northern California with her family from Redding, Connecticut.  Nancy is the co-editor of Lose the Cape Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!). Where to reach Nancy: The Real Nani Twitter @va4indieauthors LinkedIn @ncavillones Lose the Cape Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!). Advice #2 - Nicole Lee - Reach Out Personally to Voters, Use Discernment and Connect to Community Nicole Lee is a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, leadership coach, nationally recognized speaker and strategist who regularly consults with nonprofits, schools, businesses and political and social movements to improve their climate for themselves and all those that they serve. She is the founder of Inclusive Life™ and co-founder of the Lee Bayard Group LLC and Black Movement-Law Project (BMLP). For almost a decade she served as President of TransAfrica, working with leaders across the globe to advocate for a just U.S. foreign policy. Nicole is a prolific speaker who has given testimony to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and other international bodies. She has been a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. She has been recognized for her outstanding contributions in the private and public sectors through numerous awards, including Congressional Black Caucus, Running Starts “Women to Watch”, Black Women’s Roundtable TrailBlazer, Global Leadership and the National Newspapers Publishers Association’s Press Champion Award. She is both an attorney and an intuitive coach. Through this unique blend, she has contributed to movements in the U.S. and abroad through human rights documentation, coaching and holding space in difficult situations.  One of her proudest moments was working alongside civil rights icon Bill Lucy, the architect of the historic Memphis sanitation strike  for a national commemoration of the life of his good friend Nelson Mandela. Nicole lives in Washington, DC with her husband, political scientist Marc Bayard, children and three pets.  Where to reach Nicole: Nicole Lee website Register for WayStation Facebook Twitter @nicoleclee Instagram @nicoleleeil Advice #3 - Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner - Find Five Ways to Engage Through MomsRising Kristin is the Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder of MomsRising and Board President of the MomsRising Education Fund. She has been involved in public policy and grassroots engagement for more than two decades and has received numerous accolades for her work. She is also an award-winning author of books and articles, frequent public speaker, media contributor, and host of the radio program “Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising).” Kristin is also a former political director, policy analyst, and political strategy consultant for non-profit organizations and foundations. Where to reach Kristin: Moms Rising Facebook Twitter @MomsRising  Instagram @momsrising Advice #4 - Kalima Salahuddin - Vote for Our Children and Have Them Join You in the Process Kalimah Salahuddin currently serves as President for the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education She is the immediate Past President of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) were she served for two years and continues to serve as the Coordinator for the SMCSBA Equity Network.  At the County level she serves on the COVID-19 Recovery Council and the Advisory Council for the Equity initiative. She was one of the founding members of the REACH Coalition to increase equity and community health for all. She also was recently appointed to the Board of the Housing Leadership Council and previously served as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco where she has been a regular site volunteer.  She is currently employed at Exelixis as a Coordinator on the Investor Relations / Public Affairs team and is mother to three wonderful adults. Advice #5 - Jena Schwartz - Connect to All the Reasons That Voting Matters Jena is an extroverted introvert, a lover of trees and fresh water swimming and babies and bulldogs, and a rabbi at heart. All of her works, from writing groups to retreats to individual coaching, editing, and mentoring, is devoted to creating safe and brave spaces where we get to write, share, and connect. She has been blogging as a practice since 2007. She works with people who struggle to value their writing if/when it's not "productive" or clearly "going somewhere." Where to Reach Jena: Read Jena’s Full Facebook Post Jena Schwartz website Facebook Instagram @jenaschwartz Advice #6 - Aimee Allison - Get Out the Vote and Make Sure Every Vote Counts From Critical Women of Color Voters Aimee Allison is founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the voice and power of women of color. She brings together voters, organizers, and elected leaders in a movement grounded in values of love, justice, belonging, and democracy. In 2018, Ms. Allison was one of the primary architects of the “year of women of color in politics.” In April 2019, she convened the first presidential forum for women of color, reaching a quarter of the American population. A democratic innovator and visionary, Ms. Allison leads national efforts to build inclusive, multiracial coalitions led by women of color. She leverages media, research and analysis to increase voter engagement and advocate for racial, economic and gender justice. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Hill, Essence, Teen Vogue and Newsweek. In the early 1990’s, Ms. Allison earned a rare honorable discharge from the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and works today to support courageous, moral leadership. Aimee Allison holds a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University. Author of Army of None, she has appeared in hundreds of outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Associated Press and NPR. She is building a political home for a million women of color, nationally and in battleground states. She was featured in Politico’s 2019 Powerlist.  Where to Reach Aimee: Aimee Allison website She The People LinkedIn Instagram @aimee_allison Sign up for Wednesday Text Banking with She the People  Tune into the full conversation with @Aimee Allison on political impact and fundraising released earlier on the podcast ℅ How Women Lead Advice #7 - Lian Hurst Mann - Remember Elections Are About Legacy...And Mother Like an Organizer Bio coming soon: see show notes at www.mothersquest.com/podcast to view Where To Reach Lian: Instagram @herwisdomgrows  Hand in Hand - The Domestic Employers Network Caring Majority Rising Facebook Group  

Hello and welcome to a very different episode on the Mother’s Quest Podcast.  Michael Skolnik, who is a political activist and friend of mine, has been sharing a series of posts on Instagram that call me to action every time I see them. The last one I saw a few days ago said this: “The election is not 30 days away. The election is over in 30 days. The election is now. Vote early.”  Like so many of you, I’ve been asking myself if I understand that the election is now...what can I be doing to impact the election now? One thing I know I have is this platform and the Mother’s Quest Community. So, I’m committed to sharing a series of episodes to shine light on the importance of this election and what we can do about it. Last week I released a conversation I hope you’ll tune into with Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher about their powerful new book, Sanctuary, and the impact of this election on undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers.  In this episode, with the permission of How Women Lead’s Julie Abrams, I’m honored to share a powerful conversation I heard live this week featuring Emerge, Women’s Donor Network and UCSF’s Dr. Gretchen Sisson and She the People’s Aimee Allison. They both share their strategic advice for where our political giving can have the most impact right now. Unfortunately the recording didn’t begin until a few minutes in...so you’ll have to jump right in mid-stream. Be sure to connect to the link with the slides in the show notes which will help you make sense of Gretchen’s fast, furious and in-depth presentation.  After listening, I hope you’ll consider joining me in making a political contribution, informed by Gretchen and Aimee’s analysis. And consider paying this episode forward to another woman in your network.  In How Women Lead’s words, “This year marks the centennial of women’s right to vote. We must take action to elect leadership we can proudly call our own, who understand the issues we face daily and design policies that ensure our rights.”  I hope this conversation helps us all to do this together.   Much appreciation, Julie Neale P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested.   -------------------------- Political Fundraising - Demystifying the Process & Making an Impact in 2020 Originally Aired on October 6, 2020, Presented by How Women Lead The impact of women on the 2020 election: Where will my political giving have the greatest impact? What women candidates should I back?  Where is my volunteer time best spent? What organizations are impacting the political systems where I can donate? “Our collective impact is our greatest strength: learning from each other and banding together to act!” This year has tested our limits and fortitude in every way. It has highlighted the flaws in the social and economic culture in our country. While we seem more divided than ever before, I have seen our sisters come together to lift one another up, hold each other’s hands, and stand strong against challenges. YOU give me hope. Amidst a racial reckoning, gender divide, climate crisis and a global pandemic, we’re arguable facing the most consequential election of our time and women stand to lose the most. The loss of RBG has put an added responsibility on each of us to put up a good fight for everything that we hold dear.  This year marks the centennial of women’s right to vote. Yet, shocking even this right has been put up for debate. We must take action to elect leadership we can proudly call our own, who understand the issues we face daily and design policies that ensure our rights.  “Women’s active participation in politics is not only a human right but also a key to sustainable development and a thriving democracy.”  We held a Virtual Vigil for RBG last week and were touched by the fire in each of you. We need to keep that fire going and show up stronger than before.  44% of large dollar donors for federal campaigns in 2020 are women, up from 24% in 1990 Resources from this Episode: “No Regrets” Guide to Taking Effective Action in the 2020 Election Slide Presentation for Political Fundraising - Demystifying the Process & Making an Impact in 2020 by Gretchen Sisson Please sign up here to join She the People's virtual text bank this Sunday (Oct 11) to get out the vote in battleground states: http://act.democracyforamerica.com/survey/Text2PAV201011/ Anyone can join regardless of age or citizenship She the People will provide all the information and script you need  Here are a few resources that were shared by participants: Latino Voter Guide Forecasting the US election ActBlue MoveOn Daniel's Guide to Taking Action in 2020 Announcements: Ep 78: An Urgent Warning with Sanctuary’s Co-Authors Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher I first interviewed Paola after the Women’s March of 2016, personally still shell-shocked by the election of Trump and searching to find my own voice of resistance and path to activism. Since then, she has continued to be at the forefront of social change, especially when it comes to the issue of immigration, as she has organized, demonstrated, documented stories while travelling with the Caravan and now co-written a young adult novel that is both a cautionary tale and story of hope, Sanctuary. Hope and faith run through this conversation I have with Paola and Abby just as it runs through the poignant book they co-created, a story that paints a harrowing picture of a dystopian future, an America in 2032 that microchips its citizens to easily identify and capture undocumented immigrants. It’s also a book that illuminates resilience, strength, and the power of love. I hope you’ll listen with an open heart as Paola and Abby share about the teenage protagonist Vali who becomes a freedom fighter, the mother who sets Vali on her quest, how storytelling builds compassion and calls us to action, and how you and I can spread this story far and wide and organize for the upcoming election. In doing so, we can shape a hopeful future and help make possible freedom and sanctuary for undocumented immigrants like Vali, like the families whose stories Paola has documented, like the mothers in Matamoros, and like our own neighbors, who help our communities in essential ways. Listen to the Episode HERE Let’s Renew Our Commitment to Racial Justice This High Holiday Season I published my first piece on a topic so important. Would love for you to share with anyone you think would be open to listening and learning from these lessons/conversations highlighted. Read the Article Here If you enjoy the Mother’s Quest Podcast, we’d love your support in sharing this or another favorite episode with a mother you think would appreciate it too!  Another way to help spread the word is to leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Instructions for leaving a review are here: How to leave a rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad On your iOS mobile device, launch Apple’s Podcast app. Tap the Search tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Enter the name of the podcast you want to rate or review. … Tap the Reviews tab, then tap “Write a Review” at the bottom of the screen. At the time I’m releasing this episode, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, so many of us are seeking ways to connect with one another, even while needing to stay physically apart. If you identify with being a mother on a quest and you’re not yet a member of the free private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, I invite you to join us for opportunities to learn together, to share what we have to offer one another and where we need support, and to find ways to make meaning of all we’re going through right now. Visit www.motherquest.com/community to join and I’d be honored to welcome you in.  Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Lilli Rey Anne Armstrong Herve Clermont Samantha Arsenault Vickie Giambra Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Kathie Moehlig or TransFamily Support Services Anne Ferguson of MamaFuel On the Move and etsuko Kubo Kate Amoo-Gottfried Nicole Lee Olivia Parr-Rud "Vince" of the While Black Podcast Sara Brannin-Mooser Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Samantha Arsenault Attica Locke Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Four of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to bring this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast to you with mother, activist, writer, co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation and an inspiration to so many, Sybrina Fulton.  The episode is the last in a series I’ve recorded for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities.  Unfortunately, Sybrina deeply knows the grief that comes in the wake of gun violence. But, after the deadly 2012 shooting of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, she felt compelled to rise up, literally pushing herself to get out of her bed, becoming the voice for her son and embarking on a journey to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and racial profiling.   In 2016, Sybrina rallied to the forefront at the Democratic National Convention with a group of African American trailblazing women, connected by tragedy, who became known as “Mothers of the Movement” for the “Black Lives Matter” Movement the death of their children sparked.  She didn’t stop there. In 2017, Sybrina co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, which became the subject of a docu-series that debuted this year, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. This intimate conversation, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into Sybrina’s own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams.  I’m grateful to activist Michael Skolnik, who dedicated this episode, for connecting me to Sybrina and for inviting us to spread this conversation far and wide and direct resources to help mothers turn their grief into healing and advocacy, following Sybrina’s powerful example.  It costs $1500 to sponsor a grieving mother to attend Circle of Mothers. Michael and I have each pledged the first $3,000 to a GoFundMe campaign, each of us contributing $1500 to help a mother who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.  Much appreciation,  Julie Neale   P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Share this conversation!   This Episode is Dedicated by: Michael Skolnik Michael Skolnik was recently profiled in the NY Times and identified as “the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change.” But, besides all of that, he is most proud to be the father of Mateo Ali, a rambunctious five year old.  He is the co-founder and partner of The Soze Agency, a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity and equity. He is a respected leader in the new social justice movement, and has helped ignite conversations around America’s relationship with race, the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and Eric Garner, and the Obama and Trump presidencies. He is a prolific voice on social media with more than 350,000 followers, and a regular commentator on outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for Rock The Vote, The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Policy Link, The Gathering For Justice and The Young Partners Board of The Public Theater. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter The Soze Agency Learn more about Michael Skolnik: https://about.me/michaelskolnik In This Episode We Talk About: What Sybrina wishes everyone would know about approaching a conversation with a mother who has lost a child. My 14 year old son’s question to Sybrina about what it feels like when your calling and the powerful work you’re doing is sparked by a tremendous loss. Why we need systemic and cultural change, and more awareness-raising conversations, to keep young people of color safe from racial profiling. The tragic death of Chinedu Okobi, an unarmed young black man who was tasered to death by San Mateo County deputies, just 20 minutes from my own home. The importance for grieving mothers to remember the things that they used to love and what Sybrina’s joyful outlet is The Circle of Mothers and how the idea to create it came to Sybrina in a dream. Sybrina’s challenge for all of us to open our hearts and to reach out to mothers, across differences, who have lost their child to let them know we care. Why investing in mothers is the most powerful lever to impact gun control. Resources and Topics Mentioned: Trayvon Martin Foundation Circle of Mothers Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin Remembrance Weekend: Peace Walk on February 9th followed by the Remembrance Gala on February 10th Article from CNN about Chinedu Okobi – Facebook executive says unreleased video calls into question police account of brother’s death GoFundMe for Circle of Mothers Women Podcasters in Solidarity website Other Mother’s Quest Episodes in This Series on Gun Safety:  Ep 37: Generations Rising for Gun Safety with Gloria Pan Ep 54: Superheroes, Fighting Patriarchy, and Courageously Defeating Gun Violence with Ladd Everitt   And in Last Year’s Series on Anti-Racism and Police Accountability: Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Sybrina asks us to reach out to a mother who has lost a child and be a support to them. Take them out, let them know you are here, organize something for a group. Let them know that they are not alone.  Learn More About Sybrina Fulton: After the death of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, in February 2012, Sybrina Fulton was charged with a new mission. A desire to transform family tragedy into social change allowed her to establish the Trayvon Martin Foundation in March 2012. As Fulton traverses the globe, she passionately embarks on a journey designed to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and serves as an advocate to families, the catalyst for her dream project, the “Circle of Mothers.” Winning the national support of president-elect Hillary Clinton, Fulton rallied to the forefront in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention with a cadre of African American trailblazing women known as “Mothers of the Movement.” The women, connected by tragedy, are the inspiration behind the “Black Lives Matter.” In 2017, Fulton co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, and the subject of a six-part docuseries, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter for Paramount Network and BET (July 2018). Bestowed with many distinguished awards, Sybrina Fulton has represented the United States at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss racial discrimination; the National Urban League, Black Lives Matter, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, The Triumph Awards (2016), Essence Festival & Conference (2017, 2018), and was selected as the White House’s guest of honor for the unveiling of former President Barak Obama’s initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper.” Fulton is also one of the 2018 recipients of VH1’s Trailblazer Honor Award. A Miami native and graduate of Florida Memorial University, Sybrina Fulton, along with her son, Jahvaris, are on a mission to build better, safer communities. She is a proud member of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan Dade County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. She created the Circle of Mothers as a way to empower women. The purpose of the Circle of Mothers is to bring together mothers who have lost children or family members to senseless gun violence for the purpose of healing, empowerment, and fellowship towards the larger aim of community building.  Connect with Sybrina at: Facebook Twitter Instagram www.circleofmothers.org www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org

This episode is a valentine, lighthouse (and primal scream tbh) for all of our listeners who have been changing the world through the arts and activism and are facing the reality that we have been left with very little in this crisis. Our guest, Michael Skolnik, has been at the center of the major civil and gender rights fights of our lifetime - the racial police shootings, #metoo - and now, he and his agency The Soze Agency along with Task Force and Invisible Hand are the first to recognize the enormity of the crisis facing artists and activists and putting money where their mouths are. Links to apply and donate in the show notes. ☕️☕️☕️ Why have just one mentor when you can have the whole internet? #TM2CPodcast is for anyone who looks outside of their box for inspiration and knows just how important a great mentor can be. Each week, co-hosts and theatre creators Jessica Ryan (Broadway Unlocked) and Andrew Call (Hamilton) have coffee with experts across every field imaginable, from the founder of CURVYcon and Instagram influencer CeCe Olisa, to star of NBC's Community, Danny Pudi, to sex worker and therapist Janis Luna. Our show is just like a coffee date with someone you admire: laid back, personal and insightful; and our partner technology, VideoAsk from Typeform, empowers our listeners and guest's fans to become a part of the conversation. Oh! And come hang out with us on the internets! Twitter/Insta/FB @tm2cpodcast Jess @jessicaryannyla Andrew @theandrewcall ☕️☕️☕️ This episode was produced by wonderwoman Emily Ho. Check her out on the Insta: @mediaby.emily Special Guest: Michael Skolnik.

Michael Skolnik has been hard at work trying to figure out a way to create a health care system that works for every single American. He is currently the CEO of Teachers Health Trust who are responsible for 40,000 teachers health care. It's perfect that we found a way to combine having someone who not only can help explain the intricacies of the health care industry and its problems, but also someone who has taken bold action to make positive change within the health care industry. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/boldmovesonly/message

Activist, entrepreneur and storyteller Michael Skolnik lays a path forward for Democrats and explains why we ended up with Trump in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan loses the car keys. Lane is a grumpy pants. Ryan delves into the importance of Historically Black Colleges/Universities. Michael Skolnik is an entrepreneur, civil rights activist, co-founder & co-owner of The Soze Agency.  Follow him on Twitter:   https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik 

Michael Skolnik, co-founder of Soze Agency, a social impact agency selling compassion, equity, and authenticity, believes that, if his company is going to build creative campaigns about these values, then the company itself has to operate internally according to these values. How is that implemented? Soze Agency is a worker-owned cooperative. Vacation time is unlimited. What? How does that work? Soze employees are deeply vested in the success of the company . . . because, to varying degrees, they own it. Michael gave 62% of the company to his workers in the first 3 years and divests himself of 8% more of his ownership every year. In 7 years, he will be out. It is, he says, “an experiment in compassionate capitalism,” a model he would like to see in many more companies. He wants to see everyone win . . . and believes this is one way to make it possible. Employees at Soze don't take unlimited vacations because they know the company they own and the bonuses they receive depend on their being there and doing the work. Michael started his career and attended his first South by Southwest conference as a filmmaker, which is a medium for storytelling. Today, his company is rooted in storytelling. At South by Southwest's March 2019 conference, he participated in a panel, “Moments, Momentum, Movement,” which addressed how cultural “moments become movements, what's happening now in America and where we are, the work that we do and how that correlates to this temperature rise in the heat of this country, and how we hold onto that for the long term.” Michael feels this country is in a “tough spot,” uncertain about where it is going and what it wants to become. In the marketing world, this is reflected in brands' insecurity about how to interact with their customers in critical “moments.” Younger people, in particular, are demanding that companies respond. Michael emphasizes the importance of authentic and relevant communication. Michael can be reached on his company's website at: https://www.wearesoze.com/, on Twitter at: @WeAreSoze, on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-skolnik-4998365/, or on FaceBook at: https://www.facebook.com/wearesoze/

Katie talks with Michael Skolnik (entrepreneur and civil rights activist) and Paola Mendoza (filmmaker and activist) about some of the choices they've made to raise their 6-year-old son as a compassionate citizen of the world. They discuss what they've learned from having conversations about politics, gender, race, and a host of other social issues with their son.

The New York Times profiled Michael Skolnik as the man you go if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change. He is also the co-founder of The Soze Agency; a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations, and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity, and equity. Michael is also a respected leader in the new social justice movement and has helped ignite conversations around America's relationship with race and the impacts of the Trump presidency. With more than 300,000 followers, he's a prolific voice on social media and a regular commentator for CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. I was blessed with having Michael's help during what I consider to be the lowest point in my career and that experience dramatically shifted things for me. Thanks to Michael being the person he is, I'm far from the only person who's received his support and I hope you'll enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed recording it.   To learn more, visit the show notes.   Want to continue the love-fest? Follow me on Instagram!

I’m honored to bring this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast to you with mother, activist, writer, co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation and an inspiration to so many, Sybrina Fulton.  The episode is the last in a series I’ve recorded for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities.  Unfortunately, Sybrina deeply knows the grief that comes in the wake of gun violence. But, after the deadly 2012 shooting of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, she felt compelled to rise up, literally pushing herself to get out of her bed, becoming the voice for her son and embarking on a journey to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and racial profiling.   In 2016, Sybrina rallied to the forefront at the Democratic National Convention with a group of African American trailblazing women, connected by tragedy, who became known as “Mothers of the Movement” for the “Black Lives Matter” Movement the death of their children sparked.  She didn’t stop there. In 2017, Sybrina co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, which became the subject of a docu-series that debuted this year, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. This intimate conversation, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into Sybrina’s own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams.  I’m grateful to activist Michael Skolnik, who dedicated this episode, for connecting me to Sybrina and for inviting us to spread this conversation far and wide and direct resources to help mothers turn their grief into healing and advocacy, following Sybrina’s powerful example.  Michael and I have each pledged the first $3,000 to the campaign, each of us $1500 to sponsor a different mother to attend Circle of Mothers. I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, visit mothersquest.com/circleofmothers and join us in contributing to her mission.  Much appreciation,  P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Push forward and share this conversation! This Episode is Dedicated by: Michael Skolnik Michael Skolnik was recently profiled in the NY Times and identified as “the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change.” But, besides all of that, he is most proud to be the father of Mateo Ali, a rambunctious five year old.  He is the co-founder and partner of The Soze Agency, a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity and equity. He is a respected leader in the new social justice movement, and has helped ignite conversations around America’s relationship with race, the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and Eric Garner, and the Obama and Trump presidencies. He is a prolific voice on social media with more than 350,000 followers, and a regular commentator on outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for Rock The Vote, The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Policy Link, The Gathering For Justice and The Young Partners Board of The Public Theater. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter The Soze Agency Learn more about Michael Skolnik: https://about.me/michaelskolnik   In This Episode We Talk About: What Sybrina wishes everyone would know about approaching a conversation with a mother who has lost a child. My 14 year old son’s question to Sybrina about what it feels like when your calling and the powerful work you’re doing is sparked by a tremendous loss. Why we need systemic and cultural change, and more awareness-raising conversations, to keep young people of color safe from racial profiling. The tragic death of Chinedu Okobi, an unarmed young black man who was tasered to death by San Mateo County deputies, just 20 minutes from my own home. The importance for grieving mothers to remember the things that they used to love and what Sybrina’s joyful outlet is The Circle of Mothers and how the idea to create it came to Sybrina in a dream. Sybrina’s challenge for all of us to open our hearts and to reach out to mothers, across differences, who have lost their child to let them know we care. Why investing in mothers is the most powerful lever to impact gun control.   Resources and Topics Mentioned: Trayvon Martin Foundation Circle of Mothers Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin Remembrance Weekend: Peace Walk on February 9th followed by the Remembrance Gala on February 10th Article from CNN about Chinedu Okobi - Facebook executive says unreleased video calls into question police account of brother’s death GoFundMe for Circle of Mothers Women Podcasters in Solidarity website Other Mother’s Quest Episodes in This Series on Gun Safety:  Ep 37: Generations Rising for Gun Safety with Gloria Pan Ep 54: Superheroes, Fighting Patriarchy, and Courageously Defeating Gun Violence with Ladd Everitt And in Last Year’s Series on Anti-Racism and Police Accountability: Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria   This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Sybrina asks us to reach out to a mother who has lost a child and be a support to them. Take them out, let them know you are here, organize something for a group. Let them know that they are not alone.  You can also show your support, and invest in the healing of mothers who can lead the way forward, by contributing directly to the GoFundMe campaign and sponsor mothers to attend this year’s Circle of Mothers event. We have a goal to raise $15,000 and send 10 mothers, at $1,500 per person, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend.  CLICK HERE  Learn More About Sybrina Fulton: After the death of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, in February 2012, Sybrina Fulton was charged with a new mission. A desire to transform family tragedy into social change allowed her to establish the Trayvon Martin Foundation in March 2012. As Fulton traverses the globe, she passionately embarks on a journey designed to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and serves as an advocate to families, the catalyst for her dream project, the “Circle of Mothers.” Winning the national support of president-elect Hillary Clinton, Fulton rallied to the forefront in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention with a cadre of African American trailblazing women known as “Mothers of the Movement.” The women, connected by tragedy, are the inspiration behind the “Black Lives Matter.” In 2017, Fulton co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, and the subject of a six-part docuseries, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter for Paramount Network and BET (July 2018). Bestowed with many distinguished awards, Sybrina Fulton has represented the United States at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss racial discrimination; the National Urban League, Black Lives Matter, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, The Triumph Awards (2016), Essence Festival & Conference (2017, 2018), and was selected as the White House’s guest of honor for the unveiling of former President Barak Obama’s initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper.” Fulton is also one of the 2018 recipients of VH1’s Trailblazer Honor Award. A Miami native and graduate of Florida Memorial University, Sybrina Fulton, along with her son, Jahvaris, are on a mission to build better, safer communities. She is a proud member of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan Dade County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. She created the Circle of Mothers as a way to empower women. The purpose of the Circle of Mothers is to bring together mothers who have lost children or family members to senseless gun violence for the purpose of healing, empowerment, and fellowship towards the larger aim of community building.  Connect with Sybrina at: Facebook Twitter Instagram www.circleofmothers.org www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org   Announcements: Support the Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Campaign As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind. On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born.  It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother who would otherwise not be able to participate in Circle of Mothers. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 of this $15,000 campaign, 2 toward our goal of 10 women we hope to send.  I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.   Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward. Support the Campaign Women Podcasters in Solidarity Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season. Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives. Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join. Mother’s Quest Circle If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey If you’re looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list. Learn More Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   — Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to share this episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, the second in a series I’m recording for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities. As the mother of two boys, I was interested in having a conversation with an expert on this subject who’s also a man and a father and I’m so grateful to have found one willing to go deep and be vulnerable in gun prevention advocate Ladd Everitt.   Ladd has been involved in this movement since 1993, when his life changed forever after a man boarded a rush hour train on the Long Island Railroad and opened fire with a handgun, killing six and wounding 19. This train was the one Ladd took regularly and he realized that it easily could have been him killed that day.   That moment sparked Ladd to attend the Million Mom March in 2000 in Washington DC, where despite the fact that he was a single man with no children, he found himself stepping into leadership for a local chapter and working alongside mothers for gun safety.   More than two decades later, he has become a father himself, and is still deeply committed to this work. After 10 years as a strategic communications and social media specialist with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Ladd took the position he holds today as Director of One Pulse for America, a gun violence prevention group established after the Florida Pulse Nightclub shooting by acclaimed actor/LGBTQ rights activist George Takei.    Ladd brought honesty and clarity to the conversation as we traced his E.P.I.C. life journey, from growing up as a young boy influenced by Marvel comics, to stepping into his own powers as a caring father and a decades long gun control advocate.   I appreciated Ladd’s humility as he expressed how the trauma of doing this work has impacted him, his own growing pains as he’s learning about and confronting racism and patriarchy, and the importance of giving the microphone and following the lead of young people, who he says are the emotional and cultural leaders of the movement today.     Ladd leaves us with hopefulness about the possibility for real change after the mid-term elections along with a challenge to hold our elected officials accountable, beginning with a specific request of Nancy Pelosi to focus on new and bold, not watered down, gun policy changes.  I was inspired by the example in Ladd of a white male leader, connected to his emotions, doing meaningful work, and looking for ways to share his privilege and influence with voices that should have more representation in the movement. Ladd and I both left the conversation feeling enriched by the opportunity to talk through complex issues. I’m excited to invite you in to listen with us and then move into action for gun safety alongside us.  Much appreciation,  Julie Neale P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this episode? Push forward and share this conversation! This Episode is Dedicated by: Helgi Maki Helgi dedicated this episode to all mothers affected by cycles of gun violence, who witness and deal with its aftermath for generations, especially the mothers affected by the terrorist attack in Pittsburgh, in the anti-Semitic hate crime shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday, October 27, 2018. They deserve our heartfelt, meaningful support in the wake of life altering gun violence.  Helgi is a lawyer and the founder of traumainformedlaw.org - an initiative to help justice professionals and communities reduce the impact of  trauma and violence on public health.  You can learn more about her work at the links below. The Trauma-Informed Law Project Trauma-Informed Law On Twitter Tree of Life Congregation In This Episode We Talk About: How Marvel creator Stan Lee influenced Ladd’s own development and the ways that Stan’s depiction of women and people of color changed over time The tragic event that became a wake-up call and sparked Ladd’s passion for working toward gun safety. Ladd’s first experience working toward gun control after the Million Mom March How young people are the emotional and cultural leaders of the gun control movement now and Ladd’s fear that they may start listening to adults The vicarious trauma and harassment that those on the frontlines of gun advocacy work experience The exploration of toxic masculinity in the movie “The Mask You Live In” and why Ladd believes it’s crucial to teach boys that crying is a healthy way to express their emotions The importance of fighting back against stigmatization of the mentally ill Ladd’s experience being arrested, along with Michael Skolnik and other male activists, while protesting on behalf of women during the Kavanaugh hearings The Universal Background Check and why is it important. The book on Ladd’s desk when we conducted our interview that he’s reading to help him learn how to confront racism and white fragility His Challenge for all of us to hold our newly elected officials accountable for bold gun policy   Resources and Topics Mentioned: Women Podcasters in Solidarity Million Mom March Writer Jena Schwartz’s daughter’s post about her experience with a school lockdown. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo LA Times Op Ed The Mask You Live In One Pulse for America FB page "Challenge" Action Alert EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Ladd challenges us to focus on what he believes is the most important issue related to gun safety: to get serious about disarming violent people in our country. Ladd asks us to follow through on his One Pulse America Action Alert: To Tell Presumptive Speaker Pelosi to Make Assault Weapons Ban a Priority Follow the links below for more information: https://www.onepulseforamerica.com/action-alert/tell-presumptive-speaker-pelosi-to-make-assault-weapons-ban-a-priority/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1779750855570640/ And read Ladd’s recent OpEd in the LA Times on this subject Learn More About Ladd Everitt: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Other websites: https://medium.com/@LaddEveritt Announcements: Women Podcasters in Solidarity I want to let you know about a special end of the year campaign as part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative to raise money for the mothers, caretakers and activists on the frontlines of gun violence prevention. To make sure you get notified about the campaign, sign up for email updates at www.mothersquest.com and follow the Mother’s Quest page on Facebook. You can also reach out to me at julie@mothersquest.com if you’d like to be one of the first to “seed” the fund with your contribution.  Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected "gun safety" as the issue we want to shine a light on this season. Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives. Please take a look at Cristin's post here and say "yes" to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join. Mother’s Quest Circle If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: ✨Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most ✨To consciously live their version (not someone else's) of an E.P.I.C. life ✨To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions ✨To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey If you're looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list.  Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com -- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Visit kitodelgado.com for complete show notes for every episode.   Michael Skolnik was recently profiled in the NY Times and identified as "the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change." But, besides all of that, he is most proud to be the father of Mateo Ali, a rambunctious four year old. In his day job, he is the CEO of The Soze Agency, a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity and equity. The Soze Agency is a worker’s owned cooperative. 3 KEY HIGHLIGHTS 1.  Michael Shares why he decided to make Soze Agency a workers owned cooperation and reveals the steps they've taken to become a "triple bottom line" organization.   2.  As a straight, white man, Michael understands that he was born with white privilege.  Some choose to exploit their white privilege, while Michael decided at a young age to use his privilege for the greater good.    3.  Michael almost lost his young son to a febrile seizure and highly recommends parents learn more about this condition.

Michael Skolnik, entrepreneur, civil rights activist and speaker, joins the program to share his own diversity story and discusses how corporations are becoming more involved in social justice issues and the implications of that involvement. Michael shares the connection between culture and social movements and the changes that men and male leaders need to make in order to help facilitate positive change. Discover the importance of being honest with ourselves and others about power and privilege.

Robin is on a roll, and keeps the heat coming in an informative back and forth with activist, and CEO of the Soze Agency, Michael Skolnik. They delve deep into the recent wave of sexual assault victims coming forward with their truths, the culture of sexual assault in all industries, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the Politically Reactive podcast, the guest, Michael Skolnik, described being on the train coming home from the Women’s March in DC. He said he’d never been on a train “where there’s such a disproportionate amount of one gender.” And I said, out loud, in response, “I’m sure that’s not true.” That is, I’m sure he’s been on the train with a single gender before, it just wasn’t women and so he didn’t notice. Why do I feel so sure he’s been on a train or in public somewhere with only men? Read more of Single Gender on a Train on the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog. This is Episode 46 Song: Pushing the Needle Too Far by the Indigo Girls Image via Pixabay To support the podcast: Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review! Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/ Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/ Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis Or buy me a coffee on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd Instagram and Pinterest

Where the name and inspiration for @WeAreSoze, Michael's creative impact agency, came from. Michael’s earlier work in filmmaking. Working on Global Grind with Russell Simmons. Building co-ops and equity. Why Michael thinks we should re-imagine capitalism. The importance of expanding and sharing power. Michael’s work and observations on the movement to close Rikers. @MichaelSkolnik

Long before we asked our white audience members to “come get your boy” (keep tweeting!: #WhitesAgainstTrump), activist and entrepreneur Michael Skolnik was using his privilege to support social justice movements and reform the criminal justice system all over the country. Whether it’s getting “I can’t breathe” t-shirts to LeBron James, advising celebrities making their first foray into political activism, or supporting grassroots organizers, Skolnik is all about listening to and building up others. So tune into this episode to learn about the work he’s done and the work still left to do – oh, and about that one time he talked to Trump about running for president... Follow Michael Skolnik on Twitter at @MichaelSkolnik and check out the news/politics/entertainment site he built with Russell Simmons: https://globalgrind.com/. And Kamau and Hari want to make you laugh! In person! Find tour dates and albums from your favorite hosts at www.harikondabolu.com and www.wkamaubell.com. As always, send us your thoughts and suggestions on Twitter and over email: @politicreactive or politicallyreactive@firstlook.org.

The value of putting yourself in someone else’s perspective, with compassion, is something that this week’s guest, filmmaker and activist Paola Mendoza, consciously creates through her storytelling. And, boldly moving forward through difficult times is something Paola talks passionately about-- as she reflects on how she moved from feelings of failure after the election and rose up, channelling those emotions into a passionate co-creation of the Women’s March--what became the largest world-wide gathering in history. In addition to being a key organizer and the Artistic Director of the Women’s March on Washington, Paola is an acclaimed actress, director, screenwriter, and author. She was recently named one of Filmmaker Magazine 25 New Faces of Independent Film for her body of work which includes Refinery 29, BROKEN TAIL LIGHT, FREE LIKE THE BIRDS, and Z for ZENDAYA. She made her narrative directorial debut with the film she wrote, starred in and co-directed about her mother, Entre Nos, which had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded Honorable Mention. Entre Nos told the deeply personal story of Paola, her brother, and her mother’s journey as immigrants to the United States from Colombia and the challenges they experienced. It went on to win over twenty awards at film festivals from around the world and ultimately became the novel, The Ones Who Don’t Stay. Paola shares about the impact her mother had on her, what it was like to tell her mother’s story, the role of art in building compassion, and what it means to step into activism from a place of love, and the things you stand for, but also for what you boldly stand against. We spent time talking about moving past fear, sacrificing your privilege, and teaching your children to do the same in order to help others. These were things Paola powerfully demonstrated just two days after we recorded this interview, when she was arrested for civil disobedience at the Day Without a Woman strike in New York City. Paola is a strong force but also has a softness about her, which comes through as she talks about her relationship with her four year old son, Mateo, how time with him is part of her self-care, and how they spend what they call “Adventure Fridays” together. I heard about her solid partnership with fellow activist, entrepreneur and storyteller Michael Skolnik and about the E.P.I.C. snapshot moment Michael captured of Paola taking in all she created the day of the Women’s March in D.C. Looking back, I’m amazed that Paola was so present during her conversation with me given what she was in the midst of organizing just days later. I could tell she did so because she wanted me and those listening to know how important it is to take action based on our beliefs, that activism takes many shades and forms, and that with privilege comes tremendous responsibility to participate in our political system and stand for social justice. Topics discussed in this episode: The profound impact her mother had on Paola’s life, and what it was like to tell her mother’s courageous story as an immigrant to the U.S., in her film Entre Nos Paola’s way of connecting with her son through “Adventure Fridays” The role of art and activism in growing compassion in other people The importance of emphasizing both what you stand for and also what you stand against With privilege comes responsibility, and how Paola hopes to teach her son to sacrifice his privilege to help other people Ultimately, it's not about falling or failing, it’s about how you rise up and how Paola’s metaphor of “running a relay” sustains her activism Paola’s challenge to us to “participate”…to get involved in a local issue and attend a town hall meeting during the next congressional recess. Resources mentioned in this episode: Entre Nos,  Paola stars in this film (which she also wrote and directed) based on her family’s experiences of coming to the United States from Colombia The Ones Who Don’t Stay, Paola’s novel which came from the film Entre Nos This article where Paola talks about the Women’s March being about what we are for Ep 06: Healthy and Happy with Dr. Elisa Song where we talk about "special time" with our children The Women’s March Unity Principles of the Women’s March A Day Without a Woman A Quote by Audre Lorde: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” More About Audre Lorde & Audre Lorde’s Work Indivisible, a website by former Congressional staffers who reveal best practices for making Congress listen Focus on our Goodness: A Framework for my Activism Inspired by my Four-year Old My recent solocast where I talk about wanting to step more into activism and why I reached out to Paola here Announcements If you haven’t yet visited the website, I want to invite you to head over to mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list to have show notes delivered to your inbox, click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. Help me Create the Finale!! - I would love to hear which are your favorite moments from the podcast and how what you are hearing and learning is impacting your E.P.I.C. life. I plan to highlight those moments from the different episodes, and your voices, in the season finale coming in early April. So do head over to mothersquest.com and use the voice message tool to tell me who you are, your favorite moment, and the impact it has had on you.  Finally, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set a time.  A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support: Divya Silbermann who dedicated this week’s episode Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation. If you would like to "dedicate" an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com

The Cost & Consequence Of Gun Violence Michael Skolnik, Political Director to Russell Simmons & Editor-in-Chief, GlobalGrind.com

Michael Skolnik of Global Grind joins Ted, Maegan and Kristen to discuss Trayvon Martin.

Michael Skolnik of Global Grind joins Ted, Maegan and Kristen to discuss Trayvon Martin.

Michael Skolnik author of White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious Like Trayvon Martin! and is the Editor-In-Chief of GlobalGrind.com and the political director to Russell Simmons. Prior to this, Michael was an award-winning filmmaker.