I asked my guest Joe Killian – a veteran journalist - to write these episode notes given his chosen profession:

What happens when a right leaning libertarian businessman and a left-leaning veteran journalist get together and talk? Sometimes they find common ground, agree on contentious issues and respectfully disagree on others. Shocker? It shouldn’t be. When you’re a maverick, you make up your own mind and aren’t intimidated by opposing ideas. This conversation has everything. The history of journalism and the shifting media landscape. Cancel culture vs. actual censorship. Ben Shapiro. Nikole Hannah-Jones. In my opinion there are few things more enjoyable than a long talk with someone who is intelligent, intellectually honest and with whom you may disagree on many things. Links to learn more about Joe Killian: NC Policy Watch Joe’s Twitter. Joe’s guest column for the News & Record (waaaaay back in 2004) about Tristan Taormino, the lecturer he tells us about from his days at UNCG. His story on Nikole Hannah-Jones turning down UNC tenure offer, going to Howard University. His interview with Walter Hussman.

His interview with Susan King, former dean of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

His story on the UNC Hussman faculty and Walter Hussman’s core values statement.

Joe Killian, Investigative Reporter, joined N.C. Policy Watch in August of 2016. His work takes a closer look at government, politics and policy in North Carolina and their impact on the lives of everyday people. Before joining Policy Watch, Joe spent a decade at the News & Record in Greensboro, reporting on everything from cops and courts to higher education. He covered the city councils of High Point and Greensboro and the Guilford County Board of Commissioners before becoming the paper’s full-time government and politics reporter. His work has also appeared in the Winston-Salem Journal, Go Triad, the Bristol Press in Bristol, Conn., and the Cape Cod Times in Hyannis, Mass. joe@ncpolicywatch.com 919-863-2402

Jenna Rice and Doug Cason are two very talented street artists in North Carolina, USA. In this episode we chat about:

Artistic freedom

How people sometimes misunderstand art

The role of art

Making a living as an artist

The spray can medium

Street Art and Graffiti

And advice for aspiring mavericks

This is part of a whole series of street artists that I’ll be hosting as part of our Kotis Street Art effort.

Doug’s Website

Doug’s Instagram - @douglascasonart

Jenna’s Website

Jenna’s Instagram - @jennariceart

Kotis Street Art Website

KSA Instagram - @kotisstreetart

Two black democrats and two white republicans - who happen to be friends - come together for a candid conversation about race, Black Lives Matter and finding common ground. Rev. Odell Cleveland and Bill Goebel from Common Ground Podcast https://thecommonground.show Deshawn Adams - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Google https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshawnadams/ A native of Greensboro, NC, Deshawn Adams is Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program Manager at Google. In his role, Deshawn is responsible for building and scaling DEI programs across Google and providing business leaders the knowledge and skills needed to build a more representative and inclusive company. Prior to joining Google, he advised Fortune 100 companies in technology, media, and entertainment industries as a human capital consultant at Deloitte, a global consulting firm. He began his career at UPS’s corporate office in Atlanta, GA after converting his internship into a full-time opportunity in CRM Technology and Sales during his time at Morehouse College.Deshawn received his B.A. in English from Morehouse College in 2015.

Odell Cleveland is a nationally recognized leader helping diverse groups reach common ground related to pressing social problems. He has decades of experience in business and nonprofit agency leadership, as well as expertise related to addressing tough societal issues. Having grown up in poverty, he has seen safety nets turn into hammocks. One of his goals is to help individuals untangle these hammocks/safety nets and lead productive and fulfilling lives.

He provides consulting services to individuals and other organizations, with specific expertise related to poverty, welfare reform and community relations. Odell has been called on by national think tanks such as the Urban Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, as well as many local and regional organizations to provide insights that lead to solutions. He is a motivational speaker, executive trainer and an esteemed meeting facilitator, leading diverse groups through tough issues and uncomfortable conversations, while at the same time understanding the common ground that leads to positive solutions.

On the administrative front in the nonprofit world, he has expertise in legal requirements related to setting up and running agencies, board member selection and training, controlling growth, financial stability, preventing mission drift and understands the business skills required to accomplish agency mission.

On the podcast Odell talks often about his grandmother who was a member of The Gullah Geechee people.

Bill Goebel has thirty years’ experience in senior management in training, marketing, sales, licensing, manufacturing, importing & exporting and finance. Bill teaches many subject areas including culture change, leadership, LEAN, troubleshooting, problem solving, and team building. He has provided instruction to over 30 different organizations.

He is the owner and President of MPACT Solutions LLC, a training company that provides online and hands-on instruction. MPACT has a propriety online skill assessment for identifying the technical skill gap for maintenance technicians and machine operators. He also owns a franchise of Focus CFO Focus CFO, a provider of fractional CFOs.

He has been on numerous boards for both profit and nonprofit organizations.

He recently served on a team that started a bank to service small business commercial loans in NC.

Bill is an Eagle Scout and currently serves as Vice Chair of Territory 15 of BSA. He is a Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope Award recipient, and a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow. He served as Area 7 President for BSA.

For the past 18 years, he has mentored high school boys from his local church. He has been on 13 short term mission trips to underprivileged areas of the USA, Cuba and Israel. He has traveled to over 42 countries.

He is married to Dori and has three children Will, Jessa and Elisa Kay.

He studied at Harvard, Case Western University in Cleveland, Roosevelt University in Chicago. His degree is in Business Management from Cleveland State University