Tips From The Trail
By Women's Public Leadership Network
Categories: Education, How To, News, Politics
Women's Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is excited to launch our 2025 podcast featuring Founder & President Larissa Martinez. This program will walk you through how to get started in public leadership, break down the components of a campaign, and inspire you on your leadership journey. As Founder & President at WPLN, Larissa uses her two decades of experience as a political strategist to help women across the country get involved in politics and be effective leaders. Larissa has worked on campaigns at every level and is the co-author of the children's book, "My Mommy Is a Candidate."
22 episodes indexed on podsearch.
Recent episodes
- Your Background Is Needed in Office: Leadership Lessons with Julie Stokes
How can your professional experience prepare you for public service—and how can you continue making an impact beyond elected office? In this episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with Julie Stokes, former Louisiana state representative and founder of…
- SPECIAL ELECTION EPISODE: Balancing Priorities on the Trail with Congresswoman Kat Cammack
How do you balance the demands of public office, campaigning, family, and everything in between?In this episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with Congresswoman Kat Cammack, who represents Florida's Third Congressional District, to discuss the…
- REPLAY: Building the Dream Team with Sandra Benitez
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Tips From The Trail is revisiting a conversation with Sandra Benitez, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, about what it takes to build and lead a strong campaign team. WPLN is taking a brief break from our regularly scheduled episodes as we coordinate…
- WPLN Summit 2026 Special Episode: How Grassroots Campaigning Can Beat the Odds with Kentucky Rep. Vanessa Grossl
What does it take to win a competitive campaign when your opponent raises three times as much money and earns nearly every endorsement? In this episode of Tips From The Trail, recorded at WPLN's 2026 National Summit in Philadelphia, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with…
- WPLN Summit 2026 Special Episode: Powering Possibility with Iowa State Senate President Amy Sinclair
What happens when you say yes to an opportunity you never expected? In this special live episode of Tips From The Trail, recorded at WPLN's 2026 National Summit in Philadelphia, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair to discuss her unexpected…
- WPLN Summit 2026 Special Episode: State of American Women in Public Leadership with Debbie Walsh and Amanda Iovino
What is the state of women's representation in America today—and what will it take to bring more women into public leadership? In this special episode of Tips From The Trail, we share the opening session of WPLN's 2026 National Summit in Philadelphia, where WPLN Founder and President Larissa…
- Moms on the Trail: Motherhood, Military Service, and Running for Office with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans
What does it take to bring real-world experience, military service, motherhood, and public service together? In this special Mother's Day episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans to discuss her path from Navy helicopter…
- Moms on the Trail: Navigating Running for Office and Raising Children with Rose Pugliese
What does it look like to balance motherhood and public service? In this episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder and President Larissa Martinez sits down with former Colorado House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese for a candid conversation about raising children while serving in elected office…
- Women's History Month: Why Women's Voices Matter In Local Politics with Amber Benzon
"People can't achieve what they can't see." In this episode of Tips from the Trail, Larissa Martinez sits down with Amber Benzon, President and Founder of Level Up, to celebrate Women's History Month with a powerful conversation about why women's voices matter in politics — and what it takes to…
- Running for Local Office: Advice For First-Time Candidates with Council Member Mary Nan Huffman
How do you balance family life with running for office? In this episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder & President Larissa Martinez is joined by guest co-host Sara Marie Ridley, Growth Strategist at Numinar, to discuss tips and tricks for running for local office with Houston City Council…
- Why I Ran for Office (And Why You Should Too!) with Montana Representative Courtenay Sprunger
What does it take to turn big ideas into real legislative change? In the Season 2 premiere of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder Larissa Martinez talks with Montana State Representative Courtenay Sprunger about the mental discipline required to take risks, the power of saying "yes" to leadership…
- How to Navigate Campaign Loss and Run for Re-election: Lessons from Georgia Rep. Soo Hong
What do you do after losing an election? In this episode of Tips From The Trail, WPLN Founder Larissa Martinez talks with Georgia State Representative Soo Hong about how she turned loss into victory. Soo shares her experience losing her first race, the lessons she learned from disappointment, and…
- Getting to Election Day: Insider Insights From Betsy Ankney on Campaign Management
What does it take to manage campaigns in the final stretch to Election Day and how can women candidates navigate the unique challenges they face on the trail? In this episode of Tips from the Trail, Larissa Martinez sits down with Betsy Ankney, a seasoned campaign strategist who has worked at one…
- Protect Your Campaign: Michael Kaiser on Digital Security for Women Running for Office
What cyber threats will you actually face as a candidate, and how can you protect your campaign without breaking the bank? In this episode of Tips from the Trail, Larissa Martinez sits down with Michael Kaiser, President & CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns, to break down practical cybersecurity…
- Building the Dream Team: Sandra Benitez on Campaign Leadership
How do you build a winning team as a woman running for office? In this episode of Tips from the Trail, Larissa Martinez talks with Sandra Benitez from the LIBRE Initiative about what it takes to assemble a strong campaign team. Sandra shares insights on including diverse voices, leading with…
- Fundraising for Campaigns: Danielle Bradley on Building a Winning Strategy
How do you raise the money you need to win your first campaign—without burning out or burning bridges? In this episode of Tips from the Trail, WPLN Founder & President Larissa Martinez sits down with political strategist Danielle Bradley to break down the fundamentals of campaign fundraising. With…
- How to Build Your Brand: June Cutter on Visibility, Messaging, and Fundraising
Hosted by WPLN Founder & President Larissa Martinez, Tips From The Trail explores the path to political office, from the decision to run, to election day. This program features women leaders who are working in or around politics or have run for office, revealing their best tips and tricks for…
- Building a Support System for Women in Leadership: Advice for Families and Partners from WPLN Board Chair, Joel Noyes
This month, Larissa is joined by Joel Noyes, Chair of WPLN's Board of Directors. In this latest installment, Joel and Larissa share practical advice for preparing support systems for public leadership challenges and shed light on how families, partners, and friends can better understand and…
- Balancing Motherhood and Public Office: Jennifer Nassour on Running for City Council
Join us for a special "Mother's Day" episode with Jennifer Nassour on running for City Council and motherhood. We delve into her experiences both on the campaign trail and off, the role of her support system during the journey, and her advice for other women considering taking that next step.
- Finding Your Why: Maralyn Beck on Purpose-Driven Leadership
What drives you to lead? Larissa Martinez sits down with Maralyn Beck, founder of the New Mexico Child First Network, to explore how a strong sense of purpose is the foundation for effective leadership. Maralyn shares her personal journey and insights on overcoming hesitation, translating passion…
- Bridging the Confidence Gap: Valerie Dowling on Owning Expertise and Leading with Purpose
What is the Confidence Gap, and how does it affect women in leadership? Larissa Martinez (WPLN Founder & President) and Valerie Dowling (Vice Chair, WPLN Board of Directors) dive into why it's not only important to lead with competence, but also with confidence.
- Why Women Lead: Mimi Walters on Overcoming Fear and Running for Office
Ever wonder what it takes to run for office? In WPLN's debut podcast episode, Former U.S. Representative Mimi Walters shares her journey and path to political office, how she conquered her fears and and strategies for building consensus in elected office. Plus, get 10% off tickets to our 2025…
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