In this episode, Maria and Elisa discuss:

• How to have constructive political debates and conversations with people that you don’t agree with.
• The challenges of and the responsibilities in the media to balance debate, opinion, and civil discourse. 
• How to get involved and stay informed no matter what the outcome of the election. 

Key Takeaways:

• Speak for yourself. You cannot possibly speak for anybody else! Not every private thought has to become public expression. 
• Every website is responsible for the community that they develop on that site. You are the one who sets the tone. You set it with your behavior. You set it by having actual guidelines, Terms of Service, and then enforcing them. 
• You are free to say what you want, but you are not free from the consequences of what you say. The more we can stick to the facts, listen, and try to find common ground, the better chance you will have where both parties walk away, maybe still set in their ways, but at least it can be a civil conversation.
• We are hampered by very different realities depending on the media consumed. 

"People coalesce around a leader who dares to speak their truth and who they want to hear that from. No matter what your beliefs are, you can find your own community." —  Elisa Camahort Page

About Elisa Camahort Page: Elisa Camahort Page was the Founding COO of BlogHer, Inc. She and her two co-founders took BlogHer from a grassroots phenomenon to a national women’s media brand. Through BlogHer’s community practices and her own, Elisa built community, grew a business, and championed inclusivity in words and action at the intersection of content, community, and commerce. She was responsible for BlogHer’s events line of business, P.R., thought leadership and market research practice, and the care and feeding of BlogHer’s renowned online community. After leaving BlogHer and its acquiring company in 2017, Elisa turned her attention to civic engagement and social impact, co-authoring Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All, an Amazon #1 new release in Political Advocacy, and launching her commentary podcast, The Op-Ed Page with Elisa Camahort Page. Elisa has spoken on the global stage, including TEDx, Commonwealth Club, 92nd Street Y, SXSW, DENT, DLD Women, U.S. Embassy Moscow, and the headquarters of Google, GoDaddy, LinkedIn, Logitech, and Coca-Cola. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Mashable, San Jose Mercury, and FoxNews.com. Elisa serves on the board of directors of the NanoSTEAM Foundation and Our Hen House. She is also an Astia Advisor and longtime member of the SXSW Interactive programming committee.

Connect with Elisa Camahort Page:  

Website: ElisaCP.com

Book: Roadmap for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All - elisacp.com/books

Podcast: The Op-Ed Page Podcast, with Elisa Camahort Page - messy.fm/opedpage

Twitter: twitter.com/ElisaC

Instagram: instagram.com/elisacp/

Facebook: facebook.com/elisac

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.com

Download a free guide: The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice