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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