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Have you ever wondered what a long-gone voice would say about our increasingly polarized world? That's the question I explore in this deeply personal episode about my brother Julius - a true paradox of a human being whose absence I feel more acutely as our society grows more binary.

Julius was no ordinary kid growing up in the Cleveland projects. Born four years before me in 1972, he embodied contradictions that would make him impossible to categorize today: street-smart yet academically brilliant, the natural leader of every group he joined, and perhaps most surprisingly - a Black Republican from an inner-city family with deep roots in Democratic politics and civil rights activism. His Republican identity wasn't performative contrarianism; he genuinely believed in economic self-determination, telling me "If you want the money, you got to go where the money is."

From standing on milk crates to boil eggs at age seven (resulting in serious burns) to teaching me coding on his Commodore 64, presenting it as a magic trick, Julius packed immense wisdom into his short nineteen years. Some of his insights still resonate decades later: "Whoever told you that life would be fair?" and "If I have to live scared, then that's not living." He embodied fearless curiosity, describing Homer's Iliad with the same excitement others might discuss video games.

When Julius was murdered in 1992, just months before his 20th birthday, the world lost a uniquely complex voice. Today, as AI, politics, and questions of purpose collide in unprecedented ways, I wonder what he would contribute to our conversations. Would his Republican leanings have evolved toward MAGA politics? Would his entrepreneurial mind have created the next tech breakthrough? Would today's tribal thinking have space for someone who refused to fit neatly into expected categories?

Who's the person whose voice you wish was still in the room? What would they say about where you're headed? How might you carry their unique genius forward in your own way? Share your thoughts in the comments or send me a DM about your "Julius" - that rare voice you still carry with you.

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The invisible war raging through our society isn't about politics or technology—it's about the fundamental duality of human nature. In this thought-provoking exploration, Jay Floyd breaks down how we're collectively torn between two powerful forces: the cold, calculating, results-driven side that dominated much of the 20th century, and the warm, empathetic, relationship-centered approach that has gained prominence in recent decades.

Drawing from personal experience as both a leader and coach in the tech world, Jay shares a profound insight: this isn't a battle where one side should or even can win. The pendulum of human behavior swings naturally between these poles, with each representing vital aspects of our shared humanity. When one dominates too heavily, the other becomes invisible, creating backlash and division. "That's not hypocrisy," Jay explains, "that's humanity."

What makes this episode particularly powerful is its call to wholeness. Rather than choosing sides in this cultural war, Jay challenges listeners to recognize the complex interplay of these forces within themselves. The executive who appears cold but cries in secret. The empathetic coach who negotiates fiercely when protecting their rates. These aren't contradictions—they're complementary facets of being fully human. In a world obsessed with picking sides, embracing your complete self might be the rarest and most revolutionary act possible. Consider where you might be suppressing part of yourself, and what genuine wholeness could look like in your life and leadership.

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We spend too much time posting, watching, and scrolling with hopes of sparking change, when real impact starts in the mirror through internal alignment rather than external noise.

• Introduction to a three-part series called "The Real Reach" exploring how true influence begins with clarity, proximity, and identity
• Being informed is not the same as being aligned—we need to filter information through the lens of our unique purpose
• The most meaningful stages in life reflect what we built in silence through facing internal gaps
• Impact doesn't start when the world listens to you—it starts when you listen to yourself
• Your assignment is already within you—you are the uncut gem, carrying something rare
• Creating meaningful change requires turning energy inward to identify strengths and alignment
• Impact grows organically when we shine our light in our close circles before expanding outward

Take time for an alignment check: What's one area in your life where you've been loud but not aligned? Don't ignore it, because what you ignore will eventually lead you.

https://linkin.bio/iamjayfloyd