96: Skippy Mesirow on Healing Our Politics, filming in Laos, love for Aspen, importance of self-awareness

People are the Answer

In this episode, Skippy and Jeffrey discuss his upbringing, working in the Obama campaign and other political endeavors, his time filming a travel show in Laos, his love for Aspen and the effort he’s put toward that, the importance of self-awareness and vulnerability.

Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/yLq9212ki2w

Learn more:

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 8/6/24

Skippy Mesirow:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/skippymesirow/

https://www.instagram.com/skippymesirow/

https://www.facebook.com/skippymesirow

Business:

https://www.instagram.com/electedleaderscollective/

Podcast - https://www.healingourpolitics.com/

Gone Gonzo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbyNgfPUJTM

www.electedleaderscollective.com

https://aspen.skyrun.com/

https://www.healingourpolitics.com/#newsletter

Bio:

Skippy Mesirow is a public to his core. He is the Founder of the Elected Leaders Collective, a Natural Medicine Advisory Board member, and a former Aspen City Councilperson. His life's mission is to heal our politics.

In 2007 Skippy rose from unpaid intern to Deputy Director of home state and a 5-state region for Obama for America 08'. At 23, he ran a state-wide race as Campaign Manager for Jesse White 2010. Turned off by the toxicity of politics in Chicago, Skippy left a promising career and traveled the world, often solo with a backpack and a motorcycle. His perspective began to expand.

Working on an ill-fated start-up, he moved back to his favorite place on Earth, Aspen, CO., where he had previously lived as a competitive skier and collegiate national champion. Here he began to do "the work," diving deeply into his soul, connecting and healing and re-contextualized years of childhood trauma and their resulting expression.

As he did, he re-engaged politically. He co-founded and Chaired Aspen NextGen to give youth a voice. He organized a successful ballot initiative to change Aspen's election day, resulting in the highest-ever voter turnout by 26%. He Chaired the APCHA housing board and the P&Z Comission, going on to serve four years on Aspen’s City Council from 2019-2023.

In his term, Aspen established a net-zero-waste goal and passed a housing strategic plan. Skippy advocated for innovation to improve government function, citizen involvement, and voter turnout and t psychedelic reform. He serves on the Aspen Psychedelic Resource Center board.

During his service, he observed incredible heart-centered leaders try to make change, only to drop out as they faced public hate, misinformation, conflict, and the resulting stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and other mental health challenges of our toxic culture.

Integrating his mental-health journey, he founded the Elected Leaders Collective to "heal our politics." The ELC works with elected officials and public servants to reduce mental health challenges, increase performance, and connect with other heart-centered leaders.

ELC's coaching addresses all five parts of the human experience – mind, body, emotion, unconscious, and spirit. Leaders cultivate awareness, remove internal blocks, and achieve aligned external action to reach their highest self in life and leadership.

Skippy lives with his partner Jamie in Aspen. They travel as much as possible, still on two wheels, to unconventional places. Skippy is an ultra-marathoner, burner, skier, biker, driver, & cook w/"Citizen" tattooed on his right arm.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

2:44 - Healing Our Politics Podcast

11:00 - What Motivates You?

17:32 - Where Did You Grow Up?

25:29 - What Drew You to Colorado?

33:44 - Growth at an Impressionable Age

35:47 - Electric Vehicle Start Up

38:02 - Gone Gonzo

45:29 - Political Origin

51:49 - Healing in Politics

1:04:28 - Public Service

1:14:08 - When Work Affected Change

1:19:49 - Ask Jeff a Question

1:22:52 - Most Grateful for

1:24:15 - Snap Your Fingers

1:27:43 - How to Support