Our team sat down with Dave to learn more about him and the vast wealth of knowledge he brings to Bramer Group. You can read our conversation below.   

What decision gave you the most success in your career?  

Years ago, I was laid off a year after taking a wild leap into a new career where I didn't have a ton of experience at the time. It would have been easier go back to doing what I was doing before -- but instead, I decided to go out on my own and risk, well, everything. It took years of hard work, but learning to be fearless and learning to fail forward ultimately led me to where I am now.

Who is your hero? ‍

In my work, I've learned that maintaining relationships long-term is one of the biggest assets you can have – both for business, but having confidantes that you can rely on, count on, and trust. And if there are two people in this world who, to me, are the epitome of maintaining relationships, it's my parents who have been together through thick and thin for over 50 years now.

What is your most prized possession?  

Truth be told, I'm not much of a material person; I'd rather have an unforgettable vacation than a Rolex. But at the risk of sounding dull, I couldn't live without my widescreen monitor!

Do you have a “pump up” song? If so, what is it? ‍

"For A Better Day" by Avicii isn't exactly a "pump up" song, but it brings me hope and gives me optimism -- and a reminder that even when things are dark and ugly, it can get better.

What is your advice to young people who are interested in working in government relations?  

Many will tell you that going to a good college and a Hill internship will do wonders for your career – and they're right; it will. But I've also learned that the most successful folks don't necessarily have multiple Masters degrees – they have the right attitude. That's something you can't teach or learn – it's something you have to develop. Oh, and developing thick skin and not taking things personally goes a long way for your own successes, particularly in government relations and Washington, DC in general.

"Failing forward" was something I learned at one point and didn't make sense to me until I lived and worked in DC. Ultimately, encounters with people you interact with on a regular basis on the Hill or at the Pentagon or even clients will often boil down to one question: yes or no. And sometimes, you have to accept "no" as an answer. That doesn't mean you failed; it just means things didn't work out this time. But along the way, you probably made connections, and hopefully learned a thing or two for whatever's next.

Tell us about a memorable moment from your career. ‍

One of the things that led me into the world of communications was kind of an accident. Someone overheard me say something in Spanish off the cuff, and it ultimately led me to live-tweet (and translate) a press conference between the CEO of that company and the then-President of Mexico. Apparently that caught the eye of some other folks at the company and ultimately led me to a role in communications.

There have been plenty of "I never thought I'd be doing this" moments in my career (particularly as a crisis communicator) as well which certainly are memorable, but perhaps few things have been as impactful.

‍What is your greatest accomplishment? 

In Scouting, we were always told that earning the rank of Eagle Scout would be something that would last with you forever, and is something to be proud of. To this day, it remains one of the greatest accomplishments and one of the things that serves as a North Star of sorts to "do the right thing," as one of my favorite Scoutmasters would say.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?  

As a well-known person once said, "if I could turn back time," it would be really convenient! Flying would be neat, but we have airplanes. Invisibility would be great, but being attached to a cell phone all the time kinda defeats that, and spiderwebs are...sticky. So, yeah -- I'm going to stick with time travel!