For many business and organizational leaders, the first step into advocacy is often the most intimidating: reaching out to a public official you’ve never met. That first meeting can feel…
Coalitions are powerful because they amplify voices. Very few major pieces of legislation pass without a significant coalition behind them. But they can also be fragile. Each member brings different…
The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk is a sobering reminder of how quickly political rhetoric can spiral into violence. In moments like this, communities search for steady, credible voices that…
I first wrote this for the June 23, 2017 edition of the Greenville Journal. In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the assassinations (and attempted) of the…
By the time a policy makes headlines, the real decisions have already been made*. The votes are counted, the amendments drafted, the deals cut. For business and organizational leaders, the…
As we hit September, it's budget season for most businesses and it's 2026 agenda season for policy groups. If you're engaged at any level, you eventually face the same question:…
Many leadership teams dismiss lobbying outright because they don’t see where it fits. They’re busy running operations, hitting targets, managing people. Government affairs? It feels abstract. Political. Optional. Dirty.
But…
Everyone sees the big stuff. When there's a new House Speaker, a governor’s race turns, or national headlines dominate the airwaves, the shift is obvious. But by the time it's…
When most people think about influencing policy, they picture the elected officials -- the ones whose names are on the door. But behind those doors are the people who keep…
We too July off to rest and refresh for the fall. But today, we'll tackle something we hear from frustrated mid-level business folks... typically ones who love politics, but don't…