Don’t just take our word for it.
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“Working with Kinship Methods has been an absolute game-changer for our firm. After years of organizing our retreats internally, partnering with Kinship was a revelation. Their dedication and planning over several months ensured the success of our retreat. What truly set Kinship apart was their personalized approach. They took the time to understand our unique needs and objectives, crafting a tailor-made program specifically for our team. Their preparation was evident in every aspect of the retreat, from the customized activities to the seamless execution. Kinship Methods didn’t just organize a retreat; they became integral partners in our journey toward growth and cohesion. Their expertise, attention to detail, and genuine care for our success were truly unparalleled. Partnering with Kinship was the best investment we made for our retreat, and I couldn't imagine doing a retreat again without them.”
Josh Grossfeld (he / him), Founding Partner, AGENCY Strategies
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“Sara is the literal greatest. I had no idea what to expect when beginning coaching. Little did I know, it was EXACTLY what I needed to grow as a manager and believe that I could still bring value to this work in the midst of an off-year. Our sessions were sacred and a mixture of things I wanted to talk about and process, as well as a space for Sara and I to have candid conversations about where I was in that moment and not just what the future holds or what’s next. We often forget to live in the now and give ourselves permission to feel our feelings. Sara helped remind me of that while continuing to support me and push me to live in my greatness. 100/10 recommend Sara and Kinship Methods for any and all coaching needs!”
Jazz Webb (she/her), Campaign Manager and BLC Alum
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"The principals that founded Kinship Methods are purpose-driven professionals that support developing leaders in the political ecosystem which is needed. I had the opportunity to work with them on a project and am impressed with their understanding of their clients’ needs and the training and coaching they provide to help the leaders they work with increase their effectiveness. I am looking forward to seeing their positive impact as they work with more leaders now and in the future."
Beverley Wright (she/her), Founder and CEO, Wright Choice Group
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"Jules epitomizes what it means to be a LEADER (not just a manager) and what it means to holistically invest in PEOPLE. She is deeply thoughtful and compassionate and takes so much initiative to help people personally and professionally be successful. I can think of no one else who is so fiercely loyal and goes to such great lengths to advocate and support people. I use so much of what I learned from Jules in the leadership role I’m in now - her example and encouragement has helped me become a better leader."
Lorenza Ramírez (she/her), Organizing Director, Arizona Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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“Sara and Jules did an incredible job helping our firm set clear goals and expectations for our annual retreat. They did a great job diving in with our staff to understand how we can improve our company and plan for the future. The actual retreat was significantly improved by having professional facilitators who could keep us on task, adjust the agenda as needed, and lead the conversation while the firm's leadership could be active participants. In the lead up to the retreat, it was reassuring and helpful to have people outside leadership review and create materials and agendas to improve the efficacy and outcomes of our time together as a staff.”
Gillian Rosenberg Armour (she / her), Partner, AGENCY Strategies
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"I reached out to Kinship Methods to facilitate a staff retreat at a critical time for our campaign. Our small team, which went through unprecedented challenges in a hard fought primary win, had just doubled in size to gear up for what would be one of the toughest and most expensive campaigns of the cycle. Sara and Jules worked with our team to help forge meaningful interactions between new and old staff, push them to become better communicators, and identify solutions-oriented approaches for dealing with various external and internal challenges that arise on any tough campaign. Our staff came away from the retreat as a stronger and more united team, with a renewed focus on a set of common goals, and a vision for what success would look like – both on Election Day, and while overcoming the inevitable hurdles on the path to victory. I highly recommend Sara and Jules to any campaign that is serious about winning while prioritizing team culture and the professional development of its staff."
Brendan McPhillips (he/him), Campaign Manager, Fetterman for Pennsylvania
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“Working with Sara and Kinship Methods reassured and strengthened my confidence to not only lead, but to lead effectively, efficiently, and ethically. Sometimes, I worry about how my emotions show up in my leadership, and we explored a lot of different things that allowed me to develop my emotional intelligence.”
Brian Gregory (he / him), Campaign Manager
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“Working with Kinship Methods has been invaluable for our company and our team. Their attention to detail in getting to the root of areas we can improve upon was impressive and they made it fun and informative. Their thoughtfulness in creating a customized set of tools to train us on to successfully make those needed improvements has given our entire team the confidence that we have the skills it will take to reach our goals. I would recommend them to any organization looking to improve communication and solidify a positive culture.”
Emily Parcell (she / her), Founding Partner, AGENCY Strategies
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"Not only did Sara and Jules completely transform me into a better manager and all around better and more empathetic, brave, and solutions oriented person, but Kinship Methods absolutely made me fall back in love with my job, my team, and my passions. Working in leadership and managing people can be incredibly heavy and complicated, and can often blind you from why you even do the work to begin with. Kinship Methods helped me troubleshoot, adjust, and improve my own habits and management style. Through a ton of introspection, guidance, and support, KM allowed me to see why I love what I do again. I wake up ready to take on whatever the job may throw my way, and that happened as a direct result of the skills I learned and now use daily, after all of those weeks spent working with Jules and Sara during Kinship Methods sessions."
Meredith Chaffin (she/her), Regional Organizing Director, Michigan Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"Jules is an industry leader with an unparalleled reputation for building large, diverse teams with overwhelmingly positive cultures. She is already a trusted voice among circles of campaign staff and has spent years mentoring both first-time and seasoned managers alike; many of whom she recruited, trained, and coached as their Organizing Director on Elizabeth Warren’s Iowa campaign. This large and otherwise disparate community comes to her because of her ability to help them discover their own voices and realize their potential as managers. For those who have been lucky enough to count on Jules as a mentor, we know that she will create the inclusive, strategic, and supportive program necessary to fill the critical leadership gap on campaigns."
Chelsea Carrier (they/she), Disinformation Project Manager, A Better Wisconsin Together
Rachel Cowell (she/her), Digital Engagement Specialist -
"Nothing short of a glowing experience! Kinship Methods sessions provided a healthy and productive outlet in the week and served as a great way for us to invest in our staff. Our team looked forward to management training as a time and space to grow skills and build community with one another, and Jules and Sara were always communicative and kind. 10/10 would work with them again!"
Zoe Stein (she/her), Co-Founder & Partner, Relentless
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"Jules and Sara were such a pleasure to work with. Their sessions spanned learning far past the workplace and aids not only leadership in the workforce, but in personal development. I would recommend this to anyone looking for relatable, time efficient, and attention effective training!"
Shay Robinson, Public Affairs Manager, Global Ecosystems & Apprenticeships, Aon
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"We hired Kinship Methods to train and coach our first-time managers, and working with Sara and Jules was enormously helpful to them and to our team. Sara and Jules provided whole group trainings and individual coaching sessions, and we immediately noticed their impact on our team. They trained on material that our folks were able to put into action right away, and it had a huge impact on the entire team, not just the folks who received the trainings from Sara and Jules. Feedback from everyone who worked with Kinship was that they learned skills and management techniques they'll use their entire careers."
Ben Tobias (he/him), Coordinated Campaign Director, Colorado Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"Jules was a godsend for me as a first time Organizing Director. She helped me sort through the obstacles that cluttered my schedule to allow me to be an effective leader. She always pushed me to become more solutions-oriented and prioritize my team. As a first time manager, my team could notice a marked difference after I started working with Jules and how I was able to spend more dedicated time helping them grow as organizers. Not only that, Jules struck a perfect balance between validating my problems and encouraging a positive, solutions-oriented approach. I highly recommend working with Jules to any manager looking to improve their leadership skills!"
Angelica Afanador (she/her), Organizing Director, FL-27
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"As my manager, Sara pushed me every single day and never held me to anything less than the highest of standards. She did so in a way that never made me doubt if I was capable of meeting these standards and helped instill the confidence I would need to pass along those standards to my team. Ultimately, Sara's skillful use of accountability and encouragement helped ensure I and my team perform at the level we were capable of and that the campaign required."
Jonathan Miller (he/him) Political Director, DigiDems
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"Kinship Methods provided an invaluable service to our team of Regional Organizing Directors throughout the 2022 general election cycle in Colorado. They gave our RODs tools to manage up successfully, to manage through crisis, and to manage through interpersonal conflict -- aspects of a Regional Organizing Director's job that can often be so hard to train and develop thoughtfully amidst the chaos of scaling a voter contact program. Consistently, I heard from my team how thoughtful Jules and Sara were during their 1:1 coaching sessions and throughout the group meetings. Kinship Methods is the type of program that I wish existed as I was starting out as an early manager working on Organizing teams. They were an incredible asset to our team!"
Kenneth Gonzales (he/him), Organizing Director, Colorado Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"Jules is one of those people who helps you see yourself. Her impact on me has been truly life changing. I’ve grown into myself so much since working with her in Iowa. It’s like that experience catapulted me into myself."
T. Iman Packer (xe /xem), former Deputy Executive Director, Alabama Democratic Party
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"Sara Goldstein is both a natural manager and master of wielding and teaching people skills. Working with Ms. Goldstein was an experience that was positive, productive, collaborative and edifying."
Howard Moseley (he/him), Member Services Coordinator, Pennsylvania Democratic Party
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"Kinship Methods is everything I didn't know I needed. Jules and Sara are some of the most dedicated people I've ever met. They follow through on every single conversation and their coaching is insightful and professional in every way. I'm sure they'd be fantastic working with any organization, but their past experiences in Campaign Organizing really shines through and allows for a deep connection with anyone in field leadership. Every session plan is methodically planned out and prepared for but they are also incredibly flexible and graceful in their execution. Any organization looking to have confident, dependable, and coachable managers would be lucky to partner with Kinship Methods."
Dani Valdes Posada (she/her), Regional Organizing Director, Florida Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"Jules and Sara are phenomenal mentors who have helped me see the world differently. Their energy and enthusiasm for learning is contagious, and their ability to make complex topics relatable has helped me develop my leadership skills in ways that I can immediately apply to my current role and future endeavors. They challenge you to go beyond just understanding the material and stick with you afterwards to make sure you continue to build on your knowledge even after the class is over. I highly recommend Kinship Methods to anyone looking to grow as a leader!"
Sierra Thomas (she/her), Regional Organizing Director, Florida Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"I've been blessed to work on many good teams and for many good managers, with Jules Amin at the top of the list. Jules leads every team she's been a part of with empathy, kindness, and honesty. In each conversation she provides support and meaningful feedback. Jules has spent countless hours on tough and important conversations that leave up-and-coming field operatives feeling one step closer to achieving their goals. One of the most unique things about Jules's leadership is that it is constant. It doesn't end with an election day or a single job, it is continuous and lasts election cycle after election cycle. It's one that creates space for self-discovery, mutual learning, and connectedness to work that can be quite isolating and challenging. If everyone in the campaign space could spend a few hours working with Jules Amin, or working on their management skills in a program by her design, we'd not only have better professional workplaces on campaigns, we'd also win more elections for democrats along the way. "
Leslie Joy (she/her), Coordinated Campaign Director, Michigan Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"I sought out Sara's guidance because in my experience with working with her she is lazer sharp. As a certified associate project manager I know it is important to consistently approve upon my skills. Sara's ability to cut through the fat and bring out the muscle makes her a management personal trainer.In working with Sara in my first experience managing she taught me how to provide clear expectations and standards for my team. She is my favorite kind of leader because she motivated by leading by example. I knew she was working hard on how she provided for us, so I needed to always be refining just to keep up.After the campaign I reached out to many senior staffers for advice and feedback to stay on the path. Most of what I received was encouraging and general, but unhelpful. Sara dove in right away. Showed me what I was missing and how to clean it up through her focus on specifics. I would highly recommend working with her in a group and personal setting."
Haliema Twam (she/her), former Regional Organizing Director, Biden for President
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"Kinship Methods helped me grow as a manager by building in time in my day where I got to step back and think about my management. It’s almost impossible to create that space on campaigns, but having that time set aside with clear instructions from the program to be present in the meeting made it possible to do so. We talked about a lot of really important issues in management from new perspectives, and got to start using them to improve our management on the spot. The time we put in every week was well worth it because of this. The 1:1s were incredibly helpful too, and I had multiple during the program that helped me grow as a manager and seek support outside of the organizing program I worked on, which can be hard to find at times while working in organizing. The 1:1s played a huge role in helping me course-correct my region this year."
Callie Grow (she/her), Regional Organizing Director, Michigan Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"Working with Kinship Methods took my campaign experience to the next level. They strategically place their sessions to make productive use of the summer downtimes, while scaling their coaching sessions up to provide extra support when in-house mentors are at their busiest. The professional and managerial development they provide *should* be standard in our industry, and I believe is critical to the learning environment for new managers. They teach practical techniques and skills that help frame and resolve commonplace situations on campaigns that often get treated like fire drills. Their mentorship and modules provide and reinforce a level of professionalism on campaigns that is often missing. The value of having an outside mentor who you can call and help you problem solve internal dynamics cannot be overstated. It is an absolute-must for middle managers who are learning to both manage their teams and manage up."
Briana Spainhour (she/her), Regional Organizing Director, Colorado Democratic Party 2022 Coordinated Campaign
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"I’ve known Jules for almost a decade and I’ve managed her five times over the years. She is one of the best coaches and managers I know. She has inspired a ton of young organizers and managers on campaigns to invest their time and effort in the work. She's been a massive support mechanism for them, encouraging them to figure out what they want to do and helping them get there. In particular, she’s especially inspired a lot of people who don't feel like they fit in or fit the mold in politics to see a home for themselves here - she’s very perceptive and goes out of her way to be inclusive and make the work more accessible."
Janice Rottenberg (she/her), MA State Director, Senator Elizabeth Warren
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"Sara is the best manager I've ever worked with. She took the time to build a personal relationship with me and I knew she was invested in my personal and professional growth. Instead of rooting management in power over others, Sara has the unique ability to help teams build and create power together. Her management style taught me to root all of my interactions with my teams in kindness while simultaneously holding my staff to very high standards and continue pushing the boundaries of what we believed we could accomplish. I would not be the manager I am today without Sara."
Gabi Finlayson (she/her), Senior Partner, Elevate Strategies