Erin Loos Cutraro is the Founder of She Should Run, a non-partisan nonprofit organization working to dramatically increase the number of women running for office, promoting leadership and encouraging women from all walks of life to run for public office. While women are elected at the same rate as men - when they run for office - they are less likely to see themselves in that role, which means they are seriously underrepresented. This conversation with Erin is eye-opening and inspiring, both from a civic duty perspective and from a business perspective, as she details the unique challenges and experiences the organization has faced over the last 11 years.
Where the conversation went:
- Curiosity, impatience, persistence: Erin shares how her entrepreneurial spirit was infused in her at a young age, from the women around her who were constantly figuring out ways forward, despite barriers.
- Erin walks us through her entry into politics and how the case for She Should Run builds as she navigates politics in her career: "it mattered who was in the room advocating for change" and it needed to include more than one type of candidate.
- She Should Run is filling the gap of identifying the women who previously would not see themselves as running for office and bringing them to the starting line of considering it.
- We talk about the challenges that She Should Run faces in getting women to see themselves in this role. First, imposter syndrome when they've been encouraged to run. And second, the core business challenge of targeting and learning about someone who's not even there yet. The person who doesn’t even have the possibility on their radar.
- We also talk about the fact that for women, signing up for politics can be a hard case to make, given the barriers and challenges faced - generally and right now.
- And what happens when you get what you want in your business, but for surprising and upsetting reasons? The moment after Trump gets elected and 1000s of women join the She Should Run community.
- The work is getting harder for She Should Run. How do you shift to respond to the very real demands and experiences that women and society are facing over the past two years.
- Erin leaves us with actions we can all take: Visit SheShouldRun.org and join their community, sign up for their newsletter. Programs are free of charge and noncommital. And support their cause through a donation.
- You can donate here: https://bit.ly/3MFg2f5
Links mentioned in this episode:
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