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It’s a new era at the Democratic National Committee with the recently elected Chair (the 1st Latino to helm the organization) as well as a diverse group of leaders providing support to the communities that will organize across the country. We have no time to waste so let’s get to work!

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

• Over the weekend, I spoke at American University’s Women in Politics Institute and I was part of a panel that spoke about fundraising. One of the things we discussed was call time. Two very familiar words that candidates and elected officials must learn to endure when they want to run for office. Oftentimes during call time, you’ll be calling people who don’t know you asking them for money. One of the things that must happen is the candidate/elected official needs to establish a rapport with the other person. That can be challenging if you’re an introvert or borderline introvert. Connecting with people draws them in to your ideas and your candidacy. Here are 5 tips to establish that rapport.

• Acknowledging that there is a pay gap between women and men is essential to understanding the negotiation process. Women of color from the African American and Latino communities make substantially less than their white non-Hispanic male counterparts. If you’re a woman of color, here are 4 strategies you can implement to negotiate a higher salary.

• Being able to talk with your elected officials to voice your concerns is an important forum that keeps everyone accountable in a democratic society. There are Republican members who are faring better than their colleagues in this kind of setting. Reading this article helped to understand how those are doing well are able to converse with protestors in a respectful dialogue. One of my first instincts is to have the elected not think that their constituents aren’t well informed.

• Wonderful graphs and diagrams to better understand how to get smart. I try to work on each aspect a bit although the book reading is more challenging. I like reading smaller amounts of a lot of different topics and reading a book can sometimes be too much of a commitment. It’s obviously more than just reading because life demands you to be present on different levels. Noticing others while understanding people’s “whys” leads to better understanding how to layer that information.

• I’ve always tried to be an optimist and be true to my core set of convictions. One of the things that an earlier manager noticed about me was that she thought I was always fair. My desire to create fairness and to have people treated fairly guides my decisions of how I choose to make professional decisions and goals. These life lessons can go a long way in helping you find the values that will have meaningful impact.

• I’m always up for friendly competition. There are a great deal of women who are in my field and most of us have worked with one another or have referred business to one another.  That kind of competition is healthy because it makes us each work at our highest level. Regardless of the kind of industry you work, business trends are hardly stagnant and being on top of the most innovative concepts brings new ideas to the table. Be sure to use healthy competition as a way to turn it to your advantage.

• Would you mind sharing your opinions with me? Please take this annual survey (4 questions) so that I can bring you the types of topics that you find most important. Thank you for taking the time!

Thanks for reading/sharing! Look forward to hanging out with you here next Tuesday!

— Madalene