Thanksgiving 2025

Podcast Description: Some of us aren't looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Not the travel or the cooking. It's sitting across from people we love who now say things that used to live on the fringe like they're obvious facts. In this episode, I talk about how we got here. The stories we inherited that taught us "us versus them." How pop culture used to warn us about ignorance instead of celebrating it. And what happened when the guardrails broke. Most importantly, I share what to say when Uncle John starts talking. You don't have to call him a liar. You don't have to start a fight. But you can break the spell with one simple phrase. I also talk about my father, a social justice minister who stood up for truth but wrote off family members who didn't think his way. He died without much of that support. I learned from him to stand up, but I also learned the cost of writing people off entirely. This connects to retail because retail is the great normalizer. It teaches patience, curiosity, and connection. You cannot succeed in retail if you think other people are the enemy. One phrase can remind your table that nuance exists, that facts matter, and that humanity is still the majority. Listen in for how to stay in the conversation even when it's hard.