As a Naval Aviator and through successful campaign management, Zan knows a little something about campaign management!
Our guest this week is Zan Campbell of South Carolina. Zan and I recently got connected because he’s currently managing a State Senate Special election campaign for James Galyean, a good friend of mine.
Zan Campbell is a born and raised native of Columbia, SC. Like myself, Zan got his start in politics early, volunteering for his first campaigns at 10 years old. In high school, he competed nationally in speech and debate and followed that by attending the University of South Carolina.
During College, Zan entered Naval ROTC and started on his track to be a naval aviator. Through that time his political involvement continued. Following graduation, he was commissioned as a Naval Officer and spent three and a half years flying for the Navy.
Post-Navy, Zan’s life has revolved around his lifelong love for politics and film. When he’s not managing political campaigns, Zan is running Fell and Fair Productions, where he produces independent films, writes and does costume design.
Through several successful campaigns, Zan has proven to be a rising star in the Palmetto state and is finding new ways to serve his country out of uniform.
Links from the Podcast:
Connect with Zan on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or via his website!
Important Time Stamps and Descriptions:
[00:00] Intro
[00:26] Zan Campbell Bio
[01:59] Tell us more about your political background and military service
[04:02] How you first get involved with LG Bryant and his Senate campaigns?
[05:24] Zan’s evolution from volunteer to Campaign Manager
[07:11] The importance of knowing your district like the back of your hand
[13:04] Why it’s critical that a candidate completely trust their Campaign Manager…and how to build that trust
[17:07] Loyalty, Enthusiasm and Work Ethic on campaigns
[23:44] Taking care of your volunteers
[24:49] Finding the balance between frontline and management tasks when you’re in a leadership position
[25:57] Don’t burn-out the next generation of volunteers and campaign staff!
[27:54] Helping train future campaign operatives
[32:37] What are some of the bigger challenges you’ve had to wrangle while managing campaigns?
[42:59] How to deal with increasing polarization of voters (Hint: Focus on GOTV!)
[46:43] How does that polarization impact your volunteer recruitment?
[50:33] Character still matters.
[54:36] Closing advice on getting involved in campaigns or as a candidate
[55:23] Final thoughts and outro!
