Speaking to a Neighbor

Running for office, like any new and foreign venture, can appear daunting. 

There are many hurdles and obstacles in any political campaign just as there are in any enterprise worth pursuing. 

When a seat opened up on her city council, Nadine Heinrich, jumped at the opportunity to get involved. For the Ramsey City Councilwoman, the most difficult part of running was juggling the roles of mother and wife with the added pursuit of public office. There are only twenty four hours in a day for everyone, but mothers have a knack for stretching each hour to the fullest. Still, having a team around you to assist with the daily household or campaign needs can mean the difference between a win or a loss at the polls. 

“Ask for more help,” Councilwoman Heinrich advises. “Sometimes you think that you can handle it all, and honestly I never thought to ask anybody to help me door knock or anything like that.” 

Another challenge she overcame on the road to her electoral victory was her introversion. In order to incorporate that element of her personality, she decided to change the lens through which she viewed her campaign. 

She started to, “think of it as an opportunity to speak to a neighbor” and tell herself, “I’m going out today to meet some neighbors.” 

In no time at all, the initial re-framing of the hurdle turned into the motivation she needed to continue campaigning.

“I didn’t realize how much I would really enjoy, feel energized and motivated to keep going by talking to people – just listening to what their concerns are, asking questions and being open to their feedback on all different kinds of issues. That was really encouraging to me as I ran.”

It is that type of local influence and impact that inspires her to go to work each and every day – to make her community a better, safer place for her neighbors. 

Councilwoman Heinrich found that one of the best ways to meet one’s neighbors is through door knocking. 

She said, “one of the most important things you can do as a candidate is to talk to the people you are elected to serve.” 

Another element of her campaign, and now her time in office, that sets her apart as a politician is her integration of social media. Councilwoman Heinrich attended one of American Majority’s social media trainings as she was building her campaign and she still uses the skills and tools gained every day.

“I continue to refer back to that training and specifically the times of day when I want to make up a post. I generally try to reach people in that afternoon time frame Monday to Friday.” 

The main motivator behind continuing to spend so much of her time reaching out to the members of her community either face to face or through her informative social media profiles is because, “you don’t stop talking to people once you’re elected.”

She says that “letting people know that you are engaged and willing to have a conversation at any time” is vital to being a public figure.

Afterall, it is a job of service and you are serving your community.

For Councilwoman Heinrich, her position is a privilege. For us, it is a privilege to give candidates like her the tools and skills needed to win and to give their communities the passionate support they deserve. 

 

For trainings like the one Councilwoman Heinrich received, Click Here.

To take our FREE course and see if you have what it takes to run for public office, Click Here. 

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