Navigating the Storms - Politics, Propaganda, and Personal Responsibility
Arun: Episode nineteen,
final part of the year.
Oh,
Ps Vance: is it really?
Oh, wow.
Ps Adam: The final part
of twenty twenty three.
What a year.
It's been an up and down year.
It really has.
It's there's been some
Ps Vance: Backup for Bitcoin.
Yeah.
I
Ps Adam: know.
What a crazy up.
Finally time.
What a crazy tail end story for the For
the end of the year that Bitcoin is up.
Leading us into twenty twenty four.
Amazing.
Come on.
Another year.
Where we started.
Arun: I think it's cycles, So before
we before we get into anything
else, hot topic, there's a movie
on Netflix that just came out.
It's called, uh, Leave the World Behind.
It's produced by the Obamas.
So Really?
Yeah.
I didn't know they were
into movie producing.
Wow.
I
Ps Vance: don't think they are.
Ps Adam: Yeah.
I don't think they are.
But it's very interesting
that propaganda, just
Arun: to be honest with you.
Interesting.
Interesting you say that.
So I think this is based
on a book, a very old book.
Um, if you've ever heard of the
TV show called mister Robot, I
think it's the same people Yeah.
That made that show, um,
also made this movie.
And it's about a cyber attack an
imminent cyber attack in the US.
And so that's, like, the basic idea.
A lot of, like, you know, premier actors.
And so Oh, so it's fiction?
It's fiction.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so a lot of what people
are talking about right now is
this whole idea of predictive
programming, and I hadn't heard of it.
So I looked it up, and so I kinda
just wanna explain what it is.
If you guys have heard of
it, you can interrupt me.
Yeah.
Um, but it's this idea of, like,
fictional media, and there's this Higher
elite level like the cabal, if you've
heard of them, that are controlling
what is being shown in the media.
Right.
And they're using that to, Uh,
program us to be, you know, aware of
certain situations that are upcoming
so that when they do, you know,
come up, we don't think of it's like
it's just out of, know, nowhere.
We're kind of, like,
accustomed to it happening.
And so some of the
examples mainstream media.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so some of the some of the you
know, like, Simpsons, if you've
ever heard of, like, all the stuff
they predict usually on Oh, yeah.
I love watching those things.
Like, Trump was gonna be president.
Like, what probably one
of the most famous ones.
Like, Black Mirror has done a bunch with,
like, Netflix and, like, the strike they
were going on, and then Netflix, You know?
They had, like, the saga after
and then if you've this one was
Ps Adam: crazy.
Question, does life imitate art?
Does art imitate life?
Oh, interesting.
Right.
Right.
And it
Ps Vance: I
Arun: don't know know if you guys have
heard of this one, but, like, before nine
eleven, there was the show the x files.
Have you ever heard of x files?
They did a a I've never
seen it, but I heard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They did a sister show
called the lone gunman.
And six months For nine eleven, they
had an episode which, like, had that
same exact premise as the first show.
And so it's kinda like, you know, is it
confirmation biases bias after the fact.
Sure.
Um, but now everybody's
talking about this.
Why did the Obamas do this?
You had this whole show about
There's a whole movie about
the cyberattack that's coming.
And then right I think a week after the
reports of China having a cyberattack
on the US, infiltrating a lot of
our utilities and infrastructure.
That's right.
Just happened, and they're
talking about it right now.
And so yeah.
No.
It's pretty crazy.
I was just curious what you guys have
you how much do you guys know about
this, PsyOps, like, it's like, you know,
Ps Adam: like I mean yeah.
I I mean, I love a good PsyOps,
but I honestly haven't heard
too much about the movie.
I was Just randomly scrolling
through x, my favorite social
media platform last night.
And, uh, I saw a little bit about, uh,
Tesla's, Self driving Tesla is being
a part of the collision course of
humanity and different things like that.
I I didn't really understand it.
I didn't have enough
time to investigate it.
It was like, Okay.
Just another attack on Tesla.
So
Arun: that so that part of the movie
was basically there was some issue
with you know, they did a cyberattack.
They're able to take for the
full self driving cars, and they
use that to jam up the freeways.
Oh.
Because I think that the way
that they described it is
like a three pronged attack.
The first step is to cut
communications Uh-huh.
And your ability to to isolate you.
I took the first phase, and then
the second phase was I forgot what
the second phase was, but then it
would eventually lead to a civil war.
Right.
And so it was just causing chaos,
just this disinformation, and then
it would lead to, like, a civil
Ps Vance: war.
So
Ps Adam: so in the movie, uh,
who's who's the cyberattack from?
Is this from a sentient AI, or is it,
Uh, an actual government or parliamentary
Arun: party.
The idea is that it's from
a a government or a Okay.
Called the cabal.
Like, so, like, a higher group
that's controlling the world.
Um, and so this
Ps Adam: might internally in
power, but they just use the pawns
of the different parties Mhmm.
Across
Ps Vance: across kinda
geopolitical lines Yeah.
Or
Arun: Yeah.
Yeah.
Across.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Okay.
Like, globally.
Yeah.
So The elite.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ps Vance: Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I I don't know about that.
I don't know anything about that.
Right.
But what I will say is I absolutely
believe There is incredible influence
in terms of broadcast, media,
uh, and controlling narrative.
Mhmm.
Right?
I was, um, uh, watching Kim had never
seen House of Cards back in the day.
Used to watch House of Cards, and
it's this kind of political drama.
Right?
And, um, season one, there is this kinda
moment in which they show kind of the
strategy about Picking certain narratives.
Right?
Um, and so one of them was trying to go
against kinda the labor unions because
they were trying to push another agenda.
And they were, like, Trying to think
about the terminology, uh, that
everybody can consistently say.
Mhmm.
And so they just seeded it.
They seeded it into the to the media
with one of kind of their moles.
Mhmm.
Right?
And they called it disorganized chaos.
Right?
That was, like, the term.
And then all of a sudden you see that
everybody just keeps repeating Mhmm.
The same thing, and it became like
the thing that influenced people's
hearts and minds to then maybe
vote one way or swing one way.
Right.
I absolutely believe
that's what's happening.
Right.
A hundred percent.
Oh, definitely.
Ps Adam: I mean, yeah, of course.
Whatever you put in front of people.
Right?
Propaganda works.
And what are you gonna present to people?
There is a a specific narrative
that you want people to believe.
You've gotta work overtime
to push that narrative.
Right?
And I think, you know, looking
at this movie, um, is it out?
Arun: Yeah.
Yeah.
It's out on Netflix.
Number one on Netflix
immediately, right when it drops.
Number one on Netflix.
I'm gonna watch it.
Ps Adam: I heard
it's
Arun: not I I don't know how good it is,
but Netflix is promoting it as number one.
So I don't know
Ps Adam: how good it is.
And maybe it doesn't need to be
that good, but maybe just from the
interest sake of the story line.
Mhmm.
Now now where I'm interested in
is if The Obamas are behind this.
Right.
And they're talking about
this this group of people that
really control the narrative.
Mhmm.
Is there an element to that story that
actually is they've seen behind the veil?
Arun: So I'll say that the director
was consulting with them directly, and
he said he was gonna go over the top.
And the thing that scared him is this
is what he says, is the Obamas would
say, well, this is how it would really
happen from our experience, and that
was scary That was scarier than To him.
To, like, for the what
he could even think of.
It was scary that they had something
to draw from to, like, you know, rein
it back in, which is, you know, I
don't know how much truth there is.
You know, obviously,
there's you know, who knows?
But
Ps Adam: Yeah.
I mean, I think there is definitely.
I mean, what look.
I mean, You can shoot me down for this,
but, you know, it is very obvious,
probably now more than ever with the
current administration That our sitting
president is not calling the shots.
Oh, for sure.
When when they come Most people know that.
When they can't fumble through
an announcement Or Definitely.
Or keep attention span or no directions.
You are not directing, you know, policy.
You are not directing anything when
you can't even know where to Simply go
and talk and all that kind of stuff.
So I think what we're seeing is
that there is definitely a group
of people that are constructing the
narrative, and he's a spokesperson.
For sure.
But what's the deepest layer that's
been consistent through government for
generations and decades and knowing that
this is the biggest business in the world?
You know?
And then they've got their allies,
you know, with BlackRock and all
these other things like that.
Yeah.
There definitely is the mass
population that we maybe the
conversations we're having Mhmm.
Really aren't even the
important conversations.
Right.
Ps Vance: I think that's why, actually,
you know and the political drama
side of it is is a bit annoying.
It can be divisive, but I do
think that there is validity to
people being civically engaged.
Mhmm.
Yes.
Because to what you said is so true.
Government is actually the business
bit biggest business on the planet.
Yep.
Like, if you think about, like, Some of
the best companies in the world, their
their budgets are hundreds of millions.
The government has trillions.
Like, it's just like,
what are we talking about?
This is the biggest business Right.
The world has ever
Ps Adam: seen.
Yeah.
When when it's easy for the
president just to write another
two hundred million dollar Yeah.
You know, loan to Ukraine,
and that's, like, nothing.
And it's like, woah.
Wait.
Wait.
That's two hundred million dollars.
Nothing.
They've done billions.
They're just like, oh, well, I mean,
we're already three trillion in debt,
you know, and let's just add it to that.
I think, really, what what we're looking
at here is there must be there's certainly
some, you know, uh, I would say, Crazy
stuff that's happening in the background,
uh, for sure, but I definitely think
we need to be politically engaged.
I think we need to I mean, the
narratives that you see from, you know,
Donald Trump or the vague about, hey.
We need to shrink the government.
Oh, yeah.
We need to drain the swamp.
Mhmm.
We need to the what the
illusion is is, hey.
They've seen behind the veil.
There are operators that
need to be taken out.
Ps Vance: Okay.
So this is this is actually a good
point because going off of this idea
that there are definitely people
behind the veil that are trying to
control narratives, If you're gonna be
civically engaged, actually, the best
way to do it, uh, wisdom would say,
don't get caught up in narratives.
Don't get caught up in
personality politics.
Don't get caught up in the drama of it.
Yes.
Just think about it pragmatically.
What's discernment?
Discernment is just Thinking
about it from first principles.
Okay.
So understand what you just said.
Uh, small government.
Okay.
Do you believe that?
Mhmm.
Why is it important?
And asking yourself, why do we
believe in small government?
Oh, that's right.
Because we're for freedom.
Yep.
Right?
And, uh, the larger the
government gets, that's actually
infringing on more freedom.
And so so So you're thinking about
this from a pragmatic standpoint
because sometimes you can get caught
up in the emotion of things Yeah.
And, uh, not be making decisions
based on actually things
that actually align to your
Arun: principles.
Yeah.
And I think the other part that the
other talking point that's coming
around this is there's these movies
like, this movie is coming out.
There's another civil war
movie that's kinda Same thing.
The US is in the civil war.
And it's this idea of, like,
kind of fear mongering, and it's,
like, right before the elections,
and it turns you back Oh, yeah.
Towards the government.
Right?
Like, a lot of this is, you know,
done in history, like, to do this.
Right?
Ps Adam: And so Yeah.
I think it's done in history, but I think
that that's a really good point, Vance,
too, is that The the smokescreen Mhmm.
Is the drama.
Yes.
The smokescreen is all the mean tweeting.
The smokescreen is get caught
up in the personality stuff.
Like, I think even the the trial right now
that that Donald Trump is going through,
it's a smokescreen for distraction.
Totally.
And, uh, that's what they
keep saying is, hey, the guys.
This this is just Smoke screen.
How is this even legal?
Mhmm.
How is this even legal to time it so
well that it's like we're trying to
knock a candidate out of the race?
You know what I mean?
And I think that there
is so many smokescreens.
If we get caught up in the drama
of things, we're gonna really
miss the core value of principles,
policies, all those kinds of things.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And But I think you're right.
I mean, I'm I'm I'm gonna watch it
Arun: tonight.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Because here's what you
what you think about it.
And if you want, I'll send you
all the Kinda talking points,
like, uh, conspiracy theories.
Know I want those.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
For sure.
I'm all about that.
It'll be a long a long process.
Ps Vance: So so you
started looking into it.
Yeah.
Uh, you know, Talk to us about
what what's your experience?
Like, obviously, things
like fear can come in.
Mhmm.
How do you process?
Yeah.
I think the the first thing that
Arun: because you're a
faith person as well.
Yeah.
And I think the first thing that that
came to my it's like, there's this
underlying kind of foundational truth
where it's like, you know, Satan is
kinda operating through a lot of this.
Right?
And, like, the fear and the kind
of division that he's trying
to, like, Um, Coerce is through
this kind of misinformation.
And so, like, even as I was looking
into this, it was kinda like, is this
real, or is this just, You know, some
way to get fear into me and to make me
think about, like, you know, kind of
poor decisions and, like, change how
I'm thinking about the world and stuff.
And
Ps Vance: so, Um, people, I don't
even think, do that, though.
Oh, man.
I think people just just take it in.
Consume it.
Yeah.
They just consume?
Yeah.
Sure.
You
Ps Adam: know what I mean?
Yeah.
I think the mass popular is just consumed.
Yeah.
It's like Um, but maybe it is a
a great point to ask a deeper,
like, question of yourself when you
watch this kinda Stuff go, okay.
Well, am I getting caught up in the
fleeting surface levels of life?
I think when you read the Bible Mhmm.
You know, the Bible makes it really clear.
Do not worry about what
you're gonna eat today Mhmm.
Okay, or eat tomorrow because God has
provided for the birds of the year.
And it seems very poetic,
but it's actually true.
Mhmm.
It's not saying, hey.
Don't worry about what you can
eat because, you know, we need to
worry about eat, but you're getting
so concerned with the temporary.
Mhmm.
Think about the eternal impact.
And I think that that is actually one
of the most founding Secure moments
for my life is when I realized that
a lot of things we can get caught
up with is actually quite temporal.
Yes.
You know, it's four years of presidency,
and it's different things like that.
And and, You know, I've seen people
get heartbroken over a football
Ps Vance: game.
For sure.
That's definitely true.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Arun.
Arun's turning to himself.
Ps Adam: But, you know, like, there's no.
Knock on you, Arun, but that's very low
emotional level of society that if a
fluctuation of a football game, a sporting
game can really Wreck your emotions.
Yeah.
Man, you're not equipped for
the bigger things of life.
And, uh, I think that that is part of
American society is being dumbed down
to being Loyalist to a sporting team.
Mhmm.
And that plays into the
tribalism of political agendas.
And people you know, it's that
saying, And vote blue no matter who.
That's half of the problem that
we have in California Mhmm.
Is this tribalism to say,
well, that's just my team.
Mhmm.
And it's almost like you back your
team when they're underdogs even.
So even when they're making bad
policies and bad calls, you defend
them because they're your team.
Mhmm.
The same way as your team makes a bad
play, You're still defending your team.
Mhmm.
When at the end of the day, in the
political system, it shouldn't be team.
We're team Jesus.
Mhmm.
We're team kingdom.
Yeah.
Uh, that should actually reign supreme
in the way we vote rather than going,
I'm Republican or I'm Democrat.
Mhmm.
Ps Vance: So good.
Arun: Yeah.
And even, like, to that point, I think
about, like, even when, like, I'm trying
to understand, like, why do NFTs work?
And it's all around this idea
of, Tribalism, and I think
it kinda ties into identity.
And people don't really know who they are.
And so when they can find a
common interest with people,
that becomes their identity.
And I think that's why, like, Sports can
break your heart, and that's like Yeah.
You're so tied to it
emotionally because that becomes
Ps Adam: Why do you think
we are so team oriented?
Why do you think we're so I like, why
we dent we because we identify with I
mean, we've talked about this before.
You're team Android with
team Apple, you know, iOS.
Yeah.
You know, there is We just
like to grab our team Yeah.
And we run with it.
Why do you think we do that?
Well,
Ps Vance: that's a good question.
I would make a distinction, though,
between tribe and community.
Mhmm.
Right?
And so I do think that we're hungry
for community if we believe that god,
the creator, is in community himself.
Right?
I I think the distinction between a
tribe is a tribe is something that
is even more deeply entrenched in
something I can't control or change.
For example, Um, you could have
tribalism based on lines of race,
right, or based on lines of ethnicity.
Mhmm.
Like, literally tribes of villages
Because that's your place of
origin, um, your place of birth.
It's we we look like
one another color wise.
Right?
That that is actually the True
definition of a tribe, and that's
why I think tribalism is toxic.
Because when you start creating lines
around things I can control, right,
that I can never break into your tribe.
Right.
I'm not welcome to your community if
we start drawing lines around those
type of things in America, for example.
Mhmm.
Right?
But I do think there's Uh,
a magnet towards that Mhmm.
Sometimes because the deeper
thing I think is community.
People wanna belong.
Right?
And so we We kind of default to,
like, well, I belong in my tribe.
But I think that is actually,
Uh, dangerous because then that
becomes click, not community.
Ps Adam: Right.
And and I guess my my point to
that is, is this Where the power
of brand actually comes in.
That if you can you know, when
you're starting a company or you're
developing a product, is the brand
the most powerful component of that.
Right.
Because if you win people to that
tribe or that community Mhmm.
Or around that brand Yes.
They're gonna they're gonna
become loyalists Exactly.
No matter what you do.
Mhmm.
Even if the product isn't as good
as another product, but you've
already got the brand buy in.
Ps Vance: Right.
A hundred percent.
Arun: Do you know how you guys filter it?
Like, make that distinction between
when you're creating a brand and,
like, growing a community instead
of growing, like, you know, Clicks.
Or as a business or somebody that's
growing a brand, does it does it
Ps Vance: really matter to you?
Actually, you had a conversation
with somebody recently that thought
they were building a community, but
they were actually building clicks.
Ps Adam: That's exactly no.
That that is the conversation.
That that really came down to when they
when they started their thing, the the
whole focus I heard the word community,
community, community, community.
I'm like, hey.
You gotta be careful with just
building community because if
you do build a community, uh,
if you offend That community and
the community isn't around you.
The community will go with
the people who are offended.
And so the community doesn't always
center around the one person that you
want it to center around, Uh, because a
community can be healthier or a community
can be toxic, but it all happens.
It's like the strawberry,
you know, connected.
So I think really what we Wanna
do is we want be have people
connected, I think, on an individual
basis rather than a mob basis.
Yes.
Mhmm.
Does that make sense?
Yes.
So that's how I think
the power of brand works.
If on an individual, you
have a great product.
So I'm I love that brand because I
know that brand delivers rather than,
well, you know, Jay z reps that brand,
so I'm gonna I'm I'm I'm with him.
So where whatever he's into, On me too.
Does that make sense?
Ps Vance: Oh, a hundred percent.
And I think the other insight I
got from that conversation that you
shared with me is The thing with
when something becomes a click, is it
because it's because it became insular.
Yeah.
It became about catering to that person
instead of calling that person higher.
So some of the most successful
brands, I feel like, are in
the world are aspirational.
Yes.
Right.
Right.
Like, you love Nike because you're
like, I just feel like I'm fitter.
Nike you know, you love Apple
because it's like, oh, man.
Like, I just feel more sophisticated.
I feel I feel smarter because
I have an Apple device.
Right?
It it makes me it makes me smarter.
I feel stupider With an Android.
Just like
Arun: Right.
You know?
Sounds pretty clicky.
I don't know.
Sounds very clicky.
Very
Ps Vance: clicky.
But but, yeah, it's this idea that,
um, you know, uh, can can the brand
actually, Uh, help you aspire to
be even greater than than you are.
I feel like people are attracted
Ps Adam: to that.
I think people are attracted to
that, and it's well positioned.
Marketing, you know, like,
uh, we're talking about Nike.
Remember we were at the, um,
the game in New Orleans Mhmm.
Or the Pelicans games.
Yeah.
And we came out of the Pelicans
game, and we just Ted, you know,
we just saw the Pelicans win.
It was amazing win.
Uh, Zion, we just crushed it, you
know, and, uh, that was spectacular.
Then we literally walk Sight.
Yes.
And on the parking garage across the way
was this gigantic poster of Zion with his
arms spread, and all it had was a tick.
And you just had his big muscular arms
out, you know, holding a basketball.
And you're like, that's awesome.
Nike.
They didn't need to do it.
We just watched Zion.
Yeah.
But they capitalized Yes.
On the feelings and the emotions
And walked out like, that's my dude.
Yeah.
I didn't even support the Pelicans.
Yeah.
But I was like, I wanted to salute him.
I don't know why, but it just it just
got the emotion and the connection, and
it was really great brand power, Uh,
to go, man, they're just they're really
going after the feeling, the connection.
And I think they've tapped
into something humanistic.
Oh, yeah.
That that a great brand makes you feel.
Yes.
That's what a brand if it's gonna
be effective, it makes you feel,
and you gotta feel that thing.
So I think this is where we're getting,
you know, full circle back to the psyop.
I feel like it triggers
emotions within you.
And, We we can't get away from being
human and having emotions, but can
we not get caught up in the drama?
And it's so easy to get Caught up in the
drama of a political, you know, propaganda
or whatever because we are emotional.
But how do we feel the right things
and not get led by our wrong emotions?
That is so good.
That's where the enemy
lies to grab your emotions.
Mhmm.
So now he's got locked up in fear.
You know, the government's in control,
and you start, you know, building a
shack out in the middle of nowhere and
becoming ineffective for the kingdom.
Well, hang on.
The enemy wins if he changes
most of your conversation off
Kingdom and on to political.
Mhmm.
Oh, for
Ps Vance: sure.
And and what I what I am kinda learning
through this conversation too that that
I'm reminded of is that at the end of
the day, people are moved by story.
Right?
And so to that point is, like, you can
use story to produce feelings of fear.
But on the flip side, You can tell
really great stories to produce
feelings of inspiration and more kind
of positive, uh, productive feelings.
Right?
And so I I found this to be true
because I I felt like I was in a
season building overflow where, you
know, you you start the company based
on vision because it's all you got.
Don't got any spreadsheets.
You don't got any traction.
You have to raise money
on vision, essentially.
And so you start in that premise, but then
you get a little bit more sophisticated.
You get some customers.
You get to that first million in revenue,
and then all of a sudden, you're more
mechanical because you understand how
hard that was to get to a million.
You understand, like, okay.
I gotta about margins.
I gotta think about unit economics.
I gotta think about customer acquisition
cost and average value per customer, and
you're you're going through the mechanics
of a business, which is all important.
Mhmm.
It's all good.
Uh, but I I I realized this past year
that, oh, People didn't originally invest
into me because of those mechanics.
Mhmm.
People didn't originally join the
company because of those mechanics.
People actually originally joined,
partnered, invested because of the story.
Sure.
Right?
And so when I started going back
to the roots of telling stories,
I started finding myself getting
reexcited about what we were building.
And through that, that energy
being transferred on potential
customers wanting to sign up faster.
Yeah.
Right?
And so I I came up with
this whole presentation.
It's called meet Alejandro, which is
this whole idea of talking about the
future of our road map, our product road
map, But not from, like, a position of
here's the product road map matrix, and
here's a spreadsheet, and it's gonna be
delivered by this date, and these are
the features, and these are the benefits.
No.
No.
It's just a story of Alejandro's
journey throughout the church Yeah.
And how the underlying theme about
every single transaction, whether
it's buying a coffee Or buying
church merch or giving Mhmm.
Within the church is all connected to
the thread of an overflow application.
Right?
And I realized that, okay.
Now I'm able to connect all these,
like, amazing things we wanna do into
one storyline that people can digest.
Mhmm.
And then people feel something Yeah.
With that.
Right?
And so it could be as boring as, like,
a fintech company all the way to a
SIOP Netflix thing, but at the end of
the day, People are moved by story.
Oh, that's so
Arun: powerful.
And I think it's a lot
of it is, like, the why.
Right?
Like, why you're doing it?
Because when you're going through
this and you're building and, like,
You're going through your seasons
and, like, the ups and downs.
You can kinda get caught up in
it, and then you forget the why.
Mhmm.
And it's kinda like that excitement
kinda, you know, fades away.
And I've talked to this, Like, with a
lot of my friends that kinda are going
through startups and stuff, and then that
kinda idea of, like, burnout happens.
And it's like, oh, I don't really know.
You know, like, every day feels like a
grind, but it but if you know the Why
and, like, why you're going about it?
Like, do you have, like, techniques
or stuff that you guys have done
in the past to, like, kinda help
you remind yourself, like, what's
the why if you go into something?
Ps Adam: Yeah.
We call it connecting the dots.
Mhmm.
You know, we're always trying
to connect the dots to the why.
You know what I mean?
Even in the early days when we
were setting up the church, you
know, why are we here at five AM?
True.
Because we're connecting the dots
When when that person comes to the
altar, there was things that we didn't
sit in the atmosphere and mastering
what was a temporary environment and
making it feel like it was permanently
vived and All those kinds of things.
And I think that the the skill of
a leader is in how they connect
the dots constantly for everybody.
How does even the janitor Feel like
they're getting this product to market.
You know what I mean?
And if you can do that, well, guess what?
The janitor's gonna clean better than
any janitor you can have because they
feel like they're part of the mission.
And so your job is to keep connecting
what we do to the mission, uh, how how,
uh, menial or how major the task is.
You gotta connect the dots.
That is another way of
saying, uh, this is our why.
Yes.
Ps Vance: Yes.
That's really good.
You you served in production team.
Did you feel like those
dots were being connected?
Oh, yeah.
Five?
An example?
Ps Adam: Yeah.
Even before production Mhmm.
Weren't you on the, A seven Oh, yeah.
V seven x.
V seven x.
Arun: Biggest scam ever.
No.
Biggest scam ever.
It was modeled after filming.
I did get I had to clean a city.
Honestly, it's still one of my favorite.
It's one of my favorite hoodies.
Yeah.
But for those that know, it was called
b seven x because the idea was you
serve seven times, And then you you
recruit people to come in after you.
Right.
But then you just stop.
The seventieth time later.
Seventieth time later.
We We were just we
Ps Adam: were just.
That recruiting problem was on you.
That's
Ps Vance: true.
Arun: Actually, shout out
to Sean who was also there.
Major recruiter.
He hasn't
Ps Adam: since.
But I will say
Arun: Sean gave up.
I will say, though, my time on
production, the one thing that
remained Drew, was no matter what,
it was like a group, a team effort.
It didn't matter if
your role started later.
Everybody showed up at five AM.
Everybody showed up at five AM.
And if there was a A place
where you could step in.
That was the it was okay.
Now I can help.
I'm still here.
Maybe my team you know, the setup
happens later, but now I can
Ps Vance: go help another.
Was there somebody that set the
tone They're, like, with that Yeah.
Set that culture I think it
I think it connected those
Arun: dots.
They're all off kind of finals down
from, like, leadership all the way down.
And but, like, with, like,
Danielle and Andrew Yeah.
They kinda set tone, and
it they lead by example.
They're always the first ones there.
They're always the last ones out.
Yeah.
And I think that kind of leadership,
it like, you can just see it.
With every level down, the
leaders that they produce, it
starts to, like, show it to them.
See
Ps Vance: see, that's that's the point
that I wanted to make is, like, um,
what we what we've said actually in
vive since the beginning is that you
have to actually hemorrhage culture
if you want people to even sweat
it, like, three, four levels down.
Mhmm.
Right?
And so I just was curious, Uh, because
it sounded like even, like, two, three,
four levels down, it was still so strong.
Yeah.
Because every single step of the
way, people were carrying that
Culture connecting those dots.
Arun: Yeah.
And I think they're carrying that
mission that you you bring in.
And I think a lot of it
stems from it wasn't here.
Here, this is what you need
to do, and then there's a
disconnect between you and Right.
That I think it kinda goes with
what we had talked about last
time, that deeper connection.
It's there.
Right?
And that deeper connection then goes
down to another deeper connection between
them and then the next level down.
You guys have mastered that.
Ps Vance: But you've seen sometimes, uh,
it's not every area that we've had that.
Right?
But sometimes it's like, it's
diluted in this area, and you've
had to go multiple levels.
Yep.
Yep.
How
Ps Adam: do you correct it?
I think there were times where
you definitely have to step
beyond a few levels to make
sure the connection's making it.
Yes.
That means there's a broken connection.
Yes.
That means that maybe
somebody is receiving it, but
they're not passing it on.
And so Looking like a good
Ps Vance: electrician.
Ps Adam: A broken circuit, guys.
Um, but, you know, it's like Like,
about I I I wanna assess where on
the connection is the break because
I could see it in the people.
Are they feeling, like,
loose or disconnected or Or
or it's not being repeated.
Language isn't being,
you know, uh, repeated.
I mean, let's talk bring it even the
propaganda talk that we started with,
You know, we're gonna feed people
language, and so people talk about it.
Absolutely.
That happens in the church as well.
For sure.
Uh, I know I can use it for good.
I can use it for evil.
I could easily say, uh, and I've
done this with the team before.
I can I can say on Sunday, hey?
This is fresh teaching.
Yes.
Yes.
I and if I say that several
times, everyone's report
from Sunday is like, wow.
That was fresh to you.
Percent.
You know?
So for me, I'm not gonna say
any of that crap because I know
churches that do that stuff.
Right?
And and, however, there are handles
that I want Culturally That's right.
Through the church.
So I'll frame it the same way every time.
I don't deviate from the sentence.
I make sure I say the sentence exactly
how I wanna repeat it because Repetition
actually is what catches the culture Mhmm.
So that people can now say it.
I always say that investigation
actually is the best invitation.
Yes.
So if I can actually make something
appealing enough so that someone actually
investigates it for themselves, then
they're actually a brand ambassador.
Yeah.
Ps Vance: The thing is if you want
somebody to carry the culture,
you have to have a handle.
Yep.
Right?
It's like a piece of luggage.
Yep.
Right?
If the luggage is culture and
you want them to carry that
luggage, Ask that to handle.
And so there's things that, like,
are ingrained in our church that
we don't even have on our website
anymore, but people will still echo.
Like, um, There's a culture that we
wanted to produce of kind of like
this forward driving type community.
Right?
Mobilize every member type church.
Right?
And so we used to say, um, we're
aggressive, but not arrogant.
Right?
And that was just a handle.
Yep.
That it's it's alliterated, um, and
it captures what we're trying to say.
We're we're saying we're assertive.
We're saying we're driving.
We're saying we're aggressive.
We're saying this is our nature Mhmm.
But not in a way that's
arrogant and off putting.
Mhmm.
Right?
But you just put that handle
together, Now people can carry it.
Yeah.
They understand it's descriptive.
You know what it is, and
you know what it's not.
Ps Adam: Yeah.
We just launched another one, uh,
you know, because we are now twelve
locations around the The globe.
And, uh, what we wanted to do is
we wanted to make sure that every
campus and the handle that we put
out there recently is We don't echo.
We amplify.
Good.
So that it's not diminishing returns.
Like, you know, you drop, you know,
a a pebble in a pond, It's gonna
have a ripple effect, but by the time
it gets out, it dilutes the effect.
Well but if we amplify it,
it actually has more effect.
Mhmm.
And so it's kind of like that nature
that we're not Just doing echoes of
Mountain View, but it may originate
in Mountain View, but now you get
to put your flavor, your culture.
Mhmm.
You need to put it through
the lens of Italian culture.
You gotta put it through
the lens of German culture.
Beautiful.
You know, UK culture through Hawaiian
culture so that you take the core,
but you amplify it with your culture.
Yeah.
It's these handles that give people,
uh, what we call per mission.
Mhmm.
It's mission, but they get
the Permission to achieve the
mission through their filter.
Wow.
So I'm adding their creativity.
It's not just a list
of, like, task soldiers.
Like, okay.
I'll do it.
It's actually add your creativity to it.
Make this yours.
Ps Vance: It's beautiful.
That's good.
I also think that what's
underestimated is nonverbal cues.
Yes.
Right?
And the actual actions Mhmm.
That you substantiate your words with.
And I've seen this.
Right?
I've seen this because we have Churches
in places like Italy that literally
don't speak the same language,
but it happens every single time.
Anybody from Mountain View location,
Uh, that knows VIVE Church Mountain
View and visits an Italian location
even though they know they don't
know any word that they said.
Right.
They always say, but it felt like VIVE.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Like and so but I know that's because,
you know, in the early days, we took,
like, five, six trips a year, and
I would see Pastor Adam and the way
that he showed up to a room and the
way he would just be tidying up wire.
Like, there's a bunch of nonverbal
things that people even though They
might not know what you're saying,
but they see what you're doing.
Yeah.
And then all of a sudden, that that
nonverbal cue is then replicated as well.
Um, I I saw this stat the other day
where it's actually really powerful.
The way that, uh, you walk into a room,
whether it's your home or maybe your
place of business, The way that you walk
into the room and you carry yourself for
the first two minutes will dictate will
largely dictate how the rest of the Wow.
The the home goes hundred percent
of the rest of the business goes.
Mhmm.
And I was thinking about that.
I was like, how do I walk in rooms?
Right.
You know what I mean?
Like about that now.
It's such a Yeah.
It's
Ps Adam: such a big deal.
It's a big deal.
I mean, I like traps for people.
I like I like traps for team.
I let I so there's been times, Uh,
where recently where I put, uh,
some trash out on the sidewalk.
Wow.
And I just wanted to
see and I was off-site.
I wanna see which team members
walked past it, which team members.
Arun: Oh, are you just watching?
You're just oh, wow.
Ps Adam: Yeah.
I'm like a little I'm
like a little stalker.
You know?
I'm just watching because I
wanna see, uh, is it oh, it's
not my job, Or is this my house?
Interesting.
How long did it take?
Didn't take long.
Actually, it didn't take great.
Beautiful.
And the people that walked past
it, I think they just might have
See, note, I'm gonna be more Fair.
Ps Vance: Fair.
About.
It's not done.
Arun: That's great.
Ps Adam: Yeah.
But I'm watching.
Ps Vance: Oh, that's interesting.
Arun: That's really cool.
I think that one key part about
that is you talk about actions,
but it was at every level.
And you, yourself, if you're a
leader, have to be the one to do.
To.
Yes.
You can't be you can't just be
Ps Vance: the one that says it.
Right?
You can't
Arun: outsource it.
You cannot and how do did you guys
have to go through that, or did
you guys always know it as leaders?
Kinda that was the way it was gonna be.
Ps Adam: I don't think I don't
think I knew any other way.
Mhmm.
I don't think I know any other way.
Sure.
I think, you know, it's it's
every problem is my problem.
Mhmm.
It's good.
You know, I don't high risk.
Sit there and say, oh,
that's your problem.
Well, no.
It's my organization, and it's
gonna reflect on my reputation.
Mhmm.
And so every problem is my problem.
Um, I wanna bring people into
the problem to help solve it,
but I can't just dismiss it.
Mhmm.
And so I think, you know, I'm I'm always
looking at, Uh, and you do you can run
the mistake of what your vision is on.
Right?
So we probably spent the first ten
years of VIVE Super focused on the
worship experience, but we probably
didn't pay enough attention to
the Sunday experience, which is
everything that happens side of Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
The auditorium.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
So what's happening in the tour autumn
at stage from breaching to worship,
and that is, like, off the charts.
But, uh, people finding a parking spot
and and, uh, people, um, you know,
getting information and all those kinds
of things that it's like, oh, man.
Now we're gonna focus more on that.
Right.
So it's like, It's what's in your vision.
It's what's in your optics.
And so I think unless you inspect
all areas of your organization, um,
it's easy to give all your attention
to the one that your eyes are on the
Ps Vance: most.
Yeah.
That that mentality,
though, is so powerful.
Every problem is my problem.
Yeah.
What I hear from that
is high responsibility.
Mhmm.
Yes.
Right?
It's this, uh, we we say At Overflow
because I'm a big Kobe fan growing up.
Mamba mentality.
Right?
This this idea.
So I I started hearing Something in
our company that was really frustrating
me because there were some, like,
really high performing team members
that we had, but they would say things
like, I I think I need an admin.
I'm I'm not great at admin.
Mhmm.
And I'm like, you just don't
you don't just get an admin.
Right.
Right.
So it's kinda like so so I I I
created I created this thing.
I
Ps Adam: think I need a masseuse.
I'm a little
Ps Vance: stiff.
You know what I mean?
Like, it's just like you
you're not allowed to say that.
Right.
Because And so I was like, okay.
I'm
Ps Adam: I'm gonna conf It's
a bad idea to admit any fault
to your boss, any weakness.
Be like, hey.
I really suck it at me.
Like, Okay.
We find somebody
Arun: else.
Yeah.
Ps Vance: No.
But I couldn't tell because
they kinda wanted to assist it.
And
Ps Adam: I'm just like, hang on.
Is this a gen, like, z
kind of employee or, like,
Ps Vance: Tig.
Well, they're all millennials pretty much.
Like on the bottom
Ps Adam: end?
We talking.
Ps Vance: Yeah.
There yeah.
I I would hear it on all the spectrums.
And And so I was, like, really frustrated.
I was addressing it in real time,
but then I was like, you know what?
I need to come up with, um, an analogy
for people so that So that when I
correct them, it doesn't come off too
harsh because I was really annoyed.
And I was like, guys, you can't just
say I I heard it, like, three times
in, like, the span of two days.
I was like, what's going on?
And so and so I created this
kinda theme within our company,
championship mentality.
We're gonna build a championship team.
And so Everything is under that banner
now, so it doesn't come off as harsh.
I come off as a coach.
Mhmm.
Right?
And so when when I hear those
type of things, and I've heard
it because it It it might not be
admin, but it rhymes like that.
Right?
It's like something else.
And when I tell people, it's like, no.
No.
No.
It's kinda like when you're, um,
playing basketball and you're trying
to be the world's greatest Basketball
player like Kobe was, he's not
allowed to say, man, like, I just
can't do a layup with my left hand.
Mhmm.
No.
No.
You work.
Mhmm.
Like, you're That's so good.
You're okay.
Maybe you're not gonna shoot with your
left hand like your right hand, But you're
gonna have some level of proficiency Mhmm.
On your left hand.
And so I've started to infuse that,
and people are getting excited now.
Mhmm.
So they don't say those,
Like, that crap anymore.
Like, I just I'm not good at
Ps Adam: admin.
It's kinda like I love one of the
the Kobe sayings where he was like,
uh, I see guys Turn up to training
on time and leave at the end of time.
Yeah.
Mhmm.
He's like, why am I passing them the ball?
Ps Vance: Exactly.
Ps Adam: Exactly.
He's turning up an hour before
training and staying an hour after.
Exactly.
So he's looking for the
hustle guys like him.
You know?
And, I think it's an excuse.
I need an admin.
That's that's so crazy.
That is so crazy.
It's crazy, but
Ps Vance: I no.
I I've heard it in church, right,
where Pastors will say, man, I'm
just I'm a phenomenal preacher.
I'm just not good at finances.
No.
No.
You're not allowed to say that.
You're the lead pastor,
CEO of the organization.
You're not allowed not
be good at financing.
Exactly.
You need to have some level I'm
not saying you have to be a CFO.
Right.
But you have to have some
level of proficiency.
Like, the same way I can do a layup
with my left hand, It's not gonna be
as good as my right, but I can do it.
Mhmm.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Ps Adam: That sounds like a
concoction for disaster to
say, I'm not gonna do finances.
Let me just leave it to somebody else.
Man, I tell pastors that, you
know, you the person you meet
with the most is your CFO.
Right.
More than your worship pastor, more
than your youth pastor, more than your
connections team, Your CFO, you need
to have we have two weekly meetings.
Good.
Me and my CFO.
So that we can actually go through
everything, update everything,
check everything, eyes on
transparency, all that kind of stuff.
Mhmm.
Uh, it's one of the it's one of
the most important areas, I think,
of an organization and, uh, and
Ps Vance: a church.
Well, that's one of your
other mental models.
Right?
As you you've said for a while,
No enough to be dangerous.
Yes.
So it's this this mentality that
you don't just outsource stuff.
Mhmm.
No.
No.
You gotta be involved.
Gotta be more.
As a leader, every problem I love that.
Every problem is your problem.
Every problem.
At the end of the day Yep.
Like, you can't just keep
kicking the Can down the road.
Like Exactly.
If if it's not solved, then it's still
something you need to pay attention to.
Yeah.
Arun: Yeah.
And you're not saying it's
it's wrong to have gaps.
It's it's just this idea of
you have to put the work in.
Right?
And you have to be able to overcome
those gaps because that's kind
of what gets filtered down.
And if somebody see it, oh, yeah.
He's not willing to put the work in,
he's just telling other people to do it.
Maybe that's the kinda, like, that
you know, you you talked about
that bad apple or that bad seed
that kinda just, you know, filters
down to the rest of your company.
And so it's like, From a leadership level,
you have to be the one that's like, okay.
I'm gonna go investigate this.
I'm gonna be the first one in.
That's a prop the
Ps Adam: problem is my problem.
Yeah.
The problem is my problem because I
think, Otherwise, you can start to build
an ivory tower where you actually don't
have any bad reports coming to you.
Totally.
And then you create this You create
this really brittle organization where
people can only tell you good things.
Mhmm.
And and before you know it, the
whole organization's frail, and
the next storm that comes, it
falls apart because hang on.
Everyone was telling me it was great.
Mhmm.
But because you only heard great news.
Well,
Ps Vance: I love the, Uh,
illustration you gave in the sermon
this past Sunday because it it
completely shifted my perspective.
You you gave this illustration
of a Sailing coat.
Yes.
Yes.
And, um, basically, long story short,
uh, because you had the sailing
coat And you were wearing it in
California in seventy degree weather.
You were actually looking for a storm.
Yeah.
Mhmm.
I was prepared.
Wanted to put the coat to use.
Yes.
Right?
And I think that's a mark of great
leadership is when you Stand that okay.
Hey.
Like, I have some tools.
Um, I'm equipped.
I'm called to this.
You're not trying to run
away from the problems.
You're actually trying
to run to the problems.
Right.
No.
No.
No.
I'm a problem solver.
Give me a problem right now.
Mhmm.
You're like, where's the problem
in the organization right now?
I'm a solve And
Ps Adam: these things about
your leadership, you're
only discovering problems.
Mhmm.
So, you know, like, we I've said
this with the sailing jacket.
There's, like, this
clear patch On the back?
Mhmm.
I don't even know what that is.
Uh, I don't know what it's for, but I'm
sure in the storm, I'll figure it out,
you know, because it'll reveal itself.
Mhmm.
It's the same thing with your faith.
It's the same thing with your leadership
that in the right conditions, you'll
actually learn things about yourself
that you didn't have or didn't
know without the conditions around
Ps Vance: you.
So good.
Arun: You know what's so interesting
about that illustration as well?
I think for somebody that's
looking to follow a leader, the
person you're gonna follow is
the one that looks most prepared.
I the illustration So
of having that jacket.
If I saw two people on a boat, the
person I'm gonna go talk to is the
one that's wearing the sailing jacket.
With the sailing jacket.
Yeah.
And so I think a leader, you
have to be the one that you
know, you look the most prepared.
If you are prepared, you'll be the
one that looks the most prepared.
The other
Ps Adam: thing is look at if you
go down to a a a sailing dock, uh,
And the stormy weather is brewing.
Look at the ones with
a smile on their face.
The ones who are excited about some wind.
They're not the ones who are out there
just to have a little picnic on the Mhmm.
They're they're looking to get sailing.
Mhmm.
You know what I mean?
And I think that's the leader is,
like, smiling when the storm's
coming because it's like, oh, now
we're gonna pick up some pace.
Oh, Yeah.
Now it's gonna cause some, uh, disruption,
and we're gonna have some waves to
Ps Vance: ride here.
Arun: I think that's a good
word for twenty twenty four.
Yeah.
I mean, it's it's are you prepared?
And if you're not, Don't ask for help.
Get put the work in.
Get prepared.
Ps Adam: So good.
Don't ask for an admin.
Arun: Don't ask for an admin.
People will work for twenty twenty four.
Don't ask for an admin.
I'm just not
Ps Vance: good at admin.
You know?
It's just
Ps Adam: not good at that.
Ps Vance: I hate writing
emails really drag.
Ps Adam: It's like, I need an essence.
I need an essence called work.
To write my emails.
Yeah.
It's actually called
Arun: work.
Would you feel like generations are losing
Ps Vance: that?
Oh, that's what
Ps Adam: I'm that's
what I wanted to get to.
Like It's like AI now.
Arun: Everything
Ps Adam: is automated.
I don't know.
I didn't know.
Like, I've seen a few,
uh, TikTok esque things.
I think on, like, um, reels where
it's like, You know, these gen z is
who are going off about, like, hey.
I'm like, I'm just not prepared to
work somewhere if they're not looking
after this, they're not doing this.
And I'm like, It's just hilarious.
I don't know if that's a true
representation of Gen z or if
they're just an easy target,
Ps Vance: but I've had conversations
where like, phone calls of just like, Yes.
I just wanna call because, um, you
know, I was just feeling a lot of
pressure, and I just wanna, you
know, look after my mental health and
Just taking care of previous trauma.
Like, every buzzword.
Yeah.
Ps Adam: Right.
Previous trauma.
Yeah.
Right.
Right?
This is your second job.
Oh my goodness.
Arun: But how do you even respond to that?
I mean, like, the the way the
world is right now, you if they
mention any of those trigger words,
You can't even say anything back.
You're like, okay.
Yeah.
Mental health
Ps Vance: tag.
I think
Arun: you can't well, I I
feel I mean, I don't know.
It's so woke.
It's so scary to get canceled now.
Well, what
Ps Vance: I feel like
is I feel like For some
Arun: of us,
Ps Adam: I guess.
I don't know.
I don't care about getting canceled.
Ps Vance: I feel like the the route that
I've seen effective uh, I'm not an Uh,
but the route that I've seen effective
is, I think, in moments of frustration,
we can just be dismissive of people.
But what I've learned is actually just the
art of reflecting back what they're saying
to them and helping them realize, okay.
So what I hear you saying is
and just reflecting it back.
Mhmm.
And then you can see kind of this journey.
Maybe it's slow.
Maybe they get it fast, But there is this
journey where they're actually, for the
first time, it seems like processing out
how ridiculous it sounds, you know, and
not accusing, But just clarifying Mhmm.
And allowing them to come
to those conclusions.
I mean, that's part of, like, leadership.
Right?
It's like, how good of a
question asker are you?
Mhmm.
If everything that you're doing
is just dictating, they're
not gonna have any ownership.
Right?
But if you're helping lead them
through conversation and questions and
sometimes you don't have the luxury of
that because you gotta get stuff done.
Right?
So I get it.
But Yeah.
Uh, but even taking
Arun: that initial step, even
maybe for yourself will allow you
to take a second to process it.
And I say this, you know, even
in marriage maybe, like Oh, yeah.
Talk about it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, like, I'm, you know, like,
first year married and stuff.
I'm doing a great job.
Ps Adam: Shops is a
Arun: trooper.
Fraser Fraser, honestly.
But no.
I think I think it is really Important to
be able to ask the right questions and to
bring that out of them as, like, a leader.
Right?
Ps Vance: Yeah.
Ps Adam: Look.
I think, you know, to the to that
generation that's emerging, and maybe
we've gone too hard on the Gen z.
Maybe maybe let's just poke holes
at millennials for a moment.
Yeah.
Let's do it.
You know, The the the the conversation,
maybe as an employer, uh, or, you know,
maybe not in the church and you're
out in the workforce, and there are
triggers like Mental health and past
trauma and all that kind of stuff.
But maybe you are, to a degree,
stuck with saying like, freaking out.
But you gotta men make a
mental catalog of Correct.
What's the fragility of this person?
Yes.
And your job as an employer is not
to support necessarily Support them
through their mental health journey.
Are they getting the job done?
Mhmm.
Correct.
And sometimes, actually, by
firing somebody is actually
one of the best things.
Oh, what a year?
Stock and go so good.
Maybe I can't act so fragile.
Mhmm.
Maybe maybe I need to toughen up.
Mhmm.
And and maybe they've just Been
pandered to their whole life.
And so now they're perpetuating the
system that that's all they know.
Mhmm.
Rather than the generation before
that probably just figured it out.
Like, I show weakness, I'm gonna
be the first on the chopping block.
Mhmm.
So maybe I've gotta get strong.
Maybe I'm gonna get in the gym.
Maybe I've gotta get there.
Like, if I kept getting beat up at
school, I realized after a while,
I better go and lift some weights.
You know what I mean?
I got I gotta be able to muscle up here.
I think it's the same in in the world.
And, you know, I'll probably
get canceled for that.
But
Ps Vance: No.
No.
I I I just think that there is
this we have to process everything
out loud with each other.
Right.
It's like, No.
I think you're meant to process
that with God or on your own.
Yeah.
Like, maybe you're not a third
person, but, like, just I think
you're meant to process that
before you take that in public.
You know what I mean?
Like Yeah.
What happened with I think
there was, like, we over we
overdid the vulnerability thing.
What a year?
Media.
We ever we ever did it.
Is that social
Arun: media?
Because now everything
you do has to get posted.
Ps Vance: No.
Yes.
I
Ps Adam: think it's social media.
Ps Vance: It's definitely
partly that, for sure.
It's like every
Ps Adam: thought you have I
think about this with girls.
Like, there used to be a day and
age where girls would do their
makeup at home, not on social media.
Right.
Well, now it's like they're
doing the makeover online.
It's like, Oh, okay.
Well, thank you for showing me
what you look like with our makeup.
Um, fantastic.
Good to know.
Um, but but, you know, there used
to be a level of, you know, secrecy.
Like, Hey.
Ps Vance: Like, we'll get.
Ps Adam: We have conversations
about this all the time.
Like, you don't need to
Show everything, guys.
You don't even show everything.
Yeah.
You don't
Ps Vance: even have to process a bit.
This is the crazy thing too,
especially with your boss.
Where's the balance?
Like that's like I I just I don't I don't
understand where it's kinda like When
I was coming up in my career, it it was
definitely like this idea that, hey.
Look.
I'm I'm here to serve the company.
I'm here to You know what I mean?
Like and I wanna bring my best self.
And all of a sudden, it for in some
context, it feels like it's reversed.
Oh, definitely.
You know?
And I'm all for servant leadership.
I'm not saying, like, oh, it's all,
like, you you serve your boss, but it's
just kinda like we've we've lost Some
of that, uh, honor, that respect for
the craft, for the job, for the company.
You know what I
Arun: mean?
No.
I definitely agree.
There's there's something about
This idea of independence that
kind of, like, perverted that whole
concept of there is a hierarchy.
There is some level of
respect that you're saying.
But people are like, oh, I'm independent,
so I can do whatever It's the best for me.
It's a good thing, and it's just kinda
it's all through the culture now.
And I think I kinda like
Ps Adam: Look.
I wanna try and stay cool right now
because you guys are getting me headed.
I feel like
Arun: it's about to come out.
When he finishes pot on fire, I mean, like
Ps Vance: And so that was the last,
Arun: uh, number nineteen.
Couldn't get to twenty.
Ps Adam: We're starting a new podcast.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Twenty
Ps Vance: twenty four.
Arun: Um, anything else?
Anything you guys wanna reflect
on before we close it to
Ps Adam: to today.
Uh, can we quickly just get a lay of
the land on the political climate?
Do you still like Vivek?
Are you are you going cold on Vivek?
Are you Back on Trump, where are you
Ps Vance: at?
So I watched the last debate.
Mhmm.
Um, and this is coming from somebody
that, like, really likes Beve.
Mhmm.
I thought he was And he's gotten
this criticism before, but this is
the first time I was like, oh, yeah.
You are obnoxious.
Like, he was just, uh, going for
personal insults on Nikki Haley.
He was going for was, like,
literally calling, like, uh, Chris
Christie's fat and stuff like that.
You know?
Regardless if it's true or not.
Like, you don't do like,
that's just Like, like, you
Arun: got caught up in
Ps Vance: drama.
Like, you were talking
about, like, the game.
There is a decorum to things
like we were talking about.
Like, there is some level of, like, just
dignity and respect that you're having.
Intelligence.
Like, You know what I mean?
Like, it's just like, okay.
Um, he's starting to play those games.
Yeah.
And I know that maybe those games
have worked in the past for for
certain candidates and stuff, but
that's that's personally been a
little bit off putting for me.
I still agree with a lot of his
main points and things like that.
Here's where I'm at with it.
I just think that at this point, we're
getting closer and closer to the nominee.
I don't think anybody's gonna catch Trump.
I just Oh, yeah.
I just He's just so far in the lead.
And so Did you say unfortunately?
Yeah.
I mean, like Did he say
Arun: that?
Yeah.
Ps Adam: Like, tell us what you're
Ps Vance: really doing.
Arun: It's, you know,
it's just like the person.
Right?
It's just the person.
You know?
I don't mind the one just
got caught up in the drama.
Caught up in the drama.
You're right.
We
Ps Vance: talked You see,
Ps Adam: I take a different
position with vague.
I I feel like it's very intentional.
He wants to be VP.
Right?
Ps Vance: Uh, maybe.
Arun: Maybe.
He won't say a
Ps Adam: bad thing about Trump.
No.
No.
He won't, uh, because I think it's
I think it's smart, but I think you
know you need to be in headlines.
Right now, you need to
control the narrative.
And he's doing that.
And he's trying to do things
that are aggressive Sure.
Because otherwise, he's
just a pushover Totally.
Young, You know, maybe in a few years.
But That's true.
But now I think they That's true.
His team is very smart.
They're like Yeah.
Go toe to toe.
He has to.
Push back.
Mhmm.
Good point.
That's what Trump did, and that's
what literally refreshed people.
Like, hey.
This guy's we're ready to stand
up toe to toe, and everyone
else does look weak to me.
I looked I I was bullish on
DeSantis in the early days,
but he's just muted and soft.
And I know.
It's like, man, I kinda want
someone who's got some grit.
I want someone is gonna stand up
to somebody else and say, hey.
You're corrupt.
Mhmm.
You suck.
You did this.
Yeah.
You actually used your your political
position and power to gain yourself.
And, You know, I'll I'd
kind of calling him up.
I want someone to stand up toe to
toe in the school yard and go, hey.
I'm calling you out.
So for me, that one major
point, Uh, for for vague.
Uh, and I'm is that your
number one candidate right now?
Are you?
I'm still see, I'm probably, You know,
circulating a couple of different Mhmm.
Scenarios.
I gotta be careful with who
I let people know I support.
For that.
I don't wanna I don't wanna do
that, uh, and persuade people.
But Yeah.
Yeah.
I feel like I I like someone
who I don't get caught up in
the drama of what's being said.
I don't get caught up in
the drama of a mean tweet.
Mhmm.
What I get I didn't even get caught
up in the drama of a fat call.
Okay?
Um, because for me, uh, what
I'm looking forward to is What
is fundamentally the policies?
Now they need I think candidates
need to play the game.
They need to get in headlines.
They need to be in the
conversation like we are right now.
Right?
Sure.
They need to be in podcast conversations.
Did you hear he said that?
You know, he left his
mic on the other day.
Did you see that?
And he's having a conversation.
You've got, Uh, Alex Jones.
You've got, uh, Elon Musk,
Vivek, um, all the big hitters
on that that that, uh, x core.
And Vivek went to the bathroom,
and he left his mic on.
And you can hear him go on the toilet.
And and someone's like, hey.
Someone's left their mic on.
I think it's you, Vivek.
He goes, oop.
Sorry.
I'm thinking I think
you did it on purpose.
A hundred percent.
Oh.
Because it didn't sound like Viral moment.
It didn't sound like toilet.
It sounded like something else, but yep.
Oh, I feel better now, guys.
You know?
And I'm like, he's looking for viral
Arun: moments.
He's really resonating
with a a younger audience.
He's smart.
He's
Ps Vance: really Smart.
Crushing that area.
Bro, he's smart.
Well, he
Ps Adam: had, like, twenty
thousand followers on on Instagram.
Oh, yeah.
He's now almost got a million.
Mhmm.
Oh, yeah.
You know?
So he's getting in the populous.
And a big part of The voting
narrative is when it comes to
voting, do I recognize a name?
Mhmm.
For sure.
Yeah.
Definitely.
It's like, oh, yeah.
He did that thing.
You know what I mean?
And I think that He's playing that game
because policies alone doesn't do it.
Mhmm.
It's gonna be cost policy and personnel.
We're in the United States of America.
Yeah.
If policies alone did it, there'd
be different We invented Hollywood,
Ps Vance: baby.
Exactly.
But do
you
Arun: guys have, like, a climate
on, like, the younger generation
and their interest in voting?
For me, it seems like there is
not a lot of interest in, like,
the political scene and all that.
There's, like, an almost, like, untapped
market of, like, voters out there.
Oh, for sure.
Feel like he, you know, It's kinda
trying to reach out to and get into,
but I don't know if you guys have,
like, just talking about even think
Ps Vance: millennials
do great job Oh, yeah.
Voting.
Yeah.
Definitely not.
Yeah.
I think we need to I I'm I'm I'm,
like, really been getting a lot more
interested, not in just national
politics, but even, like, local politics.
I've been doing a lot of research.
I'm just like, man, you know,
There's all these tools.
We we pay all these taxes.
We should care.
You know what I mean?
Like, we should I just complained.
What what what's been annoying me
is when I actually to your garbage
thing, actually, I don't know.
Like, God, the holy spirit,
whatever has just been highlighting
to me just trash everywhere.
I just see trash everywhere now.
And I'm just like, It's almost
to the point I'm like, no.
I really wanna do something about this.
This is ridiculous.
Like It is.
We really need like, we pay all these tax,
but, like, I know what my property tax is.
Right?
We we have these houses in the Bay Area.
And just like no.
No.
Like, we need to we like,
especially millennials that are
starting to get more mature.
They're in the thirties.
They're heading into the forties.
All that type of stuff.
We we have more influence, resources.
We should have a voice.
Ps Adam: Mhmm.
So that's that's Why you don't
generally get a lot of young
people interested in politics is
because it they don't pay taxes.
Mhmm.
Yeah.
To the degree, maybe they
pay some income tax, But when
you're paying property taxes Oh.
And that is, like, an astronomical
amount of money every year, you're
like, where is where is this going?
Mhmm.
And and who am I paying salary for?
And you start to actually have a mortgage.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Interest rates are affected.
Point.
All the Policies actually
now affect you directly.
Mhmm.
So that's when you actually get invested.
Up until then, you're just pretty
much interested in climate change
and some nuanced thing that you
go out there, you know, because
you're young and no responsibility.
You sit on a freeway Mhmm.
And you'll block something.
Uh, stop oil or whatever garbage
that you're on about Because you
actually aren't in reality yet.
You're in a fictitious world.
Like, this actually matters.
Mhmm.
And the grand scheme of things, when
you get dependents and people, You
know, who depend on new kids Yeah.
And their education and raising the next
generation for putting a roof over their
head and putting food in their stomachs.
What actually becomes more important than,
mate, let's Stop oil is actually, hey.
How was our taxes being used Yeah.
To better the environment that we're in?
Yeah.
Ps Vance: So
Arun: good.
I think local government's
important because we actually
have a chance to affect Oh, we can
Ps Vance: It's absolutely influenced.
Yes.
A hundred percent.
Like,
Arun: I I don't know.
You should go sit and,
like, I've been told this.
I haven't done it myself, and I want to.
Just those meetings where you can
actually go and voice your opinion.
Yeah.
I've been there.
Like, I feel like that's a first
step in being interested in politics.
And so, like, I've been told
this by people that kinda work
in, Like, local government.
Like, that's the first step.
Ps Adam: Absolutely.
We're working on it here in VIVE.
Um, we're we're putting a, uh, pretty
much a program together for anybody who
is interested in politics In college.
As a calling.
That's awesome.
We're putting pathways for for you know,
really educating them, equipping them
with mentors, giving them inroads into
School boards, uh, local boards, uh, just
really easy entry things that are gonna
get you connections and network in that
sphere, Um, and so give you a really clear
pathway on how to build really kingdom
principle and policy, because we just we
feel the future is about having kingdom
policy makers in positions of power.
It's beautiful.
Ps Vance: It's beautiful.
Arun: Well, it's been a great
year for the High Pod first year.
Ps Vance: Excited for what twenty
twenty You've been a great Yeah.
Appreciate you guys
having the awesome day.
Dude.
It's been You've been doing a great job.
It's been great to be with you guys.
You're popular with
Ps Adam: the people.
Ps Vance: Yeah.
The people love you.
And just a reminder, March sixth.
Oh.
March sixth.
Yes.
The hype network is coming
together at Flow Con.
We were just planning it, pastor
Adam and I, the other day.
We're gonna have a big hype
session It's gonna be exciting.
With some really, really special guests.
People are gonna be flying
in from all over the nation.
Uh, the hype network's
gonna show up in full force.
And
Ps Adam: So tell them who it's Four.
Like, who the year you think should be
Ps Vance: interested in this?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So this is really a conference,
um, at the intersection of Faith,
innovation, and technology.
Right?
And so that's essentially why
we started the Hype Network is
because of our Regional position.
Uh, one of our main locations being
in Mountain View, which would be
the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Right?
Palo Alto Mountain View, The heart
of the Silicon Valley, we naturally
attract to our church, entrepreneurs,
VCs, innovators, makers, People in
crypto, bullish on Ethereum, all these
type of things, emerging technologies,
people that are either building those
technologies, even if you're not
though and you're Interested in it.
That was one of the thing at one of our
last events at the Hype House that I
was floored by is there probably half
of the people are not building it yet.
Mhmm.
They were just kinda like He'd
love looking in, here to learn.
Mhmm.
And so if you are building it or
you're just here to learn, come.
Yeah.
Come.
And so you'll see some landing
pages in the next couple weeks,
Um, but just save the date.
March sixth.
It's gonna be during the day.
March sixth.
It's gonna be amazing.
Yep.
Arun: Excited.
Alright, guys.
Well, the
Ps Vance: last one.
Happy New Year.
Cheers.
