Show Notes
In this episode, Martín is joined by Brian Johnson. Brian is the CEO of Equality Illinois and has been fighting for LGBTQ+ civil rights since 2016. He has a history of leadership in nonprofits, including as Executive Director of Teach For America in Los Angeles, and has fostered educational excellence and diversity in public schools. Drawing from his extensive social justice and LGBTQ+ advocacy experience, his new book, "The Work is the Work" is a testament to the ongoing fight for justice across realms like environmentalism, anti-racism, and community empowerment, which was inspired by his daughter and the next generation of change makers. In this episode, Martín and Brian discuss the importance of community support in advocacy endeavors and tips on how to approach building and sustaining effective partnerships with stakeholders, policymakers, and community members to advance the goals of equity and justice.
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.