00:00:13We also talked about the similarities between local business marketing and political marketing. Oh, and schitt's Creek and pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, Parks and Recreation. It's super fun. There's a little bit of swearing all that and more here. I will conquer business.

00:01:34Again, that's just mcfarland.com free.

00:01:57In 2011, Elizabeth drink the Kool-Aid of Entrepreneurship and started yellow dog Consulting, a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on the small business owner. Yellow. Consulting is designed to help growing businesses set up the foundation and building blocks of their marketing and sales efforts.

00:03:15Election. And then after the election happened, I knew that I couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore and I had to do something. So I got involved in my city. I live in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, some lovely city. I love a lot and we have a Civic Leadership Academy program that I knew I didn't need to do something in the city and get more involved. Involved and local politics for the place to start with that. But I didn't know how when I saw this Leadership Academy, I signed up for that. I was accepted and the rest is history. As they say is history is a lot. So I join the class to six-week program and I got to meet some really incredible people who was decided. She wanted to run for city council and we hit it off just as friends and she noticed that I might be a little of OCD and just a few qualities that

00:04:57Play castle. Awesome. And your kind of burying to leave here cuz beach one Hillsboro politics at the same time as we emerge Oregon right now. So I beat you in the class of 2018 and she said, you know, if you think you want to run for politics emerges, the best training ground, there is for women who want a progressive women who want to run. So I applied, I was accepted and after the 2018 election, which was a lot of work, you know, we had the governor's race. We had City council's. We had State reps, are our US Representative for re-election, state, senators, state representative.

00:06:30Totally. And I know that you're a fan of the show Parks and Rec which actually predates the 2016 election and since 2016, you've been involved in local politics. So, for those of us who are fans of Leslie, Knope, how close do you think that show is sometimes to what actually goes on in local politics?

00:07:52My Randy just campaign for a year and got involved with some different projects with the city. I joined the chamber here locally. I know ya never a dull moment. Never never never, never ever. And then I was just appointed to the library board in the spring and I know how ironic it is for the biggest parks and recs and enjoying the library board. Believe me. It is not lost on me, but the parks and rec meetings are at in Hillsboro at 7 a.m. And 6 p.m. So it was sort of an easier decision but the library board asked me. Yeah, so so it really is a lot like that, that people are working together that it Scrappy and it takes, it takes a village. It takes a lot of people, a lot of volunteers of

00:09:10That is so true. And it explained, when I said, I only started watching Parks and Rec recently. I mean, you know, that, and it's because I worked in local government for 10 years, and I started off as Leslie Knope. And by the time, the show came out, I was starting to be like, I'm not sure that I'm just into it. I'm not sure that this is a good fit for me and a colleague of mine. Who when I got my Master's in public administration came and worked for me for a while and she's like you are totally Leslie Knope achieve achieve, achieve achieve achieve and you know, what kind of all of this and I was it was totally lost on me. And then when I met you I would I would download you're opted-in about like follow-ups and things like that and it was always about Missoni and I'm going to have no idea where Eagleton and Pawnee is, what is she talking about? You know, so then I watch the first episode and I think I texted you and I was like, okay, now you're stuff makes sense. When I would be just me to run her campaign. I had made a park.

00:11:10Overblown, some of that stuff is what, actually happens at a public meeting. I was at a 6-hour school board meeting last night. I don't have kids.

00:12:21One of the things that makes me so infuriated as a former government employee and married to a state employee, your crass. Right? Does this way of thinking that we don't work hard at, we don't do anything that we don't provide any value and the Ronald Reagan, government is the problem attitude. It just permeates and it actually I think hurts our civil society and hurts getting stuff done. How do you feel about that? Absolutely and I will stay in my very limited experience that I have found a lot more Leslie. Knope's that's Ron Swanson.

00:14:12Bored to brilliant. Brilliant, but it's all about like, re-evaluating your relationship with technology. So, just how often are you picking up your phone? Why are you picking up your phone? Why aren't you paying attention to your kids or your spouse was really great. And so, they did to music meditation classes where they have a gentleman here and there are yet to Ellis, and he would come and teach them breathing techniques and then play music for an hour and it was just wonderful. And the first one was at the Civic Center and the second one was down the street at the art and culture center, and it was great to see how many employees were taking their lunch break to come down, and listen to music and meditate ends and support a library activities activities, right? It was taking place during the day and it's amazing. How often you see.

00:15:56Totally so tired. So I learned the hard way that when you end up the last person in a room with the chamber, executive director, chairing a committee with yeah. Oh, yeah, it's great. Never get left alone with her to do, but I ended up co-chairing this Hillsborough down town together project which was about bringing the chamber, the city and the downtown partnership together as we realize like all three of these organizations are on the same Highway going the same way, but we're doing a great job with one another. And so we really step back to look at what what do the business owners need. What is the city needs to be? No, and then who's helping with those things we talked about and what are their concerns? We've met with them. We've surveyed them to be like, where where are their challenges where their frustrations and then?

00:17:50Outback in. So maybe a little more frequent how big an impact, it's having on them day-to-day and so was some small changes. What can we do to help? You never does this, or they never do that. Or what's the point of this organization when it's not their job. That's not what they were designed for somebody over here and help you. I think that's great because one of them is it really positions you? Well, is that your small business owner? So you understand things like when poor communication can really mess everything up for, you understand it. When you change one small thing, it can have such a ripple effect on your business because you've been a business owner for several years and you work in marketing. So can you kind of talk a little bit about your Consulting that you do and then how you've bridge that work into Paula?

00:19:30But where, where are these people hanging out? Where do you need to be networking? Who sending you business? Who is your target market? And then, how are you communicating them at communicating with them? Are you communicating with them on a regular basis? Where are you interacting with them on social media? I'm the marketing consultants to join Facebook. That has not been an issue in my business. It was a much bigger challenge in campaign land, where all the voters are on Facebook. And your campaign manager has joined Facebook, a few fights healthy discussions over stopped. And so it is to figure out what it is, by the way, because I'm still on Facebook. I can try, but I will still win. So,

00:21:25You know, how it goes. So one thing I made sure we did with the campaign was a monthly newsletter update and the, I know we're all. I'm already tired of all the presidential emails and I like mayor, Pete and Kamala Harris or sending me between 5 and 10 emails a day. It feels like right now, but, but you do need to communicate with your network, right? So not to that extreme, you're not running for president. But you do as a city councilor or a school board candidate or even a State Rep. Want to make sure you have a monthly update appears. It's happening on the Trail of Tears were hanging out who I'm meeting at. Here's where you going to find me the next month. And here's what I need. I need your money and you just did a lawn sign in your yard, and I need you to come canvas for me, right? For the month.

00:22:37Oh, yeah. I know you've you've you've proven that that point many times over and in fact, had a great had a great often. I don't know if that's still up on your side or not about following you. If it's a very similar model, actually, I think, at least the last time I talked to you yet to what you're helping small business owners, understand. It's like you have a list, you need to email them. And so many people. I wonder if you run into the same thing with candidates that I often run into with businesses and I think you do as well, which is like, they're collecting emails and then they're scared to email the list.

00:23:52And so are 240 or whatever such a great idea. Right? But it's a regular basis and buy your opponent. You can do that. One of my friends who ran for school board, this last spring. She had raised like three or four thousand dollars like a decent amount for a School Board Race. Totally healthy is gentleman jumps into the race at the end of the race, he would run and lost before he spent.

00:24:55Want to say $8,000 and catch a bat.

00:25:41Is that it's unsubscribe is what that is. Absolutely. Same thing. I will tell people sign me up for your list. I want to see what you're talking about. But if I don't hear from you for six months and then you're pitching me, something by Felicia. I will not have it. So I know about if you haven't watched it, just Google that and you're welcome. It's for women. I think we all know what Summer's Eve is and I'll put a link in the show notes. Get myself a positive or negative on a regular basis with your audience is why the thing that I talked to my clients about the month, most is how what can you be sharing with your network on a regular basis? So when they're ready to buy,

00:27:05Exactly. Yeah, I mean, when I help small businesses, and I'm sure you do the same thing cuz we worked together for a while to it's about, you know, making sure the people know that you're involved in the community. And what about your personality? Like, when people say that, they don't know what to say in a newsletter, makes me a little crazy cuz there's always something going on right now. And you can even just talk about like things that you seen around town.

00:28:22So do you work with like in in the political with a political candidate? Is it kind of like?

00:28:41Not usually, and I don't have it. You know, I haven't been doing this for a inexpensive Lee long. Of time, but, you know, it really is. You finish the campaign. You spank, your donors are Canada. Geese to write a crap ton of. Thank you notes. You was a campaign manager, can't do that. They need to be handwritten from the candidate from the official spending those. Thank you notes, making sure that thing wrapped up in like, how do you close down a campaign but also save stuff so that you can restart it for the re-election. So, saving your list, not deleting things, don't shut down that free MailChimp account and you can spend additional updates. It's been interesting to watch from that election candidate. Other elected officials who now will occasionally reach out to their group. I to their list in support of another candidate, so we had the Tualatin Hills parks and rec district, which is run. It doesn't include, Hillsboro, Hillsboro.

00:30:22I love it. I love it. When you doing all this, and you're still helping small businesses to write. It's yellow dog Consulting. Also by day. It's at helping candidates around the country with their marketing efforts. And, you know, helping getting people elected as I can. And then, you know, the chamber board and chamber projects and and the library board. And then that dogs like by day and by night, and Aunt, wee hours of the morning. Puppy station going on right now, I do. Yeah, we have a sad day. Is Cliff is 6 months old. We have Norm. Who was our four year old yellow Lab who is quietly sleeping and enjoying a day off from his brother. I know we have a 6 month, old chocolate lab Clash. We are very grateful.

00:32:06This is amazing watching you do this cuz it's just, I'm a bit of a control freak. I'm like, I always joke, I'm so organized. I married a CPA. But yeah, the puppy has been a very good healthy challenge for 16 year marriage. He's super fun. He's all the energy. He is starting to get closer to sleeping through the night. He sleeping longer, but he does love to come snuggle on the morning from his crate, but not having children was the right choice for us. And that maybe this is the only puppy will ever have in the future. Adopt older, dog, rescue older dogs, and that fix the Kinks like we did with my first one and Norm are current yellow dog.

00:33:37Don't yeah, right. Really good. Quality expensive. Dog. Food as usual Earnest. High quality.

00:34:50Is the new one. What is that? It is about a televangelist family ended.

00:35:15I grew up in a Christian home going to church every Sunday. I went to a Christian University, as you can tell from all the swearing but I know. Yeah, it's okay. And so, anyway, just growing up in that environment and then watching this, there is some serious PTSD and just like it. It's so great. It's just so, so great. I made my brother's watch it today. Thank you for noticing where, for those people who don't know, he's from. If you have not watched schitt's Creek through doing it, is it is to show you should watch after you finish Parks and Rec is schitt's Creek. That is the priority list.

00:36:31It's just so good. I love it. So yeah, we came to Portland in May. So we went to with some friends and Saw schitt's Creek live and the highlight of that was Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. Singing at a God loves a terrier from Best in Show, cast movies from the 90's that is fantastic. The pop culture if I am being honest.

00:37:11No Hands. Slightly know, it's there. So what's your favorite podcast? And you do not have to say this one. That's fine. But if you do that and right now, I really loved us with colds. It's a weird fun fact about me and a friend of mine for me on 21 called uncover about Nexium, which is this like sex cult out of New York that like some Hollywood actresses and actors got involved in and it we blew up a couple years ago. That was a crazy story. Yeah, and then yeah, I know. And then another one I know that righteous gemstones angle is one called preach from NPR and it's this gentleman. He's Mormon, which is interesting that to me. He's he interviewed people kind of like in the messiness of space.

00:38:55Colton religion. Those are my current favorite and then I always listening to the Daily. I'm really liking the newest. Crooked media. What a day podcast that just came out this week. It's 15 minutes and it's kind of like the top news stories in the state and local politics. That's a really great place to be paying attention to

00:39:44What do you want to listen to podcast and catch up on your reading? Yeah, I know. I listen to while I've been reading believe it or not. The place is the history of Pawnee.

00:40:59What time is so hard, even after 21 years of marriage? I never know what John's going to like a show or not. So late that we both like the show. I'm like, I'm all in your mind. I have the same issue. He was all in on righteous gemstone. Just an FYI. And he often is like, can we just watch Parks and Rec tonight? Because it's always sleep in our house. Yeah. I think it's fine. That makes you feel good and some episodes make you fall off the couch here. Laughing so hard.

00:42:02Turn off the money or the cab will sure how much you need. No.

00:42:20Do I deserve her? I deserve that level of of of laughter in this lifetime. Yes, I do.

00:43:25Thank you so much for being on the show.