325. Leading with Grace: Making Space for Different Views with Charlotte Reed

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_00] Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead and I'm your host, Yolanda Canny. Today's conversation is about leadership, public service, and what it can look like to step forward when you believe there has to be a better way. My guest is Charlotte Reed, a communications professional and community organizer who is currently running for Menlo Park City Council here in California, where I live. Charlotte brings together her background in public relations and communication.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00] She has a deep commitment to service and community. And what struck me most in our conversation was the way she talks about meeting people who may see things very differently than she does, with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. We talked about what being called into public service looks like, the courage it takes to put yourself out there, and what she's learning from her.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_00] Talking with thousands of people in her community. And lastly, why she believes showing up may be one of the most important things a leader can do. And stay with me afterwards, because this conversation also got me thinking about conflict, intention, and what it really takes to make space for someone who sees the world so differently than we do. Let's get into it. Here you go.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00] Charlotte Reed. Welcome to Girl, Take the Lead!. So excited to have you here.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_01] I'm so glad to be here. I'm so glad you asked me to come on. This is so exciting.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah. So why don't we begin, if you would, to introduce yourself to the audience? I know that they'd love to hear about you.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah, I'm happy to. So like you said, I'm Charlotte Reed. I live in Menlo Park, California. And I'm running for office, elected office. I'm running for Menlo Park City Council, District 4, which is one of the five districts that we have here in our city. Menlo Park is a city of about 35,000 people. There's about 7,000 people in the district that I'm running to represent.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_01] So small, but mighty. And I feel really lucky to be in this career and on this path of public service and public life. So that's a little bit about me.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00] How did you get on the path? Were you always involved in growing up into school politics and government? Or did that just sort of come to you later?

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_01] It's funny. I always felt called to a life of service, you know, whether that was through my Catholic upbringing, being part of a large family. I was really involved in community service and still am, you know, all throughout my life. And I really feel like what you put into the world, you get back in return.

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_01] And, you know, being part of that transfer of energy, that transfer of service and just looking out for other people, you know, that you know in your personal life. And even that you don't know, they're total strangers to you. I think the more people live a life of service, the better our world is for it. And in terms of politics, you know, politics has always been something that I've paid attention to.

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_01] I went to college in Washington, D.C. I went to American University. That's where I met my husband, Patrick, who was born and raised in Menlo Park. And now we live together here in Menlo Park. But politics was always something that was discussed at the dinner table, reading the news and just how to, you know, relate it to everyday life. So it was something I was always interested in. But, you know, really, I was focused on how can I live a life of service?

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_01] And, you know, at this moment, I kind of have been reflecting and thinking, was there really a singular moment that inspired me to run for office? And I'm like, no, there had to be a culmination of all of these different things. But I'm like, maybe I'm overcomplicating it. Maybe there was. And I think for me, you know, this is very local politics. I know you have listeners all over the place.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_01] But, you know, in Menlo Park specifically, there was a city council meeting that I went to in January of last year that was about, you know, a community-wide conversation about building more affordable housing in our downtown. This is something that I have been very supportive of long before I even decided to run for office.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_01] And this council meeting, I kid you not, started at 6 p.m. and then lasted until 1.30 in the morning. And Patrick, my husband, was with me. And we stayed until the, you know, all the way until the end. And it was just hours of neighbors, people that have known each other their entire lives, talking past each other, fighting, feeling so frustrated.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_01] And I walked out of that meeting thinking the way that, you know, like our government clearly is not serving our residents in the way that it needs to. You know, government is designed to meet you where you are and facilitate conversations and create consensus.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_01] And just seeing that fall apart in that meeting, it just really led me to think there has to be a better way. And that's really when I started deciding, okay, what do I need to do to prepare to run for office? So everything kind of took off from there.

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_01] I started having a lot of really meaningful conversations with community leaders, folks that are currently on Menlo Park City Council that are not up for re-election. And, you know, just building this broad coalition of people that felt the same way that I did, that, you know, our city needs to come together again and to be part of this movement to make that possible. So that's what's gotten me to where I'm at.

[00:06:36] [SPEAKER_01] And I've also had access to some really awesome training. There's a program called Emerge California that's part of Emerge America, which is a network of political candidate training, you know, organizations by state that focus on helping women, Democratic women run for office and win. The Menlo Park election is a nonpartisan election. So it's, you know, you don't have to be a member of a specific party to run.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01] But this program, you know, after I kind of had this experience in January of 2025, and then getting accepted to this program and getting this training to run for office and be networked with all of these people that could help, you know, me make that possible.

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_00] It felt really empowering. I mean, your work in public relations, I think prepares you quite well for this. Do you see the connection or not at all?

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_01] I honestly believe, and I remember when I was in college, I, for the first two years of undergrad, I was a broadcast journalism major. And then I changed to public relations, American University has a public relations major. And at the time, I was thinking, am I making the right decision? You know, I, you know, I did theater and musicals in high school. But, you know, like I said, I've always been interested in politics and current events.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_01] And, you know, broadcast journalism was a fit. But then I really got interested in PR and the storytelling related to that and, you know, how that can be applied to all different settings. And, like, I'm probably just biased saying this, but I honestly think public relations degrees are truly the most interdisciplinary degrees that exist. You can apply experience from being a PR major into any job.

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_01] You know, I've known, I've had friends from my, you know, that were public relations majors too that ended up becoming lawyers. You know, you really can do anything. And I think you're so right. I feel like that experience, you know, studying it in school, you know, having a career over the past 10 years where I've worked in public relations jobs, doing marketing, doing social media as well.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_01] You know, so much of politics is making complicated things clear and listening to people beside you and really understanding how to communicate with people in a way that resonates with them. And knowing how to do that as a candidate, as an elected official. You know, all the work that you do doesn't mean anything if you can't communicate it, if you can't tell people about it.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01] So, you know, a lot of, you know, politicians, you know, candidates and elected officials have, you know, risen and fallen based on that and, you know, knowing how to communicate. And I feel really fortunate to have that background and to be able to apply that.

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_00] It must help you too in those moments when there's so much polarization. Like taking that January 2025 meeting and then looking at how polarized people are with regard to that about affordable housing. And then you're stepping into it, girlfriend. I'm like, she's so brave and courageous. What a great example of like, yeah, it's going to be, it's going to be tough.

[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_00] Often there's going to be these tough things, but I see a way forward. And I just got to tell you, it makes my heart sing to know that someone like you is going to be like, you don't get to fix it all. But you can help people, coalesce them, bring them together and remind them that we're a community of people.

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_01] Honestly, something that's really nice of you to say. And, you know, it's funny. I, you know, some days on the campaign trail, it's like, you know, I don't, you know, I don't think about it like that. It's like, okay, what are the, you know, 10 million emails in my inbox I have to respond to and just go about my merry way. But then there are days when it feels, even though it's a small district, there's like 7,000 residents in district four.

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER_01] You know, you still are running to represent the city, even though we're not, you know, it's not an at-large election. It's districted. But there are some days where it feels really big, you know, and it's really weird to see your name on yard signs all over the place where you live. And people coming up to you or, you know, commenting stuff about you on Nextdoor. For context, I do not have a Nextdoor because I need to protect my piece. I'm like, that's a Patrick job to look at that.

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_01] Um, but it, there are days where it does feel really big, but I really try to find moments to feel grounded. And I think something that really helps, especially like you said, where it's like people that run for office are really stepping into the thick of it.

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_01] You know, something that has really helped me, you know, lead with grace is when I talk to people and I talk to a lot of people that, you know, agree with me, don't agree with me. But that's part of the job. You have to show up and talk to people no matter what they believe and, you know, create consensus and, you know, make sure government works for them.

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_01] Um, but what I, the mentality that I try to adopt is, it's kind of like two things. The first is like people really are doing the best that they can with the information that they have and the lived experience that they have. You know, not everybody is coming from the same background as you, you know, value set as you, but there are still ways to find commonality.

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_01] And the second thing, which is the most important thing is I really feel, especially in Menlo Park, that everybody genuinely feels that they are doing the right thing. And I honestly think at the end of the day, everybody that is, whether they're protesting, whether they're going to council meetings, whether they're running for office, whether they're, you know, volunteering at their school, you know, getting involved in the community.

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_01] You know, I really do believe that everybody is acting with what they feel is, you know, good faith and good intent and to want to make, you know, our community and our city better. And for me, focusing on that as like the kernel of truth and trying to tap into that and bringing people together based around that shared belief that, you know, we are divided. We all want to come together. We all have really good ideas.

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_01] Let's tap into that and, you know, make that a reality, I think is really important because it's never just one person, you know, I'm not superwoman. I'm not coming into this saying I am the singular person that can fix all problems because that's also a lot of pressure on me, you know, it's like I can help be a conduit and a bridge builder for all of these different people to help support that vision.

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_01] So I think giving yourself grace and giving each other grace, I think helps soften things a little bit when it's just, you know, the temperature has been really hot. Yeah. To put it lightly.

[00:14:46] [SPEAKER_00] Exactly. What's really surprised you the most from this experience that you're going through right now?

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_01] What has surprised me the most? Honestly, that. Especially in this moment when we are facing, you know, one of the most consequential midterm elections ever. That. People come up to me and tell me. How grateful they are that I've stepped up to run for office.

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_01] Because I went into this really thinking that, you know, everybody distrusts politics. They distrust government. There's so much anger. There's so much grief that, you know, in the systems that were designed to help people are actually hurting people. But to hear from folks, you know, friends, neighbors, people from even from outside the Menlo Park community come to me and tell me that they're so happy I'm running.

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_01] They're so pleased that people are stepping up to do this. And I think it's been really nice. And it's just it's shown me that there really is still this, you know, hope that's been, even though it's been subdued by many things that are happening in the world right now. And especially over the past five or six years, that there's still hope for better things.

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_01] And that there's still, you know, pride and happiness in the people that, you know, are supporting candidates to run for office. And that, you know, people really care about democracy at all levels of government. It's not just the top of the ticket that people are focused on. And I think people are also really tapped into, you know, local elections, because that really is what has an outsized impact on, you know, how you live your life.

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_01] So to get that positive feedback has been really encouraging. And it's really helped keep me going on this journey.

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_00] It's interesting, I think, too, that you are the forefront, but you have 7000 people behind you. I mean, it's like, you know, I just find that you're not alone in those positions. You're representing the constituency. And while there's a lot of people who aren't attending all the meetings with you or being in all the conversations, they're there.

[00:17:24] [SPEAKER_00] They're there for you in spirit and they support you. So I just am. It fills me with hope, too. I wonder, what do you hope for the most about getting elected?

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_01] I really hope that that we can. Keep the things we love about our city while mending what's broken. Whatever that process turns out to be. And I mentioned grief a little bit earlier. And, you know, it's something that I hear come up all the time when I knock on doors.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_01] I've knocked on, you know, 3000 doors in the district. We've been canvassing since Memorial Day because I launched my campaign in March and then we started canvassing in May. So we've been talking to voters in the district like nonstop since then. And, you know, people are really grieving. You know, parents are grieving that it's too expensive for their adult children to move home after college. You know, there isn't enough, you know, housing in Menlo Park to make that a reality.

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_01] People are grieving, you know, the Menlo Park of their childhood and, you know, asking, you know, what it means to sustainably grow and move forward as a city, but keep the charm and the character that we love. And, you know, it's also small business owners are grieving, too, even if they're not district four residents and they can't vote here.

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER_01] You know, they're grieving that it's really hard to operate a business in downtown Menlo Park and that. You know, they're worried that they're going to have to close after putting a lifetime's, you know, lifetime's, you know, hard work and energy and money into, you know, their dream of, you know, owning a business.

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_01] And, you know, I really am committed to delivering on a more revitalized downtown, you know, building more housing so we can meet our commitments to the state and also to each other as neighbors. And also restoring that civic trust, you know, that people feel like our, you know, city government can meet them where we are.

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_01] You know, when you campaign and you run for office, you spend a lot of time as a candidate talking about hope, this belief in this vision and this platform that, you know, a candidate can advance with this movement that they're creating by running for office.

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_01] But then once you get elected, what's really special is that you have the opportunity to deliver on that promise, to deliver on that belief, to deliver on the hope of your friends and neighbors that you've been talking to the entire election cycle. So, you know, again, I really want to help our city keep the things we love and mend the things that are broken.

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_01] But I really hope to have the opportunity to deliver on the promise that government can work for you and all that entails. I really hope for that.

[00:20:51] [SPEAKER_00] I need a moment because I'm just moved emotionally by your commitment and by what you see there and your insights. You're very empathic to what's going on and you're bringing your heart to it and your energy and it comes through, Charlotte.

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_00] So I just got to say, it's so great to see what superpowers are you bringing forward to get you through this?

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_01] A superpower. This is just, I feel like when you run for office, you really have to believe in something bigger, in something better. And you have to embody it, you know, mind, body and spirit. It really has to consume you.

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_01] But you also have to let it consume you. You know, it really has, you have to really live it and feel it because people that you talk to, they, they can tell, you know, you're like voters are really smart. And they know when they're being lied to, they know when someone is telling them the truth.

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_01] And really just bringing that energy and that openness and that kindness is, and you know, like this creating of a big tent. You know, I talked about this before where it's like, I want everybody, no matter what they believe, to feel like they can be part of this movement for a better city.

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_01] You know, I don't, I will never like demonize anybody because again, I think everybody is really operating with what they feel is the best intent and that they're doing the right thing. So I think just continuing to listen, to continue to be, you know, open is really important. And also just, you know, maybe this is a superpower, but just showing up.

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_01] Like 99.9% of this job is showing up, you know, showing up to events downtown business owners are hosting, showing up on the doorstep and talking to people. Like I have candidate office hours that I'm hosting from now until election day, like once a week. It's like anybody can come and talk to me. So I really think just showing up and not losing sight of your beliefs and your mission.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_01] I don't know if those are superpowers, but it's more like what I believe. It's what I believe to be true.

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_00] You know, it's pretty super and they're very powerful things. I think that works. So Charlotte, how can our listeners and audience support you? And like, where can they find you? Cause it's not just Menlo park. People are going to, that listened to this episode. I know are going to say, just go girl, keep going. They want to just let you know that they're behind you.

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_01] Honestly, the best thing to do is two things. Go to my website. So my website is charlotteformenlopark.com. And once you go to my website, please donate. That is donations right now are the single most important thing that will keep my campaign for city council competitive, especially now when we're so focused on voter outreach, you

[00:24:36] [SPEAKER_01] know, those donations are what that those will help me get, you know, ads that will get, you know, physical mailers in the mail that go directly to voters. So even if you don't live in the district or if you don't live in Menlo park at all, you can still donate. And that will really help me continue to get closer to the finish line. You know, fundraising is a really important part of this. And especially we call this get out, uh, get out the vote time, which is when you're really

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_01] doing, you know, ramping up that engagement with voters, but, you know, getting donations is, you know, what keeps the operation going. So I'd be so grateful if anybody could donate and the link to donate is on, is on my website.

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_00] So I'll have that in the show notes too, for everybody. Is there anything else that you'd like to tell the audience or tell them anything more about this experience? Yeah.

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. I feel like I think a lot about the younger version of myself because this is just not something that ever was even on my radar. And I can't even believe that this is happening now, but I'm so, I'm so lucky and so blessed to be able to, to do this. And, you know, running for office can be, it can be really isolating at times because

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_01] it can feel really big. It can feel you're dealing with a lot of really complex and important policy issues. And you're also meeting a lot of people all the time. You're going to a lot of events and it's like, I'm one of those people that it's like, I'll sit upright like a zombie at like three o'clock in the morning and then have to type some idea or thing like the notes app in my phone. Crazy. Crazy.

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_01] Um, but I think of like what I would tell in those quieter moments when I would tell my younger self. And I was like thinking about that this morning and I'm like, well, first of all, like buckle up, honey, because you know, life is just, you just never know what's going to happen. But I think something I think about a lot too, because it's also like, this isn't like a marathon where like you're training to run a marathon and then it's like, you go do the

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_01] marathon and you know, most likely you're going to finish it and you're going to get a little medal and it's great. And you can say, I did it. I speak from experience. I did the New York city marathon in 2022, but I, but with this, it's so interesting because you don't know what's going to happen. You know, these local races, we don't have access to like polling, like big federal elections. You don't really have a sense of what the outcome will be besides just talking to people

[00:27:23] [SPEAKER_01] that are going to, you know, vote for you or not vote for you. But I really try to tell myself and something that I feel like really grounds me is. The ancient wisdom of what's meant for you won't miss you. And that no matter what the outcome of this is, you know, if I end up getting elected, this is the time in my life when it was meant for me. Obviously that is the desired outcome. I hope to be elected.

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_01] Please listeners donate and vote if you live in the district. But if not, I can't, I can't turn all of that sadness and frustration back onto myself if it doesn't work out. Because that means it just wasn't meant for me in that moment. And especially when I was younger, I put, and still frankly, put a lot of pressure on myself, pressure for excellence, pressure for performance.

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_01] But when I was like, I'm 32 now, so I'm speaking to myself in my late teens and early 20s, that, you know, if something went wrong, or I didn't get the outcome that I thought I was going to get, it's like, oh, it's a direct reflection on me as a human being. And everything is going to fall apart. But, you know, the longer I have lived life, I have just, that just has not proven to be true.

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_01] So I think no matter what the outcome is, just taking it in stride, doing the best I can. And, you know, if it's meant for me, it won't miss me.

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00] I love it. Well, I am so pleased to, I feel like you're part of the family, you know, and to see you just blossom in this and to be leading with such grace. I love when you said that, because that is definitely a description that I would put for this and say,

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_00] girl, you are definitely taking the lead. We're so excited for you. And I know you got a chance to go to the online store. And you picked something. So tell us what you picked.

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_01] I sure did. What I picked. Well, first of all, I loved all of them. And just, and, you know, there were so many where I'm like, oh, wow, this is like really just moving and like philosophical and deep. But for some reason today, because I was just going off with, okay, I'm going to look today and just whatever I feel in the moment, that's what I'm going to pick. There's a little greeting card. It's the happy Halloween. And it's with the two doggies in the ghost costumes.

[00:30:12] [SPEAKER_01] And it just tickled me today. I don't know. I just thought it was like so cute and funny. And I've just been, I've been watching a lot of like cat and dog videos on TikTok. Cause it's just, sometimes I'm like, I just need to shut my brain off and just watch like stupid, funny videos. And like that, I would just be like, I would send that as my little like Halloween card to my, to my friends. And it's like, I don't know. It's like, you just got to keep it real in this process.

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_01] It's like, and I feel so lucky that I have like a really tight girl gang where, you know, I don't have to talk to them about campaign or like election stuff at all. That's like, we'll just text each other and be like, oh, who wore an ugly outfit at the Emmys? Or it's like, oh, like what, what actor is like hot? You just, you need that. Cause then otherwise it's like everything you'll just, you'll go like crazy, you know?

[00:31:05] [SPEAKER_01] So I think just, I don't know, finding silly, silly things that just make you giggle and make you laugh is, you know, is much needed. So I love that.

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_00] I'm glad that it, it, it tickled you because you are definitely in a very serious world that you're operating in. And anytime you need a little lightness, you contact me because I can do something for you. Thank you. Just to remind you like, it's okay, whatever it is, it's okay. Um, but I, I definitely see so much more coming your way, Charlotte. This is just the beginning.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_00] So it's just, just super exciting to see you do this and what a great conversation. And I'm so inspired. Thank you for joining us.

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_01] Thank you. I'm so glad I could join you too.

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_00] Charlotte, thank you so much for joining us on girl. Take the lead and for sharing this part of your journey with us. There was something that Charlotte said that really stayed with me. The idea that when she encounters people who see things differently than she does, she tries to remember that they're coming from their own lived experiences and that they too may believe they're doing the right thing.

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_00] I found that incredibly helpful and it got me thinking about intention is having good intentions enough when we're in conflict or does intention require something more from us like awareness, curiosity, respect, and action. That's what we'll be exploring in this week's soundbite conflict resolution is intention enough.

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_00] You'll find it right here on girl. Take the lead wherever you listen to your podcasts until then. Remember leadership doesn't require us to have all the answers. Sometimes it begins with the willingness to listen. Thanks for being here. Bye.

[00:33:18] Bye.