# Sharon McMahon

> Sharon McMahon is 'America's Government Teacher' - a former public school educator turned media force who built a nonpartisan civics empire from Duluth, Minnesota. Known for breaking down complex government topics with facts and zero spin, she went viral in 2020 with a kitchen-table explanation of the Electoral College, and never looked back. Today she hosts the top-1% podcast 'Here's Where It Gets Interesting,' writes The Preamble newsletter on Substack, authored the #1 NYT bestseller 'The Small and the Mighty,' and has raised nearly $14 million for charitable causes through her community of 'Governerds.'

- **Role:** Founder and Host at Sharon McMahon Education / The Preamble
- **Organizations:** Sharon McMahon Education, The Preamble (Substack), Here's Where It Gets Interesting (Podcast), Starts With Us (founding partner)
- **From:** Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, East High School, Degree in Education (Government and Constitutional Law focus), Unknown University
- **Known for:** #1 New York Times bestselling author ('The Small and the Mighty', 2024), PR Week Communicator of the Year (2022), Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by a Private Citizen (2022)

## Career timeline

- **1990s-2010** — Taught government and law for 12 years in public schools in Washington D.C. suburbs, California, and Minnesota
- **2010** — Moved back to Duluth, Minnesota to raise family closer to roots
- **2010s** — Ran Three Girls Photography studio, winning multiple 'Best Photographer in the Northland' awards
- **2010s** — Operated Three Girls Yarn, a hand-dyed yarn company
- **2020-09** — Went viral on Instagram explaining the Electoral College using household items (bucket, box, mug) while nursing husband through kidney transplant surgery
- **2020-12** — Launched first charitable giving campaign; raised $125,000+ against a $1,000 goal for RIP Medical Debt
- **2021-01** — Organized letter-writing campaign to thank Capitol custodians after January 6th events
- **2021-07** — Launched award-winning podcast 'Here's Where It Gets Interesting'
- **2022** — Won PR Week Communicator of the Year and Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service
- **2022** — Became founding partner of Starts With Us, addressing political polarization
- **2023** — Won Webby Award for Best Writing (Podcast) and People's Voice Award
- **2024-05** — Launched The Preamble newsletter on Substack, becoming one of its largest publications
- **2024-09** — Published debut book 'The Small and the Mighty' (Penguin), which hit #1 on NYT, Amazon, and all major bestseller lists
- **2025** — Published children's picture book 'We Are Mighty' illustrated by Susanna Chapman
- **2025** — Announced as 2026 commencement speaker at Utah Valley University; philanthropy total reaches nearly $14 million raised

## Achievements

- #1 New York Times bestselling author ('The Small and the Mighty', 2024)
- PR Week Communicator of the Year (2022)
- Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by a Private Citizen (2022)
- Webby Award for Best Writing for a Podcast (2023) and People's Voice Award
- Freedom Forum Free Expression Award
- Webby Award nomination for Best Social Creator (2022)
- Podcast ranked in top 1% of all podcasts globally (1.2+ million downloads/month)
- Raised nearly $14 million for charity through community giving campaigns
- Raised $1.2 million in teacher classroom grants in a single weekend
- Instagram following of 1.1+ million 'Governerds'
- Featured on Today Show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CNN
- Interviewed by Washington Post and The Atlantic
- Speaker at National Governors Association Annual Meeting and George W. Bush Presidential Center
- Goodreads Best Books of the Year recognition
- Amazon and Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Year recognition

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — The Preamble newsletter continues to grow as one of Substack's largest political publications
- **2025-03** — Children's book 'We Are Mighty' released by Penguin, illustrated by Susanna Chapman
- **2025-01** — Named as 2026 commencement speaker at Utah Valley University
- **2024-09** — 'The Small and the Mighty' published, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list
- **2024-05** — Launched The Preamble newsletter on Substack

## Links

- Website: https://sharonmcmahon.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsaysso/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/sharon_says_so
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sharonsaysso
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonsaysso/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharonsaysso

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/sharon-mcmahon
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-22