Show Notes
In this episode, Joe is joined by Hal Malchow. Hal is a seasoned political consultant and writer with a successful career in politics. He has been recognized for his revolutionary work with the Sisk Award in 2005 for reshaping the marketing industry and his induction into the American Association of Political Consultants Hall of Fame in 2016. His work is also chronicled in Sasha Issenberg’s book The Victory Lab, The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns, and he has written political strategy, political fiction, political thriller, and young adult fantasy novels. In this episode, Joe asks Hal questions about his career and experiences. They talk about how to improve the ineffectiveness of political advertising and advice for folks interested in going into politics and advocacy work.
More from How to Win a Campaign
The Campaign Workshop's Advocacy Training is coming up on December 10 and 11. Our advocacy training is fully virtual and is a complete guide to the ins and outs of effective advocacy. We cover topics like goal setting, messaging and storytelling, budgeting and fundraising, digital campaigns, lobbying, and more. Register now through our Humanitix page at the link below.
In our final 7 Questions episode of the season, Joe sits down with Alex Dickinson of Beekeeper Group to discuss their report, The Future of Advocacy. Drawing on a December 2025 survey of 1,000 voters and insights from Beekeeper's 100+ client partners, Alex shares why the traditional "ladder of engagement" may be giving way to a more fluid model, how local action is outpacing national, and why reducing friction matters more than ever. She also unpacks surprising findings on SMS engagement across generations and what the rising use of AI tools means for the future of advocacy work. A fitting close to the season, and a reading for anyone shaping campaigns in 2026.
In this episode, Enrique Rivas of The Campaign Workshop sits down with Mayte Aldrett, Partner Success Director at Empower Project, to break down relational organizing—the practice of reaching people through their own trusted relationships. Mayte explains why a message from a friend, family member, or neighbor lands when a stranger's outreach gets screened out, and how organizations of any size can put the approach to work.
In this 7 Questions episode, Joe sits down with Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, to discuss the state of money in politics in America. Tiffany breaks down how the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision opened the floodgates to unlimited and undisclosed spending in our elections and explains how dark money flows through the system. They also dig into why transparency and disclosure are critical tools for accountability. Tiffany also shares what everyday people can do to fight back, and why she believes people power is ultimately stronger than money power.
In this episode, Martín sits down with Bill Smith, founder and CEO of Inseparable, a bipartisan national mental health advocacy organization working to change how Washington and state houses respond to the mental health crisis. Bill shares his story behind founding Inseparable, why mental health is a winning political issue, and how his team has delivered 100 policy wins in just five years. He and Martín dig into the role of personal storytelling in advocacy, how to recruit and protect storytellers, and what it takes to turn hesitant policymakers into real champions. Bill also opens up about how he protects his own mental health while leading a movement focused on everyone else's.