When I first got to the White House, I was super anxious all the time about not knowing the answer to every question. And Obama was actually the person who let me be me. He was like, "Alyssa's not the person who wears the Ann Taylor suit. She's not the kind of person who always says the exact right thing." And I'm a bit of a wild animal. I brought a different perspective and I was a little bit more irreverent and casual.
Alyssa MastromonacoI would encourage young women to find a person, give it your all, and leave it all on the field. The one thing I have found is that, if you are sitting at a table, most women will want to only give their opinion only when it's almost fact in their mind - whereas dudes will pontificate a lot more. And I will tell you, I've started pontificating a lot more, which is very satisfying. Women should not be afraid to speak.
Alyssa MastromonacoI didn't have a ton of role models back in 1998. So, when I was looking to get in, it was really just looking up at all the men who were out there. When you're not seeing women - when you're breaking into anything - it's like, "Well, this is what the men do and how they act, so we're going to just emulate that behavior."
Alyssa MastromonacoI saw Obama's thought process behind the few moments of free time he had and how he used them. So, I knew that him taking the time to call me meant he really cared and really deeply understood how upset I was. That's what made it so meaningful.
Alyssa MastromonacoI wanted young women to know that I was very lucky that I worked for people who literally let me be me. If I had ever been anyone other than me, I would have come off as a fake, a phony, a fraud, and never would have gotten where I ultimately ended up. You can be yourself and be in politics, and they should know that. That was kind of why I wanted to do it - because I didn't see any freaks in politics like me.
Alyssa Mastromonaco