Dear Kind and Beautiful Human,

Welcome and thank you for joining me in Community and Conversation

I am writing this issue as a newly married man, still glowing from an amazing and magical celebration weekend in Northern Michigan. Living in gratitude for our natural and chosen families who travelled far and wide to make new memories with us.

It was a special treat to stay off social media and to avoid the news feeds, even for just a few days. A digital detox of sorts, which allowed me to stay fully focused and present and to simply drink in all of the new stories, emotions, and joy.

One week later I am still basking in the glow of memories and emotions.

That day was joy in its purest form: laughter, tears, and the kind of belonging that makes you believe in possibility again.

Now, I am back to reality.

Back to listening, learning, reading, and trying to understand this chaotic and crazy world we find ourselves in currently. Many days I shake my head in disbelief at the pace of change in our country. The amount of polarization, the divisiveness, the lack of bipartisan efforts and the outright hatred and bullying are staggering.

It’s a dissonance that’s hard to hold.

Some days, writing about radical kindness and authentic leadership feels almost futile—like tossing words into the wind.

But freedom isn’t only about what we can do. It’s also about what we must do.

We must hold space for both joy and grief.

For the magic of a wedding day and the heartbreak of a divided world.

For the radical act of love and the equally radical act of truth-telling.

That’s why I keep showing up here.

And it’s why I’m inviting you to do the same.

Let’s not surrender to cynicism or despair.

Let’s create a community that practices freedom—freedom to love boldly, to speak truthfully, and to feel deeply. Our voices, our actions, our daily choices matter more than we think.

Together, we can remind the world that kindness, connection, and courage are not luxuries.

They’re necessities.

The Fight for the Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech isn’t just a line in the Constitution. It is the oxygen that keeps democracy alive. When that freedom starts to erode, so does the foundation of every other right we claim to hold dear. What we’re seeing right now—the forced exit of Jimmy Kimmel, the abrupt cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show, the quiet but devastating pattern of people losing their jobs for expressing dissent or simply speaking their truth—these are not isolated stories. They’re warning flares.

Each one chips away at the fragile ground of democratic society and clears the way for authoritarianism to creep in under the guise of “order” or “decency.”

Authoritarian leaders don’t always arrive with tanks in the streets. They come quietly, cloaked in promises of stability, morality, or national pride. They start by narrowing the lanes of acceptable speech. First silencing the comedians and the artists, then the journalists, then the everyday citizen who dares to ask a question.

Before long, the public square shrinks to a single voice: the state’s. And once you’ve reached that point, climbing back to real democracy is nearly impossible. History shows us this over and over again.

This is where leadership comes in. True leadership isn’t about protecting your brand or staying quiet to keep the peace. It’s about creating environments where people can speak, disagree, and still belong. Radical kindness is not about being nice—it’s about building enough psychological safety that dissenting voices don’t just survive but are invited. Authentic leadership is about telling the truth, even when it’s risky, and defending the right of others to do the same.

So when we see freedom of speech shrinking, our response cannot be silence. As leaders, neighbors, and citizens, we must resist the slide into authoritarianism by choosing dialogue over compliance, courage over comfort. That doesn’t mean agreeing with every word spoken; it means protecting the space where words can be spoken at all. Because if we lose that, we lose the very possibility of change.

🟣 Leadership Takeaway: Protecting the Space to Speak

• Invite dissent. In your workplace or community, explicitly encourage differing opinions. Disagreement is not disloyalty.

• Model courage. Share your truth—even when it’s uncomfortable—and show that honesty is safe.

• Defend others. You don’t have to agree with every view to protect someone’s right to voice it.

• Practice radical kindness. Respond with curiosity instead of punishment. It keeps dialogue alive.

Freedom of speech starts local. Every team meeting, boardroom, and family dinner is a chance to either shrink or expand the public square.

Choose expansion.

I had the privilege of attending Spencer, Indiana Pride Festival in 2024 and it was a magical experience. The warmth and embrace of that community for my book and message were truly special. Their Pride Center, run entirely by volunteers and with donations, was an inspiration. I am thrilled to see the continuation of its impact with this impressive mural.

Spencer Pride is proud to announce a vibrant new mural coming to downtown Spencer, honoring the legacy of Vicci Laine—a beloved trans advocate, drag performer, and early champion of the Spencer Pride Festival. The artwork, created by nationally recognized Indiana muralist Koda Witsken and is currently being installed on the exterior of the Spencer Pride community center. We'd love for you to stop by for a visit and see the progress on this colorful work of art!

Worth Fighting For

Some messages need to be said out loud, even if they fall on deaf ears. If I could sit across from President Trump, his Cabinet, and the federal authorities shaping our daily lives, here’s what I would say: I respect your positions, your service, and your responsibility to govern. But respect cannot replace accountability. In moments that affect millions—vaccination policy, H-1B visas, ICE detentions, school shootings, tariff decisions—our communities deserve leadership grounded in evidence, not ideology. The ripple effects of these choices touch every American family.

As the new husband of a pediatric ER attending physician, I have a front-row seat to how fact-based decisions save lives. Medical guidance on something as simple as acetaminophen dosage or as critical as hepatitis B and measles vaccines should come from trained professionals who took an oath to do no harm—not from Truth Social posts or political talking points. Parents deserve facts, not fear. Citizens deserve policy shaped by research, not rhetoric. When we trade science for slogans, we don’t just put lives at risk—we weaken the very fabric of democracy itself. And that is worth fighting for.

When truth and science are under attack, what role will you play in defending them? Because if we stop protecting fact-based decision making, we may lose the very right to call ourselves a democracy.

Keep showing up
with love, with truth, with heart.

Jim