Raising Good Citizens - An Urgent Call to Action with Lindsey Cormack
Release Date: 01/29/2025
Meant For You
Monica Harris is the Executive Director of a Harvard Law graduate, former Hollywood executive, and author of The Illusion of Division. Monica explains how her experience as a gay Black woman in Hollywood and then in “flyover country”shattered many elite narratives about America. She describes why she believes much of our current polarization is manufactured by media and political interests, and how identity-based frameworks like liberated ethnic studies and DEI are deepening division rather than healing it. We dig into the following: Why “Liberated Ethnic Studies” is...
info_outlineMeant For You
In this episode, we speak with head of social media at nd a former climate activist who has completely rethought the story she was telling the world and herself. Lucy shares how she went from a left-wing digital newsroom steeped in oppressor–oppressed ideology and climate doomsday content to slowly “re-educating” herself, especially after COVID lockdowns made her question what the climate movement was really asking of ordinary people. We talk about how smart, idealistic young people get pulled into movements, from climate activism to “Free Palestine” marches and democratic...
info_outlineMeant For You
Vittert, chief Washington anchor and author of the memoir joins us to talk about his childhood, his career, and all the unexpected ways he truly was born lucky. Despite years of bullying and difficulty navigating school as an autistic kid, Leland had one enormous blessing: parents who never gave up on him, never lowered the bar, and never stopped believing he was capable of a beautiful life. The devotion of Leland’s father will melt your heart—and make you think about the millions of ways a child’s life can be transformed through love, discipline, and grit. Leland shares...
info_outlineMeant For You
What happens when a no-nonsense entrepreneur decides she’s had enough of California’s chaos? has ideas politicians won’t touch. She is a fearless entrepreneur, farmer, real estate developer, and a potential candidate for governor of California. You may also know her as one of the business tycoons on Undercover Billionaire. In this conversation, Elaine shares her frustrations with California’s government and bold ideas for tackling its toughest challenges. Shaped by decades of experience in real estate, building businesses, and running her own farm, Elaine brings a no-nonsense,...
info_outlineMeant For You
Our guest is Julie Smolyansky, CEO of s, the company that pioneered the kefir market in America and today produces 95% of the kefir sold in the U.S. Julie’s story begins in 1976, when her parents immigrated from Kiev ( the former Soviet Union) to Chicago. Her mother opened a deli, while her father, a mechanical engineer, missed the kefir he had back in the Soviet Union so he started making his own, and from that, Lifeway Foods was born. In 2002, tragedy struck. Julie’s father, Michael Smolyansky, died suddenly of a heart attack. At just 27, Julie stepped into the CEO role,...
info_outlineMeant For You
Charlie Kirk was a national treasure, known for his fearless commitment to open dialogue and free speech. We discuss why he was so important to us, and millions. While Charlie Kirk is irrereplacable, we hope his life inspires legions of people to courageously follow his path of upholding the foundational values and principles of the US. As mothers and citizens rather than politicians, we talk about what it means to intuitively know how to keep families and communities safe, why Charlies represented us and why his loss is so devastating. While we did not agree with all of Charlie's positions,...
info_outlineMeant For You
is the newly appointed Director of the Education and National Security Program at the In this important conversation, we disciuss how today’s ethnic studies curriculum, originally intended to promote understanding among diverse communities, is instead fueling division, promoting an oppressor-vs-oppressed worldview, and teaching students that capitalism is synonymous with white supremacy and exploitation. Brandy brings deep expertise to this topic, holding a doctorate in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco, an MSW from USC, and an M.A. in...
info_outlineMeant For You
Stella Escobedo is an Emmy award winning news anchor-reporter with nearly 20 years experience, a fearless journalist and an advocate who immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan. Stella is currently a news anchor for One American News (OAN). In this conversation, Stella shares how her upbringing shaped her values, her global perspective, and the causes of her disillusionment with mainstream media. Journalism was always Stella’s passion. but during the COVID-19 pandemic, something shifted. Stella began to question the media’s silence on critical issues: the voices of parents during...
info_outlineMeant For You
Karen McKinney was a prosecutor working in the gang unit when her path first crossed with Joseph Herrera, a man she would go on to prosecute for murder. Twenty years later, Karen faced Joseph when he was up for parole. Not exactly your classic “how we met” story. What no one could have predicted is that years later, the two would form an extraordinary friendship that would transform both of their lives. Karen saw something in Joseph that defied his past, a capacity for growth, empathy, and leadership. With her encouragement, Joseph began using his lived experience to help others...
info_outlineMeant For You
In this episode, we talk about the value of work with Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of wealth management firm based in Newport Beach, California overseeing $4 billion in client's assets, David is also a thought leader, and author of Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life. David wants to challenge one of society’s most accepted myths: that success means eventually not working. David makes a bold, and deeply personal case for why work isn’t just a way to earn a living, but a core part of living well. Drawing from his career in finance and his passion for...
info_outlineThis conversation is about reversing the trend of cynicism and erosion of trust in our government through education. Lindsay Cormack, an associate professor of political science and author of "How to Raise a Citizen”, joins us to discuss the state of US Government education in our schools. You may be surprised to learn that every state decides how much time to devote to this topic, and how to test students. Due to the inconsistent and often insufficient government education for millions, our students are leaving high school without a solid knowledge of our government functions and how to be a part of it. How will there be social changes if our young adults don’t understand our government, opt out and believe that the system is rigged?
Our government was designed to change slowly to ensure stability. We need to ensure our students understand how they can be forces of change through their votes and by joining coalitions and groups that they believe in. Today, many high school graduates have not read the constitution, aren’t aware of who represents them , and they lack the most basic understanding of the division of responsibilities in our government. If our students don’t understand the brilliance of our constitution, we can see why they would take it for granted and not do their part as active citizens.
Lindsey’s book gives parents a framework for having discussions about government and politics with their children. In this conversation, Lindsey shares recommendations for how parents can teach their kids to be good citizens with easy to follow tips for every age group. This episode is an urgent call to action for all parents to prioritize civic education and to help their children learn how to make a difference in their communities.
***************************
PLEASE HELP US OUT BY SHARING THIS EPISODE WITH A FRIEND!
Follow us on Instagram at @meantforit
Sign up for our newsletter here
Visit our website at www.meantforit.com,
email us directly at contact@meantforit.com
We want to hear from you! Guest suggestions? Partner with us? Drop us a note.
+ a special shout out to Mr. Armstrong, an extraordinday 8th grade History teacher from the SF Bay Area, for teaching students to become good citizens and changing lives every day. We wish for every student to have their own Mr. Armstrong!