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A Day In The Life Of A CEO At Latina Advocates

Carol, CEO at Latina Advocates, describes the life of a lobbying firm CEO as deeply connected to the legislative calendar, with days ranging from intensely busy during legislative sessions - "waking up super early and getting home really late" to strategizing and proactively engaging with clients and legislators "in their districts or in their regions or areas" during the off-season to prepare for the next year's policy initiatives. The role also involves planning and identifying potential legislative authors to promote client ideas, showcasing a year-round commitment to advocacy.

Lobbying, Advocacy, Legislative Process, Policy Development, Leadership

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Carol Gonzalez

CEO

Latina Advocates

CSU Sacramento

​

Communications, Political Science, American Studies

Government & Public Sector

Consulting

HSI Grad, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student

Video Highlights

1. The role varies significantly depending on the legislative season, with periods of intense activity and periods allowing for more relaxed engagement.

2. Activities include direct lobbying, client support in their districts, and strategic planning for future legislative sessions.

3. A key aspect is proactively developing policy ideas and packaging them in a way that attracts legislative support.

Transcript

What does a day in the life of a CEO of a lobbying firm look like?

A lot of this relates to a question I answered before. It really depends on the legislative season. There are times when I'm very busy, waking up super early and getting home late.

Other times, I can take my time with coffee and have more one-on-one interactions with legislative staff or the people I work with. So, I think it really depends.

For example, during the legislative season, if I have a lobby day, I'm up early, prepared with folders for clients and people who will be advocating in the building. I plan out lunches and dinners, and figure out where we're going for receptions afterward.

When we're not in the legislative season, I'm figuring out what my clients can be doing in their districts or regions. Just last week, I was in Los Angeles with a client for a policy roundtable. We invited legislative staff and members to discuss specific topics our clients cared about.

This was during the off-season, as we're in a summer recess. It can look very different based on the calendar. Sometimes, later in the year, when people think things are calmer, we're actually planning and preparing for the next year.

We consider what policies we need to think about now, who could be potential authors for our ideas, and how to polish and package them so a legislator will want to take them on. You've kind of done all the work beforehand.

I think the year is always busy, but there are times when it's a lot busier than others. As lobbyists, we live by that calendar.

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