Michael Braun, 28-Year Old Chief Strategy Officer, on the Necessary Skills to Navigate the Lobbying and Political Industries

Michael “Mike” Braun currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of Kasirer, the top government relations firm in New York City assisting nonprofit, real estate and private sector clients with navigating New York government. In his role, Michael:

• Leads Kasirer’s business development efforts
• Advises the firm’s principals on key operational activities
• Oversees Kasirer's marketing and communications
• Advises on Client strategy and supports firmwide political coordination activities 
• Supports recruitment, technology, management, and professional development 

Mike also leads government and community relations on behalf of a variety of challenging client projects that fall outside the general domain of Kasirer’s “team” structure, including labor unions and high-profile procurement projects. Further, he oversees the political analysis unit at the firm, helping their team to ensure that Kasirer’s government relations strategies align with the changing dynamic of the city’s politics. It is safe to say, MIKE DOES IT ALL! 

Curious as to what types of projects Mike’s firm Kasirer gets to work on? Check it out. 

New York Real Estate Zoning and Approvals 

In New York, companies are zoned to a specific “use”; meaning, if your “use” is retail, you are not able to use the building for manufacturing purposes. For example, the Macy’s in Midtown can’t close and open an Amazon distribution site. However, there is a government process called a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which allows for a “rezoning” to change a use, and Kasirer is an expert in navigating clients through this process. ULURP requires a myriad of government approvals, and it requires intense and political interventions. For that reason, Mike’s firm executes on strategies to build government and community support and position clients strongly for approval. The popular One Vanderbilt building is a prime example. The New York Blood Center on the Upper East Side, is also a solid example and was very controversial. Kasirer led the approvals relevant to the South Street Seaport to allow for the new historic Tin Building that's there as well as other developments along the pier.

Non-Profit Budget & Policy

Kasirer represents over 40 non-profit clients, in a wide-variety of service areas, including food, disability services, youth, health, supportive/ homeless housing, and more. The nonprofit team at Kasirer positions these clients for government funding; leads policy and legislative campaigns; and strategically positions them to continue to effectively serve New Yorkers across the city’s five boroughs.

Corporate and Private-Sector

Corporate clients in New York see deep value in building relationships and partnerships with City and State governments. Kasirer represents a wide range of corporate clients in the technology, hospitality, retail, transportation, and more, and liaise with the government to help them secure government contracts, pass legislation and expand partnerships. In deploying strategies, Kasirer works to ensure the Client offers a service that can “improve government operations” and “partner to better serve New Yorkers.” Mike’s team are experts in navigating procurement processes, building campaigns to advance policy initiatives, and position Clients to become positive corporate-citizens for the City and State. 

Mike explains,

I think the bread and butter of our work is allowing our deep relationships with government officials to help start the conversation but it is our emphasis on strategy that results in successful projects. We’ve developed long-standing relationships through building trust between everyone involved: government, clients and our team.

For this line of work, here are the skills you need:

Think Big Picture

Projects have several moving parts and in order for you to really think about what strategy means, you have to not only think about what's in front of you, but also what's behind you. You need to consider how to build a strategy that’s prepared for what may happen in one to five years. In Mike’s experience, he’s been able to think about this in a very targeted way, where his team identifies partnerships and has conversations that can position clients for long-term opportunities.

Negotiation Tactic

It’s important to always think hard and carefully about what the other party desires. Bob Igor, President of Disney, stated on Masterclass that in all of his negotiations, he wanted to make sure that the other party felt as if they won. This heavily resonates with Mike because whenever his team is having a conversation or going into a negotiation (whether that's on the business development side or government relations work) you have to understand what the other party prioritizes, what they care about, what interests them, and how you can connect the dots. You want to be an avid listener so that you can understand what's important to the other person/group. Mike has been able to solidify his negotiation skills which has generated new revenue for the company and has led to successful projects.

When it comes to negotiations:

• If the issue is money, find out what the budget it is
• If the issue is interest, find out what they are passionate about
• Remember: Things can change. Be mindful of that. Always listen and keep your finger on the pulse.

Exploring Mike’s Fast-Track to Chief Strategy Officer

The Start

‍Mike started out as an Associate in October 2019. It was a tough transition but he took on as much as possible and learned as much as he could about the company and its clients.

Stay Focused

‍Mike put his head down and worked. Whenever an opportunity was offered, he took it and ran with it. He loves to take on new challenges. He wasn't afraid to pursue something that he isn’t used to or uncomfortable with. He realized that when those small projects became bigger projects, they also led to big wins for the company. This helped him build a solid reputation and credibility of trust. That's key in a business, particularly a small or medium sized business.

The Only Bright Side to the COVID Pandemic

‍When COVID hit,  nobody knew how to lobby in such an environment. No one knew how it would impact the political industry and government, overall. However, the one benefit of this was that COVID allowed for young people to shine through by leveraging their digital and social skills to effectively navigate this strange new world. This opened doors for Mike that continued to stay open post-COVID and led him into the role that he holds now. 

The business side of the political industry is blurry and not many seem to know much about it. However, Mike’s thorough career trajectory in this space lets us know that you do not have to be a politician to work in politics and government. There’s a role for everyone, including business professionals. 

Interested in connecting with Mike? You can find him on LinkedIn.