Podcasts about 1B

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

Apple hiked Mac and iPad prices 15-25% on the memory crunch; iPhones held steady. Anthropic accused Alibaba of distilling Claude 28.8 million times. IBM detailed a 0.7nm chip, Facebook revived its Creator Studio app, and Kalshi chased a $40B valuation. Apple raises Mac, iPad, and other product prices by 15%-25%, saying it has "never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly"; iPhone is unchanged (WSJ) Apple Raises Mac and iPad Prices to Counter Memory Shortages (Bloomberg) Sources: in a letter to US officials, Anthropic accused Alibaba of adversarial distillation, using Claude 28.8M times from April to June via almost 25K accounts (Bloomberg) IBM details a 0.7nm chip manufacturing process that utilizes a "nanostack" 3D transistor architecture, which it says could continue chip innovation for 10 years (The New York Times) Facebook brings back Facebook Creator Studio as a stand-alone app with a built-in AI chatbot to help creators grow their audiences through personalized guidance (TechCrunch) Meta looks to AI to review harmful content in cost-cutting drive (FT) Sources: Kalshi is in talks to raise funding at a ~$40B valuation in a round that may close as soon as Q3; Kalshi raised $1B at a $22B valuation in May 2026 (FT) Subscribe to the ad-free feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1. HEART OF THE MATTER 1A. Record-Breaking Missionary Numbers — Pres. Oaks at New Mission Leader Seminar At the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders (June 18–21, Provo MTC), President Dallin H. Oaks announced that the Church will soon have the largest number of full-time missionaries in its history, surpassing the current 87,000+ serving worldwide. The surge is driven by the first wave of 18-year-old sister missionaries (following the November policy change lowering the minimum age from 19) and the addition of 55 new missions in July, bringing the global total to 506. President Oaks outlined three characteristics defining the restored Church: (1) the fulness of doctrine (including eternal marriage between a man and a woman); (2) priesthood authority and keys; and (3) a unique testimony of Christ grounded in modern revelation and the First Vision. Sister Kristin Oaks also spoke, sharing six core truths missionaries teach. Source: Church Newsroom, June 20, 2026 Note: Strong potential for discussion on what ‘only true and living church’ means in a pluralistic world — Richie angle? 1B. New Hymn ‘Welcome Home’ — The Story Behind It Composer Andrea Brett explains how a 2017 encounter with Demetrius O’Neal — a recent convert serving as a greeter at a Spokane ward on a snowy Sunday morning — inspired her hymn ‘Welcome Home,’ now published in the new Hymns for Home and Church. Brett submitted 10 pieces when the global hymnbook was announced in 2018; this was the only one she’d written before the call. She received confirmation of its selection in February 2025, then had a full-circle moment when she and O’Neal sat near each other at the April 2025 General Conference as the Tabernacle Choir performed it. O’Neal’s name appears in the hymn’s tune name as a tribute. The hymn is now translated and sung globally. Source: Church Newsroom / Richie’s document 1C. Family History Records Are a ‘Sacred Thread’ — Elder Bragg at International Archivists Congress Elder Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Family History Department and FamilySearch International, was a keynote speaker at the III Congress of Archivists: Digital Archive Expo (DA-EXPO), held June 8–12 in Astana, Kazakhstan. He called family history records ‘the thin but sacred thread’ tying people together across generations, and argued that records are ‘in a very real sense, witnesses.’ Elder Bragg framed the digital revolution in genealogy in moral terms: for most of history, access to records was shaped by ‘proximity, resources and specialized knowledge,’ but today a record created in one place can be preserved in another, indexed in a third, and discovered by someone on the other side of the world. ‘The reach is astonishing. The speed is breathtaking. The possibilities are almost beyond measure.’ He also said that ‘access is an act of kindness’ — records only fulfill their divine purpose when they are found, understood, and used. His core message: preserving memory is an act of hope. ‘It says that the past is not dead to us and that the future deserves more than fragments.’ Source: Church News, June 17, 2026 Angle: Great ‘quiet but meaningful’ story — LDS family history going global and leveling the playing field for genealogy worldwide. 1D. America Gives — All 50 States Receive Food Donations The Church completed a milestone in its ‘America Gives’ initiative by delivering a shipping container of food to Hilo, Hawaii — marking all 50 states reached. The initiative aims to deliver 250 truckloads of food nationwide in 2026 to celebrate the U.S. 250th anniversary. In Hawaii, the food went to The Food Basket, distributed to 10 local nonprofits. Notably, 42% of residents on the island of Hawaii face food insecurity — the state’s highest rate. Rosie Rios, chair of America 250 and former U.S. Treasurer, praised the milestone. Local Methodist pastor Ted Lesnett said recipients will know ‘when they were hungry, someone cared.’ Source: Church Newsroom / Richie’s document 1E. Church Donates $250,000 NZD to Christchurch Anglican Cathedral Rebuild The Church announced a NZ$250,000 donation (June 19, 2026) toward the restoration of Christchurch’s iconic Anglican Cathedral — damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. Elder Peter F. Meurs (Pacific Area President) and Anglican Bishop Peter Carrell presided at the announcement. The donation comes as the project faces a $45M funding shortfall and an overall $219M budget. The Christchurch City Council has offered $15M contingent on government and Anglican Church matches. Notably, a New Zealand Buddhist community made a similar gift in 2023 — the LDS donation continues a cross-faith pattern of support for the heritage project. Source: Richie’s document Angle: Rare and heartwarming — LDS funds an Anglican cathedral. Good interfaith story. 1F. Central America Humanitarian Blitz — 5 Projects, 500,000+ People In late May and early June 2026, the Church announced five humanitarian projects across Central America (with Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, representing the Church). Projects include: the ‘Windows of Light’ eyecare program in El Salvador (350,000+ screenings to date); safe water access for 250,000+ in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (with UNICEF); nearly 750 computers/tablets donated to 66 educational institutions in Guatemala; and medical equipment for the ‘La Mascota’ children’s hospital in Nicaragua. Source: Church Newsroom, June 2026 2. FAITH & DOCTRINE 2A. President Christofferson in Philadelphia & Toronto A busy week of ministry for President D. Todd Christofferson: He offered the invocation at Becket’s Canterbury Medal Gala in Philadelphia (multifaith event celebrating religious liberty), alongside Elder Gary E. Stevenson and others. The group also visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall — fitting, ahead of America’s 250th. Christofferson reflected on D&C 101 and the Constitution’s purpose to protect ‘all flesh.’ From Philadelphia, he and Sister Christofferson traveled to Toronto, meeting 250+ missionaries in the Canada Toronto Mission weeks before it divides into three missions (Toronto West, Toronto East, and Montreal). He also spoke to hundreds of LDS youth, with one — Amelia Fischer — saying ‘no amount of words can describe how I felt tonight.’ Source: Richie’s document / Church Newsroom 2B. BYU Scholar Study: Religion Adds 7.6 Years to Life The BYU Wheatley Institute is releasing three reports analyzing 3,000 of the most scientifically rigorous studies (culled from 60,000+ papers by Duke University) on religion and health. Key findings: 33/34 studies show improved social health; 10/11 show improved mental health; 7/8 show improved physical health. Regular worshippers live an average of 7.6 years longer (up to 13.7 years longer for African Americans). A ‘landmark finding’: 256 studies show religion prevents/aids recovery from substance abuse (vs. 6 showing negative impact). Author Loren Marks recommends public health frameworks treat religious involvement like exercise recommendations. Source: Richie’s document 2C. Elder Soares Testifies in the Philippines Elder Ulisses Soares completed a two-week ministry in the Philippines (mid-May 2026), meeting with 600+ young single adults in Cebu, 450+ in Quezon City, and 340+ missionaries at the Philippines MTC. His recurring message: ‘His arms are extended to all of us.’ The Philippines has more than 905,000 Latter-day Saints — the Church’s fourth-largest national membership. Two new temples were also dedicated in the Philippines this month: the Davao Philippines Temple (Elder Renlund, May 3) and the Bacolod Philippines Temple (Elder Andersen, May 31). Source: Church Newsroom, June 17, 2026 3. CULTURE & CURIOSITIES 3A. LDS Author in Everyman’s Library — A First BYU biology and bioethics professor Steven L. Peck has reportedly become the first Latter-day Saint author included in the prestigious Everyman’s Library series (publishing canonical English fiction since 1906). His 2012 novella A Short Stay in Hell — a philosophical horror story about a Mormon man condemned to an afterlife library containing every possible book — went viral on BookTok and found a new audience. A literature historian noted: ‘No Mormon or Mormon-adjacent writer that I know of has ever been featured in this prestigious series.’ The Salt Lake Tribune covered the story, noting the irony that a theological horror story marks one of the most significant moments in LDS literary history. Source: Salt Lake Tribune / Richie’s document 3B. The Sasine Family — 40 Countries Before Age 1 Keith and Chelsea Sasine, an LDS couple stationed in Germany (Keith is an Army oral surgeon), made history in November 2025 by taking their youngest daughter Mia to 40 countries before her first birthday (March–November 2025), using a Honda Odyssey for European road trips. The family of six (including Izzy, 10; Abby, 9; and John, 4) attends local wards wherever they travel — a faith anchor the couple says strengthened their testimony and taught their kids the importance of the Sabbath globally. They’re planning a move to Colorado Springs in 2026. Source: Richie’s document 3C. Jen Affleck (Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) Expecting Baby #4 Jen Affleck, 27-year-old star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Dancing with the Stars alum, announced June 18 that she and husband Zac Affleck are expecting their fourth child. She shared the news on Instagram captioned ‘Chapter Four.

Welcome back to another episode of Bubba (@bdentrek) and the Bloom (@RyanBHQ). On BATB 358, it's a BloomBoard Tuesday. The guys begin their mid-season positional recaps with C and 1B.. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Everyday Conversations on Race, Simma Lieberman sits down with Steve Phillips — national political leader, three-time author, Guardian and New York Times contributor, and founder of Democracy in Color. His latest book is  Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America (his latest) Key concepts discussed: SWAMP — Straight White American Male Preference: a framework to reframe the equality debate and expose overrepresentation of white men (29% of the population, yet dominant in every power structure) SWAMP Audits — a practical tool anyone can use to assess their organization, city, or institution Virtual Precinct Captains — building a personal list of 20 people, keeping them informed, and making sure they vote The demographic transformation of America: from 88% white in the 1960s to 41% people of color today Why mobilizing the existing diverse majority is more effective than chasing white swing voters TIMESTAMPS Time Topic 0:00 Introduction & show overview 1:08 Guest intro: Steve Phillips — author, political leader, founder of Democracy in Color 2:43 Do we still need to talk about race? Steve says: now more than ever 3:41 The 2015 escalator speech and the politics of White racial anxiety 5:00 Post-George Floyd commitments abandoned — where we are now 6:10 Steve's background: growing up as a child of the civil rights movement in Cleveland 7:10 First Black family on Dartmoor Road; seeing MLK as a toddler 8:35 Simma's personal story: the March on Washington and her junior high school protest 9:08 What's happening with young people today — reasons for hope 10:07 Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral campaign as a generational movement 12:03 Young conservatives and Charlie Kirk: the danger of silence on the left 13:00 MLK's quote on the silence of good people 15:13 Simma's personal connection to Steve's books and finding hope 16:36 Brown Is the New White — Obama's election and demographic transformation 19:33 How We Win the Civil War — the Confederates never stopped fighting 21:38 Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? — the book's origin and SWAMP framework 22:20 White men are only 29% of the population — yet dominate every power structure 25:15 The "meritocracy" myth exposed — preferences have always existed for white men 26:35 The Emily & Greg / Lakeisha & Jamal resume study (University of Chicago) 27:58 The Chosen — how elite college admissions were rigged for preferred whites in the 1920s 29:40 Hope and strategy: the majority already exists — why Democrats keep losing anyway 33:11 If all Texans had voted in 2020, Biden would have won Texas 34:42 2024: Democrats spent $1B on TV ads instead of community organizing 37:00 Voter apathy, Nick Cannon, and why people say "there's no point voting" 40:40 Zohran Mamdani's free childcare platform and delivering for voters 42:00 Local organizing wins: Kansas City Tenants Union gets 6,000 votes and passes a bill of rights 43:13 A crusade for democracy: the call for a million precinct captains 46:25 The demographic revolution: U.S. is now 41% people of color (was 12% in the mid-'60s) 48:16 Progressive white allies — a historic tradition and a crucial part of the coalition 50:37 "Fear of a Black Planet Syndrome" and what individuals can do right now 51:57 SWAMP audits — a tool anyone can use to go on offense 54:16 DEI vs. racial justice: Simma clarifies the distinction 55:07 Practical steps: virtual precinct captains and SWAMP audits 56:16 Book recommendation: Practical Radicals by Deepak Bhargava & Stephanie Luce 57:23 Show recommendation: Andor (Disney+) — fighting back against authoritarianism 58:31 Where to find Steve: democracyincolor.com 58:57 Closing thoughts: keep talking about race, build the multiracial democracy  

What does managing $600 billion teach you about risk that most investors never learn?Jeffrey Blazek, Co-CIO of Multi-Asset at Neuberger Berman, joins Prashant on VC10X to challenge the assumptions that have quietly shaped — and quietly undermined — institutional portfolios for a generation. From the macro shift that is more permanently broken than rates or geopolitics, to the asset class generating 10 to 15 percent returns with zero correlation to equities, to whether AI is the internet bubble all over again — this is one of the most substantive allocator conversations we have had on the show.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comIn this episode:— Why deglobalization is the one macro assumption that will not reverse— The difference between short-term volatility risk and the purchasing power risk that actually destroys portfolios— Why bonds have failed as a diversifier and what replaces them— Catastrophe bonds: the non-consensus case for an asset class most institutions will not touch— The $1B to $10B institutional sweet spot and why scale is not always an advantage— AI investment: real conviction, real concentration risk, and the winner-take-most bear case— What the private markets miscalibration of the last decade means for LP portfolios today— The off-script manager due diligence technique that separates process from performance— Career risk as the hidden driver of institutional conservatism— Where rates are headed and why the old fixed income playbook is goneJeffrey Blazek is Co-CIO of Multi-Asset at Neuberger Berman, a $600B global asset management firm with over 700 investment professionals across 30+ offices worldwide.Links:Neuberger - https://www.nb.com/Jeffrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-blazek-cfa-a0a57212Connect with Prashant: https://linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - ⁠https://vc10x.beehiiv.com⁠Subscribe on YouTube - ⁠https://youtube.com/@VC10X ⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986⁠Subscribe on Spotify - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQ⁠VC10X website - ⁠https://vc10x.comTimestamps:(00:00) - Preview(01:39) - Introduction to Jeffrey Blazek(03:16) - Which Macro Assumptions Are Permanently Broken Today?(05:03) - Key Drivers of Long-Term Returns Most Investors Underestimate(06:24) - Coaching Clients to Embrace Appropriate Equity Exposure(07:55) - What Real Diversification Looks Like in Practice(09:51) - How Portfolio Construction Changes as Institutions Scale(11:55) - Should Investors Change Their Approach to Equity Markets Now?(13:31) - Evaluating a New Asset Class for Permanent Allocation(15:16) - AI: A Genuine Secular Shift or a Narrative-Driven Boom?(17:26) - The Bear Case for AI: Commoditization and Concentration Risk(19:30) - Uncovering a Non-Consensus Asset Class: Catastrophe Bonds(21:09) - Common Mistakes LPs Make in Private Market Allocations(22:58) - The Key to Effective Investment Manager Selection(24:25) - Analyzing Past Portfolio Mistakes: Errors of Analysis vs. Behavior(26:24) - The Gap Between Institutional Goals and Portfolio Realities(27:38) - What Drives Over-Conservatism in Institutional Investing?(29:15) - How Investment Needs Differ Across Institutions (Hospitals vs. Endowments)(31:38) - Advising Family Capital: Avoiding Common Mistakes(33:43) - Career Lessons Learned from Navigating Market Crises(36:01) - The Most Misunderstood Risk of the 2020s(37:22) - Is the AI Boom a Repeat of the Dot-Com Bubble?(38:15) - The Three Most Important Bets for the Next Decade(40:00) - Outlook on the Future Interest Rate Environment(41:19) - Where to Find Jeffrey Blazek and Neuberger Berman

For years, our entrepreneurial spirit animal has been Ben & Jerry… And now we get to sit down with Ben (the Ben) of Ben & Jerry. A guy who got his business start by making up numbers (literally).This hippie launched the biggest ice cream brand in America with his best friend from a dilapidated gas station in Vermont. And then pulled off the wildest acquisition deal in history, selling to Unilever for $326M (aka “The Double Dip”). Now they're doing $1B in half-baked revenue.Along the way, Ben tells us how they invented the collab (hello, Phish), shares his favorite flavor (you've never heard it), and why he turned icy weather into hot cone sales with a financial trick shot using a thermometer.But Ben & Jerry got famous for giving out 1 ingredient every brand avoids: Politics. So today we're asking Ben the big biz question of our time — Does it pay for a brand to take a stand? Is it a Profit Puppy… or an Ice Cream Headache?Yet Ben's biggest bite out of business is happening now: “Save Ben & Jerry.” Ben is battling to buy back his beloved brand — and he share with us his playbook to pull it off, including (spoiler), candy?CHAPTERS:Yetis, this interview is truly our best one yet. You'll hear:Ben & Jerry's Vermonters-Only IPOHow Ben suffers from a lack of tasting senseWhy the best entrepreneurs make up the numbersHis Favorite FlavorThe Crazy Thermometer IdeaHow they innovated the “Pint” with Pics (and 1 wild photoshoot)Whether founders should get politicalThe Double-Dip greatest acquisition deal in historyHow Ben & Jerry became a “pimple” on Unilever's buttCo-Founder FriendshipNEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special live episode recorded at SynthBee headquarters in South Florida, hosts Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz bring listeners inside a special gathering of neuroscientists, philosophers, and technologists debating the future of AI. Moving beyond hype, the conversation focuses on "Collaborative Intelligence" vs. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), exploring whether we are building tools that amplify humanity or autonomous systems that will eventually replace it.Instead of traditional interviews, the hosts invite workshop speakers to the hot seat for rapid-fire insights on the deepest questions in tech: Can we measure an AI's true intentions? Is consciousness a physics problem? And how do we ensure these systems remain compatible with human flourishing?News HighlightsDisney invests $1B in OpenAI & licenses IP: The hosts debate whether this is a masterstroke to engage fans with user-generated Sora content or a "Yahoo powered by Google" mistake that hands the keys to the kingdom to a rival.Valve launches new PCVR hardware: A quick look at the attempt to revive the high-end PC VR market.Meta adds real-time vision to Ray-Bans: The next step in multimodal AI wearables.Guest HighlightsDr. Uri Maoz (Neuroscientist, Chapman/Caltech): Discusses the "black box" problem of neural networks, comparing the opacity of AI to the human brain, and how neuroscience tools might help us detect deception in AI systems.Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Ethics Professor, Duke): Argues that ethical AI regulation shouldn't be a monolith; different cultures need "sovereignty of ethics" to allow diverse moral frameworks to coexist rather than one centralized Silicon Valley standard.Dr. Julio Frenk (Chancellor, UCLA): Frames the AI race as a battle between "Computational Democracy" (distributed, transparent power) and "Computational Autocracy" (centralized control), warning that universities must preserve critical thinking or risk losing the ability to govern AI at all.Reed Maxwell & Laura Condon (Hydrologists, Princeton/Arizona): Reveal how AI is modeling the planet's water crisis, predicting "black swan" climate events, and why funding for this critical earth-science work is mysteriously disappearing.Danny M (12-Year-Old Prodigy): Steals the show with a stunningly articulate take on AI consciousness, "trapped man" experiments, and how fractal geometry might map neural weights—proving the next generation is more ready for this future than we are.Dr. Aaron Schurger (Psychology, Chapman): Explores the neuroscience of spontaneous action and free will, debating whether "telepathic" connections and quantum effects in the brain could be the missing link for true human-AI compatibility.Jared Ficklin (Chief Product Officer, SynthBee): The former Frog Design fellow argues we must shift the conversation from AI "capability" to "compatibility," using the intuitive connection humans have with dogs or horses as the benchmark for successful AI interfaces.Thanks to our sponsor Zappar!Subscribe for weekly insider perspectives from veterans who aren't afraid to challenge Big Tech.New episodes every Tuesday. Watch full episodes on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vicki Dobbs Beck, the former head of ILMxLab and a 34-year veteran of Lucasfilm/Disney, joins Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz for a candid look back at her incredible career navigating the tech and cultural shifts inside one of Hollywood's most powerful empires. Though she announced her retirement, it was quickly delayed to take an interim lead position at the George Lucas Educational Foundation's Lucas Learning, focusing on project-based simulations for middle school—a return to a career passion she started in the early 90s.Vicki shares the core, "rebel alliance" strategy that made ILMxLab a success—sustained innovation, industry acknowledgment, and financial self-sufficiency—and tells the terrifying story of pushing the Quest 1 headset to its absolute limits for the launch of Vader Immortal. She discusses the crucial lessons learned from pivoting the development to center the player in the story, transforming the experience from a "spatial film" to a personal journey, and the importance of slowing the pacing down for a new art form like VR.Before the interview, the hosts dissect a week of massive raises in AI (World Labs' $1B, Recursive Intelligence's $335M), the strategic shifts of tech giants like Palantir to Miami, and the intensifying race in wearables with Apple, Meta, and OpenAI all developing new devices like pendants and glasses.Key Moments00:03:17 – World Labs & Unity AI: Discussing the $1B World Labs raise for 3D world generation and Unity's plans to build AI into its game engine to make it accessible to non-developers.00:06:11 – The Miami Tech Hub: Rony Abovitz on why founders like Zuckerberg, Bezos, Larry, and Sergei are moving to Miami—it's more than just taxes, it's about a new “America strategy.”00:12:30 – Apple Watch as Wearables Base: Ted Schilowitz argues Apple already has the micro-technology (from the Apple Watch) to dominate the wearables space, but the underperformance of Siri held them back.00:27:00 – LaserDisc Learning: Vicki's early career in Lucasfilm Learning using cutting-edge but bulky computer-driven laser disc players for educational multimedia.00:28:57 – VR is 'Outsized': Ted's thesis that immersive technology has historically been overfunded and over-expected to return a profit, contrasting with the "rebel alliance" approach.00:34:45 – The Quest 1 Launch Scare: The terrifying moment before the Vader Immortal launch when a tiny software update broke the app because ILMxLab had pushed the Quest hardware to its absolute maximum.00:42:11 – The Void & Full VR Power: Charlie, Ted, and Vicki discuss why location-based VR like Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire (The Void) represents the exotic, "Ferrari version" of VR that most commercial users never experience.This conversation is a masterclass in pioneering entertainment technology. Vicki Dobbs Beck's experience shows that the path to a sustainable, breakthrough product like Vader Immortal requires a clear, rebel-alliance-style strategy, a willingness to pivot on core design principles (spatial film vs. player-centric experience), and a deep understanding of the hardware's limits—or lack thereof. It highlights the essential tension between commercial scale and the pursuit of the 'ultimate' immersive experience.Catch the AI XR Podcast where you get podcasts and watch full video episodes on YouTube. https://youtu.be/vguuHDmaSbsThis episode of The AI XR Podcast is brought to you by Zappar, the folks behind Mattercraft. Mattercraft is the leading visual development environment for building immersive 3D web experiences for mobile, headsets, and desktop, and now features an AI assistant to help you design, code, and debug in real time right in your browser. Start building smarter at mattercraft.io. Listen and subscribe to The AI XR Podcast wherever you get your shows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cathy Hackl, futurist for Nokia and advisor to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), joins the podcast to discuss her fascinating work across the Middle East and her insights on the next generation of AI and connectivity. Learn how nations like the UAE and KSA are strategically positioning themselves to lead in spatial computing, quantum supremacy, and a hopeful, future-forward vision of AI.Cathy details her work in the Middle East, including her residency in the UAE and her advisory roles on massive projects like NEOM and Qiddiya, explaining how these regions are embracing technology as a means to modernize. She shares her perspective on the shift in global venture capital, noting how Europe and the Middle East are providing significant funding that is moving beyond traditional Silicon Valley terms.AI XR News You Should Know:The hosts discuss massive AI funding rounds, including a $1 billion seed round for Advanced Machine Intelligence and a $500 million round for Mind Robotics, highlighting the intense capital war for chips and the boom in robotics. They also cover the rise of YouTube as the world's largest media company and the ethical questions surrounding the collection of human data to train robots.Key Moments[00:01:19] Intro: Friday the 13th and geopolitical news.[00:02:17] Mind Robotics & Advanced Machine Intelligence: Discussing the $500M and $1B seed rounds for robotics and AI startups.[00:04:04] Headband Camera for Robot Training: Debate on the ethics of companies paying people to wear cameras to collect training data for robots, comparing it to "Gargoyles" from Snow Crash.[00:10:12] YouTube Surpasses Disney & Netflix: Discussion on YouTube becoming the world's largest media company with $62 billion in revenue.[00:11:29] AI & Media Market Dominance: Questioning whether today's AI music and video companies will eventually surpass all big film, music, and streaming companies.[00:14:40] Cathy Hackl Interview Begins: Cathy discusses her work as a futurist for Nokia, focusing on AI-native networks.[00:16:26] KSA Projects: Cathy's experience working on the virtual and gaming strategy for Qiddiya and on the KSA Pavilion at the World Expo.[00:22:07] Golden Visa & Gifted Residency: The privileges associated with becoming a resident of the UAE or KSA for highly skilled talent.This conversation offers a vital global perspective on technology, innovation, and culture that is often missed when focusing solely on Silicon Valley. Understanding these geopolitical and technological movements is key for anyone trying to anticipate where the next wave of global innovation will truly come from.This episode of The AI XR Podcast is brought to you by Zappar, the folks behind Mattercraft, a leading visual development environment for building immersive 3D web experiences—mattercraft.io. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or watch the full episode on YouTube. https://youtu.be/Mw0yM_qpGG8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Smith—Managing Partner and Founder, Emerald Advisors Michael Smith shares how a client-first philosophy, niche specialization, and independence helped Emerald Advisors grow from $385mm to more than $1B in assets. In Summary What happens when an advisor builds a business around client service rather than operational efficiency? Jason Diamond speaks with Michael Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, about the path from a successful Merrill practice to an independent RIA that has grown from approximately $385mm to more than $1B in assets. Along the way, Michael shares the story of being told he was “overservicing” clients, why that moment became a catalyst for independence, and how a highly specialized service model fueled the firm's growth. Drawing on lessons from a 24-year Navy career, Michael offers a perspective on leadership, specialization, client care, and what it takes to build a durable business in today's wealth management landscape. The Storyline Growth is often viewed as the result of marketing, referrals, acquisitions, or scale. Michael Smith sees it differently. After building a successful practice at Merrill, Michael found himself at odds with the constraints of the traditional wirehouse model. What ultimately stood out wasn't compensation, technology, or platform capabilities. It was a philosophical difference around client service. When he was told he was spending too much time helping clients navigate tax planning, equity compensation, and other financial decisions outside the traditional scope of investment management, he began to question whether the model aligned with the way he wanted to serve families. That realization eventually led him to launch Emerald Advisors in late 2019. The firm started with roughly 85 clients and approximately $385mm in assets. Today, Emerald serves more than 225 families and oversees more than $1B in assets. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the lessons learned from building an independent firm, developing a niche around concentrated stock positions and executive compensation, navigating custodial and technology decisions, and creating a culture rooted in accountability and service. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when firms become highly intentional about who they serve and how they serve them, growth often becomes the outcome rather than the objective. Topics Covered Merrill breakaways and independence Client service as a growth driver Building an RIA RIA growth and scalability Organic growth strategies Concentrated stock positions and equity compensation planning Ideal client personas and niche specialization Schwab and Fidelity custody relationships Advisor succession and enterprise value Navy leadership principles in wealth management The rise of mega RIAs Advisor technology and infrastructure > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did being accused of “overservicing” clients become a turning point? (08:15)Michael explains how a conversation with management revealed a deeper misalignment between his client-service philosophy and the wirehouse model. What does client service look like beyond portfolio management? (11:30)The discussion explores how tax planning, equity compensation guidance, and proactive coordination can deepen client relationships. Why can specialization accelerate growth? (15:45)Michael shares why serving a defined niche often creates stronger referrals, greater expertise, and clearer positioning. How has the RIA landscape evolved since 2019? (20:30)Michael reflects on the rise of mega RIAs, changing technology capabilities, and why he believes independent firms still have significant advantages. What role do custodians really play in an independent business? (23:15)Michael discusses his experience working with Schwab and Fidelity and why he views custodians as strategic partners rather than competitors. Is the wirehouse model still the right fit for some advisors? (26:45)The conversation challenges the assumption that independence is the best path for everyone and explores the realities of running a business. Does reaching $1 billion in assets actually change anything? (32:45)Michael offers a practical perspective on growth, success, and why asset milestones can be misleading. What can advisors learn from the “steamboat” philosophy? (37:15)Drawing on his Navy experience, Michael shares a leadership framework that continues to shape how he approaches business building and decision-making. Key Takeaways Exceptional client service can become a meaningful competitive advantage when it extends beyond investment management. Independence gave Michael the flexibility to build a service model that aligned with his philosophy rather than adapting his philosophy to fit the platform. Developing a niche around executive compensation and concentrated stock positions helped accelerate Emerald's growth. The ability to make technology, custodial, and operational decisions quickly remains a significant advantage for independent firms. Not every advisor should be independent. Running a business requires a different set of skills and responsibilities than serving clients alone. Growth milestones are useful, but they do not define success. Michael believes success existed long before Emerald reached $1 billion in assets. High-performing teams with a clear client focus often find that growth becomes a natural byproduct of execution. https://youtu.be/RjzsMcC2DnY Quotable Moments “I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing.” “Servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today.” “If you serve a niche and you're very good at that niche, that word gets around.” “Growth becomes the outcome.” FAQs Can an advisor really “over-service” clients? The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Does specialization still matter in a relationship business? Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. What actually changes when an advisor becomes independent? Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. Is full independence the right path for every advisor? No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. How should advisors think about the $1 billion milestone? Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. What role does an ideal client persona play in growth? Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. How can advisors balance growth with client service? One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. Related Resources The Transitioning Advisor's Lament: Things I Wish I Knew Before Freedom vs. Familiarity: Is it Worth Disrupting Comfort for Something That Might Be Better? IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider Advisor Transition Report 2026 Guest Bio Michael Smith, CPWA® is the Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, an independent wealth management firm overseeing more than $1 billion in assets for affluent families, executives, and business owners with complex planning needs. Mike entered the wealth management industry in 2005 after a distinguished 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served both as an enlisted sailor in the Submarine Force and later as a Limited Duty Officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and on major staffs around the world. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA with dual emphases in Finance & Accounting and International Business. Throughout his career, Mike has been known for his commitment to comprehensive planning, helping clients navigate complex issues involving concentrated stock positions, executive compensation, tax strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth transfer. His client-first approach and passion for education have helped Emerald Advisors grow from a startup firm in 2019 to a nationally recognized RIA serving more than 225 families. Outside of the office, Mike is an avid ultrarunner, golfer, lifelong learner, and dedicated advocate for children’s health initiatives. He is a current member of the Legacy Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served in leadership and board roles supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, the ALS Association, and the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. He is also the proud father of Kat Smith. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think a team needs to have a specialization to be competitive these days or do you think it’s okay just to be like, “My job is to be the best advisor and I want to service assets wherever those assets may come from?” Michael Smith: Another great observation. I’m going to address the niche first and foremost. I think, and I talked to R.J. Shook’s staff just recently, and having a niche gives you a specialization and it also accelerates your growth factor. If you serve a niche and you’re very good at that niche, then that word gets around. If you’re a jack of all trades, you can do lots of things but I don’t think you’re focused and you’re not hitting the right numbers that I like to see. And I think that would be my theme is the niche allows you to focus on a very specific type of ideal client, that’s a Schwab thing where you have an ideal client persona and our firm has an ideal client persona. As far as having the equity comp, I absolutely was one of the teams at Merrill Lynch that was equity compensation designated, I managed a couple of plans. My exposure to that, Jason, I haven’t thought about this in a very long time, came from UBS where I had team members that were colleagues that were associated with the Nextel Sprint plan. And I always thought that you’re taking care of the top executives but, really, my background being in the military was how do we take care of the troops, the troops, I call them sailors, and how do we educate those sailors. And one of the things I’ve always said in my entire career in the military and I still say to this day is 50% of every bonus or a promotion or something like that should go to long-term savings. So, I use that same mentality with RSUs, with stock options, with bonuses. Set that aside, let that grow because you’re not used to spending it and you will learn to spend what you make. Jason Diamond: I think that’s a great reason, it’s super smart and I love your explanation, it was a very simplistic way. Honestly, even I hadn’t thought about that around your niche, I think, becomes almost like a force multiplier for your own growth because it’s much easier to become the guy in X, Y, Z vertical than to be the guy in every financial advisor of America, across America. Let me ask you a follow-up question, you mentioned the ideal client persona. I spend a lot of time at our firm thinking about this as well, what does your ideal client persona look like. How do you think about an opportunity though that differs from that persona? So, it’s great. Obviously, everybody, it’s easy, you get somebody who’s your perfect prospect, they walk in the front door, sign me up. But when you get something that’s not down the fairway for you, is it just I evaluate it on a one-off basis or are you super disciplined to that approach because it’s who your firm is? Michael Smith: I truly haven’t given that a whole lot of thought but I will tell you how I would handle that because I am handling it with some one-offs. I like the opportunity because you’re stretching your brain in that you’re thinking about how somebody else is reacting so you’d never know. So, I like it from a learning perspective but I also know it comes with a lot of other baggage, I’ll call it baggage, because, all of a sudden, they want to short the market, they want to go long-short strategies. So, all of a sudden, they’re not in our niche and, all of a sudden, they’re taking a lot of time, they’re draining our time so I think you got to be very careful about what you wish for. And there’s a lot of great advisors out there that will walk circles around these topics that I’m like, “Okay, I would rather refer somebody so they get the right experience than give them the wrong experience.” Jason Diamond: I absolutely love that answer. The bow you just put on it, I think, is the appropriate way in my mind to put a bow. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather service somebody more optimally even if you don’t believe it’s yourself, I agree with that. I want to ask you one more point on the client service piece. I was playing around on your website and, on your service model, you have health as a component of the client experience of your diagram. Why do you think health matters in a financial context? Michael Smith: I always believed in a healthy mind and a healthy body will bring so much joy to you and I think health is just part of your persona. If you don’t take care of yourself and your body and your mind, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I think you got to start with health. So, I’m very big on the executive physicals, I routinely require all of our staff to have an annual physical. And, again, they’re young people but you got to have these annual … I live and breathe going to see a doctor every year to do my annual physical, not because I think I’m pretty good health, I still run, I do a lot of things but I think your life starts with being healthy. Jason Diamond: Yeah, it’s refreshing to hear that, no doubt. It’s funny to think about but 2019 is a long time ago now and, in RIA world, I almost think of it like dog years. You’ve been around the block now for a little while so I’m curious how have you seen this space change since you launched in 2019? Michael Smith: In 2019, I didn’t know what I was doing, I could barely get out a wet paper bag but I do think it’s changed dramatically. I would say the biggest thing I’ve seen in just the six and a half, almost seven years is the rise of the mega RIAs and how they’re going to shape the industry. Everyone talked about fee compression at Merrill Lynch. When I was at Merrill, we talked about fee compression, then they talked about robo-advisors and now they’re talking about artificial intelligence replacing advisors, I don’t believe that and I don’t think that’s going to happen in the RIA space. What I see the RIA space maturing is into these very big mega firms as well as these independent RIAs like myself that serve a very niche market where we can walk in our lane. The ability to transact today is so much easier as an RIA than it was at a wirehouse as well because we have instant access to technology. My military background, my Navy background says make a decision right, wrong or different, if you don’t like it afterwards or you get new data, course change. So, in our industry, we can change on a notice. I hired a tech firm last year, I didn’t like the experience nine months into it, guess what, they’re not coming back. So, I can do that but you can’t do that at the bigger firms and even the bigger mega firms would have a hard time navigating a change just like that on a dime. Jason Diamond: You bring up an interesting point. To the extent you face competition, do you find yourself competing more against traditional wirehouse type firms or RIAs like yourself, mega caps RIAs? Are your clients attuned to any of this? Michael Smith: That’s an observation I haven’t thought of either there, Jason. I would say I don’t feel that I have a … I know there’s competition out there but we have a growth issue more than we have anything else so I don’t … I can’t take on the clients that want to become my clients so I’m not competing with people too much. Jason Diamond: A capacity issue, you mean? Michael Smith: Yeah, I have a capacity issue. Jason Diamond: I think you’re not alone in that. How can I even think about competition and the like when … A lot of advisors would probably say that. I want to talk more about the capacity situation but, before I do, let’s talk a little more about the RIA setup. Who do you custody with, remind us, and why or how did you arrive at that decision? Michael Smith: Yeah. So, when I launched, I went with Schwab, Schwab is a phenomenal partner, they helped me get a lot of stuff done, I couldn’t have done it without Schwab. During the pandemic, I realized that I should probably … So, remember, during the pandemic, we had a lot of issues with the banking industry, it was almost like a financial crisis but in a very compressed time. So, during the COVID, I decided to add Fidelity as another custodian so now I have two custodians and I opened accounts on both sides of the house but I like the custodians that are there to help you, they’re very good at what they do. I don’t even consider them a competitor and they aren’t competitors, they have their own branch so I don’t consider them competitors, I think they’re my partners and both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are good partners. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s the healthy way to look at the custody relationship. That’s a very common approach, I think, is launching with one custodian and then adding a secondary custodian or a tertiary custodian down the line for one reason or another so I appreciate you sharing that because we get those types of nuts and bolts questions a lot so I figured I’d ask you. One last question on the setup and then we’ll shift gears. Has anything been a negative? So, you talked about leaving Mother Merrill behind and, Mother Merrill, we use it facetiously but obviously it implies a degree of comfort and the homeland so I’m curious if you miss anything. Michael Smith: I miss the camaraderie of being with a bunch of other folks. I mentioned this when I first launched, I mentioned it year over year with my team, the one thing that we miss as an RIA and, again, Dynasty has their benefits as well and the mega RIAs have their benefits but, if you’re a true independent like myself, we get to go to conferences that we want to and that’s a timing issue, really, a time constraint. But one thing Merrill and Morgan, JPMorgan, and the other big wirehouses have as well as the megas, they have the ability to put conferences together for their advisors or their administrators and have this education. That’s the one thing that, I think, would evolve in the RIA industry in the future as well. They’re not my competitors, they’re my business colleagues. And if we think of them as competitors, and a lot of people do because I don’t want to share my client information or what I do with my competitor because they may steal them, if you’re that insecure, then you’re probably not the right advisor in the first place. Jason Diamond: I don’t disagree with that. It’s interesting too, I hear two common answers to that question, not about Merrill but just about somebody who’s broken away, what do you miss about the captive firm world. Either on this podcast or just in conversations with advisors, brand comes up a lot and then the point you just raised. I’ll even hear like, “Hey, forget the conferences and the trainings, just being able to have an office where I’ve got eight other advisors on a row for me, it’s a little bit of a different setup than in the independent space,” and I think that’s just a reality of you take the good with the bad. And for other advisors, by the way, one of the things I want to ask you about to this point is do you believe that there are advisors that are just better served in the W2 traditional firm world or do you think that every advisor should be looking at the RIA space? Michael Smith: I think that wirehouse serves a great purpose and- Jason Diamond: Okay, me too. Michael Smith: … there’s a lot of great people that are great advisors in that wirehouse, they need the structure. What I hadn’t alluded to is, and I mentioned this to a former manager from Merrill Lynch of mine just recently, actually, I was like, “I don’t think advisors realize what it takes to run a business.” I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, running an RIA is hard work, it takes a lot of your time day in and day out to run a business as well as taking care of and servicing your clients so I do think the wirehouse venue is the right way to go. And, Jason, I want to go back to one other thing about your identity. I launched as the Smith Group because that’s what I was known at Merrill Lynch. Within three or four months, I changed that name to a firm because I did not want to be associated with it. So, when you’re at one of the wirehouses, you’re known as your team name or something of that sort, I didn’t want to be known as that, I wanted to be known as Emerald Advisors not the Smith Group because, all of a sudden, you have a single point of failure. So, brand identity, it’s not so unique inside the wirehouse because it’s a team name versus Merrill or Morgan Stanley or something like that. Jason Diamond: It’s a good segue because I’ll tell you where my mind goes when you bring that up. My mind goes is you’re smart in a way that you might not even realize or maybe you do realize which is that, if and when it ever comes time to sell this business, it is probably more valuable without your name attached to it or maybe not. But in some way, shape or form, as an RIA, you have an obligation to be thinking about that or it’s probably on your radar, maybe not an obligation. Have you given an ounce of thought to M&A either acquiring businesses, growing in that way or, ultimately, when you succeed out of this business and what the RIA space enables you to do? Michael Smith: To answer that question, yes. Everyone’s thinking about merger and acquisition, I think about succession planning from day one. I actually thought about I’m a big team person, I come from the submarine force where everyone is a key player on a submarine, every single person has a job and responsibility on a nuclear submarine. So, inside the financial services industry, I know Merrill Lynch was very big on teaming, I understand Morgan Stanley is as well because teaming gives them a breadth of responsibility where the responsibilities are shared. So, mergers and acquisitions or selling my business, I think, if you’re not thinking about that … And I’m not thinking about selling my business because that’s a distraction to me. If I needed the money, then I would’ve went to a wirehouse and that’s okay, you monetize your life’s work. Today, I’m all about what’s right for the client, what’s right for my team and what’s right for where I want to be in the next 10 to 20 years. So, I am growing, I do want to grow, I’m looking at opening offices in probably three locations in the next 24 months or so. Jason Diamond: Well, that’s what I was going to say, plenty of advisors I think would say the same, I have a lot of runway. But what about the other side of this equation which is you’ve had tremendous organic growth, you’ve tripled your client base, you’ve more than tripled the asset base, have you thought about acquisition as a mean to jet fuel the inorganic growth side of things? Michael Smith: I have but not in the typical sense that you’re looking at as buying a book of business. I want to partner with like-minded advisors that share that common thread of taking care of clients where you can serve as their trusted counsel and sit in the meetings with their attorneys and sit in the meetings with the accountants and give them sage counsel that you can only do because you’ve been with the family for 20 years. You know this family and that, not always, but I think that’s missed a lot in other firms. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I just thought of something else that you brought up. You brought Dynasty so I’m going to ask … I’m going to pull on this thread. That implies to me that you’re at least loosely aware of the supportive independence models that are out there yet you chose a very independent, autonomous path, why? Michael Smith: Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Jason Diamond: Fair. Michael Smith: Let’s be honest, I like Dynasty, I talked with Dynasty when I left. I talked to them all, I talked to Rockefeller, I talked to Morgan, I talked to Dynasty and then, when push came to shove, I wanted to be Mike Smith and launch my own firm and learn. And I will tell you, you learn drinking through a fire hose and we did that, we learned, I know the mistakes. What I didn’t want to do is just go to someplace where this is the stuff you’re going to have to use. So, I think Dynasty is a great launching platform, I think there’s other ones out there that are similar to Dynasty or the Rockefellers or the Morgans, it’s truly what you’re trying to achieve in life. What do you want for you and your clients and I always put my clients before me because I’ve always had this lifelong thing of, you do the right thing, you’re going to get taken care of. Jason Diamond: Yeah. And that’s a very common analysis, by the way, and it’s very common too for big advisors like yourself to say I did my homework across all of those different categories. I looked at the traditional wirehouses and regional firms and boutique firms, I looked at the independent broker dealers, I looked at the support platforms and the aggregators and the roll-ups and here’s ultimately what I landed on and why. Did you always know that though or was that something that it took you a diligence process to figure out? There was plenty of advisors, by the way, who come to us and they’re like, “I knew for the last five years that I was sitting there I was launching an RIA someday.” Michael Smith: Yeah. I did not know that and, to be honest with you, hindsight, I think one of those partners probably could have made me a little bit better at first because then I could have focused on clients versus focusing on, hey, how to open a business, who’s your technology … We talked about custodians and some other things but we didn’t talk about technology, how do you go find that technology. Where’s your email address come from? Who’s your chief compliance officer? When it resides on you, you got to look in the mirror. So, I think those parties out there that provide that for brand-new advisors launching could be very beneficial. I had in my mind what I needed to do and I knew I’m very frugal so mine boiled down to how much money I wanted to spend, to be honest with you. Jason Diamond: I think it is a cost benefit analysis, it is. It’s absolutely … Because if you list the functions of a support platform on paper and you showed it to somebody who didn’t know the industry, they would say, “Why on earth wouldn’t you do this? They’re taking off your plate compliance and tech and custody and the like,” and the answer is because there’s a cost associated with it and plenty of advisors decide what you decide, I wanted … Or I just wanted a greater degree of autonomy and freedom, to your point, the name on the door piece, I wanted this to be mine. Michael Smith: And, Jason, I think it also goes to the uncertainty. I had never done anything since Navy, financial advising and then launching. So, for me, I was launching with four employees I had to take care of and here I was going to hire a third party that I was going to have to spend X amount on and I didn’t even know what my income was going to be. That’s different if you’re a multi-billion dollar FA coming out of a wirehouse, the monetary dynamics are different. Jason Diamond: Agreed. Okay, here’s a good one for you. We get this concept from advisors, from firms, from private equity that a billion dollars in assets is like this magic number in our industry. Do you feel like anything’s changed now that you’re at a billion and what’s the next chapter for Emerald Advisors? Is it just continuing on this steady trajectory and serving clients and trust that everything else comes with that? Michael Smith: I go back and forth on a billion, everyone thinks that’s the right number, the biggest number that you need but I think it’s just an arbitrary numbers because it didn’t define who I was. And a lot of people define success at a billion, they define success that you’re a successful firm at a billion. I think I was a successful firm at 300 million, I was a successful financial advisor with 20 clients in 2005. I would say a billion is a multiplier, what I would tell new advisors out there today is gather assets. The more assets you have, the more revenue you generate. The more revenue you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket which means the longer you can stay in the industry. The problem with the industry is an attrition problem, not anything else. So, assets just give us the ability to have revenue which gives us the ability to grow. Jason Diamond: And is that the plan? Keep adding assets, keep growing one client at a time with the focus though, obviously, on what makes you which is a very client-centric service model. Michael Smith: Correct. There’s a lot of things I want to do in the next couple of years and expanding our footprint is our biggest one with the right partners and then just keep adding. I have a business development officer that I’m probably offer a job to here pretty soon and things are going well. Jason Diamond: Yeah, that’s great. You mentioned the tech stack and the other components of the business and I hear you on the frugal cost-benefit analysis. But who did you turn to for some of those early decisions, was it Schwab primarily who helped hold your hand through that? Michael Smith: Schwab was very good at helping me identify the tech stack at first and the tech stack is actually the one consistent, there’s a lot of things I’ve been consistent on but tech is one that I’ve stayed with them. I launched with RightSize, now they’re Advisory, they’re very good, they do the right job for us and I’m big on cybersecurity. So, tech was helpful from Schwab, Schwab helped us with that. Jason Diamond: So, we spoke a little bit about your naval experience but, I’m curious, can you tell us how has your naval experience shaped your perception or your experience in wealth management? Michael Smith: My Navy path was a lot different than many officers. I served 12 years as an enlisted person before I got my direct commission as a Mustang officer, typically called limited duty officers or loud, dumb and obnoxious as I like to say. But that experience gave me a unique perspective because I was able to be the enlisted side and officer which are the workers and then the management side so I had both experiences which was unique. When I was commissioned, Admiral Jerry Ellis, a submarine admiral that commissioned me, heard this lesson to the podium, he was just talking about me in this point but he said, “There are three kinds of people in every organization. You have rowboat people who need to be pushed, you have sailboat people who move whenever the conditions are favorable and then there’s steamboat people, they move continuously through calm or storm.” And he said, “This is Ensign Michael Smith,” he said, “Make your course.” And that’s always stood with me because you do have those three types of people in life. You got people that are just … They’re robo people, they go until they get tired. You got sailboat people that go wherever the wind blows them and then you got steamboat people that chart their own course. I would say for advisors out there make your course or just be happy with what you’re doing. But for some of us hard chargers, I think that analogy has stayed with me my entire career. Jason Diamond: It’s fantastic. I love the analogy, great naval tie in also. Thanks for sharing that. We got time for one more question. You have a fascinating background, a fascinating path to the industry, obviously, an incredibly disciplined approach around client service, any parting thoughts, words of wisdom especially as it relates to growth? That’s what strikes me most about your story is the growth that your move unlocked and that’s what every advisor who listens to our show is looking for. Michael Smith: I’m going to give another plug to Schwab on this. We actually were fortunate and I got their consulting group to come in right afterwards and I’m a big believer in having offsite. So, I’ve had an offsite, two offsites a year for my team and it’s the entire team unlike the wirehouses where you don’t take your admins and stuff like that. I take my entire team to an offsite and we group up on what we’re trying to achieve and have goals and objectives for the year. Schwab allowed us to use their consultants and we came up with our ideal client persona. Teams or firms that have this model become high performing. When you become high performing, growth becomes the outcome. I couldn’t do anything but grow. Jason, I couldn’t not grow because I had this ideal client persona, I knew how I was going to do it, it was measurable. So, growth becomes the outcome and, if you hold people responsible, then we’re all going to grow together and it’s a fun outcome. Jason Diamond: Fantastic, it’s a great place to end. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Emerald, this has been a lot of fun. Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much. I appreciate everything you do for the industry as well. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Jake Kornreich, CFO of CoLab and former CFO of Own, live from the New York Stock Exchange. Jake breaks down the six-part framework behind Own's $2.1B sale to Salesforce, why “control your destiny” matters, how CFOs should think about IPO readiness, board communication, share price theater, and why great finance leaders operate beyond the spreadsheet.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjEY has been part of Silicon Valley since it was just a valley, helping the most successful names in tech go from startup to exit to megacap. With teams across strategy, tax, audit, and transactions, EY helps you get your financials right early, long before your investors start asking for it. You build the next big thing, and EY will help you build it right. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartupsSpendHound cuts your SaaS and AI spend by up to 30% using real pricing benchmarks across 10,000 vendors, so you always know what fair pricing looks like before your next renewal. Rated #1 on G2 in SaaS spend management, it's free forever for teams up to 1,000 employees. Sign up by June 12th and get $500 just for getting started. Go to https://www.spendhound.com/cjBrex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph is a modern FP&A platform built for teams that want more than another planning tool. By connecting your ERP, CRM, and other systems into one trusted data layer with AI workflows, Aleph helps you move faster with real-time insights. Get a personalized demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-kornreich/Company: https://www.colabsoftware.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:20 First stock3:28 Benefits of going public today5:42 Come-up: chief of staff to CFO6:31 Running HR like a sales org8:32 Control your destiny9:24 Synergies with Salesforce10:09 Sponsors — Rillet | EY | SpendHound13:10 Do your own ROI due diligence14:40 Share price equals entertainment16:26 Disciplined execution17:45 Performance, not stories19:24 Activist investors and the acquirer's board20:13 Write the memo for the other side20:45 Sponsors — Brex | Aleph | RightRev24:02 Triangulate your way to success25:18 Your board takes snapshots, you run the movie26:21 Knowing when to sell27:16 Valuation limits your exit options27:38 Stakeholder comms during the acquisition29:58 CFO as operator, not just function31:31 What is CoLab?32:09 Why Jake joined post-Series C33:50 Personal product market fit for CFOs35:27 Lightning round35:42 Screwed up: $5M budget error36:17 Advice to younger self36:41 Finance software stack37:34 Culture of expense discipline38:22 Credits

Send us Fan MailThe Big IdeaProfessor Adam Braus pitches a fix nobody's tried: instead of taxing property at a flat rate, tax it like income — progressively. Own a modest home? You're barely taxed. Own a $50 million real estate empire? You pay real money. It's a property tax with a conscience, and Adam argues it could solve the housing crisis, fix California's broken Prop 13 system, and take a swing at the billionaire-hoarding problem all at once.Scot Maupin, doing his usual generous-interrogator thing, pokes at yachts, shell companies, and whether landlords will just pass the cost to renters — and Adam's got an answer for all of it.What's Broken Right NowProp 13 locks property taxes to a home's original purchase price — not what it's worth today. Buy a house in 1985 for pocket change, and decades later you're still paying taxes on pocket change, even as the home is worth millions.This hits commercial property too — including, allegedly, golf courses that shuffle ownership through shell-share tricks so they're never technically "sold."The result: California's budget is starved relative to its actual wealth, and the state leans harder on income tax to compensate — which hits working people disproportionately harder than a property tax would.Meanwhile, in places like Montana and Hawaii, wealthy outsiders are buying up land and driving housing costs through the roof — not because there's a housing shortage, but because of hoarding and speculation.The Fix: Progressive Property TaxInstead of one flat rate on a property's value, tax brackets stack on a person's total property holdings:First $200K (or so): little to no tax — protects ordinary homeowners and grandmas on fixed incomes.$200K–$2M: a low rate, comparable to today's lowest-tax states.$2M–$10M+: rates climb toward the top of the national range (2%+).+$50M: a "super bracket" — 2.5–3%+ on the excess.The pitch: this could roughly double California's property tax revenue (from ~$100B to $170–200B), funneled toward building housing, ending homelessness, and politically popular wins like paid leave — while lowering the tax burden on working people (no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security).How It Closes the LoopholesA beneficiary registry (already used in Australia and some U.S. states) ties every property to a real human owner — so you can't dodge the tax by splitting ownership across an LLC for every house, or spreading deeds across family members.Commercial real estate is included. Adam's pitch turns this into a two-for-one: tax pressure forces a sell-off of empty downtown office space (a post-COVID glut), and the state can buy it cheap and convert it into actual housing — bringing residents (and life) back to dead downtowns.The Objections, Pre-DebunkedScot plays it straight and asks the obvious questions:"Won't the rich just flee to Florida or Montana?" Adam's counter: capital flight of real estate is mostly harmless — the buildings can't be packed in a suitcase. If a billionaire sells, the property stays in-state; prices just come down, which is the point."Won't this just raise rents?" Possibly nudges the very top of the market, but the broad base of affordable housing should barely move — maybe even gets cheaper as demand shifts."Will yachts and jets count?" No — keep it simple, this is real estate only.Where the Idea Comes FromAdam name-checks Gary's Economics (and its scrappier YouTube cousin, Barry's Economics) for the broader "tax wealth, not work" framing, and ties the proposal back to existing progressive wealth-tax proposals from Bernie Sanders (the famous "8% bracket above $1B," pegged to average market returns) and Elizabeth Warren (flat 2% above $50M) — positioning the progressive property tax as a more politically palatable, state-level cousin of those ideas.Detour of the EpisodeA spirited tangent on Maine's Senate race, Graham Platner — oyster farmer, combat veteran, and the episode's pick for "proof this message can win" — plus a running bit on whether wind turbines can literally use up the wind. (They cannot. Probably.)Quotable"I'm so wealthy that I can't pay the tax on my wealth." — the complaint Adam says is doing a lot of work to protect a small number of very rich people.Want me to also draft a short, punchier episode description (the 2–3 sentence blurb for podcast apps) or social media copy to go with these notes? Support the showHelp these new solutions spread by ...Subscribing wherever you listen to podcastsLeaving a 5-star review Sharing your favorite solution with your friends and network (this makes a BIG difference)Comments? Feedback? Questions? Solutions? Message us! We will do a mailbag episode.Email: solutionsfromthemultiverse@gmail.comAdam: @ajbraus - braus@hey.comScot: @scotmaupinadambraus.com (Link to Adam's projects and books)The Perfect Show (Scot's solo podcast)Thanks to Jonah Burns for the SFM music.

Lacey Newman is a founder, coach, and keynote speaker who has helped thousands of high-performing women build lives and businesses that are truly their own.Over two decades, Lacey built and scaled a real estate team to nearly $1B in sales volume, hosted an Emmy-nominated TV show, and grew her personal income to seven figures, all while raising two children on her own, proving that ambition and motherhood don't have to compete.Today, she helps ambitious women break the cycle of over-functioning, untangle their identity from productivity, and reinvent their work from a place of clarity instead of burnout—so they can build wealth and freedom without sacrificing themselves in the process.https://laceynewman.com/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/lacey-newman-founder-mark-stephen-pooler

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring John Cunningham, Global CEO of Ox Tools, a pro-grade tool company operating in 35 countries worldwide. With nearly 30 years of experience in the tool industry, John brings a fascinating perspective on on-site efficiency, material wastage and how the right tools, and the right mindset, can directly improve a builder's profitability.This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0INSIDE EPISODE 243 YOU WILL DISCOVER Why wastage on the job site is quietly eating into your profit marginsHow small inaccuracies compound across a build and extend your timelinesWhy measure once, cut once is the goal and how the right tools make it possibleHow Ox Tools works directly with contractors to solve real on-site pain pointsWhy asking your team where waste is happening could be your biggest untapped opportunityWhy communication is the number one thing that makes any team more productiveAnd much, much more.ABOUT JOHN CUNNINGHAMJohn is a driven entrepreneur with 20 years of corporate experience now being applied to small innovative businesses that want to scale and disrupt industries. Skilled at running $1B divisions to $5M small companies to start ups. A well rounded leader committed to building businesses, brands and innovative products.Connect with John: linkedin.com/in/john-cunningham-4446752/TIMELINE 4:11 John's background in finance and how it shaped his obsession with contractor productivity11:06 What makes Ox Tools different and why they go directly to job sites to find problems to solve13:59 Why material wastage is costing builders between 15 and 30 percent of job materials19:06 The story behind the Speed Frame and how one contractor's idea became an industry solution29:16 How Ox Tools uses authentic contractor content to build demand without traditional advertising34:49 How builders can get more consistency and accuracy out of their teams on siteLINKS, RESOURCES & MOREAPB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.comAPB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuildersAPB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

I break down the Treasury's claim that it seized $1B of Iran's "crypto" and explain why this was actually Tether, not Bitcoin – and why that distinction matters. I digs into how stablecoins, ETFs, and exchanges recreate the same centralized, confiscable banking system, contrasted with true Bitcoin self-custody. When you consider Iran, Russia, and Afghanistan as case studies, it is clear that every other reserve asset becomes politicized. The writing is on the wall for centralised finance, and the world will be forced onto Bitcoin because it is the only neutral money that simply keeps working. Affiliate Links Become sovereign, hold your keys, be censorship resistant with the Bitbox hardware wallet. Get 5% off everything in the store with code GUY (Link: https://bitbox.swiss/) Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Link: https://www.freemarketkids.com/collections/games-1) Host Links ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney) ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann) Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann) Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann) Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann) ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible) The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)

Video Game profits collapse, PC sales boom & The Next Gen battle begins in Japan These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in November 1994.  As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost.  Check out his podcast here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/ and order his book here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book Get us on your mobile device: Android:  https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS:      https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM Send comments on Mastodon @videogamenewsroomtimemachine@oldbytes.space Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com Or Discord https://discord.gg/mYdkBJe8 Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here: https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM/posts/november-1994-161464050      7 Minutes in Heaven: Jazz Jackrabbit Video Version: https://youtu.be/IIom2LSch6w     https://www.mobygames.com/game/902/jazz-jackrabbit/ Corrections: Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ November 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM/posts/november-1984-157521521     Great Exhibition Digital Recreation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wNEgZDetNk     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_VS._System     Moondust 7 Minutes - https://youtu.be/jT3QzYpUEck?si=MbYsjB7cDptFfIBY      November 1994: Video Game Industry profits plummet          Sega Reports 47 Percent Drop in Earnings in Fiscal First Half, Associated Press Worldstream, November 11, 1994; Friday 07:03 Eastern Time, Section: Financial pages       SEGA PROFITS PLUNGE 43PC AS VIDEO GAME RIVALRY HOTS UP, The Guardian (London), November 12, 1994, Section: THE GUARDIAN HOME PAGE; Pg. 1, Byline: Nicholas Bannister In London And Kevin Rafferty In Tokyo     EDITORS:Associated Press Worldstream, November 21, 1994; Monday 07:13 Eastern Time, Section: Financial pages     KOEI LOWERS PROFIT ESTIMATES, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 4, 1994, FRIDAY     NAMCO SUFFERS LOWER PROFITS IN 1ST HALF, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 4, 1994, FRIDAY     KONAMI TO LOG 3.1-B.-YEN LOSS FOR FY '94, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 9, 1994, WEDNESDAY          KONAMI SLIPS INTO RED IN 1ST HALF, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 25, 1994, FRIDAY     CAPCOM SUFFERS SHARP DROPS IN PROFIT, SALES, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 24, 1994, THURSDAY     Play Meter November 1994, pg. 22     TAKARA RETURNS TO BLACK IN 1ST HALF, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 18, 1994, FRIDAY     T-HQ announces third-quarter results, s'ipment of the XBAND Video Game, Modem aNd new equity financing, Business Wire, November 14, 1994, Monday     SOFTWARE ETC. STORES, INC. REPORTS THIRD QUARTER RESULTS, PR Newswire, November 10, 1994, Thursday - 13:59 Eastern time, Section: Financial News Software Etc. and Babbage's to merge         SOFTWARE ETC. STORES, INC. REPORTS THIRD QUARTER RESULTS, PR Newswire, November 10, 1994, Thursday - 13:59 Eastern time, Section: Financial News Big money bets against Atari     CBS rich with takeover rumors, USA TODAY, November 7, 1994, Monday, FINAL EDITION, Section: MONEY; Dan Dorfman; Pg. 4B, Byline: Dan Dorfman     https://mdsass.com/our-team/     ATARI RESPONDS TO DAN DORFMAN ARTICLE IN USA TODAY, PR Newswire, November 8, 1994, Tuesday - 09:10 Eastern Time     Atari stock plummets,The Financial Post (Toronto, Canada), November 8, 1994, Tuesday,DAILY EDITION, Section: SECTION 1, NEWS; Pg. 14; APPOINTMENT NOTICE, Byline: Bloomberg     ATARI CORP. ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER AND NINE MONTHS 1994 RESULTS, PR Newswire, November 14, 1994, Monday - 05:59 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News     COMPANY NEWS; ATARI STOCK RISES AS DEAL WITH SEGA IS COMPLETED, The New York Times, November 17, 1994, Thursday, Late Edition - Final, Distribution: Financial Desk , Section: Section D; ; Section D;  Page 4;  Column 1;  Financial Desk ; Column 1;  Siliwood deals abound!     Activision, Henson in Multimedia Muppets Deal, Ad Day, November 7, 1994, Section: NEWS ROUNDUP; Pg. 12         Move over, nerds - Hollywood's here, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), November 15, 1994 Tuesday, Late Edition, Section: COMPUTERS; Frontier Media; Pg. 43     https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1994-11z Baby Bells form Multimedia Colossus         3 BABY BELLS FORM MULTIMEDIA COLOSSUS 1994, Reuters News Service, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), November 1, 1994, TUESDAY, FIVE STAR Edition, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. 6C    TELEPHONE FIRMS AIM AT CABLE BELL ATLANTIC AND TWO OTHER, BABY BELLS PLAN A MULTIMEDIA VENTURE. , USERS COULD ORDER, VIDEOS.The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 1, 1994 Tuesday FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. C01         Info highway dream team / Ovitz wants Hollywood on high-tech map, USA TODAY, November 1, 1994, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION, Section: MONEY; Pg. 1B; Cover Stor      William Morris goes Interactive     William Morris Courts Agencies, ADWEEK, November 14, 1994, Western Edition, Byline: By Cathy Taylor Siemens gets into settop boxes    2 Companies Join Siemens In Video Plan, The New York Times, November 8, 1994, Tuesday, Late Edition - Final, Distribution: Financial Desk, Section: Section D; ; Section D; Page 5; Column 1; Financial Desk ; Column 1;Byline: By Bloomberg Business News     Intel, Backed On ITV, Sails For CablePort, Electronic Buyers News, November 28, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 3; ISSN: 0164-6362, Byline: Jonathan Cassell TCI buys into Acclaim     TCI AND ACCLAIM FORM PARTNERSHIP FOR INTERACTIVE, ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE, M2 PRESSWIRE, November 4, 1994 TeleWest goes public         Time is right to float, says TeleWest, The Herald (Glasgow), November 8, 1994, Section: Pg. 25, Byline: Nicola Reeves BCE Holdings to buy Rage and Software Creations     NEW GAME PLAN AT £25M BCE, Daily Mail (London), November 2, 1994, Section: Pg. 65           BCE HOLDINGS TO BUY SOFTWARE CREATIONS (HOLDINGS): 2, Extel Examiner, November 1, 1994, Tuesday - 03:04 Eastern Time, Section: Company News; Takeovers and Acquisitions           COMPUTER GAMES MERGER GOES TO EUROPEAN LEVEL, The Guardian (London), November 5, 1994, Section: THE GUARDIAN CITY PAGE; Pg. 38, Byline: Jim Levi     Consoled by a £10m fortune, Mail on Sunday (London), November 6, 1994, Section: Pg. 5, Byline: Jason Nisse     Computer games 'set for surge in sales', The Times, November 9, 1994, Wednesday, Section: Business, Byline: By Neil Bennett Warner buys Renegade     Amiga Games, November 1994, pg. 34         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renegade_Software Mindscape to buy Atreid Concept     L'editeur Mindscape rachete Atreid Concept, Echos, November 19, 1994             https://www.mobygames.com/company/661/kalisto-entertainment-sa/      Video game ratings system still a thorn in coinop's side     Play Meter, November 1994, pg. 20     https://arcade.fandom.com/wiki/Parental_Advisory_System Sega goes big with VR-1     Japanese take virtual reality for a ride; Sega has combined fairground rides, with hi-tech wizardry, writes Arnold Redhead, The Independent (London), November 21, 1994, Monday, Section: NETWORK PAGE; Page 25, Byline: ARNOLD REDHEAD          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VR-1        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_rf9FiwBUk Japanese Next Gen Holiday Lineup Set     Video-game makers out to zap 32-bit rivals, Nikkei Weekly, November 7, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 9; Vol. 32;     Multimedia video game wars begin, The Daily Yomiuri, November 8, 1994, Tuesday, Byline: Terumitsu Otsu; Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer     Nintendo's super 'game boy' from Dundee, The Scotsman, November 16, 1994, Wednesday, Section: Pg. 32          NINTENDO, U.S. FIRM TO DEVELOP 3-D SOFTWARE, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 22, 1994, TUESDAY            https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Paradigm_Entertainment Saturn release date set     INDUSTRY TREND: CONSUMER ELECTRONICS FIRMS JOIN VIDEO GAME, ORGY, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 18, 1994, FRIDAY          New Video Machines Battle For Supremacy, The Associated Press, November 30, 1994, Wednesday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By BRAVEN SMILLIE, Matsushita announces next gen system for 1995     Matsushita likely to market 64-bit game machines in '95, Japan Economic Newswire, NOVEMBER 15, 1994, TUESDAY      Matsushita and IBM team up     Matsushita, IBM in multimedia project, United Press International, November 20, 1994, Sunday, BC cycle        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic_M2#Technical_specifications 3DO announces massive loss     Video Game Maker 3DO Reports $ 12.8 Million Second-Quarter Loss, The Associated Press, November 4, 1994, Friday, BC cycle          (THDO) 3DO announces second quarter financial results, Business Wire, November 4, 1994, Friday Goldstar launches 3DO in USA         Goldstar Co, Wall Street Journal (3 Star, Eastern (Princeton, NJ) Edition), November 8, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. B4; Vol. 224; No. 91; ISSN: 0099-9660 Creative to launch 3DO Blaster    Unveiling the latest in computer magic / Film and fun: Morphing and more, USA TODAY, November 17, 1994, Thursday, FINAL EDITION, Section: LIFE; Pg. 4D     3DO Blaster Video - Retro Collective - https://youtu.be/qaHAuGmN3Tk?si=OHf5v3Z9vfJ3RZfl Nintendo launches massive DKC blitz     https://youtu.be/SbHL8-XkXMA?si=d3GNpw2n57mTQBuL       https://youtu.be/OGqUF02zVt4?si=XFO_2LUnM157ayC5        Burnett Seeks to Make Donkey Kong King, AdWeek Midwest; AdWeek, November 21, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 2; Vol. XXXV; No. 47;           Yen and old product cause slide in Nintendo profits, The Financial Post (Toronto, Canada), November 22, 1994, Tuesday,, DAILY EDITION, Section: SECTION 1, NEWS; Pg. 15; APPOINTMENT NOTICE           Video Games Showdown: Will Sega Zap Nintendo?, Christian Science Monitor 8Boston, MA), November 28, 1994, Monday, Section: ECONOMY; Pg. 4, Byline: Mark Trumbull, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor     Nation Goes Ape For Donkey Kong Country; Runaway Sales for Hit Video, Game Exceed Box Office Gross for Current Number One Movie, Business Wire, November 30, 1994, Wednesda Atari to spend big in Europe     Atari Tackles Games Giants In Pounds 5m Spend, Marketing, November 10, 1994 Jaguar launches in Japan     Atari's Jaguar Enters Japanese Retail Markets 11/22/94, Newsbytes News Network, November 22, 1994     https://forums.atariage.com/topic/330871-the-japanese-atari-jaguar/ Sony announces Liverpool dev centre     SONY CREATES 250 NEW JOBS FOR MERSEYSIDE, Press Association, November 7, 1994, Monday          SONY ELECTRONIC INVESTMENT IN, The Guardian (London), November 8, 1994, Section: THE GUARDIAN CITY PAGE; Pg. 14, Byline: Martyn Halsall, Northern          SONY TO SET UP U.K. GAME SOFTWARE CENTER, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 8, 1994, TUESDAY        JAPANESE GIANT TO MAKE GAMES AND 250 JOBS ON MERSEYSIDE, M2 PRESSWIRE, November 28, 1994 Nintendo signs Russian Distribution deal     Russia: Nintendo has selected Steepler as an exclusive distributor of Nintendo video games., Kommersant, November 1, 1994          https://bootleggames.fandom.com/wiki/Steepler_Ltd.#1994:_Dendy:_The_New_Reality,_partnership_with_Nintendo          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendy           Mortal Kombat 2 launch is massive     Mortal moral: Gore sells, money yells,  Computer Retail Week, November 14, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 116; Vol. 4;     Ad budget Rises    Ad/Media Bulletin: Computer games ad push targets grown-ups, Marketing, November 17, 1994 Movie tie-ins getting tighter         (SNAPSHOT), The Age (Melbourne, Australia), November 12, 1994 Saturday, Late Edition, Section: SATURDAY EXTRA; SNAPSHOT; Pg. 15     Another Big U.S. Deal Turns Sour for Japanese Firm, Associated Press Worldstream, November 18, 1994; Friday 06:09 Eastern Time, Section: International news, Byline: PETER LANDERS           Hard lessons from Sony's software underbelly, The Independent (London), November 18, 1994, Friday, Section: BUSINESS & CITY PAGE; Page 34, Byline: HAMISH McRAE     Leisure Concepts reports third quarter, nine-month results, Business Wire, November 14, 1994, Monday             https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoldenEye        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoldenEye_007  Nintendo premiers VirtualBoy     Nintendo Unveils Virtual Reality Game, The Associated Press , November 14, 1994, Monday, AM cycle, Section: Business News          https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-ganofsky-15873/     Nintendo announces investment in Reflection Technology Inc.; home video game leader also acquires exclusive worldwide license for proprietary LED, display technology, Business Wire, November 14, 1994, Monday     VIRTUALITY PLAYS DOWN IMPACT OF RIVAL NINTENDO PRODUCT, Extel Examiner,November 16, 1994, Wednesday - 07:16 Eastern Time, Section: Company News; Other     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Boy      PC sales boom     Spurred by many factors, home PC sales are soaring, Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), November 10, 1994, Metro Edition, Section: Special; Pg. 2S, Byline: Steve Alexander; Staff Writer Bandai and Apple team up for children's PC     BANDAI, APPLE TO JOINTLY DEVELOP PC FOR CHILDREN, Jiji Press Ticker Service, NOVEMBER 10, 1994, THURSDAY       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin     Apple sets sights on video games, The Financial Post (Toronto, Canada), November 11, 1994, Friday,, DAILY EDITION, Section: SECTION 1, NEWS; Pg. 5; COLUMN Apple to sell MacOS at retail     MICROFILE, The Guardian (London), November 17, 1994, Section: THE GUARDIAN ONLINE PAGE; Pg. 7     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v4BaWwoyA0 Commodore Sale delayed... AGAIN!     DELAY IN THE SALE OF COMMODORE CREATES ANXIETY A LONG WAIT COULD KILL PROSPECTS FOR THE FIRM'S AMIGA COMPUTERS. AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT ITS ADHERENTS SAY., The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 7, 1994 Monday FINAL EDITION, Section: PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS; Pg. G01, byline: Dan Stets,     Amiga Games, November 1994, pg. 19 Australia funds multimedia development         Multimedia funding is welcome news, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), November 1, 1994 Tuesday, Late Edition, Section: COMPUTERS; Frontier Media; Pg. 34 Korea invests in games     Korea Makes Huge Game Industry Investment, Newsbytes, November 21, 1994, Monday Looking Glass goes VC     LOOKINGGLASS RECEIVES $3.8 MILLION IN VENTURE CAPITAL FROM INSTITUTIONAL VENTURE PARTNERS, MATRIX PARTNERS, PR Newswire, November 21, 1994, Monday - 14:24 Eastern Time, Section: Entertainment, Television, and Culture     PC Player November 1994, pg. 17 Humongous bets on hand drawn art     "FREDDI FISH AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING KELP SEEDS(TM) SWIMS INTO STORES,PR Newswire, November 7, 1994, Monday - 12:52 Eastern Time" Staples stocks games     Office Superstores Emphasize 'Play" with Software, Discount Store News, November 7, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. S4; Vol. 33; No. 21; ISSN: 0012-3587 Amstrad targets direct market     Marketing Technique: Key movers - Publishers are still paying mega bucks for titles on mega bytes. So why does computer publishing continue to thrive, asks Michael Kavanagh, Marketing, November 24, 1994, Byline: By MICHAEL KAVANAGH IBM moves to online software distribution     IBM to beam up satellite-based software delivery, Network World, November 7, 1994, Section: TOP NEWS; Pg. 10, Byline: Michael Cooney IBM introduces multilevel disc     IBM's multilevel optical disk named "Best of What's New", Business Wire, November 9, 1994, Wednesday        https://research.ibm.com/publications/multilevel-volumetric-optical-storage AT&T buys Imagination network     AT&T buys interactive computer games unit, Financial Times (London,England), November 16, 1994, Wednesday, Section: International Company News; Pg. 34, Byline: By LOUISE KEHOE and REUTER      Xband launches     PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY New video game service for kids ready to come on line Thursday, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, November 13, 1994, Sunday, Section: BUSINESS; Section R; Page 3, Byline: By Kris Jensen STAFF WRITER Sega Channel to get nationwide rollout     Sega Channel test a success -- service prepares for national rollout in December; Final test results far exceed expectations, Business Wire, November 30, 1994, Wednesday Jaguar to go online     CUC BUYS ITS WAY INTO INTERNET TRANSACTIONS; IMAGINE AT&T OWNING THE COMPANY; NOT MOSAIC, NETSCAPE; COMMERCE THROUGH COMPUSERVE; OTHER NEWS: Advertising Age, November 21, 1994, Section: Pg. 15 Sega goes online     Sega goes on-line with CompuServe & World Wide Web; real-time conferences, video clips, contests, chat rooms all part of new interactive, services for Sega fans, Business Wire, November 2, 1994, Wednesday     "CHRYSLER CD-ROMS GROOVE TO GENERATION X; TREKKING TO THE INTERNET; ONLINE VIDEOGAME NETWORK BOWS; AOL BOOSTS INTERNET STRATEGY; OTHER NEWS: Advertising Age, November 14, 1994, Section: Pg. 22" Mosaic Communications changes name to Netscape     CUC BUYS ITS WAY INTO INTERNET TRANSACTIONS; IMAGINE AT&T OWNING THE COMPANY; NOT MOSAIC, NETSCAPE; COMMERCE THROUGH COMPUSERVE; OTHER NEWS: Advertising Age, November 21, 1994, Section: Pg. 15 AOL goes shopping     "CHRYSLER CD-ROMS GROOVE TO GENERATION X; TREKKING TO THE INTERNET; ONLINE VIDEOGAME NETWORK BOWS; AOL BOOSTS INTERNET STRATEGY; OTHER NEWS: Advertising Age, November 14, 1994, Section: Pg. 22" CUC buys netMarket     CUC BUYS ITS WAY INTO INTERNET TRANSACTIONS; IMAGINE AT&T OWNING THE COMPANY; NOT MOSAIC, NETSCAPE; COMMERCE THROUGH COMPUSERVE; OTHER NEWS: Advertising Age, November 21, 1994, Section: Pg. 15 Paul Allen invests in Cnet     Vulcan gets C/NET, The Financial Post (Toronto, Canada), November 4, 1994, Friday,, DAILY EDITION, Section: SECTION 1, NEWS; Pg. 47, Business Briefs; CORRECTION Bill Gates touts information future at Comdex     https://youtu.be/7fJWMsgxzvA?si=VzEkgqkFwbDHUzRz         Microsoft chief sees new era in computing, St. Petersburg Times (Florida), November 21, 1994, Monday, City Edition, Times Publishing Company, Section: BUSINESS; TECHNOLOGY; TECH TALK; Pg. 8; DIGEST, Byline: DAVE GUSSOW Publishing     Pearson Buys Future     PEARSON ACQUIRES FUTURE PUBLISHING, M2 PRESSWIRE, November 28, 1994 Street Fighter the RPG     Play Meter November 1994, pg. 170      Fighter History suit settled     Computer game makers settle copyright dispute, Japan Economic Newswire, NOVEMBER 1, 1994, TUESDAY     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_East_USA,_Inc._v._Epyx,_Inc.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcom_U.S.A._Inc._v._Data_East_Corp.      Nintendo wins again     NINTENDO WINS THIRD SUMMARY JUDGMENT THIS YEAR IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT CASE, PR Newswire, November 30, 1994, Wednesday - 14:45 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News GATT changes coming     BAN ON CD, GAMES HIRE, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 20, 1994 Sunday, Late Edition, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. 58, Byline: BRUCE JONES          VOTES IN FAVOR OF GATT, Congressional Press Releases, November 29, 1994, Tuesday, Section: PRESS RELEASE, Byline: STEPHEN HORN     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Agreement_on_Tariffs_and_Trade US Government to fund Software Protection Efforts in China         Business Report ON TECHNOLOGY China shines as new market, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, November 2, 1994, Wednesday, Section: BUSINESS; Section G; Page 2, Byline: By Bill Husted Cyber crime booming     Crimes of the 'Net', Newsweek, November 14, 1994 , UNITED STATES EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Software; Pg. 46 Internet Cafe profiled    Are You Ready For The Future?, The Sunday Times (London), November 20, 1994, Sunday, Section: Features, Byline: Christopher Lloyd Hate moves online     Report Assesses Extremist Groups in Europe, Associated Press Worldstream, November 15, 1994; Tuesday 10:34 Eastern Time, Section: International news, Byline: MARILYN AUGUST      Cybermania 94 awards     Interactivities, Playback, November 07, 1994, Section: Pg.9, Byline: Pamela David Lego awards video game resistance     Lego awards annual prize for services to children, Agence France Presse -- English, November 15, 1994 11:14 Eastern Time, Section: International news CNN visits Brittannia Manor     Haunted House Owner Goes All Out to Create Hell at Home, CNN NEWS 3:14 am ET, November 1, 1994 VR goes Dental     "https://vrarwiki.com/wiki/Virtual_i-O_i-glasses!   Dentist's drill or a 3D thrill The Age (Melbourne, Australia), November 8, 1994 Tuesday, Late Edition, Section: COMPUTERS; Pg. 50, Byline: Alan Sayre" Casio debuts digital camera     New still camera puts your memories on silicon chips, The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia), November 17, 1994, Thursday, FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. D4      Interview with game translator     PC Joker, pg. 61 William A. Higinbotham has passed     William A. Higinbotham, 84; Helped Build First Atomic Bomb, The New York Times, November 15, 1994, Tuesday, Late Edition - Final, Distribution: National Desk , Section: Section D; ; Section D;  Page 29;  Column 5;  National Desk ; Column 5; ; Obituary (Obit); Biography, Byline: William A. Higinbotham      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Higinbotham       https://archive.org/details/sim_creative-computing_1982-10_8_10/page/190/mode/1up  Recommended Links: The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/ They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/ Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/ The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Playthrough Podcast: https://playthroughpod.com/ Retromags.com: https://www.retromags.com/ Games That Weren't - https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play. Copyright Karl Kuras

pWotD Episode 3333: Lionel Messi Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 707,855 views on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 our article of the day is Lionel Messi.Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballons d'Or, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA. In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS. Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional football, having won 46 team trophies. His records include most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club (672 for Barcelona), most goals in La Liga (474), tied most goals scored in the FIFA World Cup (16), and most assists in international football (61). Messi has scored over 910 senior career goals and provided over 410 assists for club and country, resulting in over 1,320 goal contributions—the highest total in the sport's history.Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona at age 17 in October 2004. He gradually established himself as an integral player for the club, and during his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football. This resulted in Messi winning the first of four consecutive Ballon d'Ors, and by the 2011–12 season he had set the European record for most goals in a season and established himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. During the 2014–15 season, where he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, he led Barcelona to a historic second treble, earning his fifth Ballon d'Or. Messi was named Barcelona's captain in 2018. While playing for the club, he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. Financial difficulties at Barcelona led Messi to depart in August 2021 and sign with Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons there. He joined the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami in July 2023, and led them to their first MLS Cup victory in 2025, while also winning back-to-back league MVP awards in 2024 and 2025.An Argentine international, Messi is the national team's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player. Several years after his senior debut in 2005, he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Assuming captaincy in 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals in the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario, all of which they lost. After announcing his retirement from international football in 2016, he returned to help Argentina qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Messi was central to ending Argentina's 28-year trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa América. In 2022, he led Argentina to a World Cup victory, the country's first in 36 years. Messi's third major international title arrived when Argentina won the 2024 Copa América.Messi has endorsed the sportswear company Adidas since 2006. He was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022, and was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, the first team-sport athlete to win the award. In 2020, Messi was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. In 2026, Messi appeared on the World's Billionaires list for the first time at $1.1B net worth. Following his arrival and impact on football in the United States, Messi was named Time's Athlete of the Year in 2023, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by US president Joe Biden in 2025.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 12:39 UTC on Thursday, 18 June 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Lionel Messi on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Emma.

'Devil Wears Prada' franchise tops $1B at global box office and much more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grüns Greens Gummies sold for $1.2 billion in just 32 months. In this episode, we break down the three patterns: product, price, and proof, that turned a $1.8M seed raise into a billion-dollar exit, and how you can manufacture the same playbook into a seven or eight-figure business. Get on the waiting list at https://capitalism.com/bootcamp   Timestamps (0:00) Grüns sold for $1.2 billion after 32 months — the manufactured playbook (1:00) The three patterns: product, price, and proof (2:00) Funding history — $1.8M raised, sold for $1B (4:00) Pattern 1: Product — sitting between two billion-dollar trends (5:00) AG1's origin story and validating your product idea (8:00) Pattern 2: Pricing — positioning Grüns as a premium brand (9:00) The subscription play — $40 first order vs. $59.99 recurring price (11:00) Customer lifetime value — a $40 customer becomes a $750+ customer (13:00) The "49% off" banner — technically true, brilliantly deployed (16:00) Pattern 3: Proof — the most overlooked conversion lever (19:00) "Proof about the problem" — the Amazon listing breakdown (21:00) Combining recurring revenue + proof for a 10-figure exit (23:00) Closing — get on the bootcamp waitlist

────────────────────────────────────────[00:43:07:15]SPLC Intel Director Funneled Donor Money to Her Neo-Nazi Lover for Years$140K flowed into accounts with a National Alliance leader; SPLC revived the dying group.────────────────────────────────────────[00:27:25:25]White House Ballroom Hits $600M in March 2025 Paperwork — Triple Public Quotes293M private, 155M Secret Service, 149M military; separate $1B sought for security.────────────────────────────────────────[00:44:04:07]Nonprofit Wins SCOTUS Case Striking Trump's Tariffs — Then Loses All Its DonorsLiberty Justice Center spent $3.5M on the case; firms like Costco wouldn't help, fearing retaliation.────────────────────────────────────────[00:56:50:19]Leaked 14-Point MOU Reportedly Drafted by US, Not IranAl Arabiya published it pre-signing; Knight cites the same trick used on Panama's MOU.────────────────────────────────────────[01:06:15:24]Trump Claims Authority to Hand Iran $300B: "I Have the Right to If I Want"No congressional authorization cited; figure traced to a disputed pre-revolution debt.────────────────────────────────────────[01:09:01:15]Israel Rejects Being Bound by Ceasefire, Vows to Keep Pushing Regime ChangeSmotrich calls the MOU bad for Israel; Lebanon strikes continue despite it.────────────────────────────────────────[01:18:05:08]Cotton Bill Subordinates US Intel-Sharing to Israel, Timed to Liberty AnniversaryPresident must disclose withheld intel to Senate; introduced on USS Liberty's 59th anniversary.────────────────────────────────────────[01:29:13:24]Trump's Iran Embargo Pulls 20% of World Oil Supply, Dwarfing 1973's Crisis1973 cut only 15% of US supply yet caused a decade of fallout; this one is global from day one.────────────────────────────────────────[01:32:50:15]National Debt Nears $40 Trillion — Interest Approaches Pentagon Budget SizeSalente: Trump can't risk rate hikes since debt service rivals defense spending.────────────────────────────────────────[01:35:38:03]Central Banks Repatriate Gold From US/UK, Accumulating at Dollar's ExpenseMost plan to raise gold holdings, hold steady on euros/yuan, pull away from dollar reserves. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

────────────────────────────────────────[00:43:07:15]SPLC Intel Director Funneled Donor Money to Her Neo-Nazi Lover for Years$140K flowed into accounts with a National Alliance leader; SPLC revived the dying group.────────────────────────────────────────[00:27:25:25]White House Ballroom Hits $600M in March 2025 Paperwork — Triple Public Quotes293M private, 155M Secret Service, 149M military; separate $1B sought for security.────────────────────────────────────────[00:44:04:07]Nonprofit Wins SCOTUS Case Striking Trump's Tariffs — Then Loses All Its DonorsLiberty Justice Center spent $3.5M on the case; firms like Costco wouldn't help, fearing retaliation.────────────────────────────────────────[00:56:50:19]Leaked 14-Point MOU Reportedly Drafted by US, Not IranAl Arabiya published it pre-signing; Knight cites the same trick used on Panama's MOU.────────────────────────────────────────[01:06:15:24]Trump Claims Authority to Hand Iran $300B: "I Have the Right to If I Want"No congressional authorization cited; figure traced to a disputed pre-revolution debt.────────────────────────────────────────[01:09:01:15]Israel Rejects Being Bound by Ceasefire, Vows to Keep Pushing Regime ChangeSmotrich calls the MOU bad for Israel; Lebanon strikes continue despite it.────────────────────────────────────────[01:18:05:08]Cotton Bill Subordinates US Intel-Sharing to Israel, Timed to Liberty AnniversaryPresident must disclose withheld intel to Senate; introduced on USS Liberty's 59th anniversary.────────────────────────────────────────[01:29:13:24]Trump's Iran Embargo Pulls 20% of World Oil Supply, Dwarfing 1973's Crisis1973 cut only 15% of US supply yet caused a decade of fallout; this one is global from day one.────────────────────────────────────────[01:32:50:15]National Debt Nears $40 Trillion — Interest Approaches Pentagon Budget SizeSalente: Trump can't risk rate hikes since debt service rivals defense spending.────────────────────────────────────────[01:35:38:03]Central Banks Repatriate Gold From US/UK, Accumulating at Dollar's ExpenseMost plan to raise gold holdings, hold steady on euros/yuan, pull away from dollar reserves. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

On this week's Prospect Podcast, Geoff Pontes, JJ Cooper and Ian Cundall discuss a slew of prospects who are having exceptional seasons. Many of these prospects weren't on Top 30s coming into the season, but they're having seasons worth a second look. Why are we still skeptical with some, and which breakouts do we think have staying power.(02:00) Owen Ayers, C, Cubs(13:00) Manuel Pena, 1B, D-backs(22:30) Jason Schiavone, C, Astros(28:00) Ben Ross, SS, Twins(34:45) Lonnie White Jr., OF, Pirates(42:00) Sean Keys, 1B, Blue JaysUse our code for 10% off your next order of MLB tickets on SeatGeek* https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TERRITORY10Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discountOur Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/ba2022 for a great deal: https://www.quince.com* Check out Shopify and use my code shopify.com/baseballamerica for a great deal: https://www.shopify.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

'Devil Wears Prada' franchise tops $1B at global box office and much more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ryan McCarthy — Board of Visitors Member at Virginia Tech — explains the power of athletics to bring positive global exposure to a university.   Smart investments in athletics have the potential for as much as $1B in ROI, and universities like Virginia Tech are wisely making those investments for the future.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=344ead289d120de9f56f07165421bb56   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

The WIP Morning Team discusses Don Mattingly's lineup changes to the top of the order with Trea Turner's injury, bringing Marsh to the leadoff spot and Kyle Schwarber in the field at 1B. They also continue to share their opinions on Nick Sirianni and the New York Times profile on the head coach.

AI can analyze data faster than any human—but strategy still requires judgment. In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we sit down with Joe Luminiello, Founder and CEO of RCG Intel, a competitive intelligence firm operating at the intersection of healthcare, biopharma, and AI-driven decision making. With more than 40 years of life sciences leadership experience—including helping launch Takeda's Canadian business and leading a 650-person commercial organization responsible for over $1B in annual sales—Joe brings a unique perspective on what separates data from real strategic insight. Joe explains why many life sciences companies struggle to translate information into action. While AI can rapidly analyze clinical data, market signals, and competitive activity, it cannot replace the contextual intelligence that comes from human conversations with physicians, key opinion leaders, and frontline healthcare professionals. We explore how commercial teams can avoid the common disconnect between product development and market strategy, why cross-functional communication is critical for successful product launches, and how companies can use AI to enhance—not replace—human decision-making. If you're a MedTech founder, biotech executive, investor, or commercial leader navigating AI, competitive intelligence, and product commercialization, this episode offers powerful insights into turning data into strategy and strategy into execution.

A Wexford volunteer firefighter joins the broadcast to tell his incredible story. Callas and Crowley yell at Mackey for typing during the interview. Mackey teases a guest and Callas and Crowley keep guessing incorrectly. Another firefighter stops by to make a donation, and he was also the AD at Clairton when Tyler Boyd played for the Bears. Five players have been linked to the Pirates as trade candidates. Do the Pirates really need help at C and 1B? How can Ozuna find a rhythm if he isn't playing with any regularity? 

Jomboy & Jake are joined by manager Aaron Boone to talk about Jasson Dominguez and his new position, injury news, the Yankees ABS approach, and much more Thanks to our partners at T-Mobile for sponsoring the Bantering with Boone episode. This episode is brought to you by Samuel Adams.  https://www.samueladams.com/cheers-to-250   Go to http://shadyrays.com  and use code YANKS50 for 50% off 2+ pairs of polarized sunglasses. Download the Fanatics Sportsbook app , use code JOMBOY https://fanatics.onelink.me/5kut/JOMBOY New customers who sign up and Bet $5, Get $100 in FanCash*. Use FanCash on bonus bets, profit boosts, team gear and more on Fanatics.com. *New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Must toggle on this promotion in your bet slip and wager $5+ cash on any market (min. odds -500) within 7 days of account opening to receive $100 in FanCash. Promotional FanCash expires 7 days from issuance (at 11:59pm ET). Terms, including FanCash terms apply-see Fanatics Sportsbook app. Use FanCash on bonus bets, profit boosts, team gear on Fanatics.com and so much more.   ++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 7:15 Aaron Boone Joins the Show   11:45 Dominguez is Back and Playing RF   17:35 Fried Injury Updates 18:10 Jose Caballero and the Pitch Clock   21:00 Spencer Jones and Facing Lefties 23:35 Trent Grisham Will Be Out Several Weeks 25:28 Will Yankees Change Their ABS Approach? 31:45 Rice and Goldy at 1B and DH   35:10 Careful with Randal Grichuk This Week 36:57 What's Coming Up for the Yankees?   Aaron Boone Says the Yankees Will Stay Aggressive With Their ABS Challenges | 1373 Aaron Boone is Sticking with Jasson Dominguez in Right Field | 1373   Aaron Boone Agrees Caballero REALLY Plays the Game Within the Game | 1373 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Summary: Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) and Denny Carter break down the latest NFL news, beginning with the Brendan Sorsby stunner. Where might the wayward, would-be NCAA quarterback go in the Supplemental Draft? Next they tackle Jalen Coker’s extension and Matthew Golden’s supposedly larger role. They end with discussions on the Broncos and Bucs’ backfields, as well as some Jaydon Blue and Isaiah Likely chatter. Description:(2:50) – Pat and Denny analyze Jalen Brunson’s “clutch” gene in the NBA Finals (8:45) – Top Headlines: Brendan Sorsby declares for Supplemental Draft, Jalen Coker signs extension with Panthers (24:20) – More News & Notes: Aaron Glenn plans for “three-headed monster” in backfield, Matthew Golden plays ahead of Jayden read in 2-WR sets (34:05) – Other items of intrigue: RJ Harvey recovering from labrum surgery, Commanders to reportedly use more play-action this season (43:10) – RB Roundup: Kenneth Gainwell labeled “1B” back by Todd Bowles, Jaydon Blue impresses Brian Schottenheimer at OTAs (51:00) – Additional camp reports: Jaxson Dart zeros in on Isaiah Likely, timeline remains murky for Michael Penix Jr.’s returnSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 16, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Rhoback secures investment from CHAMP, the athlete-backed fund from L Catterton and Patricof, after surpassing $150M revenue while profitable since inception in 2016 Enhanced Games announces $50M round led by Apeiron, positioning competition as customer acquisition engine for telehealth, peptide, and performance medicine platform after reaching 1B+ viewers L Catterton reportedly in exclusive talks to acquire major stake in HYROX as 1.3M+ people competed across 140 events, adding to portfolio including Peloton, Solidcore, and Equinox Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Episode 431 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Cathy Lewenberg, CEO of Bevi. When most people think of a beverage company, they immediately think of a traditional consumer brand fighting for shelf space at the grocery store. But the real magic behind Bevi is its highly defensible B2B business model and it's brilliant. Bevi has made the old corporate water cooler cool again with its high quality platform which combines smart hardware, software, data, and customized flavors & enhancements to create a delightful experience. Oh, and its units are directly installed into your office, gym, hotel, or elsewhere. On top of their success, Bevi is also helping out our planet. The company recently hit a historic milestone, officially surpassing 1 billion single-use bottles and cans saved from ending up in landfills. Cathy stepped in as Bevi's CEO almost two years ago to lead the company's next phase of growth. As you'll hear, she is uniquely qualified to scale this business. She spent years driving digital transformation and healthy convenience initiatives at CVS Health, before serving as Chief Operating Officer and then CEO at Drizly, where she helped lead this hypergrowth company to a $1.1B acquisition by Uber. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Cathy's advice on joining a founder-led company as CEO. * Her background growing up in upstate New York and her competitive experience rowing crew at Princeton. * Her impactful tenure at CVS Health, where she ran the food and beverage business, led the shift toward healthy convenience retail, and helped play a key role in the decision to exit the tobacco category. * Why she joined Drizly and the dramatic “COVID moment” that triggered rocketship growth for alcohol delivery, leading all the way up to the Uber acquisition. * All the details about Bevi, what's next, and the company's culture. * The burning question: Is a residential Bevi machine coming to our homes anytime soon? * Cathy's advice to the next generation of women aspiring to step into the CEO seat. * And, so much more! Podcast Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

There is no golden goose when it comes to affiliation models in the wealth management industry.Wirehouses, independent broker-dealers, RIAs all have pros and cons.Anyone who suggests otherwise is either ill-informed or being disingenuous.So when considering pathways for your advisory practice, it's important to understand how those pros and cons compare.In this episode (#150) of the Transition To RIA question & answer series, I explain the pros and cons of the RIA model.Come take a listen!P.S. Prefer video? You can find this entire series in video format on Youtube. Search for the TRANSITION TO RIA channel.Show notes: https://TransitionToRIA.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-ria-model/About Host: Brad Wales is the founder of Transition To RIA, where he helps financial advisors between $50M and $1B understand everything there is to know about WHY and HOW to transition their practice to the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) model. Brad has 20+ years of industry experience, including direct RIA related roles in Compliance, Finance and Business Development. He has an MBA and has held the 4, 7, 24, 63 & 65 licenses. The Transition To RIA website (TransitionToRIA.com) has a large catalog of free videos, articles, whitepapers, as well as other resources to help advisors understand the RIA model and how it would apply to their unique circumstances.

Noah and John sit down with Nadia Bartolucci of Douglas Elliman — leader of the #1 sales team in Brooklyn, a top 10 Elliman team nationwide, and a Wall Street Journal Top 250 team with nearly $1B in sales. This one is all about Brooklyn: luxury, inventory, bidding wars, boutique new development, and why the borough has officially become a destination in its own right. Nadia breaks down why Brooklyn luxury now parallels Manhattan, why renters are getting pushed into serious buyer mode, and why tight inventory is making the right listings move fast — often at or above ask. She also gets into how she prices resale vs. new development, what concessions buyers can still ask for, why agent relationships matter in bidding wars, and how she built a small-but-mighty team that developers trust. Topics in this episode: • Brooklyn luxury as a destination, not an alternative • Rental bidding wars and renter fatigue • Why buyers are desperate to plant roots in Brooklyn • Boutique new development vs. large amenity buildings • Transfer taxes, sponsor fees, and concessions • Brooklyn's tight supply-demand gap • Pricing resale vs. sponsor/new development product • Buyer strategy in competitive Brooklyn bidding wars • Why listing-agent intel can make or break a deal • Building relationships across the brokerage community • Breaking into boutique new development • Advising developers on floor plans, staging, pricing, and design • Running a small, accountable, high-performing team • Nadia's advice: say yes, work hard, and believe Nadia Bartolucci at Douglas Elliman: https://www.elliman.com/agent/nadia-bartolucci/1029593 The Bartolucci Team: https://www.elliman.com/team/the-bartolucci-team/226533 Nadia's Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-bartolucci-237170a2/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nmbarto Stay Connected: Noah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-rosenblatt-b9b17815 John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-walkup2/ Website: https://www.urbandigs.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbandigs_nyc X: https://x.com/UrbanDigs Email: hello@urbandigs.com Key Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction 0:47 – Brooklyn Luxury Is No Longer an Alternative 1:25 – Rental Bidding Wars in Prime Brooklyn 2:10 – Rental Fatigue & the Push Toward Buying 3:35 – Brooklyn Quality of Life, Green Space & Restaurant Energy 4:45 – Large New Development vs. Boutique Brooklyn Product 6:15 – Concessions in a Tight Inventory Market 8:00 – Brooklyn's New Development Pipeline 9:15 – Pricing Strategy for Resale Sellers 11:00 – Pricing New Development Against Developer Underwriting 12:00 – Brooklyn Buyer Strategy in Bidding Wars 12:45 – Calling the Listing Agent for Seller Intel 14:15 – Why Agent Relationships Matter 15:15 – Breaking Into Boutique New Development 17:15 – Why Honesty Wins With Developers 18:45 – Running a Small but Mighty Team 22:15 – Advice: “Never Say No” and Bet on Yourself 24:15 – Why Brooklyn's Mix Is Hard to Replicate With over $900M in listings priced, top NYC agents rely on UrbanDigs Advisor for independent pricing intelligence. Ask for a free demo: UrbanDigs.co Try UrbanDigs FREE — live market data, charts, and insights designed to get you from pitch to close: urbandigs.com Macro Monday — LIVE every Monday at 11AM on YouTube. Subscribe: @UrbanDigsNYC Past episodes: talkingmanhattan.com #brooklynrealestate #nycrealestate #brooklynluxury #douglaselliman #nadiabartolucci #talkingmanhattan #urbandigs #brooklynmarket #newdevelopment #biddingwars #rentalmarket #nycinventory

*Timestamps are approximate* TIME TOPIC 0:00 Podcast intro with Dave & Chuck "The Freak"0:01 - - - AD MARKER - - -0:01 EMAIL: A recommended video from us has destroyed her algorithm0:09 EMAIL: How our most recent Uncut episode embarrassed her0:11 EMAIL: Had an intense reaction to maple syrup pee0:16 National Iced Tea Day0:21 Motorized wheelchair that can go as fast as cars0:24 Would you rather get $500K up front, or money every time you run a mile0:28 NEWS0:28 FAST FOOD FREAKOUT0:28 2 sisters stabbed a restaurant worker over a wrong food order0:35 Got attacked by shark when he went for a swim on his lunch break0:38 Missing boaters finally return home0:41 Pilot accused of flying 900 flights with a fake license0:44 Dangerous weather events across the country0:48 Truck full of fireworks went up in flames0:50 3 high schoolers save a guy whose kayak overturned 0:47 A 72-year-old woman grandmother finally graduated from university0:59 - - - AD MARKER - - -0:59 Dave is being driven nuts by the Puerto Rico A.I. song1:07 Cop helped a family of geese walk through a city1:08 CELEBRITY DIRT1:08 NHL and NBA playoff update1:10 Americans' interest in the World Cup1:12 Betting against your team if you think you could make money1:13 Dog going viral for its soccer skills1:16 Celebrities who have colonoscopy parties1:23 MGK's skin turned yellow during a major tattoo project1:24 Highly anticipated new Spielberg movie1:26 Matt Damon rapping under an alias1:32 Cover band that has surpassed 1B views online1:36 - - - AD MARKER - - -1:36 BITCH'S TRIPPIN'/HOT OR NOT1:36 Woman walking around in public without pants after she pooped herself1:47 MUG SHOT OF THE DAY1:47 Guy stole minivan from a rehab center1:50 A guy tried to break into an RV in women's clothing1:54 Guy tried to choke a co-worker for getting promoted over him2:04 Perv fell for one of his nurses, stalked her2:07 Guy's gator got loose2:12 Woman had her dog's ashes mixed in with her eye liner2:18 BITCH'S TRIPPIN'/HOT OR NOT2:18 Lady busted stealing strange things from grocery store2:27 - - - AD MARKER - - -2:27 Guy burned himself after a vape battery exploded in his pocket2:39 62-year-old guy woke up with a truck on top of him2:43 Travelers trapped in car during a mosquito swarm2:46 Woman defends her kid after she flipped off an old man2:50 Garbage truck crew saved a puppy from a trash can, adopted him2:55 - - - AD MARKER - - -2:55 NEWS2:55 Teens caused a traffic jam after climbing a suspension bridge3:00 Hot air balloon crash landing3:02 New disorder linked to drinking too many hard seltzers3:05 - - - AD MARKER - - -3:05 1/10 adults admit they have missed a once in a lifetime event because they were on their phones3:08 Backwards beach day3:12 Woman baked bread for her nephew, turned out looking like a dong3:16 - - - AD MARKER - - -3:16 DOUCHEBAGS OF THE DAY3:16 What a group of golf loving content creators were busted doing END OF SHOWSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SpaceX Files S-1: The $2 Trillion IPO Thesis, Starlink Cash Engine, AI Pivot, and Bitcoin AngleThe script discusses SpaceX officially filing an S-1 with the SEC and frames it as a landmark IPO targeting a $2 trillion valuation after private valuations rose from $100B to $200B. It breaks SpaceX into three pillars: space launch/Mars ambitions (about $4.1B revenue in 2025), Starlink as the profitable cash engine (Q1 2026 connectivity revenue $3.3B with over $1.2B profit), and a major pivot into AI infrastructure with billions spent on data centers and custom hardware, described as roughly $8B per quarter. It notes the S-1 confirms SpaceX holds a significant digital asset and has been a longtime Bitcoin holder, while warning IPO volatility will be high and advising patience, monitoring Starlink growth and any post-IPO Bitcoin additions as potential catalysts.00:00 SpaceX IPO Shockwave00:55 Two Trillion Valuation Math01:11 Three Pillars Breakdown02:12 Starlink Cash Engine02:36 AI Infrastructure Pivot03:08 Bitcoin On The Balance Sheet03:59 IPO Risks And Mindset04:51 How To Play The IPO05:34 Live Coverage And Wrap Up________________________________________________________________FOLLOW ME ON X: https://twitter.com/staywinningusdFOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/staywinningusd/SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@staywinningusdDOWNLOAD ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lPyA19keI2fpr0xZrEKxMNEWSLETTER SIGNUP: https://stay-winning-wealth.kit.com/806fb337d7SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG: https://medium.com/@staywinningusd________________________________________________________________

Greg Selkoe is co-founder and CEO of XSET, a gaming lifestyle brand and media company, creating content with top creators and celebrities across YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Previously, as Co-Head of FaZe Clan, he scaled the company to $36M in annual revenue in two years. He also founded Karmaloop, generating over $1B in lifetime revenue as CEO. A Harvard M.P.P. graduate and Y Combinator alum, Greg is launching the XSET 501(c)(3) Foundation to expand inclusive opportunities through gaming.

Our 247th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!Recorded on 06/03/2026Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and Jeremie HarrisFeel free to email us your questions and feedback at andreyvkurenkov@gmail.com and/or hello@gladstone.aiRead out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/In this episode:Anthropic released Claude Opus 4.8 with improved benchmark scores, discussed eval-awareness findings and welfare/corrigibility themes from its system card, and introduced Dynamic Workflows for long-running multi-agent tasks.Microsoft unveiled the always-on Microsoft Scout assistant built on OpenClaw plus new in-house MAI models (including MAI Thinking 1) and “frontier tuning,” emphasizing enterprise security architecture and model-from-scratch capability.Major business moves included Anthropic's $65B Series H at a $965B valuation alongside an IPO filing, a JPMorgan analysis arguing OpenAI needs major revenue growth to justify infrastructure spend, and Cognition raising $1B at a $25B valuation.Policy and security highlights covered Trump's voluntary pre-release government testing framework for powerful AI, Meta AI support being exploited to hijack Instagram accounts, tightened US Nvidia export controls and China's travel approvals for AI experts, plus expanded Glasswing/Mythos-style cyber and biodefense initiatives.Timestamps:(00:00:10) Intro / Banter(00:04:10) Sponsors(00:07:10) News PreviewTools & Apps(00:07:54) Anthropic releases Opus 4.8 with new 'dynamic workflow' tool | TechCrunch(00:22:37) Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw | The Verge(00:26:55) Microsoft launches new MAI family of AI models at Microsoft Build | Mashable(00:37:43) Robinhood now lets your AI agents trade stocks | TechCrunch(00:40:49) OpenAI launches new Codex tools for white-collar work | TechCrunch(00:43:40) ElevenLabs' new music-generation model can switch genres mid-track | TechCrunchApplications & Business(00:44:35) Anthropic Hits $965 Billion Valuation, Surpassing OpenAI - WSJ(00:45:32) Anthropic Files to Go Public, Setting Stage for Huge I.P.O. - The New York Times(00:51:15) China's ByteDance Developing New AI Chips Like Those from Nvidia Partner Groq(00:55:00) Anthropic expands Mythos to 150 additional organizations(00:55:35) OpenAI needs a 26x revenue increase to justify its buildout(00:58:46) AI coding startup Cognition raises $1B at $25B pre-money valuation | TechCrunchProjects & Open Source(01:00:50) MiniMax-M3 debuts, eclipsing GPT-5.5 and Gemini 3.1 Pro on key benchmark performance for just 5-10% of the cost | VentureBeatPolicy & Safety(01:06:08) Trump Signs Executive Order Seeking Oversight of A.I. Models - The New York Times(01:11:45) Hackers Simply Asked Meta AI to Give Them Access to High-Profile Instagram Accounts. It Worked(01:13:058) Chinese AI experts in private firms now required to secure approval before international travel — Beijing enforces policy to secure top-tier talent, expands measures beyond government(01:17:53) U.S. Tightens Controls on Nvidia AI Chip Exports | Let's Data Science(01:21:47) OpenAI launches Rosalind Biodefense, offers federal agencies early access to its life-sciences model(01:24:00) Using LLMs to secure source code(01:26:19) Project Glasswing: An initial update(01:29:30) White House Approves $9 Billion for Spy Agencies to Catch Up on A.I.(01:32:11) US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism' as AI Hatred GrowsSynthetic Media & Art(01:35:38) YouTube will now automatically label AI videos | TechCrunchResearch & Advancements(01:36:22) Why Larger Models Learn More: Effects of Capacity, Interference, and Rare-Task Retention(01:41:26) From Simulation to Enaction: Post-trained language models recognize and react to their own generationsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From our Sold Out Live Show in Los Angeles, it's the 1st guest we've ever interviewed whose official title is “Chief Inventor.”Because after half-a-dozen stalled startups, a rejection on Shark Tank in front of 3M viewers, and running low on cash, Jamie Simonoff sold his Ring home camera company to Amazon for over $1B in 2018.Basic idea, but billion-dollar-door-breaking breakthrough — Because the Ring wifi doorbell camera is the biggest disruption to the door since the knob. Now your mom has one, your neighbor has one, and your landlord just installed one (like ½ of America has)Jamie is the Baron of Buzzers & Patron Saint of Porch Security. And in this interview he unlocks all his secrets… like how he dropped $1M for the website domain www.ring.com — Even though he only had $100K in cash.Jamie's got the kind of energy that makes you want to invite him inside to hang out and chat for hours (we could've kept going, but the theater was closing down). And on today's interview he dives into:How to become a tinkererHis crazy Shark Tank episodeWhen Richard Branson emailed him to investWhat it's like selling to Amazon (and making Bezos laugh)That 1 big Super Bowl commercialWhether Work/Life Balance is possibleWhy he took his 5-year-old son to visit a Chinese factoryAnd the next simple household item to get disruptedLive from Los Angeles at our Sold Out show,Basic concept, but billion-dollar breakthroughBy linking a camera to wifi, he turned ding-dong into cha-chingBut 13 yrs ago, Jamie pitched this invention on Shark TankAnd the Sharks didn't bite, Mr Wonderful shut the door on him (lit)But he turned I'm outs into I'm Ins, b/c 3M ppl who saw that episode were interestedAnd 5yrs later, Amazon came knocking (also literally) w/ $1B offerNow your mom has one, your neighbor has one, your landlord just installed onBut Jamie's the ultimate comeback story. And tonight he's going to unlock all his secrets for yaHe's the Duke of Ding Dongs, the Baron of BuzzersThe Patron Saint of Porch SecurityThe guest for tonight's Live Show is the coolest entrepreneur in LA: Jamie Simonoff, founder of RingAnd today's interview w/ Jamie is the best one yet (and yes, we're filming this)NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Travis Payne. The interview serves three main purposes: Inspiration & Career BlueprintTo highlight Travis Payne’s journey from Atlanta dancer to globally recognized choreographer and director working with icons like Michael and Janet Jackson. Business of EntertainmentTo educate listeners on how creativity (dance, music, performance) intersects with business, branding, and revenue generation. Motivation for Entrepreneurs & CreativesTo reinforce themes of persistence, preparation, and leveraging opportunity—aligned with the show’s mission to help audiences “plan their own success story.” [TRAVIS PAYNE | Txt]

Take 10 with Tim – June 5, 20261.Let's take a look at the standings2.FYI – Corbin Burnes hurt his shoulder during his rehab and now is unlikely to pitch this season.3.Revisiting Sandlin vs. Jump. Both came up together, and Sandlin outpitched Jump in the first game, but Sandlin got it handed to him in game two, and Jump pitched 7 strong innings for the win.a.Who do you take for Game 3?4.Justin Verlander is expected back this weekend. He has a favorable matchup against the Mariners.a.Do you dare?5.TJ Friedl was taken as the 60th outfielder off the board and is now back in Triple-A after hitting .179 with two home runs. Noelvi Marte gets another shot.a.What happened to Friedl?b.Any interest in Marte?6.What happened to these guys? Do you see them bouncing back over the next four months or was their 2025 an outlier1)Michael Busch (CHC, 13th 1B) – 34 home runs in 2025, 6 so far this season2)Jackson Merrill (SD, 14th OF) – He's hitting .206 with five home runs and 10 SB. His runs scored are always down. 3)Bo Bichette (NYM, 10th SS) – The power is targeting 15 for the year, which was about what he did in 2026. But, he's hitting .226 with a brutal .280 OBP. He's still swinging at nearly every first pitch.i.Plus, is this what $42 million annually gets you? Really? That's the third highest on-field salary in 2026.4)Masyn Winn (STL, #27 SS) – He was on a lot of sleeper list – 2 HR, 5 SB, and a .235 BA is not what was expected.5)Matt Chapman (SF, #11 3B) – 21 HR and 9 SB in 2025. He has 2 home runs and 0 SB with a .236 BA. He did have three hits yesterday.6)Steven Kwan (Cle, #37 OF) - .209 BA, 1 HR, 2 SB – BRUTAL!7)Lawrence Butler (ATH, #36 OF) – 3 HR, 4 SB, and a .161 BA. I'm not sure why he's still in the Major Leagues.8)Geraldo Perdomo (AZ, #9 SS) – Breakout in 2025 with 20 HR, 27 SB, and a .290 BA. This season, he has 3 home runs and is hitting .223.7.Believe it or not, we are 42% of the way through the season, and it feels like a good time to get your predictions on CY, MVP, and ROY. Mine are listed.a.Please provide a pick for CY, MVP and ROYi.AL: CY – Rich – Cam Schlitter; Tim – Gavin Williamsii.AL MVP – Yordan or Witt Jr.; Tim – Ben Riceiii.AL ROY – Should have been Murakami – Maybe Okamoto or you default to Kevin McGonigle; Tim - Okamotoiv.NL: CY – Cristopher Sanchez; Tim - Sanchezv.NL MVP – Shohei Ohtani; Tim - Samevi.NL ROY – Konnor Griffin – might be a stretch and deserves to be below, I just think he flies by everyone; Tim – Carson Bengeb.Please provide a stretch pick for each category.i.AL: CY – Parker Messick; Tim – Will Warrenii.AL: MVP – Mike Trout; Tim – Miguel Vargasiii.AL: ROY – Sam Basallo – I think he has a huge second half; Tim – Payton Tolleiv.NL: CY – Shohei Ohtani – Braxton Ashcraft will get more votes than Paul Skenes; Tim – Chase Burnsv.NL: MVP – Oneil Cruz; Tim – Jordan Walkervi.NL: ROY – Carson Benge – has a huge second half; Tim - JJ Wetherholt8.What hitter are you targeting for this weekend's FAAB?a.Arroyo or Marte9.What pitcher are you targeting for this weekend's FAAB?a.Alex Lange

Read the unfiltered memos I send my team as we scale Acquisition.com to $1B+:https://leilahormozi.com/subscribe I've built companies worth hundreds of millions, and I've watched people with twice my talent blow up their lives by quitting at the wrong time. In this episode, I'm getting honest about what actually needs to be true before you walk out the door.In this episode00:00 Why most people aren't ready to quit 01:00 Get a paying client before you leave 02:00 Build a financial floor, not just a runway 04:00 Develop emotional reps for uncertainty and loss 06:30 Build real assets, not just desire 08:30 Have a plan that survives contact with reality 10:00 Why staying employed can be your smartest moveMore Value:Get your personalized $100m scaling roadmap: https://www.acquisition.com/roadmap Read the unfiltered memos I send my team as we scale Acquisition.com to $1B+: https://leilahormozi.com/subscribeReceive a curated set of internal memos from the past year at Acquisition.com: https://leilahormozi.com/acq Watch my latest YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@leilahormozi/featuredLearn how to scale your business to millions of dollars in annual revenue: https://www.acquisition.com/ DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026.

June 4, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Meta spins Supernatural into independent company Supernatural Health, bringing back original founders and coaches with standalone app launching later this year Eternal launches AI-generated audio episodes transforming wearable data, bloodwork, and DEXA scans into personalized health briefings built into its new super app NewLimit, co-founded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, raises $435M at $3.1B valuation for epigenetic reprogramming therapies after showing age reversal in human liver cells Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Receive the unfiltered memos I send my team as we scale Acquisition.com to $1B+:https://leilahormozi.com/subscribe Don't judge your boss by what you see, because their most important responsibilities are not necessarily visible. In this episode, Leila breaks down the iceberg illusion of leadership and why an employee might be oblivious to 90% of the work that's done by their leader. And entrepreneurs must train their team members to think, decide, and act like owners.In this episode00:00 How empathy for a boss can change career trajectory02:00 The iceberg illusion of leadership04:29 Leadership lessons from Phil Jackson's triangle offense05:56 Delegating decisions vs. delegating tasks08:26 Scheduling absence and training replacements More Value:Get your personalized $100m scaling roadmap: https://www.acquisition.com/roadmap Read the unfiltered memos I send my team as we scale Acquisition.com to $1B+: https://leilahormozi.com/subscribeReceive a curated set of internal memos from the past year at Acquisition.com: https://leilahormozi.com/acq Watch my latest YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@leilahormozi/featuredLearn how to scale your business to millions of dollars in annual revenue: https://www.acquisition.com/ DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026.