In this powerful episode of Humble Renegade, Bookie and Kesha unpack the final P in the Seven Ps framework: Proximity.

This is the why behind the what.
 The heartbeat behind the strategy.
 The difference between good intentions and lasting transformation.

Bookie shares personal stories from youth sports, community leadership, the Perkins Foundation, the Equal Justice Initiative, and the Reconciliation Tour in Jackson, Mississippi. Through those experiences, one truth becomes clear:

Real change does not happen from a distance.

Proximity is a calling.
It is choosing closeness over comfort.
It is refusing to outsource compassion.

What You’ll Hear

• Why proximity completes the Seven Ps framework
• The difference between visibility and consistent presence
• How proximity reveals what data cannot explain
• Why listening without fixing changes everything
• A powerful story from the Reconciliation Tour in Jackson, Mississippi
• The connection between reconciliation and proximity
• The three Rs of Christian Community Development

Three Core Truths About Proximity

1. Proximity Reveals What Distance Hides

When you are close, you hear stories that never make reports.
You see patterns, pressures, and pain points that statistics alone cannot explain.
Proximity sharpens understanding and dismantles assumptions.

2. Proximity Communicates Worth

You do not need every answer to show up well.
Presence often speaks louder than expertise.
Being near tells people their lives matter.

3. Proximity Improves Quality of Life

Small, consistent presence builds trust.
Trust builds accountability.
Accountability builds resilience.

Three Practical Ways to Practice Proximity

1. Show Up Consistently
Choose regular presence over occasional visibility.
Credibility is built through routine.

2. Listen Without Fixing
Lead with curiosity.
Understand before strategizing.
Let people tell their own story.

3. Stay Engaged in Hard Seasons
Proximity matters most when life feels unstable.
Closeness reinforces dignity and hope.

Story Highlight: The Reconciliation Tour

Through annual trips to Jackson, Mississippi, Baseball Beyond Borders partnered with the Perkins Foundation, the Seattle Mariners, and Converge Media to create more than a baseball camp. What began as skill development became relationship building.

Walking to lunch instead of driving.
Learning names.
Hearing stories.
Understanding a water crisis not through headlines, but through lived experience.

Proximity transformed the work.
And it transformed the people doing it.

The Three Rs of Proximity

In honor of Dr. John Perkins and Christian Community Development:

Relocate
Move closer. This may not mean changing your address, but it does mean changing your access.

Reconcile
Repair what is broken. Build bridges.

Redistribute
Share your resources. Not just money, but knowledge, skill, influence, and opportunity.

Reflection Challenge

• Identify one place, one group, or one person where you need to move closer.
• Choose tangible presence this week.
• Let proximity become the bridge between your values and your actions.

Final Reminder

Proximity is not about knowing everything. It is about being near enough to care  well. Distance delays impact. Closeness accelerates transformation.

Communities thrive when people refuse to outsource compassion.

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In this episode of Humble Renegade, Kesha and Bookie continue the Get It Done Method conversation by moving from clarity to construction.

You defined it. Now what?

Now you build it.

Building is where vision becomes structure. It is where obedience turns into systems. It is where your assignment moves out of your head and into the world.

Kesha walks us through what it means to build the right way. Not rushed. Not reactive. Not ambition-driven. But aligned. Sustainable. Thoughtful.

Because if you build wrong, you spend years patching what should have been framed correctly in the first place.

This episode is about constructing something that can carry weight. Something that can outlive you. Something that does not collapse under pressure.

What You’ll Hear

• Why defining your assignment is only the foundation
• The difference between preparation and misalignment
• How to know when you are operating outside your purpose
• Why ambition without alignment leads to exhaustion
• The importance of assets, systems, and boundaries
• How rhythm, reliability, and rest create sustainability
• Why God honors faithful construction

The Three Core Priorities of Building

1. Build the asset that carries your value
Your insight must move through something tangible. A framework. A curriculum. A service model. A process. An offer. An asset allows your value to exist without requiring your constant presence.

2. Build the system that supports consistency
How you schedule. How you communicate. How you deliver. How you follow up. How you rest. Systems remove dependence on motivation and replace it with rhythm.

3. Build the boundary that protects your capacity
Boundaries define how much, how often, and for whom you show up. If boundaries are not built into the structure, burnout becomes inevitable.

Key Leadership Insights

• You cannot build everything. You must build what supports the outcome you defined.
• Misalignment feels like overwork, confusion, and scattered effort.
• When the structure is right, the work feels lighter.
• Rest is not optional. It is structural.
• If necessary, remodel. If required, demolish and rebuild.

Reflection Questions

1. What asset would make my work easier to carry?
2. What system would help me stay consistent?
3. What boundary do I need to build now, not later?

Episode Reminder

You do not have to build everything at once.
You only need to build the next right thing.

Excellence matters. Perfection does not.

And even if it feels unfinished to you, God honors faithful construction.

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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.

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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?

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In this episode of Humble Renegades, Bookie and Kesha break down what it means to set, live out, and lead with priorities that empower the people who are participating in the programs. Using the Nike RBI West Regional Tournament as a real-time case study, they walk through how clear priorities create trust, unity, and momentum in a community.

Beyond theory, Bookie shares strategy in action. From honoring the voices of student-athletes and families to solving logistical challenges with excellence and intention, you’ll hear how clarity made success feel inevitable and how that same clarity can transform the way you serve.

Whether you're leading a team, at the beginning of building a vision, or navigating change in your community, this episode will help you focus forward and put people first.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why priorities matter more than plans
• How to build momentum through clarity
• A real behind-the-scenes look at organizing a regional tournament
• The difference between essential priorities and extras
• How listening, proximity, and anticipation build trust

3-Step Framework:

1. Clarify the Win: Define what success looks like together
2. Resource the Plan: Put the right people, tools, and funding in place
3. Track and Celebrate: Let small wins fuel big ones

Quote Highlights:

• “Clarity makes success feel inevitable.”
• “Being a champion is about lifting others as they rise.”

Reflection Prompt:

Think about what your community actually needs, not just what you want to give them. Where do your priorities align with theirs? Where might you need to adjust?

To learn more about the work that Bookie is doing in the community, visit www.baseballbeyond.org

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In this episode of Humble Renegades, Kesha and Bookie unpack what it means to “discover” your life’s work. It's not by chasing titles or trends, but by reflecting on your story, your patterns, and your God-given burden.

They explore the early stages of calling and the tension between what you’re good at, what people expect of you, and what you’re truly called to steward. This conversation will resonate deeply with anyone who’s felt like their gifts don’t fit inside a job description or their burden doesn't make sense on paper.

Through honest stories and practical insight, you’ll be encouraged to revisit your past not to stay there, but to extract the evidence of your purpose. Because discovering your assignment isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about paying attention.

What You’ll Hear:

• How to identify your God-given burden
• Why discovering your calling starts with reflecting, not rushing
• The difference between gifting and calling
• How imposter syndrome and people-pleasing distract us from alignment
• Why your past jobs, roles, and life experiences hold clues to your future
• How the “Discover It” phase fits within the Get It Done Method

Quote Highlights:

• “Your burden is often the birthplace of your assignment.”
• “You’re building from story.”
• “Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean it’s your calling.”

Reflection Questions:

• What are the themes that show up in your life over and over again?
• What problem in the world burdens you the most?
• What have people always come to you for?

Take It Further:

Ready to go deeper in discovering your own life’s work? Connect with Kesha at www.lakeshagates.com 

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In this powerful bonus episode of the Humble Renegade Podcast, Kesha and Bookie welcome their very first guest, Elizabeth Perkins, Co-President of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation and daughter of the legendary civil rights and Christian reconciliation pioneer, Dr. John Perkins.

Recorded at the Antioch House in Jackson, MS, this heartfelt conversation digs into legacy, leadership, and the transformative power of reconciliation. Elizabeth shares deeply personal stories from growing up in a household that didn’t just preach the gospel but lived it out through the three foundational principles of Christian Community Development: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.

Together, they explore how these timeless values are still changing lives, how faith intersects with action, and how legacy is not just inherited but actively lived. From the origin story of the Reconciliation Tour baseball camp to the redemptive work of community development in Jackson, this episode is a testimony to grace, perseverence, and the gifts of multigenerational leadership.

Show Notes

Guest:
Elizabeth Perkins | Co-President of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation

Topics Covered:

• The 3 Rs of Christian Community Development
• Living the gospel beyond Sunday sermons
• What reconciliation really requires: humility, truth-telling, and forgiveness
• Legacy leadership and the power of proximity
• Baseball as a vehicle for healing and community engagement
• Carrying the mission forward with urgency and love

Mentioned:

• Dr. John Perkins
• Vera Mae Perkins
• Christian Community Development Association (CCDA)
• Baseball Beyond Borders 
• The Reconciliation Tour documentary (Watch Here)
• Equal Justice Initiative & Anthony Ray Hinton
• Jackson State University
• Uncle Bud’s Field at the Perkins Foundation

Get Involved:
Visit JVMPF.org to learn more about the Foundation’s mission and how you can support its work through prayer, donations, or volunteerism.

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In this heartfelt and nostalgic episode, Kesha and Bookie explore the vital role of place in shaping community identity, connection, and engagement. More than just physical locations, the spaces we frequent, from barbershops and parks to corner stores and community centers, hold the memories, mentorship, and meaning that define who we are and where we belong.

This episode digs into how built environments affect our sense of safety and belonging, the importance of cultural preservation in rapidly changing neighborhoods, and why designing with dignity matters. They reflect on their own upbringings in Seattle’s Central District and South End, and the full-circle moments of watching the next generation occupy those same cherished spaces.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why “community doesn’t just happen, it’s shaped by where we gather”
• The emotional, spiritual, and cultural power of place
• How to activate underutilized spaces for connection and healing
• What it means to walk your block and read the stories it tells

Reflection Questions:

• What places shaped who you are?
• What does your ideal community feel like, not just look like?
• Can people be considered a place?

🎧 Listen Now: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

👉 Subscribe & tune in for the next episode

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In this episode of Humble Renegades, Kesha and Bookie explore what it truly means to embody your values and gifts. This isn’t about lofty ideas or big declarations. It’s about how you show up in real life. How do your habits, mindset, and daily actions reflect the purpose you carry?

Kesha introduces the concept of the “life resume,” a tool to help you take stock of your lived experiences, natural talents, and the meaningful ways you already contribute to the world around you. They explore how practicing your gifts consistently can create a deeper sense of purpose and how alignment in your life can unlock a greater impact.

Whether you’re rediscovering your voice or stepping into a new season, this conversation encourages you to be fully present with what you’ve been given and to lead from there.

What You’ll Hear:

• What a life resume is and how to create one
• How to identify your natural gifts by looking at where you’ve already made impact
• Why consistent habits matter more than big moments
• How proximity and presence help shape purpose
• Real stories of transformation through living in alignment
• A reminder that your gift is meant to serve others, not just yourself

Challenge for the Week:

Write your life resume. Think about the roles you’ve played, the people you’ve helped, the values you live by, and the lessons you’ve learned. Use it as a reminder of who you are and what you carry.

To go deeper, reach out to Kesha at [email protected] for details on the Life’s Work Challenge.

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