You know what grinds my gears?

The Politics of Business and Marriage

It’s been a while since I put out a Politics and Parenting podcast. With so much going on with work and family, I have decided to focus my energy on No Cap Fund and Hardhits over Politics and Parenting. There isn’t much in this special episode hosted by my wife, Vanessa, about the traditional politics of Washington; however, the politics of business and marriage are front and center. She shares her story of leaving her career at a midsize corporation to join me and run Hardhits, a small community branding company that prints custom apparel. She asks me the pressing questions like Why did you start Hardhits? And what is it like working with your wife? The episode is longer than normal because there is no one in the world I enjoy talking with more than my wife, and so we just kept going. It was a ton of fun to shoot. We discuss the importance of communication in both business and personal relationships, the challenges and rewards of running a small business, and the role of youth sports in community building and personal development. We also discuss the value of teamwork and leadership on business success and personal growth. If you run a small business, have a family, work with your spouse, or want to run a small business, you don’t want to miss this episode! If you need custom apparel, contact Vanessa at info@hardhits.net or visit our website www.hardhits.net. [http://www.hardhits.net] Peace and Love, Jeff Mayhugh Thanks for reading Politics and Parenting! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com [https://www.politicsandparenting.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Non-Player Congress

Today, in The Hill [https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5167947-trump-musk-mandate-backfire-obama/], I challenge the Trump administration to think bigger. Every significant President that exerts their power, follows it up by bringing Congress to heel in a bipartisan way. If Trump wants to be one of the greats, he will find a way to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats on reform. He needs to walk into members of the Blue Dog coalition’s offices in the Longworth building and start a serious conversation about reform. There is a silent majority in America ready for this and mandates require the people’s backing. In this Pod, I am joined by my good friend Stephen Kent from Geeky Stoics [https://www.geekystoics.com]. We discuss a recent pod from Ezra Klein [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SIbQZM4Aulf3hIOmgzS0s?si=CU0aQmE4TVmFmhT8PhgIOQ] and his description of Congress as a Non-Player member. (In gaming, a Non-Player Member is a participant who isn't actively controlling a character.) We also talk about Elon and DOGE, and why bipartisanship matters. As a personal note, I just want to share what a joy it was to record with Stephen. He is a great guy. I love his profession, optimism, and seriousness. It was great to get together in person. I had a lot of fun. Thanks, Stephen! Show him some love and subscribe to Geeky Stoics, for all things stoicism, philosophy, and pop culture. If you like this pod and want more, show me some encouragement and become a paid subscriber. Peace & Love, Jeff Mayhugh Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com [https://www.politicsandparenting.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Revolutionaries vs Reformers

I got a little behind on work and am releasing this one a little late. But better late than never, right? In the episode, Walter and I discussed my November 26th article [https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5004848-nikki-haley-2028-ronald-reagan/] and substack [https://www.politicsandparenting.com/p/nikki-haley-birdbrain-or-neocon] about Nikki Haley and Ronald Reagan. Then, we debated whether our founders were Revolutionaries or Reformers. In the pod, I mentioned Tim Carny's article [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2711735/its-bad-when-foreign-governments-pay-millions-of-dollars-to-the-president/] from January 2024 about Trump's business relationship with China. I also found this article [https://www.aei.org/op-eds/corporate-welfare-for-china-a-swampy-trump-era-tale/] relevant to Walter and my discussion about Boeing. Enjoy! Peace and Love, Jeff Mayhugh Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com [https://www.politicsandparenting.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Roadtripping with the Father and my Son.

Happy Day after Thanksgiving! I recorded this pod last Sunday but didn't get a chance to edit it until yesterday. So when I talk about my latest article, it’s the one that came out on Tuesday the 26th. [https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5004848-nikki-haley-2028-ronald-reagan/] In the pod, I share some stories about my new job at Home Depot, a road trip with my son Oliver, and a coffee date with my twins. In the beginning, I shared how the responsibilities of customer service at Home Depot are similar to those of our congressional representatives. Then, I talked about how Oliver and I bonded on a trip to mourn a good friend's father. After I shared how reading Matthew 5:21-26 with my girls makes parenting just a little easier. Sometimes, it feels like I can’t do anything right; sometimes, it feels like I am failing everyone around me. It’s times like that when I lean on Jesus the most. Peace and Love, Jeff Mayhugh Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com [https://www.politicsandparenting.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

You know what grinds my gears?

Today on Politics and Parenting, I play you know what grinds my gears, parenting edition. I share stories from our house of children: Julia and the fan, Sadie being tired, and Oliver’s tendency to be grumpy. In the second half of the show, I play, you know what grinds my gears politics edition. I talk about my latest article in The Hill, a conversation on X, and why we should repair representation over saving democracy. During the second part of the show, I mentioned the formation of a select committee on election reforms, but I forgot to mention the members' names. It is a bipartisan committee [https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-gluesenkamp-perez-introduce-bill-to-establish-bipartisan-electoral-reform-select-committee] announced by Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) to tackle election reform. Part of the reforms they recommend center on representation and specifically expanding the House of Representatives.  Peace and Love, Jeff Mayhugh Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com [https://www.politicsandparenting.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]