Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.
In episode 18, we interview Ashley All, M.S., president of the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense and executive director of the Kansas Common Sense Fund. Ashley is an experienced communication strategist and advocate, whose nonpartisan organizations focus on empowering Kansas voters through research-based messaging.
Previously, Ashley served as senior advisor at Families United for Freedom, director of communications for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, and communications director for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.
In this episode, she discusses the importance of building coalitions around shared values. She said it’s important to work with a diverse group of people, including those across the political spectrum.Her organization undertook an extensive research project to better understand what values are most important to Kansans. That research has been extremely beneficial in her work, she said.
“A lot of the issues that we deal with really do have a through line in values — whether it’s family or faith or accountability,” Ashley said. “And so better understanding those shared values first, and then using those shared values as a foundation in our messaging is much more effective — even if you’re dealing with something that is complicated or polarizing.”
She said though times are challenging right now, she encourages people to step back from social media and engage with their communities and neighbors in real life — including those who hold different political views.
“I think you’ll find that the vast majority of people, you have a lot more in common than you think,” she said. “And having those conversations is really the first step in healing those wounds that we’ve kind of created over the last few years.”In this episode, she also discusses:
- Her journey into communications
- Her experience working on multiple campaigns and in government service
- The importance of sharing stories and how it can influence conversations on policies
- Her experience working on communications for women’s health and reproductive rights in Kansas
- Lessons she’s learned along the way
- Why she founded the Kansas Common Sense Fund
- Communications challenges in the current political environment
- Efforts with the Health Fund to convey how proposed Medicaid cuts would hurt local communities
And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Ashley is an innovative leader in communications.
Listen now
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