Four Truths in Four Years
When I founded and launched Workhorse Strategies four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. And I am not going to write a 2,000-word manifesto highlighting my accomplishments and wins while ignoring my shortcomings and losses. I’ve never been good at tooting my own horn, anyway.
Lately, I’ve been practicing mindfulness, specifically mindful walking, and as I kick off year four with Workhorse Strategies, I think it is far more important to share the lessons I have learned along the way.
1. Be Nice.
Being nice might seem unusual advice in an industry as cutthroat as politics. Still, I firmly believe that in the long run, being a decent person will eventually win the day. I’ve known and worked with a ton of the sharks in the business who will throw you under the bus the first chance they get, but karma generally sorts those out.
I’m not advocating that you don’t ride a candidate’s behind when they won’t do call time or knock on doors, but flying off the handle and belittling the people around you is a losing strategy every time.
Several years ago, while living in Des Moines, I was interviewing a potential staffer for a presidential campaign, and he asked me, “Do you all get along?”
I looked at his resume and saw a campaign listed that was known for fostering a toxic environment. Those corny memes on LinkedIn aren’t wrong, “People won’t remember your title, but they will remember how you made them feel.”
Don’t be a pushover, but be nice.
2. Keep it Simple.
Whether you are an elected official or a candidate, how you communicate to voters and constituents is not an exercise in showing them how brilliant you are or how many ten-dollar words you can fit into a 15-paragraph summary, patting yourself on the back and highlighting the amazing work you are doing.
Bullet points are your friends.
Your work ethic and constituent services should speak for themselves.
One of the biggest reasons the Democrats’ brand is so bad is because we come off as elitists to the people who live outside the bubble.
We are living in a world where TikTok and 10-second reels rule the day. No one is going to or will want to read your miniseries of accomplishments.
3. Show Gratitude
Showing gratitude goes beyond being nice, and it’s not ass-kissing. It is showing sincere appreciation for someone when they go out on a limb for you or make that extra call. We live in a culture of “Me! Me! Me! Look at Me!” So, it is important to take a moment and show genuine gratitude to your helpers and referrals along the way.
None of us get to where we are without a little help from our friends and in this day and age of selfishness and greed, it is important to acknowledge people who go the extra mile for you. A little bit of gratitude can go a long way.
4. Candidates and Elected Officials are Human Beings.
Never put a candidate on a pedestal. People who run for elected office are usually highly successful, intelligent, and extraordinary individuals, and it’s easy to get all starry-eyed. They are also human beings. They laugh. They cry. They yell and scream, and yes, they will disappoint you.
I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to work with amazing candidates who were easy to get along with and rolled with the punches. But, that is not always the case. Candidates have a life outside of the campaign. They have families that they care for and worry about. They fantasize about being on vacation and sleeping in until 9:00 am.
They read the newspaper articles written about them and the posts that they are tagged in on social media. Some will be moody, and some will have bizarre, little idiosyncrasies because, once again, they are human. Never forget that.
And by the way . . . You can follow my new Substack here: "A Fish Without a Bicycle."
Do you know someone who needs help running for office?
Are you running a public relations campaign that could use more media coverage?
Reach out. We would love to work with you in 2025 and beyond.
Awevo!
Founder and Principal, Workhorse Strategies
