Michael Tubbs: Governing with Heart, Elevating Stockton, and Fostering Inclusive Urban Progress

Mick Unplugged

Realm

Business, Entrepreneurship, Education, Self-improvement

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Tubbs is a trailblazing leader who made history as Stockton, California’s youngest and first Black mayor. Renowned for his bold approach to public policy and his pivotal role championing universal basic income, Michael rose from humble beginnings—shaped by poverty, an incarcerated father, and personal tragedies—to become a national voice for change and equity in American cities. A Stanford graduate, Tubbs has transformed adversity into action, focusing on making stories like his less rare by reshaping government to serve everyone and igniting opportunity in underserved communities. Today, he continues his mission running for California’s lieutenant governor and leading initiatives to end poverty and drive policy innovation nationwide.

Takeaways:

Grassroots Change Starts Local: Michael emphasizes that impactful change often begins at the local level, where community members can partner with government and step into leadership roles without years of experience—just a willingness to listen, learn, and serve.
Adversity Can Drive Purpose: Tubbs’ journey from growing up with significant challenges in Stockton to leading his hometown is a testament to the power of channeling personal hardship into a broader mission of service, showing that lived experience, combined with competence and discipline, fuels meaningful leadership.
Innovation and Policy Are Accessible: Michael dispels the myth that policy innovation is limited to experts—encouraging young leaders and business owners to engage with their local governments, uncover opportunities like government contracts or community collaborations, and believe that anyone invested can make a difference.

Sound Bites:

“If you have a heart to serve, a willingness to listen and to read, you are above 99% of folks in local office and you should be a part of the ecosystem. You don't just have to complain. You could do something about it.” – Michael Tubbs

“People were finally coming to look to us for solutions and not just for problems.” – Michael Tubbs

“Passion without competence is irrelevant. You have to marry that passion with some knowledge… or else you may make a bad problem worse.” – Michael Tubbs

Quote by Mick: Dominate your hometown or wherever it is you live, dominate there."

Connect & Discover Michael:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldtubbs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StocktonTubbs

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21utOIFQ8Wgw77WxMxzZKw

Website: https://mtubbs.com/

Website: https://endpovertyinca.org/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/
Website: https://www.mickhuntofficial.com Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	If you have a heart to serve, a willingness to listen and to read, you are above 99% of folks in local office.
0:08.7	And you should be a part of the ecosystem.
0:10.6	You don't just have to complain.
0:12.0	You could do something about it.
0:15.5	Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement, leadership, and relentless growth.
0:23.3	No fluff, no filters, just heart-hitting truths, unstoppable strategies, and the mindset shifts that
0:30.5	separate the best from the rest. Ready to break limits? Let's go.
1:00.5	Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplud, and today we've got someone that I call a hero. He became Stockton's youngest and first black mayor. He's a national leader in universal income, and he's a change maker redefining what's possible in American cities. We're talking about from poverty to policy, from vision to impact.
1:06.4	He's bold, he's visionary, he's relentless.
1:10.1	He is Stanford's finest. We're talking to none other
1:13.7	than Michael Tubbs. Michael, how are you doing today, brother?
1:17.4	I'm, wait, first of all, that was way too kind. Thank you. I'm good. I appreciate the kind
1:22.0	word. Well, I had to be kind because, you know, I'm a UNC. Tar Hill grad.
1:28.2	And for whatever reason, Stanford now plays in the ACC.
1:32.3	So the kind words just kind of stop right there because I'm going back into my
1:36.9	ACC routes and I don't like Stanford anymore.
1:42.3	But as long as we're not, we're like,
1:43.6	I was just going to say, as long as you beat Duke, I'm okay.
1:49.8	What's funny growing up, I went to go to Duke because I loved Coach K.
1:53.6	I know it's sacrilegious for you, but I wasn't to be a Cameron crazy.
1:57.9	But didn't get in.
1:59.0	So part of the reason why I ended up at Stanford.
	...

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