Hi Friends!
Welcome to the inaugural The Victory of Running post. For those who know me in person, yes, I run, and this title plays off that love. However, I also enjoy pontificating about running for office and all the micro steps and strides it takes to become civically engaged and potentially run for office. With that in mind, The Victory of Running will be the virtual hub to celebrate micro civic strides and their collective impact. Over the coming months, this space will expand to include Coffee and Campaign interviews, a weekly email, and virtual and in-person events, workshops, and trainings.
This idea is borne out of the dynamic, compassionate, creative, resourceful, diverse, and multi-generational network that has consistently supported and sometimes nudged me outside my comfort zone. They have been the backbone of taking on new civic pursuits, such as launching this website. I am grateful to everyone who has been part of that path and thankful for their unconditional support. With that in mind, I wanted to create a similar virtual space that passes on all I have learned, what we can learn from each other, and create an even greater network of support and sharing.
Let’s get started. Civic participation, running for office, and all the things in between are acts of building relationships, connecting with people, and creating community. But how do we build community? It looks different for everyone, but for me, one way I hope I do that is by meeting new people and connecting people who don’t already know each other.
A few years ago, during a campaign manager training course I developed and taught, I met Patrice Jean-Philippe. Patrice is a thoughtful strategist and project manager, baker, and mom. We instantly connected because she saw a future campaign as a space that would benefit from her leadership. In the spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to meet Missy Moreno at Stretch Lab while trying to care for my lovingly tight calves. We instantly connected through fitness and her work as a business coach and spiritual healer. I left that stretch wondering how to take the next step in becoming friends. Fast forward to this last summer, when it became clear that Patrice and Missy would enjoy getting to know each other.
But how can we do that? They live 30 minutes apart, have very different schedules – a coffee date would not work. Patrice is an excellent baker who makes show-stopping cakes and cupcakes. Missy, a recent Rhode Islander, is interested in meeting people. And it hit me, let’s foster our relationship with each other through the creation of an event. With the help of virtual meetings, we developed Mindful Connections – Meet with Purpose… Grow with Intention. If you’re local to Rhode Island, of course, I would love to see you there, but I wanted to share this story because it is something others might want to try.
We can gather people who don’t already know each other to meet and connect. And from that the spiderweb will grow, and who knows what might be next. Whether you are civically curious or a pro, consider planning a heart-centered gathering and see what transpires. Stay tuned for feedback and musings after our first event.