In this episode, we're joined by Mike Nellis, founder of Authentic and executive chairman of QUILLER. Mike shares his journey from early political engagement to founding a values-driven digital agency and a pioneering AI platform. He opens up about overcoming personal mental health challenges and emphasizes the importance of empathy, leadership, and responsive government.

What We Discuss:

• How Mike Nellis turned a toxic workplace experience into a successful values-based company.

• Why mental health and workplace culture are core pillars of Mike’s leadership.

• The strategic role of AI in political campaigns and how it’s changing the game.

• Insights on effective fundraising, the current political climate, and what the Democratic Party needs to do differently.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:00 – Mike’s introduction and political fundraising background

• 02:00 – Leaving a toxic workplace and founding Authentic

• 04:00 – Mike’s personal journey through mental health and weight loss

• 07:00 – His daily mental health “toolkit”

• 12:00 – From Republican household to Obama rally

• 19:00 – Mike’s evolving political values and client strategies

• 27:00 – Firsthand experience confronting political abuse of power

• 35:00 – Diagnosing what went wrong in the 2024 election

• 48:00 – Navigating AI ethics and strategy

• 53:00 – Endless Urgency: Mike’s life motto and Substack

Featured Quotes: “Every day, you should do something for your mind, your body, and your spirit.” – Mike Nellis “Politics is a game of addition, not subtraction.” – Mike Nellis “I want a government that shows up when people need it—and then gets out of the way.” – Mike Nellis

Resources Mentioned:

• QUILLER.ai – https://www.quiller.ai

• Authentic – https://authentic.org/

• Endless Urgency Substack – https://endlessurgency.substack.com

• @mikenellis.bsky.social‬ | www.threads.com/@mike_nellis

If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

It's @coreysnathan on...

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• Substack

Our Sponsors:

• Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
• Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com

Let’s keep talkin' politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡

In this episode, Corey Nathan is joined by Pastor Doug Pagitt, Executive Director of Vote Common Good. Doug shares his remarkable journey from a non-religious upbringing to becoming a prominent voice in progressive evangelicalism. They discuss how his background in sociology and theology shapes his view of faith, culture, and politics, and how those insights drive his current work helping religious voters engage civically with integrity and hope.

What We Discuss:

• How Doug Pagitt came to faith and ministry outside traditional church upbringing

• What the Emergent Church is and why it matters

• How anthropology influences theology

• What motivated Pastor Doug to start Vote Common Good

• How Democrats can meaningfully engage religious voters

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] Introduction to Doug’s background and Vote Common Good

• [00:03:00] Doug’s faith story and early questions about Christianity

• [00:08:00] Embracing scripture through open interpretation

• [00:17:00] The Emergent Church explained

• [00:30:00] Why Vote Common Good was founded

• [00:43:00] Surprising insights from their faith voter polling

• [00:54:00] Six words to win back religious voters

• [01:02:00] Where Democrats often miss the mark

Featured Quotes:

• “I didn’t have to unlearn a Sunday school version of Christianity. I got to take Jesus at face value.”

• “We’re not asking candidates to be Christians. We’re asking them to like Christians.”

• “The difference between being required and being invited makes all the difference.”

• “Human beings organize our lives around patterns. The danger is when we mistake those patterns for the divine.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Vote Common Good: https://www.votecommongood.com

• Doug Pagitt’s books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Doug+Pagitt

If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

It's @coreysnathan on...

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• Substack

Our Sponsors:

• Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
• Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com

Let’s keep talkin' politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡

In this solo episode, host Corey Nathan explores how the "us vs. them" mindset is damaging our democracy and personal relationships. Sharing powerful stories and reflections, Corey examines how this mentality can escalate from figurative harm to literal violence—and what we can do to stop it.

What Is Discussed:

• How to recognize and avoid “us vs. them” thinking

• Why specificity matters more than generalizations

• How to reframe conversations to foster understanding

• When it’s best to disengage from toxic interactions

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] The real-life consequences of political tribalism

• [00:03:00] How a quote from the Declaration of Independence sparked online hostility

• [00:15:00] Why generalizing leads to vilification

• [00:21:00] Reactions to the peaceful “No Kings” rally

• [00:28:00] How to name and address divisive rhetoric

• [00:34:00] When it’s healthier to walk away

Featured Quotes:

• "Think specifically, not generally."
• "Shift our disposition from facing off to side by side."
• "Sometimes, you just gotta know when to walk away."

If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

It's @coreysnathan on...

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• Substack

Our Sponsors:

• Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
• Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com

Let’s keep talkin' politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡

In this episode, host Corey Nathan welcomes Liz Joyner, founder and president of The Village Square, a civic organization dedicated to bridging divides and fostering dialogue across political and cultural lines. Liz shares the story behind founding The Village Square, her passion for preserving democratic values, and her experience navigating political polarization with grace, humor, and tenacity. As dear friends and collaborators, Corey and Liz offer listeners a heartfelt and insightful conversation about the importance of disagreement, empathy, and genuine connection.

What You Will Learn:

• How Liz Joyner built The Village Square to combat political divisiveness

• The power of human connection and shared experiences in fostering civic trust

• Key strategies for having meaningful conversations across ideological divides

• Why now is a pivotal moment for preserving democracy and civil discourse

• How personal stories and experiences shape our political views and actions

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] Introduction to Liz Joyner and her work with The Village Square
• [00:06:00] Reflecting on her family’s military background and public service
• [00:13:00] The key question: How can we engage across our differences?
• [00:22:00] The role of The Village Square’s God Squad in promoting interfaith dialogue
• [00:31:00] The psychological roots of tribalism and political polarization
• [00:50:00] The threat to public humanities and the importance of civic institutions
• [01:00:00] Liz’s favorite spot in D.C. and its symbolic value for democracy

Featured Quotes:

• “We just need to do it. Reach out. Make the call. Share a meal. Be human.”

• “When we see others up close, we see their good intentions. That’s where empathy begins.”

• “Disagreement, done well, is the genius behind our democracy.”

• “The genius of our system is that it relies on heterogeneity—on us learning from each other.”

Resources Mentioned:

• The Village Square: villagesquare.us

• The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch: www.brookings.edu/books/the-constitution-of-knowledge

• Roger Herbert's Substack: https://rogerherbert.substack.com

• The National Portrait Gallery: https://npg.si.edu

If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

It's @coreysnathan on...

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• Substack

Our Sponsors:

• Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
• Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com

Let’s keep talkin' politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡

In this episode, host Corey Nathan welcomes Kamy Akhavan, Executive Director at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and former CEO of ProCon.org. Kamy shares his extraordinary journey from war-torn Iran to becoming a champion of civil discourse and political bridge-building in the United States.

What We Discuss:

• Kamy’s powerful immigration story and personal connection to today’s immigration challenges

• What's actually happening in Los Angeles vs what many news programs are showing

• How debate and listening helped shape Kamy’s open-minded leadership

• The mission of USC’s Center for the Political Future and its bipartisan impact

• The root causes of polarization and how we can counteract them

• Why respect, listening, and humility are foundational for meaningful dialogue

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] Kamy’s homage to Parliament Funkadelic and Sly Stone

• [00:06:00] Living through war in Iran and escaping with his family

• [00:14:00] Adjusting to poverty in Louisiana and finding strength in education

• [00:18:00] Discovering a passion for political discourse through debate

• [00:27:00] Leaving management consulting to lead ProCon.org

• [00:30:00] Kamy's role at USC’s Center for the Political Future

• [00:39:00] Building a culture where tough conversations can happen respectfully

• [00:55:00] A deeper look into today’s immigration debates and polarization

Featured Quotes: "Every person you meet knows more than you do about something. If you approach with humility, every conversation becomes a chance to learn." — Kamy Akhavan "If you really want to be a powerful advocate for your cause, the best tool you have isn’t your mouth—it’s your ears." — Kamy Akhavan "We all inherit democracy. And that inheritance is a gift many have died for." — Kamy Akhavan

Resources Mentioned:

• USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future: https://dornsife-center-for-political-future.usc.edu/

• ProCon.org: https://www.procon.org/

• The Democracy Group: https://www.democracygroup.org/

If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

It's @coreysnathan on...

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• Substack

Our Sponsors:

• Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
• Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com

Let’s keep talkin' politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡