“Before I ever could get out of bed I decided my next battlefield will be one of words and ideas as a member of Congress.”
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Why Listen:
Although Brian lost both of his legs while serving in Army, he didn’t let that deter him from finding a mission where he could continue to make a difference in the world. Brian ran for and is now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 18th District. In this interview we avoid politics and focus on what it’s like to work IN politics, as well as why Veterans may want to consider this as a career path.
For listeners who enjoy this episode, be sure to check out:
BTU #70 - Emily Cherniack: How New Politics is Helping Veterans of Both Parties Run for Office
BTU #250 - Navy Veteran to Congressional Candidate (Josh Welle)
BTU #316 - Navy to Nebraska State Government (Jason Jackson)
BTU #66 - Sean Barney: Purple Heart recipient to Congressional Candidate
About Brian:
Brian Mast is a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 18th District. After high school, he followed in his father’s footsteps, enlisting in the U.S. Army where he served for over 12 years as a member of the elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as a bomb disposal expert. While serving, the very last IED Brian found resulted in sustained catastrophic injuries, which included the loss of both of his legs. Following retirement from the Army, Brian continued his work in counter terrorism and national defense as an Explosive Specialist under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He also volunteered to serve alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to show support for the freedom Israel represents throughout the Middle East and the world.
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Partners:
Have you ever wondered how you could become a more effective and balanced leader? Or how to find a team with a high degree of trust that performs at a level you’re accustomed to? Check out The Leadership Podcast where they study what makes the best leaders tick - including many who have moved "beyond the uniform" to reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
Transcript & Time Stamps:
2:35
Joining me today from Washington, DC is Congressman Brian Mast. Why did you decide to run for office?
My lifelong plan was to be in the military. I wanted to stay in for 20 or 30 years. I was a bomb technician and I was injured in Afghanistan. After that injury, I realized that I was never going to return to the battlefield. While I was laying there, I started to consider politics as a future career.
I started to come up with a plan of attack for what I needed to do to start serving in Congress. I spent time recovering from my injury and went back to school to earn my undergraduate degree. I planted roots in Florida and was eventually elected to Congress.
5:35
What was the day-to-day like of running for office?
I was finishing up my last semester of college at Harvard when I started my campaign. I would go out to events in the community and just start talking to people about what was important to them. I tried to go somewhere new at least once a week and talk to people that were there.
7:40
Would you consider yourself to be an extrovert?
I’ve always considered myself to be a Type A extroverted guy. I’ve always liked people.
9:15
How did you approach fundraising?
When you want to run for office, you’re going to need to fundraise. You have to be comfortable asking friends, family, and others to contribute to your campaign. You could have a great story or message but if nobody has a chance to hear that, you’re not going to be the votes.
I advise people that are running for office to think about everyone in their phone contact list and whether or not they would be comfortable calling those people and asking them to support your bid for office. It’s uncomfortable but if you can’t get over that, you’re going to have trouble running a campaign.
12:20
What is a typical day like for you?
Every moment of my day is scheduled, usually in 15 minute blocks. I’m on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee so many times I’m talking to constituents for those groups.
13:30
How do you stay sane with that kind of schedule?
I like it. I believe that what defines us as Americans is that we define ourselves by the work that we do. Many times, that’s what makes us good at the work that we do. That we’re so mission oriented.
In the military, I didn’t love or enjoy everything that I did. But when we got the mission accomplished, everything that sucked faded away. What you were left with was the feeling of accomplishment that you had reached your goal. I feel similarly about the work that I do in Congress. It’s not all fun but at the end of the day, I get a sense of accomplishment feeling like I’m working with the people around me to improve the community.
15:25
What skills did you bring from the Army to serving as a political representative?
In the military, we’re trained to have a plan of attack and then execute on that. That’s been very important for me in politics as well. One of the other things is having a blunt approach to speaking about what matters to you. I know not everyone won’t agree with what I say, but I try to express myself in a clear and direct manner.
The best leaders I had in the military would never ask their soldiers to do something they weren’t willing to do themselves. I’ve tried to emulate that model in politics as well. I make sure the people that work for me know that I care about them and that I’m willing to roll up my sleeves to work alongside them.
As a bomb technician, if I made a misstep, that could have deadly impacts on the people that I served with. I have the same attitude in my current job. The regulation and laws I advocate for have very real effects on the day to day lives of Americans.
I lost many friends in the military. Those people weren’t worried about personal gain. They were putting service and others ahead of themselves. I try to bring that mentality with me as an elected official.
19:00
What advice do you have for veterans that want to run for office?
You have to have a plan of attack. Understand what changes you would want to make as an elected official. In my district, there are toxic water issues stemming from Lake Okeechobee. When I was campaigning, I told people what I would do to address that issue.
Now that I’m elected, I serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and work on the Water Resources Development Act. So I’m able to directly impact the policies that govern these clean water issues.
21:20
Do you have any advice for listeners that are facing a challenging situation in their life?
We don’t control the challenges that we face. What we control is what we do in response to the challenges that we face. You can curl up in the corner or you can use it as a motivator to make you stronger. That’s the choice that you face.
When you go through basic training, you’re constantly having challenges put in front of you. In order to graduate from basic training, you have to overcome those challenges. I try to bring that same attitude to my life. I see challenges as an opportunity to grow rather than as something that’s going to stop me.
23:29
Do you have any resources you would recommend?
American Majority is a great organization for learning about how to run for office. When I was getting ready to campaign, I did a lot of work with the Heritage Foundation as well. They allowed me to talk to policy experts on a variety of issues. That was extremely helpful for me.
25:15
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
My father has been a great inspiration for me in my life. I would remind your listeners that they have an opportunity to inspire the people around them through their words and actions.