749. Lauren Peterson, Political Speechwriter & Author

Ali on the Run Show

"It felt like the riskiest choice I could make, but it changed the whole trajectory of my life and I feel so grateful."

Lauren Peterson's list of professional contacts is wildly impressive. As a political speechwriter and strategist, she has worked for and with President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and President Biden. She's the New York Times best-selling co-author of Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead, with former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, and is currently working on her next book, This Will All Be Worth It, about LGBTQ+ family building. In this conversation, Lauren shares her most memorable stories from the campaign trails and Air Force One, to her encounters and interviews with Barack, Michelle, and more. And, of course, Lauren is a runner and marathoner. She talks about running through the best of times, the worst of times, and the most stressful times. Lauren lives in New York City with her wife and their son, Remy.

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In this episode:

• How Lauren describes her job (5:30)
• On “ego” in speechwriting (7:50)
• How Lauren got into politics (10:30)
• What it was like meeting — and working with — the Obamas (22:40)
• What it was like flying on Air Force One (28:40)
• How Lauren became a speechwriter (31:15)
• The first time Lauren heard one of her speeches being delivered (38:00)
• The speeches Lauren most loves to write (48:00)
• Why Lauren started running (55:10)
• How running changed Lauren’s relationship with food and her body (1:02:00)
• Running around the time of the 2016 election (1:04:50)
• Lauren’s decision to have a baby, and what that meant for running and her career (1:09:00)
• What Lauren’s days look like right now (1:21:45)

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