“What's It Like Running Communications for a U.S. Presidential Campaign?"

“I’m a founder and CEO, Jason. I don’t have bosses!” That was my reply when a two-week consulting engagement leading focus groups turned into a bona fide offer for a full-time position as Communications Director for Palmer for President. As I'm posting this article Jason Palmer, a lesser-known candidate, has just pulled off a David-and-Goliath scale upset. His victory over Joe Biden in American Samoa earned him delegates and a massive increase in national interview requests, including CNN. Seeing this brilliant man catapulted squarely into the eye of the hurricane that is presidential politics comes at a bittersweet time as we have been preparing for my transition off the campaign team. Whether serving on his staff or not, I support Palmer's candidacy and wanted to share the backstory.

I met Jason Palmer seven years ago at a series of conferences including SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV. LinkedIn was our primary means of communication. When he called me last year saying he was running for president and needed campaign help in my home state of NV I was surprised but curious to hear more. The sorry state of national politics had increasingly led me to believe that if I had to endure the drama, it might as well be on the inside where perhaps I could help. So I accepted the position, hoping to amplify my contribution to what my dissertation had begun in assessing how to rebuild the American Dream. 

I’m offering this article to describe the end-to-end sprints in this 5-month marathon and answer my most frequently asked question: “What’s it like running communications for a presidential campaign?” Many family members, friends, and colleagues from across my many decades in business have expressed their fascination, scratching their heads and wondering why on earth after decades of carefully earned independence I would take a job.

As a serial entrepreneur, I’ve come to consider one of my greatest skills to be building planes while hurtling through the skies at 30,000 feet. We start-up founders embark on journeys without fully developed maps, constantly adjusting strategies and operations in response to real-time information. Like working in politics, this requires a unique combination of risk-taking, innovation, and quick decision-making. It can feel like a wild ride with no manual, lots of turbulence, and the constant fear of running out of caffeine. 

Back-story: Taking the leap of faith to earn my Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University a few years ago has been shifting the calculus of my career trajectory. My intuition strongly has increasingly sensed that I'm being called to public service at the federal level. Running what was basically a start-up political campaign turned out to be a whole new level of challenge, rivaling the intensity of pursuing a doctorate but condensed into mere months instead of years. Forget building a plane mid-flight, this felt like trying to build a rocket ship to the moon while floating in zero gravity. Juggling political ideologies, gathering and overseeing key players, building the org chart, and functioning as Palmer’s first hire placed me somewhere between being an ad hoc HR person and a Jill-of-all-trades communications warrior. 

There are no road maps in outer space, so having a boss again after all these years required some adjustment. There was something about this particular leader that intrigued me, though. His fiery ideas for political change were matched by a soft-spoken, respectful demeanor. Unlike the stereotypical overbearing boss figure, I was relieved to see Jason Palmer as more of a colleague, albeit one who directed my work and had me oversee 16 projects, 17 direct reports, and the singular objective to launch him from obscurity to public awareness. Talk about a moon shot.

As of this writing, I have co-designed and supervised the logo, brand bible, website, and all of the campaign's marketing collateral. I’ve conferred, advised, and written policy positions across three pillars incorporating dozens of strategic stances on issues. I’ve overseen East and West Coast PR team members, who secured Palmer features in POLITICO, the BBC, C-Span, and hundreds of other outlets before the new tsunami of requests post-Super Tuesday. I’ve written press releases, internal and external memos, speeches, and email campaigns. I've edited Op-Eds and enjoyed the responsibility of approving 100% of all messaging coming. I even got to collaborate with a talented singer-songwriter on the campaign’s theme song and offer direction on the vision for its video.

Contributing as Executive Strategy Officer for the Free & Equal Elections Democratic Debate in New York City was a highlight for me, as was traveling with the team to Charleston SC for a series of fundraising events over the New Year's Eve holiday. Presenting as a campaign spokesperson on stage and off has felt like second nature, and I've pretty much lived on Zoom the rest of the time when not head-down in research. Despite a work day that often started at 5:00 am and ended after 10:00 pm, I've been happy. I credit the altitude of Jason's vision for this, and its overt tethering to my ongoing mission to improve educational outcomes for students from marginalized populations.

Still, the pace has been breathless. After many years of running my companies on my own schedule with time for leisure, weekends had begun to seem like something I remembered in a dream by month two. My calendar as Communications Director has gone from Friday straight to Monday, with Saturday and Sunday as a blur where I was lucky to squeeze in some family and friend time.

When I joined the campaign, Palmer's Chief of Staff sagely advised me to watch old episodes of The West Wing for insights. “He loves that show,” I was told. Starting with season one, I began to imagine myself as a real-life version of CJ (played to perfection by actress Alison Janney). I was happy to extend my Rolodex to the campaign, connecting 22 high-value contributors to the team, and soothed occasional bouts of exhaustion by picturing myself striding through the office halls of the White House with an air of authority, ready to deliver rapid-fire quips and walk-and-talk CJ-style speeches. I still feel that, given four years of additional prep time, Jason Palmer will become an even more viable candidate for Commander in Chief. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get there.

All of this is to say that I’ve concluded that even the most independent spirits can be swayed by a cause. Although phase one of my engagement with the Palmer team is twilighting, a shift toward new projects is unfolding, and all because I was willing to trade my solopreneurial cape for a slightly wrinkled blazer and a pledge to get over myself and take a job.

Epilogue: In appreciation for my contributions, Jason has graciously extended generous startup capital for my long-cherished dream of starting a new non-profit. More details on that exciting venture will follow in an upcoming post. Be sure to stay connected here on LinkedIn to find out what happens next. #ProfessionalJourney #WomenWhoLead #Gratitude