Blueprint for California Advocates

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6. How to break through the noise to make the greatest impact with guest Eduardo Martinez Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Trying to break through the noise at the California Capitol to get your issue front and center?

You're hustling. But why is your message is not resonating?

Today I talk with Eduardo Martinez, Legislative Director for the California Labor Federation, who shares his insight - based on years of experience as a legislative staffer - on how to ensure your message is not only received but resonates.

Eduardo most recently served as Chief of Staff to former Assemblymember and now Mayor of San Diego Todd Gloria.

At the beginning of 2021, Mr. Martinez left the Legislature to take a position in the "Third House" - Sacramento vernacular for the community of lobbyists and advocates who descend on the Capitol each year to promote and influence legislation.

Eduardo serves as Legislative Director for the California Labor Federation, an alliance of 1,200 affiliated unions from around the state, leading their efforts to pass laws that protect California’s families and strengthen workers’ rights.

Over ten months of each year, 120 legislators and their staff consider thousands of bill ideas with the potential to impact hundreds of diverse issue areas. Since no one person can digest thousands of pages of information, staff are responsible for vetting proposals, meeting with stakeholders, understanding the politics, and making recommendations. You can't overstate the critical role of legislative staff.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Transitioning into the Third House during the chaos of 2021 COVID

- Why advocates need to over-prepare, remain disciplined, and always lead with emotion

- How to condense your message into high impact "elevator pitches"

- How to create more opportunities for Labor and Advocacy groups to partner around common goals

Learn more about the important work of the California Labor Federation.

Want to organize your workplace into a union? Learn more.

Transcript of this episode.

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

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The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

5. Beyond the Capitol: How to influence regulation with guest Jaime Schrabeck Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Advocacy is not just about lobbying the Legislature or Governor's Office. Advocates should pay attention to the less known but highly impactful "rulemaking process". California agencies adopt, amend, and repeal regulations in order to "implement" the laws adopted by the Legislature. For small business owners, these regulations can have a huge impact on everyday operations.

In today's episode, I talk with Jaime Schrabeck, veteran beauty industry advocate and owner of Precision Nails. For the last 16 years, she has worked tirelessly to promote equity, inclusion, and dignity throughout the beauty industry.

We discuss:

- the power of “showing up” consistently to make your voice heard

- why building relationships with staff is the key to growing your influence

- the challenge of organizing diverse stakeholders around big policy changes

- transforming the beauty industry from a reactive to a proactive advocacy community

I'll leave you with this excellent advice from Jaime Schrabeck: Just take a step back and realize where you need to go is where the power sits.

Read the Transcript

More information about today's guest:

Licensed since 1992, Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D. works as manicurist and owner of Precision Nails, an employee-based salon in Carmel, California. Beyond her salon, Jaime advocates for compliance and safety, co-hosts Outgrowth: A Slice of Pro Beauty podcast, presents classes, writes savvy articles including feature columns for Beauty Cast Network, mentors educators and advises California's Board of Barbering and Cosmetology as an expert witness.

This is the last episode of the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast until 2022! Thank you for your support!

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

Like my content? Join my free text community or follow me on social media.

The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

4. How advocacy organizations can build their capacity to win with guest Ludovic Blain Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

There is so much knowledge in my interview with Ludovic Blain I don't know where to start!

Mr. Blain is the Executive Director of California Donor Table, a statewide community of donors who pool their funds to make investments in communities of color so they have the power and resources they need to elect people who represent their values and needs and help govern and hold decision-makers accountable.

He helmed CDT's work, starting in 2010, with community organizations in Orange and San Diego counties and in the Inland Empire that, over time, yielded historic election results with national implications. Democrats won seats in Congress, in Sacramento, and on the local level that had been widely regarded as "unwinnable".

I am a huge fan of CDT's laser focus on, in Mr. Blain's words, "investing in communities of color and working with organizations to build up their capacity to win, to win over time, to win consistently, and to be resilient. To survive when they lose in order to win more in the future."

We discuss:

- The transformation of San Diego and Orange counties and the Inland Empire

- Winning is not linear and it's our job to keep trying

- How organizations can and should expand their work into partisan campaigns, i.e. don't play checkers when your opponent is playing chess

- Where orgs can look for C3 and C4 dollars

- CDT's efforts to establish civic engagement and power building collaborations around the state

- How organizations can "help govern" right now

- What organizations can do right now to start building capacity

Like I said, there is so much value for advocates in this discussion.

Transcript of this Episode

Learn more about California Donor Table. Also check out these CDT supported collaborations: Inland Empire United, Orange County Civic Engagement Table, Lift Up Contra Costa, and Communities for New California.

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

Like my content? Join my free text community or follow me on social media.

The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

3. Raising your community's voice in Sacramento with Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

There are few lawmakers I admire more than California Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-47). The first Latina to hold this leadership position, Leader Reyes is an unequivocal champion for working families in her district and throughout the state.

Her emphatic advice for advocates: remember your true power. You are the ones who send representatives to Sacramento to give voice to the community. You can also hold them to account if they lose their way.

I am grateful to the Majority Leader for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her wisdom.

We discuss:

- building long-term relationships with lawmakers

- securing votes outside your traditional base of support

- legislative priorities for the Inland Empire in 2022

Read the Transcript

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

Like my content? Join my free text community or follow me on social media.

The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

2. How to build bipartisan support with Assemblymember Chad Mayes Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

As any good lobbyist in Sacramento will tell you, at the end the day what matters is getting the 21/41 votes you need to move your bill. This has always been a significant challenge; in our era of toxic political polarization it's can be near impossible.

That's why I'm excited to share my recent conversation with Assemblymember Chad Mayes (I - 42). A former Minority Leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus and now the only Independent in the Legislature, he knows first hand the impact of hyper-partisanship. I am grateful to the Assemblymember for taking time to share his valuable insight on how advocates can win support from lawmakers across the aisle/caucus.

Bottom line: it comes down to building trust. It's hard work and takes time. But it can be done. As always, my focus is sharing actionable steps and real-world advice for advocates working to build just, sustainable communities.

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

Like my content? Join my free text community or follow me on social media.

The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

1. How to become a more effective advocate with guest Amy Everitt Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Today, I talk with Amy Everitt, President of Golden State Opportunity, a nonprofit that strives to end poverty and improve the lives of low-income workers in California. Ms. Everitt shares with me the top 4 lessons she's learned in her more than two decades of advocacy, both in California and federally.

We also talk about the challenges facing the anti-poverty movement as California heads into another year of historic budget surplus and GSO's long term goal to support low-income communities as they build political power.

Learn more about GSO and their amazing work on their website here.

Hosted by Kristina Bas Hamilton, founder of KBH Advocacy. Learn more about KBH Advocacy.

Learned something new in our conversation? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your networks.

Help support the Blueprint for California Advocates podcast so we can produce more content like this.

Like my content? Join my free text community or follow me on social media.

The Blueprint for California Advocates podcast is supported by Subtext, an award-winning texting platform that empowers organizations to communicate quickly and effectively.

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