Transcript
Circuspreneur Podcast : Hello everyone, welcome back to the Circuspreneur Podcast. I'm your host, Shanae Stiletto. i am so excited to be back. It's been a minute. We have not been doing that many episodes because I am still running for office in Las Vegas, in Nevada, in America.
Circuspreneur Podcast : i would be the first ever circus performer, acrobat, specialty entertainer elected to the government here in Las Vegas, in Nevada, to the Nevada State Legislature. That is the state house for folks that are not familiar. So you have the congressional seats that you see in Washington, D.C. You also have the state congressional seats. I'm saying that in quotations just so that it makes sense because I know that it can get a little bit confusing. My special guest today is the one and only Martin Frenette, who is coming through with the most gorgeous tan because he has been performing and
Circuspreneur Podcast : outside all summer long in that gorgeous, gorgeous sun. Welcome back, Martin.
Martin Frenette: Thank you. And apologies to fives of tens of friends and followers. It's been eight months since our last episode, but you have been very busy in Henderson. So obviously the podcast and these talks took a little backseat, but now we're back.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Well, it's been eight months since you and I recorded, but it's been about one month since I put out my most recent podcast episodes. So they have not been that frequent, but it has not been eight months since we've put out a podcast.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So I do want to clarify that.
Martin Frenette: No, but I was... was, yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Ours.
Martin Frenette: Yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Ours. So I know it's been hard for everyone because you have not heard from Martin and I doing our Politically in Circus. And don't worry, it's been hard for me too. But we had to wait for him to get back from Bavaria.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Is that correct? Yes.
Martin Frenette: Exactly. and was down south, sweating like a pig, and now I'm back.
Circuspreneur Podcast : That's a real place.
Circuspreneur Podcast : It's a real place. It was a real show. it was all the things. And yeah, I was just saying that I could not do more fathom an outdoor show here in Las Vegas because it is around 120 degrees here every single day, which is like what, like 40, 45 degrees Celsius,
Martin Frenette: Yeah.
Martin Frenette: Easily 45, easily, yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Easily 45. Easily 45. So we are still out campaigning. So I'm actually out knocking doors, everyone. we are canvassing, which is another word for knocking on people's doors or ringing their bells, asking them to vote for May, which I say, no, we're not, we're not begging, but we are definitely asking and doubling down on asking because I won for, I won one time. And I have to win again in November. And so the final election is November 3rd.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Early voting starts October 17th. Ballots go out October 9th. So we have about 90 days starting from today or the other day until November.
Circuspreneur Podcast : my election here in Nevada.
Martin Frenette: Thank
Circuspreneur Podcast : So it is all hands on deck. That is why i am so raspy in my voice. That is why I am working 14 hour days, seven days a week. If you see me on social media, all over the place at all of these events, folks, that is what campaigning is.
Circuspreneur Podcast : That is what you need to win an election. and that is the work that you've got to put in if you want to be taken seriously. And if you want voters to know who you are and to be taken seriously.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I'm not just doing this, obviously, for myself, but for the community. I want us to have a bigger voice in Nevada, in politics, in policymaking, which is what I will be doing in the legislature when I'm elected to Assembly District 22 in in Henderson for folks that are unfamiliar with Nevada and Las Vegas.
Circuspreneur Podcast : It's like a suburb of Las Vegas, which is the district that I am running in because you are elected by your district, but you represent all voters across Nevada.
Martin Frenette: Thank you.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So even if you don't live in my district, you can still door knock for me, volunteer, all the things. be a part of the campaign. I'm speaking to you, my entertainment community, my circus folks. If you still are wondering how to support um and also too wondering what you're going to get out of this, you're going get a lot out of this because you're going to have a voice like we have never had in the Nevada government in making policies that affect your every, every, every day life. So to continue to kick this podcast off, Martin, where should we begin? What is on your mind? There have been so many races lately, all across America. There have been, I think, big races that We can speak to, in my case, where there are many first-time candidates that have unseated elected officials that have been in politics for like 30 years. And these first-time candidates, like myself, are winning and have won. And that's across America, across demographics, across voting sectors, across
Circuspreneur Podcast : People are winning that they said would never win or could never win. And it would never work. And voters would never, ever go for that. You know, your ideas are maybe too fringe, right? Like we get that in the arts and the entertainment, right? Like your ideas are too out there. They're too unique. They're too niche, right? Like they don't speak to everyone. But now we're seeing that our ideas and our...
Circuspreneur Podcast : I think our issues are everybody's. It's working people, it's working class, it's working issues, and it's creative economy. And and it's labor, right? I think that that really speaks to where you know voters are across every single demographic that are struggling, that are hurting, that can't afford their lives, that can't afford rent, that can't afford to buy a house, that can't afford to expand their families, that can't afford to go to college, that can't afford... you know, that are not able to get a good paying job and a living wage that's going to help them to buy groceries and to buy gas. Things are, I think, in the most
Circuspreneur Podcast : heightened sense, difficult and challenging across the board. The economy, tourism here in Nevada is having a very hard time. And that's how we sell tickets. That's how we stay employed. That's how shows stay open. And so how do we fix that?
Circuspreneur Podcast : um And how do we speak to that? So where are things out for you, Martin? What do you think?
Martin Frenette: Well, first of all, what I would say, looking at the past elections have been going on, the primaries lately especially, seeing the number of votes, like the percentage of people that have voted, is on the uptick.
Martin Frenette: So for me, I feel a genuine fatigue from the electoral, from the constituents and the people. I think there is this need for change, clearly. And we are seeing it ah with the recent primaries. If you look at, of course, we're outside by Abdul El Saeed in Michigan.
Martin Frenette: who won versus a Stevens. And one of the strength his campaign already, he was a lot on podcasts, online a lot. He did, as you said, what a lot of in-person events. I think he was able to reach concentration a better way than...
Martin Frenette: the 1983 putting up the signs and tv ads you know so i think this um and because we all consume media in a different way now we are much more into yeah like podcasts and online material as opposed to normal tv therefore if you know your parents on x podcast will get you
Circuspreneur Podcast : Thank you.
Martin Frenette: 100 million people or you know whatever, um that's the one you want to be on. You want to be on the 8 o'clock news at Channel 47, you know? So I think Abdullah Said was smart in a way how his campaign was aimed and was getting results. But I do want to say one of my favorite quotes from this week was Ailey Stevens, after her loss, said, when when asked, what do we need now, basically? She said, we need good Democrats.
Martin Frenette: who believe in good governmental services to serve our constituents. And she was asked, well, what about your your loss now? Oh, there's no drama. My focus is on helping Abdul now and the Democrats. So there, like how nice, do you like a nice person saying, like being a humble, defeated, like, okay, I lost.
Martin Frenette: but now there's more to do. So her attitude towards the result of the primary and how she was just so strong on the whole, we need good Democrats, we need good services. It's not about who won, who lost, because the party needs to be more united. My fear right now is the lack of unity in the Democratic Party.
Martin Frenette: And it has been proven historically speaking, the party that stands united behind the leader is the one that wins.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Thanks.
Martin Frenette: That's been shown throughout history. And I do not see a clear leader right now for Democrats. And they are such strong talkers, great thinkers, eloquent, yeah, talkers, smart people in the party.
Martin Frenette: But we lack this unity right now to really move forward. I'm a bit worried for that.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I understand that. I hear that also, too. And also, I think it speaks to the fact that we all need to look at candidates as people, right?
Martin Frenette: Thank you.
Circuspreneur Podcast : What are they running on? Who are they? Right. Like during the primary for me, for example, it was a closed primary in Nevada. So if you weren't a registered Democrat, you could not vote for me in the primary on June ninth I've already forgotten when my primary was because I'm like so tired. I'm already looking for November 3rd. So now for November 3rd, it's open, right? Anybody can vote for me. And I think the importance that everyone's looking at as well is who are you beyond what a party dictates that you are supposed to be, how you're supposed to vote and what you're supposed to think and how you are supposed to interact with one another. I am speaking to all voters now for, you know, the primary, was primarily focused on Democrat voters because they were primarily 99.9% were the ones that could actually vote for me, right? You had to switch your party and register differently differently if you wanted to, which I'm very grateful there were many voters that actually did that. They changed their party to vote for me because they believed in me so much as a candidate. I feel like that is where we need to go because there is so much vilification or vilifying
Circuspreneur Podcast : No matter what letter, small letter you have next to your name, you need to look at the value of the person that is running for that office. Because most of the things that I'm having conversations, no matter what people are, no matter what letter is next to their name, what are they telling me at their door right now? Affordability, things are too expensive, and they're very concerned about the economy. Certain things that even people are like, wow,
Circuspreneur Podcast : The other parties are usually saying that that's a myth, that they actually don't even believe that. But guess what? They do. So what are average, normal working people like us? Because that is what we all are. Don't focus on who you think is up there. There is no up there. It's about it's about the regular people that are going to be casting their vote.
Circuspreneur Podcast : What are the things that are most important to them and what are they struggling on? Right. And can you get past the personality of what you think is out there right now attached to whatever meaning you think is about ah around a party or is around. um you know, is around a a particular political affiliation, because that's what we're asking folks to do.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And I think that we are in such dire straits that that is where elections are at, right? Like, we don't have time to say, I'm simply just voting for this person, because they have a certain letter next to their name.
Circuspreneur Podcast : We don't have time for that. And I think across both parties, folks are upset with both sides, And that is why it's important that there are new voices emerging and that we are defining ourselves in our own image.
Martin Frenette: Yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I am doing that for myself. Don't just say, oh, I don't like all people in that party. I don't like all people in that party. Wow. That's just crazy. how How could you? I mean, and and coming from our background, Martin, you don't get to do that. You show up in Bavaria.
Circuspreneur Podcast : You have cast members that you've never met that are coming from a place maybe you've never been before. And can you imagine they just lead with, oh, I'm so-and-so and I'm from this place. You say, oh, I have no interest in knowing you.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : have no interest in working with you. And yet my day-to-day life is now going to depend on you and probably even my personal safety. Because I'm not going to be able to get through my performance without you.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Can you imagine not learning about their family, not learning about their values, not learning about the hardship that they've been through in their lives that are maybe similar or that mirrors your own? Can you imagine going, like mitigating all of that and refusing to hear that person out for the next one, two, three, four, five, six months?
Circuspreneur Podcast : You've missed out on that person. You've missed out on engaging with them, on supporting them, on them supporting you back. Yeah. You can find some level of common ground. And I mean, that's the work that I'm doing right now in terms of finding common ground.
Circuspreneur Podcast : You might not agree on everything, but the things that you can agree on, oh my gosh, let's harness those. And I see people agreeing on way more right now than think, than they realize, but also too, not even that they realize they are agreeing on so much more.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And that's why we're seeing candidates that maybe a few years ago, people would say would not be able to win. There was first-time candidate, a PhD student. I think that she ended working at a coffee shop at a certain point because she lost her job.
Circuspreneur Podcast : There was some things that happened with her. However, she just unseated the 30-year Democratic incumbent in Colorado. And would have been unheard of, you know, previously.
Circuspreneur Podcast : But again, are you speaking to where people are at right now in this moment in their lives? And are you out of touch? And what you were speaking about, about alternative media too, Martin, that is where...
Circuspreneur Podcast : conversations and I think multifaceted conversations are had. They're not so binary. They're not so like, are you for this or are you for that? Are you against this or are you against that? That's not how people live their lives right now.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And that is not even the level of diversity in my district. My district was very different six, seven, eight years ago. It has changed exponentially. It's changed so much over the past several years.
Circuspreneur Podcast : That's why voice like mine is now standing out so strongly. in this district that I am running in because it's not the same voter that was here a long time ago.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : People are at different stages in your lives and you want different things at different times in your life or different time in the world or a different time, you know, just in your country or in your city.
Circuspreneur Podcast : you will speak to what's important to you that time in your life. And I don't think that we can diminish that. And I don't think that when you're deciding who you're going to vote for what's important to you, that you look at where you're at.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And you also too look at where you want to be in your life. And maybe certain things that you didn't think were important before about five years ago now starting to look kind of important, right?
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : You know, when you're in different stage in your career, maybe you're just starting out. So things don't feel as challenging in certain ways. You don't want certain benefits. I hear that a lot with people. I don't, you know, I'm okay about insurance.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I'm okay about my retirement. Well, 10, 15 years in, you might think a little bit differently.
Martin Frenette: Yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : When you feel like you've worked very hard and you're like, well, who's going to take care of me? Have I paid into my social security properly? Can I pull from unemployment? Do I have the means to go and now be a director of a show and no longer an artist or a working person in that way?
Circuspreneur Podcast : Like, can I start my own personal business? Can I have a small business? Do I know how that works? You don't want to be getting there day 50. You want to be there and have someone support you in setting that up on day one.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So I think there's just so many, you know, important components about what goes in and what's going into these races, how people are seeing these races. And I think that I hope that people continue to show up.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Martin, I hope that the apathy around voting, especially in our industry, you know, does not take hold of us. in a way that I hear sometimes when I'm out in the community, the apathy around voting, the apathy about being involved or being interested in the political conversation, because it is your life.
Circuspreneur Podcast : It does affect their life. And there are good people out there that are running that are different, I think, that are candidates that we have not seen before.
Martin Frenette: Well, that's why when you're mentioning again with the alternative media, such as podcasts, you're seeing these younger candidates, such as Jane Salarico in Texas or Justin Crockett or AOC,
Martin Frenette: who are the younger generation now. And because of all these podcasts, and if like I want to say the last year, people got to know them bit more personally. And like someone like James Tararico, who wasn't a well-known political figure in Texas, he won now the race for a Democratic seat. So...
Martin Frenette: I think this feeling of, and you are canvassing during door-to-door day after day, I think people want to know, I will quote my 98-year-old grandfather here, who always said he votes for the men.
Martin Frenette: Well, there wasn't many women when he was a young man, so. um Meaning he needed to and he would go like to events and meet the guy, have coffee with him.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Awesome.
Martin Frenette: You need to know personally, how do you feel about X and Y and Z? And how do you grow up? Like, really having a hard-to-heart talk. And I do believe these new medias, like we don't, like, these kind of questions on top it, we don't really get in, like, media press or MS or...
Martin Frenette: That is a big plus, especially for the younger electoral. Because, again, we are seeing the last elections, the younger generations are getting the rest the vote, slowly but surely.
Martin Frenette: And end of the day, people are now 20, 30,
Circuspreneur Podcast : Thank you.
Martin Frenette: is to be their country, not the 70, 80 years old. So, yeah. we We need to use the other medias to really get to the electoral and make the interest in those candidates, get them known. I'm at times worried that the...
Martin Frenette: Special things that a certain person in the White House say or do are getting too much focus from the media and we lose all the other candidates and we cannot hear about those great ideas or of those platforms because the focus is on the big man and the big media.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Yeah. um And that happened before. And that's how the big man got into the White House to begin with. So you think that we would learn our lesson. Now, not to say that we don't need to know the important or scary things that the big man is doing, right?
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : But we also know the shock jock mentality of what that strategy is, right?
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Of saying that I'm going to do something terrible and then not doing it. Therefore, taking up a lot of energy from the people that are actually going to do good things if they were in those positions that you don't know about that because you're not hearing from them.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So I love what you mean, because that is the strategy of that particular individual in the White House, in keeping the better, more aligned voices out of those bigger conversations.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And that also speaks to even an election like mine, Martin, where I am a down ballot candidate. So everyone looks at the big races, who's running for governor, give them a million dollars.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I want to door knock for them.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : I want to be out for them. Who's running for Congress? That's the only race that matters. It's the biggest race. No, actually, The races like mine that control the state are the races that are very, very, very important. And guess what? They don't give a lot of attention to them. And guess who gets to stay there? The same person year after year that after year that a lot of people leave the box blank. That is how that person...
Circuspreneur Podcast : in an election like mine typically wins because people are like, I don't have the time to know who this particular candidate is for this office because it's a lower office. So it doesn't really matter. I'm just going to make sure I know who's running for governor and who's running for Congress and that's it.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And so just to let everyone know, that is why you see someone, how, how have they been commissioner for 30 years? And I'm exaggerating only slightly, but that But that is how they look up and they're like, oh, well, dave they've really run this district for a very long time.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : They must be great. No, it's that there's a very small amount of people that even bother to check that box for them year after year after year. So I think that in bringing the younger generation into local politics sooner and faster is also what's important. You're not just trying to elect a president every four years. You know, oh, we need the youth vote. Make sure, oh, every four years. And then you see even right now, what is what are we completely locked out of right now?
Circuspreneur Podcast : Federal decision-making
Martin Frenette: Uh-huh.
Circuspreneur Podcast : federal funding, where did they go? They cut everything and then everything is on the state. So if you weren't working for the state, if you weren't paying attention to what those policies were, or you weren't making sure that the people on a state level voted through good policies, guess what? Your state is now suffering on a on on a state and local level because the federal cuts and the federal impacts have been so ferocious and negative and not great. And some people may disagree with that, um but I think most people are coming around now and seeing that it is not helping them make more money like they thought that it would.
Circuspreneur Podcast : These tariffs and the impacts to the economy are not helping your small business. And that person said that it would. They also said that they would keep us out of forever wars. And they're also not doing that.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um So the combination of those two things are, i think, very crucial to what everyone is looking at moving forward into November or into midterms and then also to to 2028, because that is also two just around the corner.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So we have like one or two more minutes left. Martin, what would you like to leave us with on Politically in Circus today? So happy to have you back. You're just always brilliant and a breath of fresh air.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um And yeah, and I just, and I miss you.
Martin Frenette: Well, just to ah clarify and actually underline your point about like governor, Senate, Congress and your position, would do you say the people are in Anderson, like to your electoral people, you are probably the the easiest one to reach.
Martin Frenette: I would assume if I live but if id live in Anderson, if i have an issue with the school system or the high, like whatever it might be, getting in touch with a governor
Circuspreneur Podcast : Yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Yeah.
Martin Frenette: might be a tough race and getting to someone like you, you would you would you call yourself like a down ballot?
Circuspreneur Podcast : Right.
Martin Frenette: Yeah, but she's reachable. So wouldn't you say to all the people in Anderson as a direct access or at least the quickest access to the government, you are the one to vote for. i mean, like that position is crucial, actually, to be heard as a constituent. Yeah.
Circuspreneur Podcast : Yeah, it's so important. So state assembly seats like mine, very important, accessible also to city council, very accessible on a local state level.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : But we live in the community and it's called the People's House for a reason because it's supposed to be populated locally. by the citizenry. That's why you're elected every two years. And there's supposed to be turnover there because then it's like, oh, somebody that does have a small business will be in this seat.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And the next time it is a teacher from the community that holds this seat. And the next time it's um it's ah it's a stay-at-home mom, maybe, that that holds this seat. It doesn't exist that way because of how politics is run now, but that's the way it was designed to run.
Circuspreneur Podcast : just to let everybody know so that somebody from the arts industry would be in this position and be making decisions from that perspective, right?
Martin Frenette: All
Circuspreneur Podcast : Somebody you know that ah you know that is an attorney would be in this position and that would give them a very different you know perspective. Somebody that's an environmentalist advocate would be then be in this position.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So there's supposed to be turnover and overlap for a reason because it's supposed to represent the people, your neighbors, your neighbor could be in this position.
Martin Frenette: right.
Circuspreneur Podcast : It's not that way now because of how entrenched things are with money and politics and right and and and what people are say would say the establishment.
Martin Frenette: Mm-hmm.
Circuspreneur Podcast : So if you would like to see more of that come back, that is the importance of getting me personally elected and then people like me elected wherever you live.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um And wherever, you know, you can vote. And thank you for saying that, Martin. And thank you everyone for tuning in to this episode of Politically in Circus to the Circuspreneur podcast. I'm so grateful to be back. And again, we're going to just be having periodic um episodes.
Circuspreneur Podcast : because I am so busy running this campaign and it is all hands on deck through November 3rd. And I appreciate every single person's support that has been supporting the campaign, that it continues to support the podcast too. Please continue to share our episodes and and send me guest um options, which I always appreciate everyone that sends me options for guests. And I know i'm not getting to all of them right now, but I, you know, I'm doing my best and I'll close this episode out with the Circuspreneur podcast is also available on stagelink.com. S-T-A-G-E-L-Y-N-C stagelinks.com. The groundbreaking new platform for live performing arts that provides unmatched access and connection to this vibrant world of shows and entertainment. If you're a professional in the performing arts, visit stagelink.com slash pro stagelink.com. StageLink Pro offers industry professionals higher visibility, networking opportunities, and tools to support and enhance their careers. Until next time, everyone, please stay safe and stay healthy.
