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In this episode, I'm interviewing Amy Bartko, founder of Chatterbox PR and Marketing, and it was FIRE! She shares her expertise on PR and how to take your personal brand to the next level. She emphasizes the importance of community and building relationships in the world of PR. ( can you see how it all comes back to the community ?) Amy Is walking you through step by step how to pitch yourself for the media and actually GET YOUR EMAIL OPENED! What you can expect at every step of this episode: 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:32 The Importance of Community 07:26 The Shift in the World of PR 14:50 Preparing for PR 17:30 When to Pursue PR 19:22 PR on a Budget 25:12 Building Relationships with Journalists 32:14 Crafting the Perfect Pitch 34:28 Subject Lines and Follow-Up 37:59 Online Places for Pitching 41:38 Pitch Template and Tracker 43:08 Cracking the Media Code About the Amy Bartko: Amy Bartko is a distinguished PR professional, juvenile brand expert, founder of Chatterbox, best-selling author, and a sought-after speaker. With over 25 years of strategic communications experience, she has become a global authority in building and promoting brands for families, from pregnancy through childhood. Amy's profound understanding of how to engage busy parents within this unique niche has set her apart in the industry. Under her leadership, Chatterbox has flourished, strategically supporting both online and brick-and-mortar brands ranging from startups to global names. The agency excels in comprehensive brand development and digital strategy, alongside targeted product placement, influencer and celebrity marketing, traditional media, and consumer events. Amy's innovative approach has consistently positioned Chatterbox clients in the spotlight, with features in prestigious outlets such as Forbes, Today.com, the Today Show, the New York Times, Good Morning America, Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and more. Before founding Chatterbox, Amy honed her skills in the baby and kids industry, working with small to mid-sized companies to craft impactful communication strategies. Her expertise not only in PR but also as a best-selling author and speaker underscores her unparalleled ability to connect with audiences and drive meaningful brand growth. Connect with Amy: Email: amy@chatterboxbrands.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chatterboxprandmarketing/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553209820839 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybartko/ Website: https://chatterboxbrands.com/ I'm launching a digital academy called Crack the Media Code From Pitch to Placement https://chatterbox.mykajabi.com/friends - pitch template and pitch tracker Ready to build a personal brand you are proud of: Ready to build an AUTHENTIC PERSONAL BRAND but not sure where to start ? Download our Authenticity Self Discovery Checklist: https://atigrinspun.com/free-resources/ Not sure if you are set up for success? Take the profitable personal brand quiz https://atigrinspun.com/quiz/ Buy tickets for BE YOU BRAND LIVE https://atigrinspun.com/beyoubrandlive/ Inquire/ enroll on the Be You Brand Academy https://www.atigrinspun.com/beyoubrand ( Got questions, send me a DM on instagram!) I answer to my DM's personally ! Connect with me: Instagram: / ati.g.branding Website: https://atigrinspun.com/ Personal branding strategies for female entrepreneurs FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/perso... Personal branding strategies for female entrepreneurs FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/perso...
Patrick provides insightful and compassionate responses, offering guidance on matters of faith, forgiveness, and family. With engaging dialogue and clear explanations, this hour captures the essence of the show's mission to provide compelling insights and encouragement for the day. Helen - Is it possible that Judas didn't want Christ to die and that's why Jesus gave him the Eucharist? (00:42) Kathleen - We struggled with infertility and adopted 3 children who are such a blessing, and then we had a natural birth years later! (05:40) John - When you go to confession and haven't committed any of the sins that you committed since your last confession, do you need to repeat the sins you committed that were already forgiven in the last confession? (08:59) Marie - I live at a Protestant retirement home and they are having an ecumenical communion service tonight. Can I take communion at that type of service? (21:04) James - Is today a Holy Day of Obligation? (23:33) Yesenia - When you get a blessing from a relic, how do they decide who gets the single blessing and who gets the double blessing? (24:44) Annette - Did the crowd want Jesus to be released because they called for Barabbas, which means 'son of the Father'? (26:17) Brian - What does it mean to keep Holy the Sabbath Day? (28:17) Amy - Is it okay to do Easter egg hunts for our kids? (32:41) Dave - An Episcopal friend took offence when I didn't go to communion at his church. How should have I handled the situation? (35:26) Bernadette - What ceremony was performed on Wednesday in the Latin Churches? (38:53) Brian - What makes a sin mortal? (42:04) Maria - I am currently living as brother and sister with my husband. Can I go to communion? Can I live married life with my husband for economic reasons?
In todays episode we had Amy Mah. Amy Is known for raising private money. She worked a corporate job for over 10 years before getting started in real estate. She was able to make over 6 figures her first year in real estate. Amy's worst year was in 2017 where she took on too many luxury projects with thin margins and contractor mistakes ended up costing her $1,400,000. She dives deep into what her mistakes were and what you could do to not make those same mistakes. Throughout her career she has gotten a lot of her deals through networking, which has also helped her raise private money. Raising money was what she became good at first and today teaches people how to naturally raise it without viewing it as a job. She calls it her 4 second power pitch to get your foot in the door! If you want to learn from her expensive mistakes, and learn how to raise millions of dollars this is the episode for you!
更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号: VOA英语每日一听 Paul: Hi, Amy.Amy: Hi.Paul: How are you?Amy: I'm all right. Thanks. How are you?Paul: Yeah, pretty good. I was thinking the other day about routine. I mean, do you follow like a strict routine?Amy: Not really. I'm pretty laid-back, I think.Paul: I see.Amy: Workdays, you have to follow a routine, I guess because you have to get ready, you have to get out the door. But on days off, I just do what I feel like pretty much. Pretty relaxed.Paul: Well, that I think is important isn't it, to relax on your days off. But like on a workday, so what do you do first in the morning?Amy: I think probably what everybody does first. I have to go to the bathroom.Paul: Okay. I mean, what do you do after that? Do you make yourself a hot drink?Amy: I wash my face and brush teeth, pretty much, and then cajole my daughter into getting on with her morning routine as well, making sure she's ready.Paul: I see. So you've got to get two people ready.Amy: Yes, I do. How about you?Paul: I just need to worry about myself really. I think that's enough, you know.Amy: Is that a big task?Paul: Yeah. Well, I always have a cup of tea in the morning. First thing, I always put the kettle on and make a hot drink. And I usually try to eat like a good breakfast, not just a piece of toast or something but maybe some eggs, scrambled eggs and maybe some bacon and some toast. Yeah, I try to leave the house with a full stomach.Amy: Yeah, that's good. I try to do that as well. Sometimes, we're pretty rushed and breakfast is sometimes eaten in the car. But we do get full stomachs eventually.Paul: Right, right.Amy: Do you ever have fruit with your breakfast?Paul: I don't. I know some people eat like a grapefruit. Actually, occasionally, I have a banana.Amy: Hmm.Paul: Yeah, because I just find it's really easy, and convenient, and quick.Amy: I agree.Paul: But stuff like, you know, grapefruits and oranges, you have to peel them. Yeah, I just don't have the time really in the morning.Amy: Too much like hard work?Paul: Yeah. But if I stay in like if I'm on a holiday in a hotel and they have like a nice breakfast, I always try to eat fruit. So I always try to eat a bit of everything actually.Amy: When it's there in front of you, ready.Paul: When it's made for you, yeah.Amy: I do that, too, definitely.Paul: Yeah.
更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号: VOA英语每日一听 Paul: Hi, Amy.Amy: Hi.Paul: How are you?Amy: I'm all right. Thanks. How are you?Paul: Yeah, pretty good. I was thinking the other day about routine. I mean, do you follow like a strict routine?Amy: Not really. I'm pretty laid-back, I think.Paul: I see.Amy: Workdays, you have to follow a routine, I guess because you have to get ready, you have to get out the door. But on days off, I just do what I feel like pretty much. Pretty relaxed.Paul: Well, that I think is important isn't it, to relax on your days off. But like on a workday, so what do you do first in the morning?Amy: I think probably what everybody does first. I have to go to the bathroom.Paul: Okay. I mean, what do you do after that? Do you make yourself a hot drink?Amy: I wash my face and brush teeth, pretty much, and then cajole my daughter into getting on with her morning routine as well, making sure she's ready.Paul: I see. So you've got to get two people ready.Amy: Yes, I do. How about you?Paul: I just need to worry about myself really. I think that's enough, you know.Amy: Is that a big task?Paul: Yeah. Well, I always have a cup of tea in the morning. First thing, I always put the kettle on and make a hot drink. And I usually try to eat like a good breakfast, not just a piece of toast or something but maybe some eggs, scrambled eggs and maybe some bacon and some toast. Yeah, I try to leave the house with a full stomach.Amy: Yeah, that's good. I try to do that as well. Sometimes, we're pretty rushed and breakfast is sometimes eaten in the car. But we do get full stomachs eventually.Paul: Right, right.Amy: Do you ever have fruit with your breakfast?Paul: I don't. I know some people eat like a grapefruit. Actually, occasionally, I have a banana.Amy: Hmm.Paul: Yeah, because I just find it's really easy, and convenient, and quick.Amy: I agree.Paul: But stuff like, you know, grapefruits and oranges, you have to peel them. Yeah, I just don't have the time really in the morning.Amy: Too much like hard work?Paul: Yeah. But if I stay in like if I'm on a holiday in a hotel and they have like a nice breakfast, I always try to eat fruit. So I always try to eat a bit of everything actually.Amy: When it's there in front of you, ready.Paul: When it's made for you, yeah.Amy: I do that, too, definitely.Paul: Yeah.
Get ready for some psychology! It’s S05E22, “When Bad Things Happen to Bad People”, and we would love to know who those bad people are. Amy? Is it Amy? It’s probably Amy. Anyway, George and Ricky and Ben and Ethan are all loving life this week. Always great to see! This week, Ben does something. You’ll like it, trust me!Sam | JordanTwitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Discord | YouTube
Hi everyone! Welcome back for the second review this month from Jon-David, aka the Mafia Hairdresser, who is picking up today’s review for Oscar nominee MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL as part of our cleanup week. Check social media to see if they took home the gold, as this episode was pre-produced before the ceremony. And regardless of whether it wins, Jon-David will be up in a minute with thoughts, along with a promo for his serial podcast The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles. Don’t miss his previous two reviews for One Movie Punch, including RICHARD JEWELL (Episode #692) and last week’s review for THE CAVE (Episode #706). Speaking of Takeover Tuesday, do you think you have what it takes to guest on One Movie Punch? Head over to onemoviepunch.com/takeover-tuesday and learn more about how you can guest here at One Movie Punch. We still have three (3) slots available this quarter for aspiring and established film critics to take the reins for an episode. We’ll run your promo before the review and will place it in regular rotation for the quarter. If it sounds like something interesting to you, reach out to us over social media. Subscribe to stay current with the latest releases. Contribute at Patreon for exclusive content. Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation. Here we go! ///// > ///// JOSEPH: “And now, in Recording Room 26 at One Movie Punch Tower...” JON-DAVID: “Hello, this Jon-David aka Mafia Hairdresser, the writer and performer of the podcast “The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles”, a campy crime comedy based on my time as a celebrity hairdresser in Hollywood in the 1980s. But, enough about my fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.” JOSEPH: “Sorry, Jon-David. It’s MALEFICENT. Let’s take it from the top.” AMY: “He seems agitated today.” JOSEPH: “Yeah, I know. Keeps looking at his phone, too.” JON-DAVID: “Today’s movie review is the more sensationally titled sequel MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, who also wrote MALEFICENT.” JOSEPH: “Jon-David. MALEFICENT.” AMY: “Should I go talk to him, or...?” JOSEPH: “No, he seems fine...” JOSEPH: “Wait, where did he go?” AMY: “He was just there a minute ago!” JOSEPH: “Wait a minute...” AMY: “Is it a new sponsor?!” JOSEPH: “No. A text from Jon-David.” JOSEPH: “Dear Joseph. Sorry for bailing like that. I was hoping to finish recording, but some guy who paints houses needed me to cut some hair. Will be back as soon as I can. Jon-David.” JOSEPH: “He put paint houses and cut some hair in quotes. Not sure what that’s all about.” AMY: “Umm, don’t you remember in THE IRISHMAN...” JOSEPH: “Why should I remember THE IRISHMAN? The Academy sure didn’t.” JOSEPH: “Thank you, I’ll be here all night! Recording Jon-David’s review for him. Should have never agreed to the hair-cutting clause in our extensive contract. Can you get things set up to record?” AMY: “Sure thing.” AMY: “And, go!” JOSEPH: “But, enough about his fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.” AMY: “Joseph. MALEFICENT.” JOSEPH: “Now he’s got me doing it... FROM THE TOP!” ///// Quick Note: I’m Joseph Dobzynski, Jr., reading for Jon-David, who was actually pulled away at the last moment and couldn’t finish recording the review. He did send me the written review, though, for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL and his dulcet tones will be back later in the month with a review for the Oscar-nominated PAIN AND GLORY. Without further ado... Today’s movie review is for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the more sensationally titled sequel to 2014’s MALEFICENT. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. All characters are based on Charles Perrault’s short story, “La Belle Au Bois Dormant”. That’s right, Sleeping Beauty, in 1903. No spoilers. Hopefully you’ve heard the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the story of Princess Aurora who pricked her finger on an enchanted spindle which put her entire kingdom to sleep - until a prince rescued her. Maybe you’ve seen the Walt Disney Pictures classic animated film? Agh, no matter. Disney made a semi-reboot of this family friendly story starring Angelina Jolie as a powerful horned fairy, with spikey CGI wings and extreme cheekbones, and she’s the creature who actually created the sleeping curse and then bonded with the princess, which ultimately begot love and peace between humans and fairies, for a while. That film was 2014’s MALEFICENT. It had a decent box office of $758.5 million against its roughly $200 million budget. Disney’s MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL did not do nearly as well, box office-wise, as its predecessor, probably because it came out nearly five years after the original hit. When a studio waits that long to stoke the fire, the flames may have died down a bit. MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL was a nice tale and a pretty film, and yet, I thought, it could have been a little bit darker. In this film, there were battles between fairies and humans, but they wrapped up very quickly, with no epic battles with the big visual wow we are used to seeing in other films. At least Disney’s latest STAR WARS release, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (Episode #672), had that visual ocean battle to draw people in, but this film had no such scenes. There was nothing particularly eerie, creepy, or spine-tingling about this film, unlike BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Episode #030). It stayed too light. In fact, I wish that they geeked out a little bit more on the fantasy stuff. Maleficent finds “her people”, so to speak, and where she might have originated from. That would have been an interesting storyline to pursue, if not base the entire film on. Instead, this plotline was relegated only to illuminate the man-versus-nature theme that ran throughout the film. This film glossed over Maleficent’s special powers, how she got them, and her special relationship with her own kind. And the film, in my opinion, threw away a great new charismatic fairy character, introduced as Conall, played by Academy Award winner Chiwetel Ejiofor. I do love the casting of Elle Fanning as Aurora and Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Opposites in every way and the scenes with these two have great tension in them due to Fanning’s unwavering hope and confidence that her mother, Jolie, will do the right thing when called to do so. Both actors fight each other hard and yet the love for each other is palpable and redeeming. Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith is evilicious! I just wish this film could have been about the big battle between Queen Ingrith and Maleficent. That would have made me happier. Perhaps, having too many writers on this film and utilizing three or four good storylines watered down this film’s greatness potential for me I do recommend this film because it’s a feel-good movie. And the special effects and CGI... they’re fine, just fine. Especially when applied to the scenes Jolie are in. It's an enjoyable film to watch. There’s the CGI kingdom and the CGI forest. I remember that MALEFICENT came out in 3D. And personally, I know the man who did that film’s 3D for Sony. (So, I know, “stuff.”) But I didn’t see MISTRESS OF EVIL in 3D, and I think it might have been a better film in 3D, because this film was brighter than the darker-colored 2014 predecessor, meaning, not gray tones, which seems to be better for 3D movie watching. MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is the story of Sleeping Beauty’s much maligned adoptive mother, a powerful fairy bent on seeking revenge on the humans who continually threaten the life and beauty of her forest realm. This is a fun family film. I enjoyed it. And so did many others, with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 95%. Just not so great with the critics. Rotten Tomatoes: 40% Metacritic: 43 One Movie Punch: 6.5/10 MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019) is rated PG and is currently is available in limited theaters and on VOD.
In our sixth See It to Be It podcast interview, Amy C. Waninger speaks with Robert Cartwright Jr., a division manager of Bridgestone Retail Operations in the Northeast Region, about all things risk management. Robert is highly skilled and knowledgeable in risk management and is a very well-respected mentor and leader in the space. Additionally, he serves as chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council of RIMS. They talk a bit about how he got into the field, and Robert explains to us how risk management intersects with just about everything.These discussions highlight professional role models in a variety of industries, and our goal is to draw attention to the vast array of possibilities available to emerging and aspiring professionals, with particular attention paid to support black and brown professionals.Connect with Robert on LinkedIn and Twitter!Find out more about RIMS - they're on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate. Now, look, every now and then we try to mix it up for y'all, 'cause--so look, dependency and consistency is really important, but even within those lanes of consistency, you gotta have a little bit of variety, you know what I mean? You don't come home and just eat the same thing every day, or even if you do--you know, you got a meal prep thing--maybe sometimes you put a little red sauce. Maybe sometimes you put a little green sauce. You know, you gotta just, you know, mix it up from time to time. Maybe sometimes you grill it. Maybe sometimes you saute. Maybe sometimes you rotisserie. You gotta just--am I hungry? Yes, I'm hungry, y'all. My bad. Listen, check it out. We have another entry for y'all from our See It to Be It series. Amy C. Waninger, CEO of Lead at Any Level as well as the author of Network Beyond Bias, she's actually been a member of the team for a while now, so shout-out to you, Amy. Yes, thank you very much for all of your work here. And part of her work has been in driving this series called See It to Be It, and the purpose of the series is to actually highlight black and brown professionals in these prestigious roles, like, within industries that maybe we--and when I say we I mean black and brown folks, I see y'all--may not even know exist or envision ourselves in, hence the name of the series, right? So check this out. We're gonna go ahead and transition from here. The next thing you're gonna hear is an interview with Amy C. Waninger and a super dope professional. I know y'all are gonna love it. Catch y'all next time. Peace.Amy: Robert, thank you so much for joining me today. How are you?Robert: I'm doing great, Amy. How are you doing today?Amy: I'm doing quite well. I was hoping that you could tell me a little bit of how you got involved in risk management and what about it appealed to you.Robert: Okay. Wow, so I have to go back a little bit, because risk management was not a field that I had even thought about, because my background is actually HR, and I managed a couple of plants, manufacturing plants, and when I took over one plant--it was in Philadelphia, and they also made me head of plant operations, and the first issue I encountered was an OSHA citation. It was about $160,000, and it kind of threw me into the field of what is this all about and what are we looking at. So I didn't understand the term risk--and this is in the early 90s when this occurred--and I think it was more of a thing of, you know, the exposure or the things that we had to figure out with how we're going to manage that. So one of the things that the owner asked me to do was to look more into what that was all about, and so that was my first exposure to what risk management was. Now, going on another eight years, and then at this point now I'm working for Bridgestone. I was overseeing part of their [work comp?] program, and as I was moving further along with that I got exposed to, from the insurance side and the claims side of things, the exposures and the risks associated with it, and so I wanted to learn more about it, so I looked it up on Yahoo. That was before Google. Yahoo was a big search engine back then, so I'm dating myself, but Yahoo was a search engine, and it talked about risk management organizations, and I wanted to find out more about it. They directed me to Risk and Insurance Management Society, and they had a local chapter in the greater Philadelphia area, and I went to their meetings, and that's when I started to really learn more about all of the elements that involve risk management. It is a vast operation, and a lot of things that are done, especially from the RIMS perspective, is more volunteer-based. So there's a lot of volunteers that were trying to put together risk management programs for their communities and their communities spread across the world. So that was my first exposure to risk management. The other thing I found that was very interesting is that it was so interconnected with business, and a lot of times businesses are siloed. You have operations doing one thing and HR is doing something else, and, you know, finance is doing something else, you know? They're all kind of siloed, where risk management was really trying to be the gatekeeper for all of those and trying to put them all together and say they're all elements of exposure that will harm the company. We need to find ways to do a better job with that. So I think the short answer to that is that I kind of researched and fell into risk management. It wasn't a career that I chose. The career chose me, and so here I am 35, 36 years later, and just really being an advocate for risk management.Amy: That's fantastic. Did you go through any formal training for this or did you really just research this on your own and kind of pull from these different disciplines?Robert: Yeah. So I did get my CRM, my Certified Risk Manager designation. So I went through those five principles of risk management, risk finance, risk factors, risk analysis and things like that. It kind of gave you a basis of what risk management was for, and that really was I think the biggest education that I got, because I didn't know anything about it, and that was really the exposure. So I did that. I got my certification that way and started to bring some of that information back into my company, but at the same time I was getting more and more involved with the risk management organization, the RIMS orgnization, and so with the local chapter I was able to really kind of build a very robust program that was gonna benefit the community that we were serving, and then I found that it was on a global level, so I started to get involved in other committees and other counsels that handle other parts of what risk management is, and I had the opportunity to serve as their global president last year. So it was a crowning achievement to my career thus far.Amy: That is an amazing story, and it's exciting to me to hear how many people really fall in love with a career path or even get exposed to a career path through associations, because I think a lot of folks--because I didn't know about associations, and I think that's true of a lot of people, especially if you're first-generation in the professional workplace or a first-generation college student. You know, you may not realize that these associations are even out there and that they're a wonderful way to explore different career possibilities and network with people, find out what they like about their job, what they would change about their job if they could, and really get exposure to a lot of different disciplines along the way.Robert: Absolutely.Amy: So what's been the biggest surprise to you about risk management that you weren't expecting when you decided to take the leap?Robert: Well, let's see, I think the biggest thing I found was that I think the connectivity of it is a universal language, and I think going to the convention, to the annual conferences, that was a big thing for me, seeing so many people kind of doing the same thing. Then I realized I wasn't on an island by myself. Handling the issues that we were having in my company, sharing some of the best practices, the peer-to-peer connections, and then the networking aspect where the first time you go you don't know a lot of people. The second time you know a few more. They introduce you to some people. And after about three, four years, all of a sudden it's like a family gathering all over again. You're seeing people you hadn't seen before. They're gonna introduce you to more people, and so your network just gets bigger and bigger every year.Amy: That's fantastic. So what do you think the future holds for talent needs in risk management? Do you see this as something that's going to be--that there will be more jobs in this field, or do you see it as something that maybe artificial intelligence will be taking over? You know, are you going to be working with machines and robots in the future, or do you need more people in this space?Robert: Interesting thing about that, and this is one thing I've been championing. I've been talking about the 21st century version of risk management. The 21st century version of risk management is a person who bought insurance to protect any liabilities for the company. That was the basis for risk management, an insurance person and the person who bought the insurance, and the person who set up the policies and [?]. It has since expanded into a multi-dimensional I guess job description, because IT falls under risk management. HR falls under risk management. Finance falls under risk management. Safety falls under risk management. Audit falls under risk management. So all of these disciplines, any business, anything that a business is associated with, has an element of risk, and so the 21st century risk manager is not gonna look at things so much as "How much insurance do we need to have in order to cover our loss?" They have to look at risk management now from the aspect of saying "What are we gonna do to save the company money by putting processes and procedures in place to stop and mitigate the losses that we have?" Or, and here's the challenge for the 21st century risk manager, the unknown unknowns, the things you don't even know that you don't see. Yes, the company is doing great. We've had a three-year positive trend of losses and things that are happening in that regard, but what else is going to happen around the corner that we don't know about? That's what the future of risk management is. So in a visualization of risk management, that is very key, it's very critical. The next generation, we're looking to them to help lead us in that regard. So my push and my passion has been for 21st century risk managers, they're the ones who understand technology, AI, blockchain. All of the things that are out there that are coming on the horizon. You still need people to manage that level of risk, whether you're working with machines or whether you're working with AI, which is being done right now in the insurance field. AI is now writing insurance policies. So there's a lot of things that still need the people side to drive that and to understand and to direct AI to do those things, and I think my exposure this past year having traveled around the world a little bit has shown me that around the world there are a lot of things that are happening in spaces that we haven't even touched here in the United States. There's a need for people to understand how we can fix these problems. So I talk to college students now and I say, "Do you want to be a risk manager? Here is your job. Find the process solutions and problems." You say when you go into a company and say, "We don't really know what's going on." You're new to the organization and you start asking questions. Before you start asking questions about "Why are we doing it this way?" Ask yourself that question and come up with the answer. When you go into the next meeting and you ask that question, "Well, why are we doing it this way?" And they say, "Well, we've been doing it this way for 20 years and it's working, why?" When you come up with an answer or a solution that they didn't see, then you're the risk manager. All of a sudden now you're the problem solver. You're the one who's gonna help them save money, be relevant, and be able to take that company and move forward with it. The other thing I'll say is that the future of risk management is critically tied in with strategic thinking, because we are raising a group of students now who are getting risk management degrees. They didn't have that when I went to college. That just–that doesn’t exist. And so now people are coming out of college with risk management degrees, or they’re taking things that are tied in with that – actuarial, underwriting, or even on the broker side. Those are all things that they need to know in order to help their company go forward. So I tell people go into a company, and it doesn’t matter if–’cause there’s not a lot of risk management jobs that you can get right out of college. There’s not a lot of entry-level jobs that are like that. There's some companies that have risk management positions that they don't know what they call it. They'll put you into a different category, but it's really dealing with risk management. The thing I say to them is understand the mission and vision of your organization. Find out what that is, because that's your basis. That is your starting point to have a conversation with anybody in your company. Once you understand what the mission and vision is--becuase everybody's connected to it. They have to be. That's the basis of the company. So when you look at that, that's your catalyst to move forward. So yeah, 2020--risk management, oh, there's development in the 21st century. So Amy, here's another point to the whole thing. Persons like myself who have been in this industry 35, 40 years, for the next 10 years, there's a statistic that says 400,000 of us are gonna be sun-setting off into other pursuits. Who's filling that gap? So there's a need, a drastic need, for people to fill that gap who, in my opinion, know technology, have grown up on technology, know digital technology, they live, eat, sleep, breathe it. They're the folks that we need to have to understand how to take this to the next level, because there are things that aren't even regulated right now. We're talking about AI. Let's talk about drones. Let's talk about autonomous vehicles. There's no legislation for that. They're still trying to figure it out. So who's gonna figure this out? So there's definitely a need for that.Amy: Perfect. And what you're bringing up is the intersection of private sector initiatives, you know, public sector initiatives. There are community implications for this beyond the companies, beyond the legislators, but, you know, just really in small towns and cities and in terms of education. You know, schools need to be prepared for this. One of the things I love about the insurance industry as a whole is that it intersects every other part of the economy, and risk management is a little bit broader even than insurance in that it intersects all of these things but it also overlays them in a way that maybe some other disciplines don't. So I like the advice about if you're a strategic thinker this is a great place for you.Robert: Exactly. Well, you know, most organizations righ tnow, their focus is on strategic thinking. They're looking at leaders who can put them in a position to be more successful. Anybody can write a policy and can say that we're protected, but what does that really mean, and what did it really mean to the organization? Do you need a $10 million writer? Who knows? But that's the person who needs to examine that and find out what it is that they really need. And what are they doing to prevent the incidents or the issues that are happening? What are they looking at so far as other methods and means of making the company more successful without an expense? So I kind of look at--a friend of mine used the expression, "Loss prevention is profit retention," and a lot of times you don't think about it from that perspective, but that's really what it is after you put the elements in place.Amy: Is brand preservation, reputation, does that fall under the risk management umbrella as well? Robert: Absolutely.Amy: And I'm thinking specifically about some of the companies that we've heard about in the news lately where they have not--they've clearly not had diversity among their decision-makers, and they've made horrible, horrible mistakes in the marketplace--and very hurtful mistakes--in terms of how they've treated their workers, how they've treated their consumers, how they've established their brand. Do you see marketing as being maybe a primary stakeholder or maybe a future primary stakeholder in this work?Robert: I would say absolutely so. And to your point, we've seen a lot of things where even in marketing we're advertising that they've taken some polarizing images under the guise of "Oh, we didn't know it was offensive," but at the same time it bought them publicity. So there's, like, a double-edged sword with that. There's an ethical component I think to everything I think that most people are missing, and the ethical thing is not that it's the right thing to do, it's doing the right thing, and doing the right thing means you have a responsibility to your shareholders and to your public, where a lot of times people will focus on their rights. "We have a right to advertise this." "We have a right to market this." "We have a right to display this." And they don't look at the responsibility as the other side of that. So to answer your question, marketing, yes, that's a very big issue, and there's a risk management process that's tied in with that, because the thing you have to look at is if we market the wrong thing, how does it impact the bottom line of the organization? Nike did something just recently with a person who the NFL did not really want to be involved with. It was something that was controversial, kind of brought people's attention to something, but at the same time there was a backlash behind it too. But I think one of the--when you talk about marketing, one of the commercials for the Super Bowl was the one where "you call it crazy," and it talked about women and how they were "crazy to do that," women wanting to play sports or wanting to run in a marathon or, you know, she wanted to do these things, but she's too emotional or she's--and they're talking about all these things and--hold on, if that's the case, just show them what crazy is. Great advertisement, right? But the reality is that people still don't understand that that level of diversity is what is needed because women are the buying power. I mean, you have women as 60 or 70% of the buying power of this country. You're not going to cater to that? So the funny thing I found just in my travels is that now the hotels I've been staying at--I've noticed this in the last eight, ten, twelve years--are using more and more comforters and duvets and things like that. They didn't have that before. Why? Because there are more women travelers. Women want more comfort, and so they distinctly designed that to say "Well, we're adding more comfort to your stay." Everything is designed around comfort now. I don't mind it. So yeah, I don't think I would have asked for that because, you know, if I have a sheet I'm okay, but a duvet is kind of nice to have, you know? But there are a lot of things that if you don't include the population of which you're serving, you're missing out on a big part of humanity and what risk management is all about. Amy: Absolutely. To your point about hotels, if I go to a hotel and there's not enough counter space for my makeup, I don't stay there again, and the reason I don't is because I know that there were not women involved in the design of those hotel rooms, because no woman would design a bathroom where she didn't have a place to put her makeup. And so it's like, clearly you didn't want me bad enough to invite me back, so.Robert: So if you feel that way and you just happen to share casually with a friend who shares with another friend, now you have people where there's--and business people are not going to a certain chain. There's a reputational risk that they didn't even realize. So then the people who are marketing and saying, "We want to drive more revenue," or things about growth and sustainability, "We want to drive more revenue, and we know that men like to travel and do this." If you're missing that side of demographics, like you said, that becomes this whole silent killer. The next thing you know, boom, [?].Amy: Yeah, you'll spend millions of dollars renovating your property. You better make sure you get all the stakeholders in the room before you cut that check and before it's finished, because then it's too late. So I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about--you've already alluded to RIMS, but I know you're doing some more work in RIMS about future talent and diversifying talent in risk management, but what are some--so we'll just start there. What are some of the things that RIMS is doing to engage a different kind of workforce maybe than risk management has seen in the past?Robert: Right. So I think one of the things that--timing is always everything, right? And I am the first African-American president of this organization. So we've been in existence for about 67 years, so [?].Amy: Congratulations.Robert: Thank you, thank you. That was a milestone in itself. And I reflect back on a time when they asked me to be on the global board, and the person who called me was a friend of mine, but he was also involved in that whole process of selecting the next person that comes on. And first I thought he was kidding with me. I said "Yeah, whatever. You don't have any diversity on the board, so." And then we're going around and around and I said, "Okay, so is this, like, a backdoor deal?" And he says, "Robert, you can't get into the back door with this organization. You can only get in the front, and it's only by the way of what you do and your merits and leadership and things like that." I was like, "Well, okay, so--how did that even happen?" So as time goes on, and so now as a president, as I was thinking about my presidency and what I wanted to do, my thing was about legacy, and my thing focused on the fact of we need to know where we came from to know where we're going. If we're talking about risk management being relevant, yes, we need to understand our past, but we also need to understand the future and where we're going. Diversity is important. If you don't have diversity, then you're not gonna be relevant. Society is dictating that, they're insisting on it. I saw that in my travels around the world, where they're importing diversity, they're importing the talent, because they want to have what that is. Companies here in the United States are global. The majority of the big companies have a global presence, and if they don't include the type of marketing, like you said, as a woman, that doesn't have space for your cosmetics, then you're losing out on that part of it. So when I think about--what I wanted to expand on as president was diversity and inclusion, that it needed to be something where we get past the conversation of this as it's now something that we talk about. I want to get it to the point where it needs to be a verb. And so we took that, RIMS took that perspective, and we constructed a task force to delve into whether this was something that as an organization we wanted to be involved with, and I'm pleased to say that the board of directors created a new council, a diversity and inclusion advisory council, that was launched this year, and I was asked to be chair of that council. So we've got international presidents. We've got women, men. We've got the LGBTQ corner covered. We have every element covered when we talk about so far as what we want to do as an organization, 'cause we have to walk that talk in my opinion. So as a result of that it becomes more of a thing where we say "What is the next step?" So what RIMS is gonna look at, we're gonna dive into this using the collective firepower of the people on this council, and some of the people on this council are already in that field, from a global level to a local level to an international level. As a matter of fact, my vice chair is from New Zealand, just to kind of give you a perspective that way. But she brings another perspective to that. So what we want to do is we want to take this and say, "Okay, how do we help the next generation understand what this is? How do we help risk managers understand what that is?" As a part of the risk management discipline, D&I, or a diverse group, is a must. It can't be something that we just continue to talk about, but I'm really excited about this. There's just so much. You know, Amy, when I started my presidency, people were reaching out to me, and the first group that reached out was Women of Color, and they asked me to speak to their group, and from there I spoke to the National African-American Insurance Association, and then there was a Latin organization that asked me to speak to them. So there was an influx of people who were coming in, and for the first time RIMS decided that we wanted to have a D&I meeting at our conference in San Antonio last year. It was set up for about 100, 150 people. I'm standing in front 'cause myself and another person were speaking. People were filling in, and they were filling in, and then they were bringing more chairs in, and they filled all the chairs they brought in, and the last count was about 250 people that were crammed into that room over something that we thought might be a good idea, and that I think was a catalyst for us to say "Okay, you know what? We need to take this thing even further." So I'm honored to be able to lead this council going forward, but I just think that there's so much that's already been done that no one knows about. That's the second part. A lot of organizations are out there that are doing things that no one knows about, and I think from the inclusive part we can't just say it's the big organizations who are doing these things. There are other groups that are doing things as well. Let's bring them to the party and have them included as well. We need to hear their voice.Amy: Absolutely. It sounds like, with a response like that, that there was some pent-up demand and that people were excited to have an opportunity to learn more and to participate in this and even to see, you know, the head of the organization be a history maker. That's exciting to me, that other groups said "Oh, wow. You made history. Come talk to us." I think that's phenomenal.Robert: It is. Last year would have been a whirlwind without that, because I wanted to make that as my platform. It became almost double what I would normally have done or what a president would normally have done, and so, you know, everything is about opportunity, right? So right place, right time, right people, and you have to have a passion for it, and I believe in it. I firmly believe in it, because if you don't--I mean, I have found in my experience that if you don't have a different perspective outside of your own or people who look like you, then you're gonna be doing the same thing that you've always done and thinking that you're successful. Patting yourself on the back, "Yeah, we did a great job." Did you really? Who did you compare yourself to? Who did you ask? So, you know, when I bring my significant other into a situation, I say "What do you think about this?" and get her perspective, and "Man, that's something I didn't even see." So I think that's the benefit, yeah.Amy: So you've obviously done a lot of work to help people feel included in your organization. When do you feel included? Robert: I think that's kind of hard to define, because on the surface people can say, "Yeah, we invited you to the meeting. We need you to prepare a report." I think when you become included is when you're part of the decision-making, and when someone says "What do you think?" outside of the normal group or the people who are called on. I've found that for me, when I have a meeting, when I have a lot of folks or a lot of different groups in the room, I try to make sure that every voice is heard. That's not how it happens in real life. What happens in real life is that--and my daughters have already attested to this, 'cause I've asked them, and they're all professionals. They're all in that business world. One's in defense, one's in pharmaceuticals, and the other one's a nurse. And it's the same thing. The great ideas that they got get shot down because it wasn't their idea, but then someone else picks it up and all of a sudden it's their idea. So I think the inclusiveness is when somebody says "What do you think?" And they take your idea and say "Okay, well, why don't you run with it? Why don't you lead this project?" So the duty of RIMS as an organization is that that's exactly what they do, which is exactly why I'm here today, because every time I kept saying "How come we're doing it this way?" They'd say "Well, what would you do differently?" I'd say "Well, we should do that." "Oh, great. Why don't you lead that project?" And so I ended up leading projects and then becoming treasurer and secretary and vice president and president of the local chapter, and then you get onto a committee and "Why don't you do this?" And now you're on the board. "Why don't you do this?" And then you're president. So that's the thing right there. So in my company itself there's still a long way to go. I think in big companies, because there's such a culture that exists and that culture is a thing you need to understand, and that's what I tell a lot of young people. If you're going to walk into an organization, you need to understand their culture. Figure out what their culture is first. Understand the culture. Understand the language you need to speak, and by that I mean that there's certain expressions that opens everyone's ears. There's certain things that happen that everybody says "Hm, okay. That's pretty interesting." And it doesn't mean that you have to assimilate, it doesn't mean that you have to change who you are. It just means you have to understand the language. Now, you have to bring your spin to it, because as a woman you're gonna bring a different perspective. As a minority, you're gonna bring a different perspective. As an LGBTQ person, you're gonna bring a different perspective. Those are needed, and so I think that my drive for D&I now is to highlight the value of all of those different values, but it's a mandatory thing. Right now we're creating positions, but I don't see the action that needs to be behind it enough where it comes a norm where it's like--okay, let me use history as an example. Back in the 30s and 40s, a secretary was a man. It was not a field for women. Now when you talk about a secretary, they don't want to use the word secretary. It's an office manager, but it's mostly women. So we see the trend has changed, and so now people don't even blink twice when you say a secretary or an office manager. "Oh, yeah, of course it was a woman." So that's where we need to be when we talk about a diverse workforce. It needs to be something where we're not trying to put a checkmark and just saying "We checked the box. We have this person. We've hired a black man, a black woman, a gay person, or a lesbian or a trans person, and they're now on our group," but are they inclusive? Are they inclusive? Are they part of the group? And are they accepted for their voice? And I think that's a critical thing. The second part to the inclusion is that it also has to be inclusive of thought. We have five generations in the workplace right now. There's no inclusion of thought 'cause the younger person that comes in, they could have some great ideas, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, Robert. That's great, that's great, and we'll hear from you later." So therefore they have all this energy, you psyche them all up, you told them "Run with this project," they come back and they get slapped down. So after a while you stifle that growth, you stifle that creativity, and I think that the whole generational issue is another problem that we've got. We've got to be able to bridge that gap. So when I talk about diversity and inclusion, I'm thinking about diversity of thought, I'm thinking about inclusion of thought. That's a critical piece as well.Amy: Absolutely. Robert Cartwright Jr., thank you so much for you time today. Thank you for making history and for sharing that with us.Robert: Thank you, Amy. Appreciate it.
Thank you for joining us for our 2nd Cabral HouseCall of the weekend! I’m looking forward to sharing with you some of our community’s questions that have come in over the past few weeks… Let’s get started! Sue: Hi Stephen, I live on the Sunshine Coast in QLD Australia and have been following your podcasts for awhile now since Melissa and Nick had you on her show etc. You are amazing and I will do your course in the future but at the present my 24 year old daughter is going through a journey with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma. She was diagnosed in 2016 when she was 21 and started ABVD chemotherapy. She completed 2 rounds and her PET scan showed it had reduced 75%. She then decided to heal naturally. She did that for 18 months with a naturopath and did vitamin c infusions, hyperthermia, colonics,coffee enemas, juices, supplements etc. After 18 months it had increased and she had to have a rod put in her hip down her thigh prior to chemo as the cancer had eroded a chunk out of her femur. She did 4 cycles of ICE chemo and had her stem cells taken for a transplant in the future. She went into complete metabolic remission but relapsed 3 weeks later so they ditched the idea of using her own cells and chemo and she went on Brentuximab immunotherapy. Did 6 cycles of that. It started reducing but then increased so is currently on Pembrolizumab which showed it was reducing but the latest scan showed a slight increase in the node in her neck and while her body was stable in the last scan there is now one tiny lesion back in her spine. They are talking radiation for her neck but with no guarantee that it wont come back. I think we need to find out why her body isn't healing with your help if possible. We have limited funds so maybe we could start like you did with your healing and start with a couple of tests first with your recommendations. I hope this gets to you. I wasn't sure if this is the correct way to contact you. Have a great day Kind regards Sue James: Hi Dr. Cabral, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and trying to help as many people as you can. I was recommended to you by a friend who had bad anxiety and after doing your detox and CBO protocols, you have changed her life.I apologize for the long store but here is a quick background on me. I have had stomach issues throughout my life which spiked about 5 years ago after a night out drinking too much. After 9 months of seeing doctors, losing 26kg (57 pounds) due to everything I ate made me sick, and barely being able to leave the house, I was told I had helicobacter pylori and a retrovirus by a naturopath. He was able to fix me within 3 months and I haven't had many stomach issues since then, except for some strange food sensitivities. About 1 and 1/2 years ago I was on a plane and had a panic attack out of nowhere, I'm not afraid of flying so this was strange for me. Even after a few days the anxiety remained and made it hard for me to go to work and get on a bus (because it reminded me of a plane). I am an equity research analyst so I like to research things. I started to try and work out what I had introduced into my life that may have caused the anxiety to come on, as the only time I had experienced anxiety before was from taking something I shouldn't have (drugs) or too much pre-workout. I realized that the only thing I had changed was I had introduced Dymista 125/50, a steroidal nasal spray, due to being highly allergic to dust mites. I then started to research the correlation of this an anxiety and found a few forums with hundreds of people having the same issues as I was. I then started to focus on studies and came across a few that found that steroidal nasal sprays can cause the deregulation of Cortisol production and the HPA axis. Then after researching high cortisol levels, I found that many of the symptoms of high cortisol, I had. I went to the doctor to get tested and of course, it came back in a safe range as it was a blood test and only once during the day, not capturing my circadian rhythm. However, my blood sugar was very high and she was concerned I was getting diabetes. I wasn't surprised by this as I thought that the Cortisol/Insulin correlation would be causing this, do you agree? Furthermore, I am unable to eat any sugar (including fruit) because it makes my anxiety much worse. I additionally can't have coffee and cocoa anymore because it increases my anxiety but not instantly like I have experienced before if I had too much caffeine or pre-workout but 30 min to 1 hour later. Is this because they are raising my already high cortisol levels? I decided I needed to get my cortisol properly tested so I did the DUTCH test, which as I expected showed I had extremely high cortisol levels, with my other hormones generally in the normal range. Before being recommended to you, I had seen many naturopaths and specialists that have given me many different supplements to try and help my anxiety and lower my cortisol but nothing has helped. I also have noticed that the 4 times I have supplemented with vitamin B it has increased my anxiety. Due to this, I thought maybe I had MTHFR so the last naturopath tried methylated vitamin B and folic acid but this only made me worse after about a week. After listening to your podcasts, helping my friend, and hearing that you had similar issues yourself, I trusted you would know how to help me. Due to a shortage of money and already doing the DUTCH test, I decided to start with the 21-day detox, which I had to stop after 1.5 weeks because my anxiety got a lot worse, which I assume was caused again by the vitamin B in the shakes. I was fine for the first week but after that, the anxiety came on a lot stronger, which is what has happened the other times I have had vitamin B. I have now just started the CBO program as this is what helps fix my friend with her anxiety and I thought maybe my anxiety is being caused by all my previous stomach issues in the past, although my stomach hasn't gotten worse since my anxiety started. However, I know that your stomach plays an important role in the production of neurotransmitters. I am also taking your Adrenal Sooth and CBD oil, although the CBD oil hasn't seemed to help which I was surprised by after researching it. I feel like the Adrenal sooth is helping a little but I have only been on it for 3 weeks and I know that it will take time to lower my cortisol. My question is, if the anxiety doesn't subside after finishing the CBO and gut healing, what should be my next steps as I feel like I would have done everything possible and using your right supplements and protocols? Also is it possible for you to give an explanation of what you think maybe wrong with me and what is causing the anxiety and high cortisol? Amy: Is marijuana okay to be used while healing? We live in a state where it is legal so I see a lot of people who use it. Anxiety seems to be the number one reason my clients use it. Is this allowed or does it stop the healing process? Luann: Hello, Dr. Cabral! I am a 51 year old woman who has been experiencing hot flashes for 4 years. I have followed the recommendations in your hot flash podcast 968. In the past 6 months, I have completed the 21-day detox, the parasite protocol, the CBO protocol / CBO finisher, the heavy metal detox, and deep sleep protocol. I have been following the DESTRESS protocol and trying to reduce the stress in my life. I take the Daily Foundational Protocol Level 3, thyroid support, estrogen balance, adrenal soothe, magnesium, zinc, CBD oil, B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin D. The frequency and intensity of my hot flashes have greatly reduced, but still occur approximately 4 times / day. I notice my hot flashes often coincide with an emotional response such when I feel embarrassed, shame, worried, or made a mistake. They decrease when I am taking better care of myself, having a lower stress day, and when I am on vacation. Could you please explain in this HouseCall or in a future podcast why hot flashes occur. What are the physiological mechanisms in the body that bring them about? What are the deficiencies and toxicities that lead to hot flashes? Do histamines have anything to do with hot flashes / flushing? Why did you have hot flashes / flushing when you were sick at 17? My 15 year old son heavily blushes whenever he is embarrassed. His blushing began when he was 13 and started to go through puberty. Is blushing like this the same as hot flashes? What do you recommend I do to help my son reduce or get rid of his blushing? Also, do you have any additional recommendations for me? Thank you! Jody: Hi there, I’m from Australia an am looking at starting somewhere with the Stephen Cabral tests or wellness plan. Just deciding on best first step for me based on my budget and what to prioritise first. I currently take a natural thyroid extract 97.5mg and have been taking thyroid medication for around 8yrs. I’m also taking DHEA, and Indoplex (for estrogen balancing) along with other vitamins etc. I try and eat gluten and dairy free but can still have suffer from stomach issues so I am keen to try the food sensitivity test to get some clarity on what foods to stop eating. Could you maybe recommend a good starting point for me on a lower budget? Or am I better off saving until I can afford the “Big 5” tests which saiid amazing. Also my doctor says I won’t be able to stop taking thyroid medication ever - is this true? Thanks so much for your time,Kind regards,Jodie Harmony: Hi Stephen, Firstly I would LOVE to thank you for everything that you are doing, I listen to your podcast most days and have learnt so much from you :) I do however, have a question (or story) for you and feel like you may be my last hope of finding any resolution.I suffer with IBS-C and bloating + (abdominal distention) daily. It feel that it has become more problematic and prevelant post kids (I have twins who just turned 7yrs old).I am extremely frustrated as I have tried every diet under the sun (except histamine which is next step). I have followed FODMAP for quite some time with minimal relief. I have seen naturopaths, nutritionist, doctors, gastroenterologist, dieticians and have just finished a 21 day Panchakarma with my Ayurvedic doctor. I was very disheartend with my Panchakarma detox results - I literally felt no difference, my bloating was constant the whole time and I was still getting consitpated (having to take coloxyl & movicol) ... until a little relief from the 5 days of enemas. I have low Agni and was undergoing the Panchakarma for a Vata imbalance, although the reason for going was to discuss my IBS. I have a Vata-Pitta Prikruti. I guess I was even more so disapointed because I have done a lot of study in Ayurveda and believed in this system, it was my last hope. (Plus I actually put on 1.5kg doing it!!!).Post Panchakarma I was talking with my naturopath friend who suggested my bloating may be because of Histamine intolerance which made sense to me as I have always associated my more server bloating with my hormonal cycle, in particular at ovulation and then again when i menstruate. She suggested I tried the anti histamine diet however I feel that It will just be one more diet I restrict myself on with little changes or will not be able to stick to it long term.My background:Physically fit, I train 5 days per week (it was 6 but cut it down or will just do yoga or pilates on the 6th day). My training consists of running, Muay thai boxing, 9 rounds, Pilates, Yoga, Spin, Body weight exercises & light weights.I am a registered Nurse but have cut my shifts down to 1x week as I teach multiple Yoga & pilates classes per week as well as run workshops & retreats. I also run a small business (activewear label). I feel that I should be 2kg lighter then what I am considering the exercise and clean diet. I put on 1.5kg from the Panchakarma!!! so know im probabaly 3.5kg over weight, I know that doesnt sound like much but I am only 162 cm, now weighing 59kg and for me that is uncomfortable (I feel that i retain fluid) & then I get the bloating daily on top of all that. It has been messing with my mind as there is sooooo much conflicting information out there and I feel that i have tried it all with out any sustainable success. All the 'diets' contradict each other and limit really healthy foods (for some).I am sooooooo confused!!!! PLEASE HELP ME. I want to live my life without having to worry about packing spare cloths for when the boating kicks in and I can not fit in to my pants or top at the end of the day... I actually have stopped going out in the evenings. I want to get back to a confortable weight for me and a flat tummy, minus thge occassional mood swings too. 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Show Summary: (Full Transcript Below) On White Cane Day, Blind Abilities is proud to bring you part 2 of Dr. Amy Kavanagh: Accepting the Cane and Guide Dog Possibilities. Amy has adjusted to her limited vision since she was born and when it came time for the White cane, she thought it was for other people to understand or recognize that she doesn’t see very well. Never thinking she needed a cane for her own good and never thought about using a Guide Dog. This all changed when she made a couple of phone calls to GuideDogsUK – it was life changing! Her new-found independence and her ability to gain so much information from the White Cane was revolutionary and put to ease some of the constant struggles that held her back from reaching her full potential. Join Dr. Amy Kavanagh and Jeff Thompson as they explore Amy’s long road toward accepting the cane and her introduction to GuideDogsUK. Stay tuned for the next episode in this 3-part series with Dr. Amy Kavanagh’s journey and her revolations when she accepted her blindness. Check out Part 1 - Just Ask Don’t Grab – Meet Dr. Amy Kavanagh, Blogger, Activist, and Volunteer with a Message - #JustAskDontGrab Contacts: If you want to learn more about GuideDogsUK, check out the web site at http://www.guidedogsuk.co.uk You can follow Amy on Twitter @BlondeHistorianand follow her blog, Cane Adventureson the web. A very big Thank You to Chee Chaufor your beautiful music! Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store. Get the Free blind Abilities App on the Google Play Store Full Transcript: Amy Kavanaugh: Somebody said to me, "Oh Guide Dogs, they do the long cane training, why don't you contact them?" So I was like well, you know, whatever I'll try, I guess. And I sent off an email and I had a phone conversation that frankly changed my life. Jeff Thompson: Dr. Amy Kavanagh. Amy Kavanaugh: It's like I've now got this new sense that is tactile and teaches me about the world, that I just realized how much information I was missing out on. Jeff Thompson: Accepting the cane, and the possibilities, at Guide Dogs UK. Amy Kavanaugh: I used to, you know, feel my way with my feet doing like a little penguin shuffle everywhere. I'm opening up and doing proper steps now that I have a cane. Jeff Thompson: From realizing that the cane was just not a symbol for others, but a tool to navigate the world around her. Amy Kavanaugh: Yes, I'm on a waiting list. So you know, I'm good friends with my cane. I'm always going to be super big pals with my white cane. Muddling along for now, I'm getting my independence back, that's the main thing. I can wait, it's okay. I don't mind. Jeff Thompson: Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson. In part-two of this three-part series with Dr. Amy Kavanagh, Amy talks about her discovery of the white cane and her introduction to Guide Dogs UK. Be sure to check out the first part of this three-part series titled "Just Ask, Don't Grab" and stay tuned for the third part of this series with Dr. Amy Kavanagh, where Amy takes a look at her journey and the revelations she's found once she accepted her blindness. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with the blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities, and download the free Blind Abilities app from the app store and the Google play store, and check out the Blind Abilities skill on your Amazon device by saying, "Enable Blind Abilities." Jeff Thompson: So without further ado, here's Dr. Amy Kavanagh. We hope you enjoy. Amy Kavanaugh: It's so silly, I get like really emotional. Jeff Thompson: And as we left off from part one. Jeff Thompson: Creating hash tags is not your only occupation! Amy Kavanaugh: No! Well it feels like full-time at the moment. Jeff Thompson: Oh yeah, it's great. And you have a blog, and I saw your Cane Adventures blog, which is a great blog I love your reading, and I got hooked up on this one about guide dogs. Can you explain about the guide dog situation that you're... You're in wait, aren't you? Amy Kavanaugh: Yes, I'm on a waiting list. So, Cane Adventures is a blog, and a recent post that I did, which is really important to me actually to get that message out there, is all about my experience with Guide Dogs UK. Amy Kavanaugh: So Guide Dogs in the UK is the equivalent of the seeing eye dogs in the States. And as far as I understand, it's a slightly different setup in that I believe in the States there are lots of different schools where you can get different types of seeing eye dog or assistance dog. In the UK, it's mainly this one big charity for visually impaired people. Guide Dogs are the providers of seeing eye dogs for the blind. That's our main one. I think there's a few others, people who have perhaps dual sensory loss, and there are definitely growing charities for autism assistance dogs, dogs for deaf people, medical alert dogs. America is definitely I think leading the way in assistance dogs, and the UK is playing catch up a bit. Amy Kavanaugh: But we do have a good solid old, since World War two, institution in Guide Dogs. It is very well known to all British people and it kinds of helps a bit. I think I've spoken to a few friends online that have seeing eye dogs and the different schools mean that sometimes harnesses are different, the rules are different in different states about access and stuff. Whereas in the UK it's a little bit more kind of universal, there is one look of the harness and types of dogs that Guide Dogs use. So it's kind of very consistent brand. Amy Kavanaugh: Anyway so my experience with, again, through social media I desperately wanted training with the long cane because I knew that it was something that would help me. And mainly I thought it would help me by being a symbol, being a symbol of my visual impairment. I commute through central London, it's extremely busy, it's a city of like 8 million plus people. I go in and out of one of the busiest stations in the city, 200,000 people a day use the station that I use. It feels like they all use them at the time that I'm using it. And I thought well I'll get this white cane, I guess I'm kind of a blind person, I'll use this white cane thing. And I thought it was just going to be for a symbol of showing people that I'm disabled, but now I know it's much more. Amy Kavanaugh: Anyway, I was trying to find out how I could access the training, and in the UK, again, this training is normally provided through your local social services. Based on where you live, your council, or kind of your local municipal area will have a team of social workers who provide training and assistance as part of our local government. Unfortunately our government currently has slashed the budgets to these social workers, and they are massively overwhelmed, underfunded, and did not have the resource to train me appropriately. I really struggled to access it. Amy Kavanaugh: So as many people are unfortunately having to do in the UK, I turned to a charitable organization for support, and somebody said to me, "Oh Guide Dogs, they do the long cane training, why don't you contact them?" So I was like well, you know, whatever. I can try, I guess. And I sent off an email and I had a phone conversation that frankly changed my life. Jeff Thompson: Really? Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah. I had a lady phone up and say to me "I'm calling from Guide Dogs; can you tell me a bit about yourself?" And this was like a pretty low point in my life and it just spilled out of me. I think, much like you Jeff, I ranted on the phone to her about everything I was struggling with and was finally kind of honest with myself about what I was finding hard as well. And she just listened, she just listened, and she didn't do what so many do many people do with the kind of platitudes of, "Oh well you'll be fine," blah blah blah "Oh I'm sure you'll be alright." She just listened and she said "You're struggling. You are struggling. You need some help." And for someone to say that to me, to recognize it, was so powerful. I am a crier and I cried on the phone at this complete stranger, and I even get wobbly talking about it now, if I'm honest. Jeff Thompson: Well struggling is a hidden emotion kind of. Like no one sees it, you're just scared to make moves, kind of. Amy Kavanaugh: Yes, and you feel it very strongly but it's often inside, right. It's in your head. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, indecisiveness and yeah. Amy Kavanaugh: And for someone to A, be able to recognize it just over the phone, to hear someone and to go, "I know what this person's going through. I know what that is." To see it, and to hear it, and to say, "We can help you." It was incredible. It's just so silly, I get like really emotional. Jeff Thompson: I'm going there with you, I'm going there with you, I know what it's like. Jeff Thompson: You mentioned something earlier, it was ... As my mind goes blank as I was just drifting off into that thought ... When you said you were going to get the cane for a symbol, I use the scarlet letter B, like I'm blind or the cane tells everybody, "Hey, hey I'm blind. I'm visually impaired, look out." So that's going to help you, but did you accept it that you needed the cane? Amy Kavanaugh: I mean, not for 28 years, no. Jeff Thompson: Just 28. Amy Kavanaugh: Just 28, yeah. Jeff Thompson: It's great that, it's kind of ... I'll use the word amazing myself, or ironic would be the better word ... that you called Guide Dogs UK, and they got you to get mobility training with the cane. Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah. Jeff Thompson: Was that like, whoa, wait a second. Was that a moment? Amy Kavanaugh: Oh, for sure. So I made that phone call, that first phone call, and had that lovely conversation where, as I've done on this call, I cried. And they said, "Oh we'll have someone come to your house and see you." And this was still ... I did have my job by that point because I was still ... The first few months of my job I had learned my way, and luckily where I work is very close to my first university and also to the big British library where I used to do all my research. Amy Kavanaugh: So I was like right, I've got that down, I can do that, that's okay. And I knew my sight was getting worse, and I did have that confirmed recently that my uncorrected vision is worse, down to the sort of 6/6 state which in the UK is what you would consider registered blind. But we did, annoyingly but also sensibly, your registration is based on your corrected vision. They take it from my glasses even though they become redundant sometimes because of stuff. Amy Kavanaugh: Anyway getting besides the point, at that point I went to work, I came home from work, I didn't leave the house without my partner, that was it. Like the only thing I was doing on my own, and mostly ending up in tears and then kind of hiding it a bit at work, was my commute to work. That was the only journey I did on my own and that was, I thought I was ... Two months in I thought, "I'm going to have to quit. I'm going to have to ... I can't do this. I can't do this." I couldn't even go to the local shop by myself anymore and just, I would come home from having traveled on the underground and just cry, and cry because I'd been frightened and pushed by people. Amy Kavanaugh: London traveling, as you may have experienced if you've been to London, we're not the most patient and polite of travelers. And we push, and we pull, and we get a bit grumpy in the underground stations. And with no visible indication I had a disability, when I was bumping into people, or classically you know the train spaces are very small? Because the tunnels were made for Victorians, and the main line I use is one of the really old ones, so the trains are super small and they get very, very crowded and you are like face to armpit with people and there's no air conditioning. Jeff Thompson: Thanks for that imagery of face to armpit. Amy Kavanaugh: It is! You are, I'm like 5' 2" so I am always face to armpit with someone. Amy Kavanaugh: When people move in busy environments, even though I've got this residual vision it just blurs to me because it's just such, so dense and so much information my brain can't process it. So people would move, and move down the carriage, and I just wouldn't see that there was a space there. And people would push me and get really grumpy and like, "Oh come on move, move, move." And I just would cry when I got home because I used to think "I can't see, people get so angry with me because I can't see that they've moved." And so when I had this first meeting with a mobility officer, I'd had to go part-time at work because I just wasn't managing the journey, it was too much. My anxiety was just going through the ceiling, I was having panic attacks on the trains and having to get off [inaudible 00:11:12]. Amy Kavanaugh: And I had a symbol cane in the UK, so it's like a little short one, I think you call it an ID cane sometimes. So you don't actually use it for mobility, you just kind of hold it. I do think they're kind of pointless, I know that's slightly controversial but people don't really get what it is and so they still don't really react properly because it's like, "Why has that lady got like an orchestral baton that's white?" So I wanted to use a longer cane because I knew people would understand what that was. Amy Kavanaugh: And Tommy, my mobility officer, he came, and he did a whole great big like three-hour chat with me at home, and I sobbed all over him, like honestly like a big ugly crying, because he was so nice. And again, much as I've rambled on for you, he asked me like, "Oh you know, what are you finding hard?" and it just spilled out of me for like and hour I just talked at him, I was just like, "Oh my .... You know ... This is, I can't go to the shops, I can't ... I'm so frightened, I keep falling over, I can't manage, I can't do this, I don't know what to do, I can't have my job ..." And just he said at the end of this tirade that I'd put in his direction, "That sounds hard." And it's just three ... See here I go again. Just three words but they made such a different because again, it was somebody listening, and somebody seeing me struggle, and somebody hearing me say, "I can't do this." Jeff Thompson: And both times you communicated with Guide Dogs UK, they listened. Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah, and it was radical because I'd had, like I said, I had that whole experience of asking for help previously and people saying, "No." Amy Kavanaugh: At university, we have a scheme in the UK where you can get a travel pass that is free if you're disabled and you can use trains and buses and things for free at certain times of day, and I applied for that like four times and they kept rejecting me. And I think we all, as disabled people, experience that bureaucracy where they say, "You're not enough, you're not disabled enough. You don't deserve the parking permit. You don't deserve the extra time in exams. You're disabled, but you're not disabled enough for us to help you." And it was the first time really in my life someone had said, "We'll help you. You don't have to prove yourself to us. You don't have to fill out forms. You don't have to do a test. We believe you, and we're listening to you." Jeff Thompson: Can you explain, calling them with the expectation of getting a guide dog but now they're going to hand you a cane. A lot of people don't understand that having a guide dog, you still need good mobility skills. Amy Kavanaugh: Well I didn't think I'd be allowed the dog, and this is why I'd never, ever contacted them as an organization because I thought, "Well they won't give me a dog, that's only for the totally blind people." So I did call them asking for help with the cane and they said, "Yeah, no we can do that, that's no problem." So I was just so grateful for that, totally. But then as the application process went through, where we were talking and that first conversation in person with this mobility office, where he was talking about, "Yeah, a cane will help with this stuff." He said, you know "What about the dog though?" And I said, "Well I can't have a ... I can't have a dog, I'm not allowed a dog." He was like "Why, why would you not be ... You're registered visually impaired." And I said, "But I can ... I can see your face, I can see your glasses, and your ... I'm not allowed a dog." And he said, "Well, let's just see how we get on with that." Amy Kavanaugh: And so he ordered me a cane, started teaching me how to use it, and that ... Oh my ... It's so hard to describe to people. I, like I say, I thought it was just going to be a stick I was waving that meant people could see me, right? That's all I thought it was for. It is like having another sense. It's like I've now got this new sense that is tactile and teaches me about the world, that I just realized how much information I was missing out on. And it's almost like it helps me see the world better. Amy Kavanaugh: And it's so hard to explain that to people who don't use a cane, but every little vibration, every little movement, every tap, it gives you something. It gives you that information and especially I think as well for me, where I do have my residual vision. That blurry path in front of me, I suddenly know where the crack in the pavement is. And I suddenly know where the curb is and it's like, it's like someone's turned up the volume on my life, using a cane. And I get so much balance from it, I know you don't use it to prop yourself up, but simply the information that it gives me enables me to be more balanced. Amy Kavanaugh: It's just so revolutionary that I wished I'd been using it for ten years, so yeah, I'm glad I am using it now. My cane anniversary was last Monday so, it's a year and week old. Jeff Thompson: Well congratulations on that, that's a bit of freedom right there. Jeff Thompson: Now with your experience with the guide dog, getting some introduction to it, that might be a whole nother revelation. Amy Kavanaugh: Well yeah, I've done a little bit of working with dogs. So after we started the whole process with the cane training, and the mobility training, and all of that stuff, my mobility officer Tommy gradually introduced this concept of applying for the dog. And he said, "Why don't we just do it. why don't we just go through it, and then we can see where we go from there." Amy Kavanaugh: So we filled out the paperwork, it was similar to the conversations we already had about my mobility and what I was finding hard, and what I would like to achieve, and what the cane was helping me with. He said, "I'll just put you through to the ... We'll just do the next stage." He's very clever, he's very good, he's like, "Oh we'll just do the next bit." And that involved an assessment where one of the team who works with the dogs came and assessed my mobility. And he had a training handle, that was like the harness that the dog wears, that he was kind of holding one end, and I was holding the other end. And he said, "Well, let's just see how this feels. Let's walk along the street and see how it feels to be guided by this handle." And so we did that, my partner was with us saying you know the places that we could walk and try it. We got a lot of funny looks you know, "What's that poor blind lady doing? Does she think there's a dog in that harness? It's just a man on the other end. They've tricked that poor blind woman." Jeff Thompson: There's a shortage on dogs. Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah. It's like that joke lead that has like the stiff collar at the end? It was like that. Oh look at the invisible dog. So I was like, "Oh that feels different." And there was one, an instance where I was like, "I don't know about this, I don't think this going to work." And then we were walking back along the street back towards my house, and as I've said before, because of my ocular albinism I'm very sensitive to light. And it was summertime of time of year, I think it was kind of the autumn, when the sun in the UK is very low in the sky. Well you know on a nice sunny day everyone else is loving it in the autumn, but that sunlight is really low in the sky and straight into my eyes. And I can't see anything even with my sunglasses on, it hurts too much, or it's just too overwhelming, I've got no vision at all. Amy Kavanaugh: And then the trainer just goes, "Well, close your eyes. Just close your eyes." And I was like, "Well I do that when I'm traveling in the car, or if I'm sat somewhere and it's too bright." He said, "Just close your eyes and follow the handle." And that was revolutionary, you know? That I could rest my eyes, that I could travel with my eyes close, like a blind person. And I knew where I was going, I followed this handle and the handle moved when I needed to step to the left, or to the right, or up and down a path. Jeff Thompson: Did you get to the point where you could actually have a, not a conversation in your head, but be thinking like, "Oh today I have to do ..." You know like everyday people do as they're walking along, they're kind of thinking about their daily schedule. Just like when you started using the cane, you get to a point where, you're just doing normal walking, thinking stuff. Like planning your day, or thinking, "Oh did I leave the coffee pot on." Or ... But before you have those skills, that technique, or that freedom, you're just worried about the next step. Amy Kavanaugh: Oh for sure. And that used to, like I say, my slightly tragic internal monologue before was constantly like, "Can I remember the way? Where is it? Where is it? Where do I go? Is it this way? Is it that way? Oh no. Oh am I going to bump in to someone? Oh what's going to ... Where are they? What's ... Oh, is that moving? Is that car coming?" And now that voice, because I have those cane skills, it's still there sometimes especially if I'm in a new place, or if it's super busy. But now there are places I just do it like I'm on auto-pilot. And it's made me realize that probably most people walk around, and they don't have a constant internal monologue of, "Am I going to fall over? Am I going to fall over? Am I going to fall over?" Because that's just, that was all I was thinking, or "Am I going to bump into that person? Am I going to fall down these steps? Amy Kavanaugh: And now, I can walk through one of the busiest train stations in London and I'm thinking, "Oh yes, I think I might watch that on telly tonight." And you know, "Oh yeah, I'm already on the escalator that's fine. Okay I'm just going to walk ..." You know? Jeff Thompson: That in confidence or that fear just keeps, it's consuming. Amy Kavanaugh: Oh and it does consume you, and it's exhausting, it's exhausting constantly thinking, and planning, and worrying. So tiring. Jeff Thompson: And then someone grabs you. Amy Kavanaugh: And then someone grabs you, yeah. Amy Kavanaugh: But then after I had the invisible dog, and talked a bit more about the practicalities of having a dog ... Now I am a huge dog lover and when I did have ... Was working from home a lot with my PhD I used to volunteer at an animal shelter in London which is very old, very well-known animal charity called Battersea Dogs' Home, it will take on the most problem cases. And I used to go and volunteer, and again it was one of those times where I'd sort of said to them, "Oh I can't see very well. Oh maybe I shouldn't do too many walks with the dogs." And they were very good about it, and they didn't really question it too much. And they did all their risk assessments and everything and they said, "Okay well what you could be good at doing is the anxious dogs, who haven't been around people, they just need people to sit quietly with them and pet them, could you help us do that?" And I was like, "Could I help you do!? Yes I can do that." Amy Kavanaugh: I then fostered some of these very, very anxious dogs who just needed company. Older dogs, sick dogs who didn't need a lot of walking and exercise but just needed to be with someone. And they would sit in my office and I would pretend I was managing to do my PhD work and just pat them and make them feel better. So I did that for a couple of weeks at a time. And so I have had dogs, and problem dogs who were sick everywhere, and poop everywhere, so that I was used to. That part of it didn't bother me or my partner, we're dog people. Amy Kavanaugh: And I think a lot of that initial process is ... Lots of visually impaired and blind people, they have never had a dog in the house, they've got to get over the whole picking up the poo thing. So that for me was not a barrier at all, and if anything it was something, I was super conscious of because I was like, "Do you just want a dog, Amy? Is this ... Do you ... Because you would like a dog, this is not the solution for you just getting a dog. There are lots of dogs you could adopt, this needs to be the right reason. It's a mobility aid, it's not a pet dog." Amy Kavanaugh: So as part of that process, Guide Dogs gave me the opportunity to go to the training school and do a residential visit with them where they put a group of us up in a hotel and we did training and we worked with several different dogs in training. Amy Kavanaugh: And we had a dog stay overnight in our room with us, and we got to hang out with the dogs, and we groomed them, and we got a sense of how it would feel to be guided by a dog, to work with the dog, and how that is very different from the cane. And I absolutely loved it because that internal monologue that we're talking about, of that fear and that anxiety, that I still do have with my cane. Because the cane is great at finding objects that you have to work your way around, and that takes a lot of brain power, lot of thinking, lot of skills, lot of concentration. Whereas the dog just walks you right around that object. Yes you have to focus on your working relationship with the dog, on the commands, on understanding how the dog works, on following the rules of the way that the dog knows how to guide you, and it changes your mobility quite significantly. But that stress of, "Oh, what if I bumped into here? What's this? Okay, it's a street sign. Okay I can walk around this. Is it? Oh it's some construction work." Jeff Thompson: "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me." Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah. You go faster, it's smoother, and that internal monologue can focus a little bit more on what you want to eat, when you're going shopping, you know all this stuff that everyone else is thinking about, and I loved it. Amy Kavanaugh: It was a great process, the best thing about Guide Dogs is that they are really invested in you making the right decision for you. And it's not like ... You don't have to pass some test, and I think it has been like that in the past. I think they did used to be a little bit more like, "Look at this chart. Cover your left eye, cover your right eye." But I think they realized that it meant it was denying a lot of people like me a service that would make a big different to their lives. And the modern version of that is about being independent, reclaiming your confidence, getting out there, being able to do things just like everyone else can. Amy Kavanaugh: And so I sat down at the end of the weekend and I talked to all the different trainers and like the support team and they said, "You're going to go away and think about it, we won't accept and answer from you right now because that's not appropriate." So I went away, three days later I really thought about it, you know a couple of sleepless night, "Is this the right thing for me? I can't fold up the dog and put it away in my handbag. I can't stay out all night partying with the dog. I might get access refusals, which will be a new concept, you know, taxis will not take the dog, restaurants will not let me in, people will try to distract the dog." No one is trying to pet my cane, although they do like to grab it occasionally. Amy Kavanaugh: So I had to take on that whole decision, and they really support you through this, but they say it has to be the right decision for you. And it has to be the right decision for us as the people who are going to give you this working animal. To know that it's going to benefit you, that you're going to be committed to it, and that you're going to follow the rules, understand them, and get the best out of this working relationship. So yeah, I made that phone call at the beginning of January, and I said, "Yes, I think I would like to go on the list, what do you think?" And they said, "Yes, we think that's a good decision." Jeff Thompson: And you'll get that cold nose once in a while. Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah, don't mind that so much. I think it might be a very spoiled dog. Jeff Thompson: That's great that you have experience with a dog because my wife has a dog, she takes care of the dog, maintains the dog, sees that it's fit, does regular checkups, she's an animal type of person so it's a great fit for her. And always complained about how the cane gets tangled up with people near the bus stop and all the shrapnel that you can find on the sidewalks and stuff. I'm not knocking it, but for her it was just a great transition for her and she really likes that. Amy Kavanaugh: Yeah and I think it does suit some people and it doesn't suit others, and that's fine. I kind of met people who were like, "Yeah I had a guide dog for a while, it didn't really work for me. I prefer the cane." People prefer the flexibility of the cane, it does give you that ability to decide that you just want to stay out or go wherever. Having a dog can reduce your access in some ways, but it really opens it up in others. Amy Kavanaugh: You can get a dog to do an unfamiliar route with you, you know your Google Map's in your ears, the dog will just take you from curb to curb, and you will be safe. And I rarely have the energy, and concentration, and skill to be able to do that with the cane. You're stopping every three meters to look at your phone, am I in the right place, listening to the instruction again, "Okay right, travel a bit further, bump into someone, avoid something, Oh I forgot ... " You know, whereas that dog is going to take you that smooth part of that journey, and then you can focus on your direction, asking for any assistance. For me it feels like it's going to fit and suit me that way, and also, I'm very keen to be an advocate for them as well because they have supported me so much. Jeff Thompson: I have to toot their horn too, Guide Dogs UK. I met John Greedy when I was down in Teignmouth. A friend of mine Jo Fishwick, she has a charity there that's called VI Talk. And they actually at Teignmouth, there's a Cliffden Hotel there that they bring people there, so they can do that one week of interaction with the dog. It's a two-week program, they actually interact, and they actually release the dog to the owner, operator I guess, guide dog user. Jeff Thompson: So it was neat to be there at the same time that they were doing that, and I had an interview with them and I put it on the Blind Abilities podcast, and he's been doing it for 21 years and it was just so ... It was just so nice to talk to him and hear about how he goes about it, his interaction with the dog. And I don't know how many dogs he's done but over 21 years, he gets these dogs and hands them off to people, but he said, "Are they active people? Do they have low vision? Totally blind? Do they live in this type of environment?" So the criteria that they fit and match these dogs with is extensive in the sense that they're giving the right dog for the right purpose. Amy Kavanaugh: Absolutely, and that is why the wait is quite long because for me, I need a specific set of requirements. I am a short woman, so I don't need a great big dog with a great big long stride that's going to be dragging me along too fast. I currently do not walk very fast because I used to feel my way with my feet doing like a little penguin shuffle everywhere. I'm finally opening up and doing proper steps now that I have a cane, but I'm still pretty slow because I'm just so used to walking slowly because I thought, "Well if I'm moving super slow, I'm not going to injure myself as badly." And now that's speeding up a bit so they need to match me with a dog that isn't going to race me down the street, it's got to be a dog that will be able to handle one of the busiest cities in the world, that's going to get me on that public transport, not be phased by huge crowds of people, have the enthusiasm and determination to work in those busy spaces, a real problem solving dog. Amy Kavanaugh: I have heard they tend to be the naughtier dogs, the London dogs, because they need that kind of, spirit cheekiness to have that confidence to go into those busy environments. So they can misbehave a bit so you kind of have to keep an eye on that really, as best you can. It's going to be an interesting dog, I'm looking forward to meeting it. Amy Kavanaugh: And actually I have to take things into account, like I said, I'm starting this new job and I was doing some route practices for this new job. It's full-time, going back to full-time work which is a big step for me, and I will have a lot of external meetings. I might have meetings in parliament with the government in Westminster, so I was learning my way to get there from work recently on Wednesday. And the dog is going to have to deal with all the tourists in those busy central London areas, and the fact that I've had this slight life change, unfortunately there might have been a dog in the works that was suitable for how my life was nine months ago, now my life has changed a little bit. There'll be a bit more work for this dog, so that might make it a bit longer I don't know. But it's got to be right, because if it's not right it's not going to help me in the way that I need it to. Amy Kavanaugh: So I'm good friends with my cane, I'm always going to be super big pals with my white cane, muddling along for now. I'm getting my independence back, that's the main thing. I can wait. It's okay, I don't mind. Jeff Thompson: Such a great time talking to Dr. Amy Kavanagh and stay tuned for part three as Amy talks about her journey through blindness and the revelations she discovered when she was ready to accept her blindness. And a big thank you goes out to Chee Chau you can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @LCheeChau And as always, we want to thank you for listening, we hope you enjoyed. And until next time, bye-bye. [Music] [Transition noise] When we share -What we see -Through each other’s eyes… [Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence] …We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com on Twitter @BlindAbilities, download our app from the App Store. Blind Abilities, that’s two words, or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.
In today's Q&A, we are helping Kathy figure out how she can create awesome videos for her online business with affordable video equipment (or what she already has). Do you have a question you want answered on our podcast? We would love to help you! Click here to ask your question! Resources Mentioned in this Episode Today's expert is Amy from SavvySexySocial.com Amy on Youtube Amy's Podcast iRig Mic Rhode Lapel Mic Let's dive into this week's question! JOCELYN: Hey y'all! You're listening to a Q&A with S&J. Welcome to the Flipped Lifestyle podcast, where life always comes before work. We're your hosts, Shane and Jocelyn Sams. Join us, each week, as we teach you how to flip your lifestyle upside-down, by selling stuff online. Are you ready for something different? All right, let's get started. SHANE: What's going on guys? Welcome back to the Expert edition of the Q&A with S&J and today we are bringing back one of our favorite guests to talk about video and how it can improve your brand. It is Amy Schmittauer; Amy, welcome back to the Q&A with S&J. AMY: Shane and Jocelyn are my favorite people in the world, thanks for having me. SHANE: Love it. JOCELYN: Yeah, we are like super pumped when we talked to Amy a little bit ago that she is in the Eastern Time zone. There are very few people in the Eastern Time Zone. SHANE: This is the only podcast we get to record in the Eastern Time zone is when we get to talk to Amy. AMY: It's so funny because most people don't even believe me when I say I'm in the Eastern Time zone – SHANE: I know. AMY: – they're like, “You're in Ohio, so what does that mean?” SHANE: “Do you even have internet?” AMY: “Is that central time?” I'm like, “Yeah, exactly. I'm on Eastern Time, it's all good.” SHANE: I always say, we have to like plus or minus four from everything we do because of all the people in California. AMY: Oh no. JOCELYN: East Coast represent – SHANE: East Coast is in the house today. JOCELYN: Let's jump into today's question. It's from Cathy, a Flip Your Life member, and she says, “I cannot afford expensive equipment to make videos; what should I do?” SHANE: If we get any video questions, it's this one because you know, when people start out affordability on everything, you got to get hosting and domains and blah-blah-blah and you got to spend some money to get started. But then we're like “Okay, how are you going to use video?” And they're like, “I can't afford a camera.” That's impossible. So what do you say to people when they come to you and they are like “I don't have anything to record with; what do I do?” AMY: Well, it's a bunch of crap, is what it is because you do have something to record with – Cathy, no disrespect. So, most of us have a smartphone and there's no reason to think that if you are going to get serious about video content that you can't use what you already have. I mean, it's actually sort of mind-blowing when you think about the abilities of the cameras that are built into smartphones. This is why the flip camera got discontinued and there are so many other hand-held video cameras nobody is buying because you just have it in something you carry around anyway. So, other than maybe a memory issue, there's no reason for you to say like “I can't use my phone” and there's so many accessories out there to enhance even that product alone if you are worried about internal audio being an issue ‘cause you like to do stuff outside a lot. There's a way of getting a microphone that can just plug into your phone and then you automatically have an upgrade there. So, often times when people are trying to sort of drag their feet on video, they are always talking about equipment and it's just very hard to wrap your mind on what are all the things we need: lighting, sound, quality everything; but if you just start with what you have at that point in time, you are going to prove to yourself that you need better...
XH: Actually this one is from Yale University, that’s being played. Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad. It has an ancient feeling to it, as well Amy: They all have ancient feelings to them, but you know I think that Chinese ones and the Yale one we just heard, and even like my alma mater, they all sound the same. It’s like a choir singing it, and it sounds like you’re in church to for some reason. XH: Yeah, it’s very ceremonial feeling to it. LY: Also like a spiritual experience, I guess, but I have to say I do kind of dig, the song from Communication University of China, because it’s a lot more pop, yeah, than the rest of bunch. And also this one I have to applaud their effort because they do not only have a song, they also shoot a music video for it. And a lot of stars are actually in that music video, because they graduated from that school. So I guess that’s a lot of star power. Amy: That’s kind of pretty cool. XH: That’s probably public university, because you know a lot of celebrities from graduated from their universities anyway, so you know why don’t they choose the most famous one? It’s pretty good promotion idea. And I think some netizens are questioning this ranking, you know, they’re saying why is the song from Zhejiang University No.1? Or why don’t we know about it like if we’ve known about it we go online, and try to vote for our university. Amy: Is anyone that invested making their university song No.1? I mean they all kind of sound the same singing like in the English and Chinese and Latin whatever. They all sound exactly the same with like slightly different melody to it. LY: Yeah, I have to say I’m with Amy on this one. I don’t really think people are that invested, if they do I can only say I can only quote very popular Chinese saying 认真你就输了 it’s just popularity contest, so what’s the big deal if the school doesn’t have the No.1 song, my school has the No.1 song; I didn’t even know it had a song. XH: and you don’t like it. XH: and also here we have a listener on WeChat Emily actually sent us, her school song. She’s from Hunan University of Technology, let’s take a brief listen. Emily: 大家好，我的校歌叫做《心愿》，湖水是你的眼神，梦想满天星辰，星辰是一个传说，亘古不变地等候，成长是一扇树叶的门…… XH: that’s not too bad. Amy: Is that a school song, or is that a pop song? XH: see, now you’re criticizing you know, the song being too pop, this doesn’t sound like a school song. Amy: maybe in this case it’s not fair because its way more popular, sounding than other school songs. XH: Yeah, I guess and if it were for me, it would be impossible for me to choose which are the best school songs. So do you guys have an opinion as like music DJs, do you have a standard to judge the best school song? LY: I guess it would be very difficult because different people have different tastes, so if you are into a certain genre of music, of course you tend to give that particular type a higher score than the rest. So I do know for a fact, for example, Wang Wei is very keen to Hip Pop. XH: Hip Pop school song. LY: but I don’t think we have come across any school song that’s actually hip hop, and it would just be very difficult imagine if actually any school song has a hip hop feel to it. Or worse any swearing in it. Amy: Yeah, I think maybe you would have to judge it based on the lyrics, cause they all…. I don’t think anyone just wants to like going home and listening to CD after CD after CD after school songs. XH: No. Amy: so maybe just have to like base on lyrics and if they strike you, make you want to go studying hard in the library, then it’s must be a good song. XH: Yeah, for me, I don’t mind the ceremonious songs, in fact I love operas and stuff and classic songs, but it still has to be like, it still has needs to have a good melody. I think that’s still most important of all. Amy: Yeah, definitely. XH: Yeah.
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