Celebrating 200 Episodes

It's hard to believe we've reached 200 episodes! Join Micaela, Adam, and David as we take a nostalgic look back at how our podcast began during those uncertain early days of April 2020. Hear clips from the very first episode and discover how what started as crisis communication evolved into a comprehensive professional development platform reaching political engagement professionals across America.

Transcript

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- Welcome to a very special episode of The Facts About PACS Podcast, our 200th episode. I'm Micaela Isler, NABPAC's President and CEO, and I'm joined by two people who have been with me on this incredible journey. One from the very beginning.- I'm Adam Belmar from Advocacy Content Kitchen. And I have to say when we started this back in April, 2020, I never imagined we'd be sitting here celebrating 200 episodes.- And I'm David Schild and Adam, Micaela, it really is amazing to hit this 200 mark and that is a big deal, not just in podcasting, but but anywhere. And, and here's some numbers that bear that out. James Garfield only president for 199 days, right? Seinfeld only made it to 188 episodes. Radiohead only recorded 180 tracks. Crystal Pepsi was not even on the market for 200 days. This is a big milestone and we should be celebrating it.- Well, you know, it is fitting that we're recording this milestone episode because it does give us a chance to reflect. I mean, not just on where we've been, but on why we started this journey in the first place. Adam, we had so many conversations and you were there at the very beginning. Take us back to those early days of 2020, which does seem like a lifetime ago.- It does. What I remember was we'd been talking about starting a podcast for a while, and it was one of those someday projects, but then bam, the pandemic hit and suddenly someday became right now, I mean, we could not bring people together physically anymore. This was the reality for everyone, and we realized we needed a new way to serve our community, Mikayla. Yeah,- That's exactly right. And I do, you know, I had a lot of trepidation around doing this podcast, especially because there was so much negativity out there about PAX in general, and we were really beginning our crusade on setting the record straight, and you really were the one that pushed me to really jump into this. And beyond that, we really had a membership that was suddenly scattered working from home, dealing with unprecedented challenges. And so I think you were right to push me and the light bulb went on and we knew we had to jump in and do this. And then on top of all of that, our spring conference had been canceled and people were just really feeling isolated and uncertain about everything, not just in their personal lives, but with their professional responsibilities as PAC managers. It was all new terrain for us.- Mikayla, I really think that the urgency around getting this out when it debuted is so critical to this story, right? This was a time when everybody was buying too much wine, too many bounce houses. We were trapped toilet paper. Oh, it was, I mean, just unbelievable. We were trapped at home and you both said to your credit, you know, we can't wait anymore. The members of NPAC this now. And so, you know, never a perfect time to get started, but you took that important first step.- I remember that first episode. We were still unsure of what distancing was gonna look like, and McKayla would sneak into the office. I lived very close to the office. We saw each other a few times. And if you really try and put yourself back on the 2nd of April, I mean, it had just fallen apart. And here we were. It just does viscerally feel like the worst time to have started a podcast. But when I listen back on it, Mickayla, I see everything that I'm proud of today.- Yeah. And you know, I think by that April 2nd episode, that two week, you know, sort of remember the two we're just gotta stay home for two weeks had come and gone. And I think reality was setting in that this was gonna be a lot longer than two weeks. And so, Adam, if you don't mind, let's listen to a clip from that very first episode recorded on April 2nd, 2020, just to remind ourselves where we started. Before we get started on this, the very first episode of Facts about PACS podcast, I want to say to everyone in our audience, we are praying for you and your loved ones, and we hope that everyone is able to remain safe and healthy. We recognize that Coronavirus has upended every element of your personal and professional lives. And it is for this reason that we are launching this podcast today. Our mission with this podcast is to hear from our members, recap our latest activities, share best practices, provide actionable intelligence, and help everyone find innovative ways to remain effective during this coronavirus crisis. So with that, let's get started listening to that. Oh my gosh, woo. That takes me right back to those early days. We were all figuring it out as we went along. And Adam, what do you remember about those first few episodes?- What strikes me is how raw and immediate everything felt. We were literally responding to a crisis in real time, and we had people asking, should we pause solicitations? How do we make contributions when we can't get checks signed? Do we do virtual? We were all learning together. And that was the thing, if you were at NPAC at that time, that was every conversation. I mean, Abigail Cave was phoning in from the field. It was really just palpably exciting because we were pulling it together for everybody and trying to get so many voices to come and join us and make it sound familiar. We didn't even get David on the show until much later. Sadly,- Adam, I love listening to these old clips, these original clips. I'm so glad that you went over to the Library of Congress, pulled these out of the archives, slapped them on the reel to reel machine, and you know, we get to take this step back in time because at the time, right, this was a COVID driven innovation. As Mikayla said, people were at home, we need a way to reach them. And that has evolved and morphed into something much bigger as we come up here on 200.- Yeah. And I think it was a real opportunity not just to help our members, Adam, I know so much of this was this, figuring out the work from home and how to continue to engage your employees and your members and, and sort of that real time value add as an association. But we were also able to begin to really tell our own story on our own terms and not allow social media and other groups to tell our story. So I think even more important than in many ways, just the professional development and navigating COD, it was kind of the dawn of us being able to tell and share the facts about Pax. And so by the time we reached episode 100 in November of 2022, we were actually recording live at our post-election conference down in Florida. David, you were there with us. It was so fun. What had changed between episode one and episode 100, do you think?- Well, simultaneously everything and nothing, if that makes sense, right? The core mission was the same, right? We wanna serve the PAC community, we wanna share knowledge, we wanna bring people together. But the scope had expanded so much. What had started as a conversation about crisis communications now included elections, legal updates, best practices, academic research. We've talked about ai, cutting edge polling. And I think as we've expanded the depth and breadth of this show, that's why so many people are swiping right and the audience is growing.- That's exactly right. We've expanded so much and I mean, I think our reach now, you know, I think I saw Adam, we're in like 32 countries in like 185 cities. And you know, we actually have recruited members because they've heard about our podcast may not be part of the inside the Beltway group. We've even heard folks say, I can't believe that there is a podcast about pax. I'm geeking out over here as a campaign finance. You know, sort of nerd. We've heard it all over these 200 episodes, but, but let's go back to that 100th episode celebration to contrast where we were. Then.- I think one of the things I think about the hundredth episode, and I think about when this was launched and as a way to bring the community together, and I look at how our organization has grown since that time, I don't think that it's ironic or by accident that a hundredth episode. And we have had a hundred new members join NPAC since the pandemic. And I think it speaks to a way of how bringing people together, keeping the leading edge, and bringing thought leaders from across the wide spectrum of issues we need to deal with. And I think that just is a testament to it. So I look forward to the next 100.- It's part and parcel to something that this organization has been about from the beginning, which is hack management is a profession like any other profession, it's not a side duty, it's not other jobs as assigned. It's a profession. And in professions, you have academic study, you have professional development, you have top tier trade associations, and you have podcasts. This fits perfectly into that message that people make careers out of this. People build even more impressive next journeys. On top of this, it makes sense that we have this.- What I love about that clip is you can hear the energy. We were all together, again, poolside in Florida, celebrating not just the podcast, but what our community had accomplished. We had survived the crisis, we came out stronger. And by that time, McKayla David Shield was fully ensconced as a cornerstone of this show, helping us to broaden it with humor and insightful ideas about how NAB Ppac has grown. He's a past president. We grew because he joined our team.- That's very kind Adam. And you know, when I think about a hundred episodes in, there was this really impressive rhythm of bringing in diverse voices, right? And I'm not just talking about the hilarious foreign accents that I do. I mean, we had folks from all over the place. And one of the things that I always say is so great about Mpact is it really is the place for political involvement professionals to go for real substantive professional development. And how many episodes now could you sort of treat as a curriculum around expanding your career, your footprint at the office, your reputation? That's one of the major benefits of NAB Ppac. And I think this show has brought a lot of knowledge that people can then turn into career growth.- Yeah, I think David, those diverse voices, you know, everyone from academia, practitioners, legal experts, industry leaders, the podcast really has become this hub for that professional development in ways we, I don't think originally envisioned. So here we are at episode 200, and when I think about what's happened in these last 100 episodes since Florida, we've certainly continued to expand our reach and deepen our impact, bring the community together in more ways than we could have even imagined 200 episodes ago. But Adam, from your perspective, since you were there from the beginning, what, what has the podcast become?- Yeah, I really want to echo what David Shield has said. I think it's become a professional development backbone for our industry. People tell us they listen during their commutes while they're working out and during their downtime. And we meet people where they are, where they need us. And the topics have become more sophisticated as well than not, again, to David. But we're not just reacting to events, but we're anticipating trends. And I think, I believe helping people think strategically- And Adam, you know, we're part of a community now. When you are in person at NAB Ppac events, when you're at the management conference, when you're at the post-election conference, right? People are sparked by the conversations that they heard on the show, the experts that we are bringing into the conversation. And so it's really kind of thrilling to think that the dialogues that start here with so many of these great guests continue out into the real world.- And I think too, you know, we've maintained that core principle from episode one. We, we haven't lost sight of that North Star. We are here to serve our members. And that really has been our main mission from day one. Whether someone is brand new to PAC management or a 20 year veteran, whether they're dealing with a crisis or just trying to stay current on best practices, our goal is always to provide that actionable intelligence and genuine value.- One thing that's become clear over 200 episodes is how this podcast has elevated our entire profession. We've brought the academic research to practitioners, we've shared innovative approaches across organizations, and we've given people a platform to learn from each other's experiences. David, we've recreated npac on the radio.- Yeah, absolutely. And one of the things that we say on this show all the time that I think this show is sort of a auditory testament to is that this is a profession, this is a career field. And so when you tune in and you know, when you download, when you listen and endorse what we're saying here, I think it really, it furthers this important statement that NAB Ppac really has led with, which is this is a profession, it's a key part of the current political process, especially in the business community. And if you want to be best in class at your job, this is another piece of content that will help you get there.- Yeah, David, I think not only is that something that we've talked about since the beginning of this podcast, but I will tell you in the 30 years that I've been working in this space is something we've been talking about. This is an incredibly important job and it is a full-time professional role within organizations. I say that PAC managers are the air traffic controllers in many respects, both internally and externally. They are, in my view, the face of government relations. And so it's important that we continue to provide this level of programming and content for them to continue to evolve in their roles and as leaders in their organizations. The podcast has been one way to do that. And really bringing all of this credible information and thoughtful analysis to our community has been, my honor, I know it's probably been yours as well.- Yeah, and quite honestly, we have to thank Mikayla, our NPAC leadership past and present for taking the risk on this project. They didn't know where it would lead, but they gave us a lot of energy and backing and support, and I'm very grateful to them.- Well, and Adam just hats off to our podcaster in chief McKayla, it is a lot of work to run the association as well as she does to also go to Capitol Hill and represent the business community. And honestly, to show up and have to stare at you and I for 30 minutes each week, I mean, that's its own special. I assume there's a special contract addendum for that sacrifice. But no, this has been just so forward thinking for an association that continues to grow and evolve. And I really think it's to the credit of NAB Pak and Mikayla.- Well, I appreciate that, but I, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge both of you who bring incredible insight thought and bring the humor as well. It's always fun to be with you guys each week. I don't know that anyone, unless they've really ever been a part of a podcast, like we have really, truly know how much work goes into producing and pulling off a podcast. And so I want to thank both of you, especially Adam, for all of your work in creating, you know, from the content and ideas and David helping with that as well, but also the technical, you know, just the editing and getting this out the door. I mean, I kind of just on the back of the envelope was thinking, gosh, probably thousands of man hours over these last six years have gone into producing this podcast. And Adam, you make it look so easy and effortless. And so I just really wanna thank both of you for being my incredible partners on this journey. And Adam, you made a really important point. I mean, not only our listeners and our guests for agreeing to come on, especially in those early days, I'm sure there was a lot of trepidation, but the fact that our leadership prioritized this, not only from our man hours and just the amount of time it takes to do something like this, but also from a budgetary perspective, this was part of our strategic planning over the last two years. Again, we're in the middle of that finalizing our strategic plan for the next three to five years, and this has really become a cornerstone of who we are as an organization. So I can't thank you both enough for all that you've done to put this together and make it such a great effort and show- And kudos to the member companies and the individual professionals who have shared their stories, who have been generous with their time and their talent, talking about their challenges, candidly talking enthusiastically about their innovations. I think they're the real stars of this show, and I'm really excited for what the next hundred episodes are gonna bring on that front.- And I want to thank everybody listening to this podcast, this milestone episode. If you've been with us since the beginning, thank you for growing with us. And if you're new to the facts about pacs, welcome to our community.- Please be sure to subscribe, share with your colleagues, and let us know what topics you'd like to explore in the next 100 episodes.- So from all of us at NAB Ppac and the facts about PAC's podcast, thank you for 200 episodes of support, engagement, and professional growth. Pierce to the next 200.