iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Taken together, these memos offer a practical roadmap for telling a stronger economic story: one that starts with working people, offers believable solutions and paints an aspirational vision of where we can go together. Find all three here: wjnaction.org/talking-poin...

wjnaction.org

Talking Points - Winning Jobs Narrative Action

Talking Points Affordability Talking Points Growth Talking Points Taxes & Tariffs Talking Points

000

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

rump’s tariffs offer a clear contrast: They are not a tax paid by other countries. They raise costs for American families and hurt small businesses and family farmers. More details in our Taxes & Tariffs memo here: wjnaction.org/wp-content/u...

wjnaction.org

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

3️⃣ TAXES & TARIFFS Do not stop at saying the system is rigged or the wealthy should pay more. Explain how changing the tax code improves working people’s lives: lower costs, stronger Social Security, affordable care and investment in hardworking American families.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

That is the economic story voters believe: When working people have the tools and opportunities to succeed, businesses grow, communities thrive and the entire country becomes stronger. More details in our Growth memo here: wjnaction.org/wp-content/u...

wjnaction.org

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

2️⃣ GROWTH Growth should not be an abstract statistic or something that trickles down from the top. Real growth happens when working people have money to spend, businesses have customers who can afford what they sell, and family farmers and small businesses can thrive.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The strongest messages do more than name the problem — or who caused it. They offer a clear vision, explain what went wrong and show how specific solutions will improve people’s lives. More details in our Affordability memo here: wjnaction.org/WJNA-Afforda...

wjnaction.org

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

1️⃣ AFFORDABILITY “Affordability” is not a magic word. It is a mindset. Show people you understand where they feel the squeeze. Offer concrete, believable ways to lower costs and raise incomes. And always connect your policies to their bottom line.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The through line: Working people — not politicians, government or corporations — should be the heroes of our economic story. Start with their hard work, daily struggles and aspirations. Then explain how your plans give them the tools and opportunities to build a good life.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

NEW: WJN Action is releasing a series of memos that provide public officials, candidates and other messengers with clear, research-backed guidance to drive winning economic messages on three core issues: 1⃣ Affordability 2⃣ Growth 3⃣ Taxes & Tariffs 🧵 wjnaction.org/talking-poin...

wjnaction.org

Talking Points - Winning Jobs Narrative Action

Talking Points Affordability Talking Points Growth Talking Points Taxes & Tariffs Talking Points

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

This makes way more sense once you realize most voters don't really think about policy at all! Voting is a values expression exercise. "If I vote for this candidate, what does it say about me? What kind of person I am? What kind of country I want to live in?" That's how people process politics.

010

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I know this work isn’t easy. Helping candidates, campaigns, and organizations tell a stronger economic story is hard and important. I see and appreciate everyone trying to get it right — and I hope this framework is helpful. Onward! Full memo: wjnaction.org/wp-content/u...

wjnaction.org

000

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Democrats don’t need to choose between populism and persuasion. We need a populism that persuades. Working people as the heroes. Powerful special interests as the obstacles. Democrats as the leaders who restore balance so hardworking Americans can build a good life.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Before we put any economic message into the world, Democrats should ask ourselves: Are working people the heroes? Are we speaking to their aspirations? Are villains clarifying the obstacle — or taking over the story? Are we offering a believable path to a better life?

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

The data backs this up. In new head-to-head message testing from WJN Action and Blue Rose Research, aspirational populist messages outperformed adversarial populist alternatives by an average of 43% across taxes, energy affordability, and housing affordability.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Our economic story should work the same way. The villains matter because they clarify the obstacles. But the story has to be about working people trying to afford a home, raise a family, earn enough to get ahead, retire with dignity, and give their kids a better life.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

It’s about Luke. Leia. Han. The Rebel Alliance. Fans like me don’t return to that story again and again because we want to root against Vader. We return because we want to root for the rebels — for their courage, their values, and what their victory would mean.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Great stories need conflict. They need stakes. They need obstacles. Often, they need villains. For example: Imagine Star Wars without Darth Vader. The story is weaker. The stakes feel smaller. But Star Wars is not about Darth Vader.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

To be clear: this does *not* mean avoiding villains. Highlighting the downstream effects of bad actors can help explain what is broken and how it got that way. But they should not become the main characters.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Aspirational populism takes a different approach. It puts working people at the center. It speaks to their goals and aspirations. It names the obstacles in their way. And it offers tangible solutions that equip them build a good life.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Adversarial populism can identify real problems. And those problems absolutely need to be named. But when villains become the whole story, working people can be reduced to victims instead of positioned as heroes — or even left out entirely.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Too often, Democratic economic messaging leans into adversarial populism. That’s a villain-focused approach that puts billionaires, big corporations, Wall Street, private equity, monopolies, and powerful special interests at the center of the story.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

At WJN Action, we’re making the case for aspirational populism. The core idea: working people should be the heroes of our economic story. Not billionaires. Not corporations. Not villains. Working people. You can read the full memo here: wjnaction.org/wp-content/u...

wjnaction.org

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Exciting news: Politico’s Morning Score exclusively covered WJN Action’s new memo on aspirational populism this morning. The memo makes a simple case: We’re in a populist moment. But the question for Democrats isn’t just whether to embrace populism. It’s what kind.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

If you’re working on these issues — or even just thinking about them — I’d love to connect. Please don't hesitate to reach out. Onward.

media.tenor.com

a child is riding on the back of a white stuffed animal

ALT: a child is riding on the back of a white stuffed animal

000

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I can’t think of a higher purpose than applying what I’ve learned over the past 15 years to this work. Excited to roll up my sleeves and get started.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

At Winning Jobs Narrative, we’re focused on helping pro-democracy leaders meet this moment: Communicating more clearly. Connecting more meaningfully. Grounding conversations about the issues that matter most in the lived experiences of hardworking people.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

When that gap widens, trust erodes — in institutions, in leaders, and in whether the system can work for you at all. And as we're seeing every day, that erosion can lead to dangerous outcomes that carry dire consequences for our communities, our country, and our world.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

It's no secret that we’re at a pivotal moment in this country. There’s a growing disconnect between how the economy is talked about by those in the halls of power and how it actually feels in the lives of working people.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I’ve spent my career helping leaders and organizations craft narratives that capture hearts and minds — and drive them through communications that cut through the noise and create meaningful change. This role brings all of that together in a way that feels both rare and urgent.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Big personal update: I’m joining Winning Jobs Narrative as its first Executive Director.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

If Democrats want to return from the wilderness, we're going to have to start competing and winning in places where we haven't in a while. There's one under-the-radar target that could surprise you: UTAH. Learn why — and how we can do it — here: www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Perspective: 'Blutah' is a long shot, but here's how Democrats could succeed in Utah

Here's what it would take for the reliably red state to turn blue.

020

Reposted by Steve Pierce

Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

This is a great piece by @stevepiercedc.bsky.social on the shifts that give Utah potential as a political battleground and the investments and work needed to make it happen. #Blutah #utpol

deseret.com

Perspective: 'Blutah' is a long shot, but here's how Democrats could succeed in Utah

Here's what it would take for the reliably red state to turn blue.

053

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

"America is a little like a mosh pit right now—loud, chaotic, full of people crashing into each other. We’d all do well to remember the first rule of the pit: When someone falls, pick them up." Read my latest on what America can learn from @VansWarpedTour: www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Perspective: Lessons from the mosh pit for a fractured America

I was at D.C.’s most raucous weekend gathering. It wasn’t the military parade — it was the Vans Warped Tour.

020

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Donald Trump makes Neville Chamberlain look like Winston Churchill.

030

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Made some crazy shots in the 4th and got enough stops. Tip of the cap from this OKC fan.

020

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Tell me you've never been to the National Cathedral without telling me you've never been to the National Cathedral. 😂

050

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

With just hours remaining in his presidency, I took a look back at Joe Biden's complex legacy — marked by many significant successes, and at least one major miscalculation. Regardless of what the polls say, history will remember him more kindly than voters do today. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Perspective: History will treat Joe Biden better than voters

The impact of many of Biden's achievements won't be felt for years.

010

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

As he prepares to exit the White House tomorrow, Joe Biden leaves a complicated legacy. But when all is said and done, I believe history will remember his presidency more fondly than voters do today. Read more in my latest column for the Deseret News: www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Perspective: History will treat Joe Biden better than voters

The impact of many of Biden's achievements won't be felt for years.

010

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Despite all his macho, strongman rhetoric, Trump remains a colossal wimp.

140

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

You will never find a better cultural commentary of the 2024 presidential election than the voting scene in episode 3 of Squid Game 2. Pitch perfect.

000

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

As Jimmy Carter is laid to rest today, take a minute to read my latest column on his real legacy: not as a one-term president, but as the ultimate example of what true faith looks like when put whole-heartedly into action. He was the very best of us. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Perspective: Jimmy Carter and the purpose of power

Carter gave us an example of what a life informed by faith looks like.

052

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Millennials are an inherently optimistic generation because we spent our youth with Jimmy Eat World telling us that “everything everything will be just fine, everything everything will be alright.” Turns out, they were… incorrect.

110

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more insane brand partnership than Dominos doing a Squid Game-themed ad campaign. “If you were trapped in a sadistic scheme and forced to play children’s games for your life, we’d deliver you free pizza to temporarily stave off your demise!” is a WILD message.

100

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

You motherf---ers can't touch base like that.

000

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

You know you have 3 boys when you've developed an intensely competitive version of "keepy-uppy," complete with an elaborate rules and scoring system, and someone has nearly injured themselves on the coffee table on multiple occasions. Bluey is spinning in her animated grave.

011

Steve Pierce @stevepiercedc.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Jimmy Carter won a Nobel Peace Prize for his leading role in helping to eliminate a deadly disease that impacted millions of people worldwide, among many other accomplishments. He was a giant —and yet, this is how NYT chooses to memorialize him. Sad.

050