First off, thank you so much for reading this update from Useful Strategies! This firm is the newest effort in effective rabble-rousing brought to you by myself and the indomitable Dana Bye. If you have not signed up to receive our updates via email, please take a minute to do so here.
Between us, Dana and I have a combined 25+ years working on campaigns across the country and at various levels of government. Together, we’ve been field organizers, schedulers, press handlers, call time managers, operations directors, and campaign managers. We’ve seen every level of a campaign and have the war stories to prove it.
Beyond electoral politics, Dana and I have led issue advocacy campaigns and lobbying efforts, as well as working in both state and federal government. We know how to navigate the system - both from the inside and from the outside.
By launching Useful Strategies, we can bring our unique perspectives and expertise to a wider range of organizations and causes.
With that said, I’m excited to share a few announcements from our first three weeks of operation.
First up, I’m very proud to report that our first engaged client is The National Cannabis Festival and Policy Summit!
For years, I have served as a co-chair of the Advocacy Committee for the festival and policy summit, working with allies and advocates from across the movement. NCF and NCPS have woven into their DNA the intersections of cannabis policy and the current political and cultural moment. For those reasons, I am thrilled to provide organizational support and guidance for both events.
You can find out more about NCF and NCPS as well as buy tickets fo r the April festival in Washington, DC at https://nationalcannabisfestival.com/.
In addition to NCF/NCPS, we have engaged a number of campaigns and organizations, both Ohio-based and national, to support their efforts in a variety of capacities.
In non-Useful Strategies news, I am proud to report that I have joined Unfiltered.Media as a Partner. I’m excited to add capacity to the Unfiltered team and with them, support the broader progressive movement with the tools, training, and strategy needed to win policy reforms. With Unfiltered Founder Craig Johnson as well as other thought partners, we are additionally incubating a new marijuana reform-oriented political action committee.
Assuming everything goes as planned, expect to see the public announcement within just a matter of weeks. I wish I could say more at this point… in fact, I’m bursting at the seams wanting to tell you all about it. But knowing how this process works, it’s always better to plan ahead and I owe it to the movement and allies to do this right. If you know me, you know I am a big champion of better organizing and I know better than to blow a rollout just because I was too excited!
Moving forward, if you or an organization you know would be interested in engaging with Dana and I via Useful Strategies, we are currently accepting requests for proposals to provide support to organizations, campaigns, and causes that are ready to produce tangible results. While we may be making up this whole consulting thing as we go along, Dana and I are not alone. In addition to our expertise, we come armed from our previous roles with a keen understanding of what works well (and what doesn’t work at all) and the advice from a broad, national network of allies and friends who support us in this new adventure.
We don’t plan to waste time with meaningless reports or schedule meetings for the sake of meetings, but rather focus on how to help good people do great things by effectively leveraging resources and power to manifest real change.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested in discussing how we can provide useful strategies to help you achieve your goals.
In Solidarity,
Justin
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