191: Women in Politics and the Public Sphere with Rep. Anna Eskamani [Use Your Voice Series]

I’m excited to have on the show today Anna Eskamani, who is my state representative in the Orlando, Florida, area where I live.

Anna is young, outspoken, and tireless in the work she does for her constituents and for Floridians in general.

I invited her on to have a conversation about what it’s like to run for office as a woman, how she found her voice, how she deals with negative and vocal opponents, and the importance of supporting progressive women running for local offices.

I have a background in politics myself, having served as chairperson of my county’s Democratic Party in 2005-2006. I also founded a technology company called DemsLink that was one of the first in the nation to provide a complete set of online tools for Democratic candidates and organizations.

And since 2005, I’ve been providing political analysis on TV news.

I’ll be back on TV for another Election Night this November 3, this time via Zoom instead of in the news studio.

I recorded the intro to this episode a day after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at 87 years old, now leaving a vacant Supreme Court seat less than 2 months before the election that Senate Republicans, in all of their hypocritical glory, are going to try to ram through and fill.

Just as RBG worked her entire career to expand equality and rights to more people, we have to take up her mantle, which I address in the intro.

In our conversation, Anna and I talk about:

• What it's been like to run for office as a woman
• How Anna found her voice
• How Anna deals with negative and vocal opponents
• Lessons she’s learned for other women interested in running
• The importance of supporting progressive women running for local offices
• What kind of support we can give

This episode is part of our podcast series called Use Your Voice.

About My Guest: Born and raised in Orlando, Representative Anna V. Eskamani is the daughter of working-class immigrants who has a proven track record in building consensus while fighting unapologetically for progressive values. Anna previously served as the Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and is a PhD student studying Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida. On November 6, 2018 Anna was elected to serve the great people of House District 47 with a vote margin of 57% to 43%, flipping a legislative seat, and becoming the first Iranian-American elected to any public office in Florida. During her first two legislative sessions, Anna fought hard to increase funding for arts and culture, pushed back against anti-LGBTQ legislation, voted to preserve the environment 100% of the time, and to increase access to healthcare. Tough, authentic and unafraid, Anna has been recognized across the state and nation for her tireless work during the COVID-19 outbreak. She continues to call on the state demanding more testing, immediate benefits for the hundreds of thousands struggling to receive unemployment, and for equitable small business relief. Heading into her November re-election bid, she continues to build collective power and advocate in support of Florida’s hardworking families.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/191

Anna’s website: https://annaforflorida.com/

Connect with Anna on Instagram and Twitter.

Register for our one-of-a-kind live virtual summit “Brave. Bold. Beyond.” on October 15: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/summit/ or text SPEAKING to 33-777.

Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Rep. Anna Eskamani (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaveskamani/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power
• Episode 94: Speaking and Showing Up Powerfully as Women with Molly Baker McPherson
• Episode 141: Advocating for What You Want for Yourself and Others with Nicole Tisdale [Leadership Series]
• Episode 163: A Feminist Approach to Public Speaking with Carol Cox
• Episode 180: You Say You Want to be a Thought Leader: What That Really Means & How to Find Your Voice with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz [Finding Your Voice Series]

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