Can Parties save the world?

Y’all remember this guy?!

I am hyped to share a message from the founder of Leader’s Lens and the local media agency What’s Happening Salem, Jacob Espinoza, on a new initiative we all can join in and support!

A few months ago, a client called me, frustrated. They'd spent thousands on leadership workshops, redesigned org charts, and hired a consultant to "fix communication."

Nothing changed. People still didn't trust each other. Collaboration was still surface-level. Meetings were still filled with polite silence.

Then one Friday afternoon, almost by accident, they decided to host a BBQ. No agenda. No slide decks. Just burgers, music, and a space for people to show up as humans.

Something shifted. On Monday, conversations were easier. Collaboration happened naturally. Trust started to grow.

The BBQ did more for their culture in two hours than two months of corporate training ever did.

That story stuck with me because it perfectly illustrates something I've been trying to teach for years: community is the strategy.

But here's what I've learned: most leaders don't know how to build community intentionally. They default to team-building exercises that feel forced, or they avoid it entirely because it feels "soft."

That's why I'm writing my FIRST book: 📘 "How Parties Will Save the World" — a manifesto for leaders, entrepreneurs, and everyday people who want to rebuild trust and belonging in a lonely, disconnected world.

Yes, the title is provocative—and intentional. Because while "parties" sounds frivolous, the principle isn't: intentional gathering is the most underutilized leadership strategy in modern organizations.

Here's the truth:

• Gatherings build trust faster than any workshop. When people see each other as humans first, collaboration becomes natural.

• Shared experiences create psychological safety. Teams that play together communicate more honestly at work.

• Informal conversations solve problems formal meetings can't. The best ideas often happen in the margins.

I've seen this firsthand building What's Happening Salem into a platform reaching 40,000+ people every week. The most powerful thing we do isn't the content—it's the connections it creates.

The book launches Early 2026 and includes practical frameworks for designing gatherings that actually build trust, case studies from companies that got it right, and a step-by-step playbook you can use starting Monday.

Here's how you can help: Pre-order the book for $0.99 today. Every pre-order helps prove to publishers that this message deserves a bigger platform and gets these ideas into the hands of more leaders who need them.

🔗 [Pre-Order Here for $0.99]

If you're a people leader who knows that connection matters but you know you could be better making it happen intentionally, this book is for you.

Thanks for reading, and for the work you do building better teams.

Jacob