From Potatoes to Presidential Campaigns: Why Even Todd Cranney Couldn’t Escape Bad Meetings
From the family farm to presidential campaign war rooms, strategist Todd Cranney shares rapid-fire stories of meetings gone wrong and lessons learned.
Welcome to Episode 8 of Worst Meeting Ever!
He grew up on a family farm in Southern Idaho — potatoes, sugar beets, the whole deal. But that was just the warm-up.
Todd Cranney went on to serve as National Deputy Political Director for a presidential campaign, chase a billionaire gubernatorial candidate across California, and now co-leads Riverwood Strategies, where he helps clients navigate high-stakes policy, comms, and strategy battles.
He’s seen a lot.
He’s led more than a few war rooms.
And he’s collected more than a few “you’re not going to believe what just happened” stories along the way.
In this episode, Todd shares a rapid-fire set of moments from his time on the family farm and in politics — the misfires, the curveballs, the campaign chaos — and what they taught him about composure, communication, and knowing when to push, pause, or pivot in high-pressure moments.
🎧 Tune in for behind-the-scenes stories, timeless lessons from the farm, hard-won wisdom from the campaign trail — and a reminder that the best advice often comes long before the meeting starts.