Celebrating 200 Episodes! – with Linda J. Hansen – [Ep. 201]

Linda J. Hansen: Welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101® Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen, your host and the author of Prosperity 101® - Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics online course, the book, the course and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.com.

I seek to connect boardroom to break room and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs. My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful.

I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement and retention, and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity 101.com.

Thank you for tuning in today.  In this episode, I’d like to celebrate the milestone of recently releasing the 200th episode! Thank you to all the listeners, guests, friends, and family who helped to make that milestone possible. Your engagement, encouragement, and financial support have meant the world to me as I’ve tried to be an impactful voice in the ongoing fight for freedom.

If you are a new listener, you may know very little about me, the history of Prosperity 101®, or why I started this podcast.

My interest in policy and politics began many years ago. In fact, my grandfather was a journalist, speechwriter, and a candidate for public office. Unfortunately, he died at a fairly young age and never served as an elected official. However, his example, his many writings, and the books in his library schooled me even after his death. Although aware, I really didn’t think much about being involved until I became a mother. It was at that moment, when I took the first look into the eyes of my oldest newborn child, that I knew I was called to serve God through promoting freedom, prosperity, and human flourishing in America and around the world. The responsibility of motherhood helped me to see the importance of political awareness and engagement in a new light. I wanted my children – and all children - to flourish in freedom!

That desire is still true today and I know the freedom we have enjoyed in our nation came because our founders chose to respect and protect the God-given rights of individuals and to create a system of government in which the people – We The People – are the leaders, and we choose elected officials to represent our interests in the halls of government. It is no secret that the vision of the founders has been blurred in recent years, but the core truths of our Constitution and the values that made our nation strong remain clear, despite the assaults on truth and liberty.

My mission in life is to know Christ and make Him known and to promote freedom and liberty throughout the land. The podcast and other resources are not specifically Christian, but I do not shy away from sharing my faith and I encourage my guests to do the same if they feel led to do so. The overall goal is to simply promote the Constitutional principles and policies that allow for us all to speak freely and to even disagree on issues. That is what America is about – freedom.

I have been involved in grassroots politics for more decades that I care to admit and have seen firsthand the positive and negative effects of public policy on businesses, communities, and individuals. As our government has grown to leviathan proportions, it is important to learn from history to see what has worked – and what has not worked – when it comes to public policy.

Limited government brings growth and innovation, while oppressive government stifles finances and opportunities. Big Government overreach comes in a variety of packages: laws, regulations, ordinances, licensing fees, unreasonable tax burdens, eminent domain, and more.  I could go on and on…

I believe millions of people are unaware of the depth of impact government policies have on their lives.  We are so used to taxes, fees, inspections, regulations, and mandates that we hardly notice as they chip away at our liberty and prosperity, bit by bit, ever so slowly, until we realize we have become the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water. Like the frog, we are doomed unless we can break free from the environment meant to harm us.

That is my goal with Prosperity 101® – to help people break free from the restrictive, growth inhibiting policies enacted by Big Government. A first step in that is to help people understand that government has nothing until we give it to the government first. It is not government, but private enterprise – business – that funds the government. Businesses sell goods or services, hire employees, and both the business and the individual pay taxes. The more taxes or fees they pay, the less money they have available to reinvest in the business or to pay higher wages or increase benefits. It is a vicious circle and the only way to bring it into better balance is to have a limited government that adheres to the Constitution and spends less than they take in. That will not happen unless citizens demand that type of legislative and fiscal discipline from their elected officials.

Citizens cannot demand that type of governance unless they understand why it is needed, which is why Prosperity 101® can be so beneficial. In decades past, our educational systems taught the foundations of our government. We learned about the Constitution from an early age, and we learned about our system of government – the three branches, our national history, the rule of law, and our responsibilities as citizens. This is no longer the norm in our educational systems, nor is financial awareness – either for our nation or as individuals. This has led to a voting public that is less educated and aware of the policies that allow for and protect their personal freedoms. Many young people now believe socialism is an accepted form of government, and proponents are doing all they can to destroy our culture, history, and way of life.

I don’t know about you, but I could never just sit back and watch as our freedoms are destroyed one-by one by globalists and power-hungry elites who have rules for us, but not for them. I cannot remain quiet as our sovereignty and national security is threatened by policies that are absolutely destroying this nation from the inside-out.

I started Prosperity 101®, LLC in 2009. I wrote my first book, developed my first workshop, and spoke to thousands of people as a direct response to what I saw happening in businesses across my state and around the country. Many business leaders in states with restrictive policies on business were telling me they would move to a business-friendly state if a new governor (or new policies) were not put in place.  I realized then, as I do now, that millions of people go to voting booths and vote themselves right out of their jobs.

We have seen this very clearly in the mass exodus of businesses from states like California, New York, and Illinois, who have high taxes, oppressive regulations, and bloated government budgets. Businesses are fleeing those states, and with the businesses go the jobs, the tax base, and the opportunities for growth and expansion. Over time, the communities suffer and opportunities for prosperity disappear.

We have also seen the results of “woke” ideologies on businesses and communities, creating division, dependency, and often despair, and we have seen what chaos occurs when the rule of law is ignored in our courts and capitols.

I believe employers are a last line of defense for our nation.  Employers have a perfect opportunity – and reason – to educate their employees on the basics of our American government, free enterprise economics, and individual freedom and responsibility.

If employers do not, who will?

Most employees are past the age when something so simple would be taught in school, and yet it is of prime importance to the employee’s understanding of how the world works when it comes to their own ability to earn a living or live a life of their choosing.

I not only do this podcast, but I have a very simple 12-lesson online course that is designed to help people become Informed, Involved, and Impactful®. Employers who share this course with employees may increase employee loyalty, engagement, and retention, and promote an increased understanding of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Once employees know you care about them enough to share truth, they begin to care about what you share. Be bold!

When I invite employers to use the course with their employees, I often hear, “It’s about politics. We cannot talk about politics.” Or I may hear, “I can’t discuss anything political.” However, you are discussing politics and policy when you are allowing programs such as DEI, CRT, or ESG into your workplace. And remember, a non-action is an action. If you do nothing to defend the freedom that allows you to own or run a business, then you are, by default, allowing your freedoms to be lost. You are in a sense, discussing politics by not discussing it.

Whether through my online course, books, speaking engagements, workshops, or this podcast, my overall message remains the same. Elections have consequences, policy matters, and it matters who is elected.

The podcast is informative for everyone, and if you look back at the library of episodes, you will see a wide variety of issues covered. We have discussed immigration, the border, and human trafficking. I’ve had many episodes on energy and the importance of energy producing solutions that allow for our nation to be strong and independent. Episodes on the economy, with a wide variety of economists, have enlightened us on various consequences of economic policies in our states and in the nation. We have compared business-friendly policies in the fifty states and promoted common-sense solutions for growing the economy and allowing individuals to flourish. We’ve discussed medical freedom, national security and sovereignty, cancel culture, crime, school choice, protecting life, and how to share your faith in the workplace. I have interviewed guests who have learned the hard way about how important integrity is – in life and in the workplace, and no matter the topic, the episodes are all focused on issues and policies that affect businesses and individuals of all ages.

This work is a labor of love for me, and I hope you will not only continue to listen, but that you will join in the movement of employers, employees, and entrepreneurs who are embracing and promoting policies of freedom. Please support this program financially by going to the Prosperity Partner link on the Prosperity101.com website or by becoming an anchor sponsor, allowing your name and business to be advertised in each episode. And, of course, please share the Breakroom Economics® online course with your employees – or even with students you may know. Help them to become Informed, Involved, and Impactful.®

I’ll close with this: Episode 200 was titled Up Is Up, Down Is Down – Common Sense Policies That Work, and featured an interview with my guest, Jonathan Williams from the American Legislative Exchange Council (otherwise known as ALEC). I couldn’t think of a better way to describe policies that work: common-sense. We could all use a little more common sense in government, and it is up to us to make sure we return to a limited government that promotes free enterprise and individual freedom for everyone.

Thank you for listening. Bes sure to contact me at Prosperity101.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen: Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101® Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don't forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library, to order my newest book, Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck or to enroll you or your employees in the Breakroom Economics online course.

You can also receive the free e-book, 10 Tips for Helping Employees Understand How Public Policy Affects Their Paychecks. Freedom is never free. Understanding the foundations of prosperity and the policies of prosperity will help you to protect prosperity as you become informed, involved, and impactful. Please contact us today at Prosperity101.com to let us know how we can serve you. Thank you.