   Time, money, and people- the three essentials of any political campaign, regardless of size or location. If you are thinking about running for local office, then this is an important podcast just for you! Learn how to make the most of the time, money, and people that you have in order to win your election. I am excited about this podcast today because I know that it will give you a great base to launch your political campaign for local office. If you are going to invest a half hour in your future election today, then make it this podcast! I know what a difference it can make for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Where to start- what you can be doing even if you haven’t committed to running in a local election yet How going door to door can work for you even beforehand- how you can go door to door to talk to voters before you even announce you are running Why you need to raise money for your political campaign- why you should fundraise even if you can afford to fund the run for office yourself What to do if you are nervous about asking- how to grow in your assertiveness in order to be able to be a successful candidate for office Why you need to talk to your family before you commit to running – why you need to have a realistic conversation with your family, and business partners How to get your spouse and family involved– why it is important to get the important people in your life involved in your political campaign Why you should consider having a volunteer take charge of an area- how to best utilize volunteers in order to make your time most efficient Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

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Time, Money and People CW 77

   Learning how to do research for a political campaign is a must if you want to run for local office. Whether you are running a campaign by yourself or on a slate, knowing how to research your opponent or opponents and yourself can make all of the difference between winning and losing. I am excited to cover this topic with you today because I know the potential impact on your campaign of learning how to do research and what do to with information you find. It can help you shape the messaging for your political campaign as well as know what to expect from your opponent. I want to make sure that you are able to use your research to help you win your election! In this episode, you’ll learn: How to create a political message quadrant- what it is and how it can help your campaign Why you need to research yourself- why you should take the time to look into what is out there about you before you start your campaign How to research your opponent- where to start your research and what types of things to look for that will help your political campaign What to do with the information you find- how to use your research to help strategize for your political campaign and create your messaging Why the dynamics of your town will impact your research – why you need to know how your town will react to different information before you use it How going door to door can add to your research – how door to door campaigning can have an impact on your research and political campaign How to take polls even if you can’t afford to- how to use creative polling methods in order to do research for a political campaign Resources: Jeremy Porter Communications: Political Message Quadrant Political Message Quadrant Example: What We Say About Us What We Say About Them   What They Say About Us What They Say About Themselves   Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

Research for a Political Campaign CW 76

  Have you thought about running for office on a slate? If you have been thinking about running for your local township board, county board or school board, then you should consider if running on a slate would be the best option for you. Today we are going to cover the pros and cons of running on a slate, with a PAC, and as an individual. I am excited to cover this topic today because I know how exciting and impactful running for office on a slate can be for local candidates. Running for local office is always hard work and it can be very lonely if you are all by yourself. But a slate can help out with those problems- if it is the right slate for you. Today I am going to help you decide whether or not running on slate is right for your local political campaign. In this episode, you’ll learn: What you need to know before joining a slate- why you should take the time to research the other candidates on the potential slate before joining How to legally set up a slate- what you need to know to make sure that the slate’s filings are done correctly the first time Why you might consider a PAC- what are the pros and cons of having your political campaign supported by a PAC How raising your own money outside of the slate might help- why you might consider doing your own fundraising outside of the slate What questions to ask before you join- and why you want to get everything you agree to in writing ahead of time Why you need to take a look at your own personality first- what questions you need to ask yourself to make sure you are a good fit for running with others How strategy plays into slates- and what interesting situations you might find yourself in if you decide to run for office on a slate Why staying positive with your messaging matters- why you need to make sure that the slate’s messaging stays positive at all times Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here  Thank you for listening!

Running for Office on a Slate CW 75

There is so much that can be done on the activism side of politics to help make lasting change in your local community. Today on the Commonwealthy podcast we are going to be talking about seven types of political capacities that the right side needs to be involved with in order to bring our vision of a free market limited government to reality. I am excited to talk to you today about political capacities because I know that not everyone is going to run for local political office, but so many of us can make a real difference by fulfilling one of these capacities for the right. Whether you are currently involved in activism, thinking about getting involved in activism, or wanting to be involved in activism while you plan your local political campaign, today’s podcast will show you where to start. In this episode, you’ll learn: How you can research and change policy- why you should consider researching and writing new policies as a political capacity Why investigative reporting is important in politics- how to use investigative reporting to expose corruption and change your local government What smaller organizations can do to impact your local area- how to create a small political organization to be a change agent in your community How smaller political organizations are creating change- what other organizations are doing around the country to make a differece What Media Matters is and why it matters- and what you can do to fight media bias on your local level How lawyers can impact politics on a local level- what you can do as a lawyer to help bring about change to policies Why you should be recruiting candidates- and how to make sure that they get the training they need to win their local offices How using social media can be a political capacity- and why you need to choose a focus for your posts Resources: State Policy Network- website Heritage Foundation- website Cato Institute- website Watchdog- website Club for Growth- website Texans for Lawsuit Reform- website Goldwater Institute- website Institute for Justice- website Pacific Legal Foundation- website American Majority- website The Leadership Institute- website Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here  Thank you for listening!

Seven Types of Political Capacities CW 74

  Are you wondering if attending political events is even worth your time, effort, and money? Are you tired of feeling like you are putting forth all of this effort to be at and throw different events, but have very little to show for it. Today I am going to give you tips on making political events pay off for your local political campaign or activist organization. I am excited to share these practical tips with you today because I know how frustrating it can be to do a political event and not have any real pay off for it. The advice I am going to share with you today is for things that I have learned either from others or the hard way. I know that these tips work because I have worked them myself! In this episode, you’ll learn: Why call to actions are so important- why you want to end every speech or presentation at political events with a practical call to action How to utilize volunteers at a political event- what things you can have volunteers do to help your political or activism campaign What to put on an email sign up sheet- what information you need to make sure to collect and what you can skip How to make sure people actually sign up for your email list- how to pass around a sign up sheet so that people actually sign up on it Why you want yard signs and bumper stickers at the event- and what you can do to make sure that people actually take and use them How to get donations at a political event- what you can do to make it as easy as possible for people to give your political campaign or cause Why you shouldn’t put on many of your own events- and how to utilize other people’s events and still get a pay off for your political campaign or cause  Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

Making Political Events Pay Off CW 73

   Politics is scary! Trust me, I understand! If you are going to run for local office and make a difference in your community, then you need to be able to overcome that fear. Today on Commonwealthy I am talking about overcoming your fears in politics. I am going to help you move past your fears by giving your practical things that you can do for specific fears related to politics. I am excited to be discussing overcoming your fear in politics today because I know how many people are sitting on the sidelines in front of their televisions watching politics instead of making a real difference because they are too scared to step out and get involved. I believe that today’s podcast will be a game changer for you and many others who have a desire to be involved in local politics. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to get over your fear of getting involved- what you can do to get started in local politics that isn’t as scary as you think Why you should consider bringing a friend with you- why there really is power in numbers, especially in new experiences How to handle an angry person on the other side of the phone or door- what to do when you come across someone who isn’t happy to hear from you What practical steps you can take to gain confidence in asking for money- what you can do to help get more comfortable doing campaign fundraising How to get over a fear of public speaking- what to do in order to get confident in your ability to speak in front of groups of people Why you should prepare for media interviews- how getting prepared for questions from the media can help make it less scary What to consider to help motivate yourself to get over your fears- what you need to think about when you need to get motivated to overcome your fear Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here  Thank you for listening!

Overcoming Your Fears in Politics CW 72

 One of the best ways to make a real difference in your community, election year or not, is to start a political organization. Local political organizations provide a permanent infrastructure to support limited government conservative candidates and provide a way to organize activism year round. Political organizations are key to getting our candidates elected so we can implement policy at any level.  

Start a Political Organization CW 71

 You have put all of this time, energy, and money into running for local political office, but you lost the election. Did you just waste the last several months doing something that didn’t matter? Or perhaps can you look at the situation differently in your mind? Today on Commonwealthy we are going to cover what do you learn when you lose your election.  

What Do You Learn When You Lose Your Election with Kristina Keats CW 70

 You just won your election. Congratulations! All of your hard work to campaigning for a local political office has paid off. So now what? Today on Commonwealthy Tina Keats and I will be discussing what you need to make sure to do now that you are a local elected official. Here’s a hint: the hard work is just starting!  

You Just Won Your Election with Kristina Keats CW 69

 As we rapidly approach the November 2016 election, political campaign yard signs are popping up all across this country. There is no better time than now to study signs and designs for a political campaign! Today we are going to discuss the basics of yard signs so you can be prepared for your next run for local office. I am excited to be covering this important topic with you today because I know the impact yard signs and designs can have on your political campaign. Yard signs are a great way to get name recognition and to build your support base. Whether you are planning a run for local political office in 2017 or just starting to consider becoming a local candidate, this podcast is a great resource for you on a campaign basic!  

Signs and Designs for Political Campaigns CW 68

 Are you running for local political office? Do you know what you need to be doing during this last month before the election? Don’t worry, I am here to fill you in on everything that you need to do so you are prepared to have the best shot at winning possible! With only four weeks to go before Election 2016, I am excited to share my last minute to do list with you so that as a candidate for local political office you can hit the ground running! Make sure to listen to this podcast so you know what you need to be doing in the last month before the election.  

Last Month Before the Election CW 67

 Are you new to Commonwealthy and wondering why I put so much emphasis on running for local political office? Or perhaps you have been listening to the Commonwealthy podcast for a while now and are thinking to yourself, “Why in the world would I want to do all of this work just to serve in a local political office? What are some good reasons to run for local political office?” Today I am excited to be covering six reasons to run for local political office. With over half a million political offices in America and so much good that can be done, I am hoping to inspire you to take that first step towards making a difference in your community by running for local office. In this episode, you’ll learn: How you can make your spare time matter- what you can do to make sure that your extra time is spent doing something important What you can do with your passion to serve others- how you can use your passions to help make a difference in your community How public service is different than giving back- what public service is and why it is important in America today What you can do to stop the eroding of your community- how running for local political office can make a difference in your community for the long term Why staying positive matters- why you want to keep a positive attitude when you talk to potential supporters and critics a like What you can do to change the public’s view of politicians- why we need citizen legislatures, not professional politicians Resources: Campaign Planner Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

Six Reasons to Run for Local Political Office CW 66

 I am excited to have Kristina Keats back on the podcast today to help me cover everything you need to know about the last two months before your local election! If you are starting to panic, don’t! We will break down in simple steps what you need to make sure to do so you can keep your calm while you run for local political office. I know it can seem overwhelming when you only have sixty days left before the election. There is so much to do and so little time to do it in! But don’t worry, we will help you by making sure you know what is worth spending your time on and what you skip. In this episode, you’ll learn: What to make sure you have already done- what you need to have done before the last two months until the election How to make sure your yard signs aren’t stolen- why you need to keep an eye on your yard signs and why they are so effective Why you want to emphasize early voting in your GOTV plan- what you need to do in order to get a good voter turnout for early voting How to get enough volunteers for your Get Out the Vote plan- how to make sure that you have enough volunteers to have a great voter turnout Why you should keep identifying voters- why you want to keep IDing voters even through election day How to keep your cool in tough situations- why you need to remain focused and calm, even when your opponent is not playing nice Resources: Campaign Planner Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

Two Months Until Election: DON’T PANIC with Kristina Keats CW 65

 Are you curious about how to put everything together that we talk about on the Commonwealthy podcast? Does it just all seem so overwhelming? Well, don’t worry. Today I am going to explain how to use our detailed campaign planner, which is free from Commonwealthy, so that you can have every step of your political campaign for local office planned out. I am excited for you to learn how to use this campaign planner. It details out every aspect of political campaigns. The campaign planner will help you organize your campaign ahead of time so that you know exactly what you need to do every step of the way! In this episode, you’ll learn: Where to start- what you need to figure out first before you dive into any other part of your campaign plan What types of voters you need to be aware of- why you need to think about independents, ticket splitters, and split households How to approximate the number of voters talked to- what you need to consider when estimating contacts Why your overall plan determine your fundraising goal- how to figure out how much money you need to raise for your political campaign How to keep your overhead costs low- why you want to do everything you can to keep your overhead costs to a minimum What parts of the campaign planner you can skip for a small campaign- what is important for larger campaigns only Resources: Campaign Planner Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com Transcript: Available here Thank you for listening!

Campaign Planner CW 64

 Are you working a full time job while running a political campaign for local office? Then you need some help making sure that your calendar stays organized and up to date. You need a scheduler! Today we are talking about the role of a scheduler and how they can help you in your political campaign. I am excited for you to learn about this important volunteer position that will really help your political campaign. A scheduler will help answer your phone calls, arrange events for you to appear at, and keep your calendar up to date. The role of a scheduler really is invaluable for your political campaign! In this episode, you’ll learn: Who could be a scheduler- what people you know who you should consider asking to be your scheduler What needs to be on your schedule- what you need to put on your schedule even before you schedule political campaign events What type of events a scheduler should look for- what kind of events should your scheduler plan to have you show up at What information would you need on each event- what information your scheduler will need for each event on your calendar Why you want to know something about groups inviting you- why you should consider if the group inviting you is friendly or not Who you need to share your calendar with- why you need to think about who needs access to you calendar Resources: Schedule Request Form: here   Contact information:  John Tsarpalas Twitter: @JTsarpalas Email: john@commonwealthy.com    Transcript: Available here   Thank you for listening!  

The Role of a Scheduler in a Political Campaign CW 63

Commonwealthy trains candidates and activists who understand the benefits of smaller limited government to win elections. With over 500,000 elected offices in America it is vital for liberty leaning people to step up and run for state and local office. Political candidate coach, John Tsarpalas interviews experts from the many areas of political campaigns. Every week another step in the campaign process or ideas for activism are presented. From fundraising to polling, to the basic soul searching before you decide to run, Commonwealthy discusses it all.

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