Melina Duarte sits at the intersection of political campaigns, communications, and community development. She got her start when she saw her former teacher's union messaging completely miss the mark with parents during a labor dispute — and she couldn't stay quiet about it.

In this episode, Melina breaks down the framework she uses every time: start with the data, build a profile of the real person you're trying to reach, and craft your message for them — not for the people who already believe you.

What followed was a decade-plus of running campaigns, shaping communications strategy, and working with organizations across the Coachella Valley to help them stop preaching to the choir and start winning over the people who haven't decided yet.

She also shares how she helps young people from her community craft authentic stories to get into college — and why that work is really the same skill applied differently.

This episode is part of the Land the Message series on Ops and Outcomes. If you've ever sent a message and wondered why it didn't move anyone, this conversation will change how you think about who you're actually writing for.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Welcome and guest introduction

00:45 – Melina's background and career journey

02:04 – How she landed at the intersection of campaigns, policy, and community

04:48 – The teachers' union crisis that started it all

08:11 – What "controlling the narrative" actually means

08:50 – How to build an audience profile and speak to the right person

11:32 – Why nonprofits preach to the choir — and why it doesn't work

13:00 – Using data to shift strategy before you start communicating

15:00 – Melina's work with young people in the Coachella Valley

17:18 – Helping students craft their authentic college application stories

21:51 – Storytelling as a universal strategy (campaigns, college apps, nonprofits)

23:00 – The Chingona Definition: where it came from

25:00 – What happens when a side project becomes a brand

29:20 – Living and working across creative and professional identities

38:52 – How to bring an idea to life: strategy before execution

39:39 – Melina's internal comms tool: link-in-bio pages as filing cabinets

45:41 – AI in campaigns: where it helps, where it falls short

49:18 – Authentic connection vs. AI-generated content

51:33 – How to reach Melina

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CONNECT WITH GUEST

💼 Connect with Melina on LinkedIn

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