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Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification Our students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Watch: The rise of solo consultants and why it pays so well https://youtu.be/rTfC3ug9XusChapters00:00 How $115K in Air Force Gear Led to Government Contracts00:36 From Air Force Special Ops to Government Contracting02:03 Landing Paid Government Contracting Consulting Clients04:31 The $115K Gear Question That Started Everything05:45 Will AI Replace Government Contracting Jobs?07:45 The Biggest Problem in Government Contracting08:33 Best Ways to Make Money in Government Contracting09:49 Why Companies Need Government Contracting Consultants11:47 Why Government Contracting Is Hard but Lucrative13:15 Building a GovCon Consulting Business14:09 RFPeasy and the Future of GovCon Software15:45 $50K a Month From Government Contracting Software?17:42 Government Contracting Scams to Avoid19:46 What Companies Should Pay GovCon Consultants For20:11 How to Spot Fake Government Contracting Experts22:12 RFP Writing and Client Transparency Problems24:21 RFPeasy Demo: AI Tools for Government Contractors27:21 What Federal Sales Teams Need to Win Contracts29:45 Building a Federal Sales Roadmap31:39 Using USAspending Data for Capture Strategy35:24 Reading Federal Market Data the Right Way36:39 Finding Top Contracting Offices in USAspending38:37 Onboarding GovCon Clients Faster39:45 Finding RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, and SBIR Opportunities41:12 Contracting Officer Search and Outreach Warnings44:21 Exporting GovCon Lead Lists45:00 Capability Statement Text for Federal Opportunities46:45 Pipeline Tracking for Government Contracts48:00 AI Proposal Writing for RFPs and RFIs49:30 Why Human Review Still Matters With AI Proposals50:33 RFPeasy Security, FAR Helper, and MVP Features51:33 How to Try RFPeasy.app52:18 GOVCLOSE50 Discount Code and Closing— — — — —RFP EASY PODCAST LISTENER OFFERUse code GOVCLOSE50 and get your first month free.Redeem at https://rfpeasy.app — offer active through July 31, 2026.— — — — —Built by Dakota Ward, U.S. Air Force Combat Controller veteran and founder of Gov Access Solutions LLC.Start now → https://rfpeasy.appABOUT RICK HOWARDRick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.--Connect with Rick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/
What If Becoming a Better Ultra Runner Starts With Raising Your Standards?What separates runners who consistently improve from those who stay stuck? It isn't just talent, fitness, or the perfect training plan—it's the standards they choose to live by every single day.We'll explore why striving for excellence can transform not only your ultrarunning but every area of your life. Instead of chasing perfection, you'll learn how small daily habits, intentional choices, and a commitment to growth create the athlete capable of reaching goals that once felt impossible.Whether you're training for your first ultra, chasing a PR, or looking for more fulfillment in the process, this episode will leave you inspired to raise your own standard.In this episode you'll discover:-Why excellence isn't reserved for the most talented athletes-How daily standards shape long-term ultrarunning success-Why recovery and flexibility are just as important as hard work-How to bounce back from setbacks without losing momentum-The difference between healthy discipline and burnout-How personal growth leads to stronger race performances-The role fulfillment plays in staying motivated for the long haulIf you're ready to train with more purpose, build lasting confidence, and unlock a higher level of performance, this episode will give you the mindset tools to help you get there.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.com
Claude Fable 5 refuses security work, Kain Warwick pulls $5,000 of compute from a $200 plan, and Humanity Protocol loses its bridge, token, and treasury to one infected device. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsors! Multichain Advisors: Get help navigating TGEs, go‑to‑market, BD and partnerships, capital markets advisory, PR, media placements, KOL activations and more at https://multichainadv.com. ======================================================== Anthropic promised Mythos and shipped Claude Fable 5 instead. The model found a four-year-old bug in Zcash's shielded pool that survived multiple expert audits. But when Anthropic shipped the model days later, it was no longer willing to audit smart contracts, bailing the moment a prompt smells like security work.Jailbreakers are already turning a jailbroken Opus 4.8 against it, while white hats sit locked out. Kain Warwick, Taylor Monahan, and Luca Netz weigh the defender's dilemma: builders cannot point the model at their own code, but nobody can prove black hats have not jailbroken their way in — and, the hosts warn,North Korean threat actors have spent more than six months harvesting AI API keys. Then Kain runs the numbers on the subsidy: roughly 200 million tokens in four hours on a $200 plan, about $5,000 at API rates, and on the 22nd Fable goes API only as the first unsubsidized frontier model. Plus Pump.fun's bounty marketplace and the Humanity Protocol hack, which left the hosts asking why a 3-of-6 multisig existed at all. When the subsidies stop, who still gets the frontier? Host: Kain Warwick, Founder of Infinex and Synthetix Taylor Monahan, Security Expert Luca Netz, CEO of Pudgy Penguins Timestamps
Trying to balance work, family, travel, and ultra training? This episode proves you don't need a perfect schedule to chase extraordinary goals.Sarah Normand is a full-time professional, wife, mom, and 200-mile ultrarunner who has built success through consistency, adaptability, and a willingness to keep showing up. From transitioning out of road running to tackling some of the toughest endurance races, she shares the lessons that have helped her thrive on and off the trail.If you're training for your first ultra or a new personal best, this conversation will help you become a stronger, smarter, and more resilient runner.In this episode, you'll learn:-Why consistency beats perfection-How to balance training with a busy life-The biggest lessons from moving from road running to trail ultras-Practical ways to stay flexible without sacrificing progress-The mindset that helps overcome setbacks and race-day lows-Why listening to your body leads to better long-term performance-How to avoid burnout while pursuing big goals-The power of community during tough endurance challengesThis episode is packed with practical strategies and inspiring insights that will help you train with more confidence, adapt to life's challenges, and keep moving forward when things get hard.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow Sarah on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/snormand18/
Claude Fable 5 refuses security work, Kain Warwick pulls $5,000 of compute from a $200 plan, and Humanity Protocol loses its bridge, token, and treasury to one infected device. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsors! Multichain Advisors: Get help navigating TGEs, go‑to‑market, BD and partnerships, capital markets advisory, PR, media placements, KOL activations and more at https://multichainadv.com. ======================================================== Anthropic promised Mythos and shipped Claude Fable 5 instead. The model found a four-year-old bug in Zcash's shielded pool that survived multiple expert audits. But when Anthropic shipped the model days later, it was no longer willing to audit smart contracts, bailing the moment a prompt smells like security work.Jailbreakers are already turning a jailbroken Opus 4.8 against it, while white hats sit locked out. Kain Warwick, Taylor Monahan, and Luca Netz weigh the defender's dilemma: builders cannot point the model at their own code, but nobody can prove black hats have not jailbroken their way in — and, the hosts warn,North Korean threat actors have spent more than six months harvesting AI API keys. Then Kain runs the numbers on the subsidy: roughly 200 million tokens in four hours on a $200 plan, about $5,000 at API rates, and on the 22nd Fable goes API only as the first unsubsidized frontier model. Plus Pump.fun's bounty marketplace and the Humanity Protocol hack, which left the hosts asking why a 3-of-6 multisig existed at all. When the subsidies stop, who still gets the frontier? Host: Kain Warwick, Founder of Infinex and Synthetix Taylor Monahan, Security Expert Luca Netz, CEO of Pudgy Penguins Timestamps
Bitcoin just triggered the signal that has marked every previous bear market bottom — half of all circulating BTC supply (roughly 10.5 million coins) is now trading at a loss per Glassnode/K33 Research, the first time this has happened since the late 2022 cycle low. But realized losses over the last 30 days sit at just 187,000 BTC versus 1.2 million after the FTX collapse, meaning capitulation hasn't actually hit yet. Meanwhile, Japan just delivered the biggest bullish policy shift of 2026 — reclassifying crypto as financial products, slashing the tax rate from 55% to 20%, and opening the door to spot crypto ETFs. Add Wall Street dumping $10.8 billion of tech stocks last week (largest tech outflow ever recorded), SoftBank trying to borrow $6 billion against its OpenAI stake just to keep funding OpenAI, Warren's Hail Mary to delay tomorrow's $75B SpaceX IPO, and the historical reality that the 10 biggest IPOs in history dropped 35% in their first six months — and today's setup may be the cleanest historic bottom signal we've seen in three years. We break down whether the supply-in-loss signal actually holds, why capitulation hasn't fully hit yet, what Japan's bombshell means for the bull case, and which catalysts could trigger the real cycle bottom before $50K comes into play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most brands think GMV Max is just another ad campaign. It is not. GMV Max rewards better inputs.Better creator partnersBetter content systemsBetter shop operationsBetter product pagesBetter internal alignment between TikTok Shop, paid media, creative, and DTC.In this workshop, Jordan West and Brywinn Travers break down what actually happens once a brand starts scaling on TikTok Shop and why so many brands plateau around the $50K/month GMV mark.They cover why creator relationships matter more than micromanaging campaigns, how to improve signal quality, why more videos per creator matters, when to invest in your top creators, and why GMV Max should be managed like a business system instead of a traditional media buying channel.You'll learn:• Why GMV Max rewards signal quality over manual control• Why the best creators need coaching, not just samples• How many videos per creator brands should be aiming for• Why hero SKUs matter before scaling into more products• How to think about creator testing instead of audience testing• Why boosting individual creatives usually does not beat the algorithm• How to use creator content across TikTok Shop, Meta, Amazon, DTC, YouTube, and CTV• Why retainers are risky before a creator has proven they can sell• What brands need to review weekly to keep GMV Max healthyIf you are running TikTok Shop, scaling GMV Max, or trying to figure out why your creator content is not turning into revenue, this session will help you understand what the real levers are.Social Commerce Club works with brands to build TikTok Shop into a real growth channel through creators, content, ads, operations, and measurement.Book a call with Social Commerce Club:https://socialcommerceclub.com/pages/contact
What does it take to keep moving when everything tells you to quit?In this episode, the Lambros brothers share how they went from everyday athletes to running across Australia and the UK while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research, overcoming injuries, brutal conditions, and setbacks that would end most attempts.This conversation is packed with lessons that every ultra runner can apply, whether you're training for your first 50K or chasing a 100-mile finish. You'll learn why having a strong "why" is the ultimate performance tool, how to stay calm when things go wrong, and why resilience is built one difficult step at a time.In this episode, you'll learn:-Why purpose is the foundation of mental toughness-How to separate pain from suffering during long races-The mindset that helps you overcome setbacks and uncertainty-Practical lessons from running across two countries-Why embracing adversity can make you a stronger ultra runner-How consistency and belief compound into extraordinary resultsIf you want to build more resilience, strengthen your mindset, and discover what you're truly capable of, this is an episode you won't want to miss.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow the Lambros Brothers!Lachlan: https://www.instagram.com/lachlanlamble/?hl=enStefan: https://www.instagram.com/stefanlamble/?hl=enDual account: https://www.instagram.com/lambrosarmy/?hl=en
APEX Express is a weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. This Pride Month—queer and trans AAPI community strength. On this episode, host Miata Tan is joined by guests from three organizations building queer AAPI community on their own terms. They explore what it's like to find joy, organize together, and show up for each other in this moment. QTViệt Cafe Collective Learn more about QTViệt Cafe Collective and their new documentary Đồng Quê: Of the Same Womb Website | Instagram | Join the Collective Catch the film at an upcoming screening: June 14 — World Premiere | 22nd Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival | Presidio Theater, San Francisco June 20 — Screening + Q&A with filmmaker Sage Tran | Hosted by the Q Corner | San Jose Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride (QHIP) Learn more about QHIP and their upcoming workshops, events, and campaigns Instagram | Website | 5th Annual Elk Grove Pride Lavender Phoenix (LavNix) Learn more about Lavender Phoenix and their Leadership Exchange program Website | Instagram | Leadership Exchange Program Previous Episodes A Conversation with Lavender Phoenix: The Next Chapter — March 26, 2026 Trans & Queer Hmong Rise: Organizing in Central California — October 24, 2024 8 Years of QTViệt Cafe! — August 22, 2024 Transcript [00:00:00] Miata Tan : Hello and welcome. You're tuning in to APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. We're nearly halfway through June, and Pride Month is in full swing. Pride is a time to celebrate, honor, and dig into the deep political history of queer and trans communities. And tonight, [00:01:00] we're zooming into a few distinct queer Asian American communities right here in Northern California. First, we'll hear from a collective of queer and trans Vietnamese artists, activists, and organizers based in the Bay Area, who have a brand-new documentary out this weekend. Then we'll dive into the political organizing of queer and trans Hmong communities in Fresno and Sacramento. And we'll close out the show with a queer Asian American community leader and some different ways that you can get involved this summer. Okay, let's get into it. First up, my conversation with QTViet Cafe Collective. And before you ask, no, QTViet Cafe is not a brick-and-mortar cafe that serves coffee. They are a Bay Area-based creative cultural hub for queer and trans Vietnamese liberation through gatherings, art showcases, cultural programming, and more. QTViet Cafe is a part of Asian Refugees United, [00:02:00] and tonight we'll be discussing their new documentary, Dong Hoi: Of the Same Womb. It is premiering this Sunday, June 14, as part of the 22nd Annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival in San Francisco. Dong Hoi asks viewers what it means to return to a homeland, to a community, to yourself. Here's my conversation with the QTViet Cafe Collective. Miata Tan: Thank you all so much for joining me today on APEX Express. Sage, perhaps you can start us off. would you be able to introduce yourself and share a little bit about what the QTViet Cafe Collective is? Sage Tran: My name is Sage. I use they/them pronouns. One of filmmakers/digital archivists for QTViet Cafe Collective. we are a cultural hub where we focus on, diasporic themes around intergenerational Vietnamese and identity and queerness. We do a lot our [00:03:00] events and workshops and gatherings around food, remembrance, and, our gay and they selves. Miata Tan: Lovely. Jessie, who are you and what brought you to QTViet? Jessie Nguyen: Sure, my name is Jessie, and my pronouns are they or Jessie, and I've been part of the collective since, 2018. I think I found the collective in a place in my life when I was really searching for ways to, bring an intersection to all parts of my identities, QTViet Cafe Just like Sage said, it's a creative hub, it's a cultural hub that is really dedicated to uplifting queer and trans Viet liberation through ancestral practices , different, forms of art and intergenerational connection. yeah, I just really appreciate the ways that QTViet Cafe has just been so dedicated to our, art and then also uplifting our art to really, bring forth community, organizing work, solidarity [00:04:00] work and our own, like, queer and trans Viet excellence Miata Tan: Love that. Jean, could you share a little bit about yourself as well? Jean Pham: Thanks for having us here. my name is Jean Pham. I use they/them pronouns. i've also been a part of QTViet Cafe since 2018 when I had first moved here to the Bay Area. Like Sage and Jessie had shared, QTViet Cafe is, it's a really special space. I think as d- diasporic Vietnamese, speaking broadly, like culturally we experience being displaced on many different levels. Um, when people say that it's a cultural hub, really tangible in a, in a lot of the activities and things that we do. we've hosted like art residencies. We cultural dinners. We have language groups. QTViet Cafe, it really exists to fill a need. and I think part of that need brought us, to the culmination of this specific project, to bring us back into Vietnam Miata Tan: Yeah, lovely. And we can pick up from there your trip to Vietnam. this, was captured by Sage recently in a documentary. Sage, could you speak more about what, this new doco is about? where did this project come [00:05:00] from? Sage Tran: this project emerged from a collective hunger for wanting to return back to the motherland. for years of doing a lot of gathering here, specifically in the Bay Area, we've been able to stay rooted in the territories here. And, we all came to a consensus like , what would it be like to gather a bunch of us and connect with our siblings, brother, sisters, family, chosen fam out in the motherland? that became a seed that we cultivated, planted, tend to, and we fundraised with a lot of community support to get about 13 of us out uh, Vietnam. maybe Jessie can talk a little bit more about this, but Hai and Ma are the, folks who founded QTViet Cafe Collective [00:06:00] Jessie, Ma, and Hai. They all three went to Vietnam in 2022 and built a lot of beautiful connections of like local drag artists, queer trans collectives out there. That's kind of what birthed Dong Khoi. Miata Tan: so I've been lucky enough to, watch the film already. Donghui is the name of the documentary, but it's also the name of the performance that came together Jesse, perhaps you can speak to this this journey more and I know QTViet C- Cafe's been around since 2016, this project goes back, a few years as well Jessie Nguyen: Yeah, sure. I can speak a little bit about that and just chiming into, like, what Sage already shared. there was a small group of collective members that that came up with the idea of, like, what would it be like for us as, queer and trans Viet diasporic folks to go to the homeland. the original intent was for that trip to happen in 2020. And it [00:07:00] actually, because of the pandemic, I think obviously things were, logistically it just didn't work, but that, dream, like, surfaced again, so the question came up about, like, what would it be like for us to travel together to the homeland as a collective and also share our art, to , connect with other Viets in Saigon. You know, when we're in the Bay, so much of our work is really centered around gathering communities around our food, our art, and our stories. And so it really made sense for us to think about what would that look like in Vietnam. And so in 2022, as Sage was mentioning, me, Hai, and Ma,, went to Saigon and just kind of explored, like, what is the creative scene like and were able to connect queer and trans Viet artists who are doing insanely inspiring creative work. we connected with folks from the Baxiu Collective, and they're a group of, queer and trans Viet artists who are doing drag in different, performance spaces in queer bars in Saigon. And then I think in that moment we're like, “Wait, we would love to [00:08:00] collaborate with you.” from that unfolded, a, a year-long , like, planning of, what would it look like for us to do a shared showcase together. And so we identified built relationships with a queer bar in Saigon. and then so leading up to the homeland trip, we planned this showcase where it would be a mix artists from our collective and artists from their collective, and then a whole, a whole performance that unfolded. And I think in the year of 2023, that year I think we ended up fundraising, about 50K in order to really subsidize and support the whole journey of getting us to Vietnam. Like, stipending artists and creatives that we were collaborating with. it was, one of the biggest projects I think that QTViet has ever been a part of and really undertaken, and I think it definitely is, like, a huge highlight for, like, my time with QTViet. Miata Tan: Lovely, and it's so beautiful to see it all come together in the documentary. Jean, could you speak to your experience? I understand this was [00:09:00] your first time ever visiting Vietnam Jean Pham: Yes, it was my first time visiting Vietnam. so I had a well of emotions in terms of the lead-up to it. Like Jesse was sharing, you know, originally the plan was we were gonna go in 2020. That had to shift, you know, shelter in place and everything. A lot of the work that we do is reconnection, right? as diasporic Vietnamese being displaced from our ancestral land, as queer and trans people, um, a big rallying point for many of us is feeling displaced from our own families. And so part of, like, returning back together is fighting against it. It's like, what if we reconnect ? You know, what if we re- reunite? You know, w- if we're traveling together as queer community, we can really see and understand what it's like to be uh, Vietnam for ourselves. And so it was really, like h- it had this like gravity around it, and I think it made me really nervous but also excited. that being said, you know, a lot of other folks who are part of our cohort, even though they had gone to Vietnam before, a lot of them had also shared this is their [00:10:00] first time going without family, And we're going specifically towards, queer and trans community in Vietnam, which is also a departure from their other experiences too. Jessie Nguyen: Can I just add something? Because I just really loved what Gene shared. I just think that, yeah, I think that you really spoke to something there about how we can spend our whole lives, like, having this understanding of homeland that is actually quite disconnected from our queerness and our transness. And similar to, like, many other folks in the collective, like, I have been to Vietnam, multiple times before, but never in the context of centering my queerness and transness because I just wasn't sure, like, what felt safe. You know, without having, like, fluency in the language or even knowing, like, how to express my queerness in Vietnam. Oftentimes it just felt… I felt pretty invisibilized there, you know, because, like, being there with family, I just show up as, like, a, a family member, There's so much that is a part of me that is expressed through my queerness and my transness that [00:11:00] is that isn't as visible. And so I think that being in a space as a collective gave us permission to do and to feel deeply woven into our cultural experience was, like, in- in- incredibly liberating. Miata Tan: Yeah. That's really beautiful, Jessie. I also noticed in the film your aunt was also, part of it as well, so you were able to hold that familial side of yourself as well as the queer side. Could you speak more to that? Jessie Nguyen: Yeah. I was just watching the documentary yesterday too, and I was like, oh my gosh, I– it was so sweet that my aunt had a moment in that documentary. the thing that I was really interested in was trying to weave my connection with my family to, like, my connection with, like, my chosen queer family, And I think that became very possible when, we did the homeland trip. I'm, I'm not fluent in Vietnamese, and I'm especially not fluent in trying to articulate what it means to be queer and [00:12:00] Vietnamese. And so the idea of inviting QTViets to my aunt's home was, like, a way to be like, “Hey, this is who I and here are my– here's my community.” And maybe if I can't actually, like, articulate that, like, I I want my aunt to, like, feel that sense of, like, care and connection of my community. And then to me that felt like a way of inviting my Vietnamese family to this part of my life. I think that it's, it's oftentimes hard to even do that here in the Bay. You know? Like, the connection that I have to my blood family and then my connection to my chosen family here in the Bay, like, can feel quite separate. keeps me coming back to QTViet is that we always make space for that intergenerational connection that doesn't invisibilize our queerness and our gender identity . Miata Tan: Sage, could you speak more to this theme of family? It seemed to be really core to the documentary tell us about how that felt as the director, like being behind the [00:13:00] camera but also part of the QTViet team on this trip? Sage Tran: directing and being behind the camera had a lot of challenges. I think there's something where I'm not sure if y- like folks can relate to this, but when you are filming something with your iPhone or on your camera, there's a connection and a disconnection that happens at the same time. You're not able to fully present, but you are. I was straddling the line of like is this shot looking beautiful and also crying I think there was a moment where we were in a taxi or Grab car, and it was Hai, Jesse, and Jesse's aunt, she was dropping some heavy moments, and I just remember we're all crying in the car while the Grab driver is like blasting music, and it's like a super bumpy road. People are honking at us, and it was just like such a funny and rocky, symbolic, memory I just was like, “Wow, I can't [00:14:00] believe I'm getting to document this” like historical moment, not only for Jesse, but just like for the collective and what does it mean for folks who are queer and trans that can't have moments like this. It's just like kind of a reminder to slow down and being like, ” Okay,” am I getting to embody this moment while holding the stabilization of the camera?” And I think still I find that to be a challenge, but a, a really fun dance of filmmaking, directing and being there. Miata Tan: Yeah, definitely. I can't imagine trying to keep the camera still while you're bawling your eyes out. Sage Tran: Yes. Miata Tan: Jean, we've talked a now about this connection of blood family and found family as well. could you speak a bit to the QTViet Cafe family that sort of came together on the trip, but also this wider, Vietnamese, queer community you were able to find over there in Saigon? Jean Pham: Every step of the way it felt really [00:15:00] good because when, like, you know, we were traveling together as this, this giant mass of just gay people. and so I always felt like, oh, I could kinda be off guard, I understand that, like, for a lot of Korean trans people, w- when traveling we're on high alert, there's just a lot of unpredictability. There is safety in numbers. There's safety in communities. I felt like, you know, the QTViets have my back. There was a bigger group that came together in SFO, and we just t- all booked the same flights. And then there were some people who were coming, like, a little bit later. I had been with QTViets at that point for about six or seven years, and so there was a lot of trust already built. With the Saigonese Viets, it, it was like a, just a natural kinship. You know? It was like, it was also as if like we were just friends off the bat or there was just this shared understanding. We had a gathering, and I think this is featured in the documentary. after gathering, people were just kind of, getting to know each other in in their flat, and they were teaching us how to walk in heels, and it was so lovely. And I remember thinking like, “Oh gosh, what music do I play here? How do I set the mood?” But the, th- I think the reality is, [00:16:00] you know, Rihanna is like a common language, like among gay people. Everyone under like … It was, it was funny 'cause like, you know, I would, you know, I would play music that I would just listen to. Like, they're just, pop girlies that would play in the States. And, yeah, gay people, like, they, they just love a diva no matter where you are. And so that that was really nice. But r- truly, like, the DIY drag scene in Saigon is huge, and it c- it's, like, so varied. And, I do wanna shout out, like, all the queens and the Baxio Collective and all the trans artists who really helped, make our show and, like, really helped hone in our craft. And they were pr- they were strict, you know? They were like, “You have to come here early, and you have to come in, like, days before. And we're gonna have to practice over and over again.” And they had, like, really specific notes on how to make the show better. And so it was interesting as a culture exchange they were learning, how we were operating in terms of how we organize and a- I think a lot of the spoken word, slam poetry style that, like, some of our members were bringing. And from them, we were [00:17:00] learning a lot of the theatrics on really how to, like, have a show and really think, holistically about all the different components. Miata Tan: Jessie, could you speak more to the show? Uh, what did it look like? How did it feel? Jessie Nguyen: So back in 2022 was when we discovered that there is actually one queer bar in Saigon, and it's in District 4. this bar called Bar Zinga. And it's, like, in this alleyway. It's pretty divey. And so when we were there in 2022, we actually spent uh, New Year's there, and we got to know the owner, and we got to know, like, what they envisioned for the space, which is they've been using it as a space for, drag, drag performances, music sets, and things like that. And we're like, “Oh, wait. Maybe this could be a good spot for us to do something for QTViet.” And So essentially the vision for the show was for us to collaborate with, Babel and Yat, who are the co-founders of Bạc Xỉu Collective, they are incredible, like, production artists and drag artists. we [00:18:00] invited folks from the collective, if they wanted to share some of their art as well. And so we had… Let's see. I remember Irene, who is one of the poets and also, like, OG QTViets, shared, some poetry, and then we had also Hai sharing some erotica. Me, Hai, and Lan did a ao dai fashion runway show. and then there was, Oh, Judy and Hiroshi who did, like, a whole, like, lô tô, so that was, like, based off of, like, like a Vietnamese game, and they did a whole performance on that. yeah. So it was kind of, like, cool to be in this space and inviting folks from the community to come in, and it was a full house. people were feeling so nervous, but the, also the energy of, like, I can't believe this is happening. You know? that the art that we've created in the Bay, that we get to share it in Saigon. Miata Tan: So beautiful. yeah, it's really nice to see this, cross-cultural, international, connection that you've built with, the folks in Vietnam. Sage, could you speak more to, the [00:19:00] documentary itself, what you hope viewers will take away from the film, and especially seeing depiction of, of queer joy in the performance? Sage Tran: I think what I hope viewers take is like the power of remembering and the power of remembering with community. Cause I think like also editing this film, I'm like, I remember exactly what y'all said word for word. It's like ingrained in my head. I think there was something that, Jean, you said in… You said something where like it doesn't matter if you're Vietnamese, it doesn't matter where you were born. It matters and it doesn't, but also like there's so many cross-cultural connections and parallels that, tie us all together. And I think, on the theme of remembering and leaning into our joy and our creativity, there's so much that can unlock with, just living our truths. I think, yeah, I think that's what I hope viewers take away with Miata Tan: Beautiful. and the documentary will be premiering, this [00:20:00] June, as part of QSMAP here in the city in San Francisco. We have A little bit of time here, so I'd love to talk about, uh, what else QTViet has on the horizon, campaigns, workshops, other performances. Jean, Jessie, would either one of you be able to speak to this? Jessie Nguyen: The only thing that is really on my mind around QTViet is that we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary in September. And I don't know what that's gonna look like, but I think that it definitely is gonna be a invite and just a opportunity for us to reflect on everything that we've been able to cultivate as a collective, and also just to notice, like, how much we've evolved. I think that when so many of us joined in 2016 to 2018, we were, younger queers who were really looking for community and maybe felt pretty isolated. And I know that, like, where I am today, my connection to my Vietness and my queerness, like, feels so deeply ingrained. And a [00:21:00] huge part of that is because of having a container like QTViet. I was also gonna talk about Ordinary People, because it's actually a show that we're doing a audio visual storytelling performance that is led by one of the QTViet members, Jop, uh, Nguyen. And it's gonna include, several other QTViet members that are gonna be, contributing as, like, a band. there have been music and songs and videos and animations and, yeah, lots of different elements to really bring to life, like, what it feels like for our parents to, experience their homeland, their escape, their journey here, and then also how we really, how we connect to that story. Miata Tan: Thank you for sharing, Jessie. Sadly, this interview is airing after the Ordinary People performance, but I'll play a little snippet in a bit. Jean, final question. with this 10-year anniversary of QTViet Cafe, how do you see your recent [00:22:00] adventures informing your work? How you organize, how you gather Jean Pham: I think after the trip, there was, like, a re-invigoration of, purpose honestly, like, a new wave of renewed energy and also new people who were joining the space. we started practicing a lot more solidarity work. I think almo- almost immediately after returning, there were a few events that was in solidarity with, Palestine. And as we were returning from the trip, last year was also the 50th anniversary of the war in Vietnam ending, and so we used that as an opportunity to draw connections between how, the conditions of the Vietnam War was truly, like, politically activating for a lot of young people in the '60s, similarly to um, the genocide uh, Palestine was politically activating for people now, uh, and how, like, have a shared struggle. with 10 years of QTViet Cafe, I think it's more evident that QTViet is an, like, entity, a group that needs to exist. and we always invite people to join us. if anyone's listening who is diaspora queer and trans Vietnamese, is looking [00:23:00] for community, you know, looking for language classes or, like, just, uh, ways to build, you know, we're always more than happy to join people. You know, last year, Jessie and a a couple other friends organized this amazing trip to New York. there was really this big energy around uniting all the different scattered parts of QTViets all over and coming together and understanding that, you know, we, we all, um, um, have a lot in common. and so I, I do think that was really uplifted and highlighted in our trip, this feeling of, like, you know, we're not- we're actually not so alone, and there's so many of us, and we're, like, we're all so powerful. Miata Tan: Beautiful. I think that's a perfect place to end. Thank you all so much for joining me today Jessie Nguyen: Yay. Thank you so much Sage Tran: Thank you so much. Thank you. Jean Pham: I know, this is so lovely. Thank you. Miata Tan : That was Sage Tran, Jean Pham, and Jessie Nguyen with the QTViet Cafe Collective. Their new documentary, Dong Hue: Of the Same Womb, premieres this Sunday, June 14th at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco. That's part of the 22nd Annual International Queer Women of Color [00:24:00] Film Festival, this year featuring 47 films, 10 world premieres, all totally free and open to the public. so if you're in the Bay, this is well worth your time. You can also catch QTViet Cafe's new documentary in San Jose on Saturday, June 20th at a screening hosted by the Q Corner, followed by a Q&A with Sage Tran, the filmmaker that you just heard from. For links to these events and more about QTViet Cafe and how you can get involved in the collective, check out the show notes for this episode. That's on our website at kpfa.org/program/APEXexpress Coming up next, queer and trans Hmong communities in California's Central Valley. But first, here's a taste of Ordinary People, a recent live performance by QTViet Cafe recorded in Oakland last month. Miata Tan : [00:25:00] [00:26:00] [00:27:00] That was a live recording from Ordinary People by the QTViet Cafe Collective, in Oakland last month. This is APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Tonight, in honor of Pride Month, we're turning our attention to queer Asian American communities right here in Northern California: who they are, how they organize, and the future they are fighting for. Miata Tan: My next guests are Shai Chang and Christine Thao from Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride, also known as QHIP. QHIP grows out of Hmong Innovating Politics, a grassroots advocacy group based [00:28:00] in Fresno and Sacramento, and focuses on building community and political power for queer and trans Hmong communities in California's Central Valley. Here's my conversation with Shai and Christine. Miata Tan : You both so much for joining me today on APEX Express. Could you share a little bit about yourself? Who are you, and what is your work with Hmong Innovating Politics? Shai Chang: Hi, my name is Shai, pronouns are they and them. I'm trans, non-binary, also Hmong, located in Yokuts Valley, Fresno, California. the work that I do in Hmong Innovating Politics is that I am a community organizer. I'm the Fresno Trans and Queer Community Organizer, I work specifically in the program called Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride, or QHIP, Q-H-I-P. And we do a lot of really great work with our trans and queer, in particular, like, intersectional folks, people of color within our, our communities and our members and our base to organize to fight, fascism, racism, also, like, transphobia and forms [00:29:00] of hate, moving us towards social justice and liberation. Miata Tan : It's really important work, and I'm excited to get into more of what, Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride looks like, Christine, could you share a little bit about yourself? who are you, and how long have you been with, HIP and QHIP? Christine Thao : Thank you so much for inviting my name is Christine Thao. I use she/they pronouns, and I am currently here on Nisenan, occupied Nisenan land here in the South Sacramento area. my role is the Sacramento, Trans Queer Community Organizer. And so I came into HIP, back in 2020, so during the COVID pandemic, and, um, I came on board as the administrative assistant. um, in 2024, I transitioned into the community organizer role. Miata Tan : Lovely. Yeah. Can't wait to get into the work that you do and the campaigns. to ground us in the history of, Hmong communities in America, Shai, could you speak to, who [00:30:00] the Hmong Americans are? I know that Fresno and Sacramento is home to some of the largest populations of Hmong people in the States. Shai Chang: Yeah, definitely. so the Hmong communities are from Southeast Asia, very much like indigenous folks that live within the mountain ranges and the hills. and the reason why we came to America was because of the Secret War the war that happened in Southeast Asia. one of our community members General Vang Pao was involved within this war and then pulled in the rest of the Hmong community to be part of this it is to say that, like many of our young men during that time was pulled into the war, and they were 13, maybe even 14, 15, and younger who were, pulled into the war to fight for America, um, with the promise of that America was going to give them a place that they could call home it was in 1975 where the war ended and, that's when the military went ahead and was able to, because of Ronald Reagan signed, um, a letter for immigration for, [00:31:00] these Hmong folks and refugees to come into the United States. Miata Tan : Yeah, perhaps you can take us back to then, 2018 when, QHIP sort of came to life. what was the need that you were seeing for, queer and trans Hmong people in, in specifically Fresno and, and Sacramento where you all are based? Shai Chang: the way Hmong communities have always existed was very much to be lay low, you know, not be sticking your head out. And so to be very clear, it's that we are still struggling, economically. we are still very much struggling racially. The ICE attacks definitely impacted our communities we are still very much immigrants and still very much not necessarily having a place of home. But internally is that the Hmong community still very much holds on to, like, the, the traditions. And so they're very patriarchal, um, very strict gender roles, and because of these things have then developed into, gender-based violence [00:32:00] as, like, trans and queer folks, it's that we definitely do experience another deeper layer of the oppressions, especially also in our community because there isn't actually any language in Hmong to talk about what trans or queerness is, where there's no exact word to describe, like, gay or lesbian and things like that. So there is definitely, like, an erasure that also has happened, and in the Hmong community is actually very conservative. Uh, But HIP was already a very progressive organization. And so it was in 2018 because of Hmong innovating politics coming to Fresno. it was at the Hmong New Years, I saw them. I was like, “Oh my gosh, I know who you are. I love you. Like, if there's anything I can do, please let me know,” ‘ Mai Thao was able to pull me in. It was like, “Hey, I want you to do something with us.” and with- was then funded three thousand dollars through HIP, to be able to go ahead and organize for whatever it means for me to trans queer Hmong work. during that time, it grew from, like, me, three people to having, like, fifteen people, [00:33:00] meet, once a week for three hours, and then another three hours we would go out and hang out. and so it really became this place for a social space for particularly, and, and I will name it, it's that majority of the folks in that space was gay cis Hmong men. And it wasn't until a year later from that first time that we first met in 2018 to we had a really hard conversation about our future, about the political work that that we should be doing. and so I've been with HIP for four years, and we've officialized during that time QTPIP to be a program, within HIP, and yeah, it's been really good. I don't have to worry about funding and things and organizing around that front end, and HIP has been able to be s- very supportive in being able to see that, and we can really work on the ends of what does it mean for us to organize around liberation and being on the ground with our community Miata Tan : Yeah, definitely. It's interesting to hear about the progression from [00:34:00] perhaps a group that was maybe more apolitical moving into that political space. Shai Chang: we've also been, struggling still even now to land on what it means for us to fight more intersectionally. that's where, like, QHIP and Queer Hmong and intersectional pride comes from, right? Is this word intersectional, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is that We do have these cross identities that exist within ourselves. And so would love to have Christine talk more about what actually this issue is within not just Hmong communities, Hmong and trans queer communities. Christine Thao : Thank you, Shy. so Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride, we officially launched the program back in 2024. our QHIP program, It is open to young people between ages, 18 to 25. uh, young trans queer folks. Some go to college. Some, currently looking to be employed. Young people who are impacted, [00:35:00] young people who want to get involved, right, who, who do care about, this work, and who care about social justice, it's a eight-month program And our gatherings are, we call them our huddles, our QHIP huddles. And they're, we do them about biweekly, I can speak a little bit for Sacramento. we've been meeting up at a cafe. We also use our office space. And, this is just a really a moment in time for our members to, bring up and have critical conversations about things that are happening in their lives or things that they're seeing in their community. Miata Tan : Perhaps you could speak more to the organizing piece. What does this look like? Um, what sort of work are y'all up to? Shai Chang: Some of the ways in which we have organized, in our community is through the framework of BBB. It's our belong, believe, become, and it sounds really cheesy, but this is really how we mobilize our people, we know as trans and queer people, especially as a person of color, we don't know and have enough spaces of [00:36:00] belonging. we actually have a, such a hard time believing in ourselves, and because of that, we have such a hard time in becoming. And this sounds like the story of literally just transitioning. when you Transition is that you really need to have a space of, believing in yourself. You need to have a space in which you can belong, where you are safe, and then through that you can actually become and this person that you have always wanted to be. This is how we mobilize and organize our members and our community because once they start practicing this ability to be able to believe in themselves, have the spaces for them to organize and organize with other people. and to figure out, like, , what is our campaign strategy? What is the ways in which we wanna win in our community, right? And Uh, in gender-affirming care in Fresno and the Central Valley was very, very hard. many of the times folks will have to go to, like, the bigger cities like LA SF to get their care that they needed. We need actual, like, [00:37:00] materialistic wins for our communities so that way they can get to where they need to be. when I'm talking about Materialistic things, it's that, we need them to be housed. We need them to have the affordable, uh, care. We need them to have, the affirming care that they are needing, we know how hard it is for, in particular, trans and queer people to be able to afford literally anything. and it's so much more harder for them to find a career or a job, in a place where they actually also can live and exist through their identities. we've seen the, impacts of, ICE and immigration on our own communities these were, like, the works that were coming out constantly for our communities to fight for, these kind of justice issues, through these ways, we've been able mobilize and move our people to what does it mean for us to actually start thinking about a campaign strategy for us to win some kind of materialistic need and, of course, we work with youths a lot, right? So where is our youth justice at? And this is literally our youth justice, right? We're having our young people share their voices. We [00:38:00] have our young adults organizing in the community, um, doing protestings, and fighting against the system. in particular, more recently, this, board of supervisor in Fresno County banned and denied, LBGTQ books in the Fresno County libraries. and we've organized to get people to show up to write letters and to really be there, and hundreds of people shown up and yet they still continue to, not hear their own constituency and their own community They continuously vote against us. that's why HIP is political, right? Is that we have our civic engagement side, is that, okay, well, it sounds like we need to vote them out, right? And that's what is it mean, and that's what it's about now. Miata Tan : Yeah, I hear you. It sounds like you're really helping to build political power within Hmong communities in, in Fresno and Sacramento. I'm curious, what has wins look like, uh, for your groups there? how have, you perhaps helped to show those material, changes [00:39:00] for your young people? Shai Chang: Uh, to be honest, it's not much, We're still very new into formed more as a social group in 2018, and just finally became, you know what? Let's be political as f***. Let's be authentic as f***, you know? y'all really wanna make trans and queer identities political, Then let's be political. and we've just started mobilizing, moving around those kind of things and identities only just more recently, right? As Christine mentioned, in But the wins that we can really claim a name is that we have a 100% retention rate for our members. yeah. Um, we have tripled the amount of members that we had since then. and we are so excited for us to be able to, like, move and mobilize with our people intentionally and not just like, “Oh, we just need to be here for critical mass,” it is a two-part, right? It's that, one, we need critical mass. We And the other part of this is that we [00:40:00] people to come in intentionally to be a part of this movement work. I actually went to present about QHIP more recently, and they asked, “Oh my gosh, is there any, like, open meetings that you have flyers about? Like, when do y'all meet? And then, like, do you have a flyer for that? And I can share it with, my members.” And I was like, “Actually, we do meet, and it– we do meet biweekly on Fridays. The members themselves are holding the space for the meeting. and so I can ask them about that, but I also wanna let you know that it's not necessarily an open invitation for folks to just come in whenever they want.” We want people to come in intentional, and we want people to engage intentionally. And this is how we want us to move away from this autopilot into being able actively making changes and fights for our communities that will win us materialistic wins. Obviously in this administration, in the Trump administration, um, it has not been easy. just two years ago, they actually closed, the only LGBTQ [00:41:00] homeless shelter in Fresno, and a lot of folks now have, like, a hard time understanding where to go and what and how to navigate it. the Fresno, like, LGBTQ center also closed their doors for, like, the first time in, like, a long And so there is a lot of different impacts as impacting our community, from, like, LGBTQ centers closing, LGBTQ-serving organizations slowing down, And the way that our members and our community and our base have been organizing is As a community resource with one another is that like, ” Hey, I have an extra bed. Y'all can come sleep and crash ” there.” you hungry?” Let's go get food.” Right? Really checking with each other and also being able to ask our community for funding as So HIP, we were able to organize and did a fundraiser back in March 50K. That's huge we also know there are impacts that also is beyond us, too. it was with this past, like, Hmong New Year [00:42:00] that we did, that we wanted to do a Hmong New Year action, an action to really fundraise for our families who were detained by ICE. And so we did a mutual aid fundraiser, asking our community members to donate money, and we were able to raise… we only did it for, like, three hours, and we were able to raise $700. So we're like, ” What if we kept going?” Right? And that's where our fundraiser for 50K came from. so there is, like, ways in which we are trying to organize and mobilize our communities. And, to be very honest is that HIP and, QVIP is not necessarily a direct service organization and not necessarily in that way. I think many of the times people see HIP as like, “Oh, you're here to save us,” we're not that, right? We're really here to mobilize with our community, uh, we have our youth organization over in Edison High School, they were pushed into a small classroom, storage room, actually, for band and also, sports as well. And so it, it was being disruptive a lot. one of our [00:43:00] previous, like, young adult members recognized that, and they were like, ” Sh-uh, Shy and HIP, Please, can y'all do something about this issue?” And we're like, “No.” But we'll do it with you, right? and so we came in, we taught them about organizing, and literally those youths were able to organize themselves to have a classroom now, they remember that. They hold onto that, right? Regardless if we were here or not, they will still be able to know that and hold onto And so it's very much like that as well with our members, is that we want them to be able to organize within among themselves without having the need of, of HIP and entities being able to, have the, have the solution for them Miata Tan : mm, that makes a lot of sense. Really being able to work with community and give them tools so then they can continue to build is something really powerful that, you do at both HIP and QHIP. I'm curious, with this very challenging political moment that we're living through, not only for queer and trans folks, but immigrant communities as [00:44:00] well, how are you holding this, this pain alongside, trying to also celebrate and honor your communities, um, and especially your queer and trans community members? Shai or Christine, Christine Thao : At HIP we have what is called third spaces, and third spaces are heart spaces. these are, spaces where our young people, they continue to, build their organizing. They get to organize with one another and with HIP, to hold space to build community, to build belongingness, To show up, be present, make connections. is also a space where our young people, they get to decompress as well, in a world where it feels so chaotic, we do a lot of, the hard stuff with organizing, but then organizing can be so fun. and our young people, they get to see both sides, right, get to experience that. What I'm holding onto is being [00:45:00] engaged and getting involved, it is, Um, How can we connect our young people, to our community partners, right? To make those connections, to build deeper, this year it looks like us, being more intentional about our capacity and who we are, building out with, um… I'm on, I'm currently on the planning community for Elk Grove Pride, and so, uh, our young people are also a part of that, where they get to lead a role, and create, spaces of celebration, right? there's A lot of different opportunities our young people are also involved in, and, it, it is that wanting our young people to, feel empowered to get involved in these spaces as well. Miata Tan : Yeah. Lovely. Thank you so much, Christine. It sounds like you're really able to create, a beautiful space and community for your young people. Shy, uh, to close out, I'd love to know what's on the horizon for QHIP. It's Pride Month. unfortunately this episode is airing after Fresno Pride, but, perhaps you could [00:46:00] speak a little bit to that and what else is on the horizon. Shai Chang: Sure thing. the first thing I need to say is Happy Pride Month. so Happy Pride Month, everyone. Fresno always hosts their Pride parade, always the first Saturday of, of the Pride month it is On Saturday, June 6. Pride parade over at Tower District in Fresno. it's gonna be very fun. It's super exciting. We will be marching in there all together, and the theme for this year is, Pride Without Border. we're gonna be Extra powerful in calling out all of the different, struggles that our intersectional folks are all facing and being able to march together in liberation. what's also coming up next is, I- I'm foreseeing it to happen probably next month or in August, is that we will have a third space event to really celebrate Pride. we spend all our energy to be part of the Pride parade preparing our members and supporting them, but we haven't necessarily celebrated QHIP's [00:47:00] own Pride, you know, we work very politically in election works, and so we always have a bunch of these like, door hangers, Vote yes on Prop 3,” things like that, right? And so we have so much of those paper, and so what we usually do during this, like, Pride event that we do in QHIP is that we- we use these as an opportunity for us to do trash drag. it's an opportunity for us to get glammed out everyone gets to participate creating this, like, image through the trash drag. And so we're excited to be able to do that, so please keep on the lookout. Miata Tan : Sorry, why is it called trash drag? I'd love to know. Shai Chang: It's because, like, we had s- you know, this much f- okay, we, we have a lot of flyers from the our elections, And especially this year. You know how in, in the mail you'll get so much, like, ” Vote for this person, vote for this person.” all of this is all paper that is then thrown away without any second thought. and we will make them, and we'll make, like, thousands of copies , right? But we never are able to pass it all out. what we do is that we will go ahead and reuse them one last time for [00:48:00] them to have an opportunity for them to shine, We'll have them split up into teams, and then use all the different trash that they can gather and use, and glue them, tape them , staple them to make a dress, to make an outfit for this one person that they're gonna designate to be the drag mother for their team. Miata Tan : I love that. That sounds like so much fun. Shai Chang: Yeah. We're gonna be doing it in Fresno and also in Sacramento, so we'll figure out a ways for everyone to be involved. Miata Tan : Oh, how wonderful. Christine, could you speak to what events are coming up in Sacramento for us? Christine Thao : We are also having, um, Elk Grove Pride on June 20th. It's from 5:00 to 9:00. it's gonna be at the Elk Grove Laguna Town Hall. And so community is very welcome to attend. It is a free event. Think of it like, kind of like a resource gathering with, um, some really amazing performances we have, a lot of like, BIPOC TQ, artistes, and then also vendors [00:49:00] as well. So please show up and, would love to, to meet folks and connect with folks in these spaces. Miata Tan : Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing, Christine, and we'll be sharing all the details of how you can get involved and learn more about QHIP and HIP at the end of this episode as well. Thank you both so much for joining me today. Shai Chang: Thank you so much for having me. Miata Tan: That was my conversation with Shai Chang and Christine Thao at Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride, also known as QHIP Miata Tan : this is APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. To close out tonight's show, I have one final guest. Cynthia Fong is the lead organizer at Lavender Phoenix, also known as LavNix, A Bay Area organization building power for queer and trans Asian and Pacific Islander communities. You may have heard of them. Their new executive director joined us on [00:50:00] air just a few months ago. Here's a short conversation with Cynthia Fong on Queer Joy, community power, and what LavNix has coming up this summer Cynthia Fong: Thank you so much for having us. My name is Cynthia. I use they/them pronouns, and I'm here with Lavender Phoenix. Lavender Phoenix, we build trans, non-binary, queer API power through organizing in the Bay Area. We work with our members to demand true solutions to care and safety, and we're excited to be here with you all. Miata Tan : I'm so excited to close out the episode with you. And as we're in Pride Month, I hoped you might be able to share a little bit about queer joy and how Lavender Phoenix is celebrating that at the moment, honoring each other. Cynthia Fong: Yeah, absolutely. Especially in times like this, times of escalated violence against our communities, we know that queer joy, queer resistance, and queer power are truly antidotes to the systems that are making us sick. For us, that means in our work, we fight for care not cops, [00:51:00] we fight for budgets that truly reflect the needs of our people, we fight for a free Palestine, and we fight to abolish ICE. If you agree with all of the things that I just said we also do a lot of leadership exchange programs, and that is where we really cultivate that belonging and community in our trans and queer API community. Miata Tan : Oh, I love that. Could you share a little bit more about the leadership exchange with our listeners? Cynthia Fong: Yeah, absolutely. This is one of our time-honored traditions. It's called the Queer Leadership Exchange, it's also known as LEX. And this program will run for two weekends in July. we aim to provide training on fundamental organizing skills, trans and queer history in the Bay Area, and really to provide an opportunity for trans and queer Asian and Pacific Islanders to connect with, with each other in a space that's made by and for us. We invite you to apply if you are trans or queer [00:52:00] and if you identify as Asian or Pacific Islander. Our deadline is July 1st. And in these two weekends, we usually gather with about 20 to 30 folks, and it's really interactive. We have a mix of activities that we invite people to, to skill up on and, and really to become the leaders that our movements need. Miata Tan : Love that. Could you share a little bit about some leaders you've seen come out of these programs? Like, what does that look like? How are they, helping to, to organize community? Cynthia Fong: the folks who graduate from our LEX program, it, it's really a wide range of people, whether it's trans and queer APIs at work in other nonprofit sectors. It's also our folks who may be supporting our community in other ways, like as artists, as students, educators, as therapists. We see a lot of people take these skills and translate them into a variety of different sectors that we know trans and queer API people… we're everywhere, more and more so now. And we would [00:53:00] love every single one of us to be grounded in our histories when we do that work. And not only our histories, but also in a firm sense of belonging with one another, to know that we're not alone, to know that there are other trans and queer Asians and Pacific Islanders here in the Bay Area, all of whom share these values of wanting to build working class power. Miata Tan : that's so nice, a more multi-generational, multi-sector, Cynthia Fong: And, you know, we take it as an opportunity, too, for us to build with other organizations and people who, who are like-minded. We don't take it for granted. We know the Bay Area is a place where it's very diverse, where We are actively fighting for what values we believe in and whose agenda we are willing to put in power. And so we really welcome a wide range of people. No matter where you are, the real important thing is you, you share our values. you believe in true solutions to care and safety that are not rooted in systems of policing or incarceration Miata Tan : [00:54:00] That's really powerful. to close this out , Could you share a little bit more about what's on the horizon for Lavender Phoenix later in the year? You mentioned a few of the campaigns, Care Not Cops. perhaps if you wanna dive into some of those. Cynthia Fong: Yeah, absolutely. Um, we are joining a really big coalition of people from Alameda to Sacramento to San Francisco, all of whom are paying a lot of attention to our budgets, when you say Care Not Cops, we see our budgets to really be that moral document that show us where our priorities are. For us, June is Pride Month, but it's also budget season, Um, it gives us a really big opportunity to be as loud as we can about what we believe. and in San Francisco with $16 billion, it's quite shameful that we have our community partners like the San Francisco Community Health Center, Lyric, our youth programs being defunded, all the while new jails are being opened, all the while the police are getting new toys, they're [00:55:00] showing us that the money exists but it's not for us. And so we join the voices that are demanding for a people's budget, and we know that that's gonna be an ongoing fight. We've been in it for a few years now, and we plan to continue. In terms of our organization, we're actually super excited to say we have 100% of our membership really diving into what the next five years looks like for us. Folks may remember we came onto APAICS to announce a name change a few years ago. We were formerly known as API Equality Northern California. We came on APAICS a few years ago to share that we've changed to Lavender Phoenix, and we anticipate some new changes on the horizon being announced at the end of the year as well, hopefully with deeper clarity about what the next five years will look like for us. Miata Tan : Ooh. Interesting. It's not a new name change, is it? Cynthia Fong: No, no. We, we're gonna stay… We're keeping the t- we're keeping our name. We love our name. We love the history in our name. But it's really just the theory of [00:56:00] change, you know? I think our moment today is very unique, very different, very politically tumultuous, and we wanna be sharp. We wanna know what we're organizing for, what we're organizing against, and, and what it means for us to build power. Our last theory of change process is what resulted in us focusing on leadership programs, leadership development. It is also where we decided that healing is really important for our people. It's also where we decided that safety is really important for our people. And so I anticipate that it's gonna be a deepening not, not a change, but a deepening of how we orient to this bigger picture of our movement for liberation and justice. Miata Tan : So beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing, Cynthia. Um, it was really lovely to speak with you. Cynthia Fong: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much. I, hope to come Back soon. Miata Tan : That was Cynthia Fong with Lavender Phoenix. If you want to learn more about LavNix, we sat down with their team earlier in the year. Find that episode and their leadership exchange program in the show notes. Tonight, we also heard [00:57:00] from the QTViet Cafe Collective and Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride. Links to all of these organizations and their upcoming work are at kpfa.org/program/APEXexpress. This is APEX Express KPFA, airing every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. Thank you for tuning in tonight APEX Express is a proud member of the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, a network focused on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders committed to social justice. Learn more at aacre.org. This program produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me, Miata Tan. Get some rest y'all. The post APEX Express – 6.11.26 – Pride, Power, and Queer AAPI Voices appeared first on KPFA.
He came to me making $4K a month.18 months later he's doing $130K (with his top month being $250K)I sat down with Aman to break down exactly how he did it.The offer rebuild, the sales process, hiring his first reps, and the one framework that took him from 30K to 50K almost overnight.No fluff. Just the actual moves we helped him make to change his bloodlines trajectory.Watch here on Youtube: https://youtu.be/heUpJslxbIM
Bitcoin just posted its worst week since the FTX collapse — a 16% slide below $60,000, the steepest drop since Sam Bankman-Fried's exchange imploded in November 2022 — and analysts are warning the modest bounce to ~$61,300 may be short-lived. What makes this scarier than the FTX-era crash: there's no single catastrophic catalyst. Analysts are calling it a "silent bear market" because Bitcoin just broke below its 200-week moving average for the first time in this cycle, rate-cut bets have flipped to rate-HIKE bets thanks to strong U.S. jobs data, gold/silver/BTC are all falling together as the safe-haven thesis breaks, and Friday's $75 billion SpaceX IPO is poised to drain another $22.5B of retail capital directly out of crypto. Add Anthropic launching its zero-day-finding Mythos AI today (the same tech that found the four-year-old Zcash bug), Warsh planning to kill the Fed dot-plot, JPMorgan deploying long-running autonomous AI agents, and today's U.S. CPI print landing into the chaos — and this may be the cleanest structural bear market we've seen all cycle. We break down whether the FTX comparison actually holds, what a 200-week MA break historically means for Bitcoin, and which catalysts could stop the bleeding before $50K comes into play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bitcoin sits near $60K in despondency with fresh buyers scarce and warnings of a quick move to $50K before $75K as sellers line up higher up. This candid roundtable examines the grinding bottoming process and tough psychology of buying when it feels bad, while unpacking why substantial new capital is needed to overcome layered selling. The group explores AI draining liquidity into Spacex IPOs even as it builds an agentic economy on stablecoins and blockchain rails for machine payments, Spacex's space data centers solving AI's energy woes, miners pivoting to lucrative AI/HPC or serving as flexible grid balancers, AI agents adding BTC to portfolios, resilient hash rates from sovereign players, ETF outflows mostly from hedge funds while core holders and banks accumulate, and banks launching competing stablecoin networks amid stalled regulatory clarity. Could high money velocity spark a fast recovery from this muted phase or is deeper capitulation still ahead? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bitcoin shed $235 billion in seven days and Arca CIO Jeff Dorman is calling Michael Saylor's "AI capital rotation" excuse for the crash pure "gaslighting." Strategy may have only ~5 months of cash flow left to fund STRC dividends, meaning the world's biggest Bitcoin buyer could become a steady forced seller. USDT just printed a golden cross (historically bearish for BTC), Bitcoin dominance cracked under 58% for the first time since September, and Bloomberg argues the entire industry is structurally pivoting away from speculation toward stablecoins. We break down whether Saylor IS gaslighting holders, when the forced-seller overhang breaks, and whether $60K is the cycle bottom or the trapdoor before $50K. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Architectural Authenticity: Engineering Human-First Cultures with Justin RicklefsIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Justin Ricklefs, the Founder and CEO of Guild Collective, to unpack the structural vulnerabilities facing modern brands in an over-automated, AI-saturated business landscape. Justin, an elite executive coach, corporate strategist, and author of Give a Damn, details how the obsession with rapid digital scale and complex software stacks often dilutes a company's greatest asset: genuine human connection. This conversation provides an intentional framework for mid-market founders and enterprise leaders looking to eliminate internal friction, maximize employee retention, and build high-trust corporate cultures that drive predictable brand equity and sustainable long-term valuation.The Strategy of Presence: Transforming Corporate Purpose into Measurable PerformanceThe pervasiveness of modern hustle culture often pushes executive teams to resolve structural bottlenecks by stacking complex tactical tools rather than addressing root operational misalignments. Justin Ricklefs argues that this over-reliance on technological infrastructure creates severe administrative debt, introducing confusion into customer-facing operations and fracturing internal alignment. True organizational health is achieved when leaders embrace extreme clarity of purpose, moving their core mission statements out of forgotten files and embedding them directly into daily operations, recruitment pipelines, and performance reviews. By simplifying the brand narrative and filtering strategic capital allocation through a defined "North Star," enterprises shift from a model of reactive firefighting to an intentional, high-accountability framework that outpaces standard industry margins.Building a resilient, human-first culture requires corporate architects to look past superficial workspace perks and establish deep emotional connection and psychological safety across all management tiers. When a business mistakes superficial engagement programs for authentic workplace health, it inadvertently creates a sterile environment that triggers staff disengagement and executive burnout. Real operational scalability is unlocked when leadership designs structured check-ins that evaluate personal well-being alongside metric production, opening transparent communication channels that allow diverse teams to take calculated operational risks. This commitment to continuous learning and open experimentation transforms employee output, proving that corporate innovation is an organic downstream consequence of an inclusive, highly connected internal ecosystem.To insulate an enterprise's bottom line against shifting algorithmic trends and market volatility, leaders must actively model personal decompression and radical operational discipline. Executive decision-making is severely diminished under chronic stress, making intentional periods of digital detox and silent strategic reflection essential tools for maintaining executive resilience. When corporate leaders protect their own mental and emotional focus, they establish a corporate standard that values long-term sustainable growth over immediate, short-term micro-gains. Ultimately, long-term market dominance belongs to the organizations that treat their people as the primary infrastructure of the enterprise, weaving absolute transparency into every client touchpoint to establish permanent, premium authority across their entire vertical.About Justin RicklefsJustin Ricklefs is the Founder and CEO of Guild Collective, a best-selling author, a seasoned corporate consultant, and an executive leadership coach. Drawing from extensive experience guiding enterprise networks and mid-market founders through rapid organizational transitions, Justin specializes in humanizing corporate structures to unlock exponential revenue and talent retention. He is the author of Give a Damn, a definitive playbook dedicated to helping modern executives align operational discipline with authentic organizational empathy.About Guild CollectiveGuild Collective is an elite corporate consulting firm and leadership development agency designed to help companies construct high-performance organizational cultures. The consultancy specializes in executing comprehensive culture audits, custom brand blueprint designs, and executive mentorship pipelines to streamline cross-functional alignment. Through structured implementation playbooks, Guild Collective enables businesses to eliminate operational friction and scale their brand presence predictably by putting human capital at the center of their strategy.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeGuild Collective Official Website: guildcollective.comJustin Ricklefs on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/justinricklefsKey Episode HighlightsThe Over-Tooling Trap: Analyzing why adding excessive automation software introduces hidden administrative debt and dilutes core brand authority.The Human-First Brand Blueprint: Implementing the four critical corporate pillars of clarity, connection, creativity, and structural commitment across all management lines.The Purpose Audit Mandate: Shifting company values from static document files into lived operational workflows, onboarding systems, and employee KPIs.Ditching Toxic Hustle Culture: Leveraging deliberate silence and regular digital detox routines to sharpen executive focus and high-stakes strategic decision-making.Perks vs. Authentic Culture: Understanding why superficial corporate benefits fail to replace deep behavioral accountability and transparent team relationships.ConclusionThe conversation with Justin Ricklefs reinforces that sustainable corporate optimization requires a balanced synthesis of structural discipline and un-copyable human authenticity. By standardizing internal performance metrics around psychological safety, simplifying the brand narrative, and protecting human-centric strategic capacity, corporate leaders can build high-valuation business assets that continuously scale their industry impact.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Undiscovered Entrepreneur ..Start-up, online business, podcast
Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!!Defeat Your Business Monsters with Paul Pape | Undiscovered Entrepreneur**Episode Summary: What if the secret to building a profitable creative business was hidden inside a game of Dungeons & Dragons? In this episode, entrepreneur, fabricator, and "Santa For Nerds" Paul Pape shares how he turned 20 years of custom creative work — including projects for Disney, Universal, and Nickelodeon — into a revolutionary business consulting model called Gamified Business. Paul doesn't teach creatives traditional business strategy. He runs campaigns. He builds character sheets. He slays monsters.If you've ever struggled with imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear of failure, or just getting off the couch and starting — this episode is your quest giver.What You'll Learn:Why creatives struggle with business (and the D&D fix that works)How Paul turned a broke 7-figure company into a thriving one in 6 monthsThe monster metaphors for imposter syndrome, failure, perfectionism & fearWhy your ideas are worth more than your labor — and how a stolen ad taught Paul that lesson the hard wayThe one piece of advice Paul gives every new entrepreneur (it's two questions)Why charging for your services actually helps your clients succeedThe Thousand Asks Challenge and Paul's 6-month goalTimestamps:[00:00:00] – Introduction & Meet Paul Pape[00:01:30] – 20 Years as "Santa For Nerds" — Disney, Universal & Custom Collectibles[00:02:30] – Birth of Gamified Business: The D&D Consulting Method[00:04:30] – How a Dragon-Making Company Went from $50K Net to 4X Revenue[00:06:00] – The Four Business Monsters: Imposter Syndrome, Failure, Perfectionism & Fear[00:11:30] – Quitting a Professor Job, a Viral Side Hustle & $50K in 6 Weeks[00:16:00] – Why the Inner Shadow Stops Most Entrepreneurs[00:18:00] – The Universe Hands Out Quests — Will You Accept Yours?[00:22:00] – The Grocery Store Lawsuit That Changed How Paul Protects His Ideas[00:29:30] – The Best Advice for New Entrepreneurs (Two Questions)[00:31:00] – Paul's 6-Month Goal & The Thousand Asks Challenge[00:32:00] – How to Find Paul & Gamify BusinessConnect with Paul Pape:
In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I chat with the wonderful Ben Ridley - Perth runner, Delirious West athlete, self-declared road runner, proud husband of Karin Ridley, and possibly one of the most committed “super crew” members in the ultra-running world. Ben's story starts with a childhood full of sport - footy, swimming, surf lifesaving, T-ball, basketball - basically everything except running. Because running? Absolutely not. Ben grew up with chronic asthma, tricky knees, and a very strong dislike of running. But life has a funny way of circling back. After years of work, family life, health challenges, weight struggles, FIFO, mental health battles, and a major lifestyle shift, Ben and Karin found themselves at parkrun. And that changed everything. What started as a Saturday morning “why would anyone do this?” moment slowly became 5Ks, 10Ks, trails, half marathons, Feral Pig, Delirious West, 100 milers, 200 miler attempts, big DNFs, big lessons, big friendships, and a running life Ben never expected. This episode is funny, honest, emotional, and very Ben. We talk about weight loss surgery, running for mental health, the magic of parkrun, the chaos of Delirious West, crewing Karin, hallucinations, chafing, broken tyres, beers at aid stations, podcast-fuelled road running, and why community might be the greatest thing running has given him. Why You'll Love This Episode Ben shares: How he went from not being able to run a couple of hundred metres to becoming an ultra runner Why parkrun was the perfect no-pressure place to begin How he and Karin rebuilt their health together The reality of weight loss surgery - and why it was definitely not the “easy way out” His first 50K at Feral Pig and why he was “carrying on like a pork chop” halfway through His unforgettable Delirious West 100 miler finish with only 30 minutes to spare What it was like crewing Karin through her 200 miler after his own race ended The grief and emotion of losing his mum during Delirious Why DNFs hurt, but don't define you How running has become one of his biggest mental health tools Why he's currently loving road running, Melbourne Marathon training, and running into the MCG Why running with mates, coffee after parkrun, and pub run friendships matter so much Why Delirious still has baggage, but also still has a pull How he's heading back to Delirious with mates for the Great Southern Beer Run Tips From Ben Ben shared some really practical, honest advice for runners who are struggling to get out the door: 1. Find your reason why Don't just run because you “should.” Work out why it matters to you. Is it your mental health? Your fitness? Your friendships? A goal? A bit of space from life? That reason helps get you moving when motivation disappears. 2. Remember how you feel once you're out there Ben says the hardest part is often getting out the door. Once you're moving, things start to shift. Your head clears. Life feels a bit lighter. The run does what it came to do. 3. Use something that helps you get started For Ben, that might be a podcast, music, a book, or just being out on the trail listening to birds and trees. The point is simple: make the run easier to begin. 4. Run with people when you can Community has been huge for Ben. Parkrun, pub run, trail events, Ultra Series, coffee after runs - these people have become lifelong friends. Sometimes running is less about the running and more about who it brings into your life. 5. Walking counts Ben's reminder is simple and brilliant: Half an hour is better than nothing. If you can't run, walk. If you can't do the full plan, do something. It still matters. 6. Strength training helps Ben is a big believer in strength work for runners, especially if you want to keep running longer distances, reduce injury risk, and avoid the post-run “can't sit down on the toilet” situation. Very practical. Very true. A Beautiful Reminder From Ben's Story Ben's story is a reminder that running doesn't have to start perfectly. You don't need to grow up as “a runner.” You don't need to be fast. You don't need to have it all together. You can start with one parkrun. You can walk. You can struggle. You can DNF. You can come back. And somewhere along the way, running might become less about proving something - and more about finding your people, clearing your head, and becoming someone you never expected to be. Connect With Ben You'll most likely find Ben at parkrun, pub run, crewing Karin, running roads, signing up for something ridiculous with mates, or preparing for his next Delirious adventure. And if you see him at an aid station, he may remind you: You did choose to do this. Delirious WEST event Website - https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ Interested in the 2027 DW? Go join the event Facebook Group so you don't miss when the race opens for entries in June for new runners - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1428304207182387
Decoding the Sales DNA: Replacing Intuition with Scientific Hiring Frameworks with John PykeIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with John Pyke, the founder of The Talent Genius, to dismantle the legacy, gut-feel recruitment strategies that quietly stifle corporate profitability. As an elite keynote speaker, performance architect, and talent assessment expert, John brings a data-driven, behavioral-science approach to human capital management. This conversation serves as an essential strategic blueprint for mid-market founders and executive teams looking to eliminate high-volume turnover, maximize frontline production, and install scientific pre-employment filters that accurately predict job performance before a single resume is reviewed.The Predictive Analytics Paradigm: Overcoming Interview Bias through Talent BenchmarkingThe single greatest source of hidden operational loss within modern sales organizations is the reliance on unstructured interviews, surface-level resumes, and basic personality profiles to make high-stakes hiring decisions. John Pyke notes that an astounding 80% of systemic business challenges are actually misdiagnosed hiring failures, a reality governed by the Pareto Principle where a fractional 20% of the sales force routinely drives 80% of gross revenue. Traditional interview processes frequently reward charismatically polished candidates who know how to "perform" during a pitch meeting but completely lack the hardwired, un-teachable traits—such as relentless persistence, initiative, and severe rejection tolerance—required to sustain real-world revenue acquisition. By substituting subjective executive intuition with empirical talent benchmarking tools, an enterprise can precisely isolate a candidate's underlying "Sales DNA," turning the hiring funnel from a costly speculative gamble into a highly predictable profit driver.Transitioning into an evidence-based hiring architecture allows an organization to optimize its entire labor force, yielding measurable productivity spikes that carry through economic contractions. When enterprise leaders benchmark their existing staff by running high-performing and struggling representatives through anonymous, validated cognitive assessments, they can instantly pinpoint the exact behavioral gaps responsible for disparate sales metrics. This granular data completely redefines internal professional development, shifting the management team away from throwing blanket, generic training modules at underperforming staff and toward targeted, hyper-personalized coaching workflows. For example, implementing these scientific talent filters enabled consumer-facing organizations like Furniture Land South to skyrocket frontline revenue by 57% in just 30 days during a severe recession, establishing a clear proof of concept that predictive talent mapping insulates a company's margins against volatile market shifts.Sustaining a premium corporate footprint in an evolving digital landscape also requires leaders to intelligently integrate artificial intelligence into their talent acquisition pipelines without sacrificing long-term brand authority. While advanced automated screening tools can efficiently cut through administrative debt and streamline high-volume resume processing, technology alone cannot evaluate the intrinsic behavioral capacity of a candidate. The future of enterprise recruitment relies on a balanced synthesis of algorithmic automation and validated behavioral diagnostics to craft a transparent, highly professional candidate experience. When an organization treats its recruitment infrastructure as a strict scientific discipline and systematically removes personal bias from its vetting pipelines, the business naturally evolves into a self-sustaining asset capable of multiplying its enterprise valuation and outpacing standard market indices.About John PykeJohn Pyke is the Founder of The Talent Genius, a best-selling author, and a globally recognized keynote speaker and consultant specializing in scientific talent acquisition and sales team optimization. With a career spanning multiple decades of empirical research into human performance metrics, John has helped hundreds of companies construct high-converting sales teams and eliminate executive recruitment errors. He is a premier strategic advisor focused on helping businesses move past traditional interviewing habits to accurately map, measure, and deploy innate human talent.About The Talent GeniusThe Talent Genius is a leading strategic human capital consultancy and pre-employment assessment provider designed to help businesses engineer elite, predictable sales pipelines. The firm provides proprietary, science-backed behavioral diagnostic tools that measure cognitive agility, intrinsic motivation, and specific role suitability to eliminate bad hires. Through custom benchmarking programs, executive coaching frameworks, and talent strategy consulting, The Talent Genius enables mid-market enterprises to scale production and protect operational margins.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeThe Talent Genius Official Website: thetalentgenius.comJohn Pyke on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thetalentgeniusKey Episode HighlightsThe Hidden Cost of Bad Hiring: Analyzing why 80% of operational corporate bottlenecks are actually downstream symptoms of unscientific employee recruitment.The Failure of Resumes and DISC: Unpacking the structural limitations of standard resumes, interview setups, and generic personality profiles in predicting sales success.Isolating Innate Performance DNA: Measuring hardwired behavioral traits like persistence, self-motivation, and rapid rapport-building that cannot be taught through corporate training.The Data-Driven Blind Audit: Leveraging validated behavioral assessments to evaluate and predict candidate performance metrics without initial resume access.Streamlining the Candidate Experience: Balancing backend automation tools with human-centric transparency to attract premium talent in highly competitive markets.ConclusionThe conversation with John Pyke reinforces that elite sales production is an intentional architecture built on behavioral data rather than luck. By implementing rigorous talent benchmarking systems, removing executive bias from candidate evaluation, and focusing ruthlessly on un-teachable innate traits, business leaders can transform a volatile sales department into a streamlined, high-valuation corporate asset.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
What does it take to go from barely running beyond 15 miles to finishing one of the toughest 250-mile ultramarathons in the world?Dr. Jeff Hammond shares a refreshingly honest look at what it really takes to chase a massive goal and embrace the unknown.This conversation is packed with practical wisdom, mindset shifts, and stories that will inspire you to think bigger while staying grounded in smart training and preparation.This episode will challenge the limits you place on yourself and give you a new perspective on what's possible.In this episode, you'll discover:-Why having less experience than everyone else isn't always a disadvantage-What 250 miles teaches you about patience, resilience, and adaptability-The surprising power of embracing the ultra running community-How to balance ambitious goals with smart preparation-Why comparing your journey to other runners can hold you back-Lessons from recovery that every ultrarunner should hear-How stepping outside your comfort zone can unlock your biggest breakthroughs-The value of trusting the training even when the outcome feels uncertain-Why your next big running goal might be closer than you thinkThis conversation will leave you inspired to dream boldly, prepare intelligently, and discover what you're truly capable of.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow Jeff on IG:https://www.instagram.com/jeff.r.hammond/ Follow Jeff on Strava: https://strava.app.link/jjuktqsHK3b
The Anatomy of Business Survival: Architectural Governance with Lawrence MandelbergIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Lawrence Mandelberg, the premier leadership architect and author of Businesses Don't Fail, They Commit Suicide, to deconstruct the internal friction points that disrupt corporate longevity. Lawrence, whose advisory framework is backed by more than two decades of rigorous organizational research, challenges the traditional executive habit of blaming market downturns or macroeconomic shifts for business insolvency. This conversation provides an essential strategic overview for small-to-mid-sized business owners and mid-market founders, delivering a clear blueprint for auditing corporate health across changing lifecycle stages and replacing administrative chaos with high-accountability operational systems.The Corporate Lifecycle: Diagnosing Structural Gaps to Prevent Self-DestructionThe primary vulnerability threatening the valuation of an enterprise is rarely an external market disruption, but rather an accumulation of poor internal leadership choices and unexamined corporate habits. Lawrence Mandelberg explains that businesses do not naturally fail due to competitive pressures; instead, they commit operational suicide when their executive teams fail to maintain strict alignment across three critical dimensions: clarity of purpose, consistency of performance, and deep employee engagement. When an organization expands without documented processes, its performance becomes wildly unpredictable, creating significant structural gaps that dilute brand authority and introduce friction into customer-facing operations. By implementing comprehensive diagnostic audits that examine non-financial indicators of organizational capacity, founders can move away from reactive crisis management and focus on fixing the root operational causes that limit enterprise growth.As a business moves through its evolutionary lifecycle—traveling from the high-energy volatility of youth into the complex scaling challenges of adolescence and adulthood—the primary internal risk factors naturally shift. Early-stage companies frequently suffer from an unrefined purpose and trend-chasing distractions, whereas mature organizations often battle corporate bureaucracy, loss of operational agility, and widespread staff disengagement. True change management requires a total shift in internal perspective, recognizing that team members do not inherently resist change itself, but rather reject new workflows when they are handed down arbitrarily without collaboration. To foster absolute ownership during corporate transitions, executive leadership must involve frontline teams early in structural planning, transforming operational updates from top-down mandates into shared strategic objectives.Furthermore, building a resilient enterprise requires a disciplined dedication to consistency and continuous optimization that mirrors the strict traditional standards found in legacy industries, such as the historic vineyards of Bordeaux. Just as world-class winemakers rely on clear regulatory guidelines and a deep adaptation to their specific environmental constraints to maintain product quality year after year, corporate leaders must build robust internal guardrails that protect their organization's foundational margins. This systemic commitment to substance over short-term hype demands that founders ruthlessly evaluate their infrastructure against empirical data rather than speculative trends. When advanced operational technology, objective lifecycle diagnostics, and human-centric talent engagement are synthesized under a unified architectural framework, a company successfully builds an independent, self-sustaining asset capable of navigating any economic landscape.About Lawrence MandelbergLawrence Mandelberg is a highly decorated leadership architect, management consultant, speaker, and author with more than 23 years of specialized research into corporate lifecycle dynamics. He specializes in organizational design, behavioral change management, and corporate governance for mid-market enterprises. Lawrence has guided hundreds of organizations through complex restructurings, helping founders eliminate operational debt and implement sustainable business strategies that protect long-term equity.About Mandelberg ConsultingMandelberg Consulting serves as the primary digital advisory hub for Lawrence Mandelberg's strategic consulting and executive coaching practice. The firm provides corporate leadership teams with proprietary organizational maturity assessments, hands-on change management workshops, and structural capability planning. Through targeted diagnostic toolsets, Mandelberg Consulting enables businesses to identify hidden operational bottlenecks, optimize employee engagement, and build predictable organizational infrastructure.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeMandelberg Consulting Official Website: mandelberg.bizLawrence Mandelberg on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/larrymandelbergKey Episode HighlightsThe Internal Failure Paradigm: Why external economic factors are rarely the primary root cause of business failure, and how to pivot toward internal operational audits.The Three P's of Corporate Health: Structuring your executive workflows around complete clarity of purpose, consistency of performance, and employee engagement.The Organizational Lifecycle Playbook: Navigating unique structural vulnerabilities as your company scales from organizational youth into adolescence and adulthood.Human-Centric Change Management: Eradicating employee resistance by involving frontline teams in corporate process engineering and workflow transitions.The Bordeaux Business Metaphor: Leveraging principles of environmental adaptation and strict operational standards to protect long-term enterprise value.ConclusionThe conversation with Lawrence Mandelberg highlights that corporate longevity is a direct reflection of internal leadership discipline and system design. By auditing lifecycle vulnerabilities, standardizing performance frameworks, and building an inclusive culture of strategic change, executives can effectively transform a vulnerable, founder-dependent operation into a resilient, high-valuation corporate asset.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Architectural Friction: Engineering Corporate Innovation Through Productive Discomfort with Anthony ReevesIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Anthony Reeves, an elite international keynote speaker, growth consultant, and author of Eat the Donkey, to dismantle the hidden operational liabilities of corporate complacency. Anthony, whose background spans intense ultra-endurance sports like Ultraman to driving high-stakes team strategy within Amazon's leadership ecosystem, argues that convenience is the ultimate enemy of enterprise scale. This conversation serves as an essential manual for middle-market founders and executive teams looking to build high-performance cultures, showing how institutionalizing deliberate operational friction can shield an organization from stagnation and unlock sustainable corporate growth.The Strategy of Stretch: Structuring Vulnerability and Governance for Enterprise ScaleThe primary threat to long-term market authority is rarely an external competitor, but rather an internal slide into institutional comfort and short-term operational thinking. Anthony Reeves explains that when a business attempts to over-engineer convenience and eliminate all administrative friction, it naturally dulls the creative drive and risk-taking capacity of its workforce. Elite multinational enterprises—such as Amazon, Airbnb, and LVMH—combat this stagnation by intentionally embedding productive discomfort directly into their talent metrics and core performance reviews. Instead of evaluating managers solely on safe, predictable output, these organizations systematically reward teams that push boundaries and test unproven hypotheses. When a company normalizes failure as a key data point in the innovation pipeline, it strips away the perfection paralysis that stalls product development, transforming calculated risk from an existential threat into a highly predictable revenue driver.To sustain this high-yield operational velocity without causing employee burnout or talent attrition, leadership must establish a culture anchored in absolute transparency and foundational alignment. When structural disruptions inevitably occur, companies often make the mistake of deploying sanitized, risk-averse public relations scripts that destroy trust with both clients and internal stakeholders. True market differentiation is achieved when executives possess the psychological safety to publicly own corporate mistakes, a practice modeled directly by Amazon's leadership principles. By treating unexpected errors as transparent opportunities for optimization, leaders build deep organizational resilience. This vulnerability must be paired with an unyielding commitment to the enterprise's "foundational focus"—the core mission and values that define the brand—ensuring that the business aggressively rejects short-term, trend-chasing distractions that do not map to its long-term enterprise value.Transitioning an organization out of complacency requires a corporate architect who can precisely differentiate between productive growth discomfort and destructive operational chaos. Through specialized consulting frameworks and strategic keynote sessions, Anthony assists leadership teams in auditing their current workflows to identify where compliance has replaced creativity. This systems-driven alignment demands that corporate metrics shift toward tracking long-term structural milestones rather than immediate quarterly micro-gains. By designing clear accountability guardrails and providing continuous executive development, founders can safely guide their teams through the discomfort of rapid market shifts. Ultimately, market dominance belongs to the enterprises that treat stress not as a crisis to be managed, but as the primary catalyst required to scale impact and maintain premium authority across their entire industry vertical.About Anthony ReevesAnthony Reeves is a globally recognized keynote speaker, growth consultant, and the author of Eat the Donkey. Drawing from an extraordinary background in world-class ultra-endurance sports—including completing Ultraman and Ironman competitions—and extensive leadership experience within Amazon, Anthony specializes in the mechanics of human and corporate optimization. He serves as a trusted advisor to executives, helping them design high-accountability workplace cultures that embrace strategic challenge to drive breakthrough innovation.About anthonyreeves.coanthonyreeves.co is the primary digital advisory hub for Anthony Reeves's global consulting and speaking practice. The platform provides mid-market corporations, enterprise leaders, and event organizers with direct access to custom corporate training modules, organizational alignment workshops, and leadership development resources. Through data-driven diagnostics and culture-shifting frameworks, anthonyreeves.co equips modern executive teams with the systems engineering required to reject mediocrity and manage complex operational scale.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeAnthony Reeves Official Website: anthonyreeves.coAnthony Reeves on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anthonyreevesKey Episode HighlightsThe Complacency Trap: Why over-engineering comfort within corporate processes dulls innovation and introduces long-term vulnerability into your business.Institutionalizing Discomfort: Emulating Amazon's framework of rewarding employees based on their willingness to invent and take risks rather than just executing safe results.The Power of Foundational Focus: Examining how brands like Starbucks and Southwest Airlines maintain long-term market control by ruthlessly saying no to trend-chasing distractions.The ROI of Executive Vulnerability: Building intense customer and employee loyalty by openly owning corporate mistakes instead of relying on sanitized corporate scripts.Productive vs. Destructive Friction: Training management tiers to balance intense structural challenges with robust psychological safety guardrails.ConclusionThe conversation with Anthony Reeves highlights that corporate excellence is an intentional architecture built on the edge of the comfort zone. By deploying rigorous performance governance, fiercely protecting the organization's core mission, and treating failure as a mandatory component of growth, business leaders can transform a stagnant operation into an agile, self-sustaining corporate asset.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Peak training is where ultramarathon dreams are either reinforced—or quietly sabotaged.Most runners think peak weeks are simply about logging the biggest mileage of their training cycle. But the athletes who arrive at race day strong understand that these weeks are about much more than volume. Learning how to handle fatigue, testing race-day decisions before they matter, and balancing the fine line between building fitness and digging a hole too deep to climb out of.In this episode you will learn how to maximize the benefits of your highest-volume weeks, avoid common traps that derail runners late in a training cycle, and use peak training to gain confidence heading into race day.You'll also discover:-Why peak weeks are about far more than just accumulating miles-The hidden purpose behind your longest runs and biggest training blocks-A simple mindset shift that can transform how you approach race preparation-The costly mistake that ruined an otherwise excellent training cycle-The often-overlooked recovery factors that can make or break peak training-Key warning signs your body may be giving you during high-volume training-How to balance training stress without sacrificing long-term progress-The surprising role that sleep, fueling, and strength work play when mileage is highestLearn how to turn peak training into a powerful advantage—and arrive at race day healthy, confident, and ready to perform.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.com
Send us Fan MailOne muddy ski slope can turn a championship race into a traction test, and Mount Sunapee is exactly that kind of day. We sit down with rising mountain runner Rena Schwartz for a quick, honest pre-race check-in before the US Mountain Running Championships, where the stakes include confidence, experience, and a real shot at Team USA.Rena talks about how wild it feels to be back a year later, especially since last year was basically her first true trail race. We get into what's changed since then: more consistent running, working with coach David Roach, and learning how to approach a stacked field without pretending you have every answer. She shares why she's treating Sunapee as a chance to practice racing itself, the emotions, the decisions, and the moments where you choose to push or stay controlled.We also go deep on the details that decide outcomes on the East Coast: mud, slick grass, water, and the shoe choice that can make you brave or cautious on the descents. Rena breaks down her move from Salomon roots to the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro and what she still doesn't know about that setup when conditions get sloppy. We round out with her summer plans, including Broken Arrow (VK and 23K), the reality of managing knee pain after a 50K, and her exciting news about joining the Green Racing Project.If you're into mountain running, trail racing strategy, and the behind-the-scenes choices athletes make before a big start line, you'll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share it with a training partner, and leave a review with your best tip for racing in the mud.Follow Rena Schwartz on IG - @rena.s22Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.usFollow James on IG - @jameslaurielloFollow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_podFollow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa
FF: Taxes & Wars are as Transitory as Inflation While the CPI claims inflation is only 3.8%, steak is up over 17%, ground beef over 18%, and coffee up over 29%. The war with Iran, that was only supposed to last a couple of weeks, is still going on. We discuss some of the news relating to this conflict. We also talk about bonds in the U.S., the U.K., and Japan. Other news we cover includes what is going on with data centers in Ohio, where auto delinquencies and credit card debt stands, and how the prime minister in India has asked the citizens to stop buying gold. It doesn't matter if you make $50K per year or $500K per year, it is the decisions you make with what you have that will determine how wealthy you are. We are currently in a late-stage debt crisis. You need to position yourself to handle that. Learn some of the information that can help improve your financial situation. Abolish Property Taxes in Ohio: www.AxOHTax.com Get more information about abolishing all property taxes in Ohio. https://citizensforpropertytaxreform.org/ Our Links: www.RealPowerFamily.com Info@RealPowerFamily.com
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Last week, we told you all about Worlds End. This week... we're telling you all about Worlds End again. You didn't really think we'd spend an entire episode previewing one of Pennsylvania's biggest ultramarathons and then just move on when the race actually happened, did you? The trails have been run. The climbs have been conquered. The legs have been trashed. Now, it's time to unpack everything that went down at World's End 2026. We're breaking down the highs, lows, surprises, and standout performances from the 50K and 100K. Whether you were out there chasing cutoffs, chasing podiums, volunteering at an aid station, or following along from afar, we've got stories from the trails and all the reasons Worlds End continues to hold a special place in Pennsylvania ultrarunning lore. We spent last week asking what might happen. This week, we're talking about what actually did.
What does it really take to keep improving as an ultra runner year after year—and what if your best performances are still ahead of you?Everyday Ultra athlete Corey Walker shares his remarkable journey from starting running at age 51 to running a sub-24-hour hundred miler just a few years later. Corey's story is a powerful reminder that progress comes from mastering the fundamentals, staying patient, and focusing on what you can control.In this episode, you'll discover:The mindset shift that helped transform a difficult hundred-mile experience into a breakthrough performanceA simple approach to staying motivated and consistent when life gets busyThe role flexibility plays in training and why rigid plans don't always lead to the best resultsA unique mental strategy that can help you navigate tough moments during racesHow focusing on process goals instead of outcome goals can lead to surprising breakthroughsThe lesson Corey learned about improvement that every ultra runner needs to hearThis episode is packed with practical wisdom and hard-earned lessons that can help you become a stronger, more resilient, and more consistent ultra runner.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow Corey on Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/96564353
Most teams treat influencer marketing as a series of one-off campaigns. The ones who actually scale treat it as a system — one continuous testing framework that runs from your first nano creator all the way to a Mr. Beast integration.Marion Balinoff returns for episode two of the influencer marketing series, going one level deeper than the foundations. Drawing on 12 years building influencer programs across 15+ studios and eight-figure budgets, this episode lays out the complete testing framework: the three-phase path from knowledge-gathering to scaling, how to read the vertical assessment table, the CPM/conversion/LTV diagnostic for fixing what's broken, the gift-code and giveaway mechanics that move conversion without killing LTV, and the custom in-game integrations that lifted conversion 437% on average. If you watched episode one, this is where the foundations become a machine.The single most important mindset shift: you're not buying reach, you're buying learnings. Volume isn't the goal - data density is.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Why influencer marketing is a system, not a campaign01:30 The three-phase framework: gather, optimize, scale02:40 Influencer size — why 8% of channels drive 63% of views03:40 The vertical assessment table and the three thresholds06:00 The CPM / conversion / LTV diagnostic08:30 Gift codes that doubled ROI (and the starter pack that killed LTV)13:00 Custom in-game integrations — 437% conversion lift16:30 The five key takeaways and the 12-month timeline
Working nights. Working weekends. Working into the cracks of your life. Tracking every minute for 30+ clients. Watching your effective rate drop every time you get faster at your job.If that is your current reality, this episode is the mirror you need.This week on Serve Scale Soar, I sit down with Mandy, a Canadian funnel designer and Strategist Society member, who pulled off one of my favorite kinds of transformations. She went from $10K hourly months (and full-on burnout) to one $12,000/month retainer client, a $19K best month, and a $130K year in 2025, all while working around 30 hours a week. Same brain. New container.We get into the exact moment it finally clicked for her at Strategist Summit Live, the boring (and consistent) Marketing Minutes strategy that landed her dream client out of a free Facebook Group, and the unexpected champagne client problem nobody warns you about when you finally get your time back.In this episode, you'll learn:Why hourly pricing is a pay cut every time you get better at your craft (and the math behind it)The Strategist Summit moment when one sentence from another member finally cracked Mandy openThe exact Marketing Minutes strategy Mandy ran during our 30-day challenge (hint: Facebook Groups are NOT dead)How she pitched and landed a $12K/month retainer from a free Facebook Group postThe "champagne client problem" of suddenly having time and not knowing what to do with itWhy you should build your retainer floor BEFORE the scalable offerWhy Strategist Society works for funnel builders and consultants, not just ad managersWhat actually moved the needle inside the program (and what Mandy did NOT consume)Mentioned in this episode:Apply for Strategist Society: thestrategistsociety.comDM the keyword MANDY to @brandimowles on Instagram for the lightning recapFor early-stage ad managers: conversionsforclients.comReady to scale past $10K months?Strategist Society is the room where high-level service providers (ad managers, funnel builders, consultants, OBMs, copywriters) scale to $20K, $30K, and $50K months while working under 25 hours a week. If you are ready to drop hourly pricing for good and want a coach in your corner who will quote the bigger number until your nervous system catches up, head to thestrategistsociety.com and apply. We will hop on a call, do a full business audit, and figure out if we are a fit.Loved this episode?Screenshot it, tag @brandimowles on Instagram, and share it with one service provider friend who is still stuck on hourly. That is how more women find their way out of the hourly trap.Now go do the dang thing.Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-scale-soar/id1477998650Follow Brandi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandimowlesFollow Brandi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brandiandcompany
Die Themen von Lisa und Robert am 02.06.26: (00:00:00) Fußball: Wie die Nationalmannschaft überrascht werden könnte, wenn sie den WM-Titel holt. (00:01:58) Abschiebung: Was es bedeutet, dass die EU den Weg freigemacht hat für Abschiebezentren in Drittstaaten. (00:08:27) Wedding Season: Wie hoch sich junge Paare für ihre Hochzeit verschulden. Hier findet ihr das ganze Video von 50K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmTDc3--XXo (00:14:04) Missbrauchsnetzwerk: Wie Jeffrey Epstein systematisch die Modelbranche genutzt haben soll, um in Europa Opfer zu finden. Hier kommt ihr zur Recherche von WDR, NDR und SZ: https://1.ard.de/Epsteins_Jagd?cp=0630 (00:20:31) Kölner Dom: Lisa und Robert raten, wie viel der Eintritt zum Kölner Wahrzeichen für Touris bald kosten könnte. Habt ihr Fragen oder Feedback? Schickt uns gerne eine Sprachnachricht an 0151 15071635 oder schreibt uns an 0630@wdr.de – kommt auch gern in unseren WhatsApp-Channel: https://1.ard.de/0630-bei-Whatsapp Von 0630.
At just 23 years old, Lila Gaudrault has already built an ultra running resume that most athletes spend decades chasing. In this episode of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, Lila shares her unconventional path into ultrarunning, why she skipped the traditional collegiate running route, and what she learned from taking on her first 250-mile race at Cocodona.From discovering trail running as a teenager to navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected challenges of a multi-day adventure through Arizona, Lila offers a refreshing perspective on growth, resilience, and the joy of pursuing what genuinely excites you. This conversation is packed with insights that can help you become a stronger and more resilient ultrarunner.In this episode, you'll learn:-Why following a non-traditional running path can sometimes lead to unexpected opportunities-The mindset shift that helped Lila transition from competitive high school running into ultramarathons-What her first 50K taught her about preparation, pacing, and learning through failure-How to mentally navigate low points when a race starts falling apart-The approach she used to stay moving during one of the toughest stretches of Cocodona 250This episode is a reminder that ultrarunning isn't about having everything figured out. It's about staying curious & continuing to show up when the path feels uncertain.SHOW LINKS: Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow Lila on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lilagaudrault/
Accredited Investors: Catalina Island deal closes soon. Join waitlist: somerscapital.com/investMost side hustles fade fast. A few turn into real businesses.Rich Somers sits down with Nick Fowler to break down how he went from $0 to $50K per month using TikTok Shop, and why this model may be one of the most overlooked opportunities heading into 2026. Instead of chasing virality, Nick explains the systems, discipline, and repetition required to make TikTok Shop work consistently—not just once.The conversation dives into what actually drives conversions on the platform, why most people fail after early traction, and how Nick approached product selection, content volume, and iteration without relying on hype or shortcuts. He shares the mistakes beginners make, the mindset shift required to scale, and why treating this like a real business—not a quick win—is the difference maker.Rich and Nick also unpack where TikTok Shop fits into the broader creator and ecommerce landscape, who this model is not for, and why execution beats creativity every time. From testing and reps to staying focused when results are uneven, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build durable income in a noisy space.This is a clear, practical conversation for anyone curious about modern side hustles—and serious about turning attention into predictable revenue.Connect with Rich on Instagram: @rich_somersInterested in joining The 7 Figure Creator Mastermind? Visit www.the7figurecreator.com to book a free intro call.Interested in joining our Boutique Hotel Mastermind? Visit www.somerscapital.com/mastermind to book a free call.
Most ultrarunners train hard, but they don't always train with the right structure.In this episode, I break down how to organize your ultramarathon training so you can build fitness, avoid burnout, and show up to race day actually prepared. We'll cover how to balance easy runs, speed work, long runs, hills, recovery, and race-specific training so every part of your plan has a purpose.Whether you're training for your first ultra or trying to level up for a 50K, 100K, 100-miler, or 200-mile race, this will help you understand how to structure your weeks and training blocks for better results.Train smarter. Race stronger. Endure better.SHOW LINKS:Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.com
Glute pain, sciatica, hamstring issues, and hip impingements can be some of the most confusing — and frustrating — injuries runners deal with. Because when pain shows up in the glute, hip, hamstring, or low back, the actual cause isn't always where you feel it.In this episode, I'm joined again by physical therapist and strength coach Kameron Harder to continue our injury prevention and rehab series for runners. This time, we break down some of the trickiest problem areas in the posterior chain and hips — including why glute pain might actually be coming from your low back, how sciatica really works, why hamstring tightness is often a strength issue, and what runners need to know about hip impingements.In this episode, we cover:Why glute pain is often misdiagnosedHow low back and SI joint issues can refer pain into the gluteThe difference between true sciatica and general nerve-related painWhat to do for hamstring tightness and hamstring injuriesWhy stretching isn't always the answer for hamstring painThe best strength exercises for healthier glutes and hamstringsHow range of motion, control, and strength all play a role in injury preventionWhy heavy strength training matters for building more resilient runnersSHOW LINKS:Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comKam's Strength Services: https://go.ridgeathleticsaz.com/ridgeservicesFollow Kam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ridgeathleticsaz/
Training camps can be one of the most valuable tools in ultramarathon training — especially when you know how to use them the right way.In this episode, I recap my 3-day, 71-mile Western States 100 training camp and break down the biggest lessons I learned from running the course less than a month out from race day.I cover why training camps are so useful, how to structure one for your own race, what I learned about the Western States course, how I'm adjusting my race strategy, and the key takeaways around pacing, heat management, downhill durability, hydration, nutrition, and mental approach.This episode is not just a Western States recap. It's a guide for how to use any training camp as a dress rehearsal so you can show up to your next ultra more prepared, more confident, and more ready to execute.SHOW LINKS:Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.com
Speed work can be one of the biggest game-changers in ultramarathon training — but only if you know how to use it the right way.In this episode, I break down the three key types of speed work that every ultrarunner should understand: VO2 max workouts, lactate threshold workouts, and steady state workouts.You'll learn what each workout actually does, how they're different from each other, when to use them in your training, and how to structure them so you can build more fitness without blowing yourself up.I also explain why speed work matters for ultrarunners, even if most of your race is done at an easy effort, and how these workouts can help you raise your fitness ceiling, improve your ability to sustain faster paces, and become stronger and more durable on race day.In this episode, you'll learn:Why running easy all the time can eventually lead to a fitness plateauHow VO2 max work helps raise your overall fitness ceilingWhy lactate threshold workouts help you run faster for longerHow steady state workouts build aerobic strength and durabilityWhen to use each type of speed workout in your training blockExample workouts you can steal and use in your own trainingHow to safely introduce speed work without increasing injury riskWhy uphill speed work can be a cheat code for ultrarunnersSHOW LINKS:Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.com
Eric Ries is the entrepreneur and author of The Lean Startup, whose work helped software founders validate ideas faster and build companies without making huge bets upfront. After years helping startups, large companies, and governments apply Lean Startup principles, Eric built the Long-Term Stock Exchange and turned his attention to a bigger question: Why do so many successful companies lose their way? In our conversation, Eric explains the idea of "financial gravity"—the hidden force that pushes companies toward short-term financial thinking as they grow. He shares cautionary stories of companies like Whole Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Silicon Valley Bank, and Costco to show how scaling, investors, boards, and even employees can gradually erode trust, mission, and long-term value. Eric's new book, Incorruptible Why Good Companies Go Bad…and How Great Companies Stay Great, offers practical ways founders can protect the soul of their companies before it's too late--even when they don't have big outside investors. He explains why founders should explicitly codify their mission into governance structures, why trust is the most underrated asset in business, and how practical founders can retain optionality while building valuable companies that endure. Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, and investors, Eric Ries reveals the forces that make companies vulnerable to destruction from within and without. Then he offers solutions that safeguard against them for the long-term. Incorruptible is the blueprint for companies that will prosper and endure without losing their soul. Key Takeaways Financial Gravity - Every growing company faces pressure toward short-term financial thinking—even without outside investors. Trust Compounds - Companies that earn trust with customers and employees often outperform financially over the long term. Founder Regret - Many founders regret selling because the mission, culture, and soul of the company disappear. Mission Protection - Values on a wall aren't enough—founders need legal and governance structures to preserve mission. Question Best Practices - Many accepted business practices optimize short-term profits while destroying long-term value. Think Long-Term - Practical founders have more optionality when they intentionally design companies to endure. Quote from Eric Ries, Author of the Lean Startup "People have woken up to this reality. Given where we're at, if you can create a bootstrap company, if you can maintain control, it doesn't make you completely safe. The problem is actually not investors, but financial thinking. "So I tell a bunch of stories in my book (Incorruptible) of companies where the issue wasn't investors, but their own employees. You start to bring in professional managers. You start to bring in a CFO, and the CFO has that extractive mindset, or even worse. "Financial gravity is one of the most underrated concepts in business. It is like trying to direct our attention away from the surface characteristics of an organization to the deeper forces that act on it. Your business model, strategy, vision, culture, these things are very important, but they are the things that we have control over. Financial gravity is a force." Links Eric Ries on LinkedIn Eric Ries on Twitter Eric Ries Podcast Incorruptible book on Amazon Podcast Sponsor – Lighter Capital This podcast is sponsored by Lighter Capital. In the last 15 years, Lighter Capital has helped over 600 software and SaaS founders secure simple, non-dilutive financing to grow a little faster—without giving up any precious equity or board seats to investors. Simple debt funding from Lighter Capital can range from $50K to $10 million, with straightforward terms, no personal guarantees or covenants, and up to a 4-year payback period. Go to LighterCapital.com to apply and get a quick pre-qualification. Then talk with their experienced team to create a practical funding plan to achieve your goals. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding. A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.
Most people think life insurance is just for when you die.But what if it's actually one of the most powerful wealth-building tools in America?In this powerful episode of Inside the Vault, Ash Cash sits down with Lindsay Smith — 7-figure insurance agency owner, author of Creating Wealth Through Life Insurance, and founder of The Wealthy Agent Community.This isn't just a conversation about policies.This is a masterclass on:• How life insurance really works • How wealthy families use it for leverage • Why most agents stay broke • The recession-proof blueprint for financial services • How to build a 6–7 figure insurance business • The annuity strategy nobody is talking about • Why 85% of agents fail in year one • How AI is transforming the insurance industry • The CEO mindset every agent must adoptLindsay breaks down the real game behind commissions, contracts, renewals, and how to build systems that generate organic leads without buying cold traffic.If you're an insurance agent struggling to grow…If you're thinking about getting licensed…Or if you want to understand how life insurance can create generational wealth…This episode is required viewing.
When you think about your revenue goal for this year, what's the first thought that runs through your head?For most independent consultants it's some version of "I hope I can make it happen" or "I'm trying to make it happen."If you're like most of us, you don't even know you're thinking it.It's subconscious.And it's the reason your consulting business keeps plateauing, even when your strategy, your offers, and your effort all look right on paper.In this episode, Melisa walks through the three belief stages every independent consultant operates from.Doubtful. Hopeful. Inevitable.You'll hear what each one sounds like in your own head, the impact each one has on your pipeline and pricing, and how to tell which stage you're in right now.You'll also hear three real examples.Sarah, who set a 500K goal from a hopeful place and got herself to a 625K run rate once she stopped asking her business to prove it was possible first.Colin, who replaced a referral-dependent pipeline with speaking and three conversations a week. Same work, different headspace.And Amy, who shifted from day rates to value-based pricing in ten minutes a day.If you've been telling yourself you need a better strategy, you should listen to this one first.The strategy isn't the ceiling.The way you're thinking about your goal is.What you will learn in this episode:[00:05] - The first thought that reveals how you are approaching your consulting goals[02:00] - What separates consultants who hit their numbers from those who stay stuck[03:05] - Companion resource: Business Brain Journal[05:00] - The three belief stages: doubtful, hopeful, and inevitable[07:00] - How doubtful thinking creates inconsistent revenue and watered-down action[09:30] - Why hopeful thinking still creates consulting business plateaus[11:45] - What an inevitability mindset sounds like[13:00] - How to identify your belief stage across goals, sales, pipeline, and pricing[16:30] - Goal setting example: turning a $500K goal into consistent $50K months[22:30] - Pipeline example: moving from word-of-mouth dependency to lead generation ownership[26:00] - Pricing example: raising rates and moving toward value-based pricing[31:00] - The inevitability test for independent consultants[34:30] - How to add inevitability thinking into your business owner routineTune in to Episode 272 for a practical look at how to make success inevitable as an independent consultant, so you can stop operating from hope and start building from certainty.Resources Mentioned:Companion Resource: Check out Melisa's Business Brain JournalFull Show Noteshttps://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-272Want More?• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle deliver one of the most absurd and hilarious WFAN segments yet.
What happens when ultra runners bring an ultra mindset to one of the most iconic marathons in the world?In this episode we discuss taking on the “Double Boston” — running from the finish line to the start line of the Boston Marathon before turning around and running the official marathon itself. You'll hear how different athletes approached the same challenge in completely different ways: chasing joy instead of pace goals, learning to stay present instead of obsessing over performance, and discovering how community can completely transform the race experience. From first-time Boston emotions to decades of marathon wisdom, this episode is packed with lessons every ultra runner can apply to training, racing, and life.In this episode, you'll discover:How focusing less on performance may lead to your most meaningful race experienceThe strategies that helped runners tackle 52 miles in one dayWhat road runners can learn from ultra runners about resilience, patience, and communityThe mindset shift that can make hard races feel more joyfulWhy the people you run with can completely change your experience in endurance sportsHow to stay present during races instead of constantly chasing the next goalThe mental habits that help ultra runners keep moving when things get difficultSHOW LINKS:Register for our 100K or 50K race, Desert Peak Ultra, by going to desertpeakultra.comWant to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program? Book a free call here with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coachingFollow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupgTry Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by going to the link here.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray and get 20% off with code EVERYDAYULTRA at playonrelief.comTry Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel at janji.com/everydayultraCreate running routes easily with Footpath, the app designed to help you manage routes simply. Download for free and get a free trial at footpathapp.com/everydayultraTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at www.curranzusa.comFollow them all on Instagram! Bill : https://www.instagram.com/bdittman13/ Brendan : https://www.instagram.com/runswithb/Maria : https://www.instagram.com/mariathonrunnah/
This week, Corinne Malcolm is joined by one of the most exciting short-course racers on the circuit, Dani Moreno. Podiums at OCC, USATF trail national championships at the 50K and half-marathon, Broken Arrow and UTMB Major wins, Dani's also dealt with catastrophic injuries and setbacks.They talk about:The path from collegiate running to outdoor guiding to professional trail racing — and the feeling of being "lost" after collegeHow stepping away from structured performance helped Dani reconnect with joyDealing with injuries and setbacks in the processAnd why the current generation of women in trail racing are showing everyone that it's cool to careCheck out Dani and EmKay Sullivan's SubHub podcast for all things sub-ultra mountain and trail running.Follow Us:Join Feisty at the Grand Traverse in Duluth, MN on October 3rd! Use code FEISTY20 for $20 off when you register at https://feisty.co/events/the-grand-traverse/@feisty_media@trail.societySupport our Partners:Injinji: use code Trailrun15 to get 15% off at https://www.injinji.com/Good Ranchers: Subscribe and get $25 off your first order with the code IRON at goodranchers.com rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SPRINGTRAIL10 for 10% off.
Amazon's Q1 2026 earnings report is out, and it's a wake-up call for every FBA seller. Whether you're pulling in $3,000 or $3 million a month, there's a shift you can't ignore. Neil Twa dives into the numbers, revealing that Amazon's advertising revenue is skyrocketing, outpacing retail growth. This isn't a fluke. It's a signal. Neil shares the tale of two sellers: Marcus, who's been steady at $50K/month with his home organization brand, and another seller struggling to break even. The difference? Understanding the new fee landscape and adapting to it. Neil lays out three actionable moves you need to make this week: rebuild your unit economics from scratch, leverage Amazon's advertising tools wisely, and audit your cash flow with the latest FBA fee structures in mind. The High Voltage Business Builders Podcast is here to help you navigate these changes. Ready to audit your AI readiness? Take the free 5-question assessment — voltagedm.com/aiquiz?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep279
Jon Hwang came to running the way a lot of us do, sideways and by accident. A 5K with coworkers turned into a half marathon, and then a rough year in 2017 where a relationship ended and his mom was diagnosed with cancer solidified running as the thing that got him through each day.By the time Jon signed up for the San Francisco Marathon, he had already met his wife through Spartan racing, tackled obstacle courses together, and built years of trail miles between them including a full 50K ultra. So why did 26.2 miles on a road feel more terrifying than anything he had ever done in the mud? That's what this one is all about!Follow along with Jon: @jhwang on Instagram / @hwangsmiles on TikTokFollow along with the show:
Harmonizing the Brand Symphony: Unified Messaging Architecture with Joshua AltmanIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Joshua Altman, the Managing Director of Beltway Media, to dissect the communication breakdowns that quietly dilute the market authority of growing businesses. Operating near the strategic hub of Washington, D.C., Joshua brings an elite corporate perspective to executive storytelling, utilizing frameworks refined through his work with organizations like the Department of Justice and Dow Jones. This conversation provides an essential strategic overview for small-to-mid-sized business owners and startup founders who struggle with siloed corporate messaging—where PR, outbound sales, internal culture, and digital marketing pull the brand narrative in completely different directions.The Architecture of Consistency: Eliminating Communication Silos through Fractional OversightThe primary point of friction holding back a company's market positioning is rarely the quality of the product itself, but rather a fragmented brand narrative where different departments are singing completely different songs. Joshua Altman explains that when small-to-mid-sized businesses scale rapidly, marketing pipelines, product documentation, and client-facing communication channels organically decouple from the founder's original vision. This lack of messaging unity introduces friction into the sales funnel, confuses key stakeholders, and erodes consumer trust at critical touchpoints. By treating brand communication as an interconnected corporate ecosystem, companies can deploy fractional oversight to synthesize every piece of collateral—from investor pitch decks to automated social content—into a unified, harmonious voice that commands premium industry credibility.To systematically align an organization's public footprint, executives must look beyond basic content calendars and embrace advanced narrative auditing tools. Beltway Media champions the "Four Languages Model," a comprehensive audit framework that forces an enterprise to map and evaluate how its core message is consumed across four distinct dimensions: what audiences read, see, hear, and experience. When an organization meticulously reviews its visual identity, written copy, audio media, and physical customer service touchpoints simultaneously, it can instantly isolate the messaging gaps that cause prospect attrition. This data-driven alignment moves corporate communications away from reactive, ad-hoc task management and into a highly optimized, proactive corporate asset that builds predictable long-term value.Furthermore, building an authoritative presence in a crowded digital marketplace requires executive leadership to actively step onto media platforms, particularly through strategic podcast guesting. Many founders and technical executives initially resist media appearances out of perfection paralysis or a lack of formal broadcasting experience; however, modern audiences aggressively favor unscripted, human transparency over clinical corporate polish. Leveraging podcast appearances allows a leader to deliver an authentic narrative that remains discoverable online for years, generating a continuous pipeline of warm, incoming referrals. When advanced technological infrastructure and strategic media exposure are paired with a unified communications framework, an enterprise can effectively bridge the gap between complex internal data and compelling external impact.About Joshua AltmanJoshua Altman is the Managing Director of Beltway Media and a premier corporate communications strategist with a career spanning both high-level public sectors and corporate private markets. Drawing from deep analytical experience with the Department of Commerce and various enterprise networks, Joshua specializes in translating complex corporate missions into concise, authoritative brand narratives. Outside of his advisory work, he is a dedicated community volunteer, managing dog adoption coordination initiatives throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area.About Beltway MediaBeltway Media is an elite strategic advisory firm that provides specialized fractional Chief Communications Officer (CCO) services, messaging audits, and narrative design for startups and mid-market organizations. The consultancy eliminates executive administrative debt by bringing public relations, internal branding, corporate documentation, and digital media pipelines under a single, unified oversight structure. Through science-backed auditing frameworks and hands-on execution playbooks, Beltway Media helps high-growth organizations establish absolute messaging consistency to accelerate investor trust and market share.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeBeltway Media Official Leadership Page: beltway.media/leadershipJoshua Altman on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshuaialtmanKey Episode HighlightsThe Symphony Analogy of Branding: Understanding why individual department communication channels must be structurally harmonized to prevent brand dilution.The Fractional CCO Advantage: Accessing high-level enterprise messaging governance and PR strategy without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.The Four Languages Model: A comprehensive structural framework to audit and align what your audience reads, sees, hears, and experiences across your entire sales funnel.The Multi-Dimensional Messaging Audit: Practical exercises for founders to benchmark their internal communication maturity and spot brand misalignments.The Long-Tail Media Asset Loop: Leveraging podcast guesting to build permanent, searchable authority assets that drive compounding inbound attention.ConclusionThe conversation with Joshua Altman emphasizes that clear, consistent communication is the ultimate driver of enterprise trust and market differentiation. By treating brand narrative design as a strict structural discipline and leveraging fractional executive frameworks, founders can convert fragmented company data into a powerful, unified story that establishes permanent authority across their entire industry.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Authenticity in the Algorithmic Age: Maximizing Paid Ad Performance with Jeremy YangIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Jeremy Yang, the Founder and Tech Lead of Digital Goliath, to break down the seismic shifts currently reshaping the global digital advertising landscape. Operating from Sydney, Australia, Jeremy brings a performance-focused, technical perspective to paid traffic, dismantling the over-automated, "plug-and-play" strategies that cause modern ad spend to bleed cash. This conversation provides an essential strategic overview for established business owners and enterprise leaders who are currently running Google or Meta campaigns but find themselves battling rising acquisition costs, algorithmic fatigue, and the quiet erosion of consumer trust in an AI-saturated market.The Architecture of Conversion: Blending Algorithmic Optimization with Raw Human ConnectionThe rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has fundamentally disrupted the digital ad ecosystem, precipitating an unprecedented wave of content saturation across search results and social feeds alike. Jeremy Yang explains that while advanced machine learning models excel at routine administrative tasks—such as rapidly spinning up creative iterations, adjusting real-time bidding parameters, and optimizing platform placement—they have simultaneously triggered a massive wave of consumer ad blindness. Audiences have grown exceptionally savvy at identifying synthetic avatars, overly polished deepfakes, and generic AI-scripted copy, which ultimately erodes brand authority and diminishes campaign ROI. True scalable performance is achieved not by replacing the human element with complete automation, but by treating AI strictly as a backend optimization coworker while fiercely keeping a real, authentic face and localized presence at the center of client-facing ad creative.To break through the competitive noise on modern ad networks, brands must pivot heavily toward direct-response, face-to-camera video assets that function as the new high-yield currency of visual search. Rather than exhausting valuable corporate capital on hyper-produced studio commercials or rigid, clinical scripts, founders see far higher engagement by executing raw, unscripted "walk-and-talk" videos or behind-the-scenes operational content recorded directly on a smartphone. This style of marketing functions as an immediate trust builder, creating a visceral human connection that synthetic assets simply cannot replicate. For local and service-based enterprises, leaning into this transparent media delivery is a critical differentiator; it signals immediate credibility to a prospect and establishes a definitive baseline of authority long before they enter the sales pipeline.However, scaling ad spend predictably requires strict alignment with an organization's actual operational readiness and market validation. A common failure point for small-to-medium businesses is deploying heavy capital into paid acquisition channels before securing true product-market fit or establishing a clear, documented value proposition. Jeremy cautions that paid traffic functions exclusively as an amplifier; if an offer suffers from confusing messaging or lacks organic traction, scaling ad spend will merely accelerate capital loss and operational strain. By implementing data-driven diagnostics, such as comprehensive campaign audits and predictive ROI calculators, companies can transition from speculative testing to strict accountability. This ensures that every dollar deployed on Google or Meta is mathematically anchored to drive enterprise value, clear financial margins, and sustainable brand equity.About Jeremy YangJeremy Yang is the Founder and Tech Lead of Digital Goliath and a premier authority in digital ad systems architecture. Drawing from a diverse background in community leadership and youth athletic coaching, Jeremy infuses a people-first, high-accountability philosophy into the data-driven world of paid media. He specializes in helping mid-market companies audit their traffic channels, optimize their conversion funnels, and construct high-performance advertising frameworks across the Google and Meta ecosystems.About Digital GoliathDigital Goliath is a premier, performance-driven digital advertising agency based in Australia, serving an international clientele of established businesses. The firm bypasses generic marketing vanity metrics to focus exclusively on scalable client acquisition, transparent data tracking, and measurable return on ad spend (ROAS). Through rigorous technical audits, fortnightly collaboration with founders, and specialized video ad development pipelines, Digital Goliath enables organizations to eliminate operational waste and predictably scale their digital ad footprints.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeDigital Goliath Official Website: digitalgoliath.com.auJeremy Yang on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yangKey Episode HighlightsThe AI Saturation Trap: Navigating consumer ad blindness by understanding why generic, machine-generated ad copy diminishes long-term brand authority.The Power of smartphone Video Asset Production: Why raw, unscripted face-to-camera videos consistently out-convert hyper-polished studio ad production.The Traffic Amplification Mandate: Validating core messaging and operational capacity through organic channels before scaling capital deployment on Meta or Google.Shadow Advertising Metrics vs. Real ROAS: Eliminating agency vanity metrics by anchoring campaign evaluation in transparent financial reporting and audits.Visual Search Currency: Capitalizing on Google's evolving AI search overviews by shifting from traditional text layouts to video-heavy digital real estate.ConclusionThe conversation with Jeremy Yang reinforces that long-term mastery over paid digital ad ecosystems requires a balanced synthesis of technical governance and un-copyable human authenticity. By leveraging platform automation for backend data optimization while anchoring customer-facing ad creative in transparent storytelling, brands can build deep consumer trust that commands premium market authority.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Reclaiming the Driver's Seat: Engineering a Self-Sustaining Enterprise with Sabrina StarlingIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Sabrina Starling, the founder of Tap The Potential and the author of the How to Hire the Best series and The 4 Week Vacation®, to break down the toxic myth of the 24/7 entrepreneurial hustle. As a business psychologist and corporate strategist, Sabrina specializes in helping highly successful founders escape the operational traps that transform profitable companies into high-stress jobs. This conversation delivers an intentional blueprint for executives and business owners who are ready to eliminate leadership burnout, optimize their labor infrastructure, and structure an organization that grows predictably without relying on the daily intervention of its founder.The Architecture of Autonomy: Implementing the $10,000-an-Hour FrameworkThe primary bottleneck stalling the valuation of a mid-market business is almost always the founder's inability to detach from tactical, day-to-day operations. Sabrina Starling points out that many business owners waste their valuable cognitive capacity on lower-tier tasks, failing to realize that true enterprise scale demands a fierce dedication to high-leverage, high-value strategy. By categorizing corporate activities into distinct tiers—ranging from administrative data management to what she terms "$10,000-an-hour activities," such as innovating core services or securing strategic relationships—leaders can systematically audit their schedules to protect their highest and best use. This operational shift forces the executive to build documented processes and train internal talent, moving the organization away from an fragile, founder-centric model and into a highly optimized, automated corporate engine.Transitioning from an over-involved manager to an intentional CEO requires a structural commitment to measuring high-impact results rather than raw hours worked. When an enterprise operates under the false assumption that employee output equals physical time spent at a desk, it naturally breeds a culture of inefficiency and administrative fatigue. Real growth is unlocked when leadership establishes clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and assigns total outcome ownership to individual team members, freeing the executive from the burden of micromanagement. This systemic accountability allows the company to focus explicitly on its market "sweet spot"—the top 20% of profitable clients who drive 80% of revenue—ensuring that every operational role is mathematically mapped to maximize the enterprise's bottom line.True organizational health is ultimately validated when a founder can step completely away from the business for extended blocks of time without a drop in production or profitability. Sabrina's signature framework, The 4 Week Vacation®, serves as a diagnostic tool for the company's infrastructure; stepping out of the office forces hidden operational gaps to rise to the surface, showing exactly where systems or delegation chains need adjustment. Rather than viewing an extended break as an unreachable luxury, modern business owners must treat unplugging as a mandatory governance practice that builds cross-functional team resilience. When an organization is backed by robust standard operating procedures and an empowered leadership tier, the business evolves into a self-sustaining asset that supports the founder's life while continuously building long-term equity.About Sabrina StarlingSabrina Starling is the Founder and Chief Coach of Tap The Potential and an expert in entrepreneurial psychology and workplace culture optimization. With a background in corporate behavioral dynamics and strategic management, Sabrina has dedicated her career to helping business owners maximize profit margins while reclaiming their personal freedom. She is a TEDx speaker and the best-selling author of the How to Hire the Best series and The 4 Week Vacation®: The Entrepreneur's Ultimate Guide to Taking Your Life Back from Your Business.About Tap The PotentialTap The Potential is a premier business coaching and organizational development consultancy designed to help founders transition from reactive operators to strategic owners. The firm specializes in helping small-to-mid-sized enterprises identify their most profitable client niches, implement high-yield workflow automation, and recruit top-tier talent. Through structured coaching frameworks like the Better Business, Better Life Assessment, Tap The Potential empowers companies to build highly scalable operations that thrive independently of their founders.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeTap The Potential Official Website: tapthepotential.comKey Episode HighlightsThe $10,000-an-Hour Mandate: How to audit your corporate calendar to isolate high-leverage strategy from low-value busywork.The Outcome-Based Accountability Model: Moving away from tracking billable hours to focus entirely on clear, data-driven employee KPIs.Identifying Your Client Sweet Spot: Designing your business infrastructure around the top 20% of profitable clients to optimize margins.The Vacation Litmus Test: Using extended founder absences as a strategic diagnostic tool to uncover and fix cracks in corporate systems.Eradicating Executive Burnout: Why establishing strict daily work boundaries is an essential component of clear, high-stakes decision making.ConclusionThe conversation with Sabrina Starling highlights that an entrepreneur's true success is measured by the independence of their business. By building robust operational frameworks, delegating with clear accountability, and ruthlessly protecting high-value strategic time, business leaders can transform a chaotic, time-consuming business into a streamlined corporate asset that delivers lasting professional and personal freedom.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
The Authentic Edge: Human Creativity and the AI Frontier with Aaron RyanIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Aaron Ryan, the prolific author of the Dissonance, Talisman, and The End Sagas, to explore the critical role of human nuance in a business landscape increasingly dominated by automated systems. Aaron, a multimedia entrepreneur who has published nearly 50 books across multiple genres and serves as a premium voice actor for brands like UnitedHealthCare, shares his perspective on why synthetic generation cannot replicate authentic human connection. This conversation offers a strategic framework for creative entrepreneurs, corporate content directors, and brand strategists who want to future-proof their operations by anchoring their messaging in true, un-copyable individuality.The Architecture of Authenticity: Leveraging Human Nuance Against Automated SprawlRelying entirely on generative artificial intelligence for brand messaging, audiobooks, or corporate content creates a dangerous commoditization trap where an organization's voice sounds exactly like its competitors. Aaron Ryan explains that while algorithms are trained to predict the most statistically probable next word or note based on historical data, they lack the capacity for spontaneous subtext, emotional timing, and authentic lived experience. In high-stakes B2B multimedia and commercial narration, professional voice talent brings subtle breathing patterns and precise inflections that build instant psychological safety and brand credibility with listeners. Furthermore, human creators possess the unique ability to process live, real-time direction during recording sessions—collaborating dynamically to pivot tone, pacing, and emphasis on the fly to meet strict corporate objectives that rigid algorithmic models simply cannot match.Escaping the operational burnout that plagues high-volume content producers requires a disciplined framework of "creative offloading" and systemic workflow diversification. Many founders and authors find themselves trapped by creative blocks because they attempt to pigeonhole their production into a single aesthetic or industry vertical. True scalability is unlocked when an enterprise treats creative diversity as an asset-backed portfolio, mapping out various concepts and capturing raw ideas in a central depository before they are lost to operational noise. By allowing workflows to remain fluid and moving across different formats or genres, corporate creators preserve their cognitive agility and significantly expand their market reach, establishing a natural hedge against shifting algorithmic trends or regional audience fluctuations.Sustaining a premium brand footprint over multiple decades demands that leadership treat technology as an automated assistant rather than an executive replacement. When a business chooses short-term cost cutting by deploying synthetic voices or generic copy for customer-facing touchpoints, it risks long-term talent attrition, lower customer engagement, and a severe erosion of trust. Aaron emphasizes that true longevity belongs to organizations that build strict boundaries around their intellectual property and aggressively cultivate their proprietary points of view. By dedicating strategic downtime to personal development and authentic life experiences, leaders ensure their operational capacity remains charged. The future of market authority does not belong to those who output the highest volume of automated noise, but to those who methodically protect the unique, irreplaceable human element behind their enterprise.About Aaron RyanAaron Ryan is a highly successful independent author, voice actor, and multimedia professional known for his sweeping speculative fiction, including the Dissonance, Talisman, and The End Sagas. With nearly 50 published works spanning science fiction, thriller, poetry, and children's literature, Aaron has established himself as a versatile force in modern independent publishing. He is also an accomplished voiceover artist whose distinct, commanding delivery is featured by major corporate entities and national campaigns across the United States.About authoraaronryan.comauthoraaronryan.com is the central digital hub for Aaron Ryan's literary catalog, voice acting portfolios, and independent creative ventures. The platform provides readers, editors, and media production companies with direct access to his extensive collection of sci-fi sagas, dystopian thrillers, and commercial voice reels. Through his consulting resources and updates, authoraaronryan.com serves as an educational ecosystem for independent creators looking to master the business side of art, voice production, and multi-genre portfolio development.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeAaron Ryan Official Website: authoraaronryan.comKey Episode HighlightsThe Creative Offloading Framework: How to methodically download ideas from your mind to maintain high-yield content output and avoid professional burnout.The Irreplaceable Human Nuance: Why professional voice actors provide an emotional resonance and real-time adaptability that AI cannot replicate.The Commodity Trait Danger: Understanding the hidden risks of over-automating your company's copy, which leads to disengaged audiences and loss of market differentiation.The Multi-Genre Portfolio Model: Treating your creative output as a diversified asset class to expand market reach and withstand industry disruptions.The Voice Protection Mandate: Practical strategies for cultivating a unique corporate and personal viewpoint that stands out in a crowded digital marketplace.ConclusionThe conversation with Aaron Ryan reinforces that true corporate differentiation in an automated age is an exercise in protecting human individuality. By treating advanced tech tools as administrative infrastructure while keeping human emotional intelligence at the center of execution, brands can build deep, lasting trust that commands premium market authority.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur