Build power and become an effective change agent | Matt Musel

About the Episode: If you want to impact people’s lives, start by being comfortable with taking risks, uncertainty and getting in the middle of the fight, according to my guest, Matt Musel, Director of Advocacy and Public Leadership. Matt believes to create the kind of change we want to see in our communities, we must apply the knowledge and theories we’ve acquired in classroom discussions to real world settings. The work of building power happens through the application of knowledge and experiences—not just reading textbooks. If we truly want to create change, it is necessary that we meet new people, cultivate relationships, and show up and organize. In leadership, Matt believes there is no guarantee of victory in a fight. And in those moments of defeat, we must remind ourselves why the work we do is important; we must look for people who support us and can offer us the light and we must understand that all the daring mighty things we do is an important opportunity to learn, grow and build more power. In addition, Matt says effective leadership requires an element of giving, loving human beings as they are, seeing them as a gift, and believing in them. Matt believes everyone has a voice—one that is important; thus, we must take our voice seriously. To truly advance access and opportunities, we must use our voice to serve others. Our ability to serve others helps us find meaning in our work. By creating a life that allows us to share what we want to say, we create opportunities that lead us to achieve life goals and ultimately, our life purpose. About the Guest: Matt Musel is the Director of Advocacy and Public Leadership and co-leader of the Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) program at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. Matt is an advocate in non-profit fundraising, electoral campaigns, and leadership development. Prior to Metropolitan State University, Matt successfully led a team of six in a successful capital campaign at the Minnesota Historical Society. In addition, Matt begin his career in fundraising at Bethlehem Academy in Faribault, MN and later served as Chief Development Officer for Extension Programs at the University of Minnesota. Matt helped found three non-profits - NAVIGATE, the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, and the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy. He served as a fundraising consultant for Growth & Justice and African Development Solutions (Adeso). In politics, Matt provided fundraising support to MN’s largest LGBT non-profit organization, OutFront Minnesota, through their Political Action Committee state legislative candidates and campaign leadership for multiple campaigns of state legislature and local offices.