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In this deeply candid conversation, former Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent Kemmi Sadler reflects on a 26-year career spanning local law enforcement, post-9/11 deployments, and high-risk diplomatic assignments overseas. From an officer-involved shooting just days into her law enforcement career to the devastating loss of a colleague in Iraq, Sadler shares how trauma, often unrecognized in the moment, accumulates over time. Yet, this is not just a story about service, it is a story about what happens after.

Kemmi discusses survivor’s guilt, moral injury, and the culture of compartmentalization within the first responder community. She explores the long-delayed realization that the job had changed her, and the difficult process of confronting what had been buried for decades.

Now the author of From the Badge to the Vine, Kemmi discusses her unconventional path toward healing, the role of vulnerability in leadership, and her goal to create a wellness retreat in the Ozarks for first responders carrying invisible wounds.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is not one-size-fits-all, and that acknowledging the need for it may be the most important step of all.

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From a childhood in Harlem and Queens to the highest levels of American diplomacy, retired U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. reflects on a career defined by leadership, resilience, and service. In this conversation, Ambassador Thomas shares how early family influences, lessons from mentors, and firsthand experiences in global crises shaped his approach to decision-making.

Ambassador Thomas is a former U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe, and has held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State, including Director General of the Foreign Service and Executive Secretary. He currently serves as a Senior Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute.

Ambassador Thomas offers candid insights into the realities of diplomacy: balancing American values with strategic interests, engaging difficult counterparts, and leading teams through uncertainty. He also speaks to the personal sacrifices of Foreign Service life, the importance of empathy in leadership, and the enduring belief that most people around the world seek dignity, opportunity, and a voice in their future.

This episode is a lesson in leadership grounded in decades of lived experience at the intersection of policy, people, and global events. 

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In cities like New Orleans, culture isn’t a luxury—it’s infrastructure and people. Sustaining that infrastructure and retaining the people requires more than creativity. Culture demands leadership, financial discipline, and a willingness to confront hard truths about institutions, communities, and ourselves.

In this episode, Raelle Myrick-Hodges, Executive Director of the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans (CACNO), engages in a candid and deeply personal conversation about the realities of leading a cultural institution. She shares her unconventional path from a self-taught artist navigating neurodiversity to founding Azuka Theatre and ultimately stepping into leadership at one of our most prominent arts institutions. Raelle offers a frank look at the pressures facing organizations like the CACNO, from financial constraints and staffing challenges to the lingering weight of institutional history and public perception.

Raelle leads beyond the CACNO to explore broader questions: What do arts institutions owe their communities? Why are artists often undervalued as leaders? And how can cities like New Orleans better harness their cultural capital as both an economic engine and a source of civic identity?

Throughout, Raelle challenges assumptions—about passion, leadership, and even what it means to be an artist—while emphasizing a central idea: artists are not simply entertainers; they are problem-solvers, builders, and essential contributors to how society functions.

This conversation is about people, institutions, and a city that continues to define itself through creativity, risk, and reinvention.

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For years now, transnational activities are increasingly originating at the local level. Foreign relations in furtherance of economic interests are no longer the sole purview of the diplomatic functions of the national government or its embassies abroad. In today's current geopolitical and technological climate, local and state governments are rightfully motivated to be their own advocates on the global stage proactively pursuing opportunities beneficial to their residents rather than await for invitations facilitated at the national level.

Sharing his insights regarding the advancement of foreign policy objectives through traditional diplomatic engagements and furtherance of local interests in the international arena is Mark Wells. A former career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Mark previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and held senior diplomatic postings across Latin America and the Middle East, including as Deputy Chief of Mission in Colombia and Peru. Now Director of Global Trade and Investment at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Mark leads efforts to attract foreign investment and expand the state’s international economic footprint. 

From navigating complex international environments to attracting major investment at the state level, this conversation offers a practical look at how global dynamics translate into real-world impact at home.

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Although leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, we tend to focus on the squares, circles, and triangles while overlooking the trapezoids and rhombi. Although artists are profound influential sources of societal change and positive direction, society tends to equate leaders with those who wield power, possess wealth, or enjoy fame. Nonetheless, artists display a unique understanding of their environment and singlehandedly undertake initiatives many would balk at. 

Jamar Pierre is an artist and educator in New Orleans leading the Tchoupitoulas Art Corridor whose mission is to complete what will be the longest mural in the U.S. and provide continuous art education. Jamar leads us through his development as an artist and his singular focus to convey the cultural history of New Orleans through transformation of a concrete flood wall into a visual, colorful tapestry capturing people and events.

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What does it take to prevent catastrophe in a world where the stakes include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons? This conversation explores the quiet, often unseen work of negotiation that has helped reduce global threats over decades—from Cold War arms control to the dismantlement of weapons programs in regions of conflict. Through an insider’s perspective, the episode examines how trust, verification, patience, and human relationships shape outcomes in high-stakes diplomacy, and why preserving institutional knowledge across generations may be as critical as the agreements themselves.

Our guest, Jennie Gromoll, has four decades of experience in U.S. and international weapons of mass destruction (WMD) policymaking. Jennie worked on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons negotiations and dismantlement of WMD programs. She promotes cross-discipline solutions across the international security field, and preserves lessons learned through archival documents and related oral histories. She is a Senior Fellow associated with Sandia National Laboratories, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), and the Odesa Nonproliferation Center (OdCNP). She is on the Board of Trustees of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC).

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Diplomacy in the Caribbean rarely dominates headlines, yet it sits at the intersection of U.S. security, economic interests, and regional resilience. In this episode, retired U.S. Ambassador Linda Taglialatela reflects on a four-decade career in government service that culminated in leading the U.S. diplomatic mission responsible for relations with seven nations across the Eastern Caribbean. The conversation explores leadership and decision-making in complex organizations, the evolution of opportunities for women in public service, and the strategic importance of the Caribbean—where small island states navigate climate change, economic development, and growing engagement from global competitors. Drawing on decades of experience in management, personnel policy, and diplomacy, the discussion offers practical insights into building consensus, developing teams, and sustaining productive international partnerships. 

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A wide-ranging conversation with David Meale on China’s economic statecraft, global influence, and what individuals must understand to navigate competition, interdependence, and decision-making in an increasingly contested international landscape. A seasoned Foreign Service professional with over thirty years of experience, David reflects on what it means to manage America’s diplomatic presence on the home turf of our most consequential strategic competitor—the People’s Republic of China.

David currently heads the China practice at Eurasia Group, where he advises multinational companies and investors. David spent thirteen years posted in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei, most recently as Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing, overseeing operations for the U.S. Embassy and four consulates. His government service also included senior roles at the U.S. Department of State as Deputy Assistant Secretary covering trade and sanctions, as well as postings in Bangladesh, and Ukraine. 

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Retired U.S. Ambassador Luis Moreno shares a candid, wide-ranging conversation shaped by more than three decades of service in some of the world’s most demanding environments. From serving in Bogotá and helping implement Plan Colombia, to leading during political violence in Haiti, coordinating civil-military alignment in Iraq, and serving as U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, Moreno reflects on lessons learned.

The conversation explores the Caribbean as “America’s third border,” the strategic importance of Haiti, the evolving balance between soft power and hard power, and the risks of diplomatic retreat in a competitive global landscape. Moreno also speaks personally about accountability in foreign assistance, bridging civilian and military cultures, the importance of alliances, and the need for the Foreign Service to better explain its value to everyday Americans.

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In this episode, we examine the non-legal consequences of large-scale immigration enforcement operations and how execution determines whether an initiative strengthens or weakens public safety. Drawing on leadership insights from former senior national security officials, law enforcement professionals, and legal scholars, we explore how questionable organizational practices can erode institutional integrity. The central question is not whether laws should be enforced—it is how enforcement can be executed with precision, transparency, and durability so that it advances stability rather than inadvertently undermining it.