Peter Schorsch
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re diving into how women have impacted a historically male-dominated field — lobbying. As Florida’s largest lobbying firm, The Southern Group has forged a path of excellence by creating a culture of opportunity and collaboration. We sat down with two female Managing Partners at The Southern Group — Rachel Cone and Kelly Cohen — to understand how diversity has been a secret to the firm’s success.
For a long time, lobbying was seen as a men’s profession. When did that start to change?
Cohen: When you think about the core of what it means to be a lobbyist, it’s about being an advocate. Women have been engaging in advocacy efforts for centuries. Think about big movements like women’s suffrage, labor rights and social reform — women played a major role in advancing and modernizing policy in these areas.
Cone: Women’s involvement in the lobbying industry is directly correlated to the rise of women in leadership roles in board rooms and the halls of power in government. Women like Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and Florida’s first future female Speaker Jennifer Canady. They, and many of their peers, are role models for all women in the process.
At some point, The Southern Group decided to go against the grain and brought on female lobbyists. Tell us about that decision and how it’s impacted lobbying as we know it today in Florida.
Cohen: When Paul Bradshaw founded the firm 25 years ago, he set out to build a firm encompassing the most experienced individuals in their respective industries. He sought to create the largest lobbying firm in Florida and knew he’d need to recruit the best to do it. Female lobbyists joined our firm in the early days because they proved themselves to be the best in their field.
Cone: Our firm has more female lobbyists than any other Florida-based lobbying firm, a truth now for almost two decades. More than that — they have proven their way into leadership positions. In 2005, Kelly joined to lead the Orlando office, which catalyzed the growth of our thriving local government practice. Kelly was the first female managing partner in the firm’s history, and was one of the first to welcome me to the “big girl table” in 2018. Even outside of the management team, our female lobbyists are some of our most talented client advisors — having already spent a career at the top of some of the largest agencies in government.
What strengths do women bring to the firm?
Cohen: If you are not investing in women in your organization, you will be left behind. Diverse leadership teams, including women, are more adept at problem-solving and decision-making bringing a variety of perspectives and approaches to the table. By harnessing the unique strengths that women bring to the business world, companies can foster greater innovation, creativity, and ultimately, sustainable growth.
Cone: All of them. The women on our team are fierce advocates. They are entrepreneurs. They are executives. They are team players. They exude confidence. They encourage teamwork, and they are critical to the connectivity and operations of our firm.
What does The Southern Group do today to elevate women in the lobbying industry?
Cone: First and foremost, we lead by example. We were one of the first firms in Florida to hire women into the firm and put women into leadership roles, and as the largest firm in Florida, others have followed our lead. We expect that every lobbyist we hire — regardless of gender — can succeed in this firm. And we have found there’s zero difference in the smarts, the competitiveness and the desire to win found in our female team members as compared to their male counterparts.
Cohen: We’ve created a culture of empowerment and provide everyone a chance to achieve financial independence and a true level playing field. A significant number of our equity partners are women, and for our lobbyists who have families, we have a culture that allows them to balance all the competing demands of work and home life.
What advice would you give to firms that are working to diversify their teams?
Cone: Women are good for business. Studies have shown that companies with gender-diverse boards are significantly more likely to have above-average profitability. If you focus first on finding and recruiting the best people, a more diverse team will follow.
Cohen: We believe we are the number one firm in the state of Florida precisely because we also have the strongest presence of women. Diversify your teams because it will make your business stronger and it will inspire future generations.
