340: What a Social Good or ‘White Hat’ Lobbyist Does w/ Tom Sheridan, The Sheridan Group [Main T4C episode]

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Tom Sheridan is the founder and president of The Sheridan Group (TSG) which operates under the firm belief that the world will be a more livable place when the interests of the common good get the representation they deserve in the halls of government. Tom is described as a “powerbroker for those without a voice.” A social worker by training and an advocate by trade, Tom brings a unique perspective to his work as one of Washington’s most senior political and public policy strategists. Tom is known on Capitol Hill and in the West Wing for using his deep understanding of the political process and decades-long relationships with senior Members of Congress and top Administration officials to help organizations achieve scalable, positive social change. In 1991, Tom founded The Sheridan Group where he and his team work to craft effective strategies for socially responsible public policy initiatives to “help the good do better.” Over the years, The Sheridan Group has become the go-to firm in the nation’s capital for grassroots advocacy, issue campaign management and coalition-building for non-profit organizations, social entrepreneurs and socially conscious corporations.  Tom majored in social work at Dominican College in New York.  

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why your major is never a “deal breaker” when it comes to having a career in the policy sphere
• What important insights you can glean from attending a zoning board meeting
• What a social good lobbyist works on 
• What it takes to build a dynamic advocacy campaign
• Why it is best to not have a rigid career plan in place because you never know what opportunities may come your way
• Why to read Tom’s new book: Helping the Good Do Better: How a White Hat Lobbying Advocates for Social Change.