Welcome back to season 2 of the Wesley Donehue Podcast! Dive back in with Chief Creative Officer at Push Digital Group, Brian Athey, as he lays the groundwork for an exciting new venture with Wesley.

➡️ Change Is Never Easy: Wesley and Brian review the pivotal decisions being made at PDG at the end of the 2024 political cycle, as well as all the changes leading up to it over the past 13 years with personnel, company infrastructure, and priorities for the firm.

👀 Peeling Back the Curtain: Wesley and Brian relay the plan for intentional innovation brought by Sandbox, aiming to redefine politics and foster solutions for the GOP party, no matter which party holds power in Washington.

🧠 What’s On Your Mind?: Brian picks Wesley’s brain on his focus as he takes a new role in the company, including addressing fundraising, media strategy, and infrastructure issues is crucial for sustained political success within the GOP.

🚧 In the Trenches: Wesley explains his vision in transitioning his focus from execution to innovation ensures scalability and the ability to tackle future challenges.

🌦️The Forecast: Wesley and Brian unpack their plan to launch 12 new things in the next 12 months, rolling out changes in how the company can maximize its tangible impact on our nation’s politics.

🎙️Join us for this week’s episode as we sit down with Katey McCutcheon, former Communications Director for Senator Joe Manchin and current SVP at Firehouse Strategies, for an inside look at messaging strategies that transcend political lines🐘🫏

↪️A Change of Heart: Katey shares her journey into the political world and reveals how she shifted her political views and affiliations through her work in the West Virginia State Senate.

💼Headed Up the Hill: Hear about Katey’s experiences on Capitol Hill and the unique, relentlessly challenging work culture within the House and Senate.

👩🏼‍💻Started From the Bottom: Katey recounts her meandering ascendance from intern to Communications Director on the Hill.

🤝One in the Same: Wesley and Katey discuss how public displays of inter-party disagreement are felt in both major political parties.

🕹️Messaging Maneuvers: Katey discusses the expectations of party leadership messaging in congressional offices and how she had to think outside the box to meet the unique factors of her boss's positioning.

🍪Not So Cookie Cutter: Katey explains the key considerations for Senator Manchin’s Communications team and how the diverse makeup of constituents sometimes conflicted with party expectations.
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Katey McCutcheon is a Senior Vice President at Firehouse Strategies.
Before Firehouse Strategies, she worked at a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm, specializing in communications for corporate, political and advocacy clients. Prior to that, she began her career on Capitol Hill where she specialized in communications for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and, most recently, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. For six years, she helped navigate Senator Manchin through his reelection in 2018, government shutdowns, three Supreme Court confirmations and numerous policy proposals.
Katey is originally from Long Island, New York and grew up in New York, California and Texas. She graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and Political Science.

🎤📌Today, Wesley is joined by General Consultant Brad Shattuck! Tune in to hear about his journey through the political world, including how he came to open his own firm.

🚨Up in the Air: Wesley and Brad discuss how tumultuous the month of July has been for the political world, from shifting campaign landscapes to the unpredictability of what's coming next.

🏃‍➡️The Political Track: Brad shifted his aspirations from track and field to political ambitions during college when he became chairman of the WVU College Republicans.

📺Someone to Look Up To: Wesley and Brad reflect on the political figures they admired growing up, from former U.S. Presidents to fictional executive staffers.

🏆The Campaign Appeal: Brad and Wesley agree that the campaign life is the path for them, explaining why some aspects of it were more appealing than jobs on Capitol Hill.

🥷The Assassin Mentality: Wesley and Brad discuss the dexterity and intensity required to succeed in political campaigns, as well as the importance of containing those mentalities to the workplace.

🤿Swimming Upstream: Wesley shares his perspective on fundraising wins and losses, both past and present, for GOP campaigns and how they tie into media relations.
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After a string of successes managing political action committees, statewide and Congressional campaigns, and independent expenditure efforts around the country, Brad Shattuck founded Strategic Impact, intent on building a Republican consulting and voter contact firm aimed at electing solid Republicans to office.

Shattuck began his career helping to reelect one of the most endangered Republican Congressmen in the country in 2000. After securing an 18-point victory, Shattuck moved to Virginia where he worked on the 2001 GOP nomination contest for Governor. From there, he went on to run one of the nation’s largest conservative PACs and oversaw successful independent expenditure efforts, helping to expand the GOP majority in 2001 and 2002.

In 2003, he helped elect the first GOP Governor in over 32 years in Kentucky and ran the campaign for Secretary of State, resulting in the first win in over 80 years for a down-ballot Republican. After the campaign, he worked at the Republican Party of Kentucky overseeing multiple candidates and campaigns.

Following a successful stint at the Party, Shattuck went on to run two other Congressional races before finally starting Strategic Impact. Today, his firm works with dozens of Members of Congress, numerous down-ballot statewide officials, conservative organizations, and State House and State Senate campaigns and caucuses around the country. His work has won the coveted Pollie Award (the Oscars of the political industry), and he has been featured in The New York Times, Politico, Roll Call and a host of other publications.