What happens when you build one of the largest women-owned lobbying firms in the country — and then decide to rethink the entire model?

This week, Lisa sits down with Jess Beeson Tocco, a seasoned strategist who helped grow one of the nation’s most successful women-owned lobbying firms before making the bold decision to sell the business and rethink what a modern lobbying practice could look like.

In this conversation, Jess shares why she stepped away from the traditional retainer-driven model that has long defined the lobbying industry. Instead of keeping clients on indefinitely, she’s developing a different approach — helping industries navigate government, secure federal funding and new opportunities, and then sending them on their way once the work is done.

It’s a results-driven model that reflects the evolving nature of lobbying today. While Washington remains central to the work, Jess’s approach serves clients across the country, connecting policy expertise with real economic opportunity for industries and communities far beyond the Beltway.

Lisa and Jess also discuss what it takes to build and sell a successful firm, the importance of women leading in the lobbying profession and how the next generation of public affairs professionals should be thinking about influence in a changing policy landscape.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about building, scaling and reinventing a lobbying firm that serves clients nationwide.

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