Brian Sims

I certainly agree. I think good behaviors and bad behaviors often have a lot of roots in how we were raised. In my case, I was lucky enough to be raised by two incredible parents. They were both still alive. They were both still in love. And my mom and dad are retired lieutenant colonels in the Army.

I certainly agree. I think good behaviors and bad behaviors often have a lot of roots in how we were raised. In my case, I was lucky enough to be raised by two incredible parents. They were both still alive. They were both still in love. And my mom and dad are retired lieutenant colonels in the Army.

In the 1960s, the United States was involved in the war in Vietnam, and my father was drafted and sent to Vietnam. And my mother left college and went and joined the Army as a nurse. And my parents met soon thereafter and stayed active duty in the Army for most of their adult lives, which meant for me as one of their children—there's four of us, I have a twin brother—

In the 1960s, the United States was involved in the war in Vietnam, and my father was drafted and sent to Vietnam. And my mother left college and went and joined the Army as a nurse. And my parents met soon thereafter and stayed active duty in the Army for most of their adult lives, which meant for me as one of their children—there's four of us, I have a twin brother—

an older brother and a younger sister, that we got to grow up all over the continental United States, from Kansas in the very middle of the country to Alaska and the sort of wilderness of Alaska. And I think when people hear that my parents are military, they assume that there was a lot of discipline, which there was, but there was also a ton of creativity.

an older brother and a younger sister, that we got to grow up all over the continental United States, from Kansas in the very middle of the country to Alaska and the sort of wilderness of Alaska. And I think when people hear that my parents are military, they assume that there was a lot of discipline, which there was, but there was also a ton of creativity.

There was a ton of love in my household. There was music in my household. There was good food and bad food in my household. And one of the ways that I know it shaped me, aside from that I'm very proud to be an adventurer like my siblings are, I think we're very comfortable being in places that are new to us and that we don't exactly understand.

There was a ton of love in my household. There was music in my household. There was good food and bad food in my household. And one of the ways that I know it shaped me, aside from that I'm very proud to be an adventurer like my siblings are, I think we're very comfortable being in places that are new to us and that we don't exactly understand.

But my mom was, by and large, one of the only women officers that I ever was around as a young person, that I was ever around on Army bases. Most of my friends' fathers were soldiers or officers, but not ever their mothers, but of course mine was. And

But my mom was, by and large, one of the only women officers that I ever was around as a young person, that I was ever around on Army bases. Most of my friends' fathers were soldiers or officers, but not ever their mothers, but of course mine was. And

It was very apparent to me from a very young age how in my household, my parents had a wonderfully co-equal relationship and they each had tasks and chores that aligned with their tastes and their likes, not necessarily with their genders. And outside of the house, I knew that my mom was treated differently than other mothers.

It was very apparent to me from a very young age how in my household, my parents had a wonderfully co-equal relationship and they each had tasks and chores that aligned with their tastes and their likes, not necessarily with their genders. And outside of the house, I knew that my mom was treated differently than other mothers.

And I didn't exactly know what that meant as a young person, but the older and older that I got and the more that I began to focus on public policy in my life, It became easier for me to, luckily, to draw from my own personal experiences to understand what not just equality looks like, but being proactive about equality. What being an ally means is about the things you do, not who you say you are.

And I didn't exactly know what that meant as a young person, but the older and older that I got and the more that I began to focus on public policy in my life, It became easier for me to, luckily, to draw from my own personal experiences to understand what not just equality looks like, but being proactive about equality. What being an ally means is about the things you do, not who you say you are.

My sister likes to joke that when my mom passes away on her tombstone will be engraved. I bet I could do that. My mom was someone who had a confidence that was based upon her output. It was based upon her experiences. It was not misguided. It was not arrogance. But my mom always knew who she was. And it was always very clear to us as her children.

My sister likes to joke that when my mom passes away on her tombstone will be engraved. I bet I could do that. My mom was someone who had a confidence that was based upon her output. It was based upon her experiences. It was not misguided. It was not arrogance. But my mom always knew who she was. And it was always very clear to us as her children.

I can remember very finite, very specific examples of male soldiers not recognizing that my mom was an officer. And that moment where my mom, you know, Let them know that she was an officer and their recognition of what was going on in that situation as a very little kid taught me a lot about about knowing your worth, knowing your value, knowing who you are and why you are.

I can remember very finite, very specific examples of male soldiers not recognizing that my mom was an officer. And that moment where my mom, you know, Let them know that she was an officer and their recognition of what was going on in that situation as a very little kid taught me a lot about about knowing your worth, knowing your value, knowing who you are and why you are.

And those are very elusive lessons, by the way. I don't even know if I've ever fully learned them. But I did know with my mom that my mom was confident enough to not let, for example, bad actors around her behave poorly in front of us. I remember multiple times as a kid, my mom stopping somebody and saying, absolutely not with that behavior, especially in front of my children.

And those are very elusive lessons, by the way. I don't even know if I've ever fully learned them. But I did know with my mom that my mom was confident enough to not let, for example, bad actors around her behave poorly in front of us. I remember multiple times as a kid, my mom stopping somebody and saying, absolutely not with that behavior, especially in front of my children.