Heh friends!
Hello from the St. Louis airport and happy Summer Solstice!
I’ve been at a conference all week, and by happy accident, my first night in town, I came across the Pagan Wine Bar. They have a drink called The Druid, how great is that? Made with Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice Gin. Since technically Midsummer is not until June 24, there’s still time to mix up a pitcher and celebrate these long, wonderful summer days. That is, if my now-delayed flight ever gets me home to the Jet City…
Today is the last day of the Women in Government legislative conference, and it’s been a powerful one. The timing of this conference, less than a week after the killing of a Minnesota legislator, hit home for everyone. It was pretty humbling, to be honest, and I got a little sentimental in writing a blog about it for the Chronic Disease Coalition. It was also so important and powerful to acknowledge the grief, determination and celebration of Juneteenth, and I was glad to do it with these powerful, passionate women.
Let’s stay with Chronic Disease Coalition news for a second, since that’s the hat on my head at the moment.
- “Patients First, Progress Together” is the theme of this year’s chronic disease awareness month. We’re here to shine a light on how far medicine and health care policy have progressed in just a couple of generations. Diseases that once killed us are survivable. Diseases that once cause disabilities are now invisible. Diagnostics are better. Treatments are better. Millions now have health insurance and are healthy enough to actively care for their families and communities. Life is better, and that’s progress worth celebrating.
🏎️Driving-Is-Life: The car goes where your eyes go. If there’s a barrier in the road, don’t fixate on it—look for the open space and keep your eyes focused there. The car goes where your eyes go. We’re going to stay focused on protecting progress and moving forward.
- Inspiring patients. The CDC has more volunteers than ever, and I get to talk to each Incoming patient ambassador. How else to experience one-on-one conversations with all ages, backgrounds, education levels and regions? These are incredibly interesting people who learned to advocate the hard way: in doctor’s offices. If you can demand better healthcare while wearing nothing but a paper gown, meetings with legislator are easy. We have a lot of new advocates who are young—high school and college age, managing complex rare and congenital diseases. They’re also living lives much bigger than their disease.
- Great team. Colleagues are everything! We have a great team and mix of skills. Brian Ross Adams is my partner in all things social media and strategy, Amy Steinmann has pulled my sticky fingers off the communication work and is slaying it, and Hillary Vrba has an association mind and is our trusted patient moderator. And of course we’re still working with Erin and Marty at Twisted Scholar! Any chance I get. 😉
All that, and it’s only half my work life! I probably need to make more time for Wednesday afternoon Mariners games. But still- there’s so much interesting work to do, sometimes I simply cannot say no.
I’m an educated woman! Just last week, I finished my Certificate for Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. I was worried about the time investment, but it was incredibly reasonable and paid off with great learning, connections to teachers, and really wonderful classmates. They were the nicest group of people, all working to make their corner of the world a little bit better.
Good comms + good management = mission progress. The UW certificate was important to me as the Coalition’s ED, but it’s also improving how I serve communication clients. Communications is how information flows inside and outside an organization, and the movement of information is essential for operational success. I have a couple of projects where I’m helping nonprofits and local government clients to better integrate comms and ops, and it is fascinating work.
Speed round of Sunshiny things:
- My daughter Maisy earned her Girl Scout Gold Award this summer and gave a great speech at the award ceremony. I know, I know! I’m biased—but give yourself 5 minutes to watch a passionate advocate for girls and women and tell me I’m wrong. AND if that wasn’t enough, she won first AND third for collegiate editorial writing from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Majoring in economics and political science, she’s hustling a good old-fashioned summer job, but let us know if you’ve got ideas about volunteer and campaign opportunities.
- I had so much fun in Chelan with the Washington State Medical Association! Our conversation went deep on what it takes to grab- and hold- a legislator’s attention. Thank you for the opportunity! I really love spending time with WSMA members, it’s so illuminating.
- No more new year’s resolutions– only bingo! Follow my Insta for benign sunshine pictures and inconsequential, yet satisfying, accomplishments.
- Sunshine Communications bought an e-bike! Check out how cute it is! I had the best time riding to Pioneer Square, on a warm spring night, free as a kid. Also, I can ride to most of my client’s offices and will be a lot better use than a car when the earthquake happens! So fun!
🌞 What’s the throughline? Go one-on-one! All my projects are in different fields—health care, local government, utilities, economic development— but there is a throughline. We have got to prioritize people-to-people connections.
It’s time for everyone to get away from the soul-sucking algorithms and the sycophantic AI robots. Patients should meet with legislators. Legislators should meet with constituents. Everyone should see live music, walk around a new part of town, go to a real baseball game. Look someone new in the eye, maybe! (Or work up to that, Seattle! I know you can do it!)
Being face-to-face won’t solve every problem, of course, but when we solve problems, it will be because we spent time together.
With love, joy and gratitude,
Mary Kay
