Dawson

Like I said, the hardest part about being mayor in general, and it just gets amplified when you have a crisis, you've got to make sure your crew respects you and your crew feels appreciated.

My guest today is Jeremy Nunes, stand-up comedian, author, and former mayor of Dawson, Illinois.

Jeremy's journey into civic leadership is unlike just about any we've explored on this podcast.

He was already building a career as a professional comedian when in 2011 he decided to run for alderman in Dawson, a community of about 500 people just outside of Springfield.

He won, and two years later he ran for mayor and won that too.

All the while, he continued performing comedy around the country, drawing material from small-town life and eventually from his own experiences in local government.

It's 2011, and you're deciding to run for office.

But tell me, who was Jeremy Nunes in 2011, and what were you thinking?