The Great Battlefield Politics, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications with Murshed Zaheed of Pacifica Strategies
Feb 20, 2026
Murshed Zaheed, founder and CEO of Pacifica Strategies and former digital communications lead for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, shares his path to launching a consultancy. He discusses practical startup steps, crafting narratives and messaging, organizing for better advocacy, building coalitions beyond DC, and preparing for political fights ahead.
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Reid's Prompt Sparked A Firm
- Murshed Zaheed recounted how Harry Reid asked if he owned his consulting firm and urged him to start one.
- That prompt, plus personal losses, helped Murshed launch Pacifica Strategies in January 2022.
Grow Clients Through Trusted Relationships
- Build business through relationships and do selective, values-aligned work rather than blind pitching.
- Focus on structural advocacy projects and let references and past clients bring new opportunities.
Run Tight Meetings And Follow Up
- Be ruthlessly organized: pick 3–5 macro and daily priorities and stay laser-focused.
- Prep agendas, make meetings productive, assign action items, and follow up promptly each day.