And the Good News Is … summary

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: in Dana’s case, this aphorism holds especially true. In fact, her father, a lover of politics, gave her an early taste for newspapers and government.

How?

So, Dana found an early love for politics and, in high school, was elected student body president. Among other improvements made during her term, she altered the weekly schedule to allow more time for tutoring and studying.

But she soon discovered that her real passion lay in the media. While in college, she got a job on Standoff, a debate show broadcast on a local television channel. This went so well that she earned her own show, Capitol Journal, a weekly series on political topics and legislative issues concerning Colorado. This show helped her make contacts that proved invaluable later in her career.

In August of 1997, Dana got on a plane to Washington, DC. She was 25 years old and oblivious to the fact that the British man sitting next to her would soon be her husband. Nor did she know that this man would give her unwavering support and help her become the presidential press secretary in 2007. His name was Peter, and here’s how it all happened:

In 2000, after Peter and Dana got married, an old friend of Dana’s called her from the Bush campaign. The team was looking for a spokesperson in California. At that time, however, Dana was living in the United Kingdom with her husband. Luckily, he convinced her that she wouldn’t be happy if she didn’t give Washington another go and in August of that year they moved back to America.

Congresswoman Susan Molinari, a long time friend of Dana’s, once gave her some solid career advice. In return, Molinari said, she wanted Dana to share the advice with others. Passing on information is just one of many rules of conduct that Dana thinks is essential to success. At the top of her list, however, are good manners – because Dana believes that politeness will restore America’s lost civility.

But how did the country lose its manners in the first place?

In life, it’s tempting to keep your nose glued to the trail. No need to seek change if change isn’t necessary! However, moving forward sometimes means literally moving, even if that seems like a frightening or impossible thing to do. That’s exactly what Dana learned over the course of her own journey: don’t be afraid to move!

Nonetheless, Americans are becoming more and more afraid of risk and a fear of moving is increasingly common. So don’t get trapped by your worry. Because changing locations can be the only way to advance your career – and if it doesn’t pan out, or you’re just plain homesick, you can always move back.