Rick Stilgenbauer has spent 25 years in policy and politics, from serving as state chief of staff for Senator John McCain to walking into bomb shelters in Ukraine during wartime. But at home, he’s just a father whose daughters would prefer he chose a safer line of work. That tension between global responsibility and personal presence sits at the center of his story.
Rick didn’t plan on a career in politics. He was a journalism student who wanted to report on power, not sit inside it. One small moment changed everything: fixing a broken office chair during an internship interview while everyone else stayed seated. That instinct to solve problems rather than talk about them shaped a career built on advocacy, collaboration, and quiet action.
In this conversation, Rick opens up about what it’s really like working inside political systems. Some leaders use problems as leverage. Others work to solve them. He shares how he chooses who to collaborate with, why party labels matter less than momentum, and how influence works behind the scenes, from Washington to Kyiv to Arizona.
At home, those same systems show up differently. Raising two daughters in an algorithm-driven world has sharpened his focus on curiosity. He encourages them to question sources, examine incentives, and look past surface narratives. He also shares a deeply personal reflection on how federal nutrition labeling policy, designed to help, can unintentionally create harm for families. It’s a reminder that every system, even well-intentioned ones, affects real humans.
What You’ll Learn:
• How small moments of initiative can shape an entire career
• The difference between using problems and solving them
• Why collaboration across political lines still matters
• How to teach kids discernment in an algorithm-driven world
• The hidden incentives shaping policy and public opinion
• What advocacy looks like at the local level
• How to balance ambition, responsibility, and family
This conversation matters now because many people feel politically exhausted or disengaged. Rick offers a grounded alternative: move beyond commentary and into contribution. Attend a meeting. Volunteer. Get curious about your own community. Systems change when people participate.
Learn more about this guest and the Extraordinary community at
https://joinextraordinary.com
Chapters
00:00 Opening Hook
01:09 From Journalism to Politics
02:15 Working for Senator John McCain
05:03 Connecting Arizona to the World
07:55 Fighting for the Underdog
10:22 The Office Chair That Changed Everything
12:19 Using Problems vs Solving Them
15:06 Fatherhood and War Zones
19:09 Teaching Curiosity in the Algorithm Age
24:18 What Family Has Taught Him
25:41 Policy, Nutrition Labels, and Eating Disorders
28:49 How to Live More Extraordinary
32:05 Celebrating Leaders Who Serve
Rick Stilgenbauer, Extraordinary Stories, Forbes Shannon, Christine Butler, John McCain, Arizona politics, Ukraine, UAE, international policy, collaboration, advocacy, leadership, fatherhood, mentorship, curiosity, communication, algorithm influence, media literacy, journalism, public service, volunteerism, community engagement, underdog mindset, bipartisan leadership, nutrition labeling policy, eating disorders, systems thinking, civic responsibility, local government, defense industry, Board of Regents, Jim McCain, Arizona leadership, political culture, family balance, responsibility, confidence, clarity, global perspective, community impact
#ExtraordinaryStories #Leadership #PublicService #Curiosity #Community
Информация по комментариям в разработке