<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Headwind Strategies]]></title><description><![CDATA[Headwind Strategies is a government and public affairs advisory firm founded by Ryan Mann, a seasoned political strategist and attorney with nearly 20 years of experience spanning Capitol Hill, presidential campaigns, and state and local government. Based in Sacramento, CA, Headwind Strategies provides C-suite executives and corporate government affairs teams with political intelligence, regulatory guidance, and strategic counsel at the federal, state, and local levels.]]></description><link>https://www.headwindstrategies.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 22:33:14 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.headwindstrategies.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Time Clock Management: Why You Should Be Preparing for the 120th Congress Today]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Ryan Mann, Headwind Strategies  The calendar says Congress has time. The calendar is wrong.  On paper, the House of Representatives will be in session roughly 44 more days before the end of 2026. The Senate, a little over 50. Those numbers sound workable until you account for what the schedule actually looks like: members flying in Monday afternoon, casting their first votes Monday evening, and boarding flights home Thursday after early afternoon votes. Strip out the travel days and the...]]></description><link>https://www.headwindstrategies.com/post/time-clock-management-why-you-should-be-preparing-for-the-120th-congress-today</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fbd44b6d17a12a977933f6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 23:57:33 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ryan Mann</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Access Myth: Why a Meeting with Congressional Staff Means More Than You Think]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most organizations lobby Congress wrong. Ryan Mann breaks down why staff relationships, not member access, are where issues actually get won.]]></description><link>https://www.headwindstrategies.com/post/the-access-myth-why-a-meeting-with-congressional-staff-means-more-than-you-think</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f154ad21c82a1db67e30db</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:45:33 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ryan Mann</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Smartest Leaders Seek Smart Counsel: How Leaders Successfully Expand Their Reach Without Stepping on Landmines]]></title><description><![CDATA[There is a particular kind of confidence that comes with building something from nothing. You set a goal, you put in the work, you forge ahead and figure it out. It is the engine behind most of the best executives I have ever encountered. It is also, if left unchecked, the thing most likely to get them in serious trouble the moment they step into the political, policy, and public arena. I have spent nearly twenty years moving through the rooms where political and policy decisions get made....]]></description><link>https://www.headwindstrategies.com/post/the-smartest-leaders-seek-smart-counsel-how-leaders-successfully-expand-their-reach-without-steppin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e8595cb4b58d88d84e6d5e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:15:09 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ryan Mann</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Seat at the Table: How Government Affairs Became a Board-Level Imperative]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every organization has a version of the same meeting. The project is almost fully baked. The team is confident. The product is ready to launch. And then someone in the room asks, almost without irony, how they get in front of decision-makers to get their approval. Approval, funding, and support is assumed, and how could it not be with such a strong product? Raising the need to engage government officials or regulatory bodies feels akin to asking who's going to clean up after the party. Even...]]></description><link>https://www.headwindstrategies.com/post/the-seat-at-the-table-how-government-affairs-became-a-board-level-imperative</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e6c7968b2f11ff8e576c90</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:41:02 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ryan Mann</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>