“I see democracy as a reflection of and a demonstration of how much we value each other as human beings. And in that light, it is very relational. It is very interdependent.” Not Simple welcomes back Greg Thomas and Jewel Kinch-Thomas of The Jazz Leadership Project and executive coach Amiel Handelsman to talk about all the things democracy entails beyond voting. Learn more about their upcoming course, Stepping Up - Wrestling with America’s Past, Reimagining Its Future, Healing Together here.

“As women, when you carry a daughter, you’re also carrying your grandchildren… so having a quality experience of pregnancy will impact two generations down the line.” Kerry Arabena is the Managing Director of First 1000 Days Australia, which focuses on a child’s first 1000 days, from preconception to age two, as a way of strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. She came to Not Simple with infectious joy and an abundance of complexities, including modern matriarchy, intergenerational trauma, the undervalued role of men in families, and so much more.

“You don’t always know exactly what to expect, but you know that everyone is bringing their best to that moment and so then what is created is something that is reflective of all of those bests coming together." Jewel Kinch-Thomas and Greg Thomas are the co-founders of the Jazz Leadership Project, which uses the principles and practices of jazz to help companies and individuals work better. They’re tired of people minimizing jazz's importance with phrases like "Jazz is just... " and spend their half hour with Wendy uncovering the many, many things jazz is and does.

“We are the largest incarcerator in the world. That is our response to everything. I think it is the place where we cannot afford to oversimplify anymore.” Monica Hopkins is the executive director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia, and she came to Not Simple to talk about the US criminal justice system. What unfolded was a conversation about culture clashes, unpacking our reactions to behavior we don't understand, and the value of knowing our neighbors.

“The more complex work that I’ve tried to do is to really dig into those unwanted identities… and say, ‘Well, is it really true that I’m a burden to others?’” Rachel Simmons, coach and author, stopped by to explore our oversimplified binary of capable/needy and why it's so hard to ask for help.

“Even that simplifies the process; it’s just a box and a name on a tree and then you pick up the phone and there’s a voice on the other end of it and it alters the landscape just a hair.” Tom Draffen is a retired Marine Corps air traffic controller and a coach/consultant. He joined Wendy to discuss the complexities of sealed records, discovered siblings, and what it means to have a both/and family.

“What we find is that there are three aspects of life that they are good at nurturing… performance or achievement, personal growth, and well-being.”

 Nicolai Tillisch is a colleague at Cultivating Leadership and the co-author of the best-selling book Return On Ambition. Here he introduces us to the seven frenemies, tools for goal-setting, and the many ways we oversimplify ambition.

“The problem with strategic planning in a pandemic is there are so many different elements in there that impact our ability to have student achievement, but we can’t lose sight of that goal.”

 Six months after she first spoke to Wendy about the complexities of reopening school during Covid, elementary and middle school principal Aletha Snowberger returns to update us on how things are going.

“I’m trying to say yes to the things that bring me more joy.” After a long hiatus, Not Simple is back with producer Rebecca Scott, a Leadership Coach and part of the Catalyst team at Cultivating Leadership, joining Wendy to unpack the complexities of setting boundaries.

“Public health is happening in communities, in neighborhoods, where you live, where you work, and there’s not really enough appreciation for that.” Epidemiologist April Carson joins Wendy to discuss public health and the complexity of getting people to listen to simple messages—especially during COVID.