There is no serious doubt that illicit drug use and smuggling are detrimental to the human condition, and the United States has taken a hard line with its War on Drugs campaign. In this week’s episode of Cautious Coffee, Austin and DeRae chat about the legalization and decriminalization of illicit drugs.

Remote work, once frowned upon by many Fortune 100 companies, has taken hold since last March. However, as the world (at some point) transitions to a post-COVID world, will remote work be here to stay or is it just an 18-month social experiment? And what does it mean for our work/life balance?

This week Austin and DeRae conduct a radical thought experiment about a democratic lottery here in the United States for all elected offices.

DeRae believes a democratic lottery will address many of the issues with our current system, while Austin is rightfully skeptical.

Parenting is hard, that’s likely what makes it so invaluable. Everything starts at home. A child’s first hero is likely a parent. And just because we become parents doesn’t mean we have all the answers, almost everyone is still trying to figure it out. Experiences will vary. What’s important is that we lean into our responsibility as parents - taking it seriously and do our best to guide our children to be productive citizens of society.

The COVID-19 crisis pushed many leaders out of their comfort zones and forced them to reexamine the status-quo. As organizations take a long look in the mirror at what they have become and make decisions of how to best put the pieces back together, those that work for organizations have also taken long looks in the mirror and reassessed what is important to them.

It is unlikely that things will ever be as they were before COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill. As COVID tested the mental health of the world, many have found power in vulnerability - allowing those willing to step out to be impactful, leading from wherever they’re positioned and setting a sustainable example for others to follow.

Perfect men do not exist – neither do perfect countries. Cautious Coffee shares what it means to be American – the good, the bad, the ugly. DeRae and Austin remain optimistic for the future and are determined to be part of the one thing that is guaranteed – change.

We all know someone that refuses to get vaccinated, and maybe even refuses to wear a mask. Hell, they might even think the last 18 months was a ruse. We asked our followers if the COVID-19 vaccine should be mandated, as vaccination rates appear to be stagnating with new variants of the virus spreading in many parts of the world.

Austin and DeRae chat about what’s driving skepticism and vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy is nothing new. And while DeRae and Austin believe in freedom of choice, they also believe in common sense and encourage you to make good choices.

Can money buy you happiness? In many ways, getting money is a game, as there are just so many ways to get it. Some people focus on ensuring they secure a steady job with benefits so they can work until retirement age. Others are just trying to get by, check to check.

And while there is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on retirement, or just getting by - it seems the majority of Americans are not adequately prepared for retirement. Are they playing the right game(s)?

Following a midseason break, Austin and DeRae are back. The duo chats about some of the ways many people have no idea who they really are. Now that may seem like quite a strong statement, but unless you have a really good idea of how the human brain works - it’s just not possible to fully grasp what you’re capable of or where your limits are.

While the U.S. is a rich country, globally, our country ranks 24th in math, 21st in science, and 15th in literacy. Why? Our system is flawed and separates the haves and the have nots.

Digging deeper, the U.S. attracts most of its teachers from the bottom two-thirds of college classes, with nearly half coming from the bottom third. Are teachers properly equipped and incentivized to solve the education crisis in this country?