In this episode of Humble Renegades, Bookie and Kesha tackle a topic that often makes people uncomfortable but is absolutely necessary for sustainable community impact: politics and policy.

This is not about partisan debates. It is about understanding systems.

Bookie breaks down the difference between politics and policy through the lens of the Seven Ps of community engagement. Politics is about relationships, influence, and who has access to power. Policy is about written rules, structure, and what lasts beyond leadership changes.

If you care about community development, equity, business growth, or lasting impact, you cannot ignore either one.

Because relationships may open the door.
But policy determines what happens next.

Through real examples from Baseball Beyond Borders, transportation logistics, and the King County recess mandate, this conversation moves from theory to lived experience. It challenges servant leaders to stop reacting and start thinking strategically.

What You’ll Hear

• The difference between politics and policy
• Why systems are not optional, even for believers
• How relationships create opportunity
• Why written structure creates sustainability
• A real case study on advocating for mandatory recess
• Why short-term wins mean nothing without long-term policy change
• How to move from emotional reaction to strategic leadership

Key Distinctions

Politics

• Relationships
• Advocacy
• Influence
• Access
• Who gets heard

Policy

• Written rules
• Structure
• Procedures
• Sustainability
• What remains when leadership changes

Lessons From the Field

• Success requires engagement with both people and systems.
• Advocacy influences policy development.
• Policy locks in progress or reinforces barriers.
• Sustainable change requires courage and patience.

Power Statements From This Episode

• “Relationships often create opportunity. Policy determines what happens next.”
• “Politics shape the moment. Policy shapes the future.”
• “Your work deserves both your voice and its structure.”

Reflection Questions

• Who influences the decisions that affect my work?
• What policies currently shape how I operate?
• Where do I need stronger relationships?
• Where do I need clearer structure?

Why This Matters

Community development does not happen outside of systems. It happens inside them.

If you only build relationships, you may win the moment.
If you only focus on policy, you may lack access.

But when you understand both, you move from reaction to strategy.
And strategy builds legacy.

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In this episode of Humble Renegades, Kesha and Bookie explore the critical moment when discovery meets definition. It's one thing to know you’re called. It’s another to name it clearly. This episode walks you through why definition is more than semantics. It gives you structure, focus, and power.

Through honest storytelling, practical frameworks, and plenty of real talk, they walk you through three areas every servant leader must define: your burden, your role, and your desired outcome. Because without clarity, even the right calling can feel overwhelming.

If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to make progress on your vision, this conversation will help you stop chasing everything and start building something.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why defining your burden is the first step toward alignment
• The importance of naming your role honestly and specifically
• How clarity helps you say no without guilt and build with intention
• The difference between inspiration + impact and why both matter
• Why God often gives steps, not blueprints, and how to move anyway

3 Sentences to Complete to Define It:

1. The burden I feel responsible for is...
2. My role in addressing it is...
3. The outcome I’m working toward is...

Use these as journal prompts or conversation starters. When answered with honesty, they’ll change how you show up and how others experience your leadership.

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe, comment and share your thoughts with us about this episode.

In this episode of the Humble Renegade Podcast, Bookie and Kesha explore the underrated but essential role of public opinion in shaping sustainable community work. It’s about listening with intention and being careful to not react to the noise, recognize prophetic voices in the crowd, and learning to discern the difference between feedback that’s noise and feedback whose intention is to nourish.

Drawing from real-life lessons in community organizing, barbershop culture, faith spaces, and Baseball Beyond Borders, they challenge leaders to create listening spaces, look for patterns, and close the feedback loop because stronger programs are built on stronger trust.

Whether you’re leading a nonprofit, launching a new initiative, or showing up for your neighborhood, this episode will shift how you think about feedback, presence, and power.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why public opinion is more than politics
• How lived experience becomes insight when we slow down to listen
• The spiritual practice of discerning prophetic voices in everyday spaces
• Real lessons from starting Baseball Beyond Borders
• Why leaders must learn to sit with tension, not rush to respond

3 Practices for Harnessing Public Opinion:

1. Create Listening Spaces: Small groups, one-on-ones, or community touchpoints where people feel safe to speak freely
2. Look for Patterns: Volume doesn’t matter as much as repeated themes that reveal deeper needs
3. Close the Loop: Share how feedback shaped your decisions to build credibility and trust

Reflection Questions:

• Who have I stopped listening to and why?
• What feedback keeps resurfacing that I haven’t yet explored?
• Where can I create more intentional space for listening?

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe, comment and share your thoughts with us about this episode.