A Note from Bernadette
My son turns 16 today. Spoooky!
I'm raising a cisgender, straight, white boy who I'm no longer allowed to remind how much privilege he has. Heard. My son is very driven by fairness. He doesn't like anyone being treated unfairly, and that includes boys. I remember him getting mad once when someone said, "Girls rule, boys drool." He asked at the time: why is it OK when they say it, when it wouldn't be OK if I said it? I probably told him I don't like it when anyone says it.
When my boy experiences unfairness, he rants to us. In an era in which "fairness" has been justified as a reason to cut programs focused on equity, I hear both sides more closely. I'm still on the side of equity with a strong dose of story to support the why.
And for the record, I think just about everyone rules.
I'm cheering you on—
Bernadette
P.S. Planning a kickoff for early 2027? I have a keynote built for sales and client-facing teams. Hit reply and I’ll send you the details.
This Week's Good Vibes
Paraguay Says 18 Means 18
Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies voted to set 18 as the minimum marriage age with no exceptions. Right now, 16- and 17-year-olds can marry with a guardian’s consent. There were 6,111 adolescents ages 15-17 in marriages or early unions in 2025, and most were female. The bill also bars marriage between a minor and an adult. It is not law yet. ♐️ When an exception exists, ask who it actually protects.
NYC Pantries Now Feed Fido
New York City is putting $500,000 toward free pet food at 22 food pantries across all 5 boroughs. The goal is to ease costs for pet owners and keep families from surrendering animals to shelters. For many households, pets are family, and a budget crisis can force an impossible choice. ♐️ Ask what people are quietly giving up.
Airbnb Bets Big On Free Stays
Airbnb will now direct a portion of the revenue it earns from every booking to Airbnb.org, its nonprofit that provides free temporary housing. The company expects that to support 1 million free nights of emergency housing a year. Guests pay no extra fees, and host earnings are not reduced. Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million free nights to over 250k people in nearly 140 countries. It also supports families traveling for medical treatment, survivors fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking, and veterans facing serious illnesses. ♐️ Build help into how you operate.
Dads Are Taking The Leave
In California, men filed 51% of paid bonding leave claims in 2025. No federal law guarantees paid parental leave, but more than a dozen states and D.C. have programs. California offers up to eight weeks of bonding leave to workers of all genders after a birth or adoption, and a 2025 change raised the pay percentage to 70%+. NPR reports dads now exceed moms in some states with paid family leave. Pay and policy shape who is expected to do the caregiving. ♐️ People use what is funded and normalized.
Illinois Wipes Out Medical Debt
Illinois' Medical Debt Relief Program has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debt for 694k residents. The state put in $10 million and worked with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, which negotiates the purchase or donation of debt from hospitals. Residents need not apply. They get a letter with the good news. One medical event can bury a household, and here the help finds people. ♐️ Ask where your process makes people jump through hoops to get help.
Good Vibes to Go & Updates
Check out the stories in The Depolarization Project: stories of people defying division with curiosity and courage.