Podcasts about although chris

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Best podcasts about although chris

Latest podcast episodes about although chris

The Dating Den
Bachelorette Recap with Chris Gillis: What To Do If You Think He Is Pulling Away

The Dating Den

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2021 43:42


This Bachelorette recap features real-life dating advice taken from the most recent episodes of the show. Marni and Man Panelist Chris Gillis talk about ‘Machete' Katie. She is a break-up artist. Is she breaking up with guys quickly because she has already chosen Greg?    Key takeaways from this episode:  Examples of how mature, high-quality guys act TV is made for drama Do women want vulnerable men? Has Katie already made her choice?   Guys Try to Get to First Date [2:10] Marni and Chris make note that not all the guys are getting one-on-one time with Katie. There are 5 or 6 guys left and not all of them have even gotten to their first date. If the show is designed to end in engagement the producers better get on it.  Tip — don't get engaged to someone to whom you have never been on a date.  Brendan is an example of a quality guy. He never got a date card and he wanted to know why. He went directly to Katie and asked. Marni thinks it should have been the other way around and Katie should have said something to Brendan before he felt it necessary to go to her. A quality person lets the other person know how they are feeling and why something is not working.  When you break up with someone, mimic what Andrew did. Don't send the one last thing text. Go to the other person and say “let's end this with a smile.” Marni reiterates that actions are important. If you don't want to be the backup person, bow out when it's appropriate.  Look for a guy who has the mature qualities Andrew S. displays.    Katie & Greg Forever [22:08] Marni has a theory about what is going on behind the scenes. She thinks Katie sat down with the producers and let them know she has already made her decision to choose Greg. But, the producers still have some weeks to fill with content so they are giving her easy break-ups so she can go through the motions.    Bachelorette Predictions? [31:01] Marni and Chris both agree it will be Greg. Although Chris believes Katie is choosing Greg for different reasons than Marni. Chris says Katie is like a nurse to Greg and she is addicted to his resting, sad face. When he is unsure and wavering, Katie enjoys reassuring him. Chris thinks the relationship will get stale after a little while.  Marni, on the other hand, thinks Greg signed up for the Bachelorette thinking the show is stupid. But, he likes Katie so he is trying to ignore the TV/entertainment aspects. He feels out of integrity with himself to keep the show going. And, Katie doesn't want him to leave the show before she chooses him.    Make a Connection: Visit Our Website Join Our Dating Den Facebook Community Here! Learn how to attract your perfect equal...watch our latest training here! Interested in working with us? Book a Breakthrough session at DWDVIP Get a Free Coaching Session with Marni on Our Podcast - Sign up Here to Be a Guest On Our Show Download a Complimentary Copy of our Book - How to Find a Quality Guy Without Going on 200 Dates

Be Inspired
Chris Crump: Dogwood Farm, Bellews Creek North Carolina

Be Inspired

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 38:51


Although Chris did not grow up on a farm his grandparents instilled a love of gardening and nature into his life. With a background in horticulture working for NCDOT he has transformed his love of flowers into a farm visited by locals and tourists.

LIFT Your Story
LIFT Your Story with Chris Chapman Founder and Host of the Next Level Minds

LIFT Your Story

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2021 31:07


"I watched my father work 60 hour weeks, come home, make dinner, take maybe one vacation a  year."  This was what inspired Chris at a young age to start asking questions.  He observed and took notes on those who were running their own business, driving nice cars and had time to spend doing what they liked.  The entrepreneurs.Although Chris appeciated his father, he also knew there was more out there.  At the age of 12, Chris began his entrepreneurial journey going door to door to ask to mow lawns to support himself financially.   His educational pursuit led him to graduating from Clemson University with a business and entrepreneurship major.Upon graduation he became an Account Manager where he "streamlined relationships with hundreds of Fortune 500 clients.  Now an Executive Director for a firm making annual economic business intelligence reports, Chris is also the Founder of the Next Level Minds podcast and a Co-Founder of a mobile B2B travel app based out of Charleston, SC.Chris' passion for business is what led him to become a podcaster.  He interviews successful entrepreneurs, sharing the in-between of the A to Z.   We discussed the importance of relationship building.  As Chris states "it's best to be a friend before a salesperson".Although Millenials have their share of criticism, Chris makes it clear that there are the ones that have given up, looking at the future economic landscape and feeling overwhelmed.  And then there are the "mover sand shakers".  Chris is the latter.  The truth is, there is not one generation where there haven't been both of those.  However, with the Millenials now the new generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, eyes are on them.   And it is those who are like Chris, who pay attention, take notes, have a passion and drive for what they are doing who will succeed and be the "Elon Musks" for the next generation to take notes on.You can subscribe and listen to Chris' podcast Next Level Minds at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-level-minds/id1471727578Chris is on Instagram at @chrischapchap and on LinkedIn @Chris Chapman.#entrepreneurmind #succeeding #entrepreneurspirit #successminded #inspiration #change #education #lifelessons #buzzsprout #podcast #podcasting #Spotify #GooglePodcast #TuneIn #stitcher #ApplePodcast #iHeartRadio #Pandora #PodcastAddict #Podchaser #Deezer #Listennotes #Overcast #Pocketcast #Castro #CastPost #iamthatgal #liftyourstory #liftyourstorypodcast #iamthatgal #thatgalwiththatguy #nextlevelminds #chrischapman #reachnextlevel #inspiration #millenials

Something You Should Know
SYSK Choice: Pleasure vs Happiness & The Good News About Failure

Something You Should Know

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2021 48:06


It’s become a cliché to say that great ideas come in the shower. But the fact is – they do! And there is actually a psychological explanation for why that is. We begin this episode with a look at the reason for this common experience. http://mentalfloss.com/article/52586/why-do-our-best-ideas-come-us-shower What’s the difference between pleasure and happiness? It’s an important distinction because the more pleasure you seek, the less happy you become. That’s the contention of Dr Robert Lustig, author of The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains (https://amzn.to/2yp2xMf). Dr. Lustig sees some troubling developments in our quest for pleasure and I think you’ll be interested in what he has to say. When you make a salad and you rinse the lettuce and carrots and tomatoes under the faucet for a few seconds. Does that really get rid of the pesticides and bacteria? We explore that very important question and you really need to hear the answer. http://www.menshealth.com/how-to-wash-produce Nobody likes to fail – but maybe we should all rethink that. Failure turns out to have a silver lining – and not just in the way that “Every cloud has a silver lining.” Chris Gethard is a pretty successful stand-up comedian who has written a book about failure called Lose Well (https://amzn.to/2CpJcgz). Although Chris has had some clearly successful moments (his own HBO special and his own sitcom on Comedy Central for example) he has also had some colossal failures. He joins me to discuss why failure is inevitable and really something to be celebrated on your journey to success. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Athletic Greens is doubling down on supporting your immune system during the winter months. Visit https://athleticgreens.com/SOMETHING and get a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase! Download Best Fiends FREE today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. https://bestfiends.com Let NetSuite show you how they'll benefit your business with a FREE Product Tour at https://netsuite.com/SYSK https://www.geico.com Bundle your policies and save! It's Geico easy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quarantine Football with Nate n Ryan
2021 NFL Draft Prospect Chris Evans

Quarantine Football with Nate n Ryan

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2021 22:07


Chris Evans is a Runningback from the University of Michigan who spent all his collegiate careers playing for the Wolverines. Chris is known as a versatile back who has shiftiness, catching, and pass blocking abilities. Although Chris was never a full time starter, he still received an invite to the Senior Bowl this year and made great production out of his limited touches at Michigan. Chris is looking to surprise the fans and prove the haters wrong when he is drafted into the league! If you enjoyed, be sure to subscribe and listen to our player interviews, and to follow us on Instagram @qfpodcast ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/qfpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/qfpodcast/support

Not For Nothin'
Ep. 224 Not For Nothin' It's All About Unwatchables & Quarantine Obsessions

Not For Nothin'

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 65:26


With no more football to discuss the guys do their version of movie & TV show reviews, calling it the "unwatchables." Kris also confesses to the world his covid-quarantine obsession. But apparently, it's the same as everyone else's. So maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. Although Chris's is crazy random and shocking. They settle all their accounts on the Super Bowl bets and then work their way into not betting on Thursdays slate of NBA games. It's gonna be a long offseason folks.

It's Not That Deep Podcast
Chris LaCharity | How to Win The 7-Figure Real Estate Game

It's Not That Deep Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2021 70:02


This week, I chat with my friend Chris LaCharity, Ottawa's #1 Luxury Real Estate agent. Chris has built an extremely successful career through his ability to develop strong relationships, provide exceptional client service, and also close multimillion dollar deals.Don't believe me? Check out his website www.ChrisLaCharity.com to see the 7 figure listings he's got. That being said, this episode isn't actually about badass real estate. Although Chris lives a lifestyle of work hard-play hard, by the end of this podcast you'll get to know that Chris is honestly a super humble guy who prioritizes his health, relationships, well-being as well as mindfulness. These are all topics he outlines in his book 7 Figures To Success.In this episode we dive in on how he got to where he is today and some of the challenges he's faced along the way. We chat about his career in sales and his love for cars, but then we get into deeper talks about the ego, about what really matters, and the legacy that he'd like to leave behind.Today's episode is sponsored by TG Athletics. A new chapter in celebrity personal trainer Tony Greco's life has led him to start a new high-performance fitness brand for the athlete in all of us. He's got some amazing programs that will help you stay lean during quarantine and much more coming down the pipeline. Head over to www.TGAthletics.com and use the code word DEEP for 20% off all online programs at checkout.It's Not That Deep Podcast is produced by my media and marketing agency, Deep Digital Media. We specialize in all things content creation and podcasts for personal brands and businesses. In fact, we actually built the website and courses for TG Athletics that I was mentioning before. If you want to see if we'd be a good fit to work together, shoot me a DM on Instagram or send me an email at hello@deepaksharma.co

Beyond The Baselines
A Director Of Tennis Is A CEO

Beyond The Baselines

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2020 49:50


Chris Gale, Director of Tennis at River Oaks Country Club, joins the BeyondTheBaselines.com and our "From The Desk of The Director" Podcast Series From his Australian birth, to the roots he set in New York, through to his work at some of the most elite New England Clubs, Chris Gale now finds himself at the esteemed River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Chris discusses how his personal growth and business experience in the industry allowed him to follow his path to a club with 4,500 members and 15 teaching professionals. River Oaks, with a net asset value of close to $50 million and an annual turnover hovering at $35 million, is a behemoth among clubs. Chris manages the 16-court facility, which sees all courts booked at the ungodly hour of 6am almost every morning. He shares with us a few insights just as to how he built a well-oiled machine through staffing, member communication, and simply, energy. Although Chris loves to be on the court, he realizes the importance of the administrative and business-side of the role and discusses the evolution of the Director of Tennis position. "When on court, ensure it's not just private lessons!" He looks to the future of the Director of Tennis position and notes that it has morphed in reality to a Director of Racquets. He believes soon that it could be called the CEO of the Racquets Department - a chief executive officer in the office and an instructional leader on the court. In offering advice to up and coming professionals and guiding club boards and search committees, Chris says the number one characteristic, which is a recurring theme, is that a good professional and future director should be able to listen and learn. Having a mentor is inspirational and educational, and even just hashing out an issue with one's mentor makes for a better, wiser, and more disciplined leader. His second bit of advice? Whether at a seasonal or year-round club, "never let your guard down." Leadership again is a current theme and Chris's leadership at all his positions, from his fragile start straight off a boat from Australia, to now leading one of the finest and most comprehensive programs in the country, is clearly evident and truly remarkable. He rotates his professionals so they don't burn out, he offers on-property mentoring and continuing education, and he looks to communicate better each day with both his equity members and staff. Chris earned his stripes long before River Oaks Country Club at the Duxbury Yacht Club on the Massachusetts's coast about an hour outside Boston. Chris made one of New England’s finest yacht clubs a destination where memories were created and summers full of fun and great tennis. And then instead of teaching poaching one day over looking the golf course in Duxbury, he got poached by the Texans. Here's the story.

Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business
Episode 96: Summoning up the Number of the Feast [with Leviathan Brewing]

Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 66:55


Chris Hodgetts, founder of Levithan Brewing, worked in management consultancy for almost 20 years, often spending large portions of time away from home. As an avid beer lover, it was only after being diagnosed with cancer in 2017 that Chris decided to do something that would enable him to be at home with his family each night - brewing. Although Chris was given the all clear, in June 2018 he was struck with the bad news that his illness had returned. Still determined to turn his hand to running a commercial brewery around 5 months of successful treatment, Chris pushed on to make his dream a reality, buying a 5BBL brewhouse. Chris is unapologetic in his passion for music and beer. The look and feel of the labels blurs the lines between craft beer and vinyl artwork. In our discussion, we talk about everything from setting the brewery up, the challenges of scaling up from homebrew to commercial sized kit, Chris’s season of ill-health and take a deep dive into the world of music and beer, all to the soundtrack of trying and chatting about Chris’s beers. Hop Forward Podcast Exclusive... This week also includes the first play of Nick Law’s forthcoming single, Leave A Little Room, taken from his forthcoming album The Whispers and the Rumours of War, available Spring 2021. This Week’s Episode is Sponsored by... From tanks to full brewhouses SSV Limited have got you covered. SSV Limited have established themselves as the go to partner to help you grow your brewery. High quality tanks, parts, brewing kit coupled with the knowledge and experience to ensure your project runs smoothly from beginning to completion whether its equipment supply, fully turnkey or anything between. Their parts shop stocks well over 1000 essential brewing parts to keep your brewery up and running many available on next day delivery. Visit their website on www.ssvlimited.co.uk Find out more from Hop Forward and our partners… Follow is on Social Media: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn Visit hopforward.beer for more insights and a range of branding, marketing and business development services to help you and your beer business get ahead. Join our Facebook Community to connect with other industry professionals from across the globe Check out brewing-jobs.com for all the latest jobs and careers across the brewing and beverage industry

Spanish Practices
Day 61 - "Civil Unrest and Manic Mondays"

Spanish Practices

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2020 6:55


Day 61  and this is the story of a British couple behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain, the real story of day to day life under the Alarma. The frustrations of a loss of freedom despite the Health Region reaching the criteria for the easing of Lockdown, the Government have decided though to keep us in Lockdown. Find out more: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 61 - Civil Unrest and Manic Mondays It is Day 61 of our Spanish Lockdown, we have reached the point last week when we were hoping for a bit of freedom, by the end of today we should know, but last week the government didn’t tell us until Sunday afternoon.   Just the ability to pop to the main town would be helpful, a few restaurants open anything that would bring a touch of normality to our life.   Yesterday we spoke to our friends Shelley and Chris back in Essex.  Apart from going for walks they have not left the house, though will need to next week to pick up medicine in central London. They will drive in and only one visit the Doctors.  They shop online and use Amazon Prime to deliver anything else.    They can both work from home, Shelley has done an amazing job turning the office-based company she works for into a virtual office in a matter of weeks. But she has had to work very long hours to achieve that.   The one thing they miss is the freedom of spontaneity, you can’t just pop out to grab something from the shops as they have to say isolated.  It is the same for us, we are being overwhelmed with rules and regulations by the Spanish Government and the Local Government – The Junta Andalucia. And both keep changing their minds.   As a result, many are not sure when and where they can go out, or if they can travel to certain areas or how many should be in a car. The Police Guide frequently asked questions runs to a head popping 24 pages alone.   As an antidote to all this misery I have been wallowing in old TV shows, I discovered a few days ago that they have made some new Thunderbirds episodes.  Not the new Children’s TV series, but actual episodes of the 1960s show.  It seems there were a number of sound records released with adventures using the voices of the original cast and they have extended those recordings with extra effects and made them into new episodes using reconstructed puppets complete with strings made of titanium.   You might remember in Episode 43 I mentioned that my mother treated Chris a bit like Parker, whilst she was on holiday with us, Chris driving her around everywhere.   I always like those Gerry Anderson TV shows, for one they were made in colour and on film so looked and sounded so much better than the other children’s shows around at that time.   You can still watch an old episode and they stand up pretty well with the current TV shows for children.   There was one night and that famous LBC Arts show, sometime during the mid 1980s when Gerry Anderson came in with two of the puppets, which I think were up for Auction, ‘Lady Penelope’ and her faithful Butler come Chauffeur ‘Parker’     I have to say close up, they were much larger than I expected and ‘Lady P’ bless had let her self-go, her hair was looking very Lockdown – and her dress a bit untidy – but she did have amazing eyes.   Parker was in a worse state of repair.  The solenoid that made his mouth work was connected to a piece of leather that had rotted, so his mouth hung open like some kind of idiot.  He didn’t smell too good either.  That kind of over handled 1960s child toy smell.    But it was a pleasure to see them both close up without their strings.   Day 61 and I have spent most of the day in our little recording studio recording the last few children’s literacy scripts, having work forces us into having a structured day.  Although Chris can’t work at the moment as all the gyms here are closed, he fits in with my work pattern and will do something like an online class or watch a seminar whilst I record.   Yesterday afternoon I spoke to our old neighbour Erika, who now lives nearby, although we cannot travel to see her, as that is not allowed. She says she is going out of her head, living alone she just has her cat for company, she can’t travel the few miles to see her friends as they are in a different Province.    She hates going to the shops, putting the gloves on wearing a mask.  On the way home a few days ago she saw a friend from the local town, they stopped, two metres and more apart and started to have a chat. At that point the police passed, slowed down to have a look at what they were doing.  They both felt uncomfortable so decided to go their different way.   It is very hard to undo human nature, we are social animals and crave fellowship, social interaction – and these last few months have been very hard, particularly if you are on your own.   The Guardia Civil Police have produced a report, which has been leaked, where they fear if Lockdown restrictions are not eased, there could be isolated pockets of civil unrest in the Country.  That, although understandable, would be a disaster for the whole country.   Here we wait again to see if this coming Monday we shall enjoy a Happy Monday or another Manic Monday in Andalucia.  

The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill
5 — Chris Voss — FBI Negotiation Tactics for Business and Life

The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 50:02


"The secret to gaining the upper hand and a negotiation is giving the other side the illusion of control.” -Chris Voss How can FBI hostage negotiation techniques level-up your leadership? Why are emotional intelligence and tactical empathy the sharpest tools? What is the 'Oprah rule' and why should you live your life by it? Hostage Negotiations: From The FBI To The Boardroom Chris Voss, former Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator for the FBI, and current CEO and The Black Swan Group, has had an action-packed career. He started out as a beat cop in New York City and moved laterally into hostage negotiations, thanks to his insatiable attitude to learning, and his insightful understanding of the human condition. How Law Firm Leaders Can Level-Up Their Negotiation Skills Over the years, Chris has worked with and trained some of the world's leading negotiators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. So what do all these people have in common? One greatly underestimated skill ties all these people together: emotional intelligence. Do you have it, or do you need to work on it? Chris explains why it's so vital, and how it can lead to the ultimate collaboration, whether you're negotiating fees, or handling a case. The Link Between Tactical Empathy In Business And Neuroscience In the words of Chris Voss: "Tactical empathy. It's low maintenance and it works". But what exactly is this so-called Jedi mind trick? Chris explains how negotiation strategies are linked to cognitive empathy, and how his theory of tactical empathy is evidenced in our scientific understanding of how our brains function. Key takeaways: The greatest hack for any budding law firm negotiator is a mindset of discovery. Chris' natural curiosity has worked in his favor in hostage negotiations, and throughout his career. Although Chris has honed his skills over the years, this mindset can be taught and cultivated. Like any skill worth having, it takes dedication, but Chris lets us in on a few daily practices that can start you on the road to masterful negotiation. One trick to gaining the upper hand in negotiations is to give your counterpart the illusion of control. Chris explains how to plant seeds of doubt in order to make your adversary think twice. This isn't about mind-manipulation or leading someone astray, it's about creating a favorable situation so that you can avoid being taken advantage of - highly applicable to the legal landscape, from the boardroom to the courtroom. Chris Voss lives his life by the Oprah rule - pull out when you need to, but always leave the door open. The last impression is the lasting impression, and by exiting professionally and politely you always leave space for further collaboration if desired. So what if someone doesn't let you leave politely? Chris breaks down this predatory move and explains what your next course of action should be. Links And Resources The Game Changing Attorney Podcast Michael Mogill Facebook Michael Mogill Twitter Michael Mogill Instagram Michael Mogill LinkedIn Crisp Video Website Crisp Video Facebook Crisp Video Group Twitter Crisp Video Instagram Crisp Video LinkedIn “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Black Swan Group Website Chris Voss LinkedIn "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Chris Voss

Handle with Care:  Empathy at Work
Infertility and IVF: an Interview with Julie McCorkle

Handle with Care: Empathy at Work

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2019 33:57


- Julie McCorkle I didn't allow myself to be as vulnerable as I probably would today because there are a lot of great people out there that do truly care even if they don't understand or don't know what you need. I think I would have voiced that a lot sooner.   INTRO   Today, I welcome Julie McCorkle.  Julie is the head of HR at PERQ, a tech firm here in town.  She shares about the difficult, embodied journey of infertility, and three years of IVF treatments, and how she and Chis welcomed Declan into the world.   This episode is sponsored by Fullstack PEO, where you can get Payroll, Benefits, and Peace of Mind.  We are also sponsored by Handle with Care, HR Consulting, empowering your company to respond well when it matters most.   Julie, her husband, and their one-year old son, Declan, recently moved to Indiana from the Washington, DC area.  They love to hike and explore the outdoors…as well as wineries.   - Julie McCorkle We were in Northern Virginia and going like a little farther south and a little farther east it was just beautiful. I mean, the mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains are incredible, great wineries which we probably went to a little too often. And you know great mountain top wineries. So as a little anxious moving to Indiana just the mountains are left right.   - Julie McCorkle Yeah right. Like as flat and cornfields. But I have been pleasantly surprised that there's a lot of beautiful area here.   Julie came to Indiana to be the head of HR at Perq.  Julie has been in HR for a long time, she likes to say that she stumbled into it.  A summer stint with Huntington Bank in Ohio was her first foray into the world of HR.    - Julie McCorkle They told me I'd be working in H.R. and I literally googled what H.R. stood for. No idea my parents are small business owners I had no concept. And I just stuck with it.   - Julie McCorkle I mean I kind of started out in the benefits field and started moving more on the H.R. management side doing a lot of employee relations and just kind of expanding my wings and just kind of found my path so in time anybody asked me about H.R. and I would just say I'm like a glorified problem solver.   Julie brings both a commitment to problem solving as well as a deep care for people to her work in HR; it is one of the reasons that she is on the Handle with Care podcast today:  her own experience with loss has deepened the role that she sees HR playing within organizations.   - Julie McCorkle One of the things when I started opening up about fertility the amount of other people that were experiencing as well. I was blown away by and I don't think until you start having the conversations that you recognize how many people have suffered like a child loss whether it's a miscarriage whether they're not able to get pregnant whatever it is. I mean every person that I would talk to had somebody in their life that has experienced something similar right or were experiencing something similar. And I think just there's, there's work that's being done, a lot of the work that you are being done in the workplace itself so many people put on masks and different personas to survive to get through the day and don't necessarily recognize the impact that it is having on them or those around them like with work and aren't willing to have the conversations or are in a spot where they can't have the conversations and if they can't have the conversation then shame on that workplace.   - Julie McCorkle  Yeah right. Then it's time to move you're probably way too valuable for them anyways. So for my fellow colleagues like H.R. professionals we are the we're in the profession where it's our responsibility to navigate that for people. There's there's really strong structures that have been built within corporations over her years. Right. That's hard for people to understand and recognize and navigate and that's what our our responsibility is. And you're good. H.R. professionals they're gonna do that for you. So if you are experiencing it if you do need support talk to them.   Julie is an HR person that you would want to talk to, because she has gone through her own story of loss.  And to understand that story, let’s back up a little to her husband, Chris.  Julie had finished school.  Although Chris was older, he had done a stint in the army and was in his junior year.  They were set up in a bar.   - Julie McCorkle  He bought me a beer. I was about it and when we started dating it just just went very quickly very very quickly. Yeah I mean we were, I think we were dating for probably about six to eight months when he accepted a job in D.C. and we had a whole year before we moved.   - Julie McCorkle But Chris technically never asked me to move with him. He told me he accepted the job was like Oh OK great, I'm going with you. So, I didn't have a choice.   - Liesel Mertes You declared your travel plans.   - Julie McCorkle He said That's right. Well great. Charlie ready for the next adventure. All right good. We're going now.   - Liesel Mertes You and Chris have added Declan to your family and I know that that is one of the things that you're here to talk about because that wasn't as straightforward as you would have liked. Tell us a little bit more about how long you and Chris had been together and when you decided that you wanted to start a family.   - Julie McCorkle Yes. So our, I think everything in our life, Chris was far more relaxed than I am. And I definitely have I don't I mean there definite not stringent plans but I normally have my five year plan and we were both finishing up our masters and I always knew that at the point of finishing up our masters that that was at the point that I wanted to start a family. So, we had kind of had the time in line and you know we had been together.   - Julie McCorkle So, the infertility journey was about three years. So we had been married for five had been together for about seven and half years and I think we were both very much ready.   - Julie McCorkle And honestly, I just kind of expected it would be easy. It sounds terrible not that everything in our life has been easy. But you work so hard your whole life to not have kids and at the point when you want to have kids and start a family you just kind of expected to happen. Yeah I mean I definitely did it.   Julie and Chris start trying…a few months go by and Julie goes to the doctor. She gets some tips, and then there is testing, and then talking to a fertility specialist.  By now, six months have gone by.  But Julie is a problem solver, which is what led her to the door of Dr. Leilani.    - Julie McCorkle She was she was very open and very honest in her communication just setting expectations from the beginning just from the initial just meet and greet and deciding if we wanted to go there and understanding all our options and what the process for testing and you know kind of, just all the cost and everything that goes into it and the time commitment and you hear everything you're like OK.   - Julie McCorkle  Yeah we can do this. I mean this is gonna be a significant commitment but we can do this. This is fine. And then as you go through the process you're like Do we really want to keep doing this? Do we really want to keep doing this? There's a lot more than you really expect. Right. It's hard to actually process all that until I think you're in the middle of it.   - Liesel Mertes When I hear that is that perhaps there's initial decision to go down this path. But then there's lots of other decision points along the way. Do we want to continue doing want to keep doing that? Does that feel accurate to you?   - Julie McCorkle Yeah absolutely.   - Julie McCorkle And I think I don't know how similar other couples have experienced it but you know based on other conversations I've had it's probably pretty much the same. It's very incremental. So really, just understanding what the problem is in the first place and whether there's anything that can be done with it is of course the first step. So there's this whole slew of testing that needs to be done. And then there's there's like increments of certain treatments that can be done to see if they work and then it's kind of like just to wait and see.   - Julie McCorkle  So we had decided to do like two eyes right before going down the full IVF path and neither one of those work and that's a five thousand dollar investment and that's about a six month time frame like, Well that was like a total waste of time. Right. Total waste of time, total waste of money but otherwise that's significantly less expensive and less invasive than IVF. So, if we have done that I'm not sure we would have gotten to the same point. Right so there's a lot of back and forth like did I just waste six months of our time?   MUSICAL TRANSITION   - Julie McCorkle The IVF investment for us was thirty thousand dollars. Yeah. And there are ways like and I had a very honest discussion about it like this is gonna be a significant investment. This is what we have to do in our family and our household to make it happen. Are we willing to do that. And the question for both of us is yes absolutely right. There's no reason why we want to do it.   - Julie McCorkle We can make it happen. So we're going to. And I think there's a lot of coupling that couples that don't have that and I was also very fortunate to have a lot of support and just the time right to be able to go until late late to work every single day. So I have to stop for lab tests every single morning for a blood draw a lot of the way to start with the emotional social.   - Julie McCorkle You get to know the nurses really well so least you've got great relationships. The traffic wasn't bad. No I was in a great, great fertility clinic. The traffic was terrible. Nice to see you this. It's always it's always vogue but there's a lot of people that do not have the ability to change their life for what they're going through.   - Liesel Mertes Yeah well yeah I hear I hear in that. I mean that is an interesting consideration in the landscape of it not it not that it's like a privilege to walk through something that hard but it's not an option for you know some people that are like it's a hardship but it's not even an available hardship for some people who are like No. Like we don't have the financial resources to give to that right.   - Liesel Mertes I'm struck that a journey with infertility is a very physical journey for a woman and lots of like logistics and scheduling. Would you tell us a little bit more about for someone who's not walked through that journey and give us like more of a sense of the physicality? Yeah what it is to go through fertility treatment?   - Julie McCorkle Yeah you're actually right. So I think the physical ness was atrocious really atrocious. There's there's a significant amount of time commitment with scheduling; I mean I was in the fertility clinic every other morning just for bloodwork so just constantly making sure that you're eating the right thing staying away from alcohol which, I love my wine, constantly hydrated right just in order to get a good blood draw is something that it's it's always on your mind it's and it always has to be I think just in order to go through it. So the time commitment of itself is an impact on work, it's an impact on your personal life because it just takes over.   - Julie McCorkle  But the physical ness that you go through just from the medicines and just the side effects from, you know at one point when before they do the retrieval like an egg retrieval you're on a significant amount of fertility meds and my doctor described to me of like having a bushel of grapes sitting outside of your ovaries. So you just feel huge and gross and you can't move and you can't button your pants almost like being pregnant but you don't get the the great resource for it.   - Julie McCorkle So in general I mean when I responded my body like I was about 30 pounds heavier. I was exhausted like absolute exhausted all the time and I just felt. GROSS definitely didn't feel like myself and when I actually got pregnant the first time in three years that I felt healthy again I felt normal felt more like myself and I loved being pregnant because of that there's a lot of people I think absolutely have terrible pregnancies. But for me my body had already processed a lot of the and just the changes in the hormones. So it's the breeze was great.   - Liesel Mertes It's a long time to be feeling not outside of your body but ill at ease. Yeah your body just and all of that emotional stress.   Oh yes with that.   - Liesel Mertes Tell us a little bit more about the emotions that accompany that physical journey. What would someone who has not gone through that what would they not understand that would be important for them to know?   - Julie McCorkle So I think the journey and of itself like everything that you go through with the testing and just working through the process of fertility whatever treatments you decide that in and of itself is all consuming right:  the time, the physical, the money, the financial commitment. Mentally, it was all consuming for me. So there was probably not a moment of any day that I didn't think about it. It was consuming of my dreams every single night when I would sleep I would have some sort of dream about our fertility journey and it's all I thought about.   - Julie McCorkle  It's all I thought about and it's you know for me. I mentioned how stubborn I am of like you know I'm not really somebody where you tell me I can't do something and then think that I actually can't do it. So, just starting to recognize the possibility that I'd never be able to have kids was very that was the most emotional part because I never had kids so I didn't necessarily knew what I was missing out on. Now I have Declan, I cannot ever imagine life without him. Right. But we were at that phase yet so   - Julie McCorkle  I think it's just the possibility of not having that and not living up to what I thought my life would be. It was hard to process.   MUSICAL TRANSITION   - Liesel Mertes What were ways that people in your wider community really supported you?   - Julie McCorkle Well yeah. So, I think my work team was actually by far the most supportive that I ever experienced. I mean they were incredible. I remember going to my boss really at the point that we started doing some of the testing because I was out significantly and I didn't want him to think that I was leaving right. I didn't want him to think I was randomly scheduling all these appointments and that I was interviewing. So I sat down his office and like, I just want you to be aware I don't know what the time commitment is but we're having some fertility issues.   - Julie McCorkle  And I just lost it. I just started sobbing and he got up and gave me a big hug and he's like, I don't, whatever you need, whatever you need. Don't stress about it and that. And I was very close with my former supervisor always he's a dear friend of mine. So I knew, when he said, like whatever you need, he actually meant it.   - Julie McCorkle And I leaned on him a lot. I mean throughout. It was about a three year journey. So throughout that time frame just mentally and physically not being at work. I mean there's a lot that he took on to do that but it wasn't just my boss.   - Julie McCorkle but the larger team that I worked with. I had two employees that reported directly to me at the time that I wasn't necessarily there couldn't be there were frankly if I didn't have the mental capacity to deal with something they did. So that team in of itself was incredibly supportive and it's just a question.   - Liesel Mertes When you say that. So those moments in real time because this and they hear like not having the mental capacity to deal with the problem. Yeah. Did you have the self-awareness act like those moments to be able to say, I'm like I'm kind of overwhelmed right now? I need you to take this. Did they sense that? How did that communication go?   - Julie McCorkle No I definitely didn't. OK. And that's one of things that I, after the fact, like after Declan was here and I kind of look back and reflect on that time frame. I like to think that I handled it pretty well. But I'm sure I didn't handle it nearly to the point like to the extent that I thought I did. And I knew that I was stressed and overwhelmed. But I'm one of those individuals where I just take it day by day. Right.   - Julie McCorkle So if there's too many things on my plate I'm I don't like to pass off work. I don't like to say that I can't handle this. I just take it day by day. So I didn't recognize it until after the fact and until really until Declan was successful like successfully conceived. I guess I didn't realize how much the stress was impacting the fertility and kind of our issues and the last implantation they did. That was when my boss Ken mentioned to me, he's like, you need to get out of here like I do. And I told him I was like Yep I agree. Let's get out of DC.   - Julie McCorkle  I'm just gonna work from home. He's like, No I mean there's certain things I know you're going to do because you're stubborn you're still gonna do it but I don't want you to focus on a thing. So the team recognized it more what I needed than what I did right. And they were very good at kind of calling into attention of like I'm just gonna take this off your plate just gonna take it and handle it and I'll let you know how it goes. And you were able to release that to the eggs. I trust them immensely.   - Liesel Mertes That's what I hear in that the importance of an underlying trust that's established in those moments where you can actually believe like oh they're not seeing me as incompetent. They're trying to care for me. I mean, there's a lot of underlying elements of culture that have to be in place for that to be possible. Yeah. Yeah for them to say let me take it. And for you to say OK. Absolutely do that.   - Julie McCorkle Absolutely. And there was. You know, before I even started on the lab journey I had a great working relationship with my boss. I had a great working relationships with my team anyways, and we've always had really open honest communication. So it's a no brainer for me to just talk through it right and just talk about it and they knew my own little personal working style my own quirks and needs. So when they saw me get stressed or saw that I was running around a little frantic and probably not operating at my full capacity, that's when they stepped in and just did it.   - Liesel Mertes Did they have any other particular awareness is or considerations for you within the years of that journey? I know that we had talked about things like baby showers in the office place. How did you feel like that transpired in your workplace and how you felt in the midst of those dynamics or how other people were caring for you?   - Julie McCorkle Yes, I think the individual team around me was incredibly cognizant of those needs and you know, when I was going through the fertility journey you see others that get pregnant and you're really excited for them but frankly you're mad at them at the same time right. And there's there are individuals and then I was surrounded with both my personal and professional life that we'll get pregnant immediately and I became very sensitive over listening trying I don't even know if I want this child I'm like I just want to smack you excuse my violence I you know and my team understanding what I was going through was very cognizant of those conversations and would just just kind of pull me away or you know immediately change the subject whatever it may be. Just recognizing it before I would even recognize it.   - Julie McCorkle And there are a lot you know there's a lot that happens in the workplace. I've mentioned to the colleague of mine she's struggled with infertility for 10 years and I'm not sure if her and her husband will be able to have children they still struggle with it. And she was at a place where she had just tried every avenue possible. There's really nothing else for them to try. Possibly except you know surrogacy and that was kind of the next steps. But there is a baby shower in the workplace and she had just suffered from a miscarriage.   - Julie McCorkle  I don't think anybody recognized why she was out but she was out on the day there was a baby shower. There's all sorts of baby things in her office they're just using her office to kind of organize and store things before the mom could put him in a car and she just shut down right.   - Julie McCorkle So I knew her journey not many people did but I knew of her journey and I grabbed her that day when she she called me up and was extremely emotional in telling about it, like OK you need to go home. I'll tell your boss why you're home just just leave right, like this is what you need in this moment. And I think it's really important to have individuals in your life, regardless of what circumstances either personal or professional, that know and understand and can, you can recognize that that maybe pushes you for something that you need that otherwise you may not do yourself to be able to acknowledge that and give voice to it and give yourself permission to take that space.   - Liesel Mertes What were some of the worst ways that your community like intersected with you or the things that you look back on and you think that was just so dumb or that was so painful?   - Julie McCorkle Yeah. I think the worst honestly was my mom. It sounds terrible; I've got an interesting relationship with my mom anyway and I certainly recognize the things that she's not great at and I know why she is the person that she is and I recognize and I respect that. But, it's very different than me. And we process things in a very different manner. My mom's deeply religious. So everything to her goes back to the Catholic Church the Catholic religion and her beliefs and I'm honestly not so there's comments that she made to me all the time that just really dug into me and a lot of times I just kind of chalked up to, Well that's Mom being Mom right. I had a couple of times like for example she made a comment when I was going through the first surgery was home for a little going away party for my sister and she made the comment about essentially making sure that I'm going to church or leaks at the time they do become they're pregnant. The devil was gonna steal the soul of my baby and I just looked around and I just walked away right. And I mentioned it to my husband who completely blew up and he and I'm sure mom heard him blow up because we were having conversations like I can't understand why she'd make a commentary like that knowing everything you're going through right now and when he said that Mike you're asleep right.   - Julie McCorkle  You're absolutely right. Why would she make a comment like that? Why would she not be supportive? And just, the individual that's in my life the most that should recognize what I need right now.   - Julie McCorkle I don't need you to say anything sometimes I just need you to listen. She wasn't able to do that but she's not who she is. So, there are points and there's a lot of my siblings I'm very close with. There are points that I think they have the same moments like giving advice and you just need to pray more you need to go to church.   - Julie McCorkle  Yes sir I don't think so. You. Where that was that shut me down. And you know after mom made that comment I didn't talk to her for six months and it got to the point when I actually got pregnant I'm like, well you know I actually want a relationship with my mom because I want my son to have a relationship with his grandparents right where I just kind of got over it. But I have now going through that journey recognize the people in my life that I know that I can't live on.   - Julie McCorkle  There are people in my life that regardless of what I go through I will be able to lean on and they will always be there and recognize what I need. And there are others that just won't. And that's OK.   - Liesel Mertes It's interesting as we age how we how we feel like on a deep level those things that you just feel like you know like if you're not safe or these are people I can depend on as you think about those people and you say yeah you're someone that I can depend on. Are there are there characteristics that are common across them where you say yeah they're marked by this?   - Julie McCorkle Yeah, I think just the capacity to listen and not just listening to let somebody talk but listening to actually understand what they're saying. And this is so much of what I do in my work in H.R. where people will come to you and they'll bring some sort of issue to mind. And normally, what they're saying is not what they need it's not what the issue is you have to understand the underlying there's definitely people I found in my life that can look below the surface to really truly understand and just just care. And those individuals are the ones that I think you can lean upon.   - Liesel Mertes I love that that carryover from what your personal journey has been into your professional life because, a lot of times you know that such a divide there's work and then there's your life. I think that's binary in a way that is false. Yeah, but expound on that a little bit more because of what you have experienced. What do you bring differently to your role in H.R.? You say you have the Julie in 2019 has grown beyond the Julie of 2010 in these ways whether that's dealing with infertility specifically or just with anyone who might walk in your door having gone through a disruptive life event.   - Julie McCorkle Yeah absolutely. So I think I think they're great. H.R. professionals out there some that can really understand the balance between supporting and advocating for employees and still looking out for the best interests of the company and there's others that kind of skew one way right through there too far in the company where most the time they don't have the trust of their staff or on the other side like two supportive of staff where they can't actually support the interests of the company. That balance I think I've always done pretty well navigating it and maintaining a healthy balance.   - Julie McCorkle  But I don't think I without going through this journey. I don't think I truly had an understanding of the impact a disruptive life event can have on somebody. I mean I've always think I've been able to listen to them to understand to get to the root of the issue and do my best to help them and especially just navigating management structure right to help them whether it's additional time off or just telling their supervisor they need to be out because their supervisor is not going to react well and they don't need that reaction.   - Julie McCorkle  But truly understanding what that does to somebody going through this journey I've never had that understanding and it's hard to I'm not sure if I ever would if I haven't experienced it myself because it's really hard to understand what somebody is experiencing.   - Julie McCorkle You can listen to them you can have empathy you can care but you have to you have to almost put it in your own context in your own experiences to be able to feel it right here that   - Liesel Mertes Do you have any words of insight to someone who is listening and right now they're in the midst of their infertility journey? Or another way of raising it. Any words that you would give to a younger version of yourself. From what you know now?   - Julie McCorkle A younger version of myself, I think I definitely would have opened up quicker than what I did. I mean, I think I had great conversations great support from the individuals around me   - Julie McCorkle I didn't allow myself to be as vulnerable as I probably would today because there are a lot of great people out there that do truly care even if they don't understand or don't know what you need. I think I would have voiced that a lot sooner. Yeah and I think I would have allowed myself to recognize I need to be away from this.   - Julie McCorkle  I need to be away from work. I need to be away from D.C.. I just need to be in an area that is stress free where I just keep my mind off of the journey itself. What I'm going through and allow myself to voice that I definitely never allowed myself to voice that. And in hindsight I wish I would have. I'm just very fortunate I had people in my life that voiced it for me. And I think recognizing if you do or if you don't have those people allowing yourself to to utilize the help that somebody is willing to lend.   - Liesel Mertes Mm hmm. And for anyone who's listening that says Oh yeah I have someone in my life who is in the middle of this when I have an employee who, this is part of their story, where do you give to someone who finds themselves in those support roles?   - Julie McCorkle I would say to reach out to if you have somebody in your life and you've already developed that relationship where you can start the conversation just starting the conversation of itself is a great place to start. And just reach out to ask them what they need. Just let them talk. And then once they talk truly listen to what they're not necessarily saying. And those are the ways in which you can find to make a difference for that person.   MUSICAL TRANSITION   I want to close with a thanks to our podcast sponsor, FullStack PEO.  The good people at FullStack focus on your people so you can scale your business faster.    And we end, as always, with three take-aways…   Julie spoke about how important it was to have individuals in her life that pushed her to “take her space”, to acknowledge the pain and stress of this season. Like the boss that encouraged her to take time away from DC.  Julie became that person when she encouraged her coworker to go home after the baby shower debacle.  When people are going through stress, they are oftentimes consumed with the needs of the moment.  Perhaps you can be that friend or manager that encourages a friend dealing with infertility to take some necessary space and time; it can mean a lot. Julie was able to be open about her treatments and receive the help and advice of her managers and coworkers because there was a robust culture of trust and respect that was already present in her workplace. Is this the sort of truly supportive workplace that you are a part of?  If not, what are some proactive steps that you can take to build trust BEFORE hard times come?  IVF and infertility treatments can be tremendously taxing on both a physical and emotional level. As you can, give flexibility and understanding to the women in your organization going through IVF.  They are managing tremendous stress in their bodies as well as their schedules in addition to doing their daily work for the organization.   OUTRO  

FloppyDays Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 93 - Chris Rutkowski, Epson QX10, ValDocs

FloppyDays Vintage Computing Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2019 99:35


Interview with Chris Rutkowski, Epson QX10 & ValDocs Hello and welcome to episode 93 of the Floppy Days Podcast.  We’re still in the year 1981 for computer introductions and next up on the docket is the venerable Epson HX-20, oft-considered the very first laptop computer.  It spawned an entire series of laptop computers from Epson, such as the PX-8 and QX-10. In this episode, I have an interview with Mr. Chris Rutkowski.  Chris worked for or at Epson during the days of the HX-20 and the other machines.  Although Chris didn’t work directly on the HX-20, as he was more focused on the QX-10 and software for it (such as ValDocs), Chris has a great perspective on what it was like to work at Epson at that time. In the next episode I will then talk in detail about the HX-20, including the usual topics of history, specs, software, magazines, ads, Web sites, emulators and more. After talking with Chris, I was very impressed with the work that he did and impact that he made on the fledgling microcomputer industry.  Not only did he work on the design of the QX-10, Chris came up with the idea for the VALDOCS software for the QX-10 that included the HASCI keyboard (Human Application Standard Computer Interface) while at Rising Star Industries. I hope you enjoy this interview! Links Mentioned in the Show: New Acquisitions AVG cart for Atari 8-bit - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/278212-avgcart/  Faster Than Light: Atari ST - https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-Light-16-Bit-Revolution/dp/1732355215 by Jamie Lendino  Endless Loop: The History of the BASIC Programming Language (book) by Mark Jones Lorenzo - https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Loop-Programming-All-purpose-Instruction/dp/1974277070  ZX Spectrum +2 RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260949446667  Run/Stop-Restore (book) by Leonard Roach - https://www.amazon.com/Run-Stop-Restore-Anniversary-Lenard-Roach/dp/1456719246  Upcoming Shows Sep 7-8, Retro Computer Festival 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53612/Retro-Computer-Festival-2019-7th-8th-September/  Sep 14, Atari Party East, basement of Bill Lange in Somerset, NJ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/281252672436874/  Sep 14-15, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/  Sep 21-22, Acorn World Exhibition 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/54006/Acorn-World-Exhibition-2019-21st-22nd-September-2019/  Sep 27-29, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com  Oct 18-20, Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com  Nov 2, Chicago TI International World’s Faire, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/  Interview with Chris Rutkowski VCF Pacific Northwest 2019 - Chris Rutkowski, “The birth of the Business PC – how volatile markets evolve” - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/archives-show-summaries/vcf-pnw-archives/vcf-pnw-2019/  October ‘82 Byte - p.291 An introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 1: Theory and Principles by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-10/page/n289  November ‘82 Byte - p.379 An Introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 2: Implementing the HASCI Concept by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-11/page/n403  "A Gathering of Magicians," from the CBC Television series "Man Alive" (1984) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRhyUp7dTE 

Writers On The Beat: Crime Writers and Crime Fighters
Acclaimed Author Chris Formant talks HISTORICAL FICTION

Writers On The Beat: Crime Writers and Crime Fighters

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2019 32:59


Novelist Chris Formant is a student of history, a tech CEO, and a former top executive of a multi-billion-dollar global business. His debut novel, BRIGHT MIDNIGHT, received lavish praise and has been dubbed the “Da Vinci Code for rock and roll fans.” In that thriller, Formant created a unique mystery in which he re-imagined the deaths of rock icons as murders. Although Chris proclaims himself an unlikely author of historical fiction, the heroic story of Maryland’s Forgotten 400 drove him to assemble an expert team to assist with the painstaking research required to write his highly anticipated second book, entitled SAVING WASHINGTON. In this episode, Chris and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss crafting historical characters, finding unique perspectives for storytelling, and how 400 men from Maryland saved the American Revolution only six weeks after the Declaration of Independence. Chris' works: www.amazon.com/Chris-Formant/e/B01G24O1KM/ Gavin's works: www.amazon.com/Gavin-Reese/e/B072W5PPGS Gavin's site: gavinreese.com #writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #amwritingfiction #historicalfiction #1776 #forgotten400 #maryland400 #battleofbrooklyn #battleoflongisland #chrisformant #savingwashington #washington #gavinreese #gavinthecop --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersbeatpodcast/support

Authors on the Air Global Radio Network
Acclaimed Author Chris Formant talks HISTORICAL FICTION

Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2019 32:59


Novelist Chris Formant is a student of history, a tech CEO, and a former top executive of a multi-billion-dollar global business. His debut novel, BRIGHT MIDNIGHT, received lavish praise and has been dubbed the “Da Vinci Code for rock and roll fans.” In that thriller, Formant created a unique mystery in which he re-imagined the deaths of rock icons as murders. Although Chris proclaims himself an unlikely author of historical fiction, the heroic story of Maryland’s Forgotten 400 drove him to assemble an expert team to assist with the painstaking research required to write his highly anticipated second book, entitled SAVING WASHINGTON. In this episode, Chris and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss crafting historical characters, finding unique perspectives for storytelling, and how 400 men from Maryland saved the American Revolution only six weeks after the Declaration of Independence. Chris' works: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Formant/e/B01G24O1KM/ Gavin's works: https://www.amazon.com/Gavin-Reese/e/B072W5PPGS Gavin's site: https://gavinreese.com

Barbell Buddha Rediscovered
Ep 27 - To Catch A Fitness Predator

Barbell Buddha Rediscovered

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2019 41:04


Although Chris has as great rant that matches the title, an alternate name for this episode would be "Heavy Duty Mantra," which is also the title of a chapter in Way Past Strong. This mantra, after some refinement, becomes one of Chris's most beloved tag lines. I really enjoyed this one, and I hope you do as well.

Something You Should Know
The Real Dangers of Too Much Pleasure & Why You Should Celebrate Every Failure

Something You Should Know

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2018 43:53


So you get ready to make a salad and you rinse the lettuce and carrots and tomatoes under the faucet for a few seconds. Does that really get rid of the pesticides and bacteria? We explore that very important question and you really need to hear the answer. http://www.menshealth.com/how-to-wash-produceDo you understand the difference between pleasure and happiness? It’s an important distinction because the more pleasure you seek, the less happy you become. That’s the contention of Dr Robert Lustig, author of The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains https://amzn.to/2yp2xMf. Dr. Lustig sees some troubling developments in our quest for pleasure and I think you’ll be interested in what he has to say. It’s become a cliché to say that great ideas come in the shower. But the fact is – they do! And there is actually a psychological explanation for why that is. We begin this episode with a look at the reason for this common experience. http://mentalfloss.com/article/52586/why-do-our-best-ideas-come-us-showerNobody likes failure – but maybe we should all rethink that. Failure turns out to have a silver lining – and not just in the way that “Every cloud has a silver lining.” Chris Gethard is a pretty successful stand-up comedian who has written a book about failure called Lose Well https://amzn.to/2CpJcgz. Although Chris has had some clearly successful moments (his own HBO special and his own sitcom on Comedy Central for example) he has also had some colossal failures. He joins me to discuss why failure is inevitable and really something to be celebrated on your journey to success.This Week's SponsorsLinkedIn Talent. To find the right person for the job and get $50 off your first job post, go to www.Linkedin.com/somethingSimplisafe. For amazing home security at a great price go to www.simplisafe.com/somethingGlip. Sign up for your FREE GLip account now and support this podcast by going to www.Glip.com/somethingLinkedIn Marketing Solutions. For your free $100 ad credit to launch your first campaign go to www.Linkedin.com/somethingMadison Reed. For 10% off plus free shipping on your first order go to www.Madison-Reed.com/somethingJet.com. For a great online shopping experience like no other go to www.jet.comHotel Tonight. To get $25 off your first eligible booking download the Hotel Tonight app and use the promo code something.

OurTwoCents Podcast
White Boy Rick Spoiler Review and Discussion

OurTwoCents Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2018 26:07


The "based on a true story" film of Richard "White Boy Ricky" Wershe Jr. that tells of his rise to drug kingpin in 80s Detroit and his eventual downfall at the hands of the FBI. Admir and Chris celebrate their 30th week of podcast marriage by discussing a film that, unfortunately, could not live up to its potential. Although Chris left the theater much more satisfied than his tag partner, the boys were in agreement that the film suffered from missed opportunities and its bare-bones approach to exploring themes. Nonetheless, a great cast anchored by Matthew Mcconaughey, helps to save the feature.

OurTwoCents Podcast
White Boy Rick Non-Spoiler Review and Discussion

OurTwoCents Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2018 18:04


The "based on a true story" film of Richard "White Boy Ricky" Wershe Jr. that tells of his rise to drug kingpin in 80s Detroit and his eventual downfall at the hands of the FBI. Admir and Chris celebrate their 30th week of podcast marriage by discussing a film that, unfortunately, could not live up to its potential. Although Chris left the theater much more satisfied than his tag partner, the boys were in agreement that the film suffered from missed opportunities and its bare-bones approach to exploring themes. Nonetheless, a great cast anchored by Matthew Mcconaughey, helps to save the feature.

My Biz Bestie
How to Maximize Your Conference Networking Experience with Chris Browning

My Biz Bestie

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2018 21:31


Biz bro, Chris Browning, joins Maelisa and Amber in this live interview from the Podcast Movement conference. Chris hosts Popcorn Finance, a podcast which gives financial tidbits in about the time that it takes to make a bowl of popcorn. During this super special interview with everyone’s favorite financial guru, the biz besties pick Chris’s brain to learn how he maximizes his time at conferences. Although Chris hasn’t been to that many conferences he has learned how to get the most bang for his buck. Listen to this episode to hear how to up your conference networking game. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join The My Biz Bestie Community today: My Biz Bestie Facebook My Biz Bestie Instagram

Attain Anything
Morning Routines

Attain Anything

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2018 23:05


Wade and Chris discuss their morning routines, and how they have learned to set them selves up for maximizing their efficiency, productivity, energy, and mood throughout the day.  Although Chris is a self proclaimed night owl, he talks about how he manages his life and what a night owl's morning routine is.  Wade talks about the ideal morning, sometimes starting as early as 4:30 am before the rest of the world is awake.

Change Your Mindset
Ep. 61 - Chris Jenkins: Why Associations Need to Stop Treating Members as Customers & Start Fostering Fellowship

Change Your Mindset

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2017 59:50


Chris Jenkins, CEO of the South Carolina Associations of CPAs, joins us today to discuss how you can better engage an audience of any size when you are speaking, and to discuss how we can improve association management. Although Chris is a technology guy – we originally met when he served as the Chief Information Officer at the Ohio Society – he believes that Associations, and business professionals in general, are relying on technology far too much, and using it improperly. Professional organizations need to re-emphasize, and re-facilitate, face-to-face human relationships. Chris has always had a knack for engaging large crowds of people, but he used to struggle with small group interactions. Partly due to technology, we have lost the skill to connect with people one-on-one – because of this, Associations and businesses need to offer more professional development opportunities for soft skills. Elevator Training Chris learned to engage people one-on-one through an unconventional training exercise: he was locked in an elevator for an hour and tasked with talking to every person who got on and learning what they did. When you're in an elevator and you're in that contained space, you catch people off guard by looking at them, greeting them, and asking about them. People are shocked, and you very quickly get over your fear of engaging people. The other thing that you’ll learn is how to stop a conversation properly before they got off the elevator. You can learn how to network and manage a room by being locked in an elevator – and I know I’m going to try this exercise out soon! It’s also just a great improv exercise because it will train you to listen to understand. Leaders Need To Build Trust Leaders NEED the ability to engage people in one-in-one and small group conversations. If you are in a large group and you want feedback, people will naturally want to be nice. A group of 10+ people is not going to give reliable feedback. But it’s important that leaders are able to go in and make people feel comfortable with giving you bad news, or news that they think you don't want to hear. So leaders have to build trust, and the only way to do that is in very small groups, and to lay yourself out there and say what you’re trying to do. If you can't make them believe that you're actively listening and listening to understand them, you're just going to get what they think you want to hear – and a bunch of people telling you what you want to hear is the most deadly thing that you can have in a leadership role. The Difference Between Members and Customers Associations also struggle with engagement because, increasingly, they treat members as customers. What’s the difference? Simply put, the difference between a customer and a member is the experience, and fellowship is a big part of the member experience. You have to look at your business and you have to see what you're selling, and professional associations are businesses with something to sell. However, we’ve shifted to selling CPE… and that’s not what we’re supposed to be about; that doesn’t foster fellowship. When we start looking at CPE as a revenue stream and membership as a revenue stream, it’s easy to start looking at people as customers. And when you look at customer service, you want to make sure that that individual customer has the best possible experience... and then when they're gone they're gone. So a customer relationship is something short. But a member relationship is a long-term relationship, and it's not just a relationship between the company or the association and the member. It’s about fostering the relationship between the members themselves. They need a network of peers that they know that they can rely on. They need a community, and they need that fellowship. You can look at it from the other perspective as well: as an association, your stakeholders are the members on your board. That's who gets the pay out of our efforts. In a customer relationship, your payout is to stake holders who have invested in that company so your goal is to get as much money as possible from your customers so that you can pay out to your investors. We have a completely different goal. An association’s goal is to give its membership the maximum value for the minimum price, and we've lost sight of that in many ways. The unique value proposition of state societies is the fact that they’re local. They have local networks in every community. They have a local network at the state level. They have local meetings with real people, both social and educational. When associations embrace the fact that they’re local – when they don't look to compete with national brands for CPE and don't look to compete with Facebook – they create a very strong network of professionals, and that network has incredible power. As associations, we are uniquely positioned to create human experiences and we have to come back to it. Resources: Connect with Chris: SCACPA.org | LinkedIn The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line by David Horsager -- Production & Development for Improv Is No Joke by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small Differences
Episode 19: Inverse Marshall Plan

Small Differences

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2017 112:57


Knut and Chris go large for Påske. Obviously there is some food talk, but the real meat is discussing foreigners who don't know how to behave on the traditional Easter cabin trip, or dress for mountain weather. Advisory: this episode contains New Testament rapping (though mercifully not by us. Although Chris does sing.)

Character
#11 – The Crack House

Character

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2017 57:15


When Chris moved to Gimli, it became an escape from his reality. He left behind his life in Winnipeg for a fresh start. However, on multiple occasions, Chris almost picked up and left the small town that he was finding comfort in. Although Chris had become straight-edge for a number of years, the freedom of living on his own exposed him to drugs and alchohol, once again, for a second time in his life. ------------------------ Follow the story on Instagram! @characterpodcast Character is brought to you by EPH Apparel. Enter promo code: character to get 20% off your next order. Production assistance by Samurai Guitarist. Theme music by Me and Molly.

Character
#1 – Speedballs

Character

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2017 58:46


An epic tale and true story about the life of Chris Friesen. Although Chris is recounting and telling his life story in real-time to the host, Ben Grynol, neither Chris, Ben, nor the listeners know where his story will end up. Each week, new details unfold in the story and listeners learn of things that happened in Chris's life, which will have unknown outcomes moving forward. Episode 1 discusses drugs, Chris's relationship with his mom, and the self-dependent life he lived throughout his pre-teen years.

The Walking Dead Talk Through
FTWDTT 016 – Do Not Disturb (S2E10)

The Walking Dead Talk Through

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2016 102:03


Talking Through Do Not Disturb Do Not Disturb is our third episode back, and so logically we catch up with our third group: Travis and Chris. The first scene we see what became of the ill-fated wedding party, but then we immediately go to the father and son wonder team. Although Chris seems really happy to have his dad with him, he doesn't really seem to be on the same page as Travis. Travis is trying his best not to lose his son, but he can't seem to compete with the bro-tastic trio. Chris ends up showing his murdery side when he kills the owner of the chickens, and Travis doesn't seem to know what to make of this new turn of events. Back at the hotel However, back at the hotel, we finally learn who was putting up the do not disturb signs on the doors, and while there were a few tiny plot holes in the scenes at the hotel, overall I think we both liked them better. Elena seems like a much more sympathetic and likable character than we've seen in a long time, and major points in her favor: she is not the frat-bruhs. I think we are also both liking the character of Alicia better than the others right now. A few things And now for a few things I may or may not have mentioned already in the podcast, but I wanted to mention again. I'm not sure that Chris will be able to travel back from the dark side of the force because he didn't even seem the least bit bothered by what appeared to be the dead bodies of the store owners. This does not bode well. The question is, will Travis stick with him, or will he eventually give up on Chris, and if the latter, how long until that happens? Or has it happened already? Back to the hotel (I'm now hearing music and song lyrics in my head) scenes, Alicia and Elena seem to bond rather quickly, and also to trust each other quickly. She finally gives up the keys to the guests, is this because she sees Alicia's plan, or because she trusts her already? Send in your feedback! We need the answers to these and so many more burning questions, so leave us your feedback and tell us what you think! While you are out tromping around the internet, go check out our donation page for MS. It's still open as of the writing of this blog post, but we don't know how long it will remain that way. For Fear the Walking Dead, Season 2 Episode 11, titled Pablo & Jessica, please submit your feedback by 6 PM Eastern/5 PM Central Tuesday, September 13, 2016. Labor Day Affected the Ratings Do Not Disturb was affected by airing during the Labor Day weekend. It got a 1.24 in the 18-49 demographic, with 2.991 million viewers. This represents the all-time lowest ratings to date for the show. That compares to last week‘s 1.59 in the 18-49 and 3.661 million viewers.

Talk Through Media All-Inclusive Feed
FTWDTT 016 – Do Not Disturb (S2E10)

Talk Through Media All-Inclusive Feed

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2016 102:03


Talking Through Do Not Disturb Do Not Disturb is our third episode back, and so logically we catch up with our third group: Travis and Chris. The first scene we see what became of the ill-fated wedding party, but then we immediately go to the father and son wonder team. Although Chris seems really happy to have his dad with him, he doesn’t really seem to be on the same page as Travis. Travis is trying his best not to lose his son, but he can’t seem to compete with the bro-tastic trio. Chris ends up showing his murdery side when he kills the owner of the chickens, and Travis doesn’t seem to know what to make of this new turn of events. Back at the hotel However, back at the hotel, we finally learn who was putting up the do not disturb signs on the doors, and while there were a few tiny plot holes in the scenes at the hotel, overall I think we both liked them better. Elena seems like a much more sympathetic and likable character than we’ve seen in a long time, and major points in her favor: she is not the frat-bruhs. I think we are also both liking the character of Alicia better than the others right now. A few things And now for a few things I may or may not have mentioned already in the podcast, but I wanted to mention again. I’m not sure that Chris will be able to travel back from the dark side of the force because he didn’t even seem the least bit bothered by what appeared to be the dead bodies of the store owners. This does not bode well. The question is, will Travis stick with him, or will he eventually give up on Chris, and if the latter, how long until that happens? Or has it happened already? Back to the hotel (I’m now hearing music and song lyrics in my head) scenes, Alicia and Elena seem to bond rather quickly, and also to trust each other quickly. She finally gives up the keys to the guests, is this because she sees Alicia’s plan, or because she trusts her already? Send in your feedback! We need the answers to these and so many more burning questions, so leave us your feedback and tell us what you think! While you are out tromping around the internet, go check out our donation page for MS. It’s still open as of the writing of this blog post, but we don’t know how long it will remain that way. For Fear the Walking Dead, Season 2 Episode 11, titled Pablo & Jessica, please submit your feedback by 6 PM Eastern/5 PM Central Tuesday, September 13, 2016. Labor Day Affected the Ratings Do Not Disturb was affected by airing during the Labor Day weekend. It got a 1.24 in the 18-49 demographic, with 2.991 million viewers. This represents the all-time lowest ratings to date for the show. That compares to last week‘s 1.59 in the 18-49 and 3.661 million viewers.

Fear the Walking Dead Talk Through
FTWDTT 016 – Do Not Disturb (S2E10)

Fear the Walking Dead Talk Through

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2016 102:03


Talking Through Do Not Disturb Do Not Disturb is our third episode back, and so logically we catch up with our third group: Travis and Chris. The first scene we see what became of the ill-fated wedding party, but then we immediately go to the father and son wonder team. Although Chris seems really happy to have his dad with him, he doesn’t really seem to be on the same page as Travis. Travis is trying his best not to lose his son, but he can’t seem to compete with the bro-tastic trio. Chris ends up showing his murdery side when he kills the owner of the chickens, and Travis doesn’t seem to know what to make of this new turn of events. Back at the hotel However, back at the hotel, we finally learn who was putting up the do not disturb signs on the doors, and while there were a few tiny plot holes in the scenes at the hotel, overall I think we both liked them better. Elena seems like a much more sympathetic and likable character than we’ve seen in a long time, and major points in her favor: she is not the frat-bruhs. I think we are also both liking the character of Alicia better than the others right now. A few things And now for a few things I may or may not have mentioned already in the podcast, but I wanted to mention again. I’m not sure that Chris will be able to travel back from the dark side of the force because he didn’t even seem the least bit bothered by what appeared to be the dead bodies of the store owners. This does not bode well. The question is, will Travis stick with him, or will he eventually give up on Chris, and if the latter, how long until that happens? Or has it happened already? Back to the hotel (I’m now hearing music and song lyrics in my head) scenes, Alicia and Elena seem to bond rather quickly, and also to trust each other quickly. She finally gives up the keys to the guests, is this because she sees Alicia’s plan, or because she trusts her already? Send in your feedback! We need the answers to these and so many more burning questions, so leave us your feedback and tell us what you think! While you are out tromping around the internet, go check out our donation page for MS. It’s still open as of the writing of this blog post, but we don’t know how long it will remain that way. For Fear the Walking Dead, Season 2 Episode 11, titled Pablo & Jessica, please submit your feedback by 6 PM Eastern/5 PM Central Tuesday, September 13, 2016. Labor Day Affected the Ratings Do Not Disturb was affected by airing during the Labor Day weekend. It got a 1.24 in the 18-49 demographic, with 2.991 million viewers. This represents the all-time lowest ratings to date for the show. That compares to last week‘s 1.59 in the 18-49 and 3.661 million viewers.

Cult Film In Review
Blue Velvet

Cult Film In Review

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 45:34


In this week’s episode of Cult Film in Review, we tackle the enigma that is David Lynch in his dark mystery, Blue Velvet. Although Chris and Mike are big fans of the director, even they have a difficult time unpacking this film for first-timers, Kyle and Cody. Also, is Lynch the genius everyone says he […] The post Blue Velvet appeared first on Cult Film in Review.

Breaking Money Silence®
Can money be a sign of how many people you’ve helped? | Episode 8

Breaking Money Silence®

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2016


Chris Venn, Partner –  The Legacy Companies As most myths, the myth ‘Money is a sign of how many people you’ve helped’ is a blend of truth and story. Chris and Kathleen talk about the upside and downside of giving or helping people and how it impacts our relationship with money. The upside of this myth is that the more you help people, the more money can flow to you. Money flows to purpose. The downside is that if you help too much (perhaps by ‘helping’ good people and not invoicing them for your time because you believe karma will work it out), that helping gets in the way of prosperity. Chris Venn is one of the Partners at The Legacy Companies, a Boston-based consulting and training firm that helps top financial advisors evolve their businesses by transforming how they engage with wealth holders. Although Chris has been an entrepreneur for his entire business career, he started by being trained to protect royalty,heads of state, and business leaders by former members of the British SAS. He brings the same precision, discipline and clarity to his work in business and with his clients. You can contact Chris at 519.902.2082. Twitter: @chrisvenn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvenn To sign up for the Breaking Money Silence Podcast, click here.  

Earning Freedom with Michael Santos
231: Creative Financing After Prison, Episode 13

Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2016 21:04


Creative Financing I visited Chris and Seth. They were partners of Advanced Building Solutions, a premier real estate development company with more than $100 million worth of properties under development. Although I’d never met Chris prior to my release from prison, my friend Lee could introduce me. Without a doubt, Chris and Seth were the type of people I had in mind when I thought about avatars. If leaders like Chris and Seth were going to believe in me, they would want to see a record showing that I was different from the foolish young man who began selling drugs when he was 20. I always believed that my adjustment through prison would have a direct influence on my ability to overcome challenges upon release. When I met with the Chris and Seth, I showed them the record I’d worked hard to build. I was a published author, I had academic credentials, and I could show that I’d been married for ten years. Further, I had support from Lee, and he vouched for me. Any business person in the San Francisco Bay area had enormous respect for Lee. Since Lee vouched for me, Chris and Seth found it easier to believe in me. We spoke about a new real estate project they were developing in Petaluma, a quaint city about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Although Chris and Seth hadn’t broken ground on the properties when I met with them, they told me that when they finished the development, each house in the development would list for about $400,000. I wanted to buy one of those houses for Carole and me. Yet since we didn’t have the financial wherewithal to step up to the plate, I needed their help. Although an initial assessment of our credit score would suggest that we weren’t credit worthy at the time, I asked Chris and Seth to consider us for the growth we would make in the years to come. Besides not qualifying for a mortgage, we couldn’t afford to set aside 20% of the purchase price as a down payment on the property. Despite those weaknesses, I persuaded the developers that we would be a good credit risk for them if they would agree to finance us on a purchase. To make my case, I encouraged them to consider what we had accomplished under difficult circumstances. Then I showed the plans we had made to grow. If they would extend us financing for a few years, a lot would change that would allow us to qualify for a traditional mortgage. For example, Carole would graduate and increase her earning power. I would finish with my obligation to the Bureau of Prisons and be able to apply for credit. And the business I intended to develop would provide me with more earnings. Despite the perceived weakness of our credit score in the fall of 2012, I made a persuasive case that we would be stronger financially in years to come and qualify for a mortgage. We came to an agreement The developers agreed to finance us on the purchase of our first house. Since a real estate agent wouldn’t be involved and they wouldn’t have to pay a commission, they even agreed to drop $10,000 off of the purchase price. We bought our property for $390,000 in the fall of 2012. As a consequence of the developers’ trust, they only required us to write a check for $12,000. Since the Bureau of Prisons wouldn’t authorize me to purchase anything on credit, we initially put the house in Carole’s name. Both of us felt pleased that before I concluded my obligation to the Bureau of Prisons, we’d planted our stake in the ground. We were homeowners. Masterminds have frequently said “The harder I work, the luckier I become.” Without a doubt, Carole and I were fortunate. Support from people like Chris and Seth, or Lee, allowed us to purchase our first piece of real estate in the fall of 2012. By signing that agreement, we controlled an appreciating asset in an appreciating market. As I’ll describe in chapters to follow, real estate values increased in the San Francisco Bay area in 2013, 2014, and 2015. When those values increased, our equity increased, bringing us more financial stability. If we didn’t have support, we would not have been able to purchase that first piece of property. The salient point, however, is that we began sowing seeds for that support long before we purchased the property. Indeed, the decisions we began making decades earlier, before we ever thought about owning real estate, gave us the track record we needed. With that track record, we could persuade others to see us for what we would become. If you’re inside of a jail, a prison, or in some other type of struggle, I urge you to recognize the importance of each decision you make. The decisions you’re making today will influence the opportunities that open for you in the future. Consider this lesson with every decision that you make, including the friends you choose, the activities you pursue, and the books you read. Every decision comes with opportunity costs. So choose wisely.

Success After Prison with Michael Santos
Episode 13: Creative Financing After Prison

Success After Prison with Michael Santos

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2016 21:04


Creative Financing: I visited Chris and Seth. They were partners of Advanced Building Solutions, a premier real estate development company with more than $100 million worth of properties under development. Although I’d never met Chris prior to my release from prison, my friend Lee could introduce me. Without a doubt, Chris and Seth were the type of people I had in mind when I thought about avatars. If leaders like Chris and Seth were going to believe in me, they would want to see a record showing that I was different from the foolish young man who began selling drugs when he was 20. I always believed that my adjustment through prison would have a direct influence on my ability to overcome challenges upon release.   When I met with the Chris and Seth, I showed them the record I’d worked hard to build. I was a published author, I had academic credentials, and I could show that I’d been married for ten years. Further, I had support from Lee, and he vouched for me. Any business person in the San Francisco Bay area had enormous respect for Lee. Since Lee vouched for me, Chris and Seth found it easier to believe in me.   We spoke about a new real estate project they were developing in Petaluma, a quaint city about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Although Chris and Seth hadn’t broken ground on the properties when I met with them, they told me that when they finished the development, each house in the development would list for about $400,000. I wanted to buy one of those houses for Carole and me. Yet since we didn’t have the financial wherewithal to step up to the plate, I needed their help.   Although an initial assessment of our credit score would suggest that we weren’t credit worthy at the time, I asked Chris and Seth to consider us for the growth we would make in the years to come. Besides not qualifying for a mortgage, we couldn’t afford to set aside 20% of the purchase price as a down payment on the property. Despite those weaknesses, I persuaded the developers that we would be a good credit risk for them if they would agree to finance us on a purchase.   To make my case, I encouraged them to consider what we had accomplished under difficult circumstances. Then I showed the plans we had made to grow. If they would extend us financing for a few years, a lot would change that would allow us to qualify for a traditional mortgage. For example, Carole would graduate and increase her earning power. I would finish with my obligation to the Bureau of Prisons and be able to apply for credit. And the business I intended to develop would provide me with more earnings. Despite the perceived weakness of our credit score in the fall of 2012, I made a persuasive case that we would be stronger financially in years to come and qualify for a mortgage.   We came to an agreement. The developers agreed to finance us on the purchase of our first house. Since a real estate agent wouldn’t be involved and they wouldn’t have to pay a commission, they even agreed to drop $10,000 off of the purchase price. We bought our property for $390,000 in the fall of 2012. As a consequence of the developers’ trust, they only required us to write a check for $12,000. Since the Bureau of Prisons wouldn’t authorize me to purchase anything on credit, we initially put the house in Carole’s name. Both of us felt pleased that before I concluded my obligation to the Bureau of Prisons, we’d planted our stake in the ground. We were homeowners.   Masterminds have frequently said “The harder I work, the luckier I become.” Without a doubt, Carole and I were fortunate. Support from people like Chris and Seth, or Lee, allowed us to purchase our first piece of real estate in the fall of 2012. By signing that agreement, we controlled an appreciating asset in an appreciating market. As I’ll describe in chapters to follow, real estate values increased in the San Francisco Bay area in 2013, 2014, and 2015. When those values increased, our equity increased, bringing us more financial stability.   If we didn’t have support, we would not have been able to purchase that first piece of property. The salient point, however, is that we began sowing seeds for that support long before we purchased the property. Indeed, the decisions we began making decades earlier, before we ever thought about owning real estate, gave us the track record we needed. With that track record, we could persuade others to see us for what we would become.   If you’re inside of a jail, a prison, or in some other type of struggle, I urge you to recognize the importance of each decision you make. The decisions you’re making today will influence the opportunities that open for you in the future. Consider this lesson with every decision that you make, including the friends you choose, the activities you pursue, and the books you read. Every decision comes with opportunity costs. So choose wisely.

Crossing Community Church
Chris Raymond Memorial Service

Crossing Community Church

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2014 75:26


Although Chris had recently lived in North Carolina for several years, his family wanted to have a memorial service for him in Bucks County, PA where he had grown up. Chris's love for life gave us many stories to share and memories to relive. We also encouraged each other with the promises of Jesus Christ, that He had welcomed Chris into his eternal heavenly home -- and that same welcome was waiting for all who know Christ as their Savior If you were unable to join us for Chris Raymond's Memorial Service you can hear all of the service but the musically portions of it here.

Rogue Arrow Podcast
Episode 120 - Home Invasion

Rogue Arrow Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2013


Rudy and Dan duet right this week as scheduling conflicts prevent the lovely Laurel and the crusty Chris from joining us. Although Chris will be adding his thoughts in a special episode coming to you soon!Mr. Blank invades the Queen's Mansion this week in an excellent episode of Arrow!!Badass! Sorry about the mess...Feel your anchor point. Tommy and Taylor sharing a hiding spot.Don't worry. These are definitely not agents ready to pounce on you...As always thanks for listening. Check out the links to our other podcasts at the top of the page. Listen to Dan on Geek Fights Best of Time Travel. Please like us over at our Facebook Page. Please rate and review us on iTunes. 

Mathematical Moments from the American Mathematical Society
Pulling Out (from) All the Stops - Visiting all of NY's subway stops in record time

Mathematical Moments from the American Mathematical Society

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2009 10:24


With 468 stops served by 26 lines, the New York subway system can make visitors feel lucky when they successfully negotiate one planned trip in a day. Yet these two New Yorkers, Chris Solarz and Matt Ferrisi, took on the task of breaking a world record by visiting every stop in the system in less than 24 hours. They used mathematics, especially graph theory, to narrow down the possible routes to a manageable number and subdivided the problem to find the best routes in smaller groups of stations. Then they paired their mathematical work with practice runs and crucial observations (the next-to-last car stops closest to the stairs) to shatter the world record by more than two hours! Although Chris and Matt.s success may not have huge ramifications in other fields, their work does have a lot in common with how people do modern mathematics research * They worked together, frequently using computers and often asking experts for advice; * They devoted considerable time and effort to meet their goal; and * They continually refined their algorithm until arriving at a solution that was nearly optimal. Finally, they also experienced the same feeling that researchers do that despite all the hours and intense preparation, the project .felt more like fun than work. For More Information: Math whizzes shoot to set record for traversing subway system,. Sergey Kadinsky and Rich Schapiro, New York Daily News, January 22, 2009. Photo by Elizabeth Ferrisi. Map New York Metropolitan Transit Authority. The Mathematical Moments program promotes appreciation and understanding of the role mathematics plays in science, nature, technology, and human culture.