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In Episode 294 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson is joined by author and speaker,  Julie Lavender Le Doux for a powerful conversation about performance anxiety, childhood experiences, fear, shame, and personal growth.

Julie shares how early experiences shaped her fear of being seen, how anxiety spread into multiple areas of her life, and how confronting fear became the path toward healing and courage. Together, Wilk and Julie explore how avoidance temporarily feels safe—but ultimately deepens fear—and why courage is a learnable skill.

They also discuss Julie’s imaginative Amazings book series, which uses metaphor and storytelling to help children and families process trauma, propaganda, conformity, and fear—while cultivating wonder, critical thinking, and resilience.

Key Topics

• Performance anxiety and childhood experiences
• Fear, shame, and avoidance
• Courage as a learned skill
• Healthy vs. avoidant boundaries
• Storytelling as a tool for healing
• Raising courageous, curious kids
• Imagination, wonder, and truth

Learn more and connect with Julie Lavender Le Doux in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

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Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Episode 293 with guest Nathan Stock

In this episode, Wilk sits down with international conflict-resolution specialist Nathan Stock, a man with more than 20 years of experience working to reduce violence and strengthen democracy around the world. Nathan shares how his journey began as an English teacher in Gaza during the Al-Aqsa Intifada — an experience that taught him how quickly societies can shift from tension to full-scale conflict.

Nathan explains the unsettling parallels he now sees in American political polarization: declining trust in institutions, tribal media bubbles, and the growing tendency to view political opponents as evil rather than human. But he also emphasizes the hopeful part: we still have agency, and personal relationships across difference remain one of the strongest antidotes to toxic polarization.

Topics include:
• Lessons from living through violent conflict
• Why good people can be driven to do bad things
• The role of media consumption in shaping our “reality”
• Declining trust in institutions
• How everyday citizens can help reduce political hostility
• Building cross-partisan relationships that humanize, not demonize

Learn more about and connect with Nathan Stock by getting the full show notes at www.DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Episode 292 — Correcting Misperceptions with James Coan of More Like US

 Misunderstanding each other is fueling a level of toxic polarization that’s tearing at our civic and social fabric. In this episode, Wilk is joined by James Coan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of More Like US, an organization that helps Americans see each other more accurately—especially on college campuses.
 

They unpack:
• Why we think our political “opponents” are more extreme than they really are
• How false stereotypes lead to fear, outrage, and hostility
• The perception gap: what it is and how it warps our values
• Why data can calm what misinformation inflames
• The CAST framework for seeing people as complex, admirable, similar, and worthy of togetherness
• How to interrupt the “race to the bottom” in our politics

This conversation is full of clarity, humanity, and real-world solutions.

Learn more about James and his work by visiting the full show notes for this episode on DeratetheHate.com or MoreLikeUS.org

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Episode 291 – Featuring Joni Bryan of The 917 Society

In this episode, Wilk sits down with Joni Bryan, Founder & Executive Director of The 917 Society, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation with a personal connection to the U.S. Constitution.

Joni shares how a simple question — “Have you ever read the Constitution?” — evolved into a nationwide effort to provide every 8th-grade student with a free pocket Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in honor of Constitution Day.

Topics include:

• Why constitutional literacy is declining
• Originalism vs. modern interpretations
• Limited government and the balance between federal and state power
• The role of bureaucracy in shaping today’s political divides
• Pushback The 917 Society receives — and why
• The importance of the Constitution for all Americans, regardless of political beliefs
• The 2026 goal: 2.5 million pocket Constitutions for America’s 250th anniversary

Learn more about Joni & The 917 Society in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com or visiting 917society.org.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Bridge Grades & the Fight Against Toxic Polarization

This week, Wilk is joined by Brad Porteus, founder of BridgeGrades.org, to discuss the pervasive issue of toxic political polarization and identity politics in America.

Brad shares his experience of returning to the U.S. after 14 years abroad, seeing a "stark" difference and feeling "mad" about the decay of the civic fabric. The conversation delves into the dangers of the outrage economy that profits from division, and how our perception of reality is being warped by algorithms.

Brad introduces BridgeGrades.org, a new data-driven system that evaluates every member of Congress on one key dimension:
Are they Bridgers—or Dividers?

This conversation digs into pluralism, loss of agency, legislative dysfunction, and how we can build a healthier civic culture by supporting leaders who collaborate instead of perform.

Topics Include:

• What returning to America after 14 years overseas revealed
• The boiling-frog effect of polarization
• Identity politics and the loss of shared humanity
• How algorithms distort our perceptions
• Legislative health and the importance of cross-party collaboration
• How Bridge Grades identifies genuine “Bridgers”
• Why pluralism—not uniformity—is the American superpower

Learn more in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Episode 289 | Guest: Jim Robb, Vice President of Alliances at Numbers USA

Immigration is one of America’s most polarizing debates—but what happens when lifelong political opponents choose conversation over combat?

 Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Jim Robb of Numbers USA to discuss his organization’s collaboration with Braver Angels on the Citizens Commission on Immigration.

Together they explore:
 ✅ How employer exploitation drives illegal labor markets
 ✅ Why “jobs Americans won’t do” is a myth
 ✅ The bipartisan framework behind the Citizens Commission on Immigration
 ✅ The power of persuasion in rebuilding trust and reform

Listen as two bridge-builders tackle one of America’s toughest issues—showing that common ground is still within reach.

🔗 Learn more about and connect with Jim Robb by checking out the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Lura Forcum: The Pleasure of Outrage vs. The Cost of Division

Outrage is addictive—but understanding it may be our way out. 

Wilk Wilkinson welcomes Lura Forcum, president of The Independent Center and co-host of We Made This Political, for a fascinating conversation about political schadenfreude—the pleasure we feel when our opponents suffer. Drawing from her background in consumer and social psychology, Lura explains how this emotion drives today’s outrage economy, fuels partisanship, and weakens civic trust.

Together they explore how independent voters are reshaping the political landscape and how genuine human connection can heal the divisions outrage creates.

Topics Covered:

• The psychology of schadenfreude in politics
• How outrage is engineered for profit
• Why independent voters hold the key to civic renewal
• Restoring connection and trust in public life
• Moving from political battles to real conversations

Learn more about and connect with Lura Forcum in the full show notes at DerateTheHate.com. 

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙇𝙖 𝙑𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙚: 𝙇𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮

Wilk Wilkinson is joined by Phelosha Collaros, Vice President at St. John’s College and founder of DepolarWise.com.

Her family’s story in Colombia’s La Violencia reveals what happens when political conflict becomes personal—and how humanity can still prevail. Together they explore the roots of polarization, how conflict entrepreneurs profit from outrage, and what it takes to rebuild trust and community in divided times.

Key Takeaways:
• Phelosha’s connection to depolarization is hereditary
• Political “mixed marriages” once faced deadly danger in Colombia
• Humanity can survive even amidst violence
• The U.S. and Colombia share warning signs of division
• Conflict entrepreneurs thrive on outrage
• Social trust and engagement build a thriving civil society

❤️ Why This Episode Matters

If you’ve ever felt that politics is tearing America apart, listen to this conversation.
You’ll hear why our greatest hope lies not in political victory, but in re-humanizing each other—starting in our own communities.
The majority of people are not as divided as the extremes would have us believe, and together we can build the trust needed for a thriving civil society.

Learn more about and connect with Phelosha Collaros in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Episode 286 – Michael Sodini | Walk The Talk America

In this episode, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Michael Sodini, founder of Walk The Talk America (WTTA) — an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between mental health and responsible gun ownership.

They discuss the stigma that keeps people from seeking help, the impact of suicide prevention programs like Cause of Pause, and how the firearms community is stepping up to promote mental health awareness, education, and common-sense solutions that save lives without compromising rights.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Walk The Talk America focuses on reducing negative outcomes from firearms through education and outreach.
✅ Mental health is inseparable from responsible gun ownership.
✅ Programs like Cause of Pause offer reflection moments in crisis without mandating gun removal.
✅ Common ground exists when the conversation starts with understanding, not blame.
✅ The firearms industry is embracing change and responsibility.

Learn more about Michael Sodini and Walk the Talk America in the full show notes at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!

Faith 250 – A Clergy-Led Celebration of our Shared Civic Story

What if the 250th anniversary of America’s founding became more than fireworks — what if it became a spiritual renewal of our shared civic story?

In this episode, Wilk sits down with Rabbi Michael Holzman and Pastor Becca Messman to explore Faith 250, a multi-faith initiative uniting clergy and congregations across the nation. Through storytelling, vulnerability, and sacred text study, Faith 250 helps communities rediscover American ideals rooted in faith, character, and shared values.

Key Topics:

• Clergy as caretakers of civic health
• The role of listening in bridging divides
• American texts as “sacred scripture” for reflection
• Creating safe spaces for dialogue and hope
• How Faith 250 will celebrate America’s 250th

Connect:
Learn more and get involved at Faith250.org

Learn more about Rabbi Holzman & Pastor Messman in the full show notes at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.