091: From Lawyer to Entrepreneur to Mayor! How to get involved in local politics.

Welcome back! Today, get ready to be inspired! We're talking with Rachel Hundley, an attorney who, after living the law firm life in New York City, eventually landed in the California Wine Country City of Sonoma. Not long after relocating there, she started to get involved in local politics, first getting elected to the City Council in 2014 and then unanimously being voted Mayor in 2016. She also co-owns a food truck called Drums and Crumbs. Rachel offers not just some great practical tips for being active in your local community, she also provides an inspiring example of someone who felt a calling and pursued it—more than once, undeterred by various obstacles—where there's a will, there's a way!

In this episode, we discuss:

• The unexpected trajectory of Rachel's post-law school journey
• Her campaign, and how to run for local office
• What it's really like in the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes life of a local elected official
• Skills you learn in law school and cultivate as lawyers that are huge assets in politics, entrepreneurship, and beyond
• How to take the most from every experience, and how to get experience and connections that count
• The recent call to public service many are feeling nationwide, and different ways to get involved
• Being an informed citizen and making your voice heard, especially for young people

Resources:

• Itkowitz, Colby. "She wanted to make a difference. Now this millennial is the mayor of her new town." Washington Post, Jan. 24, 2017. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2017/01/24/she-moved-across-the-country-to-start-a-new-life-then-the-town-made-her-mayor/?utm_term=.f2aabd10822c)
• Gowland, Lelia. "She Should Run: This Nonprofit Incubator Is Launching Thousands Of Women's Political Careers," Forbes, Dec. 1, 2016. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/leliagowland/2016/12/01/how-this-nonprofit-inspires-women-run-for-office/#617645e77bc53)
• She Should Run (http://www.sheshouldrun.org)
• EMILY's List (https://www.emilyslist.org/pages/entry/run-for-office)
• Emerge America (http://www.emergeamerica.org)
• Podcast Episode 83: Lawyers in Action: The Airport Immigration Crisis (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-83-lawyers-in-action-the-immigration-crisis/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Episode-91-Rachel-Hundley.pdf)

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Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee