Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies on Leadership, Loss, and the Long Game

On October 20, 2025, Cindy Jefferies found out she had been elected Mayor of Red Deer by watching a TV screen at a press conference. The people who had run against her were standing in the same room.That moment is where this conversation starts. But the real story started decades earlier.Cindy has served Red Deer for nearly 30 years across school board, city council, and now the mayor's chair. She ran for mayor in 2013 and lost. She went back to the council chamber, worked another decade, and ran again. She co-founded 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer, which has raised over $640,000 for local charities. She became a grandmother in 2024 and ran for mayor six months later.This is not a political interview. It's a conversation about what it looks like to build something slowly, persistently, and with genuine heart over 30 years. About what keeps someone coming back after a loss. About relational leadership and what that actually means in practice. About homelessness, economic development, and what Red Deer deserves. And about the personal life underneath all of it, including what it cost, and what it means to finally be sitting in the chair.Money isn't the main currency of a good life. This podcast gives you the tools to build a life of meaning and fulfillment.Free Ultimate Goal Setting Framework → thecurrencyofhappiness.com Subscribe on YouTube → youtube.com/@thecurrencyofhappiness Instagram → instagram.com/thecurrencyofhappiness Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts → Search "The Currency of Happiness"If this episode hit home, share it with one person. Every share helps build what comes next.Support the show